Leaked portions of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's forthcoming book are drawing criticism in Richmond this week.
A few unauthorized clips from the book, "The Last Line of Defense," leaked to a few media outlets Wednesday, and it didn't take long for Democrats to come out against the Republican gubernatorial candidate's words.
The clips - which some in the Cuccinelli camp say were taken out of context - seem to paint those who benefit from entitlement programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security as "dependent on government."
That depiction struck a nerve with Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Charniele Herring.
"I benefited from government programs," she said. "There is nothing wrong with a government program that helps people who help themselves. And it's just sad to see this type of…I feel like it's a hatred."
NBC29 received this response Thursday from a Cuccinelli campaign spokesman, Jahan Wilcox:
"It's unfortunate that Democrats are cherry picking a select passage to attack Mr. Cuccinelli. When the full book is available, voters will realize that Mr. Cuccinelli supports Medicare and Social Security and that this was a baseless attack."
The book hits store shelves February 12.
