GOP leaders open new offices

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: July 24, 2008

FALMOUTH — Regional Republican leaders were out in force for the opening of their new election offices located in south Stafford.

The McCain Victory Center, located in an upscale office high rise on Riverside Parkway, will serve as the local headquarters for the John McCain for President campaign and local regional offices for Virginia Congressman Rob Wiittman-R, 1st District.

Wittman, who took office during a special election to replace the late Jo Ann Davis, is now fighting to keep his seat in November.

The congressman focused much of his attention to national issues he said are on the minds of Virginians across the Commonwealth. Talking about the county’s national energy crisis, Wittman said the time has come to drill off of the United States coastline and in Alaska for new sources of domestic oil.

“It’s energy that this nation needs…we can take the proceeds current fossil fuels and put them toward the development of funding new technologies that will produce new sources of energy,” said Wittman.

The congressman also discussed the recent financial problems facing national loan and mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Wittman said taxpayers deserve better than a plan to bail the financially troubled lenders out with public dollars and not hold the companies themselves responsible.

The event served as a backdrop to build momentum for the McCain campaign, which plans to open at least 15 offices across the Commonwealth. Though
McCain’s national headquarters is based in Arlington, the Stafford office will handle the campaign’s regional efforts.

“We have had hundreds of people calling across the Commonwealth everyday asking for volunteers to help the campaign,” said Trey Walker, regional campaign manager for McCain.

Walker said he sees no one area of Virginia as a battleground area, noting the campaign takes no vote for granted and is concentrating on the Commonwealth as a whole.

Barack Obama did very well in the Virginia Primary in February, and his campaign announced last week that it plans to open nearly 20 offices across Virginia in spots democrats usually ignore, like Martinsville, Danville and Winchester, according to the Virginia Democratic Party.

Virginia has 13 electoral votes up for grabs in the November election, and local Republican leaders vowed the state would not go blue.

“Barack Obama has been named the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate, That is quite the accomplishment,” said Jeff Frederick, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia

Frederick went on to compare McCain’s military service record with Obama’s voting record, saying the Illinois senator has been absent from voting for a total of 147 days during his term in office.

The McCain campaign is sub-leasing three offices in the high-rise and Wittman is sub-leasing one, according to Wendy Surman, a commercial real estate advisor with Sperry Van Ness. Surman works for the company and is helping to facilitate the offices.

Surman said the offices don’t have a “grassroots” feel to them, but will provide great exposure to Interstate 95.

McCain officials said they plan to hang a large campaign banner on the side of the high-rise building, and possibly a billboard across the highway on the northbound side as well.

Both campaigns are paying for the office space with campaign contributions, according to Surman.