By: Ryan Nobles – bio | email

On the anniversary of the event that propelled the United States into World War II,  the man who earned a medal of honor for his service in that War, was given a boost in his current battle from the office of the Commander-in-Chief. Col. Van T. Barfoot, still doesn’t know if his flag will be able to keep flying from a flagpole in his front yard, but at least he knows the White House is on his side.

Monday,  during the White House Press Briefing, President Barack Obama’s chief spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked if the President supported Col. Barfoot.  “”I think its silly to think that somebody that’s done that couldn’t have a flagpole,” said Gibbs, the White House Press Secretary.  Gibbs said that he has not spoke directly to the President on the issue, but said that “The president believes, I think all of us believe that the least we can do is show our gratitude to someone who served our country so admirably.”

This signal of support from the Obama administration follows similar gestures from Virginia’s two Senators, Mark Warner and Jim Webb. Barfoot’s story has now become a national phenomenon. It has become a rallying cry for Veteran’s activists across the country.  Two different Facebook groups that were formed in support of his cause boast close to 70,000 members from around the world.

Our Andy Jenks, who initially broke the story several weeks ago,  reported today that a resolution to the matter could come as soon as Tuesday.  Given the level of scrutiny and high profile supporters Barfoot has earned, it seems unlikely that any resolution that doesn’t involve the Colonel being able to keep his flagpole up, will be acceptable to him.

Robert Gibbs entire response to the Barfoot controversy from today’s White House briefing can be found below:

Remember this?  “…we will have to see how many other elected officials rush to the Medal of Honor winner’s defense.”

It didn’t take long.

Less than 24 hours after his counterpart Sen. Mark Warner rushed to the defense of Col. Van T. Barfoot, Virginia Sen. Jim Webb has joined the fight. Webb has sent a letter to Karen S. Peterson, of the Sussex Square Homeowners Association in Henrico County to urge “reasonable resolution” to the situation.

His letter comes after Warner and the HOA had agreed to discuss the issue to prevent it from going to court.

The entire release from Webb can be found after the jump:

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Senator Webb Urges ‘Reasonable Resolution” of Homeowner Association Dispute Involving World War II Veteran’s Display of American Flag

Washington, DC – Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) today sent a letter to the legal representative, Karen S. Peterson, of the Sussex Square Homeowners Association in Henrico County to urge “reasonable resolution” of a homeowner dispute between the Association and Medal of Honor winner Colonel Van Barfoot over the installation of a flagpole in the yard of his home for purposes of displaying the American flag.

Senator Webb wrote in the letter, “As a fellow combat veteran, I hope you and the Association will consider the exceptional nature of Col. Barfoot’s service when considering his pride and determination in honoring our flag. I am pleased to join with many area citizens in expressing my concern over the action taken by the Sussex Square Homeowners Association.”

“Since it appears that Col. Barfoot’s request was denied based on subjective criteria as opposed to an explicit regulatory violation of the covenants governing the Homeowner’s Association, I would hope that your clients would exercise the discretion afforded to them to develop a reasonable resolution that would allow this distinguished combat veteran to honor our nation in a manner in keeping with the established traditions, customs and regulations governing the display of the flag of the United States of America,” wrote Senator Webb at the conclusion of the letter.

Text of the letter follows.

December 3, 2009

Karen S. Peterson
Attorney-at-Law
Coates & Davenport, P.C.
5206 Markel Road, Suite 200
Richmond VA 23230

Dear Ms. Peterson:

I have been made aware of a situation involving a dispute between your client, the Sussex Square Homeowners Association in Henrico County, Virginia, and a homeowner, Van Barfoot, a retired Army Colonel. It is my understanding that Col. Barfoot installed a flagpole in the yard of his home for purposes of displaying the American flag and that the Homeowners Association is now requiring him to remove this flag pole under threat of legal action.  I have been informed that the covenants governing this neighborhood association do not expressly forbid installation of flag poles and that the association opposed the flag pole on the grounds of its aesthetics.

I am mindful that the Association is a private entity, and I respect its right to regulate such matters. At the same time, as you are aware, Col. Barfoot served this country with great distinction, and I am very disturbed by the treatment that he received as he attempted to honor our nation by flying the American flag in the front yard of his home. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself “conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” As a fellow combat veteran, I hope you and the Association will consider the exceptional nature of Col. Barfoot’s service when considering his pride and determination in honoring our flag. I am pleased to join with many area citizens in expressing my concern over the action taken by the Sussex Square Homeowners Association.

