Two key Va. democrats stay neutral on presidential race

WASHINGTON

Their party faithful spoke loud and clear on Tuesday, but two prominent Virginia Democrats are staying on the fence in the presidential contest between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

Despite an overwhelming victory for Obama, U.S. Sen. Jim Webb and current Senate candidate Mark Warner both declined to make an endorsement.

"I'm happy to campaign for both of them," Webb said. "Whoever wins, I'll do everything I can to help them get elected."

Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said the former governor is friends with both presidential hopefuls "and looks forward to working with one of the two in the White House and the other as a colleague" next year.

Even in defeat, Clinton got thousands more votes than Arizona Sen. John McCain received in winning the state's Republican primary, Webb noted. That's a good sign for Democratic prospects in the fall, he said.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the state's only other statewide Democratic officeholder, endorsed Obama a year ago.