It's not televised, it's in the middle of holiday season, but Saturday's debate with Mark Warner (web|bio) is an important opportunity for Jim Gilmore in Virginia's U.S. Senate race.

Warner, a Democrat, has a healthy lead in the polls and a gaudy lead in fundraising. Expect Gilmore, a Republican and a former county prosecutor now in need of a major break, to come out swinging.

Republican consultant Chris LaCivita has helped George Allen and other Republicans prepare for debates in Virginia and elsewhere.

LaCivita says he would urge Gilmore to attack Warner on the issue of policy and character, both rooted in the 2004 tax increase after Warner had pledged as a candidate not to raise taxes.

Warner's staff has worked all week tamping down expectations among reporters who will cover the debate at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs.

Email To A Friend