There is something charming about a dignified--some say stuffy--Senator, age 69, leaning cheerfully into a question about his lady friend, ABC's Barbara Walters. "She is the only woman I've dated for the past six years," says Senator John Warner. With a twinkle, he adds, "You should be a fly on the wall when we're debating some issues. I'm a conservative, and I guess she would characterize herself as something of a liberal."
If Warner has to defend his ideological credentials, it's because he's suddenly vulnerable. While he's the most durable Republican in Virginia history, his nomination for a fourth term is...