RICHMOND – The Ed Gillespie for Senate campaign released a new TV ad today: Lost his Way. The ad shows how far Mark Warner has strayed from the independent voice he promised to be, and contrasts Warner’s record with Ed Gillespie’s economic growth plan. The ad is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxzDxGCblYg&feature=youtu.be

Speaking about the new ad, Campaign Manager Chris Leavitt said, “Mark Warner told us he would be an independent voice for Virginians, but has lost his way in Washington, voting 97 percent of the time with President Obama. In a moment of candor, the President said yesterday that while he wasn’t running himself, ‘Make no mistake: these policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them.’ Ed Gillespie’s economic growth plan offers Virginians a new and better direction.”

Lost his Way (30 seconds)

VO: In Washington, Mark Warner lost his way, voting with Obama 97 percent. Yes for Obamacare. Yes to $7 trillion in new debt. Yes for $1 trillion in higher taxes hitting the middle class and small businesses.

Ed Gillespie: The Obama-Warner policies are hurting us. My economic plan will create jobs by replacing Obamacare, providing tax relief and more affordable energy, so we can ease the squeeze on hardworking Virginians. That’s a new and better direction.

Background:

Since joining the Senate, Mark Warner has voted 97 percent of the time with President Obama – more often than the average for his Democratic colleagues in the Senate. (CQ Weekly, Vote Studies, 2009-2013)

In 2009, Mark Warner promised voters: There is no plan being proposed that I will support that will force people out of their existing plan if they have it and they like their existing doctor.

A man in audience responded: Why lie to us?

Warner replied: Folks, you can say whatever you want, but I’m not supporting any plan that gets rid of those kinds of choices.

Shortly afterwards, Mark Warner voted for the Affordable Care Act.

In September 2010, Warner Voted Against A Resolution To Nullify An Obama Administration Rule Preventing Insurance Companies From Keeping Their Grandfathered Status If They Make Changes To Their Plans. “Enzi, R-Wyo., motion to proceed to consideration of a joint resolution that would provide for congressional disapproval of a rule regarding grandfathering of health insurance plans under the 2010 health care overhaul law.” (S. J. Res. 39, CQ Vote #244: Motion rejected 40-59: R 40-0; D 0-57; I 0-2, 9/29/10, Warner Voted Nay; Chris Frates, “Senate Democrats Supported Rule That Led To Insurance Cancellations,” CNN, 10/31/13)

The Rule Is “Largely Responsible” For The Health Insurance Cancellation Letters Being Received By Millions Of Americans. “Senate Democrats voted unanimously three years ago to support the Obamacare rule that is largely responsible for some of the health insurance cancellation letters that are going out.” (Chris Frates, “Senate Democrats Supported Rule That Led To Insurance Cancellations,” CNN, 10/31/13)

The Rule Essentially Prevented Insurance Companies From Keeping Their Grandfathered Status If They Made Changes To Their Plans. “The rule essentially prevents insurance companies from keeping their grandfathered status if they make changes to their plans. In practice, insurance companies are loath to leave their plans unchanged so grandfathered plans are disappearing, and people are being forced to change their plans to meet Obamacare’s more robust coverage requirements.” (Chris Frates, “Senate Democrats Supported Rule That Led To Insurance Cancellations,” CNN, 10/31/13)

In December 2009, Warner Voted Against A Motion That Would Have Allowed Medicare Advantage Enrollees To Retain Their Existing Benefits. “McCain, R-Ariz., motion to commit the bill to the Finance Committee with instructions that it be reported back with changes that would allow all Medicare Advantage enrollees to retain their existing benefits.” (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #370: Rejected 42-57: R 40-0; D 2-55; I 0-2, 12/8/09, Warner Voted Nay)

Jim Webb Voted For The Motion. (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #370: Rejected 42-57: R 40-0; D 2-55; I 0-2, 12/8/09, Webb Voted Yea)

Webb Said He Voted In Favor Of The McCain And Hatch Amendments Because “He Does Not Believe It Is Reasonable To Cut Back On Medicare Funding” While Medicare Expands To Include Baby Boomers. “Webb’s office provided this statement:: ‘Senator Webb voted in favor of the McCain and Hatch amendments because he does not believe it is reasonable to cut back on Medicare funding at a time when the pool for Medicare is going to expand as the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age. Further, Senator Webb is a long-time supporter of Medicare Advantage programs which have in his view greatly improved services in rural areas such as Southside and Southwest Virginia.’” (Amy Lotven, “Webb Sides With GOP On Failed Motion,” Inside Health Reform, 12/9/09)

In the Senate, Mark Warner voted for $7 trillion in new debt and nearly $1 trillion in new taxes.
(PolitiFact: True)

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The NFIB, “The Voice of Small Business,” did not endorse in the 2008 election

LORTON – The National Federation of Independent Business, “The Voice of Small Business,” announced its endorsement today for Ed Gillespie for Senate in the following release. The endorsement builds on a growing list of business groups including the National Association of Wholesaler Distributors and the Associated Builders and Contractors who are backing Gillespie this year.

