Senator Warner joined Georgia Republican and Gang of Six co-founder Senator Saxby Chambliss on Monday at the University of Georgia campus, to speak to students and faculty about leadership, bipartisanship, and the ongoing debt and deficit crisis. 

Senator Warner opened with a tribute to Senator Chambliss, who recently announced that he will not run for re-election in 2014.  “This man is a true example of political courage, and it’ll be Georgia’s loss, and America’s loss, that he’s no longer going to serve”, Senator Warner said, but he reminded listeners that “that doesn’t mean we don’t still have 2 years to kick some tail up in Washington.”

On leadership, Sen. Warner spoke about the lessons he learned as a businessman and how they informed his frustration with Congress. 

“In business, there are two types of guys. There’s the guy who wants to go for the last nickel on every deal…Our view, when we were in business, was that there was always going to be another deal… So if you left the last nickel on the table, that might mean that that person would come around again, and you could do business with them again.”

“One of things that I think is fundamentally flawed in our political system,” he continued, “is that both sides negotiate like every deal is the last deal…The idea that with every deal, the Democrats have to win or the Republicans have to win is just not a rational way in our legislative, two party system to operate.”

Senator Warner concluded by reminding attendees that despite the dysfunction in Congress, there are still people in Congress ready to work together towards bipartisan solutions, if Americans are willing to support them.

“It shouldn’t be that rare that a Democrat and a Republican who have big differences on a lot of issues can come together and…put country first.  One of the things that you guys should realize is that there are a lot more people of good will than you read about in the press…  If you’re a Democrat, go out and support a Republican who’s willing to do revenues.  If you’re a Republican, go out and support a Democrat who’s willing to do entitlement reform.”