There was a time several years ago when former Virginia Governor (and current Senator) Mark Warner was all the rage in national Democratic circles because he was…well, I don’t know, I just never figured that part out. He was rich, and managed to get himself elected, but his politics seemed screwy and counter-productive to me, plus he seemed like a bit of an a-hole. I’d lost track of him after the buzz about him running in 2008 died down, but apparently he’s on the “Gang of Six” senators “concerned” about the national debt. So that’s not promising.
Another thread from several years back was that Republicans seemed to have a problem with the English language, being seeming unable to properly differentiate between the noun “Democrat” and the adjective “Democratic.” Do they do it because they’re stupid? Do they do it knowing that it drives people with any education and knowledge of the English language a little nuts? I don’t know, but Hendrik Hertzberg wrote about it in The New Yorker nearly five years ago.
From “Morning Edition’s” lead story today: “Obama to Reveal Deficit-Cutting Plan” by Scott Horsley. Transcript begins at 3:36 into the report.
HORSLEY: Virginia Senator Mark Warner [D-VA], who joined [Georgia Senator Saxby] Chambliss [R-GA] in Atlanta yesterday, says politics imposes its own deadlines.
WARNER [recorded from press conference]: I think our window is closing. I think we’re literally talking within thirty days. Or even sooner. Because, you know, if not, people gonna default back; there’ll be the Democrat plan and the Republican plan.
I don’t know what to make of Warner here. I already thought he was sort of a stooge. It just seems as if one of the guys who’s been plumped as a big shot in the party ought to have a little better handle on references to his own party.