NFIB Endorses Ed Gillespie for U.S. Senate

The National Federation of Independent Business, Virginia’s and the nation’s leading small-business association, today endorsed Ed Gillespie for U.S. Senate

“Ed Gillespie is the clear pro-small business candidate,” said Dan Danner, NFIB President and CEO. “His parents were NFIB members, and he grew work up working at their grocery store. He’s started three successful businesses of his own and understands what it takes for small businesses to succeed.

“He supports a balanced budget amendment, lower taxes, and sensible regulations,” said Danner. “He also recognizes the need for health-care reform that makes basic coverage more affordable and more accessible without slamming small businesses with hidden taxes and penalties that discourage job growth.” His opponent, Sen. Mark Warner, has a 29 percent lifetime small-business voting record, including a vote for Obamacare.

Nicole Riley, state director of NFIB/Virginia said, “Ed Gillespie understands from personal experience the challenges big government can throw in the path of small businesses. He believes in lower taxes and sensible regulations that encourage small businesses to grow and create jobs.”

“Ed Gillespie would be a strong voice for Virginia’s Main Street business owners, their employees and their families,” Riley said. “Our members are counting on him and he can count on our members’ support on Election Day.”

NFIB has over 5,000 dues-paying members in Virginia representing a cross section of the state’s economy. Gillespie’s endorsement comes from the NFIB SAFE (Save America’ Free Enterprise) Trust, the association’s political action committee, and is based on the candidate’s positions regarding key small-business issues including health care, taxes, and labor and regulatory issues.

Small-business owners and their employees vote in high numbers and are known for actively recruiting friends, family members and acquaintances to go to the polls. NFIB will encourage its members to help turn out the small-business vote on Election Day.

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DANVILLE – Ed Gillespie unequivocally called for a flight ban from the West African nations with Ebola outbreaks during last night’s “People’s Debate” in Richmond. Gillespie is now calling on Mark Warner to follow him in adopting this common sense position.

Speaking of a flight ban, Gillespie said: “The time to consider stopping flights coming in from West Africa has passed. It’s time to impose a flight ban, which is exactly what this administration should do. I call on Mark Warner to follow my lead in adopting this common sense position.”

Video of the different position articulated in last night’s debate by Gillespie and Warner is available here: http://youtu.be/to5OGmHkf9I

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Campaign brings in more from individual donors than Warner in 3rd quarter

87 of Gillespie’s donors previously gave to Mark Warner

LORTON – The Gillespie for Senate Campaign raised $1.8 million in its third quarter report. The campaign brought in more than 5,000 new individual donors in the third quarter, raising more from individual donors than the incumbent Mark Warner’s campaign. Since January, 87 donors who had previously given to Mark Warner gave to the Gillespie campaign. The Fraternal Order of Police of Virginia and the Virginia Police Benevolent Association both endorsed Mark Warner in 2008 and have endorsed Gillespie this year. The campaign reported $2 million cash on hand.

Speaking about the third quarter report, campaign manager Chris Leavitt said, “Momentum and energy is clearly on our side, as more Virginians decide we can’t afford six more years of the last six years. Virginians see more evidence every day that Mark Warner hasn’t been the independent voice he said he would be. As Ed notes, ‘Governor Warner wouldn’t recognize Senator Warner.” Most recently, Mark Warner acknowledged discussing a federal judgeship and other jobs for the daughter of a state senator as part of an effort to help Terry McAuliffe and party leaders expand Obamacare in Virginia. Virginians are disappointed, and Virginians know that we can, and must, do better. That’s one reason 87 donors who previously gave to Mark Warner are now supporting Ed and his positive economic growth plan. Virginians are ready to change Washington, and that starts with electing Ed Gillespie this November.”

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FREDERICKSBURG – The Ed Gillespie for Senate Campaign today released a new TV ad that will begin running statewide tomorrow. The ad features news reports over the last week of Senator Warner’s involvement in, as the Richmond Times-Dispatch described it, “dangling the possibility of assistance in finding employment in the federal judiciary or private sector,” for a State Senator’s daughter as part of a greater attempt to expand Obamacare in Virginia.

The 30 second ad is available here:

“Changed” (30 seconds)

NBC12: Breaking news concerning U.S. Senator Mark Warner

WAVY: Senator Mark Warner is mixed up in a possible breach of ethics

WRLH: Warner spoke about possible jobs

NBC12: Discussed a federal judgeship for Puckett’s daughter

NBC4: Warner is accused of trying to bribe a former state senator

Ed Gillespie: Washington has changed Mark Warner. I would never play politics with a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. We need to change Washington. We can’t afford six more years of the last six years. I’m Ed Gillespie, and I approve this message because my policies will turn things around.

