Kelly's Letter

Kelly Timbrook is not done with Tim Kaine, and neither is Jerry Kilgore.

After being featured in one of the two ads attacking Tim Kaine on the death penalty, Timbrook has written a personal letter to Virginia's voters.

The letter, which can be seen here, initially looks like a handwritten note on Timbrook's own personal stationery. But upon closer examination, it's actually a computer font that looks like handwriting, and it's got a disclaimer on the back: "Paid for and authorized by Virginians for Jerry Kilgore."

The letter is as emotional as the TV ads.

"I found out my husband was killed when I was seven months pregnant," Timbrook writes. "When they told me, I fell to my knees screaming, 'No!'"

Most of the letter is about her, but she also criticizes Kaine: "The fact that one man has power to undo what our law states is the penalty for the crime, and then reverse a jury's decision, is frightening to me and my family. As governor, Tim Kaine would have this power."

"If Edward Bell's sentence is overturned by Tim Kaine, I don't know how I would ever explain this to my little boy," she adds.

And she praises Kilgore: "As a federal prosecutor and Virginia's Secretary of Public Safety, there is no question about where Jerry Kilgore stands -- he supports the death penalty."

Kaine aides denounced the letter:

"It's an extension of a smear attack. It is in paper form, exactly what they did with the ad. It is just as reprehensible," spokeswoman Delacey Skinner said. "The implication in this letter is that Tim Kaine will not carry out a death sentence. He has said very clearly that he will carry out a death sentence."

By Michael Shear |  October 21, 2005; 3:31 PM ET  | Category:  Jerry Kilgore , Tim Kaine
Previous: A Kinder, Gentler Death Penalty Ad | Next: Bill Arrives

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"The fact that one man has power to undo what our law states," Kelly? What about Kilgore's insistence on vetoing any tax increased passed by a democratically elected legislature? It seems Kilgore is the only one in this campaign who has vowed to go outside the law to achieve an ideological aim.

Posted by: Mark | October 21, 2005 05:02 PM

Interesting development. Now the prosecutor (Paul H. Thomson) who got Edward Bell's death penalty verdict is offended by Kelly Timbrook's statements, calling the whole Kilgore death penalty advertising effort as "something inherently distastful" (see yesterday's Leesburg Today).

Signs show that lawyers (and citizens) across the state are increasingly getting offended by Jerry Kilgore's efforts to exploit the process of legal defense for crass political gain. The big question now appears to be how long it will take before this Kilgore effort go so far that the State Bar Assn. starts telling the Kilgore camp directly what its members are already saying.

Ironically, Chief Justice John Roberts holds more power over the actual sentencing of criminals to capital punishment than the Governor of Virginia will ever hold. Roberts shares Kaine's Catholic ethics and also mades the same pledge to uphold the law. Perhaps Jerry and Kelly should switch their vitriol to Roberts, since he's in a much bigger position of influence on actual executions.

Or maybe they won't go after Roberts. That would only show that Kilgore has a higher purpose than to crassly milk an emotional exploitation out of a vulnerable, misguided widow.

Her prosecutor's assessment hit it exactly right: Kilgore's ongoing campaign with this just inherently distasteful.

Posted by: Binky | October 21, 2005 05:34 PM

Kaine needs to fight back. He needs to declare that enough is enough. Kilgore is fighting a low-down dirtball game. Kilgore is completely amoral and would crucify Christ if he thought it might help him get elected.

This is where we separate the boys from the men. Kaine needs to let loose and show Kilgore who the Alpha male is. He needs to show him who is Boss. And, he needs to do it fast and furious!

Posted by: Yo'Momma2 | October 21, 2005 07:11 PM

Kaine needs to fight back. He needs to declare that enough is enough. Kilgore is fighting a low-down dirtball game. Kilgore is completely amoral and would crucify Christ if he thought it might help him get elected.

This is where we separate the boys from the men. Kaine needs to let loose and show Kilgore who the Alpha male is. He needs to show him who is Boss. And, he needs to do it fast and furious!

Posted by: Yo'Momma2 | October 21, 2005 07:12 PM

"If Edward Bell's sentence is overturned by Tim Kaine, I don't know how I would ever explain this to my little boy" -- perhaps she should explain to him that in a civilized society sentences are based on justice and law, not emotion and crass revenge.

Posted by: Omar | October 21, 2005 11:29 PM

Perhaps she should explain in detail how the state puts condemned criminals to death.

I thought other ads were bad, but this is truly "beyond the pale". Sick. Just plain sick.

I'd like to see the actual letter (or the Kilgore staffer who actually penned this).

Posted by: Not Guy Incognito | October 22, 2005 12:38 AM

I'd like to know how big of a "gift" was made to Kelly and her son by the Kilgore Campaign.

My only hope here is that she made sure they paid her BIG-TIME for her services and managed to exact a significant "gift" for her little boy's education.

Posted by: In the name of Justice.... | October 22, 2005 11:09 AM

Question:

Does Jerry Kilgore know any Black people other than Doug Wilder?

Why is the press letting Kilgore get away with claiming he had anything to do with EDUCATION during the Allen administration?

Posted by: Yo'Momma2 | October 23, 2005 11:09 AM

It is a dubious claim. I also wonder how much of that "$2 billion" they're claiming came from allocating Virginia Lottery proceeds to education. Around the time Allen was in office Kilgore was calling for the repeal of the lottery altogether. It should be pretty clear by this point that Kilgore doesn't have the ideas we need to lead our commonwealth forward, only the same old tired copycat conservative ideology.

Posted by: Omar | October 24, 2005 06:43 PM

Even though my heartfelt sympathy goes out to Kelly, I have to wonder why she would sell herself out by using her husbands good name. Shame on you Kelly.

Posted by: Greg | October 25, 2005 09:37 AM

Mothers have been known to do amazing things to secure a future for their children. I hope she made them pony up a house, a car AND a college education for her little boy.

The one who should feel shame on this one is Kilgore, not Kelly. She's just being a Mom.

Posted by: SoccerMom | October 25, 2005 09:43 AM

I know Kelly and can tell you she didn't receive anything from anyone for doing what she felt she had to do for her late husband. So for all you out there who think she did this for personal gain or fame, you are just plain wrong.

Posted by: SoccerDad | October 25, 2005 10:44 AM

Then she shoulda had a better lawyer .....because for all the pain she is experiencing through this, her lawyer shoulda made straight up sure that her little boy is totally provided for for the rest of his life. The Republican Party is throwing serious money around and some of it shoulda lannded in this little boy's savings account!

No one -- I repeat -- no one could legitimately fault her for this.

Posted by: SoccerMom | October 25, 2005 12:21 PM

Kelly doesn't even have a lawyer involved in this. Why would she? She is doing this out of her belief she owes this to her late-husband. Who can fault her for this? Kelly has never been, nor will ever be looking to "gain" anything from anyone as a result of her husbands death. That is not her nature. Her son will be very well taken care of through her and her own successful life.

Posted by: SoccerDad | October 26, 2005 09:52 PM

To the one who claims to know Kelly and that she didn't gain financially from doing the ad....You are sort of right. SHE didn't gain, but HER SON did! A member of the family told me her son got $$$$$$$ in a trust fund!!! Pretty slick! She still gained financially, any way you slice it.

Posted by: Shame on Kelly | October 31, 2005 12:54 PM

No, I don't think it's a computer font. Some of the individual characters "I"s and "S"es are different. Shameful tho....

Posted by: Uhhhh | November 9, 2005 01:21 PM

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