The televised debate between 5th Congressional District candidates Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Rocky Mount, and Tom Perriello has been put on hold.

Goode contacted the debate's host, WVIR NBC 29 in Charlottesville, on Tuesday to say he wouldn't participate in the debate, WVIR News Director Neal Bennett said.

"He said he had something else to do that night," Bennett said. "He said he never agreed to the date."

Scheduling of the debate had gone through Goode's campaign officials, but now the station is working directly with Goode and the Perriello campaign to reschedule the debate, Bennett said.

Goode could not be reached for comment Thursday.

In a statement released Thursday by Perriello, the Democrat urged Goode to explain what other event could be more important.

"The truth is Congressman Goode is just running away from his terrible record on the economy, gas prices and so many other problems facing middle-class families," Perriello said. "This is cowardice, not leadership."

The postponement of the TV debate is one of many difficulties the Perriello campaign says they've had with the congressman.

Goode has yet to commit to two other debates, one at Hampden-Sydney College and another hosted by the American Legion in Danville tentatively scheduled for Oct. 28, said Jessica Barba, communications director for the Perriello campaign.

The two candidates, however, have debated twice -- in Charlottesville and in Danville.

-- Janelle Rucker

Mark Warner shows he has bipartisan support

Former Gov. Mark Warner made another effort Thursday to showcase the bipartisan support he has built for his U.S. Senate campaign, unveiling a list of 600 locally elected officials of all political stripes who have endorsed the Democratic nominee.

More than half of local officials in the "Virginians for Warner" coalition are Republicans or independents, Warner's campaign said. Warner has tried to position himself as a political centrist in his race against Republican Jim Gilmore, who preceded Warner as governor. The two rivals are competing for the seat held by Republican John Warner, who is retiring after three decades in the Senate. The two Warners are not related.

The Senate candidates will meet tonight in Roanoke for a televised debate hosted by WSLS (Channel 10). The 7 p.m. debate will take place at the new Taubman Museum of Art.

Warner held news conferences in Richmond, Harrisonburg and Roanoke to promote the endorsements, and was joined by former Republican state legislators and business leaders. The Republicans who headed the General Assembly's budget committees during Warner's gubernatorial term -- former Sen. John Chichester of Northumberland County and former Del. Vince Callahan of Fairfax County -- were among those voicing support for Warner.

Don Upson, who served as the state's first secretary of technology in the Gilmore administration, appeared at the Richmond news conference to support Warner. Upson praised Warner's consensus-building approach to tackling problems and said, "There's never been such a need for leadership.

"He's not looking for someone to bash or blame about where we are and why we aren't where we need to be," Upson said. "He's always there talking about solutions and how can we get something done."

Warner noted that many of the supporters who joined him in Richmond are backing Republican John McCain for president, while he supports Democrat Barack Obama.

"Regardless of who the next president is, I'm going to work with the next president to make sure that strong center stands up and we put our country's interests first," Warner said.

Warner appeared in Roanoke at the Claude Moore Education Complex on Henry Street, where he was introduced by David Carson, a Republican who is also chairman of the Roanoke School Board.

"To me, he's a guy that has a good track record. I appreciate what he did," Carson said of Warner in an interview after the event. "In a nutshell, he seems like a guy who's gotten stuff done, and that's what we need."

The list of endorsements can be found at markwarner2008.com/endorsements.

-- Michael Sluss

Bluegrass star sings Obama's praises in radio ad

Democrat Barack Obama has a famous, twangy voice speaking for him in Virginia's mountains: bluegrass music legend Ralph Stanley.

The Grammy-winning pioneer of the high lonesome sound of Appalachian music is featured in a new radio ad for Obama's presidential campaign playing across Southwest Virginia, Stanley's home.

Obama is fiercely contesting the region covered mostly by the mountainous, coal mining, rural and largely white 9th Congressional District.

-- Associated Press