A DEMOCRATIC wave is sweeping the country, and many Democrats are hopeful they will secure 60 seats next Tuesday to make the Senate filibuster-proof. Virginia is a potentially blue state for the first time in 44 years. Mark Warner seems to have a lock on the recently vacated Senate seat, but to have two Democratic Senators from Virginia would be unrepresentative of this great state. As a lifelong Virginian, I know that the Democratic Party, and Mark Warner in particular, do not represent the values Virginians hold dear. The economy may be the most talked about issue today, but the most important issue in the long run is national security. There is only one senatorial candidate with any national security experience, and that is Jim Gilmore.
The backbone of Virginia is our military, and we need representation in the Senate that understands how important the military is to Virginians. Warner has made little effort to reach out to veterans and the military. As a veteran, Gilmore understands the sacrifice servicemen and women make on a daily basis, consistently putting their country before everything else. Gilmore’s foreign policy experience makes him much more suitable to represent Virginia in the Senate.
Warner has no foreign policy experience, and as governor of Virginia he really didn’t need any. But in the Senate, foreign policy experience is a must. Gilmore is an Army veteran who served in the 650th Military Intelligence Group during the Vietnam War. Because of his national security expertise, he was chosen to chair a commission to make recommendations to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks. Following the 9/11 attacks, 146 of the commission’s 164 recommendations were adopted by Congress.
Gilmore is a member of the American Legion and spoke at the Virginia convention this year, which Warner declined to attend. Gilmore understands the commitment all military have made to their country and honors that commitment by supporting the new GI Bill, increased support for military families, and adequate resources for the men and women in harm’s way. Several veterans groups have endorsed Gilmore, and many more individual veterans and servicemen and women support him.
The Senate seat being vacated has been held by a Republican for 28 years, and Virginia has already sent one Democrat to the Senate. Jim Webb is an ardent supporter of our military and a good senator, but Warner has made no effort to reach out to our military, and he will not adequately fill the hole John Warner is about to leave.
Despite the importance of national security, the importance of the economy cannot be ignored in this election. While initially Warner may seem the likely choice based solely on economic experience, a quick look at his campaign reveals otherwise. One thing especially dear to those of us here at the University is honor, and Warner has been lying throughout his entire campaign. He has repeatedly claimed that Gilmore left the state with a 6 billion dollar budget deficit. Not only is this untrue, it is impossible. States are not allowed to have deficits, and Gilmore’s final budget was balanced as mandated by the state constitution. The recession in 2001 caused tax revenues to fall, and in 2003 Virginia had a 2.1 billion dollar budget shortfall. Over the entirety of Warner’s tenure as governor, the budget shortfall reached 6 billion dollars. Warner handled that budget shortfall admirably, and it is a shame he has chosen to mar his record with lies.
Despite being a successful businessman, Warner said in the third senatorial debate that he supported the bailout. As Gilmore was quick to point out, no good businessman would think buying stock in sinking companies was a sound decision. Gilmore stated clearly that the burden of bailing out Wall Street was not something that the taxpayers should have to carry. Since it was passed, the bailout has done little to reverse the current economic trend, and the government is signing away more and more taxpayer money every day. Despite Warner’s previous economic record, Gilmore has shown much more economic sense in this campaign.
While the economy is foremost in voters’ minds right now, it will rebound eventually. National security is a concern that will never lose its importance, and in Virginia, a vote based on foreign policy experience can only be for one candidate. Gilmore has proven himself worthy of representing Virginia’s values in the Senate through his years of service to his country and the seat being vacated by a Republican needs to be filled by one.
Annette Robertson is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at a.robertson@cavalierdaily.com.
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