Since it appears that Col. Barfoot’s request was denied based on subjective criteria as opposed to an explicit regulatory violation of the covenants governing the Homeowner’s Association, I would hope that your clients would exercise the discretion afforded to them to develop a reasonable resolution that would allow this distinguished combat veteran to honor our nation in a manner in keeping with the established traditions, customs and regulations governing the display of the flag of the United States of America.

Sincerely,

Jim Webb
United States Senator

Virginia Senator Mark Warner is jumping into the debate over a World War II veteran and his flag pole, that has caused so much disagreement in a Henrico homeowner’s association, that it could end up in court.

Col. Van Barfoot petitioned the Sussex Square Homeowner’s Association for the right to put up a flagpole in his front yard to fly the American Flag. The HOA turned down the request and told the Veteran he was welcome to fly the flag off the side of his house, but a separate pole in front of the house was not allowed. Col. Barfoot believes flying the American Flag in that manner is offensive and chose to put up the pole and fly the flag appropriately, despite the board’s wishes.

The aftermath has left a bitter squabble between the 90-year-old Medal of Honor winner and the elusive board, that refers all media questions to their attorney. This week they informed Barfoot that if the flag doesn’t come down by Friday they will take him to court.

That is when Mark Warner got involved. Warner, who developed a relationship with Barfoot  during his time as Governor, called the Veteran yesterday and sounded off on the controversy in a two-part tweet, where he called the HOA decision “plain wrong”.  The Senator told Colonel that he plans to write a letter to the HOA board and encourage them to come up with an amicable resolution to this problem. Warner also talked to our Tara Morgan about the controversy Wednesday night and said the following:

“I know that communities ought to have rules, but oh my gosh, if there’s a time to make an exception to the rule for somebody whose served our country Medal of Honor winner for World War II, at a time when our troops are in harm’s way in Iraq and Afghanistan, maybe there’s no legal way for them, but sure as heck convince this subdivision to give this American hero a chance to raise his flag,”

- Sen. Mark Warner (D- Virginia)

There is no question that a sitting United States Senator, who operates at perhaps the highest level of government, could certainly have influence over a Homeowner’s Association which is perhaps the lowest level of government. But even Warner notes that legally there is no action he can take to force them to do so. If the HOA allows the flag to fly, it will be because they chose to reverse an earlier decision in the wake of public pressure. Something that despite an intense barrage of media coverage, they have chosen to not do yet.

So why does Warner choose to get involved in a battle that truly involves a very small number of people? As we mentioned the Senator does have a personal relationship with Col. Barfoot, but he also has a keen sense of which issues to jump on the bandwagon for, and he usually is there before any of his fellow politicians. Warner knew that public support for Col. Barfoot’s case is pretty high (This poll on nbc12.com shows that more than 90% of respondents are on his side) and that many people have a poor view of Homeowner’s Associations.

The question is, will Warner’s influence keep Col. Barfoot out of court? He has been offered free legal assistance by a local law firm and appears prepared to hold his ground. If it goes that far, we will have to see how many other elected officials rush to the Medal of Honor winner’s defense.

**Update**

A Facebook group has started in honor of Col. Barfoot’s effort to fly his flag. It now boasts more than 700 members.

**Update 2**

Senator Warner’s office just released a statement that claims they have reached an agreement with the HOA to come up with a solution to the Barfoot situation. Here is the statement from Warner’s spokesperson Kevin Hall:

“Today, the Sussex Square Homeowner’s Association Board voted unanimously to ask Senator Warner’s office to attempt to reach a reasonable solution in the dispute over a flagpole on property owned by Col. Van T. Barfoot. We intend to get to work right away to try to come up with a solution that’s acceptable to both Col. Barfoot and to the Homeowner’s Association.”
- Kevin Hall, Communications Director
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (Virginia)

See More:

*Tara Morgan’s story on this controversy from Wednesday night

*Andy Jenks’ original report on the controversy.

United States Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) will make a stop this morning (Friday) at the Can-Can restaurant in Carytown to discuss the economy and efforts to improve the climate for small business. Warner will meet with 15 local small business owners and will specifically talk about their frustration to obtain credit.

