Democratic Sen. Mark Warner repeatedly called Republican opponent Ed Gillespie a partisan political warrior incapable of seeing issues outside of the lens of party politics, as the two candidates squared off in a prime-time debate Tuesday evening in the battle for U.S. Senate in Virginia.
Mr. Warner, despite holding a sizable advantage in most public polls, wasted no time in taking direct aim at Mr. Gillespie’s past work as a Republican National Committee chairman and lobbyist for Enron during the approximately hourlong debate.
“The last thing Washington needs is another partisan warrior in either political party,” Mr. Warner said, also talking up his own bipartisan bona fides and support from Republicans like former Sen. John Warner.
With a month to go until Election Day, Mr. Gillespie is seeking to gather momentum in a race that has remained on the outer tier of competitive contests for Republicans, despite a favorable national environment for the GOP and President Obama’s sagging approval ratings.
Hitting back during the evening debate, Mr. Gillespie said that the Mark Warner who governed the state from 2002 to 2006 — working with help from a Republican legislature — wouldn’t recognize the Sen. Warner who now largely supports the Democratic agenda in Washington. Mr. Gillespie argued he is actually the candidate in the race with economic policies that will help “ease the squeeze” on hardworking Virginians.
“Senator Warner’s press releases are very bipartisan, but his floor votes are very party-line,” he said. “He says one thing but then votes another way.”
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Despite the Commonwealth’s swing-state status, Mr. Warner, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008, has thus far been able to largely insulate himself from criticism for his support for Mr. Obama’s policies, in particular the president’s national health care reform.
But Mr. Gillespie told reporters afterward the race is closing. A survey released Tuesday by Christopher Newport University showed Mr. Warner with a 12-point lead at 51 percent to 39 percent — down from 22 points in a recent CNU poll.
“We’re closing, and gaining on him every day,” Mr. Gillespie said. “This race is narrowing, as I always knew it would.”
Mr. Warner found himself on the defensive on multiple occasions during the debate.
Asked whether Mr. Obama should take unilateral action on immigration, Mr. Warner said that he’d prefer that the issue be addressed legislatively.
He said Mr. Gillespie shifted his position against a Senate-passed bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for the approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the country, but Mr. Gillespie said he had always said the bill should have better border security protections.
Asked whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, is the best leader for the party in that position, Mr. Warner replied that “we could perhaps do better in both parties.”
Mr. Warner said his positions in favor of drilling off the coast of Virginia and supporting the Keystone XL pipeline put him at odds with some members of his own party.
Asked about areas where he may differ with the GOP, Mr. Gillespie said some of the Republican efforts during the 1990s passing mandatory minimum sentencing laws were too aggressive and said ex-felons should not be required to check a box indicating their conviction when they apply for a new job.
“I think if people have paid their debt to society, society needs to welcome them back into society and make it easier for them to come back into society, again, for certain crimes and for certain positions,” he said.
Fighting terrorism
Both men said the U.S. could be doing more in its battle against the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq and Syria — and both said Mr. Obama should not have ruled out the possibility of ground troops for the mission.
“I don’t think you draw a red line that you may have to back up from,” Mr. Warner said.
Gay marriage is receiving renewed attention this week after the Supreme Court said Monday it would not act this term on appeals from a handful of states, paving the way for gay marriages to go forward in places like Virginia despite state laws against same-sex unions.
Mr. Warner said he thinks the court did the “right thing” and noted that he has pushed for nondiscriminatory policies in the state dating to his days as governor.
Mr. Gillespie was asked to square the fact that the Republican National Committee during his tenure supported a federal traditional marriage amendment with his present-day stance that the decision should be left up to states.
“As chairman of the RNC, I stood for the platform,” he said. “I’m talking now about my policies and the policies that I would pursue as a United States senator. And again, while I believe marriage is between one man and one woman, I don’t believe that it’s proper of the United States Senate to enact a federal marriage amendment.”
Another social issue that has played heavily in the race is the candidates’ stances on women’s health care. Mr. Gillespie said he supports over-the-counter access for birth control — a position adopted by a number of Republicans across the country this year in an effort to beat back Democratic accusations the party is waging a “war on women.”
Mr. Warner said such a position rings hollow and that existing law says that for women on birth control, there’s no co-payment.
“On this issue, we’ve had just a very different approach,” Mr. Warner said. “I trust women to make these kind of decisions with her doctor. And I don’t think government should interfere.”
Mr. Gillespie responded by saying he has faith in the women of Virginia to determine the best plan and policy for their medical needs.
Despite devoting a lot of time to Mr. Gillespie and his old jobs, Mr. Warner told reporters afterward the race is providing a clear choice for voters moving forward.
“You got somebody who’s got a proven record of being bipartisan, of being a problem-solver, and you’ve got somebody who’s spent a career as a lobbyist and a partisan operative,” Mr. Warner said. “And if folks think Washington’s going to get fixed by one more partisan warrior, then they got their candidate. But I don’t think we need more partisan warriors from either … party.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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