Here's a note from Mame Reiley

Imagine what it would mean if - this early in the campaign - a majority of the Virginia Democratic Party's top leadership endorsed a candidate for Governor.

Today, that happened when most of the members of the party's Steering Committee* endorsed Brian Moran for Governor. Read all about it.

Brian told me that he's "humbled by the strong support of some of Virginia's most prominent Democratic leaders."

Their support of Brian makes a lot of sense since he's been working with these individuals over the course of his 20 years in public service - winning elections with them, building bipartisan coalitions with them, and helping build a stronger Virginia for the next generation with them.

You probably remember that last week Brian received the support of the overwhelming majority of local elected Democrats in Loudoun County. They said Brian had the best shot to win critical swing counties in Virginia.

Today's endorsers said they are stepping up to support Brian because of his long record of service to the party and the fact that he's consistently led Democrats to victory all across the Commonwealth. They saw him work with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and they know he's the person to do the job next.

Del. Brian J. Moran is poised to collect endorsements for governor from the highest echelons of the state Democratic Party, while presumed rival Terry McAuliffe is being backed by one of Virginia's biggest political check-writers.

Moran today is scheduled to announce the support of nearly two-thirds of the Democratic Party's steering committee. Made up of district chairs and other senior Democrats, the committee largely governs the state party.

-Richmond Times Dispatch

This is a clear sign that Democratic leaders in Virginia want Brian to be our next Governor. I'm a member of that leadership, and I know he's the right guy for the job.

Read the response at the Washington Post, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and the Vivian Page blog.

Loudon County, a bellwether for the past 4 election cycles, is already going for Moran in the 2009 Governor's race. Yesterday at the Old Loudoun County Court House, Democratic leaders gathered to publicly endorse Brian Moran for Governor. The Washington Post's Loudon Extra spoke with some of the Democratic leadership in attendance.

"Loudoun is the key to victory in Virginia, and Loudoun Democrats know Brian Moran can win here," said Kelly Burk (Leesburg), a member of the Board of Supervisors. "We have to make sure that the Democratic nominee can win decisively in Northern Virginia and the suburbs. That's what it takes to win."

The officials represent about two-thirds of Loudoun's elected Democrats, including members of the Board of Supervisors, School Board and Leesburg Town Council, the Leesburg mayor and state legislators.

Leesburg Today also covered the event, as did Raising Kaine, and News 8

Here's a video of Brian on election day in Hampton Roads talking about the election and what he's doing to protect the vote:

Brian joined Northern Virginia Labor leaders to kick off the final canvass of the 2008 campaign on Saturday morning in Annandale. He spoke to the hundreds of volunteers about Barack Obama’s commitment to the middle class and to fighting for working Virginians.

You can see more pictures of the kickoff on Brian's Flickr album.

The Petersburg Progress-Index has a report on Brian's Monday campaign stop in Petersburg:

Moran has been campaigning for Obama for months. Last week, he launched a bipartisan effort in the General Assembly and urged both Democrats and Republicans to contact their constituents and make sure that all Virginia voters had the necessary information for Election Day.

Today, Moran — a lawyer and former prosecutor — will join Hampton Roads lawyers to visit various polling places to offer legal assistance to voters. In recent weeks, many households in Hampton received fliers falsely urging Democrats to vote on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.

“With the tactics of fear, intimidation and misinformation employed by those who want to stop Virginians from going to the polls on Election Day, I can’t think of a more important role to play than providing voter protection tomorrow,” Moran said yesterday. “I will spend the day making sure that every vote is counted.”

Brian Moran appeared on MSNBC on October 30 to discuss Barack Obama and the battleground state of Virginia. Here's the video:

The Obama campaign has a comprehensive vote resources center online at Vote for Change. Click through to find your polling place, report a problem with voting in your area, find local voting information, or, if you're a lawyer, how to volunteer for Voter Protection.

Brian answers the Republican claims to have the support of "real Virginia" in the Alexandria Gazette-Packet:

Gubernatorial hopeful Brian Moran lashed out at the presidential campaign of Arizona Republican John McCain this week, criticizing a spokeswoman for the campaign of using "divisive tactics" and "Karl Rove politics." Moran’s comments came in response to a Oct. 18 appearance on MSNBC by McCain spokeswoman Nancy Pfotenhauer, who argued that Democrats from the District have moved into Northern Virginia and skewed the election returns in the region.

...

"Barack Obama once said that there was no red America or blue America — there is the United States of America," Moran told students in the newly completed science-and-technology wing of the Bisdorf Building. "And I say there is not real Virginia or fake Virginia — there is only the commonwealth of Virginia."

