Frederick Hits Back At Hager

Here’s the latest in the slugfest between Lt. Gov. John Hager and Del. Jeff Frederick in the battle for the RPV Chairmanship:

Note to John Hager: It’s Too Late to Reject Mark Warner Endorsement

Let me share with you an actual newspaper headline: “HAGER LAUNCHES POLITICAL ATTACK AGAINST GOP RIVAL”.

No, this isn’t about the current race for RPV chairman, although it could be. It is from the Richmond Times Dispatch in 1997 when John Hager attacked his opponent, Republican Coleman Andrews, for the losses he suffered in his business.

When asked if he was being negative and dividing the Republican party, Mr. Hager’s campaign said he “has a responsibility to point out the differences” between the candidates (Richmond Times Dispatch – 5/22/97). Mr. Hager made similar remarks when some in our party said his 2001 gubernatorial campaign against Republican Mark Earley was negative and divisive.

Yet last week Mr. Hager sent out an email and made automated “robo” calls accusing me of spreading lies because he says Mark Warner’s endorsement of him was just as joke (between old friends I assume).

Note that Mr. Hager did not protest at all when this article was publicized over a month ago. A month after the fact, John Hager is attacking me because he is finally realizing that Virginia Republicans are reluctant to support him because, as Chairman, he will have to lead the charge against an administration he was part of (Hager served in Governor Mark Warner’s cabinet). He sees he is in trouble, so he attacks me.

And please note: Mr. Hager does not dispute any of the other facts in a recent mailer you received about his close association with other Democrats, which are consistent with the Warner endorsement and equally troubling to Republican activists. He does not dispute the warm endorsement he received from Dickie Cranwell, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia; or that he recently hired a campaign worker who contributed twice to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Don Beyer against our GOP nominee; or that he contributed to Democrat Doug Wilder; or his contribution to a liberal PAC established to raise taxes on Virginians.

Faced with these facts — from official campaign contribution reports and direct quotes in newspapers — Mr. Hager really has no way to respond, so the best he can do is throw a fit that I am “spreading lies,” and claim that he and his friend Mark Warner were just sharing a laugh on the endorsement itself. I’ll leave it up to you to to decide who you think Mark Warner prefers for the Chairman’s race.

The Warner issue is important because Mark Warner will be the Virginia Republicans’ top target this year, and Mr. Hager and I have very different experiences with him. While Mark Warner was campaigning in my district to replace me with a liberal Democrat, John Hager was serving in his administration, refusing to campaign for or donate to Republicans.

And this is not the first time Mark Warner has praised John Hager. After serving in Warner’s administration for 30 months, Mark Warner said Mr. Hager “has served our administration very, very well” (Washington Post, 4/21/04).

John Hager was gracious in return. Though he now claims he left Warner’s administration due to opposition to Warner’s tax increase, at the time John Hager told the press that Warner “is not pushing me out, and I’m not leaving for any other reason” (Richmond Times Dispatch, 4/20/04).

It is unfortunate that Mr. Hager saves his sharpest attacks for me instead of aiming them at the liberal Warner, who broke his promise not to raise your taxes; supports amnesty for illegal aliens; spent money to defeat the marriage amendment; and attempts to weaken any and all pro-life legislation. As Republican Chairman, isn’t that the person at whom John Hager should fire his harshest barbs?

Mark Warner has been the presumptive Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate for 7 months, and Republicans across Virginia are still waiting for the campaign against him to begin. This is 7 months wasted, where we could be educating and energizing voters to oppose Mark Warner’s liberal agenda for Virginia.

I take the truth seriously, and I respect our Party and our Commonwealth far too much to ever want to manipulate facts or trick people to get votes. I have faith that people can sift through all the political noise to find the truth and make the right decision. I am proud of my campaign for chair, and can stand by every claim we have made. My view is to put out accurate information and let the people decide whose vision and experience is best to lead our party.

It is unfortunate that pointing out the facts upsets Mr. Hager, but he crosses a line when accusing me – a Republican member of the General Assembly – of “spreading lies.” I choose not to engage in such language, because win or lose, next week we will all be on the same team.

As Chairman I’ll focus my energy on beating the Democrats that plan a liberal agenda for Virginia.

If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll join our team.