Re-Direct Fire Support for Anti-Bailout Bill

The Senate lines are jammed, according to well-placed sources inside the beltway. They are asking that we re-direct our phone calls to the local offices of Senators.

Fire for effect. Keep up the pressure. Remind them that domestic energy supplies are directly tied to national and financial security.

Follow up to MoveOn MovesIn at VCU

Sen. John Warner is perceived as a soft target by the left. They believe they can pressure him into pulling the rug out from under the Iraqi's.
Previous UCV post here.

Speakers urge Warner to change course of war
GAYLAND HETHCOAT, Executive Editor
Commonwealth Times
Issue date: 8/30/07 Section: News

~excerpt~
At the meeting in the Commons, the spotlight was on Sen. John Warner, a five-term senator who carries significant clout on national security issues, to change the course in Iraq.

“John Warner is the single key person who can bring probably six to 10 senators with him, in addition to those who have already indicated they are ready to break with the president, and believe me, there are a lot of them who are considering,” said Robert Dreyfuss, an author and journalist who has written extensively about the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism for publications such as Rolling Stone and The Nation.

Dreyfuss and the other panelists commended Warner for calling last week for as few as 5,000 troops to withdraw from Iraq by Christmas. Ultimately, however, they all agreed, he needs to do more than make token gestures.

Jay Morehouse, a panelist whose son was wounded by a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq, said activists must push Warner “to put teeth into what he says.

“He’s like a Florida retiree trying to get into a cold pool: He gets in one foot at a time,” Morehouse said. “He has to be pushed into the deep end.”

Warner Set To Announce @ 2pm Toady

****UPDATE: Warner says he's out.

*Even the Time Dispatch recognizes him as a R.I.N.O.:
“A moderate to conservative Republican, Warner has supported Republican presidents while also maintaining an independent streak.”

*The Democrats are licking their chops already at making the seat held by Warner a bookend set with their whacked out, Bush Derangement-latent Senator “Lieutenant Dan:” Jim Webb:
“Former Gov. Mark R. Warner is mentioned as a likely Democratic candidate if the incumbent retires.”

I hope the national party has a list of CONSERVATIVES that they can run for the seat, since it was one that they held – HELLO OUT THERE, RPV!


Anatomy of a R.I.N.O.:
*“Warner wrote the resolution sought by Bush in 2002 for authorization of military force against Iraq, but began distancing himself from Bush in October 2005. He described the Iraq situation then as “drifting sideways.” This year, he did not agree with Bush’s 2007 troop buildup.”

More than just that, he threatened to vote with the Democrats for a timetable for troop withdrawal that might have cost us the war and MANY American, Iraqi, and coalition lives. Did I mention he is a favored senator of liberal Democrat presidential candidate B. Hussein Obama?

*In a dramatic break from his party, he refused in 1994 to endorse the GOP nominee for Senate, Oliver L. North. Warner fielded his own candidate, in what many GOP conservatives viewed as heresy; a Democrat won election in a three-way race.

*Warner voted against President Reagan’s Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork in 1987.

*He has been a moderate on racial issues and recommended the first black person and the first woman to be confirmed as federal judges in Virginia.

What is a “moderate on racial issues?” This is one area where libs never see grey areas – especially for Republicans. So, an evil, racist, anti-minority white man recommended two minorities for a trend-setting, minority “first” and he is gets labeled as a “moderate on racial issues.” Can you say back-handed compliment?


#########

John Warner will announce at 2pm today at the University of Virginia whether he the 80-year-old Senator for Virginia, will grace us for another 6 years of R.I.N.O. antics as an aged senator, or spend his twilight years on blue-ribbon committees, lobbying, and appearing on nightly cable shows to push a then, unleashed version of R.I.N.O. politics.

Either way, it looks like it is Virginians who are in the ones who are in for the long haul.

Senator John Warner Goes For The Gold

Let's hope it's a watch.