Background:

The Washington Post first reported a week ago that Senator Warner discussed multiple jobs for State Senator Phil Puckett’s daughter at the same time that there was a coordinated effort including Warner, the Governor’s office and Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw to persuade the Senator to not retire until after they were able to expand Obamacare in Virginia.

Warner discussed job for Puckett’s daughter Washington Post (Oct. 10, 2014)
“My client, Joseph Puckett, received a phone call from Senator Warner, in which there was discussion of a CGI [ job] or a federal judgeship for the sister,” James said Friday.

Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said that the U.S. senator “brainstormed” with Joseph Puckett about potential private-sector jobs for Ketron. Hall also acknowledged that Warner discussed a judgeship, but he added: “He did not offer any job nor would he nor could he, frankly.”

Neither James nor Hall offered details about the conversation between Warner and Joseph Puckett.

“Sen. Mark Warner part of ongoing investigation” NBC12 (Oct. 10, 2014)
Mike Valerio: In a growing investigation at the capitol, I just confirmed that Warner spoke about possible jobs for a state senator’s daughter. This was all part of an effort to keep state senator Phil Puckett from resigning and handing control of the state senate to Republicans. Washington Post reporter Laura Vozzella first reported that Senator Warner discussed a federal judgeship as well as a corporate job. Now in return, Puckett would have to help Democrats and not resign. Warner’s camp has not responded for comment.

Gillespie calls Warner accusations “deeply troubling” WTVR (Oct. 11, 2014)
“Mark Warner called my client, in an apparent attempt to convince Senator Puckett to remain in the General Assembly, and asked if my client’s sister would be interested in a corporate job or as a federal judge. The offers were declined,” James told CBS 6 political reporter Joe St. George.

Representatives from the Warner campaign did not immediately get back to CBS 6 for comment but aides did tell the Washington Post that Warner never explicitly offered Puckett’s daughter any job.

“If the charge can be substantiated in any way it would be a rocky patch,” CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth said.

“This charge is nothing short of explosive,” Holsworth added.

WRLH Newscast (Oct. 13, 2014)
We’re tracking the latest right now on U.S. Senator Mark Warner in a growing investigation at the capitol. We can confirm that Warner spoke about possible jobs for a Senator’s daughter. This is part of an effort to keep state senator Phil Puckett from resigning and handing over control of the general assembly to Republicans. We have confirmed that Warner discussed a federal judgeship for Puckett’s daughter as well as a corporate job. Now in return, Puckett would have to help Democrats and not resign.

Richmond Times Dispatch Editorial (Oct. 14, 2014)
A few days ago The Washington Post reported that McAuliffe’s chief of staff, Paul Reagan, left a voice mail for Puckett in which he suggested that if Puckett stayed in office, Puckett’s daughter might be appointed to lead a state agency. Reagan said the administration would be willing to “basically do anything” to secure Puckett’s cooperation. He has since apologized.

Now comes word (again from The Post) that Virginia Sen. Mark Warner also got involved. Warner called Puckett’s son, Joseph, and over the course of an hour discussed several job possibilities for Puckett’s daughter — including even a federal judgeship, a post for which she would seem underqualified. A spokesman for Warner says the senator simply “brainstormed” with Joseph Puckett.

Really? Is that what they’re calling it these days?

Here’s an interesting question: Did Warner suddenly decide, out of the blue and all by himself, to pick up the phone and call Joseph Puckett, without informing anybody else that he was going to do so? Or did he inform the governor’s people about the call — which would make them complicit in it? Or, for that matter, did someone in McAuliffe’s office reach out and ask Warner to intercede?

The first possibility would seem like an odd thing to do for a senator who has long been thoroughly plugged into the Virginia Democratic machine. And it certainly would be something voters ought to know more about before they vote for (or against) Warner three weeks from now. The third possibility, meanwhile, would suggest that Reagan’s phone call was not an isolated act by an “overzealous” staffer, as he has described it, but part of a coordinated campaign by the governor’s office to buy off a state senator with public employment for his daughter.

Warner and the governor’s office need to come clean about this — pronto.

Richmond Times-Dispatch (Oct. 14, 2014)
Warner’s efforts in the case first became known after Paul Reagan, the chief of staff to Gov. Terry McAuliffe, had come under fire for a voicemail message he left in June on Phillip Puckett’s cellphone, attempting to persuade the senator to keep his seat by offering to help find his daughter a state job.

Reagan apologized Oct. 3 for what he said was “poor judgment.”

McAuliffe, who said he had no prior knowledge of Reagan’s actions, later said he was disappointed over the episode.

