www.roanoke.com

Former Del. Brian Moran wants to be governor. His first task is surviving the Democratic primary battle against Sen. Creigh Deeds and Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic National Committee chairman and Clinton corny.

Brian Moran

Last week, Moran challenged his opponents not to accept contributions from out-of-state donors. His worry is that McAliffe, who is well known for his fundraising prowess, will use his national connections to raise a ton of cash. It's a legitimate concern, and it makes a nice soundbite for a gubernatorial candidate to say he doesn't want national money tainting a state election.

It's also a complete sham. Moran's real worry isn't the taint of outside money, but that McAuliffe is better at raising it than he is. Moran himself has never been shy about accepting donations from outside the commonwealth. From 2006-2008 he and his committees have raked in about $500,000 in donations from donors who gave $1,000 or more according to records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Moran for Governor took in more than $75,000 in such donations in 2008 alone.

In an editorial later this week, we'll point out this hypocrisy.