Gov. Warner's Legacy Articles

Four great articles about Gov. Warner's legacy in Virginia and a couple more about his last days in office and what the future might hold. Each article is worth reading the entire text.

"Strong finisher" by Michael Sluss of the The Roanoke Times:

Mark Warner got off to a rocky start in Richmond, but leaves office on a roll with his ties to rural Virginia stronger than ever. Read entire article.

"Notable term for Gov. Warner" by Chelyen Davis of the Free Lance-Star:

Strong finish for a governor who began his administration with a shaky start, under difficult circumstances. Read entire article.

"Mark Warner's rising stock" by staff on The Roanoke Times gives a time-line of Warner's governorship.

Jan. 12: Warner sworn in as 69th governor. He vows to launch "a little revolution" by "changing the way we do business in Richmond." Read entire article.

"Warner's Triumphant Legacy No Easy Feat: Bipartisan-Minded Governor Broke Tax Vow but Revived Va" by Michael D. Shear of the Washington Post taking a look back at the Warner's time in the VA Governor's mansion. You really get a sense of who Warner is from this article: half-energizer bunny and half Rocky. He's the guy who had the deck stacked against him, but just kept coming back with boundless energy and personality until he persevered.

The article is verbosely titled, but once you get beyond the title there is some interesting content.

Mark Robert Warner, the businessman-turned-politician, faced an immense budget gap, a steep learning curve and a legislature happy to see him fail when he was inaugurated as Virginia's 69th governor in 2002. Over the next four years, he slashed the state's budget, stumbled repeatedly, proposed two tax increases -- and wound up as one of the most popular governors in the commonwealth's history. In November, Virginians chose a successor who campaigned as the second coming of Mark Warner. As Warner prepares to deliver his final State of the Commonwealth speech tomorrow before leaving office Saturday, his future in politics could well depend on selling his Virginia story to the nation. Read the entire article.

"As term expires, Warner grapples with political future" by Bob Lewis of the Associated Press.

Very soon, Gov. Mark R. Warner will leave the Executive Mansion for the last time, still struggling with a decision that will define his life.

Though a Democrat in a Republican state, he departs with the highest job-approval ratings of any Virginia governor since pollsters have tracked such things. Network pundits and national publications are speculating about his prospects in the 2008 presidential race. Read the entire article.

"Warner working until the last possible minute" by Hugh Lessig of the Daily Press.

As a 12th-grader, Mark Warner had a serious case of the senior flu. After he was assured of admission to college, he coasted through the rest of his final year in high school.

As Virginia governor, he seems hell-bent on atoning for that mistake.

Set to leave office on Saturday, Warner has ended with a rush, packing significant work into the final weeks of his administration. Read the entire article.