*There were about 200 people present, including several bloggers and numerous candidates, past and present (Janet Oleszek, Morris Meyer, Carlos del Toro, and several more).
*Webb was piped in by his brother Gary on bagpipes, playing "Scotland the Brave".
*Aside from Sen. Webb, elected officials present included Sen. Donald McEachin, Sen. Chap Petersen, Del. Steve Shannon, Del. Margi Vanderhye. Donald introduced Chap, who introduced Jim Webb, who introduced Leslie.
*Donald noted that without Chap, we wouldn't be at 21 seats in the Senate. Donald also pointed out (joking?) that several Republicans were having problems adjusting to this situation.
(lots more on the "flip")
*Chap said he was one of the "Fab 5" -- 5 Democratic freshmen (Miller, Northam, McEachin, Petersen, Barker) in the Senate whose victories in 2007 handed Democrats the majority in that chamber.
*Chap talked about Democrats being the party that supports "the working man and woman."
*Chap praised Donald as "very sharp on the floor," a trial attorney. He praised Webb as the type of person who doesn't look at an opinion poll before making a decision, a man who's self effacing and lets his deeds speak louder than his words. He recalled how, back in late 2005, he had advised Webb that "the first thing you should do is talk to Leslie Byrne."
*Webb said he didn't get out as much as he wished, but that it really fired him up to be around people who "got me where I am today." Webb specifically noted that Donald, Leslie and Chap were the most instrumental on the political side in his 2006 victories.
*Webb said "we need help in the U.S. Congress" given "how close a lot of votes are." That's one of the reasons he was "proud to be here tonight endorsing Leslie Byrne."
*Webb said that Leslie "feels really strongly about working people," that the Democratic Party needed to "reaffirm its commitment to working people."
*Webb enthusiastically endorsed Leslie, calling her "a voice that we really need in the U.S. Congress."
*Leslie first urged people to pray for Secretary of the Commonwealth Kate Hanley's son Patrick, who was seriously wounded in Iraq this weekend. She also urged that we think about "all the people who've come back from Iraq wounded, and all those who didn't make it back."
*Leslie called the Iraq war the "wrong invasion at the wrong time." She said that Bush is "running out the clock" and plans to turn the war over to the next president. She also noted that she had signed onto the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, emphasizing the need to "redouble" our diplomatic and humanitarian efforts in the Middle East, to fix our "broken" military that we've "relied on so much," to move away from "media monopolies" that give us a limited view of world events, and in general that "we can't continue to go on the way we've been going."
*Leslie said that Donald had been a "good friend for many years." With regard to Chap, she talked about how they had "showed how to run primaries against each other" and still "come out friends." They didn't agree on everything, but they "respected each other." That's why she was one of the first people to endorse Chap and "be by his side" when he decided to run for State Senate.
*Leslie noted that Donald had run against one of the most powerful members of the Senate, a man who had endorsed Jim Webb's opponent. She emphasized that "this Democratic family sticks together," that we all believe in values like economic justice, civil rights, "clean air and clean water for our kids."
*Leslie said she didn't disagree with Tom Davis' statement that "The House Republican brand is so bad right now that if it were a dog food, they'd take it off the shelf."
*Leslie said she got into politics to make a better community for our children. She decided to run this time when a friend of hers asked, "how can you give your grandchildren any less?" The bottom line is that she doesn't want George W. Bush to define the legacy for her children and grandchildren.
*With regard to her campaign, Leslie said "we're not gonna have all the money in the world, but we'll have enough." She pointed out that the 11th CD had a 53% Democratic performance index, so the key was not just electing "more Democrats" but that "we need better Democrats."
*Leslie praised Jim Webb as a "shining star in the Senate."
[UPDATE By Eric - Here are some more photos from a great fundraiser]
