ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 3, 1996 TAG: 9609030117
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
From Francie Golden, a retired Navy commander who lives in Virginia Beach and has known John Warner since Warner's days as secretary of the Navy:
``No other living Virginian possesses the integrity, experience and credibility required of the U.S. Senate position. Were we to propose George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, George Marshall or Harry Byrd, Jr. as prospective Senatorial candidates today, we would no more need an endorsement for them than we do John Warner. For John Warner is included in this series of great Virginians whose contributions and dedication to our state and country have reached historical status ... ''
``I value his integrity. He is regarded as one of the most ethical and moral leaders in the Senate today ... ''
``As a newly commissioned ensign in 1972, I clearly remember my first Secretary of the Navy, John Warner. Dynamic and resourceful, he was the most beloved and respected of all selected to that position. Since that time, he has consistently and successfully championed military causes. It is particularly important to note that Virginia has not been economically decimated due the military reduction in forces. Rather, our military base has continued to grow despite the major cutbacks. Would this continue without John Warner in elected office? We have much to lose - too much ... ''
From Ron Adkins, the owner of the Rockingham Mutual Insurance Agency in Salem, who has known John Warner for more than 20 years:
``There are few individuals whom I know, or that our nation has known, who have the honesty and integrity of John Warner. When other politicians would take the easy way out, by making the easy choice, or no choice at all, John Warner makes the tough decisions and stands by them. Whether its been specific legislation like the Voting Rights Act, the recommendation of persons to serve on Federal Courts, or even the direction of his own political party, when the going gets tough, John Warner is there ... ''
``One of the earliest impressions John Warner frequently mentions is the one made on him as a child by a policeman who talked to him about his responsibilities as a grade school crossing guard. That impression is reflected in the seriousness with which John Warner served as an assistant U.S. attorney, and in the concern with which he has sought legal reforms, helped the law enforcement community gain the resources and support it needs to effectively do his job, and in how he fights to ensure that criminals are taken off and kept off the street ... ''
``In the arena of national security, there are few in the history of our nation that can boast the record of John Warner. Twice he interrupted his education to serve our nation in time of war - as an enlisted sailor in World War II and as a Marine captain during the Korean War. As the Secretary of the Navy, he led the Navy through one of its toughest periods, and he guided the successful negotiations of the Incidents at Sea Treaty, the first naval treaty between the U.S.S.R. and the United States governing safe navigation in waters occupied by both U.S. and Soviet warships. In the Senate, John Warner has been a leader in setting the course which has brought the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Empire and the redress of threats which face the world today and in the future. There is no doubt about why John Warner is best qualified to continue representing Virginia in the United States Senate. In every respect he is not a politician seeking re-election. He is a statesman for whom Virginia is grateful.''
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB