A good man to defeat Goode - Tom Perriello

Probably everyone has heard of Virgil Goode, Jr. If you don't remember the name, surely you remember the stink he raised over the swearing in of Keith Ellison, because that gentleman wanted to us a Qu'ran for his ceremonial swearing in.  For several cycles Democrats in Virginia have tried to defeat Goode in Virginia's 5th CD, but without success.

This cycle the odds look much better.  Although several Virginia CDs will have primary contests, our candidate in the 5th is clear, and his name is Tom Perriello, on whose web page one immediately reads

We need to restore the founding American ethic that we are better off when we are in this together. Since the original thirteen colonies joined together as the United States, through Civil War and the Great Depression, we have risen or fallen according to this simple rule: America thrives when we are united in a common purpose for the common good.

But first the district.   The 5th stretches from Charlottesville in the North to the North Carolina border, shaped roughly in a triangle with the base at the bottom.   It is a district that voted for Bush 55.9-43.0 in 2004 (but Kerry did not contest the state), but is not out of reach.   Mark Warner carried the district in his race for Governor, 52.4-46.2, as did Tim Kaine in 2005, 49.6-48.4.  While Republicans won the other statewide races in 2005, the margins were not huge:  in the AG race the margin was 3 points, and in the Lt. Gov race 5.5   George Allen did carry the district against Jim Webb in 2006, 53.8-35.1, bu this was his home base, which he had represented in the state legislature and the US Congress:  he was a graduate of both UVa where he played football and UVa Law.  Mark Warner, who retains a sky-high approval rating in the state, will be on the ballot as the Senatorial candidate on November 4, which will help.

In his last two races Goode took 63.7% and in 2006 that margin was cut to 59.1, still substantial.  He has acknowledged that the forthcoming race is likely to be his most difficult.  In part that may be because Perriello has demonstrated a real ability to raise money, having raised $266,665 through Dec. 31, compared to $165,010 for Goode, according to a report in the Danville Bee, a newspaper in the district.

Like Tim Kaine, Tom Perriello is a Catholic who feels called to service by his faith.  Quoting from his web page

From an early age, he was taught that a strong faith is a lived faith. His parents raised him to believe that to whom much is given, much is expected, and those lessons have shaped his lifelong commitment to service.

Since 2004, Tom has helped to launch a political and social movement in this country that is credited with shifting the national debate about America's moral priorities. He helped found FaithfulAmerica.org and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which bring together faith communities to fight for children's health care, supporting a higher minimum wage, environmental stewardship, and responsible solutions in Iraq. Inspired by the prophetic vision of Dr. King, Wilberforce, and Micah, Tom believes that America must reverse the erosion of our commitment to the common good and restore our understanding that our nation rises or falls together.

I understand that there are some progressives who worry about what they see as the injection of faith into our politics.  Let me assure you that Tom in no way seeks to impose his religious views on anyone.  He is a firm believer in separation of church and state, and speaks about his religious faith only in the sense of how it personally motivates him, and has led to the kinds of experiences he brings to the campaign, which are substantial and interesting.

Tom Periello has a lot of visibility in the Virginia blogosphere.  He sat for an extended interview with Lowell at Raising Kaine in which he explained why he is running, how he thinks he can win, his strengths and passions. That story should convince you how serious a candidate he is.   Let me offer several snips from that interview.

My faith helps sustain me through difficult times, shapes my commitment to service, and defines my belief that we will ultimately have to answer for how we have treated the least among us.  

My greatest passion is working with others to show that we can make politics work for people again. My work in some pretty rough spots at home and abroad has reinforced my belief that no problem is unsolvable when we have the political will to get it done.  

As for being a "faith-based progressive," I can tell you that voters respond to authenticity. My faith is a big part of who I am and why I've dedicated my life to justice, and most voters just want to know what I am all about. It also provides a common experience and language that resonates with voters in my district, especially in areas where Democrats have struggled in the past.    

I believe we stand at a unique point in history. Our challenges are large enough that our only pragmatism is the idealism to think big and expand our sense of what's possible. I am running because I believe that politics should be seen as community service by other means. It can, and should, be a place to make people's lives better.  

Let me quote Tom's response on two issues that have concerned the Dailykos community.

On FISA and telecomm immunity

Telecoms should absolutely not be granted any kind of immunity for illegal wiretapping. They not only broke the law, they broke the trust of people, and they should not get a free pass. Our Constitutional principles should be absolute in this regard, and we should not set a precedent that corporations are let off the hook for breaking the law.  

On waterboarding

Waterboarding is torture, and torture is an affront to human dignity. America is better than that. It is also true that torture produces bad intelligence - false leads far more likely to distract us from the ticking time bomb than to lead us there. These tactics are lazy intelligence gathering requested by lazy leaders without the courage to do what it takes for America to produce the quality intel networks we had during the Cold War. But even if it were not a strategic disaster, it is wrong and America is better than this. We should not torture or waterboard. Period.  

Tom is clearly shaped by his experiences.  Quoting again from his website,

After receiving his law degree from Yale University, Tom accepted an assignment working to end atrocities in the West African countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone, which had suffered long civil wars fueled by blood diamonds. Tom's work with child soldiers, amputees, and local pro-democracy groups in Sierra Leone played a significant role in the peace and reconciliation process that ended twelve years of violence in that country.

Tom then became Special Advisor and spokesperson for the International Prosecutor during the showdown that forced Liberian dictator Charles Taylor from power without firing a shot. After this success, Tom served as a national security analyst for the Century Foundation. He has worked inside Darfur and twice in Afghanistan.

By now you hopefully have a sense of what a unique candidate Tom Perriello is.  Over the years he has built a network that is working hard to support him, which is one reason he has been successful in his fundraising.  Although more money always helps.  The campaign has let supporters know that the DCCC has an eye on this race, and Tom is trying to reach $500,000 by the end of this quarter, something with which you can help by contributing here

My interest in Tom goes beyond his background, which I find fascinating, his obvious intelligence, his clear commitment to service.  He understands what he has to do to win.  Charlottesville and Albemarle County are areas where he can expect to do well, but he cannot hope to win without significantly increasing the Democratic turnout in Southside, which is why besides his base in Charlottesville, he opened offices in Danville and Franklin County.  Geographically the district is the size of New Jersey, and Tom has spent a lot of time on the road, listening to people across the district, getting to know the people and their concerns as well as presenting himself.  He is doing what is politically necessary to win the the district without in anyone compromising his progressive ideals.

And he has taken a leadership role as well.  He was one of the first to sign on to Darcy Burner's Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq,  and spoke to that at the recent Take Back America conference in Washington DC.  He appears in a video about that plan:  

I hope by now  have you interested in this very good, very progressive Democratic Congressional candidate.  And I ask that you consider adding Tom Perriello to the list of those you are supporting.  I know there are many demands on our limited resources, but I ask you to join me in supporting Tom, in making a contribution through ActBlue before the end of the quarter on Monday night.

Thanks for whatever you can do.   And please help spread the word about Tom.

Peace.

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