Mark Warner Chickens-Out Of Televised Debate

Marky Mark does The Chicken Dance...

The League of Women Voters of Virginia says it won’t hold its customary senatorial debate because former Governor Mark Warner has opted not to participate.

“Exposing voters to a rigorous debate of the critical issues facing this nation today is a cornerstone of the democratic election process in America,” said Peter Maroney, vice president of WTVR, a CBS station that would have aired the debate. “It is regrettable that former Governor Warner has chosen to deny Virginians that opportunity by declining this statewide broadcast opportunity.”

Why has Mark Warner chickened-out of debating Jim Gilmore? Does he think he can't lie as well in 2008 as he could in 2001? Is he afraid that he's no match for Gilmore who won't roll over the way that Mark Earley did?

The people of Virginia expect and DESERVE to have their candidates for U.S. Senate engage in a full debate on the issues.

Why Won't Mark Warner Debate Jim Gilmore?

Mark Warner must not be too proud of the things he, and the Democrat party, stand for. Why then has Warner not only refused to take part in the traditional League of Women Voters debate, but he has canceled a scheduled debate before federal retirees in Hampton?

Don't Virginians have the right to see the two major candidates to replace retiring Sen. John Warner (no relation) before choosing the best candidate? Perhaps that is why Mark Warner doesn't want the public to see him answer direct questions.

Mark Warner already fooled Virginians once by claiming that he wouldn't raise taxes. It will be a little difficult for him to try the same "trust me" routine again.

According to former Gov. Jim Gilmore:

“We debated Mark Warner at the Homestead and we talked about
how John McCain and Jim Gilmore are the candidates who want to drill
for oil and bring down gas prices – and that both Mark Warner and
Barack Obama have opposed drilling for oil offshore.

“Mark Warner apparently does not want the people of Virginia
to have an opportunity to understand clearly where he stands on the
issues, so he has declined the traditional League of Women Voters
Debate and just recently cancelled a debate before retired federal
employees in Hampton.

“I believe the people of Virginia have a right to see and hear
candidates for public office discuss the issues. I have agreed to more
than a dozen debates with Mark Warner all across the State. He
initially accepted three of those opportunities, but has cancelled one
of those – and now refuses the debate historically done by all
statewide candidates before the League of Women Voters.

“I think the people have a right to ask: What is Mark Warner
hiding? As for me, I will debate him any time and any place because I
believe the people of Virginia are entitled to that kind of public
discussion.”

If Mark Warner won't stand before Virginia voters and debate Gilmore, how can Virginians expect him to dutifully represent them in the US Senate?

cross posted at Delmarva Dealings

Virginia Chamber of Commerce Questions Mark Warner's Commitment To Business

FROM THE VIRGINIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:

For starters, ask the Virginia congressional candidates, as they make their rounds this fall, where they stand on the EFCA.

Be especially attentive to candidates for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by our good friend John Warner. Jim Gilmore has indicated he opposes the EFCA, but attempts to pin down candidate Mark Warner have not been successful.

At least one internet source indicates that Mark Warner “will support the EFCA...” Click here to read the blog post.

Here is a direct link for the AFL-CIO video featuring Mark Warner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmQuEMFCzeI

And, here's a another posting with -- from the AFL-CIO website -- that quotes Mark Warner saying basically the same thing he does in the above video -- Warner credits the union movement with electing him governor of Virginia in 2001 and says the energy and enthusiasm of union volunteers and voters will create great opportunities to pass legislation that will help working families. "We are going to do great things come January 2009, in terms of getting this country back on the right path and making sure that working families have the right to organize in a way that’s free and fair."

Check out the full post at this URL -- http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/07/15/candidates-in-key-races-pledge-to-support-employee-free-choice/print/

Gilmore Op-ed: "Card Check legislation would weaken VA's right to work laws"

By Jim Gilmore

If Barack Obama is elected President this fall, and the Democrats get a filibuster proof Senate as they hope to do with the election of Democrat Mark Warner, one of the first causalities of the new Obama Administration may well be Virginia’s historic Right to Work law.

The AFL-CIO and liberal Democrats allied with Big Labor are making it known that one of their major goals following the 2008 election is the enactment of the so-called Employee Free Choice Act which would strip workers of the right to vote by secret ballot on whether or not to join a union. The legislation would also leave workers subject to threats and intimidation by union organizers.

