RICHMOND
Former Gov. Mark R. Warner, a Democrat, was endorsed for the U.S. Senate on Monday by two former Republican lawmakers who controlled state budgeting.
Warner was backed by former Sen. John Chichester of Stafford County, who ran the Senate Finance Committee; and former Del. Vincent Callahan of Fairfax County, who was chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
They lauded Warner for overcoming a $6 billion budget shortfall after coming to office in 2002 and for taking a bipartisan approach to governing. The two lawmakers, who did not seek re-election in the fall after lengthy careers in the General Assembly, spoke during a telephone news conference they shared with Warner.
"I respect the honest and results-oriented focus Mark Warner brought to Virginia's budget challenges," Chichester said.
Callahan said, "I appreciated Gov. Warner's consistent efforts to work in a bipartisan and cooperative way. "
Warner is running against former Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore, who preceded Warner in office. Gilmore left office in January 2002, amid flat state and national economies.
Chichester and Callahan said Gilmore did not apprise the General Assembly of the state's flagging tax revenues and did not take steps to cut spending.
Gilmore, during a brief meeting with reporters, dismissed the endorsements. He noted that Chichester and Callahan crossed party lines in 2004 to support a record $1.4 billion tax increase backed by Warner.
"They're supporting Mark Warner because he stands for higher taxes," Gilmore said.
Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com
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new things?
What new things do you have in mind for yourself, Ira? ...
I hope
I truly hope we can end the partisanship. Having 2 sides dedicated to beating the other down may be good sport but it is not productive. Of course, some of the posters at this site will have to find new things to gripe about...
Yes, Gilmore's role in the
Yes, Gilmore's role in the car tax debacle was much like Bush's role on Iraq. A preconceived notion becomes policy by misrepresentation, propoganda, and delusion. To have moderate reqpublicans issue this type of rebuke to their Party is to realize how desperate the Party is to go backward, not forward. I can't conceive of any business person supporting what has become the policy of the republican party of Virginia to use obfuscation and denial as tactics to maintain whatever majority they can cobble together in the House. The train wreck they are attempting to foster over transportation is the best example of that. They still believe that the no tax pledge is a badge of honor at the same time that citizens are fed up with the lack of ability to govern that has exemplified their tenure. Perhaps their obstinancy on transportation solutions will be enough to have Virginians finally give them the heave ho. About time.
record $1.4 billion tax increase
Funny that Gilmore doesn't mention that the tax increase was approved by the republican majority legislature.
Nor does he mention his own financial lies that he stuck the state with.