Va. Sen. John Warner to Announce if He will Seek Sixth Term in 2008
630 WMAL

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Senator John Warner plans to announce Friday whether the Virginia senator will seek a sixth term next year.

For decades, Warner has been one of the most authoritative voices in Congress on military issues and a key player in the debate over Iraq. The 80-year-old Republican would be an early favorite to win if he runs. But his retirement could give the Democrats a chance to take the seat from the GOP.

Warner planned an afternoon news conference at the University of Virginia. Friends, staff aides, close political allies and political professionals alike were left to guess Thursday what the former Navy secretary would do.

Warner had said that by September he would announce whether he will seek another term that would end in early 2015, weeks before his 88th birthday. He first won the seat in 1978 when he was married to Elizabeth Taylor.

Warner Says He May Vote With Dems On A Timetable For Defeat

This just in at Drudge:

WASHINGTON (AP) - GOP Sen. John Warner, who wants U.S. troops to start coming home from Iraq by Christmas, said Sunday he may support Democratic legislation ordering withdrawals if President Bush refuses to set a return timetable soon.
"I'm going to have to evaluate it," Warner said. "I don't say that as a threat, but I say that is an option we all have to consider."
Warner, a former Navy Secretary and one-time chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is seen as someone who could influence the debate among senators who have grown increasingly uneasy about the unpopular war.
Warner's suggestion last week about bringing back some troops put him at odds with Bush, who has insisted that conditions on the ground should dictate any such decisions. Warner long has opposed legislation pushing for timetables.
(AP) In this photograph provided by "Meet the Press," Sen. John Warner, R-Va., appears on "Meet the...Full Image The Virginia Republican said Sunday it would be best for the president, not Congress, to make a decision on withdrawals and that overriding a presidential veto would be difficult. But Warner made clear his view that people are losing patience with the administration's strategy in Iraq, a significant change is needed in September and troop withdrawals were the best way to accomplish that.
"That's precisely what I said to the president. I said, 'Here is an option. You can initiate a first withdrawal. You pick the number, Mr. President. And it would send a signal to the Iraqi government that matches your words,'" Warner said. "His words being, 'We're not going to be there forever.'"
"The president has got to put teeth in these comments that we're not there forever," he added.
The political wrangling comes as the White House and Congress are headed toward a showdown on the Iraq war. In mid-September, Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker plan to give their assessment of Bush's decision this year to send 30,000 additional troops to Iraq.
"We've got to show our resolve in the face of the Iraqi government inaction," Warner said. "I'm looking for in that message of the 15th what the president's going to do to get this (Iraqi) government jump-started to deliver on its commitment to our troops, 'You fight and die, get the security, I will deliver Iraq as a reconciled unity government.'"

I don't think that withdrawing the troops from Iraq (especially since we JUST started a surge, and JUST began to see success in dropping violence) is the way to show Al-Maliki and the Iraqi government that we will not be there forever to protect him.

The Iraqi government needs 2 things: an Iraqi police force to keep law and order, and an army to protect it from it's "neighbors" who (like Syria, whom he just visited) want to see it destroyed and become a terrorist state.

Our withdrawal should center on the rise of that police force along wtih the rise of a battle-hardened Iraqi army -- one that is loyal to the new government. Should we want to put pressure on the Iraqi government to stand up, we can withdraw our troops to a rear-base, but not leave country.

As for "a reconciliation government": good luck. I'm not sure at all how divergent the views of those sections or Iraq's population are, or how willing they will be to be flexible with their enemies in order to "get along." That may be something that comes about only after a civil war in Iraq, but I don't think a true and lasting peaceful compromise is something that can be forced on the parties involved -- either by the U.S. or by the new Iraqi government. It is up to the factions to decide when they have had enough violence, war, and death to make them willing to compromise.

Recent Senate Votes: Warner, Webb

From congress.org:

Recent Senate Votes

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 - Vote Agreed to (83-14, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this bill that would provide greater transparency in the legislative process.

