Mark Warner, who should know better, puts politics ahead of D.C. home rule.
Monday, September 22, 2008
DISTRICT RESIDENTS are accustomed to politicians with no stake in their city playing games with their rights. There's a special insult, though, when people who profess to care about the District throw its interests under the bus for political gain. Such is the case with Senate hopeful Mark R. Warner (D) and his disappointing embrace of a bill that would strip the city of any ability to regulate guns within its borders.
As governor of Virginia, Mr. Warner prided himself on his willingness to work across borders for regional needs. Now, locked in a battle for a Senate seat with another former governor, James S. Gilmore III (R), Mr. Warner shows no compunction in turning his back on the needs of a neighboring jurisdiction and its right to self-government. In a recent debate, Mr. Warner joined Mr. Gilmore in endorsing efforts in Congress to usurp the District's ability to write its own gun laws in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning the city's long-standing ban on handgun possession. Mr. Gilmore's position is equally indefensible but not unexpected. It was jarring, however, to see Mr. Warner take a position at odds with his well-groomed image of a moderate. As he knows, D.C. officials already are working to bring the city in compliance with the ruling of the high court, and Mr. Warner would never countenance for Virginia a law as extreme as that proposed for the District.
What's clear about Mr. Warner's stance is his desire not to raise the ire of the powerful gun lobby as he seeks the seat long held by John W. Warner (R). Indeed, the gun bill passed the Democrat-controlled House in a vote for which 85 Democrats joined with 181 Republicans because of the National Rifle Association's unabashed threat to punish opponents of the measure in November. We hope that a more prudent Senate will kill this irresponsible bill and a new Congress will show more spine in defending the home rule rights of D.C. residents.
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