Warner told reporters after the debate Monday that he had reached out to Puckett’s family at the behest of state Senate Democratic Leader Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax, and Reagan, the governor’s chief of staff, because of Warner’s longtime friendship with the Puckett family.

WTVR Report (Oct. 14, 2014)
The elephant in the room however was the issue of what exactly did Mark Warner tell the son of state senator Phil Puckett? Accusations came up over the weekend that Warner may have discussed a federal judgeship in exchange for Puckett staying in the Senate. It’s what I asked him about following the debate.

Joe St. George: Do you regret making the phone call?

Mark Warner: I’ve been friends with the Pucketts for 20 years

Joe: Was it wrong?

Warner: I’ve been friends with the Pucketts for 20 years…

ABC13 News Report on Danville Forum (Oct. 14, 2014)
ABC 13 News reached out to Warner throughout the night to comment on a number of topics, including his declining poll numbers. He did not comment.

Associated Press (Oct. 14, 2014)
The FBI is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding Democratic state Sen. Phil Puckett’s resignation in June. Warner has acknowledged that he “brainstormed” with Puckett’s son about possible job opportunities for Puckett’s daughter, including a federal judgeship, in an attempt to dissuade Puckett from resigning but without making any explicit job offers. Puckett’s resignation gave Republicans control of the state Senate.

Presidents appoint federal judges, often based on recommendations from U.S. senators.

“Warner refuses to explain the extent of FBI investigation” Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post (Oct. 15, 2014)
The controversy raises two sets of questions.

The first batch concern what Warner did and why he did it:

Did Warner coordinate his efforts with Democrats?

Had he “closed the deal” could he have given Puckett’s daughter an advantage over others seeking a judgeship? Was she even qualified for the post?

Why does he not acknowledge that this at least had the appearance of impropriety?

The more disturbing questions concern the extent of the investigation. Warner’s campaign refused to answer questions from Right Turn about the extent of the investigation. It is impossible as things stand for voters to evaluate whether Warner may be accused of wrongdoing. Has he been subpoenaed to provide documents, phone records for example? His campaign won’t say. Was he represented by counsel during the FBI questioning? Did he provide information orally or in writing under oath? No answer. Quite simply, the voters have no idea whether their senator is in any real legal jeopardy.

“Weaving a tangled web” Daily Press Editorial (Oct. 15, 2014)
Earlier this month, the public learned about a voicemail that Paul Reagan, chief of staff for Gov. Terry McAuliffe, left for Sen. Puckett. In it, Mr. Reagan said the administration “would basically do anything” to keep him in the state Senate.

No formal job offer was made, though Mr. Reagan raised the idea that Martha Puckett Ketron, Sen. Puckett’s daughter, could be tapped to run a state agency. Mr. Reagan ended the message by asking it be kept confidential.

Then, last week, a spokesman confirmed to the Post that Sen. Mark Warner also made contact in the days leading up to Sen. Puckett’s resignation.

According to Joseph Puckett, the senator’s son, Sen. Warner called to discuss a possible federal court appointment or potential corporate position for Ms. Ketron. The court appointment seems particularly onerous since, as the Post reported, she lacks the legal experience that would make her an obvious selection for a lifetime federal appointment.

Again, no formal job offer was made — a point that Sen. Warner’s spokesman Kevin Hall made eagerly — but Sen. Warner did “brainstorm” about the situation with Joseph Puckett.
During a Monday night debate with his Republican challenger Ed Gillespie, Sen. Warner defended his actions by detailing his 20-year relationship with the Puckett family. He later told the Washington Post that he made the call at the behest of the “Democratic Senate leadership and the governor’s office.”

We have unresolved questions about the circumstances which precipitated Sen. Puckett’s resignation.

“So long, Mr. Above It All: Warner is a political operative after all” Virginian Pilot Columnist Kerry Dougherty (Oct. 15, 2014)
Just like that, it’s gone.

Sen. Mark Warner’s carefully crafted persona, that is. The bipartisan brand he relentlessly burnished from his earliest days in the Governor’s Mansion has now all but evaporated. So has his image as an ineffective, but guileless, U.S. senator whose specialty was reaching across the aisle.

Now that The Washington Post has revealed the extent to which Warner meddled in petty politics on behalf of desperate Virginia Democrats last spring, the senator’s I’m-above-politics aura has vanished.

…To dissuade Puckett, Warner reportedly discussed possible jobs for his daughter and may have dangled a federal judgeship.
All to keep Puckett in the Senate and to help shove through Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s agenda.

Of course, around the same time Warner was dialing Puckett’s number to convince him to stay put, Republicans were reportedly tantalizing the state senator with job offers of their own to hasten his departure.

Raw, ugly politics.

This level of grubby political interference isn’t what’s expected of U.S. senators, especially not of Warner.

