Va. Gov.: End of a Campaign Swing

A heavy rain started as soon as the eight-seat plane touched down in Martinsville for the fourth and final campaign stop of the day for Gov. Mark Warner and Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine. The two Democrats came to the city to address the Martinsville Chamber of Commerce, a group that Republican gubernatorial nominee Jerry Kilgore had addressed earlier in the day.

The mood in the Commonwealth Center was considerably more muted than at some of the events earlier Thursday, with some of the onlookers sipping on white wine or cans of Miller Lite. Befitting the mood, Warner was more subdued as he hit the high points of his stump speech for Kaine.

"Governing is about choices," said Warner. "Not every choice is easy." Returning to the dominant theme of the day, Warner said that "Tim Kaine has stood with us to make those hard choices."

And with that the governor and Kaine parted ways -- Warner to stay overnight in the city, Kaine and his merry band of reporters to take their fifth flight of the day back -- finally -- to Richmond.

Stay tuned ... The Fix plans to trail GOP nominee Kilgore as he campaigns with Sen. George Allen (R-Va.).

-- Chris Cillizza