If this legislation – which Mark Warner supports -- becomes law, workers in Virginia and across the nation will no longer have control over their employment. For one thing without a secret ballot they will lose control over whether they have to belong to a union. Under this legislation, many workers would not even know a union organizing campaign was underway -- something I do not believe can be tolerated.

The legislation would mandate compulsory binding arbitration, would provide excessively punitive penalties that apply only to employers and not to unions and would deny working Virginians and other workers across the country the opportunity to express their opinions about union recognition.

Like many long standing liberal ideas which have been offered by Barack Obama and Mark Warner, including the continued restriction of America’s domestic oil production, this idea is one whose time has passed. In fact, the card check idea was used for union organizing in the 1940s but was abandoned as a failure.

The Employee Free Choice Act, if enacted, would strip away workers’ privacy and workers’ rights and would undermine Virginia’s long standing tradition of Right to Work. That is unacceptable to me and certainly should be unacceptable to the vast majority of working Virginians.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

WARNER VOWS TO VOTE AGAIANST VIRGINIA

The Union Campaign Against Secret Ballot Elections

MARK WARNER IS TRYING TO UNDERMINE FREEDOM

BY SUPPORTING BIG LABOR AND THE MISNAMED

Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA)

From Unionfacts............
Facing declining membership, union officials have turned to a highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called "card check." With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion is documented as frequently including deception, coercion, and harassing visits to workers' homes.
Under current law, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers in an appropriate bargaining (work) unit sign a union authorization card, the employer can choose to recognize the union as the representative of 100 percent of the workers if the employer believes it reflects actual sentiment of the employees (even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote). In those relatively rare instances in which an employer has agreed to card check, the employer has often been under pressure, which includes threats of a negative public relations campaign intended solely to injure a company's reputation until it capitulates to this recognition demand. Most often, when presented with these cards, employers have exercised their right to call for a representation election of employees using private ballots because (as even the AFL-CIO has acknowledged) cards are not a reliable signal of an individual's true interest in joining a union. (Often, individuals will sign cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union.)
As an August 2006 Hartford Courant editorial explained, "[n]ot surprisingly, the card-check procedure almost always results in a union victory because the union controls the entire process." But the real cost is paid by working Americans: the card check process steals workers' rights to a personal, anonymous vote on whether or not they want to pay dues to a union, and all that unionization entails.
See some other Unionfact pieces here

From Wikipedia...........
The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is proposed legislation of the United States which aims to "amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes."[1] Under current labor law, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board will certify a union as the exclusive representative of employees if it is elected by either a majority signature drive, the card check process, or by secret ballot NLRB election, which is held if more than 30% of employees in a bargaining unit sign statements asking for representation by a union. Under the EFCA, an employer would no longer have the opportunity to demand a secret ballot election when a majority of employees have signed union cards and there is no evidence of illegal coercion. In addition, if the union and employer cannot agree upon the terms of a first collective bargaining contract within 90 days, either party can request federal mediation, which could lead to binding arbitration if an agreement still cannot be reached after an additional 30 days.

H/T to VA Virtucon for clip

Jim Gilmore Supports Freedom ...

...Mark Warner wants to strip workers of the secret ballot.

Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner has refused to publicly affirm his support of the so-called "Employee Free Choice Act". Fortunately for Virginians, Warner was caught on video affirming his support for a bill which would strip workers of their current right to have a secret ballot in elections to decide union representation.

Why won't Mark Warner simply confess that he supports forced unionization and the abolition of Virginia's Right to Work Law? His buddies in Big Labor aren't ashamed of his kowtowing to their every whim. If they are not telling their members the truth about Warner's stance on this key issue, why hasn't Warner denounced them?

It's all about simple economics. Mark Warner knows that many businesspersons who currently support him would run for the hills if he admitted the truth.

Jim Gilmore, on the other hand, supports the right of working Virginians to decide for themselves whether or not to have union representation AND whether or not to join a union. BIG LABOR doesn't want this. They want to strip hard working men and women of their money by FORCING them to join unions.

It's a simple matter of personal liberty... fairness if you like. The secret ballot is sacred in this country. Why should men and women be forced to choose for union representation with some union hack standing over their shoulder? If Mark Warner is elected to the US Senate, that is just what will happen.

cross posted at Delmarva Dealings

Warner stumbles ... to Gilmore's advantage?

