Warner and Gilmore poised for '08 U. S. Senate battle

I hope this story (http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=136132&ran=237314&tref=po) plays out and Jim Gilmore does in fact run against Mark Warner for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by John Warner. Gilmore left office as an unpopular Governor in contrast to Mark Warner who left with a roughly 70% approval rating. In fact one reason that Mark Earley did not succeed in being elected as Governor and lost to Mark Warner was because Earley, a former law partner of mine, did not sufficiently disavow and repudiate some of Gilmore's unpopular positions. In fact, when I first met Mark Warner as Governor, it was at the Equality Virginia Legislative Reception during Mark Warner's first year in office. Needless to say, people found it humorous that I had switched parties since Gilmore had appointed me to a state authority and I had been Earley's campaign co-chair in Virginia Beach. But I digress. Here are highlights from the story:

A long-brewing confrontation between Virginia's past two governors appears certain to be played out before voters next year, as Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Jim Gilmore move toward a show down for the U.S. Senate. Warner, 52, announced his candidacy in September. Gilmore, 58, is expected to toss in his hat before Thanksgiving, according to several of his political advisers. "These men don't like each other, they don't respect each other, and there should be a lot of fireworks,Gilmore and Warner are different in style and substance.

Gilmore, the son of a Richmond meat cutter, is proud of his working-class roots. He is blunt, conservative, highly partisan and confrontational. Warner, the son of an insurance man, made a $200 million personal fortune in cellular phones and technology investments. He is a cautious dealmaker who prides himself on building bipartisan coalitions." said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.

Gilmore has billed himself as an expert in assessing terrorism. He points to his chairmanship of a federal commission on homeland security that issued a 1999 report warning that the nation was vulnerable to a terrorist attack. He was governor when the Pentagon, in Northern Virginia, was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. He still serves on public and private think tanks that recommend policies for combating terrorism. As a presidential candidate, Gilmore pledged to oppose new taxes and take conservative stands on social issues. He said the nation needs to maintain a strong effort in Iraq.

Warner has not yet staked out positions on some national and international issues. Warner starts the race as the frontrunner. A poll by The Washington Post last month showed him leading Gilmore 61 percent to 31 percent. After announcing his Senate candidacy on Sept. 13, he raised more than $1 million in campaign donations in the second half of the month.

Barring something terrible happening, Mark Warner should be able to defeat Gilmore. I have known Gilmore since law school, and believe me, Mark Warner is who we need in the U.S. Senate, not Jim Gilmore. In addition to being the weaker individual for a Senate position, Gilmore would be a Christianist tool - I suspect he's already received a pledge of money from Pat Robertson.