Voters want the politicians they send to Washington to leave slimy statehouse score-keeping behind and devote themselves to broad issues of national importance: security, energy and immigration.

We now know Warner didn’t do that.

Richmond Times-Dispatch (Oct. 15, 2014)
The circumstances of Puckett’s resignation are part of a federal investigation. A grand jury in Abingdon has subpoenaed witnesses from both parties as well as legislative staffers and staff and documents from the tobacco commission.

But if investigators are indeed focusing on the Puckett resignation, they have also received ample information on efforts Democrats made to persuade Puckett to stay in the Senate during the pressure-packed days that preceded his June 9 resignation.

Before his angry call to Puckett, McAuliffe had contacted him to try to talk him out of his decision to leave the Senate. The governor’s was one of a number of calls placed by top Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, seeking to sway the soft-spoken conservative Democrat to stay put and in the party fold.

Warner called Puckett’s son, Joseph, dangling the possibility of assistance in finding employment in the federal judiciary or private sector.

Warner on Monday strenuously denied offering a job to Ketron, but rather said he was “brainstorming” possible opportunities for her.

McAuliffe’s chief of staff, Paul Reagan, also left a voice message on Puckett’s phone that said the administration would basically “do anything” to keep Puckett on board, including lending assistance in finding a state job for his daughter.

Reagan later apologized for the call, saying he was “overzealous.” Reagan also said the governor was unaware of the substance of his overture to Puckett.

The governor later issued a statement saying that Reagan made a mistake, and said his chief of staff’s approach was “not how we do business in the commonwealth.”

Fox News’ Shannon Bream on Special Report with Bret Baier (Oct. 15, 2014)
Senator Mark Warner is being forced to answer for his alleged involvement in potentially corrupt political wheeling and dealing here in the Commonwealth.

National Journal – Ron Fournier (Oct. 15, 2014)
Warner replied that he simply called Puckett’s son to “brainstorm” potential jobs for the senator’s daughter. If he’s telling the truth about his motive—and that’s a big “if”—the conversation was still outrageously inappropriate. Virginians will decide whether it’s disqualifying.

Lynchburg News & Advance (Oct. 16, 2014)
When asked Wednesday if he regretted anything about the call, Warner reiterated his past statements and stressed he did not offer to get Ketron a job.

“I called a family friend of 20 years,” he said of Puckett. “But again the key point here is I didn’t offer anyone a job. I wouldn’t offer anyone a job.”

Warner said he spoke to Sen. Puckett one day later and realized the senator had made up his mind to resign. “I’ve been their friend, and I know it’s been a tough time for their family,” he said. “I respected that decision.”

Warner declined to answer any more questions about the issue.

Wall Street Journal, Kim Strassel (Oct. 17, 2014)
Mr. Warner seems to have been acting for the McAuliffe administration. Mr. McAuliffe’s chief of staff had left his own message on Mr. Puckett’s phone: “If there’s something that we can do [for your daughter], I mean, you know, we have a couple of big agencies here that we still need agency heads,” ran the message. “So we would be very eager to accommodate her, if, if that would be helpful in keeping you in the Senate. We, we would basically do anything.”

The Puckett scandal is starting to dominate the Senate race, earning top billing at a Gillespie-Warner debate on Monday. Mr. Warner is sticking to a careful script, repeating that he called to “brainstorm” ideas and that he was “not in a position” to offer a job.

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RICHMOND – Ed Gillespie issued the following statement regarding the State Corporation Commission finding that proposed carbon regulations would cost Dominion Virginia Power customers alone up to $6 billion:

“The Obama-Warner policies squeeze hard-working Virginians between lost jobs, stagnant wages, or fewer working hours and rising prices for health care, energy, and food. Mark Warner voted to let the EPA regulate carbon, and now refuses to fight massive new EPA rules that will hammer hard-working Virginians with higher electric bills. The 1.2 million Virginia households making less than $50,000 a year already pay an average of 20% of their income in energy costs, and poor Virginians pay even more. Virginians have a clear choice between my policies to unleash American energy and reduce energy costs, versus Senator Warner’s support for a ‘price on carbon.’”

Background:

In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy last week, the non-partisan Virginia State Corporation Commission estimated the massive cost of compliance for just one utility to be up to $6 billion: Virginia SCC Staff analyses of utility planning data indicate that, using conservative assumptions, the incremental cost of compliance for one utility alone (Dominion Virginia Power) would likely be between $5.5 billion and $6.0 billion on a net present value basis. Compliance costs will increase the cost of providing electric service, which must be paid for by residents and businesses in Virginia.

On June 2 this year, when the White House released new restrictions on coal plants, Mark Warner stated that, “I’m going to be looking to look at the rules, and then specifically look at the comments,” after he expressed gratitude for an extension of the comment period until after his election.