There have been many takes on Mark Warner's speech last night at the Democratic National Convention including this analysis out of the Shenandoah Valley coming from Craig Orndorff at Shenandoah GOP.

It sounds as if Mark Warner didn't seal the deal last night as evidenced by Craig's post as well as numerous others. Jim Gilmore has an opportunity to grasp the moment.

Jim Gilmore for Senate
Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

Mark Warner Botches American History

During his not ready for prime-time "keynote" address to the Dem convo last night, Marky Mark made the following remark:

Towards the end of his life, Thomas Jefferson - the founder of our party - wrote one of his frequent letters to his old rival, John Adams.

This fallacy that Thomas Jefferson founded the Democrat-ick Party, first perpetuated by FDR and continued by Democrat con-men and ignoramuses to this day (I'm still divided on which category Marky Mark falls into), needs to be corrected.

Here is a history lesson for you, Marky Mark. I can also suggest some excellent books that you can read that will clear up this confusion you suffer from on this subject -- American Creation by Joseph J. Ellis is but one of them.

Here is what I have previously written on the topic. And, while I approach any Wikipedia entry with skepticism, having actually studied the topic, researched it and read about it for enjoyment as well, I am comfortable with the portions that I excerpted below.

Wikipedia has a very interesting entry on this topic:

The Democratic-Republican Party evolved from the political factions that opposed Alexander Hamilton’s fiscal policies in the early 1790s; these factions are known variously as the Anti-Administration “Party” or the Anti-Federalists. In the mid-1790s, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison organized these factions into a party and helped define its ideology in favor of yeomen farmers, strict construction of the Constitution, and a weaker federal government. They named it the “Republican Party.” (The term “Democratic-Republican” was rarely used for the party before 1820.)

(Emphasis added.)

The modern-day Democrat Party doesn’t come into the picture until after Jefferson passed away. (Ironically, Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the same day that President John Adams died. John Adams’ last words were, “Jefferson lives,” however, Jefferson had passed away just hours before that.)

In the late 1820s, the party split into factions and dissolved. Along with some ex-Federalists, supporters of Andrew Jackson, led by Martin Van Buren, organized themselves into an off-shoot of the Democratic-Republican Party called the Democratic Party. This was the beginning of the modern-day Democratic Party. The link between today’s Democratic Party and the party founded by Jefferson was a theme emphasized by Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s and other Democratic politicans throughout the years.

Well, based upon the ideology that Jefferson espoused, he wouldn’t be too keen on associating with the party that now claims him as its founder. Let the Democrats hold Jackson-Van Buren-FDR Day Dinners while the GOP honors its ideological father as well as its party founder in addition to its greatest modern president with Jefferson-Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinners.

U2 frontman Bono said of the song “Helter Skelter,” “This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles. We’re stealing it back.” It’s time for us to do the same thing. “This is a great political philospher the Democrats stole from American history. We’re stealing him back.”

Mark Warner - Not Ready For Prime Time

It seems that after deciding to offer the Dem convo keynote address to Marky Mark, Dems decided that maybe he wasn't really ready for prime time after all and pulled him from the broadcast networks' coverage.

Members of Team Clinton were out with their knives after Marky Mark's speech. You can tell there is no love lost between those two camps.

So, the Clinton folks, sensing that Obama prefers Warner as the future of the Democratic Party over them, are out for blood against Warner/Kaine/Obama. Some of it they have to keep low. Some of it they can deliver through their surrogates. With all of that in mind, read what Howard Wolfson (Hillary's campaign hit man and a Clinton loyalist from way back) said regarding Mark Warner's keynote speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention: "The best part about Mark Warner's speech was that is was short."

And then there's this from Paul Begala, a Clinton operative from Texas who was an integral player/operative on all of Bill Clinton's Presidential campaigns: "Mark Warner wasn't talking to the Chamber of Commerce in Richmond, VA."

But if you, like me, had better things to do than watch Marky Mark ramble on spouting meaningless gibberish about "radical centrism," you'll want to check out D.J. McGuire's Warnerese-to-English translator.

The translator is back

The Warnerese-to-English translator has digested Marky Mark's keynote speech. Enjoy!

Get Your Car Tax Bill Yet?

