Gilmore Runs To Momma
By Greg L | 12 March 2008 | Virginia Politics, US Senate | 25 Comments
Oh, this is really going to work in a General Election against Mark Warner. Bob Marshall gives Gilmore a little jab about the level of support he is providing to initiatives to prevent the murder of the unborn, which pretty much didn’t get a whole lot of folks all that riled up, and Gilmore feels he needs to whine back with a press release that starts like this:
The U.S. Senate campaign of former Gov. Jim Gilmore today demanded that Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William, who is also seeking the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, apologize and stop attacking Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, Attorney General Bob McDonnell, and the long list of prominent pro-family Republican leaders who are supporting Jim Gilmore.
Oh, like Bob Marshall is going to apologize for this. Gimme a break.
It’s not even Jim Gilmore whining here, but his campaign, or rather his campaign manager. Does this bring back memories of someone’s utterly disappointing run for President not too long ago? I like Gilmore, but he’s going to have to start acting like he doesn’t need to run behind mommy’s skirts every time people say less than glowing things about him if folks are going to take him seriously. C’mon, Jim, are you really that afraid of Bob Marshall that you have to send your campaign manager out to defend you when you get criticized?
I’m sure Mark Warner would never give a Republican nominee for Senate a tough campaign fight. Warner’s all puppy dogs and rainbows, right? I suppose the plan here is for Dick Leggitt to defend Gilmore from Mark Warner as well, on the off chance Gilmore manages to win the nomination.
Don’t you say mean things about me, or I’ll have my campaign manager issue a press release demanding an apology!
Ooohhh. I can just feel Mark Warner shaking in his boots at that one.
Meanwhile, I understand Marshall is going to start hitting back about Gilmore sitting on the Board of Directors of Barr Labs, which produces the “morning after pill”. That one is going to hit just a little harder. What the heck is Gilmore thinking here???
UPDATE: Right Wing Liberal weighs in with the back story here, to bring all of you who don’t follow the dueling press releases game too closely. This is probably the best analysis of the night.
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We’re going to see a “textbook, run-by-has-been-consultants, establishment, sometimes arrogant, cookie cutter, no grassroots” campaign coming from Gilmore this time I’m afraid. All the danger signs are there…and they better watch out. I don’t have a dog in this fight (yet), but I’ve been around the campaign biz enough to know they’ve got some problems brewing and they don’t even know it.
I have to admit…this is going to be fun!
I did not have a dog in this fight either but I think I do now.
I saw this press release earlier. Gilmore should fire however wrote this whiny crybaby little piece.
What a wimp! Marshall’s got him on the ropes and Gilmore’s campaign knows it big time! Aw………poor Jim Gilmore……stop picking on me please. Leave me alone so I can go after the big bad Mark Warner.
I have to tell you Jim but if you cannot take a hit from little ole Bob Marshall you flat out don’t even deserve to be near Mark Warner.
Bob Marshall’s beating the stuffing out of Gilmore on the abortion issue and theres nothing Gilmore can do about his liberal stance. All the so-called conservative leaders in the world cannot fix Gilmore’s bad record on this issue.
GO GET EM GREG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Call him out big time!!!!!
Gilmore is not impressive at all. I met him, asked a few questions, got a diversionary response. Bob Marshall seems to have character and a real drive to support the priciples he believes in. I respect that.
Who cares? Warner kicks the crap out of either of them.
LeRoy said on 12 Mar 2008 at 10:06 pm:
Who cares? Warner kicks the crap out of either of them.
SURE!
What Marshall said was true and there’s NO chance that he’ll apologize
Plus Gilmore stated in the Presidential debates that he was fine with abortion in the first trimester
I bet Mr. Gilmore hasn’t made any crude Love Canal remarks in the general assembly.
No, Dolph, but then again, neither does Marshall.
You’re deliberately taking his comments out of context to satisfy your gutter instincts.
They’re both losers and will get spanked come November.
Ducky said on 13 Mar 2008 at 4:21 am:
They’re both losers and will get spanked come November.
Words of “wisdom” from the political “expert.”
Now remember we are only talking about “legally” born babies not anchor babies and we turn our back on them once they are born
CRYBABY JIM GILMORE WANTS BOB MARSHALL TO APOLOGIZE? For What? — Because Marshall pointed out that Gilmore is not pro-life? Because Marshall noted that Gilmore upholds abortion rights until the beginning of the third month of life? Or because Gilmore serves on the Board of Directors of Barr Labs, which makes the Morning After early abortion pill?
Gilmore has no one to blame but himself. He is the one who has been parading around his circle of Republican friends i.e. Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell, touting his line about being an “advocate for the sanctity of life,” which clearly he is not.
Gilmore’s attack is going to backfire; it’s putting the spotlight on Marshall. And Marshall is looking awfully good. Marshall not only looks like a U.S. Senator, and sounds like a Senator, he has mastered the legislative process, something neither Gilmore nor Warner has ever done, and Marshall has one heck of an impressive track record.