That same day, Ed Gillespie said, “They’re trying to do by executive fiat what they weren’t able to get done by legislation. And the reason they weren’t able to get it done by legislation is because legislators understood the impact it was going to have on consumers.

“Energy prices will go up as a result of this policy, prices at the pump, in-home heating oil, and electric bills. It’s going to have a very negative impact on economic growth and disposable income.”

Mark Warner listed “cap and trade” as his long-term energy solution on his 2008 campaign website.

As a Senator, Mark Warner made the case for putting a price on carbon, saying, “The most significant thing we can do is send the market signal that either directly through a carbon tax or indirectly through Cap and Trade, we are going to put a price on carbon.”

Senator Warner has acted on his support for a carbon tax, voting against requiring a supermajority in the Senate to pass a carbon tax last year. Eight of his fellow Senate Democrats broke ranks to require the supermajority, but Warner toed the party line. “Blunt, R-Mo., motion to waive the Budget Act with respect to the Murray, D-Wash., point of order against the Blunt amendment no. 261 for not being germane. The Blunt amendment would create a 60-vote point of order against any budget resolution that includes a tax or fee on carbon emissions.” (S. Con. Res. 8, CQ Vote #59: Motion rejected by a vote of 53-46: R 45-0; D 8-44; I 0-2, 3/22/13, Warner Voted Nay)

In 2010 on Meet the Press, Ed Gillespie spoke forcefully against anti-jobs policies supported by Senator Mark Warner, including cap and trade and the carbon tax, saying: In terms of the economy, if you’re an employer, how are you going to hire right now when you don’t know what the impact of this health care mandate is going to be and the cost on your premiums? How are you going to hire, if you’re not sure that there’s going to be an increased cost of energy because of a carbon tax or a cap and trade bill? How are you going to hire when you don’t know if you’re going to be able to have your carried interest financing if you’re a small business owner? How are you going to invest if you’re an investor when you think your capital gains taxes are going to go up and your dividends are going to go up and if you’re a small business owner, you’re going to get hit with a tax increase too? No wonder the economy is stagnant.

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LORTON – A Warner campaign ad, which relies on a “slimy slight of hand,” received three Pinocchios from The Washington Post.

Washington Post’s Pinocchio Test

The ad’s shift from Gillespie’s lobbying to the firm’s lobbying is a slimy sleight of hand that most viewers of this ad would probably overlook. This is no evidence that Gillespie had anything to do with the Ivory Coast deal, which ended years before Gbagbo was shipped to the International Criminal Court. Gillespie certainly wasn’t there when the deal was inked, and he was barely back at the firm before the deal was terminated.

Yes, the firm briefly had a deal with the Ivory Coast. But there is no evidence Gillespie was ever involved, in either the lobbying or personally with Gbagbo. Warner earns Three Pinocchios.

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VIRGINIA BEACH – Ed Gillespie unveiled several policies today to respond to the outbreak of Ebola. The policies include containing Ebola to source countries, oversight and effective response at the source, and strengthening U.S. response capabilities.

Speaking of his policies, Gillespie said: “One of the problems with the Obama-Warner policies is that the federal government is doing too many things that would be better left to state and local governments or the private sector, and failing at too many things it should be doing well. One of those is protecting our public health and safety. The Administration’s response to the threat of Ebola has been very weak and does not inspire confidence.

“My policies offer clear cut solutions to this serious threat to our public health and safety. The time for talk is long gone; it’s time for decisive action.”

At the final debate on Oct. 13, Gillespie called for a travel ban from West African nations with Ebola outbreaks, while Sen. Warner stopped short of support for that measure. Video of the exchange is available here: http://youtu.be/to5OGmHkf9I

Ebola Threat Response Policies

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is one of the most significant public health emergencies of our time. With upwards of 5,000 dead and thousands more affected, the outbreak threatens to ravage the region. The United States and international community must work to contain the virus’s spread both inside and outside of the most affected countries. An effective Ebola response requires close coordination of U.S. agencies, proper funding, and Congressional oversight. As our Senator, I would focus on these three aspects to ensure a coordinated response:

1. Contain Ebola to Source Countries. As in the case of Mr. Thomas Duncan in Dallas, our global interconnectedness makes it relatively easy for the virus to circulate around the world. Fortunately, at this juncture, we have an opportunity to screen and track those who might have been exposed.

Travel Ban from Affected Countries. Containing and isolating the virus to its source country should be the top priority. Outside of public health professionals, all other travel to countries with a significant outbreak should be barred until the Centers for Disease Control certifies the outbreak is stopped. President Obama, through the Immigration and Naturalization Act, has the authority to do this now. If he fails to do so, then Congress should pass a ban as soon as possible.

