Free Lance-Star: "A decidely pragmatic approach"
The Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star ran an editorial on Sunday praising Governor Warner’s Senate ideas. The editorial is based on a visit by Governor Warner to the Free Lance Star newsroom last week.
They say that Governor Warner “presents a decidedly pragmatic approach” to our most pressing issues:
He favors a “portfolio” approach to energy reform. Our continuing dependence on oil is “postponing the inevitable,” he said; meanwhile, we’re falling behind other nations in developing alternative energy forms and using energy wisely.
The editorial summarizes Governor Warner’s ideas on fixing our energy crisis and addressing our failing infrastructure. They conclude with a reaction to this quote:
He added: “People want you to get something done that has more to do with them than it does your political agenda.”
That may be just what gridlocked Capitol Hill needs to hear.
Here is the entire editorial:
Warner’s Senate ideas
Former Gov. Mark Warner would like to be your next senator
FORMER GOV. Mark Warner has way too much energy to be a bench-sitter for long. So after his 11-month exploration of a run for the presidency was, he says, deep-sixed by family concerns, he realized that on a national level he could “still add some value as a U.S. senator.” That’s when he set his sights on the seat being vacated by the retiring GOP Sen. John Warner. Last week Mark Warner spoke to The Free Lance-Star editorial board about his candidacy.
Mr. Warner, a Democrat, noted that the nation is facing simultaneous challenges from multiple standpoints. “There’s a great myth in politics,” he noted, “that those who are ideologically driven” are the most effective. He believes that a cadre of “radical centrists,” people willing to buck both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, could get things moving on the Hill, and effectively address the multiplicity of problems facing the nation.
On several pressing issues, Mr. Warner presents a decidedly pragmatic approach—as befits someone who was a successful businessman (he helped found the company that would become Nextel) before entering politics. He favors a “portfolio” approach to energy reform. Our continuing dependence on oil is “postponing the inevitable,” he said; meanwhile, we’re falling behind other nations in developing alternative energy forms and using energy wisely.
We need to increase research and development for alternative fuels, give tax benefits for using renewable sources (including nuclear energy), develop higher auto-emissions standards, and press on toward developing next-generation batteries and hybrid vehicles, the candidate said. Furthermore, while Mr. Warner isn’t sold on drilling off the coast of Virginia, “We ought to at least know what’s out there.”
Mr. Warner also identified the nation’s infrastructure – road, rail, and broadband – as a large challenge. He said he would bring the same clarity to that problem that Republican President Dwight Eisenhower brought to the development of the interstate highway system. “Our infrastructure was built in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s.” Noting the need for upgrades, he said, “This isn’t partisan, it isn’t liberal or conservative; it’s just fact.” He added: “People want you to get something done that has more to do with them than it does your political agenda.”
That may be just what gridlocked Capitol Hill needs to hear.