I think fear has precipitated Gilmore’s attack on Marshall. The support Gilmore did have among rank and file Republicans is rapidly eroding, and even more rapidly since Marshall’s recent victory on the steps of the Virginia Supreme Court. It was plastered all over the front of most Virginia newspapers several weeks ago. Marshall had challenged the 2007 law that gave authority to unelected transportation boards to tax the public. Marshall also said that citizens should be treated as bottomless ATM machines. The Supreme Court agreed with Marshall, only elected bodies can levy taxes.
All along, Gilmore thought he was a shoe-in for the Republican nomination–it looks like he now has good reason to be nervous. Many believe that Marshall has a much better chance of beating Warner in November. Marshall and his supporters have begun enumerating all of his victories against Warner, demonstrating Marshall is the more formidable candidate. The record shows that Marshall is the only legislator who has twice overrode Mark Warner–and with overwhelming support from the General Assembly.
Marshall reminds voters that Warner took $317 million from the Transportation Trust fund for non-road expenses. Marshall was so infuriated that he wrote the Transportation Lock Box Constitutional Amendment to ban such raids on the transportation fund, and received unanimous support in the House, 96-0.
Marshall helps voters recall Warner’s promise to never increase taxes, but within two years of his term, he increased taxes $1.5 Billion (and not one cent went for transportation). Marshall has made the same promise. In 16 years, Marshall has never supported a tax increase.
Something everyone knows, particularly his Republican colleagues in the House, Marshall is loyal to only one group: his constituents. That makes the Republican leaders mad. One of their pet projects was the Abusive Driver Fees of 2007. Marshall voted no three times, when almost everyone else voted in favor of it. Bob Marshall has a pulse on what Virginians want. The more Gilmore attacks him, the better because the more voters hear about Marshall the more they like him.
As an independent voter, it is clear to me why Gilmore has the jitters. Not only is Marshall has a very good chance of winning the Republican nomination, he has an excellent chance of beating Warner in November.
I’m a former Democrat turned Independent and often votes Republican because I am for life.
Kathleen “Kit” Katz
What’s the point of either running and wasting time and money. Fiscal conservative here and call it like I see it. Find someone who is not polarizing or concede.
Good points Kit Katz,
Thats why I thought it was just stupid for Gilmore to highlight his own record on the life issue. I am assuming his PR person must be an amateur. Why emphasize your weak areas???? You are EITHER Pro-life or Pro-death, to me there is NO inbetween. Whats the difference between taking a life of an unborn child at an early stage and a late stage? Both lives are created by God and equally important in His eyes. Gilmore is certainly NO champion of the unborn if he is NOT opposed to early term abortion.
If Gilmore keeps highlighting his abortion stance, he is toast in a convention setting were probably 85% of all attendees will be stanchly pro-life.
Gilmore’s people need to quit acting like schoolchildren and defend Gilmore’s positive points like his background in homeland security, law enforcement and executive leadership NOT play games like their poorly written press release.
Isn’t reality that Del Marshall is the one whinng that LG Bolling and AG McDonnell aren’t endorsing him?
Marshall screams, You Guys aren’t really Pro-Life Like I am! Look at Me! I’m Holier than thou, I am Pure, and you’ll pay for your insolence!
Gov. Gilmore’s campaign is defending the LG and AG from an attack by their Fellow Republican; Delegate ‘I want your endorsements, or I’ll stomp my feet and condemn you as a heretic’ Marshall.
That is a more accurate description of reality in my opinion.
And Gilmore’s position is more inline with the Virginia electorate where a majority (according to several recent polls) support legal abortion. It may not improve his conservative bona fides, but Gilmore’s position on abortion is certainly more in line with the will of Virginians than Marshall’s.
It’s somewhat telling that Marshall’s co-sponsor of the Marriage Amendment has even left Marshall’s camp and endorsed Gilmore.
But, hey, if the GOP wants to nominate someone who is divisive within his own party, an ineffective legislator (less then 10% of Marshall’s bills pass even when the GA was Republican-controlled), and a man so set in his principles that consensus and compromise are impossible, I say go for it. I’ll be happy to welcome Senator Mark Warner to his new job.
Ok, Ok, I think I will now state the obvious,
NO one, I mean NO one is excited about Gilmore running. Even many of his supporters are going backing him as a personal favor. I think if a Congressman like Cantor and Goodlatte or even Drake entered the race at this point they would blow Gilmore out of the water. Heck, I even think Allen would crush Gilmore at this point. In the end, I think Marshall is somewhat of a protest candidate for both moderates and conservatives ticked off that Gilmore is even in the race. Other than a handful of hard core Gilmorites NO one is going to race a finger grassroots wise for this candidate if he wins the nomination. I think all the grassroots will help their congressional candidates since all have token opposition and will join the national campaign to help McCain leaving Gilmore high and dry.
