Free Republic

Arguments that the individual mandate in healthcare reform is unconstitutional are "spurious," one centrist Democrat said this week. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) dismissed questions about the individual mandate's constitutionality, which conservatives activists have questioned. "The United States Congress passed laws regarding Medicare and Medicaid that became de facto mandatory programs," Warner told the conservative CNSNews.com in a video posted Friday. "I think that this is a bit of a spurious argument that’s being made by some folks."

“I wish the president would have started the debate by explaining to the American people that our current health care system is not financially sustainable, for even another decade,” Mr. Warner said. “Driving down health care costs should have been the focus of the debate.”

Talk about bad timing. As Washington reels from the news of 10.2 percent unemployment, the Center for Responsive Politics is out with a new report describing the wealth of members of Congress. Among the highlights: Two-hundred-and-thirty-seven members of Congress are millionaires. That’s 44 percent of the body – compared to about 1 percent of Americans overall. CRP says California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is the richest lawmaker on Capitol Hill, with a net worth estimated at about $251 million. Next in line: Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), worth about $244.7 million; Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), worth about $214.5 million; Sen....

At a packed town meeting of over 1,000 people hosted by Democrat Sen. Mark Warner in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a woman prefaced her question by expressing a broader concern: “For the first time I don’t believe the President we have is a patriot. I think a lot of the concern and discontent is less about health care than trusting the agenda of this administration.” Sen. Warner harshly rebuked her, calling the remark offensive and declaring Obama “a great patriot.” Yet judging by the storm of applause that greeted her comment, she echoed the feelings of many others in the hall. What...

Fredericksburg, Va. (CNSNews.com) – During a town hall meeting at the Fredericksburg Expo Center, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) said there is “no place in the Constitution” that mentions health care or education, or even gives individuals the right to own a telephone. “[L]isten, there is, there is no place in the Constitution that specifically says health care,” Warner said to a government high school teacher at the event, who asked him if the Constitution explicitly gives the government the right to run the health care system. “There’s no place in the Constitution that specifically says education,” said Warner. Moreover, he...

Town Hall Meeting on Health Care Reform with Sen. Warner WHEN: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) WHERE: Fredericksburg Expo Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 You are asked to RSVP (requested for planning purposes) online at http://warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=townhall. RSVP does not guarantee admittance. Arrive early to ensure entry

Mark D. Obenshain I just received a call from a constituent who called to alert me that one of our United States Senators is having an unannounced "telephone town hall"about Health Care RIGHT NOW. That's right, at 5:30 on Monday night. The link below ...Read More Telephone Town Hall - Events - Mark R. Warner Source: warner.senate.gov As part of his ongoing conversation with Virginians about health care, Senator Warner will host another telephone town hall on Monday, August 24 at 5:30 p.m. More that 60,000 households across the Commonwealth will be invited to join the discussion and ask Senator...

Mark Warner Talks Health 'Scare Tactics' via kwout

<p>Just got this note in an email from a friend in SW Virginia.....</p> <p>I got a phone message from the pro health care group and I almost hung up. I decided to listen to the end, which wasn't very long, at the end they ask you to talk to Senator Warner and tell him to vote for health care and they offer to put you through to his office. I stayed on the line and punched #1 to be put through and a young man picked up the line right away , Senator Warner's office how can I help you". I of course told him I DIDN'T want the Gov. to vote for the health care package. The kid seemed stunned. He took my address and zip. Now I don't know if this was really his office or not but if it was I felt pretty good about using the dem's trick against them. The ID number comes up 000-000-0000 from this recored message.</p>

Pew Environment Group Launches Project to Highlight Link Between National Security, Energy, Climate Change The Pew Charitable Trusts has announced a new project designed to gather and share with the public viewpoints on the critical links between national security, energy, and global warming. Former Senator John Warner (R-VA) will work the Pew Environment Group on the Pew Project on National Security, Energy, and Climate, which will bring together science and military policy experts to examine new strategies for combating climate change, protecting national security, increasing energy independence, and preserving the nation's natural resources. Warner will work exclusively with state and...

