UPDATE: Creigh Deeds' campaign has responded. African-American Constituency Media Director Allyson Wilson had this to say:
“This is a cheap shot and a new low for this race. Virginians deserve better than personal attacks like this. Creigh Deeds isn’t the smoothest speaker in the race, but when he speaks he is authentic and means what he says. That's what people will respond to, not divisive personal attacks.
And the National Stuttering Association put a shoe in Johnson as well:
The National Stuttering Association has a question for Sheila Johnson, who ridiculed Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds’ stuttering:
Do you also make fun of people in wheelchairs, or do you believe that stuttering is the only disability it’s okay to ridicule?
The fact is that stuttering is a brain-function disorder that’s mostly physiological rather than psychological, and is often genetic in origin. It has nothing to do with intelligence, temperament or leadership ability. Stuttering affects 1 percent of the population, including 77,000 residents of Virginia.
People who stutter have succeeded in all walks of life and include actors (James Earl Jones), business leaders (Jack Welch), journalists (John Stossel) and politicians such as Winston Churchill, Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Virginia).
There is no cure for stuttering, but most people who stutter can be helped by speech therapy and support groups such as the local chapters of the National Stuttering Association. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the facts about stuttering. Surveys show that eight out of 10 children who stutter are teased or bullied about their stuttering.
By the way, International Stuttering Awareness Day is Oct. 22. People and organizations around the world will be showcasing the facts about stuttering to educate the public about this disorder. (We hope Sheila Johnson will be listening.)
And here's the original video in case you missed it.