Looking Good Obama:
Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner blabbed to insider Robert Novak that he's on the list for Obama's VEEP. He has gotten lots of attention lately. But for me, he was always the best choice for Obama. He is simply the most impressive candidate out there today.
Bio.
Credentials:
Governor of Virginia (2002 - 2006)
Chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party (1993 - 1995)
Co-founder of Nextel
Current Job: Running for Senate in 2008. He also serves on the boards of National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the CNA Corporation
Security Experience: He served on the national security taskforce and co-chair the transportation taskforce of the Bipartisan Policy Council (2007).
Background: Mark Warner hails from Indianapolis, Indiana -- and, like many congress officials, was the first person in his family to graduate college. He graduated from the George Washington University and Harvard School of Law. He got his start working for Senator Chris Dodd in the early 80s, while making his first fortune investing in technology.
Warner's Agenda: A New Energy Policy, Health care, The War, Being Competitive (Jobs/Education) and Improving Infrastructure. Mark Warner holds similar policy views as Obama -- and he's long been touted as someone who can bridge the Bipartisan gap, which is critical for making the "change" Obama professes really happen.
Star Achievements: As governor, he inherited $6 billion in economic shortfalls and ended with a surplus by revising the tax code, creating jobs and making "business-like reforms." He used the money to invest in K-12 education and cleaning up the Chesapeke Bay. So Warner could help Obama achieve all his lofty goals by finding a realistic way to make it happen... of course, the taxpayers may not be too happy with some of the inevitable hikes on consumer goods.
He was named one of Governing Magazine's "Public Officials of the Year" (2004), TIME Magazine's "America's 5 Best Governors" (2005), and was mentioned in Newsweek's "Who's Next" article (2006.)During his tenure, Governing Magazine called Virginia the "best governed state" and Forbes Magazine called Virginia the "best state for business." Education Week said Virginia was "the best state for children" on the basis of economic opportunity. The widespread acclaim can't be denied and the importance of bringing a business sense into governing can't be overstated. Mark Warner brings that "real world experience" to the table, which some analysts say is critical to the Obama campaign.
Possible Snafus: The Republicans have been gearing up to issue the beating of a lifetime on Mark Warner for a while. They've already launched a "Don't Mark Warner" website with an extensive laundry list of grievances. They allege that he flip-flopped on illegal immigration, that he's the "godfather of payday loans," that he flip-flopped on abortion, raised taxes across the board (everything BUT income), that he has no real political ideology to call his own, that he allowed state officials in his administration use taxpayer dollars to fund a Zimbabwean safari, that he broke all of his platform promises and that he's not really a fiscal conservative, as he professes. In other words, not much!
Warner as VP could all but insure 16 years of Dem WH rule.|
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