U.S. Sen. John Warner declines to endorse Jim Gilmore
By Warren Fiske
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 5, 2008
RICHMOND
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 telephone news conference.
John Warner, who chose not to seek a sixth Senate term this fall, voted for the bailout last week.
Gilmore, trailing badly in polls, repeatedly criticized the rescue in a Friday night debate with Mark Warner in Roanoke. "It's not right to take $700 billion of money from the taxpayers, men and women who work hard every day, and put it in the arms of the high rollers of Wall Street," he said.
Gilmore said the bailout will create pressure for higher taxes. He said the federal government, instead of buying bad debt from financial institutions, should have loaned them money at low interest to capitalize markets.
Mark Warner supported the rescue package, saying it will prevent deep financial turmoil and job losses. John Warner, during a news conference called to discuss his support for Republican John McCain for president, said he is following the Senate race closely. When asked if he is backing Gilmore, the senator criticized his fellow Republican's position on the bailout.
When asked if he would support Mark Warner, the senator said: "There have been occasions when I've supported Democratic candidates, but I'm not there yet."
John Warner has a history of exasperating the GOP by refusing to back Republican candidates he thought were dogmatic or untrustworthy. In 1993, he refused to back Michael Farris, a Christian conservative running for lieutenant governor. In 1994, he supported an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate instead of Republican Oliver North, the central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal.
Gilmore, in a written statement, voiced respect for John Warner but noted that a majority of Virginia's U.S. House delegation opposed the bailout. "If we allow innocent taxpayers who are already struggling to be saddled with the bailout, what comes next?" Gilmore asked.
Warren Fiske, (804) 697-1565, warren.fiske@pilotonline.com
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