SINCE JANUARY, Moran noted, Virginia has added 436,000 new voters. According to officials with Virginia State Board of Elections, this is the largest surge in voter registration that the commonwealth has ever experienced. Moran predicted that the surge in voter registration would benefit Democrats, with nearly 40 percent of the newly registered voters under the age of 25. Students who came to the Bisdorf Building Monday night to hear Moran were enthusiastic about the potential for young voters finally becoming an important force in American politics.

The What IS Right For Virginia? blog picked up on the story.

Delegate Brian Moran spoke at the Richmond Obama HQ on Thursday to call for an end to the negative lies and distortions coming from John McCain’s campaign and the Republican Party of Virginia. He spoke the morning after automated phone calls full of distortions were launched against Virginia families, after a nasty ridiculous direct mail piece showed up in mail boxes, and on the heels of the RPV Chair’s nationally-noted negative remarks comparing Senator Obama to the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

“I am disappointed that the Leadership of Virginia’s Republican party has fallen to this low. But it’s exactly the same Karl Rove divisive politics that we’ve seen for the last 8 years,” said Delegate Moran. “The Republican campaign is trying every attempt possible to change the topic and avoid talking about the failed economy. On the economic issues that matter to Virginians, John McCain is promising four more years of the failed policies of the last eight. His answer on the economy seems to be ‘stay the course’.”

Moran cited a non-partisan report that showed 100% of McCain’s television advertisements are negative. He announced that the Campaign for Change will be activating their grassroots network to contact the Republican Party of Virginia and urge them to stop the politics of division and fear.

Listen to the audio of Delegate Moran’s remarks here.

Brian will receive Irish American magazine’s “Star of the South” award on October 18 in Atlanta, Georgia. The “Star of the South” award is given annually to southerners of Irish and Scotch Irish heritage who exemplify the values of hard work, responsibility and community service that have made Irish Americans prosperous members of the American family.

“I am honored to receive this award from Irish- and Scotch-Irish-American leaders across our region,” Brian said. “My grandparents came to America from Ireland with nothing more than a single suitcase - only to face signs that said ‘Irish Need Not Apply.’ They broke down barriers to ensure a better life for the next generation and generations after that. They taught me the importance of our shared commitment to opportunity for all.”

Brian was particularly recognized for championing Alicia’s Law, which cracks down on Internet child sexual predators. Alicia’s Law is named after Alicia Kozakiewicz, who was abducted by an online predator and held in his Herndon basement until rescued by the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. This initiative doubles the capacity of these officers to arrest and prosecute child sexual predators.

Local Kicks covers the story.

The following is an excerpt from a recent op-ed that Brian published in the Bristol Herald Courier :

...during my recent visit to the Wise County Fairgrounds to see the Remote Area Medical (RAM) Expedition. RAM is the nation’s largest free basic health-care event and this all-volunteer event is an important reminder of our shared commitment to leveling the playing field for everyone.

But this visit also made clear that our efforts to increase health care access in rural Virginia have not done nearly enough.

As I watched one line snake around a tent four times – and saw hundreds waiting for basic health and dental care– I knew that this event serves as powerful proof of our failure to ensure adequate health care for every Virginian. Organizers estimate over 2500 received care over the three days, but as many as 1000 more were turned away.

In a prosperous state in the most powerful nation on earth, it is a simple fact that no one should be denied access to health care. Early health care intervention is not only a moral imperative; it also saves resources. It is much more cost effective to make blood pressure screening and medication available than it is to treat a stroke. Regular dental cleanings are more cost effective than fashioning a new set of teeth.

This visit highlighted what I’ve learned as I prepare my campaign for Governor: Intelligence and ability are equally distributed across this Commonwealth, but investment and opportunity are not.

As thankful as we all are for the volunteers who make this event a success each year, health care access should not be limited to one weekend in July, it should be available year round. As proud as we are of the work at RAM, we will only be successful when we have expanded health care access to the point where this event is no longer necessary.

Read the whole op-ed.

Brian spoke to the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club yesterday, outlining his vision for Virginia’s energy economy and environmental future. He pledged a focus on economic growth while defining his measure of success as “the legacy we leave to the next generation.”

From the speech:

We can create jobs by investing in a 21st century energy economy. That means putting Virginians to work in good, high-paying jobs in green construction, bringing manufacturing jobs back by investing in wind turbines and creating new industries by investing in alternative energy research.

