VA-Sen: Warner Mum on Gilmore Endorsement

From The Hill:

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) is avoiding an endorsement in the closely watched Senate contest to succeed him, so far declining to support fellow Republican Jim Gilmore several days after the former Virginia governor clinched the GOP nomination.

Warner, 81, who announced last September he will retire when his fifth term ends in January, twice shunned inquiries about his stance in the race, directing reporters to a statement that his press office said is not forthcoming.

“I’m not going to keep answering this question about Gilmore,” Warner said. “I’ll get my press office to send you a statement.”

Warner’s communications staff said no statement has been released and that there is no specific timetable for one.

Rep. Tom Davis, unsurprisingly, is also less than enthusiastic:

When asked Wednesday at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast whether he would endorse Gilmore, Davis deflected the question.

“I’m a Republican; I’m going to vote for Gilmore,” he said.

When pressed whether he would endorse the nominee, he said: “What do you mean? Am I going to go up and put my arm around him and say, ‘Jim, you’ve always been my best friend’?”

After briefly walking away, he offered: “Jim needs to do outreach. Jim doesn’t talk to anybody.

“I’ll support the Republican.”

In terms of recruitment and candidate quality, it sure feels like 2008 is going to be like sending the New England Patriots (the Democrats) to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders (the GOP).

(H/T: Raising Kaine)