Sen. John Warner voted YES

Sen. James Webb voted YES

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 - Vote Passed (68-31, 1 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this bill that would add 3 million lower-income children to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Sen. John Warner voted YES

Sen. James Webb voted YES

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protect America Act - Vote Passed (60-28, 12 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this bill which would temporarily expand the executive branch’s authority to spy on suspected foreign terrorists without a court order, when communications are passing through the U.S.

Sen. John Warner voted YES

Sen. James Webb voted YES

Hell To Pay And Then Some

When that wretched behemoth of an "Immigration" Bill went down in flames it was a stunning, humiliating defeat for its architects and supporters in Congress many of whom had never even read the entire bill. There is still doubt that anyone even had access to it.

Ordinary American citizens were so startled by the lack of common sense and regard for the rule of law displayed by elected officials that they figuratively stormed the Bastille with a relentless barrage of phone calls, faxes, emails and letters until the Bill was finally guillotined on the floor of the Senate.

Now it is payback time and it's gonna get ugly. Congress is going to take their humiliation and pain out on the grassroots and teach the peasants a lesson or two. They are going to go after us on the net and on the airwaves. We've seen that coming for awhile.

But the most hideous Beltway beating will be on our family in the military. Scan the headlines today. If you're a Virginian, Google "John Warner Iraq" (Have a spittoon at the ready).

Ask yourself, "Why is he doing this now?" Look at the other Republicans piling on or publicly wavering: Domenici, Hagel, Lugar, Voinovich, Alexander, Smith.

What (or rather who) is fueling this "surge" of cynical, demoralizing, destabilizing legislation that has got to be considered starting Monday, July 9th of 2007? We can't blame all of this on the Democrat/ics. Not when they have such willing collaborators in Republican ranks.

Is this a clumsy way to pre-empt General Petraeus and his report due in September? Certainly.

Is this a smackdown aimed at the grassroots?
It sure feels that way.

Thanks to aggressive polling, they probably feel the 'roots will not be able to muster huge protests as they did with the Illegal Alien legislation.

Fair warning for Senator Warner and friends: If you think Cindy Sheehan was a big headache, just wait 'til a pissed off Marine Mom camps out on your doorstep.

Virginia's Senate Clown Posse

Sen. John Warner, Republican
playing dress up in a parade

Sen. James (Jim) H. Webb, Jr., Democrat, Republican, Democrat

playing metrosexual with a friend

UPDATE: cargosquid nailed it in this post

Nail Meet Coffin: Warner Backs McCain's Presidential Bid

The divisive and controversial Sen. John Warner (r)VA has given what could be called the cold kiss of death to Sen. John McCain's presidential aspirations.

Warner Backs McCain's Possible '08 Bid
By ZINIE CHEN SAMPSON

RICHMOND, Va. Feb 26, 2007 (AP)— Republican Sen. John W. Warner, the former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, on Monday endorsed Sen. John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination.

The five-term Virginia senator cited McCain's service in the Navy and his familiarity with military issues in a statement backing his longtime friend, who is expected to formally announce his candidacy next month.

"America's next president will be challenged by a range of diplomatic and security issues of unprecedented complexity largely due to growing, worldwide terrorist threats," Warner said in the statement, released by McCain's presidential exploratory committee. "Senator McCain's long experience with, and understanding of, our military coupled with his proven, unquestioned courage and leadership, provide him with the essential qualifications for our next president."

Email From Cargosquid

This just in from Cargosquid somewhere in the Sandbox:

So, what's been going on? Is that old fart John Warner still in office? I can't believe the way he's voting.

Just because he "feels guilty about all of those kids he sent to Vietnam in support of Johnson's policies". If he's going to vote because of his feelings then he needs to resign for health reasons. He's not to be trusted with difficult decisions.

Murtha/Warner. Same thing.

Gilmore needs to run for the Senate if he's not serious about the Presidency. I've been picking him in any and all polls I find him in. Still no mention of him on the news.

