GOP Centrist Roundup
Just a smattering of stories to pass on regarding the "other inhabitants" here between the 40-yard lines:
Still, Warner's pursuit of the issue has the backing of most Armed Services members as well as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.), though he has infuriated some conservatives. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), another committee member, has expressed concern that the hearing may be "a real distraction from trying to win the war, especially at this most fragile time." House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) also suggested a lower profile for the prisoner-abuse issue, saying, "We should not allow it to distract us from the war at hand."In contrast, both Sen. Carl M. Levin (Mich.), ranking Democrat on the Senate committee, and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), a senior member of the panel, applaud the course that Warner has taken. "I think he deserves a lot of credit for standing up to the more excitable elements of his party who want to put a halt to the hearings," Kennedy said. "They have been useful and informative."
In a recent interview, Warner brushed off the GOP criticism and seemed to take pride in his independence. He confessed to being a bit of a "maverick" in his recent commencement address at the University of Virginia. "Sometimes you have to say politics be damned," he added.
Warner, the son of a World War I field surgeon, won election to the Senate in 1978 after his state party's first choice, Richard D. Obenshain, was killed in a plane crash.
Warner is generally a loyalist and votes with a majority of Republicans on nearly all key issues, including President Bush's Iraq policies. He is also a conciliator within the party. "When things are getting pretty tense, and everyone is getting agitated, he has a very calming demeanor of leadership," said Sen. George Allen (R-Va.).
His military experience and familiarity with defense issues helped him move from semi-obscurity in his early years in the Senate (when he was known mainly as the husband of actress Elizabeth Taylor) to the forefront of defense policy deliberations on Capitol Hill. "Senator Warner is a military guy through and through. He volunteered twice, served in the armed forces twice -- that's twice more than a lot of members," said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.).
Tom Davis playing the "chicken hawk" angle? That's rich. Oh, there's also Texas' own John Cornyn playing the role of Abu Ghraib apologist. Who needs to worry about being an effective Senator when you can merely look good playing the role instead? *sigh*