Tom Davis Launches Senate Exploratory Cmte.

Undoubtedly, many of you will be receiving letters in the mail from U.S. Rep. Tom Davis within the next few days announcing that he is creating an exploratory committee to run for U.S. Senate.  What is interesting is the repeated use of “conservative” vs. “liberal” throughout the three-page letter.

On page 1 alone, “liberal” or “liberals” is used five times to describe the Democrats, Mark Warner and the Clinton White House while associating himself with the term “conservative” three times on that same page.  Overall, the letter uses the terms “liberal,” “liberals,” “radical,” “special interest,” “socialized,” and “extreme liberal” a total of 14 times in the letter.

The word “conservative” is used a total of 5 times in reference to himself in addition to outlining his two successful terms as National Republican Congressional Cmte. chairman, his commitment to helping VA GOP candidates at all levels and his leadership in Fairfax County before being elected to the House.  A few such quotes read –

For my entire life, I have proudly supported the basic Republican principles which continue to guide our party: lower taxes, a strong defense, and traditional family values. As a Virginian, I have worked hard to preserve the conservative tradition of a just and limited government.

. . .

Virginia’s vote in the Senate could be the one that makes the ultimate difference on deciding whether we move toward socialized medicine or select an extreme liberal to serve on the Supreme Court. Republicans in the Senate are the last line in stopping Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton’s liberal agenda. And that is why I need your help now.

. . .

The Republican policies that I helped implement have made America the fastest growing economy in the world. We have waged a relentless campaign to protect our nation from terrorists. We must continue our work to secure our borders, to win the War on Terror, and to ensure a brighter future for all Americans.

Lots of red meat there for conservatives, that’s for sure.

Now, some people may be shocked to see such strong rhetoric come out of the Davis campaign.  I, for one, am not.  First, this nomination process will be a tough fight and one needs to flaunt their conservative bona fides in order to have a shot.  Second, I have seen Congressman Davis a number of times over the years at various events and when he is talking in small groups to the party faithful, you get a solid insight into him.  He is a fairly conservative guy issue-wise, but comes across with a moderate tone and temperment.  Essentially, he talks about issues that matter the most to the largest segment of the electorate when campaigning and that is his key to success.

For example, you don’t hear much at all about abortion during any of Congressman Davis’s campaigns in the 11th Dist., but then you look at some of his interest group ratings — NARAL Pro-Choice 0% (2006), Planned Parenthood 30% (2006), and National Right to Life Cmte. 82% (2005-2006) / 91% (2003-2004) / 94% (2001-2002) — and it becomes clear which side he comes down on more often than not.  Likewise, he received an 81% rating from Gary Bauer’s Campaign for Working Families and 71% from Concerned Women for America in 2005-2006.  Not bad marks for a so-called “moderate.”

Is Congressman Davis perfect?  No.  Is he the most conservative Republican candidate out there?  No.  Is this announcement letter disingenuous?  No.

I haven’t settled upon a candidate for this seat yet, but I can say that whether Tom Davis, Jim Gilmore or Eric Cantor is the nominee, I would feel pretty comfortable with any one of them representing me in the U.S. Senate.