The details on the event can be found below:

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Senator Mark Warner Meets With Local Small Business Owners:

WHEN: Today, Friday, Nov. 20th
10:00 am – 11:00 am

WHERE: Can-Can
3120 West Cary Street

To learn more about Warner’s efforts to help small businesses during the rough economy click here.

On Thursday, the two candidates for governor of Virginia face what could be the biggest stage in the campaign to this point. With at least one poll indicating that the race has tightened up, the forum could play a vital role in the direction of the contest.

The debate won’t be seen by a very large audience. The affair is hosted by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. While it won’t have the same type of exposure that prime-time televised statewide debate would have, the event is expected to receive an incredible amount of media coverage.

I will be at the debate and will be moderating a liveblog on NBC12.com. Please feel free to join in to the discussion. The debate begins at 10:30am, we will start our liveblog around 10:20am. I will then have a complete wrap up of the event on NBC12 news starting with First at Four.

Meanwhile..

The Creigh Deeds campaign began an effort to change the tone of the discussion surrounding the campaign. Today, senior Deeds advisers held a press conference call to discuss the state of the race. They said that Virginians are not interested in many of the federal issues that their opponent, Bob McDonnell is touting.

Supporters of Deeds claim that issues like health care reform, card-check and cap and trade are not issues the Governor of Virginia will have to deal with and Virginians, in general want answers about Virginia specific issues.  Here is a clip from my conversation with Mark Warner today where he addresses how Deeds should bring the focus of the campaign back to the Commonwealth.

“This is not a federal election. This is about who is going to be the Governor in Richmond and whether over the last 7 or 8 years we have found that common ground, you know, Democrats, Republicans, business leaders where we have been constantly named best-managed state, best state for business, and continue that or go in the opposite direction.”
-Sen. Mark Warner

But is there more to it than that? While Deeds has fundraised and campaigned with President Barack Obama, there is a sense that Creigh Deeds is hoping to make this election more about Virginia issues in an effort to make it less about the President and his administration. Today on that same conference call Deeds advisers said the President is welcome to come back to Virginia, but he won’t be the deciding factor in this race.

Today on NBC12 First at Four, the upcoming debate’s moderator David Gregory told me that the role of Barack Obama in the Virginia election is a dicey one for the democrats.

“It is a double edge sword of course, because a lot of his strength as a Democrat comes from Northern Virginia and getting that vote out, so Obama can be vital there, but I think this is an important time right now for Creigh Deeds to focus on Virginia as Senator Warner suggested and as you’ve seen him do over the last couple of days, try to link arms with Governor Kaine and Senator Warner, that he wants to be seen very much in that image.”
-David Gregory, Debate Moderator
Meet the Press Host

The entire interview previewing the debate can be seen below:

Virginia Senator Mark Warner, will hold a open town hall on the subject of health care this Thursday.  Warner has held two telephone town halls and has met with health care professionals on the topic, but he has faced some heat over the fact that he has yet to hold a face to face event that is open to the public.

That will all change Thursday. The details are below:

Mark Warner Health Care Town Hall:

When- Thursday, September 3rd

Where- Fredricksburg Expo Center, 1320 Central Park Blvd

Time- Doors open at 6:00pm, event begins at 7pm

For more information: http://warner.senate.gov/townhall

Expect the heat to now turn to Virginia’s senior Senator,  Jim Webb who has also not held a town hall on the subject.

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**UPDATE**

Central Virginia will be busy with a congressional town halls on health care.  Rep. Bobby Scott who has already held an event in the Norfolk area, will hear from his constituents in Richmond on Thursday as well.

The details are below:
What:     Richmond Health Care Town Hall with Rep. Bobby Scott
Where:   General Assembly Building, Senate Room A
910 Capitol Street
Richmond, VA 23219

Arrival Time: 6:00 p.m.
Start Time: 7:00 p.m.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds just announced a list of business leaders from across Virginia who are supporting his campaign. The list was headlined by prominent businessman and philanthropist Ted Leonsis. Leonsis is the former Vice Chairman of AOL and the majority owner of the NHL Washington Capitals and WNBA Washington Mystics. He is registered to vote in Fairfax County.

The announcement is another demonstration of Deeds’ effort to present himself as a business friendly Democrat in the mold of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Warner in fact, joined Deeds and Leonsis to announce the support of the long list of business leaders.

