Cuccinelli takes aim at McAuliffe snow tweet

RICHMOND — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe urged Virginians to take care in the snowstorm, and Republican rival Ken Cuccinelli II saw an opening.

Yes, Virginia, it’s a hardball race for governor.

More news about Va. politics

McAuliffe ad touts candidate’s role in Virginia transportation deal

Errin Whack

Businessman says he helped broker compromise when some Republicans opposed plan.

Lt. gov. nominee says ‘no apologies’ for past comments on gays, abortion

Errin Whack

Jackson says he is a uniter, informed by his faith and values; comments have been cast as “extreme.”

Bolling blasts selection of E.W. Jackson

Laura Vozzella

Republican lt. governor says man chosen to replace him will “feed image of extremism” in GOP.

Read more

With a winter storm on the way, the former Democratic National Committee chairman put this out on Twitter: “Please stay safe in the snowstorm tonight & tomorrow. For more info on preparedness, visit @VDEM’s website: vaemergency.gov/readyvirginia.”

The attorney general’s campaign jumped on the tweet because McAulliffe had issued it not from the snowy commonwealth but from sunny Florida. The Democrat was attending a fundraiser there, at the mansion of millionaire lawyer John Morgan. The weather there, Cuccinelli’s campaign noted, was “a balmy 76 degrees.”

“Terry McAuliffe is so out of touch with Virginia, that only he would tweet his concerns about a massive snowstorm in the Commonwealth, while palling around with his millionaire friends in Florida,” Cuccinelli campaign spokeswoman Anna Nix said via e-mail. “This is a preview of what a McAuliffe governorship would look like — the people of Virginia taking second place to McAuliffe’s true agenda of having fun in the Governor’s Mansion.”

McAuliffe spokesman Josh Schwerin said Cuccinelli’s criticism was misplaced.

“Ken Cuccinelli is shockingly out of touch and insensitive if he is attacking efforts to keep people safe during a snow storm,” Schwerin e-mailed. “There have been more than 200 car crashes and more than 100,000 Virginians are without power and the only thing Ken Cuccinelli can think to do is launch a partisan attack.”