Press Releases

Republican Leadership Flees On Election Day

Posted by Danae on Monday, November 05

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2007

CONTACT:
Danae Jones 804-433-0071

Republican Leadership to Flee Virginia on Election Day

Party Leader Chooses Bush Over Virginia

Richmond- As Governors Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Senator Jim Webb wrap-up their seven-day campaign swing in support of Democratic candidates across Virginia, the Washington Post reports today that Virginia's top Republican leaders, Party Chairman John Hager and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, will both flee Virginia on Election Day

According to the Post, while Virginians go to the polls, Chairman Hager plans to dine with the President of France at the White House. Lt. Gov. Bolling, meanwhile, plans to be in Delaware.

Questions:

1. Are Hager and Bolling's oddly timed trips a clever attempt to set expectations low?

2. Or are the trips a recognition that Richmond Republicans are a drag on their own Party's ticket, unlike Kaine, Warner and Webb?

Only Hager and Bolling know the answer.

Of course, observers of Virginia politics will know this is not the first time statewide Republicans have abandoned their candidates. Late last week, the Post also reported that the Republican Party's long-promised GOTV bus tour was no-where to be found. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2007/11/republicans_are_mia.html#more

READ ALL ABOUT IT:

Hager, Bush spend election night together

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/

While most Republican and Democratic leaders in Virginia will be sweating the results of tomorrow's crucial election, GOP state party chairman John H. Hager will be partying at the White House with President Bush.

Hager, a former Bush administration official and future father-in-law of the president's daughter, will be a guest at a dinner honoring French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

He does expect to hold a conference call with reporters after the dinner, and perhaps make an appearance at the Fairfax Republican election night party.

Also missing from the festivites: Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling who will be in Delaware for the National Lieutenant Governor's Association meeting, and checking for results on his Blackberry.

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