Proper Screening of Travelers. According to most reports, Mr. Duncan lied on his questionnaire to leave Liberia and had a flight connection in Belgium. While there are not currently any direct flights from affected countries, the U.S. must work with third-party countries to ensure any travelers who have been in–or hold a passport from–the West African region are properly screened. The more we are able to track and monitor those who might have been exposed, the better we can contain any possible outbreaks.

2. Oversight and Effective Response at the Source. The U.S. military is recognized as being the only force with the capabilities and resources to help contain the outbreak in West Africa. The 4,000 troops being deployed must have the capabilities and resources to execute their mission safely and successfully.

Restore National Security/Defense Budget. I was deeply concerned to see the Pentagon requesting to reallocate $1 billion from other defense accounts to fund the Ebola mission. While I agree it is a national priority, this is another case of the military being asked to do more with less. The Senate should immediately repeal the sequester to restore our military and ensure the military’s $1 billion request is not funded at the expense of other defense priorities.

Continued Congressional Oversight of American Mission. The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee must continue to provide oversight and monitor developments. I commend Senator Inhofe for demanding and receiving regular briefings from the Obama Administration and Pentagon officials which should be required for continued Congressional funding and support.

Properly Protect and Compensate our Troops on the Ground. While not a traditional combat zone, our troops are very much in danger while deployed to West Africa. Our forces need to be protected with proper protocols, equipment and standing procedures in case of accidental infection. In addition, the Combat Zone Tax Exemption and Imminent Danger Pay should immediately be extended to those on the ground as they are an important part of our service members’ compensation and reflect the heightened risk working in the hot zone.

3. Strengthen U.S. Response Capabilities. The recent moves by the CDC and military were welcome to help increase our capacity to respond to any incidents in the U.S. Nonetheless, we must ensure our public officials are held accountable and our research efforts are funded.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director for the Centers for Disease Control, Should be Fired and Replaced Immediately. Dr Frieden failed to adequately protect hospital workers and the American public at large. He should be replaced immediately with a public health professional who can infuse accountability and responsiveness to this public health threat.

Expedite U.S. Federal Drug Administration Approval of Ebola Vaccine and Treatment. With several vaccine and treatment initiatives ongoing, the U.S. must work with its international partners to provide necessary and needed funding, which might reach hundreds of millions of dollars.

Proper Protocol and Resources for Current and Any Future Crisis. The CDC has been underprepared and overwhelmed with its response to the Ebola crisis. This is unacceptable for an agency with the important task of tracking and responding to public health threats as they arise. Congress must continue to monitor the CDC’s efforts and hold the agency accountable, while ensuring the CDC has the tools, procedures, and funding needed to prevent future outbreaks.

Gillespie’s policies won praise from members of the Virginia Delegation, including:

Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Bob Goodlatte:
Ed Gillespie’s plan for a coordinated response to the Ebola issue is the type of proactive leadership the Commonwealth needs. I appreciate Ed’s early and outspoken leadership on formulating a far-reaching plan to address an Ebola response both here in the United States, and abroad.

Rep. Morgan Griffith:
Ed Gillespie’s Ebola containment plan shows he is a man of ideas and is willing to take initiative when it comes to the important issues. This exemplifies the kind of leadership the Commonwealth needs moving forward.

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ANNANDALE – The Winchester Star endorsed Ed Gillespie for Senate in an editorial this morning. The full text of the editorial is below and is available online here: http://www.winchesterstar.com/article/our_view_ed_gillespie

Our View: Ed Gillespie

Let us tell you about Ed Gillespie. For the last three months or so, our focus has been on the sitting U.S. senator Mr. Gillespie is trying to unseat — particularly his six years of service as a rubber stamp for the statist policies of an increasingly unpopular president. Now, though, it’s time to speak about Ed Gillespie.

We had an opportunity to chat at length with this political and public-policy lifer on a sunny Friday in mid-September — days before the polls tightened, and nearly a month before allegations surfaced about the incumbent’s foray back into messy state politics to help keep the Virginia Senate safe for what was then a de facto Democratic majority.

For months, we had heard that Republicans, presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to wrest total control of Congress from the opposition, were devoid of ideas, that they were running simply as the “anti-Obama” alternative. And thus were in danger of, as the saying goes, “snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.”

That September day, we learned that, in this political landscape, Mr. Gillespie stands out as a genuine exception to this perception — if it actually exists. True, over a fast-paced hour, he did address the mechanics of his campaign and the monetary challenges inherent in facing a well-heeled incumbent. But mostly, he talked about ideas, his ideas for Virginia. Ideas that are thoughtful, ideas that are practical, ideas that are conservative, ideas that deserve a chance — especially given the sitting senator’s reflexive submission to ideas and initiatives antithetical to the carefully scripted presentation of himself as a “radical centrist.”

Ed Gillespie’s program for Virginia, and for America, is skillfully titled EG2 — “Ed Gillespie = Economic Growth.” It boasts five specific planks, all worthy of discussion.

