Last night, Senator Warner and staff began a short trip to the Eastern Shore, Hampton Roads and the Peninsula with a town hall at the beautiful Cape Charles Coffee House. The Senator met with community and business leaders, enjoyed some sweet tea, and delivered a quick update from Washington. Folks from all over the Eastern Shore asked questions about education, job creation, health care, deficits and debts, and more. The Senator said that it was great to get back to the Eastern Shore after so much time spent in Washington: "The Eastern Shore is such a great place," he said. "People really say what they mean and mean what they say here."

Senator Warner also took a quick walking tour of Cape Charles, which he said had undergone a lot of revitalization in the past few years. He greeted folks (and one black lab) at SouthEast Expeditions, Kelly's Gingernut Pub, and Watson's Hardware.

We started this morning with an employee town hall at health care company Amerigroup's Virginia Beach headquarters. Amerigroup Senator Warner took many questions from the audience about the national debt. "Honestly, the biggest driver of our deficit is people living longer," he said. "Basically you all are doing your jobs too well!"

We drove over to Susan's Kitchenette for lunch and conversation with Hampton Road's Filipino community leaders. The food was delicious, and the questions for Senator Warner tough. The Senator spoke about the need to pass the DREAM Act to keep our country and military strong, as well as the need for comprehensive immigration reform. "Of course I don't support illegal immigration," Senator Warner said, "But I do support recruiting and keeping the best and brightest talent in our country to keep us competitive in the global marketplace."

Finally, Senator Warner was invited to take a test ride on Hampton Road's Transit new light rail, the Tide. The Tide will open officially on Friday and represents a great step forward for transportation in the Tidewater area. Senator Warner rode the Tide from downtown Norfolk, past the Norfolk Tides stadium and on to the end of the line at Newton Road station.

We'll be finishing up this trip tomorrow in Hampton Roads and the Peninsula before starting another trip across the Commonwealth next week. Stay tuned for more updates!