Virginians soon will be able to choose a "Choose Life" license plate for their vehicles. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said yesterday that he has signed legislation that approves a number of specialty license plates, including one that bears the anti-abortion slogan. "The practice has been for the General Assembly to allow statements of social political positions on these license plates," the governor said. "The clear trend of [recent court] decisions was if the state allows plates that have messages . . . once a state does that, these plates should be allowed." Then-Gov. Mark R. Warner, a fellow Democrat, vetoed...

Senators moved Wednesday toward creation of a “Veterans Corps” of up to 5,000 paid volunteers to work on aid programs for vets, their families and the families of active-duty troops. The corps is part of a group of national service initiatives backed by the Obama administration and an unusual bipartisan coalition in Congress. Participants would work directly with veterans and bolster existing aid programs run by state and local governments and non-profit groups. With civilian jobs increasingly hard to come by, the corps would give people leaving the military another way of serving their country and staying off the unemployment...

(Washington, DC) -- Virginia Senator Mark Warner is calling for more transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility following his first speech on the Senate floor. Warner today referred to his term as governor of Virginia touting his effort to reform the government and impose accountability measurements as he worked to bridge a large budget shortfall. The senator said, "What gets measured gets done." He added that while "the American people are not expecting miracles," they can and should expect "competence." Warner wants to see more information made available to citizens online. He said in the short term that will help in...

Sen. Warner calls for discussion of end-of-life treatment WASHINGTON Two months into his term, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner has marched into the policy thicket that is health-care reform, urging a national discussion on the touchy question of how best to treat terminally ill people.In a speech to hospital executives this week, Warner called for intensified efforts to educate individuals and families in advance about end-of-life care. With better information, many people would forgo expensive and almost-always-futile treatment for patients near death, he said.Such measures account for more than one-fourth of Medicare payments and 10 to 12 percent of all health...

Thank you for contacting me with your views on the economic stimulus package. In order to best represent you as your United States Senator, it is vital that I hear your view on this and other important matters. We have received a large volume of correspondence from across the Commonwealth both in favor and opposed to the stimulus. In regards to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, although no effort on this scale will be perfect, President Obama and the relevant Congressional committees have been in close consultation with state and local officials and a wide range of economic experts...

I sent a brief letter to my Virginia senators asking them to kill the stimulus bill and start over from scratch so they don't bankrupt not only this generation but that of my grandchildren, thank you very much. Below is the email I received in response. So far, this is the only response from 2 senators and 1 representative, all Democrats. Thank you for contacting me with your views on the economic stimulus package. In order to best represent you as your United States Senator, it is vital that I hear your view on this and other important matters. We...

I just received this from Mark Warner (D) VA in response to my note telling him just say no to the stimulas plan.. Thank you for contacting me with your views on the economic stimulus package. In order to best represent you as your United States Senator, it is vital that I hear your view on this and other important matters. We have received numerous responses from across the Commonwealth from those both in favor of the stimulus and those opposed. I understand concerns about the expense of the bill and about certain provisions included in the package. Although no...

Mark Warner now has an email address in the Senate. That email is warner_info@warner.senate.gov We need to write him often...so he remembers the conservative nature of the voters in Virginia. His address in DC and phone info is: B40C DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510 DC Phone: 202-224-2023 DC Fax: 202-224-2530 PS Jim Webb has no email but does have a webform for messages: http://webb.senate.gov/contact/

Friend -- In the weeks since the election, I've had an opportunity to talk to folks around the state to get a sense of what they would like to see from our leaders in Washington. If this election has proven anything, it's that Virginians and Americans want leaders who focus less on partisan ideology and more on finding solutions that produce results that will get this economy back on the right track. In my conversations across the state, I've heard from community, academic and business leaders who are all focused on the economic downturn and who have all shared new...

Democrat Mark Warner has defeated his fellow ex-governor Jim Gilmore for a Republican-held Senate seat in Virginia. The win gives Democrats control of both of Virginia's Senate seats for the first time since 1970.

For those following the results of Virgina's election results, this link is for the official Virginia State Board of election results. Results are broken down by county, city, and district.