Well, I received an irate phone call from the wife today complaining about the car tax bills that had just arrived in our mail. Contrary to what Democrats contend, what we're paying is more than just "a night out on the town" -- unless you're talking about one of fmr. NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer's nights out. For a middle-class couple such as ourselves, a night out is dinner, a movie and the cost of a babysitter, so we could have quite a few nights out on the town for what we're paying. (Actually, we'd probably spend the money on clothes, books, etc. for our child.)

Right now, car tax relief has shrunk to 58.5 percent on the first $20K, down from 70 percent in 2005.

Why is it shrinking?

You can thank Mark Warner, Tim Kaine and their accomplices, both Democrat and Republican (you know, the same ones who have since endorsed Marky Mark for Senate) for their spendthrift ways.

So, once you get your car tax bill and start griping about it as you surely will, don't blame Jim Gilmore. You'd be paying the full amount if it weren't for him. But you CAN blame Mark Warner and Tim Kaine for what you still must pay and for the ever shrinking tax relief we're receiving.

Mark Warner broke his word on continuing the phaseout of the car tax. Mark Warner broke his word that he wouldn't raise taxes. What has he ever done to indicate that he is worthy of your trust? Nothing. There is only one clear choice when it comes to trust in the U.S. Senate race -- Jim Gilmore.

Mark Warner Dodges a Question on Forced Unionism

"An unidentified man asked for Barack Obama's and Mark Warner's stands on the Employee Free Choice Act. Obama said he "strongly supports" the act that gives workers the right to join and organize unions. He added that unions have been responsible for many of the benefits all workers enjoy. But, he said, unions have to recognize that they can make a company less competitive. "They have to cooperate with management so they all grow," he added. Warner did not respond."

Message to the Democrats: Don't they realize that the unions are dying? They are killing themselves little by little. It goes to show that both Obama and Warner do not care about freedom and our economy's prosperity. They care about appeasing the union bosses, who continuously funnel thousands of forced-dues dollars into their campaigns.

At least, John McCain and Jim Gilmore care about freedom and our economy. They are against forced unionism and strongly support the employee's choice to decide whether or not to join a union. The workers in Virginia can be thankful to have both McCain and Gilmore on their side.

Virginia is a Right to Work state, and if the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill passed in Congress, this would threaten every state with a Right to Work law and help drive us into an economic depression.

**Cross Posted at Crystal Clear Conservative**

Jim Gilmore's "Working Families Tour" on Thursday

Thursday's schedule for Jim Gilmore

9:00 am King George

10:30 am Montross
Rally at the Old Westmoreland County Courthouse
15803 Kings Highway
Montross, VA

12:00 pm Tappahannock Meet and Greet
Lowery’s Restaurant
528 Church Lane
Tappahannock, VA

2:00 pm Kilmarnock Walking Tour
Kilmarnock Inn (start location)
34 Church Street
Kilmarnock, VA

4:30 pm Gloucester Working Site
Peace Frogs Inc.
7546 John Clayton Memorial Highway
Gloucester, VA

Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, Virginia candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner, will continue his Working Families Tour launched in early June by visiting more of Virginia’s towns and cities on Thursday, August 21, bringing his message of lower gas prices, lower taxes and trust to Virginia’s working people.

Gov. Gilmore will visit with working families in King George, Montross, Tappahannock, Kilmarnock and Gloucester.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

Mason Conservative: Jim Gilmore was there to fight for the GOP

Chris over at Mason Conservative directs a post at Tom Davis and his -- should we call it bitterness? -- at not being the candidate running for the U.S. Senate seat.

Chris nails it and says exactly what I have been feeling about this race with his response to a commenter who (typically) blames conservative Republicans for the woes of the Republican Party. Chris responds:

If Tom Davis is mad at conservatives, he's mad at the wrong people. There were plenty of us rearing to go for him at the Richmond convention this year, and as Jim Gilmore's close victory of a state delegate proves, he was vunerable.

Things are easy when you're running unopposed or win by 30 points. When things got tough, Tom Davis went home. Jim Gilmore didn't. And maybe Gilmore gets demolished in November, but he made a fight out of this race when not one major player in the state GOP would. Not Cantor, Forbes, Drake, Allen, Warner, Bolling, McDonnell - none of them took on this fight. Gilmore did. So if Tom Davis is angry, he should be angry at himself. [emphasis added]

I am disturbed at the lack of Republican leadership to step forward and campaign on Jim Gilmore's behalf. It is time to expose Mark Warner, much as the man before the curtain was exposed in The Wizard of Oz. I maintain that Warner is vulnerable especially if the entire Republican Party of Virginia stood in solidarity against him.

