Sen. Warner: Do you remember 1994?

By: Lowell
Published On: 3/20/2005 2:00:00 AM

As Republicans  work themselves into a frothing hysteria over Russ Potts' "Independent Republican" candidacy for Virginia governor, one cannot help but be reminded of almost identical rhetoric we heard a decade ago, back in the 1994 U.S. Senate contest.  Hear any echoes today in some of the statements made back then? 

  • Then-Virginia State GOP Chairman said that John Warner was "not a Republican."
  • Similarly, Fairfax GOP Chairman D. Patrick Mullins stated, "I don't need people claiming they're Republicans for Marshall Coleman. They're really not Republicans.''
  • Mullins further threatened, in writing, that Republicans who failed to back North would be removed from the Fairfax county committee and barred from future nominating conventions.
  • Right Wing Republican candidate for Lt. Governor in 1993, Michael Farris, said at the time, "'We've got a sickness in our party, and that sickness is John Warner.''
  • Then Governor George Allen said that anyone who voted for Marshall Coleman was "wasting their vote.''
  • Oliver "Iran Contra" North slammed Coleman as a washed-up political hack who has "spent his entire life running for public office" and "flip-flopped on every major issue."
  • Interestingly, John Warner at the time said that, despite "putting my political career at risk in Virginia...I believe strongly that the three million voters in this state deserve a Republican choice this year."

    Does all this sound just a wee bit familiar?  If not, it should, because this is the same angry old rhetoric we heard back in 1994.  Which makes it all the more ironic - and sad - to see Senator John Warner, 11 years later, campaigning with far-right wing Republican Jerry Kilgore against another "Independent Republican" candidate, Russ Potts. 

    Wasn't it just yesterday that Senator Warner was arguing it was far more important to stand up for what is right and to "put aside politics for the good of the nation and good of the state" than to blindly support the party nominee, no matter how heinous he might be?  You do remember those days, don't you Senator?


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