A SAOVA message to sportsmen, pet owners and farmers concerned about protecting their traditions, avocations and livelihoods from anti-hunting, anti-breeding, animal guardianship advocates. Forwarding and cross posting, with attribution, encouraged. 2008 Election Updates 11/01/08 Dear Friends, I am writing again to remind everyone of what is at stake in this election - the very real possibility of a 60 seat, filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate. Supported by left-wing congressmen, HSUS and other activists will have a field day passing anti-hunter and pet “protection” legislation. Without moderate balance in the Senate it will be difficult, if not impossible, to stop...

Virginia’s U.S. Senate race between two former governors presents marked contrasts between the men in style and substance. Even those who prefer Republican Jim Gilmore’s platform say they like Democrat Mark Warner’s persona. We agree. How, then, to choose? Here’s one way: This year’s top voter concern, no surprise, is the economy. And on that measure, Mr. Gilmore’s principles and, yes, even his well-known stubbornness will better serve Virginia in the U.S. Senate. Mr. Gilmore’s principles are strongly aligned with foundational American freedoms — free enterprise, free markets, freedom to work and the right to vote freely in labor elections...

If, as seems likely but not quite certain, Barack Obama is elected next Tuesday, a key question for public policymaking will be how many Democrats are elected to the Senate. Currently, there are 51 Democrats there, including Joe Lieberman, but Democrats are seriously contesting 11 Republican-held seats, and there is a by-no-means-trivial chance that they could win each one. Meanwhile, Republicans are seriously contesting either zero Democratic-held seats, or only one, that of Mary Landrieu in Louisiana. The only public polls there since July are from Rasmussen, and the latest shows Landrieu ahead of Democrat-turned-Republican John Kennedy by 53 percent...

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore faces a difficult political task this year, running as a red-state conservative in Virginia - a "purple" state that is turning increasingly blue. The Democratic nominee, former Gov. Mark Warner, is heavily favored to win the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican John Warner, who has held it for 30 years. But Mr. Gilmore would be the superior choice. ... As governor, Mr. Gilmore is best known for his work to repeal the oppressive car tax. Mr. Warner's major political achievement as governor was his success in pushing a $1.4 billion tax increase through...

National Right to Work Committee Ad - Virginia

    EXAMINER ENDORSES JIM GILMORE FOR SENATE Gilmore for U.S. Senate By Examiner Editorial October 27, 2008 With the economy in turmoil and danger abroad, do voters want a candidate who keeps his word or one who doesn’t? That’s the stark choice in Virginia, where two former governors are running to replace retiring Republican John Warner in the U.S. Senate. With public confidence in Washington at record lows, Jim Gilmore’s veracity has earned him The Examiner’s endorsement as the best choice for Virginia - and the nation. Gilmore took tremendous political flak for keeping his promise to get...

...the National Right to Work Committee has apparently decided to invest a least a little bit of money on television ads to try to undercut Warner's appeal. The committee is airing an ad on Richmond television that calls into question whether Warner will uphold Virginia's status as a right-to-work state. The ad notes Warner has not come out against the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to unionize. Gilmore is a strong opponent of the proposal. Gilmore also received a boost today when he picked up an endorsement from the Richmond Times Dispatch. Although the...

You’ve read the quote. You’ve heard the rumors. Now, hear the audio of Mark Warner calling the NRA, people of faith, home schoolers and people who believe in the right to life "a threat to what it means to be an American."

October 17, 2008 - October 24, 2008 www.vademocrats.org Help us turn Virginia blue, contribute today! -------------------- INTRODUCTION With 10 days left until Election Day, it is now or never. Polls show a tightening race as we near the finish line - and we need your help to close the deal. Last week, I lent a hand to our team in Hampton Roads and knocked on doors in Newport News. I found that voters are energized about bringing needed change to Washington. Tomorrow, I'll lace my sneakers up once again to knock on more doors and reach more voters. Will you...

PORTSMOUTH Sheriff Bill Watson wanted to get absentee ballots to a special group of shut-ins who won't be able to make it to the polls on Election Day: the prisoners in his jail. Last week, he offered applications to inmates. One hundred fifty-three of them wanted to vote, but only 17 inmates were registered and will receive ballots, Lt. Karin Johnson, a spokeswoman, said Friday. Registration drives have caused the commonwealth's voter rolls to swell since the last presidential election. Law-and-order candidates needn't worry too much, though. As in the 580-prisoner Portsmouth City Jail, a modest number of inmates are...

