By CATHY JETT
To cheers and cries of "2008, 2008," Gov. Mark Warner fired up the Democratic Party faithful yesterday at the Holiday Inn Select in Central Park.
Virginia has gone from being "not only a red state, but a state in the red," to being named the best-managed state in the country in the Government Performance Project, he told about 250 Democrats attending a quarterly meeting of the state party committee.
"That's a record we should be proud of," Warner said. "What our challenge is this year is to make sure that progress moves forward."
His appearance, which was followed by lieutenant governor hopeful Leslie Byrne's speech and a pig roast for 3,500 people at the governor's King George County farm, was one of two big campaign events in the Fredericksburg area yesterday. Three Republican candidates for Virginia's top offices appeared at a re-election kickoff for Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania.
Polls show the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are close, Warner said, warning that Republicans already are resorting to "fear tactics" in their campaigns.
"It's up to us to make sure we have a positive message," he said.
The governor highlighted achievements of his and Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine's administration, including a decrease in unemployment, increased spending for education and the enrollment of 97 percent of eligible disadvantaged children in the state children's health insurance program.
Kaine is the party's nominee to succeed Warner. Virginia governors are not allowed to serve successive terms, but Warner has been mentioned by some as a possible presidential candidate in 2008.
Warner said he was proud of Virginia's efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The state was one of the first to send in its National Guard, he said.
"While we are blessed to live in the strongest country in the world, and we should remain the strongest country, our primary obligation is to take care of Americans, particularly when they are in need," he said.
Byrne, who followed Warner at the podium, said the governor had paved the way for her, Kaine and attorney general candidate Creigh Deeds. She then asked a group of students from the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond to stand.
"There's so much at stake here. Those students at the back of the room know what's on the line," she said, referring to such things as making a college education more affordable.
The first woman elected to Congress from Virginia, Byrnes countered opponents' claims that she, Kaine and Deeds are anti-business.
"I'm as pro-business as they come," she said, "but I won't check my principles at the door. We have to stick up for workers."
Byrne said she's in favor of allowing small businesses to take part in the state's health-care plan. That would help them afford coverage for employees and lower the state's costs by increasing its pool of participants, she said.
In addition to the speeches, the party's State Central Committee also voted on several resolutions, including giving city and county Democratic committees more time to choose members and elect officers.
Members also unanimously passed a platform that includes support for: the preservation of open space through land purchase; efforts to obtain federal authority to limit importation of out-of-state garbage; and transportation improvements--including expansion of rail service.
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