In Virginia Beach, Warner, Kaine talk bipartisanship, Iran nuclear proposal

Rising sea levels, cybersecurity and foreign policy were among the topics U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner riffed on during a luncheon Monday.

Several hundred people packed a ballroom at the Founders Inn and Spa to hear the lawmakers opine on a mix of issues, including the proposed Iran nuclear agreement lawmakers are set to vote on next month.

Warner told attendees he remains undecided on the proposal because he's still examining the framework, as are many of his colleagues.

"In my 6-1/2 years, I've never seen anything where virtually everyone is being thoughtful," said Warner, a second-term senator.

Kaine pledged his support for the deal several weeks ago, saying Monday he has "great respect" for differing views on the matter.

"The good news is, we all want exactly the same thing," he said. "We want an Iran with no nuclear weapons, and we want to get there diplomatically if we can."

Warner said high-stakes issues such as the Iran proposal underscore the value of bipartisanship, a cause he said once briefly landed him in "timeout" with party leaders.

"Politics may be the only business where you can spend your whole career doing nothing other than saying what's wrong with the other guy, never putting out another product, and still be successful," he said.

Kaine also stressed bipartisanship, commending Hampton Roads officials for banding together against the region's fast-rising sea levels.

"You've pulled together stakeholders in a way that has not happened elsewhere in the country," he said.