He Won't Say 'Yes' Or 'No' As the polls repeatedly tell us, former Gov. Mark Warner makes an appealing candidate for U.S. Senate. But a recent refusal to commit, up or down, on an issue critical to many Virginia voters, in our mind, diminishes this appeal. The issue to which we refer is the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, which would, in essence, replace the secret ballot in the decision to organize a union with a “card check” system. The system would allow union organizers to place pressure — at times, undue pressure — on individual workers to “check” that...

WASHINGTON, Oct 15, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste Political Action Committee (CCAGW PAC) today announced its endorsement of former Governor Jim Gilmore for election to the U.S. Senate from Virginia. "Jim Gilmore has served the citizens of Virginia with distinction and has an outstanding record of fiscal discipline and fighting on behalf of all taxpayers," CCAGW PAC Chairman Tom Schatz said. "We are confident that his strong leadership abilities and longstanding fiscal conservative values will continue to guide his agenda as he seeks to represent Virginia in the Senate." "Jim Gilmore has proved he...

Liberal Democrat Mark Warner calls the NRA, people of faith, pro-lifers and home schoolers a threat to America. AUDIO

Republicans have started sounding the alarm about the presidential race now that John McCain is trailing Barack Obama by anywhere from two to 11 percentage points. The battleground states aren't looking much better, with Obama leading in the polling averages for even Florida, Virginia, and Missouri. Understandable that Republicans would be worried. But have they taken a look at the Senate races? For the last two years, your humble servant has been saying to anyone who will listen: The more Democratic next year's Senate, the more liberal the next two years' legislation will be no matter who wins the White...

I am not a party voter. I have voted for Democrats, Republicans and even 'third party' candidates like Ross Perot. The way I roll is to vote for the person that I think will do the best job. For instance, I am voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin. I don't think Obama has the country's best interests at heart. I think he is naive and is likely to make some very costly mistakes because of it. I would love to have a national health care plan, but that is not enough to make me vote for a man I...

t can't be easy being Jim Gilmore these days. Republican leaders in Washington long ago wrote off his campaign for the U.S. Senate. Political action groups have closed their checkbooks. Some Virginia GOP elders have endorsed his opponent. Pollsters have him trailing by 25 percentage points - or worse. So what keeps him going? The answer may lie - at least in part - in the former governor's pugnacious personality, what he's done, and where he came from. The Senate race is the kind of challenge that brought Gilmore into politics in the 1970s; he is both experienced and comfortable...

In a huddle with reporters earlier this week in Washington, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) acknowledged that his party's chances of reaching the 60-seat plateau were "better than they were two weeks ago" -- the result of an across-the-board collapse in Republican numbers due to the economic crisis and handling of the bailout bill by Congress. (Yes, we know Democrats control the House and Senate. But, the American public overwhelmingly blamed President Bush and House Republicans for the initial failure of the "rescue" legislation.) And, respected non-partisan observers are also beginning to openly speculate about the possibility....

WASHINGTON, Oct 09, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Today, FRC Action decried comments made by Democrat Party Senate candidate Mark Warner. Warner, who served formerly as Governor of Virginia, was recently recorded speaking at a Democratic Party event. In his speech, Warner accused pro-lifers, homeschoolers, and members of the National Rifle Association, as threatening to "what it means to be an American." Warner said that "one of the things you're going to see is a coalition that has just about completely taken over the Republican Party in the state [Virginia] and if they have their way, it's going to take...

October 9, 2008 Dear xxxxxx: Two significant events have occurred regarding elementary and secondary education funding this week. In order of importance, the Governor released his budget cuts at an 11 a.m. press conference. Kaine's press release began: Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced the official revenue reforecast, and immediately announced an executive spending reduction plan to meet the fiscal year 2009 shortfall. The Governor's plan reduces government spending by making operations more efficient and reducing the scope of some government programs, while protecting K-12 education and other critical government functions, like public safety. Thankfully, P-12 funding was spared for...

