Warner vs. Gilmore at The Homestead

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/19/2008 8:23:45 AM

Are any bloggers going to be at The Homestead this year for the annual non-televised debate in the middle of the summer when nobody's watching and in the middle of nowhere where nobody can afford to stay?  I attended the Kaine-Kilgore debate at the Greenbrier in 2005, and the Webb-Allen debate at The Homestead in 2006.  This year, I'm skipping the 4-hour drive (each way), but I wish Mark Warner well and look forward to hearing what happened.  Go Governor Warner!

UPDATE 12:31 pm: The Warner campaign has issued its account of the debate.  Please see the comments section of this diary.

UPDATE 12:34 pm: This is hilarious, courtesy of Senate Guru.  

Meanwhile, despite trailing in cash-on-hand by about $5 million and being down to his last $116,770, Gilmore has reportedly repaid himself $50,000 that he loaned to his campaign.  With his campaign bankroll on life support, Gilmore won't even keep his money where his mouth is.  Why on earth would anyone send him a single dollar at this point?

UPDATE 1:18 pm: I hear that Gilmore was actually arguing against states rights, saying that Virginia shouldn't be able to block offshore drilling.  Huh?

Comments



I'll be there. (Johnny Camacho - 7/19/2008 10:06:22 AM)
As the Virginia blogosphere's token Bath County resident, I feel slightly obligated to attend :-)

A write-up will follow.



Excellent, I look forward to it! (Lowell - 7/19/2008 10:38:23 AM)
Thanks.


We will have a report on TV right after it also (Used2Bneutral - 7/19/2008 11:28:01 AM)
We have Jared Leopold, Communications Director for the Democratic Party's coordinated campaign from the Virginia State Democratic Party coming to the show directly from being at the Mark Warner / Jim Gilmore debate.... Delegate Margi Vanderhye will be on the show also with a final update on the Transpo session as well..... Questions from the viewers will be taken by phone live at 571-749-1166

The show will be on Cox and Verizon Cable in Northern Virginia and web-cast live between 6:30 and 7:30 PM EDT at http://easylink.playstream.com...

and Google Video by the next morning, I'll send the URL when I get it Monday Morning.....



We'd love a cross-post diary! (Rob - 7/19/2008 11:30:15 AM)


Warner campaign on the debate (Lowell - 7/19/2008 12:31:16 PM)
1. Jim Gilmore needed a game changer today to boost his failing campaign. He didn't get that. He swung desperately, but failed to land a punch.

2. Today showed a clear contrast between Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore.  Mark Warner showed his record of results and bipartisan leadership.  Jim Gilmore showed that he's more interested in partisan attacks than bipartisan solutions.

3. On gas, Jim Gilmore just won't take yes for an answer. Mark Warner Favors A Comprehensive Approach to Energy Independence, Would Lift Federal Moratorium on Offshore Drilling To Let States Decide.

On the Issues:

1. Car Tax- Gilmore is lying about the cost of the car tax. Car tax costs more than TRIPLED from campaign through end of Gilmore's term- from $620 million to over $2 billion.

2. Budget- Jim Gilmore balanced the budget like Enron balanced its budget. To 'balance the budget' Jim Gilmore took $650 million from the state's transportation trust fund, required retailers to 'pre-pay' $170 million in sales taxes, and accelerated withholding collections for 70,000 employers (employers were required to pay early- in some cases before employees had been paid). Only 10 days into office, Governor Warner joined with a Republicans Democrats in the General Assembly to undo the worst parts of Gilmore's budget. His budget gimmicks resulted in a $3.8 billion shortfall that eventually grew to $6 billion.

3. Spending- State Spending Rose By More Than 40 Percent Under Gilmore, The Fourth Largest Increase In The Nation. Gilmore's spending increase was nearly double that of Governor Warner.

4. Warner Favors A Comprehensive Approach to Energy Independence, Would Lift Federal Moratorium on Offshore Drilling To Let States Decide. Jim Gilmore just won't take yes for an answer. The Roanoke Times reported that "Warner said he supports lifting the federal moratorium on offshore oil and natural gas exploration 'to see what's there,' and letting states decide whether to allow it." Warner added, "But let's not fool ourselves; this is not the long-term solution."

5. Children's Health Insurance- Under Gilmore, Virginia Forfeited almost $70 Million In Federal Funds For Children's Health Insurance, allowing thousands of children to go uninsured. Gilmore is saying that this was welfare for people. Fact it was health care for kids.

6. Southside Virginia- Gilmore talked about helping Southside Virginia, but as governor he vetoed bi-partisan legislation that would have given emergency unemployment assistance in Southside Virginia after the Tultex plant closed.

7. Transportation- Cost of Mixing Bowl project roughly doubled Gilmore's estimates, yet Gilmore recently claimed he was unaware of cost overruns.  Also, the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project was plagued by bickering and lawsuits and the Washington Post reported that it was finished "largely in spite of Mr. Gilmore's role, not because of it."

8. Rainy Day Fund. Every penny Gilmore put in the rainy day fund was constitutionally required. He had no choice.



"No runs, no hits, no errors" (Lowell - 7/19/2008 1:58:53 PM)
According to the Shad Plank, "I heard one characterization of this debate as "no runs, no hits, no errors" -- another way of saying that it won't change much."