Politics & Government

Warner: Turn Off Fox News, MSNBC

Senator asks entrepreneurs to help foster bipartisanship.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner wants a group of entrepreneurs to "turn off" biased 24-hour news networks, which he blamed for furthering the partisan divide in the United States

"Turn off both Fox News and MSNBC," he said. "They both lie."

Warner — a Democrat, former governor and Virginia's senior senator — was at the workspace-sharing venture UberOffices in Rosslyn to talk about startups and field questions from entrepreneurs just before the holiday weekend.

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He left with three "asks."

One involved ignoring the blatantly conservative and liberal news channels.

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Another: Don't vote for people who sign pledges.

Members of Congress who have pledged not to raise any taxes or consider reforming social safety net programs essentially have tied one hand behind their back and make it more difficult for anyone to get anything done, he said.

The final ask was to reward political courage, wherever it may be found.

To this, Warner mentioned U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who he described as one of his favorite Republicans to work with.

Recognizing and supporting the political courage it takes for Chambliss, a Republican from Georgia, to support a tax increase can go a long way, he said.

Supporting candidates from either major party who work across the aisle helps encourage more bipartisanship, he said.

Before he left, Warner made one last request of the group.

"The last thing you can do is stay in Virginia and make a lot of money," he said.


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