And don't get me started on the the mayor of Richmond joining the Bloomberg fanatics.

See, we do get some news here.

The left: There Aren't Enough Troops, but Don't Send Any

Just Asking…wasn't one of the original “beefs” of the left was that there were not enough troops in the Iraqi theater? So why now, the big push to keep more troops from being sent to Iraq? Why criticize someone for not doing something, and then criticize them again for doing what you originally criticized them for not doing? That is the very semblance of a “partisan attack,” and apparently, the rest of us are not supposed to remember what the leftist Democrats were saying as recently as last November. This is a prime example of why Bush should not listen to the left – they are critics, and only critics. They have no real answers. Bush says “blue,” they say “red.” Bush says “on” they say “off.” No matter what the issue is or which side is the correct side. They are just trying to get ahead by pulling backwards those who are leading the way. Politics, pure and simple.

“Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Tuesday that House Democratic leaders are drafting their own non-binding resolution on Iraq that signifies opposition to troop escalation.

The resolution is being written by Reps. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Tom Lantos, D-Calif., chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Amendments will not be permitted on the resolution, to be debated over three days and wrapped up before the President's Day recess on Feb. 19, Hoyer said.

The House resolution will be based on a Senate model that was pushed back Monday when Republicans deprived Democrats the opportunity to rebuke the White House for President Bush's strategy to add 21,500 troops in Iraq to help end sectarian violence. House Democrats were going to wait for the Senate to act first on a resolution, and decided to go forward after Monday's Senate gridlock.

The vote on a motion to proceed was 49 to 47, well short of the 60 votes necessary to stop discussion and move toward debate of a non-binding resolution sponsored by Sens. John Warner, R- Va., and Carl Levin, D-Mich. Republicans opposed cutting off debate because they wanted votes not only on the Warner-Levin resolution but also on a separate resolution by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., supporting the Iraq troop surge and another one by Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., rejecting any future effort to cut off funds for ongoing military operations in Iraq.”

Desperate John Warner Trashes U.S. Military Command

It must have been a bitter pill for Sen. John Warner to swallow when he lost his powerful and prestigious position as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee after the '06 elections. He seems to be grabbing at straws, desperate for face time on the news. Now this:

U.S. military commanders have "misled" senators on the Iraqi military's ability to oversee security operations, an unusually combative Republican Senator John Warner said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday.

Warner questioned why there are so few Iraqi troops in Baghdad - despite years of training and repeated assurances from U.S. military leaders that more American troops would not be needed.

"I think we, this committee and the Congress, have been misled," Warner told retired General John Keane, the former vice chief of staff of the Army.
AP/WSLS.com

In other words he accuses our Military Command of lying. Where is this kind of rhetoric going to take us?

There isn't a semi-intelligent person on the planet who doesn't know how pumped up Al Qaida and other terrorist organizations were before the elections in November '06 as they stepped up their campaign of bloody violence in Iraq, not to mention their enthusiasm for Democrat/ic candidates. (Well, gee, let's add a few Republicans to that list.)

There isn't a semi-intelligent person in America who doesn't know how our pathetic excuse for Media has recklessly undermined President Bush and the War on Terror including the essential front in Iraq. The daily onslaught of propaganda can be hard to deflect. It is especially hard for politicians who aren't strengthened by virtues of loyalty and decency not to mention common sense.

There isn't a semi-intelligent person in Virginia who doesn't believe this effort has been extremely successful. Look how the "popular" Senator John Warner has turned.
The stench stirred up is disgusting.

Sen. Warner is playing a dangerous game with our Troops and the people of Iraq to keep his poll ratings high and his ego inflated.

For those of us who have seen our sons, daughters and family members off to war only to have them betrayed at home by fair weather friends and dessicated politicos is unbearable. We will not forget this. Trust me on that.

CathouseChat lays out Warner.
The Right-Wing Liberal links to petition.