Marshall would get help from the grassroots he is seen as a genuine and authentic candidate who sticks to his principles regardless of their popularity in addition he is just not Gilmore.
Who is Gilmore going to cry to if he gets the nomination once the Warner and DNC machines start launching at him? The Washington Post?
yeah, well uh, Crybaby:
Gov. Gilmore’s campaign will be from the Grassroots up. Last time I checked grassroots types were anti-tax. It’s the Chichester/Potts types that didn’t like $950M per year tied up in a tax decrease to the citizens via the Car Tax cut (PPTRA).
Those types of GOPers want to spend that $950M, and even more.
Before I figured Del Marshall was in this to move Gov. Gilmore to the right on Abortion, and build some name recognition. Now I am starting to be convinced of Turn PW Blue’s observation that Marshall is really so inflexible that he would rather ’slash and burn’ Gov. Gilmore on one issue, because he sees it as a way to make him look better.
What kills me is the bloggers who have gone to McCain immediately after they saw he had Super Tuesday wrapped up, and criticized any other bloggers who didn’t as trying to wreck the GOP Nominee. The Anti-McCain guys got three and even four major positions that they disagree with him on. I would imagine the owner of this blog has serious problems with McCains immigration bill.
The Marshall guys have one issue, Pro-Life, and that is really blunted by the fact that Gov. Gilmore pursued a Pro-Life Agenda the entire time he was AG and Gov. Twenty Four hour waiting period for abortions, if Gilmore were pandering to the Abortionists, why did he sign it into law?
Why would he help Shepard thru Gov. Allen’s Notification Laws (he was AG at the time) if he wanted to pander to the abortionists. Why would he push for Abstinence programs and insist that they be funded, along with increasing funding for adoptions? Outlawed embrionic research in VA. All Pro-Life accomplishments as Governor. Not positions, he signed them into legislation.
This smacks of Grandstanding, not debate. Especially with the comments Marshall had for our AG and LG.
While I greatly respect all the Gilmore supporters, I just don’t see too many out there. Other than a small handful of bloggers, I have yet to meet an actual grassroots Republican that is excited about Gilmore’s campaign. From rural areas to the cities, his candidacy has been an absolute disaster from day one. His little press release yesterday hiding behind his campaign manager, Bill Bolling and Bob McDonnell, fussing and crying about Bob Marshall just proves that point.
Lets face facts, Warner is going to stomp all over any Republican that runs against him whether it’s Gilmore or Marshall. I’d be holding on to my wallet for that race.
Ari says:
“I’d be holding on to my wallet for that race.”
We’ll all be holding onto our wallets if Gov. Mark Warner gets in and helps continues his already proven Democratic Party Value of raising taxes every chance he gets!
This is a guy who promised not to raise taxes. This is the same Gov. Warner who promised to phase out the car tax in his first or second year of his Administration.
Thanks, Potts, Chichester, et al. You made Gov. Mark Warner a star….
I thought Gov. Gilmore got rid of the car tax like he promised? Oh that’s right, he didn’t. That’s why Mark Warner had to try and phase it out…..read my lips….no new taxes…
See ya Jim now beat it. VOTE BOB MARSHALL!! Go Bob!
Whoever thinks that pro-abortion is mainstream hasn’t been reading much lately. First, even those who are for an abortion choice, are not adamantly for abortion, they are leaning toward life.
Seventy percent of young college students are against abortion according to UCLA Berkeley survey. The generation rising is far more conservative than there parents or grandparents.
Prolife has become the more popular stance, not just in the Republican party. Many Democrats are joining prolife Democrats and putting them up against prolife Republicans in races nationwide. Democrats are waking up. Abortion is a lost cause for them.
Survey after survey show that women who are for abortion are far less adamant in their position than prolife women who make it a core issue. After all if you re not for that intial right to life outside the womb then no other rights have a standing, not human rights, not civil rights, women’s rights.
As for the Marshall marriage amendment, it passed overwhelmingly in Virginia by both Republicans and Democrats. Not everyone is excited about men marrying men, women marrying women and transvestites marrying whatever they want to marry. Let them cohabitate. Marriage was instituted as a religious concept and has become the bedrock of society. Don’t mess with marriage is what Virginians said. Folks may appear liberal, but in the voting box they vote for marriage to remain between a man and a woman. Most people still have some marbles.
Both Gilmore and Warner are wishy-washy. Let Marshall debate Warner, and Warner will crumble. If you do not recognize this, it is clear that you have not heard Marshall nor Warner speak. Marshall has superior oratory skills. Warner is inarticulate unless he can rely on something to read.
Having worked in the U.S. Senate, I can tell you that Gilmore and Warner would behave like freshman and get nothing done. They have no experience in a legislative branch.
Marshall’s 16 years of applying his knowledge of parliamentary procedure and getting legislation through the trenches and onto the floor for a vote will enable him to jump in ON DAY ONE and work like a seasoned U.S. Senator.