FIGHT FOR JIM GILMORE By Dick Armey Dear Virginia Taxpayer, I know what it's like to fight for what you believe in. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years, and the Majority Leader from 1995 to 2002, I know it takes courage and dedication to stand up for working families and protect taxpayers who are facing an ever growing burden as a result of what's happening in Washington. There is always someone who believes bigger government and higher taxes are the answer to every problem, someone determined to take away more and more of...

Warner: Scalia Thomas Not Mainstream Jim Gilmore supports constitutionalist judges and supports the overturn of Roe v Wade calling it a bad decision. Mark Warner says justices Scalia and Thomas are outside the mainstream when asked about Roe v Wade and the justices he would support. Roanoke VA Senate Debate Friday October 3, 2008 Warner: Scalia Thomas Not Mainstream  

This audio clip shows just how intolerant Mark Warner is. "...one of the things you're going to see is a coalition that has just about completely taken over the Republican Party in this State; and if they have their way, they're going to take over the State Government. It's made up of the Christian Coalition. It's made up of the right to lifers. It's made up of the NRA. It's made up of the home schoolers. It's made up of a whole coalition of people that all sorts of different views that I think most of us in this room...

WRVA VA DOES MARK WARNER'S COMMENTS FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO CHANGE YOUR MIND IN THE SENATE RACE? Yes. It's his "macaca" moment. 24.09 % No. It was years ago and it's old news. 10.22 % No. And Warner's right. 5.84 %

October 8, 2008 Republican Jim Gilmore wants another debate with Democrat Mark Warner in the Virginia Senate race. Gilmore says in light of the recent financial situation, a debate is the best way to show voters the candidates' real positions. The former governor says he would like to work with the League of Women voters to schedule the event.

Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- Mark Warner is a former Virginia governor who is running for a U.S. Senate seat and is a strong supporter of Barack Obama. A new audio recording has surfaced showing Warner saying that pro-life advocates and other conservatives are "threatening to what it means to be an American." The remark is making the rounds of the Internet and reminding pro-life voters of the off-putting comment Obama made in Pennsylvania earlier in the campaign that conservative and pro-life rural voters "cling to guns or religion." Warner's Republican opponent and former Gov. Jim Gilmore has already turned the...

Senate Candidate: Homeschoolers, Pro-Lifers, Gun Owners Threaten American Values   I haven't been following closely the Virginia senate race between Democrat Mark Warner and Republican Jim Gilmore (to replace the retiring Senator John Warner). But I came across this clip this morning and found it startling. I found it startling not for what was said--because I hear Democrats saying things like this every day, just not ones running for office--but because someone was actually able to record it. Democrats--at least ones running for public office--are usually more circumspect about their true feelings like this. In this clip, you'll hear...

There is no telling if Warner's margin can hold up. Gilmore is campaigning hard, and Friday's poll suggests he is whittling away at Warner's lead. But if the numbers don't change, it could suggest what political wonks call "reverse coattails" — a down-ticket candidate like Warner using his in-state popularity to generate votes for Obama, a virtual unknown in Virginia just a few years ago. That could pay dividends for Democrats in Hampton Roads, where McCain is seen to have an edge because of his popularity with the military.

You've read the quote. You've heard the rumors. Now, hear the audio of Mark Warner calling the NRA, people of faith, home schoolers and people who believe in the right to life "a threat to what it means to be an American." When this issue first surfaced in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, then gubernatorial candidate Mark Warner "angrily denied the claim" and called it "inaccurate." But the audio will tell you a different story. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpicD6UIq8A

Retiring U.S. Sen. John Warner on Saturday voiced disappointment in fellow Republican Jim Gilmore's efforts to succeed him this fall and declined to endorse him. Instead, Warner suggested that he may wind up backing Democrat Mark Warner in the race. The two Warners are not related. John Warner took exception to Gilmore's strong condemnation of a $700 billion Wall Street rescue package that was passed by the House of Representatives on Friday and signed by President Bush. "I'm disappointed that he spoke against the rescue package that's vital to Virginia and vital to the nation," John Warner said during a...