...at least in the arena of endorsements.

The former Democratic governor and current U.S. Senate candidate had to do some hasty back-pedaling this weekend after endorsing former Strasburg Mayor Rich Orndorff in his run for Strasburg Town Council.

As my colleague Robert King reported here on Sunday, Warner endorsed Orndorff, but was apparently unaware of the former mayor's past brushes with law enforcement, notably two assault and battery charges of a domestic nature.

The pendulum moved quickly. Warner issued this statement on Saturday:

"Rich Orndorff has demonstrated a commitment to public service that is all too rare in public life today," the statement reads. "Having served both on the council and as mayor of Strasburg, he has the ability to foster healthy community-based change that makes a difference in people's lives."

Spokesman Kevin Hall announced that the governor had changed his mind on Sunday:

"We don't have all the facts, but we have enough for the governor to make the decision that he wants to rescind the endorsement," said Kevin Hall, Warner's spokesman.

Warner has been forced to change course rapidly on valley endorsements or appointments in the past.

In 2001, Warner removed Woodstock Attorney Bradley G. Pollack from the Virginia Waste Management Board for allegedly failing to disclose legal sanctions filed against him by a local court in the mid 1990s.