Warner Gets Boost In Run for President

Several of those who attended said Warner did not explicitly say he is running for president. But they said the message could not have been clearer.

"He did allude to the fact that he's considering doing something else. That's a kind of code word," Fowler said from South Carolina. "I don't think anyone doubted what he was talking about."

Former Virginia congressman L.F. Payne, who chaired Warner's 2001 campaign for governor, said, "Those of us who were there were pretty excited about the governor's prospects in the future. I think a lot of people will conclude that he will be a very good candidate."

Nicholas D. Perrins, Warner's money manager and confidant, began the briefing, along with two of Warner's close friends, business executives Russ Ramsey and Nigel Morris. For an hour and a half, Warner's team described the national political environment and how Warner fits into it.

Payne called it "a bit of an update in terms of the current environment in Washington and talking a good bit about the governor and how well he's done."

According to several participants, media consultant Jim Margolis discussed the Democrats' 2004 loss to President Bush; pollster Fred Yang gave a presentation, and direct mail consultant Hal Malchow discussed how Warner's popularity was helping Kaine and the state's Democratic candidates.

Malchow said he has not formally discussed being part of a presidential campaign with Warner, but he called the Virginia governor "a close friend" and said he assumes he would be part of a campaign if it happens.

"There's a lot more politics aimed at the base," Malchow said. "You have a polarized electorate, and both sides are playing to that. Mark Warner has done just the opposite. It would certainly be attractive on the national stage."

After the briefing, the entire group drove to Warner's Alexandria home for a buffet dinner that included spinach salad with goat cheese, sliced filet of beef, and fish.

Several dinner guests said Warner gave a brief speech from the staircase of his home, which was interrupted several times by his children and their friends running up and down.

"It was very low key. His speech was about as much about Tim Kaine as his own [future]," Fowler said. "There was nobody at that dinner or the session before that had any doubt. Nobody there is naive."