At the same time Deeds was presenting himself as a business friendly Democratic leader, his opponent’s campaign was working hard to paint him as a union-loving job killer. The Bob McDonnell campaign and the Republican Party of Virginia released a series of statements pointing out Deeds $100,000 in support from the prominent public employees union SEIU and a $500,000 donation from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union. The McDonnell team pointed out that AFSCME donation was the largest one time donation to the Deeds campaign.

McDonnell and his team have worked hard to build the case that the heavily debated federal “card check” legislation will be a job killer. They are also working to tie Deeds to the proposal. “Big national unions are for Card Check, and they are for Creigh Deeds.” said McDonnell campaign chairman Ed Gillespie.

But Leonsis said that Deeds is working hard to reach out to business leaders and will find ways to expand opportunities in Virginia. “I am impressed by Creigh’s focus on quality education, technology and innovation as the cornerstones of Virginia’s economic future,” he said.

Given the state of the economy, the future of business in Virginia will most certainly be a cornerstone issue of the gubernatorial campaign. This is no more apparent then here in the Richmond area where major, institutional companies (Circuit City, S&K etc.) have closed up shop. The candidate that can best convince voters that they have a plan for the future that can work could hold a distinct advantage.

The full release from the Deeds announcement and the release from the McDonnell campaign criticizing his support from the unions can be found after the jump..

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DEEDS ANNOUNCES “BUSINESS LEADERS FOR DEEDS”
~ U.S. Senator Mark Warner helps launch bipartisan group ~
~ To be led by Caps owner, ex-AOL executive Ted Leonsis ~

ARLINGTON — Democratic candidate for governor Creigh Deeds today announced the formation and leadership of “Business Leaders for Deeds,” a broad-based group of bipartisan, statewide business leaders who have agreed to advise and promote Deeds’ candidacy. “Business Leaders for Deeds” will be led by Ted Leonsis of McLean, the majority owner of the Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics. Leonsis also is a former AOL vice chairman, a venture capitalist and philanthropist.

U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner joined Deeds and Leonsis at today’s announcement. Warner is a former telecom executive who’s pragmatic approach during his term as Virginia Governor (2002-06) resulted in Virginia’s designation as the nation’s “best managed state” and “best state for business.”

“I appreciate the support and the expertise these business executives will bring to our effort, because these men and women recognize that their businesses are only as strong as the people who power them,” Senator Deeds said. “Our administration will be working hard every day to create opportunity and jobs for Virginians, and these business leaders will be a key part of our bipartisan efforts to better position the Commonwealth to emerge stronger from our economic challenges.”

“I am impressed by Creigh’s focus on quality education, technology and innovation as the cornerstones of Virginia’s economic future,” Mr. Leonsis said. “’Business Leaders for Deeds’ will bring together leading executives from across the state to advise Creigh during the campaign – and, more importantly, after his election this fall.”

“I have known and worked closely with many of these community and business leaders, and I appreciate their willingness to step-up and support Creigh’s bipartisan focus on producing real results that move Virginia forward,” Senator Warner said. “We cannot leave any region of Virginia behind as we work together to strengthen our economy and position the Commonwealth to compete in this global economy.”

Other members of “Business Leaders for Deeds” so far include:

Douglas M. Adams of Maiden, Retired President of The Country Vintner, Inc.;

Jane Inskeep Barrell of Culpeper; Co-Owner of Culpeper Management, LLC;

Robert M. Blue of Richmond, Senior Vice President of Public Policy & Corporate Communications for Dominion Corporation;

The Honorable Sandra Bowen of Richmond, former Senior Vice President of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, former Virginia Secretary of Administration and Commonwealth;

William M. Camp, Jr. of Franklin, principal of Holliknoll Farm;

James K. Candler of Lynchburg, Chairman of Candler Oil Company, Inc.;

Judith P. Carter of Orange, Principal of Germanna Title Company;

Laurie C. Crigler of Madison, Vice President of L&D Associates, Inc.;

Edward C. Dalrymple of Mineral, Vice President of Chemung Contracting;

Charlotte B. Dammann of McLean, Associate Broker of Faulconer Realtors Inc.;

Joseph R. Daniel of Culpeper, President of Jefferson Homebuilders;

Joshua P. Darden, Jr., of Norfolk, President of Darden Properties Inc.;

Carlos Del Toro of Stafford, President & CEO of SBG Technology Solutions, Inc.;

Susan Y. “Syd” Dorsey of Mechanicsville, Director of Sales & Marketing at Astyra Corporation;