That lack of solidarity has not gone unnoticed to the grassroots volunteers.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

Jim Gilmore ~Rockingham County Fair~

.

Senate Candidate Jim Gilmore was at the Rockingham County Fair today and walked the entire fair grounds where he spent hours meeting and talking with Virginians about the upcoming elections...

Harrisonburg \ Rockingham Republican Party hosted the campaign booth and did an outstanding job representing the local, state, and national Republican Candidates running in the upcoming November elections...

Stopped at the Marine Corps League where he bought a ticket to support the league's "Toys for Tots" program...

Walked the majority of the fairgrounds with Lowell Barb who is running for the Commissioner of the Revenue for Rockingham County...

Chug, chug, chug, brrrrrrrr! The Warnerese-English translator is back!

Mark Warner is not happy that Senate Republicans put the kibosh on $10 billion in wasteful government spending. So he decided to say so, but as always, he spoke in his own native tongue (Warnerese). Out comes the translator to put it in English for everyone!

The entire quote comes from Lowell over at RK. Most of it can be found on Renaissance Ruminations. For the uninitiated, the Warnerese is in regular type; the English version is in bold and italics.

It seems like Washington politicians spend so much time keeping score they sometimes forget why they were sent there in the first place.

It seems like Washington politicians spend so much time keeping an eye on the budget that they don’t understand we should spend money like water as I did with Medicaid when I was Governor.

This session, one Senator used a procedural tactic to single-handedly block nearly
three dozen overwhelmingly popular bills - everything from protecting children from sexual predators to investigating unsolved civil rights murders.

This session, one Senator used a procedural tactic to single-handedly block nearly three dozen bills that spent over $10 billion for duplicative and unnecessary programs with nice sounding names because he wanted the costs offset or the duplicative programs eliminated. Doesn’t he know that efficient government means fewer mistakes that I can use as excuses for even more government programs?

The bills were bundled together for Senate authorization this week, and even though the legislation did not cost a dime, it was filibustered.

The bills were bundled together by Harry Reid in an omnibus, and because of the $10 billion price tag (and Reid’s refusal to take up oil drilling), it was filibustered. Where’s John Chichester when you need him?

This is a powerful reminder of how far we must go to get Washington functioning again.

This is a powerful reminder of how far we must go to get you rubes to hand us ever increasing amounts of your money again.

As governor, I worked across party lines to deliver results. And I need your help to bring that same approach to Washington. By investing in my campaign, you can send a message that we need to point our country in a new direction.

As governor, I broke the bank on Medicaid and convincec a few RINOs to raise your taxes to pay for it. You need to pay me now so you can pay me later, and I can send a message that we need to point our government budget back in the old direction - way up!

As always, I’m glad to be of service.

Cross-posted to the right-wing liberal

Time to Circle the Wagons…

You know over the past few months something has been really bothering me and I had to get it off my chest…ever since I read about former state delegate Vince Callahan endorsing Warner for Senate. Delegate Callahan has been followed by former state senator John Chichester, former state delegate Preston Bryan, and I am sure more
so-called “Republicans for Warner” are to come. But there’s the rub for me…when do these guys shed the Republican label? Does being a Republican elected official mean anything anymore?

Back in the heady days of the late 1990’s when Governor Gilmore carried many of these “Republicans for Warner” into power they were all too eager to grab a share of the credit for cutting the car tax and balancing the budget and keeping the Commonwealth the most business friendly state in the nation – yet now when the going gets tough these “Republicans for Warner” abandon our candidate and Party when they’re needed most.

With Warner leading Governor Gilmore in cash on hand by a vast margin, with Warner vowing to keep us dependent on foreign oil and natural gas, with Warner telling half truths and outright lies about his record on the budget (see the $6 Billion canard) these “Republicans for Warner” are trying to hand a Senate seat over to what would become the most liberal occupant in the Commonwealth’s history.

Now some call these “Republicans for Warner” Republicans in Name Only…I’m not even that kind. Being a Republican in Virginia has got to mean something…at minimum you have to support the candidate who was duly nominated by our state party. If you can’t bring yourself to do that then have the decency to discard the Republican label and join the other party.