1) Replacing ObamaCare — From the Affordable Care Act’s moment of conception, Mr. Gillespie told us, he believed the measure would, if approved, “kill jobs and raise costs.” Such a scenario, sadly, has come to pass; ObamaCare is, he says, “the single biggest drag on our economy.”

“Premiums are sky-rocketing,” Mr. Gillespie adds. “People are squeezed between lost hours, rising costs, and stagnant pay.”

His solution: Replace ObamaCare with “a real reform plan that puts patients first and provides more affordable options,” a system that “lets us keep the insurance we like and the doctors we trust, and allows businesses to grow and hire.”

2) Tax and regulatory relief — The current tax and regulatory burden, especially the highest business tax rate in the industrialized world, is “a boot on the throat of our economic recovery,” Mr. Gillespie says.

His solution: Reduce the corporate tax rate, simplify the tax code (thus easing the strain on families while allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money), subject all federal regulations to a cost-benefit analysis, and repeal all “outdated and unnecessarily excessive” rules and regs.

3) Unleashing American energy — In no arena are the differences between Mr. Gillespie and Mark Warner more clear-cut. The senator has supported cap-and-trade initiatives and a carbon tax; Mr. Gillespie does not. The challenger looks at proposed EPA rule changes relative to coal production and sees nothing less than the closure of “one-third to one-half” of Virginia’s coal-fired plants and a concomitant loss of livelihood to the economically embattled residents of the state’s hard-pressed Southwest. What’s more, all Virginia families and firms would see their bottom lines diminished by ever-increasing energy costs.

His solution(s): Embrace traditional and alternative sources of energy production — coal and natural gas as well as solar and wind — so much the better to make America energy independent. Mr. Gillespie heartily supports the Keystone pipeline and advocates an end to the moratorium on off-shore drilling.

4) Education reform — Top-down mandates dispensed from Washington? Mr. Gillespie’s against them. And throwing more money at education, he says, is not the answer either.

His solution: Innovation, competition, and choice. Mr. Gillespie says he’ll work “tirelessly” to empower parents in the pursuit of their children’s best educational interests.

5) Spending and the budget — Simply stated, Mr. Gillespie would cut the former and seek to balance the latter. “Reckless” spending and a debt spiraling past $18 trillion are unsustainable.

His solution(s): Push for a Balanced Budget Amendment; rein in wasteful spending. “It’s time we stop spending money we just don’t have,” he says.

Mr. Gillespie presents his five-point plan in simple, straightforward fashion and terminology. It’s only when he speaks to the plight of everyday Virginians he’s spoken with on the campaign trial that his passion for the race rises.

“As I’ve campaigned,” he says, “I see economic anxiety, even pain.” As such, his stance on legislation, particularly that relating to the economy, will be governed by a “simple test: Will this bill ease the squeeze on hard-working Virginians or will it make it harder for them to find the jobs they need?” And if he fails that “test,” he expects — and encourages — Virginians to “hold me accountable.”

“I want the same blessings of liberty for everyone that I’ve had,” says Mr. Gillespie, grandson of an immigrant janitor. “These blessings were born here in Virginia, and I’ll fight for them every damn day.”

Ed Gillespie deserves the opportunity to make that fight. He deserves your support on Election Day, Nov. 4.

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DALE CITY – The Richmond Times-Dispatch endorsed Ed Gillespie for Senate in an editorial this morning. Excerpts from the editorial are below and the full editorial is available online here: http://www.timesdispatch.com/opinion/our-opinion/today-s-top-opinion-gillespie-for-senate/article_7ae7292a-6e0c-5734-b0a7-8944670ce72d.html

Today’s top opinion: Gillespie for Senate

Virginia is fortunate this year to have an appealing alternative to Warner. Ed Gillespie has run a skilled and substantive campaign, one that has offered reasonable, realistic solutions to problems that have for too long festered and multiplied. He has demonstrated a refreshing respect for the intelligence of the constituents he seeks to serve. His vision of a federal government that is both more effective and far more modest — the only coherent path forward — promises a hopeful and prosperous future for both the nation and the commonwealth.

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We endorse Gillespie because his philosophy embraces free markets and free people, the ultimate American solutions, and because we are confident he will serve as an able and honest senator.

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Warner’s vote to support Reid as Senate leader, which is sure to be repeated if the Democrat returns to Congress, has ensured the gridlock that Virginia’s senior senator so often laments. Reid has killed numerous serious ideas emanating from the House of Representatives, including many originated by Virginians serving in the lower chamber. It’s time to thank Mark Warner for his efforts and send him back to the private sector, where he will no doubt flourish. Virginia needs a senator who does more than propose. We need one who will help formulate, stimulate and legislate effective solutions. That’s Ed Gillespie.

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