Senator Mark Warner of Virginia was almost bounced out of Congress, primarily because he and the Democratic Party were criminally overconfident about beating tomato can, Ed Gillespie. It was a humbling experience because Warner was seen as immensely popular in his home state, and just the kind of vice-presidential candidate who could put some Electoral College delegates firmly in the hands of Hillary Clinton, or any other Democratic nominee. Warner’s comeuppance didn’t last too long, however. Despite leaking that he had voted against Harry Reid to remain the leader of the Senate Democrats, he was just awarded a similar kind of leadership position to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said that Warner will be “taking on the role of policy development advisor at the Democratic Policy and Communications Center.”
Warner’s promotion came little fanfare compared with the Warren announcement, especially given the timing at 5 p.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but it demonstrates the breadth of opinion even within the smaller Senate Democratic caucus next Congress.
The split is particularly apparent on fiscal matters, as could be seen on the campaign trail in Virginia where Warner won an unexpectedly close re-election campaign against former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie. Warner held campaign events touting fiscal responsibility, even telling a room full of Democrats that some of them might be better off voting for Republicans if they would support a debt and deficit deal that includes revenue increases.
Former Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, said in September that his former staffers heard from Warner with some regularity, and that the Virginian was an heir of sorts to his work on debt issues.
Reading crap like this makes drinking liquid Drano seem like an attractive alternative to perusing the political news.
What this party needs is not more debt cowbell.
