Warner Steps On The Gas
Senate Bid Comes To Town With Focus On Alternative Fuels
By Jeff Mellott
HARRISONBURG - Calls by former Gov. Mark Warner for a national energy policy that seeks alternatives to oil drew applause and cheers Tuesday, as he announced his bid for the U.S. Senate near the steps of Rockingham County Courthouse.
The search for those energy alternatives could result in millions of jobs
while asserting the U.S.'s moral authority around the world on climate
change, he said.
The fall election could shape up as a race between two former
governors as James Gilmore seeks the GOP nomination to succeed
John Warner.
This is Mark Warner's second bid for the Senate. He lost his challenge to
Sen. Warner in 1996.
Mark Warner went on to be elected governor in 2001 and left the office
with high approval ratings.
During his tenure, the state government brought a projected $6 billion
deficit into balance with a tax increase.
"We passed a tax-reform plan that fixed our budget mess, fixed our
Triple-A bond rating, allowed record investment in education,
replenished the rainy day fund, and got Virginia named as the best-
managed state in America," Warner said.
Warner was introduced by a series of speakers, including Harrisonburg
Mayor Rodney Eagle.
"He took the bull by the horns and got things going," said Eagle, an
independent seeking re-election this fall.
Rockingham County Sheriff Donald Farley, also an independent, lauded
Warner's performance as governor.
But he lamented Warner's decision earlier this year to seek the Senate
seat instead of running for governor again next year.
"But I know," Farley said, "the rest of the country needs him."
Gasoline Prices
When Warner stepped to the microphone, a light rain was falling. By the
time he was through speaking, the rain and dark clouds had passed and
Warner was bathed in late-afternoon sunlight.
At one point during his approximately half-hour campaign stump speech,
Warner talked about the high price of gasoline.
The price of gasoline, he said, was $3.47 a gallon, or at least it was when
he had started speaking.
He criticized the national energy policy that he said relied too much on
foreign oil and was not doing enough to encourage alternative sources.
Afterward, Warner said he opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge in Alaska, saying it would not be helpful to motorists for a decade
and would be detrimental to the country.
Such a plan, he said, would only prolong America's addiction to oil when
the country needs to be weaned off the fuel.
"Ten years from now, if we are as dependent on foreign oil as we are
now, we are up the creek," he said.
To combat the high price of gasoline, Warner said the federal
government should crack down on oil market speculators. They, he said,
are largely responsible for the rapid rise in gasoline prices.
Great Expectations
Among the several hundred people who gathered before Warner began
his remarks on the third day of his statewide announcement tour was
Kelly Jemison, 19, of Alexandria.
The James Madison University rising sophomore had heard the
candidate speak before.
She liked Warner's stand on reducing the country's dependence on
foreign oil.
"He makes sense on policies like that," said Jemison, who is majoring in
political science and international relations.
"I have really been impressed by Mark Warner's moderate policies and
how he brings everybody together and bridges partisan lines," she said.
Also standing on Court Square waiting for Warner was Harrisonburg High
School senior Nick Melton.
Melton, 18, and the son of Ben and Kelly Melton, held a Warner sign.
Melton said Warner is a moderate Democrat who keeps his word.
"He promised," Melton said, "that if he ever ran for Senate that he would
kick off his campaign in Harrisonburg. He is doing it now."
Contact Jeff Mellott at 574-6290 or jmellott@dnronline.com
Here is the URL of the article for as long as it is good:
By Jeff Mellott
HARRISONBURG - Dan Breeden is the new chairman of the Rockingham County Democratic Committee.
Breeden became chairman at the committee's reorganization caucus on Saturday.
Breeden, 45, served three four-year terms on the Rockingham County School Board before deciding not to seek a fourth term last year. He is a small-business owner who lives in the Elkton area.
"I am excited by this," Breeden said Monday. "It's always exciting to be a part of something that is growing."
Other members elected Saturday to the party's executive committee include Linda Shuler as vice chairwoman, Jaime Porter as secretary and Tara Seay as treasurer.
Breeden succeeds Don Roderick, who will continue to serve the committee as District 2 chairman.
Breeden acknowledges that county Democrats face challenges.
Republicans have dominated Rockingham County politics for decades. In the latest test of party strength, Republicans won the open seat for Rockingham County Circuit Court clerk in November.
But Breeden sees a silver lining.
Democrat Dianne Fulk, a member of the clerk's staff at the time of the election, lost by 220 votes in a field of 11 candidates. Fulk's husband, Lowell, also has come close to winning a seat in the House of Delegates, Breeden said.
And, Breeden pointed to his brother, Mike, who was re-elected in November to the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors.
More than that, Breeden said, the attendance at the annual Labor Day dinner hosted by the county and Harrisonburg Democratic committees continues to grow. In 2007, former Gov. Mark Warner and likely Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate was the featured speaker at the event.
The party's successes statewide, Breeden said, are encouraging voters to give local Democrats a second look. In November, Democrats took outright control of the state Senate for the first time since 1995, and have held the governorship for the last two administrations.
"The challenge is going to be to recruit quality candidates," Breeden said.
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From the Harrisonburg VA Daily News-Record 8 JAN 2008:
The Democratic Headquarters is open on Mondays from 4:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. Bob Green, Cathy Strickler and Catherine Boyd deserve our many thanks for keeping our office open.