One Virginia Republican who represents what the GOP once was is former U.S. Senator John Warner who I was lucky enough to know back in my days as a GOP activist. Of equal importance, John Warner never hesitated to reject a GOP candidate that he deemed too extreme and harmful to Virginia. Not surprisingly John Warner was often condemned by the extremists at The Family Foundation and among other Bible thumper circles. Now, the likely GOP candidate seeking to challenge incumbent Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat and no relation to John Warner, is Ed Gillespie, a former Enron lobbyist, RNC Chair, and George W. Bush minion. Added to these unattractive resume entries is the manner in which Gillespie has been courting the nastiest elements of the Christofascists in Virginia. The upshot? Former GOP Senator John Warner has endorsed Democrat Mark Warner for reelection this November. The Virginian Pilot has deatils on this welcomed endorsement. Here are some highlights:
Former Republican Sen. John W. Warner, never bashful about defying the Virginia GOP establishment, endorsed his Democratic successor's re-election bid Monday.
Warner told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he is supporting Sen. Mark R. Warner, who is being challenged by former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie in November's election. The Warners are not related.
"There are times you must, I think, recognize that certain individuals are superior in their talents and in what they have done and can potentially do for your state," John Warner said.
The endorsement comes 20 years after John Warner riled the ascendant conservative wing of the state GOP by backing independent candidate J. Marshall Coleman instead of Iran-Contra figure Oliver L. North in the campaign against Democratic U.S. Sen. Chuck Robb. The year before, he had declined to endorse Republican home-schooling advocate Mike Farris for lieutenant governor.
This is the first time John Warner has publicly backed a Virginia Democrat, although he has also recently donated to the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn in Georgia.
He praised his successor for following in his own tradition of seeking bipartisan solutions.
"Mark Warner, if I may say with a sense of humility, like John Warner crosses the aisle and makes things work," he said. "We come from the old school. The Senate works best when there's collaborative effort between the two parties."
John Warner said it's important to keep the incumbent because he's had six years to learn how the Senate works and start to build seniority. The former Navy secretary and Senate Armed Services Committee chairman also said Mark Warner "is absolutely solid in his commitment to national security."
Eighteen years after handing out "Mark Not John" bumper stickers to all who would take them, the senator said he is grateful for the support of a former opponent who later became a close friend. "John Warner is the gold standard in Virginia," he said. "I learned a lot of things from John Warner, but the most important is Virginia always comes first."
University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato said the endorsement should give Mark Warner a boost among middle-of-the-road voters who have been abandoned the GOP. In last November's elections, Virginians rejected an extremely conservative Republican slate and gave Democrats their first sweep of the top three state offices in 24 years.
"The premier effect will be a television ad that will underline Mark Warner's broad appeal, at least to moderate Republicans. How many of those are left, I can't tell you," Sabato said. "The Republicans have lost not only moderates, but also a lot of moderate conservatives."
John Warner is indeed the gold standard - especially compared to most of today's Congressional Republicans. Like John Warner, I could not in good conscience support Oliver North. If there were more Republicans today like John Warner, perhaps fewer people like myself would have fled the GOP in disgust.
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