G.S. “Sandy” Fitz-Hugh, Jr., former President of the Bank of America – Virginia;

David Goode of Norfolk, former Chairman, President and CEO of Norfolk Southern Corporation;

Mark Goodwin of Richmond, former Senior Vice President of UPS Freight;

William C. Hall, Jr. of Richmond, Vice President of Corporate Communications & Community Affairs for Dominion Corporation;

Robert D. Hardie of Charlottesville, Managing Director of Level One Partners, LLC;

Cabell S. Harris of Richmond, President of WORK Labs;

Jimmy Hazel of Oakton, principal of Angler Environmental;

John T. “Til” Hazel, Jr. of Broad Run, founder and former chairman of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council;

William R. Hedrick of Bluefield, President of Fort Chiswell Construction Corporation;

Ted Hontz of Stafford, Vice President of Basic Commerce and Industries, Inc.;

Kenneth Jones of Richmond, Owner and President of Prestige Construction Company;

James L. Keen of Vansant, CEO of Keen H.R. Services, Inc.;

Austin Ligon of Richmond, co-founder and retired CEO of CarMax Inc.;

Mark C. Lowham of McLean, Senior Vice President of WEST*GROUP;

Charles H. Majors of Danville, President & CEO of American National Bank & Trust Company;

John F. Malbon of Virginia Beach, CEO of Papco, Inc.;

Mark R. Merhige of Richmond, President of Shockoe Properties;

Bittle Porterfield, III of Roanoke, President of Rice Management Company;

Richard S. “Major” Reynolds III of Richmond, Managing Director of Reynolds Trust;

Gilbert “Gil” Rosenthal of Richmond, retired owner of Standard Drug Company;

Tom Rosenthal of Richmond, CEO of Med Outcomes, Inc.;

Walter Rugaber of Meadows of Dan, former President and Publisher of The Roanoke Times;

The Honorable Elliot Schewel of Lynchburg, Former President of Schewel Furniture Company and former State Senator;

Ranjit K. Sen of Richmond, President & CEO of CXI;

R. Chris Walters of Abingdon, financial advisor;

Naomi Weathers of Chester, Owner and President of Weathers Engineering Inc.;

Blair K. Williamson of Charlottesville, President of S.L. Williamson Company, Inc.;

Alan S. Witt of Newport News, CEO of Witt Mares, PLC;

Linda Zecher of Charlottesville, Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector of Microsoft Corporation.

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AFSCME Donates $500,000 to Their “Partner” Creigh Deeds

AFSCME on Card Check: “We are aggressively moving forward in D.C. and key states to fight for passage of this critically important bill.”

Deeds Also Recently Received $100,000, and Endorsement, from SEIU; SEIU Supports Elimination of Virginia’s Right to Work Law

RICHMOND- Creigh Deeds has received a massive $500,000 donation from the powerful national union AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. This donation is the largest single donation to the Deeds campaign to date. The donation comes on the heels of Deeds receiving $100,000 from the SEIU, a national union supporting the elimination of Virginia’s Right to Work law. In response to yet another round of aggressive national union support for the Deeds campaign, McDonnell for Governor Campaign Chairman Ed Gillespie issued the following statement:

“It’s clear that national labor unions are willing to spend every penny of their members’ compulsory union dues to elect a candidate who has vowed to be their ‘partner’ in the governor’s mansion. Big national unions are for Card Check, and they are for Creigh Deeds. In just the past three days Mr. Deeds has enthusiastically accepted the endorsement of the SEIU, a national union that supports overturning Virginia’s Right to Work law. The SEIU also gave Mr. Deeds $100,000. And now he has disclosed that his single largest campaign donation to date is from AFSCME, a national union committed to eliminating a worker’s right to a secret ballot and aggressively increasing the national union presence in the Commonwealth. Creigh Deeds clearly doesn’t like to answer questions about where he stands on these important issues. But actions speak louder than words, and Virginians can find the answers in these startlingly massive injections of cash. The national labor union agenda that comes with their big bucks is bad for jobs in Virginia. Mr. Deeds stands with big national unions. Bob McDonnell stands with Virginia’s workers and employers.”

Senator Mark Warner, a close ally of Governor Tim Kaine and a former governor himself, weighed in on the attacks his successor is taking from Republicans regarding his travel as DNC chair. During an interview yesterday from Washington, Warner told me that while he is confident that Kaine will always put Virginia first, the Governor should not be surprised the attacks are coming.