From the capitol in Richmond to the halls of Washington, it’s going to take a joint commitment – the type of commitment we haven’t seen since John Kennedy challenged us to land a man on the moon,” said Moran. “It’s going to take another Apollo mission to get this done. Virginia can’t lead our nation, and our nation can’t lead this world, if we stay behind in this race.

Josh from Raising Kaine wrote:

Brian Moran has set the bar for responsible energy policy in the 2009 race. There's a lot for pragmatic progressives to appreciate in Moran's approach. Of the current contenders for the office, Moran is clearly leading this issue.

Decision Virginia also covered the speech.

Watch the speech:

Brian went to Denver for last week's historic Democratic National Convention and was proud to host an event for the Virginia Delegation. The Washington Post's Tim Craig reported:

More than 100 Virginia Democrats attended the party, billed as a "Late Night With Brian Moran," including U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott and Moran's brother, Rep. James P. Moran. U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner also made an appearance, hours after he delivered the convention keynote address.

"It was a nice opportunity to get everyone together after Mark's speech and celebrate Mark's speech," Brian Moran said.

Raising Kaine's Josh Chernilla also had a lengthy feature about Brian at the convention. Here's a sample:

Into this astonishing array of excitement and emotion, an ebullient Mark Warner joins the fray. His tie and jacket long-gone, Warner is having a great time with his beloved Virginia Democrats; greeting all. I watch him shake hands and then bear hug Brian Moran. It's an honest moment between the two that seems to betray a simple truth: these guys are good friends.

The next day, I'm peppering Moran with questions over coffee. Moran has been going since 4am, doing the media circuit. I start by asking about Warner's speech. "His speech was 'Warneresque'", he smiles through his pinched-cheek smile. "I've known Mark for 20 years. He gave a substantive speech about how we can meet challenges. Mark has a message of governance and solving problems. That's how we win in Virginia, by rolling up our sleeves and addressing issues that matter to people."

"I represent the continuation of the success we've had in Virginia. It's success based on results for regular people; in treating Virginia as a Commonwealth. Whether you're born in Galax or Fairfax, you should have the same opportunity. That's the principle I've been fighting for in the House for 12 years, and it's why Democrats should win this year. We have a vision for the country that is for the whole country."

Anita Kumar of the Washington Post blogs:

Del. Brian J. Moran (D-Alexandria) has purchased "carbon offsets to neutralize the carbon footprint" of the Virginia delegation while at the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week.

A carbon footprint measures the affect human activity has on the environment through greenhouse gases. Moran, who is not a delegate but will be attending the convention, purchased carbon offsets that will be invested in renewable energy through Native Energy.

"Democrats have a long track record as champions of our environment," Moran said. "Leaving a clean and healthy world for the next generation is both a moral obligation and an economic necessity. It's important we show our commitment to this cause with both our words and our actions."

The Virginia delegation will produce approximately 115 tons of carbon-based pollution from air and ground travel, accommodations and waste, according to national Democratic officials.

Delegates have already offset 44 of those tons. Moran's offset includes his own carbon impact.

Raising Kaine has more and you can read the full press release here.

The Martinsville Bulletin gave extensive coverage to Brian's recent visit to their city. Here is an excerpt:

Moran said he has been to Southside in good times and bad. On the good side, Moran said, he attended the opening of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.

On the other side, he was with Del. Ward Armstrong (D-Collinsville, who is now House minority leader), after Tultex closed in 2000, putting nearly 2,500 area residents out of work.

“I was very touched ... when Tultex left,” he said, noting that “we did our best in responding” to workers’ needs.

Prompted by Tultex workers who lost their jobs, Armstrong was author and Moran was co-patron (or co-author) of the Textile Workers Relief Act, which was introduced in the 2000 General Assembly session, said Jesse Ferguson, Moran’s communications director. Then-governor Jim Gilmore, a Republican who now is running for U.S. Senate, vetoed the act. It would have increased unemployment benefits and extended health care insurance for a year for anyone who lost a job due to a plant closing related to the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA).

Moran said Monday that people want to work and provide for their families, and there should be opportunities for them to do that.

Brian joined former Governor Mark Warner and hundreds of steelworkers from the Newport News Shipyard to support the members of the United Steelworkers Local 888 as they fight for higher wages, better pensions and an upgraded healthcare plan. From the Daily Press:

Brian spoke in support of the workers and their contract negotiations. He pointed out that the rising cost of gas and groceries was putting the squeeze on middle class families already having a tough times making ends meet. Local 8888 members build the ships that stand on the font-lines of our national defense and they deserve pay and benefits that match their commitment to our nation.

Delegate Moran recently toured the Shipyard facility.

Thanks to Dan Duncan for the photograph.