Where's Warner? (Hint: Think 2008)

There are 50 states. Mark Warner happens to be heading to the one that holds the nation's first presidential contest every year. That's right, Virginia's leader is on his way to Iowa two years and eight months before voters there meet in little groups to pick a Democratic nominee for president. He leaves this morning and comes back late Tuesday.

Not that his trip has anything to do with politics. Nooooo. It's all about his bipartisan role as the chairman of the National Governors Association. While in Iowa, he'll host a town-hall meeting about the future of the American high school with Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (a fellow Dem.) And according to spokesman Kevin Hall, Warner will run a victory lap with Vilsack for luring the NGA's annual meeting to the city next month.

But even tight-lipped Hall concedes that Warner will squeeze in a bit of politicking while he's in Iowa, including an editorial board meeting and some handshaking with important Iowa Democrats. Among those Warner is said to meet with: the state's lieutenant governor, Sally Pederson. So what? It just so happens the state's lieutenant governor is also chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party. Hmmmm.

But if Warner doesn't have time to meet with too many party types this time around, there's always next month, when he hosts the annual meeting. By then, there will only be two years and seven months until the Iowa caucuses.

By Michael Shear |  June 6, 2005; 10:52 AM ET  | Category:  Democrats
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