“I am sure, Tim Kaine understands that he was going to take some shots,” said Warner. “I am sure the Democrats took some shots at former Governor Gilmore when he was RNC chair.”

Kaine has been dealing with an almost daily barrage of attacks from the Republican Party of Virginia regarding his travel as DNC chair. The party even released a web video, parsing his words and accusing him of abandoning Virginia in a time of crisis. Kaine’s staff defended the Governor and said his travel was only on his time and generally only on the weekends when his state business was complete.

But his explanation was not enough for various media outlets that criticized the Governor on their editorial pages and investigated his travel even further to learn that not all of it took place only on weekends. When pressed by the Washington Post, Kaine refused to say that he will release his entire travel schedule ahead of time, but will only answer questions truthfully if a reporter were to ask about a specific trip.

Senator Warner, wouldn’t say if he thought that Kaine owed it to Virginia taxpayers to release his complete travel schedule, but did say that he understands the Governor’s concerns over his security.  “I do know as a former governor, from a security standpoint the state police folks who provide incredible executive protection for the Governor and their families, like to not broadcast too much, ahead of time in particular,” said Warner. But the Senator did not go as far as to say that Kaine was handling the release of the information appropriately.  “I will let Governor Kaine and you folks work out all the issues on the travel.”

But while Warner did not emphatically defend the way the Governor is handling the questions about his travel, he was quick to say that under Kaine’s stewardship the commonwealth of Virginia is outperforming the rest of the country. He said that when he is on the clock, Kaine is making all the right moves.

“I think his first job, his 9 to 5 job and for that matter not just 9 to 5 but more like 9 to 9 everyday, is still Virginia first and foremost.”

Extended clips from my interview with Senator Warner can be found after the jump.

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Virginia’s junior senator, Mark Warner, will be right in the middle of the confirmation of President Barack Obama’s first nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The senator just released a statement on the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. In typical Warner fashion, he is cautious in his praise of Judge Sotomayor. He complimented her legal record, but did not go far enough to say that he is ready to support her confirmation.

His full statement is below:

STATEMENT OF SENATOR MARK WARNER
~ On the President’s nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court ~

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner issued the following statement on President Obama’s nomination today of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to serve on the United States Supreme Court:

“In nominating Judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the seat that Justice Souter is vacating, President Obama has selected a woman with an extraordinary personal story and very impressive legal credentials. I now look forward to the Senate Judiciary Committee undertaking its confirmation responsibilities, and I anticipate that the Senate will conduct its constitutional responsibility to advise and consent with thoroughness and without delay.”

Ryan Nobles – bio | email

PresidentBarack Obama did his best yesterday to attempt to quell the gathering storm surrounding his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Geithner has been on the hot seat it seems, since the day he was appointed. Now he is facing quite a few Republican legislators who are suggesting that he step down from his post.

On Saturday during an interview for 60 minutes that will air tonight, the President said that he has no intention of pushing Geithner out and even said that if the Secretary tendered his resignation that Mr. Obama would not accept it.

While it is clear that Geithner seems to have weathered this storm, (He did recieve the endorsement of Obama’s campaign rival John McCain) he is by no means comfortable in his position. The flap over the AIG bonuses has fallen directly at his feet. While Geithner does have the President’s full confidence, other Democratic elected officials seem a little reluctant to voice their unqualified support.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner falls into that camp. I spoke to Senator Warner on Thursday. The day that Congressional leaders were grilling AIG’s CEO. I had to ask Warner twice about whether or not Geithner should step down. Here is his response to the question the second time I asked.

My question was:  “So do you believe the Secretary should step down?”

To which Warner replied:  “At this point, no, I do no not. I think we’ve got to make sure that in this extraordinary circumstance that the kind of outrageous behavior of AIG is not allowed to be continued. That these employees who were out of this London based derivatives selling unit, the cancer that basically corrupted the entire AIG organization. That those types of retention bonuses do not stand and while I understand contractual law if they don’t give them back directly I think what you are going to see and in this case if could have been the treasury alone, it had to be the Congress to act this very, very onerous north of 90 percent tax rates on these payments.”

Note that Warner said “At this point, no”.  Much different from the unqualified support given by President Obama.

The video of Senator Warner’s response is after the jump..