U.S. Senate Debate: Warner vs. Gilmore

By John Carlin
WSLS10 Anchor
Published: October 3, 2008

Under the scenic roof of the Star City’s soon to be opened Taubman Museum of Art, the Senate candidates came out swinging—especially Jim Gilmore.

Gilmore:  “Mark, don’t talk down to me about how I don’t understand… You don’t understand.
Warner: “Even though Governor Gilmore says he didn’t leave us with a budget shortfall, we all know that’s not true.”

One issue dominated the debate tonight.

“700-Billion dollars going to the high rollers on Wall Street,” said Gilmore time and time again.  He segued from nearly every topic back to the bail out and his opposition to it.

Gilmore rode into the Governor’s office on a single issue, “No Car tax.”  Behind in the polls, he seems to have found another single issue.  “No bailout.”

He blasted Warner, who touts his successful career in the private sector with a comparison to a boardroom decision.  “Mark you’re such a businessman I don’t believe you would take bad investments and tell your investors to put it into bad debt.  But that’s what we just did.  It’s a travesty and it’s wrong.”

Warner stood on his record throughout the debate, affirming his popularity and success as governor. “In this case you’ve got two candidates who both were Governor.  I absolutely trust the voters of Virginia to decide which of us left Virginia in a better state.”

The question now—Will Gilmore’s hard core position against the bailout make a difference.

Carlin to Gilmore: “It felt like that was the only you really wanted to address tonight.”

“I think it’s the issue of the day. It’s what the people of Virginia want to hear.  If they want to understand what their next senator is going to do in a situation like this.” he said.
Carlin to Warner: “Gov. Gilmore seems to think that voters will go with him if he votes against the bail out—and obviously that’s a clear point of difference between you guys tonight—but he did attack you a lot on that tonight.”

“It’s easy to be against things, especially when the bill had a lot of problems,” said Warner.  “You know ... I’d like to see more regulatory oversight …The downside risk of doing nothing, I join with the overwhelming majority of the senate, the overwhelming majority of the house in saying, ‘imperfect, but we had to act.’”