Harris Yesterday (Friday), Harris Miller was on The Politics Program with Mark Plotkin and Bruce Allen. Here are some highlights from the hour-long interview. I have bolded what I think are the most important parts, so you can skim through in just a few minutes:1) Plotkin asked Miller who he was, adding, "I don't know that much about you, maybe the voters don't either." So, "who is Harris Miller and why are you running for the Senate?" The answer? "Harris Miller is a person who is living the American dream." In his autobiographical presentation, Miller emphasizes that he "grew up poor in Western Pennsylvania," that he "worked in a steel mill," that he went to the University of Pittsburgh thanks to student loans, and that he's lived in Virginia for 30 years. Miller also mentioned the fact that he's "become quite successful in business."
Why is Miller running for Senate? Because, he says, "Washington is broken," and he's concerned that "the next generation [will] not have the chance to live that American dream." No argument from me on any of that! Miller promises that, as "a businessman and technology executive," if elected to the U.S. Senate from Virginia, "I'm going to fix it."
"Washington is broken"/"I'm a successful businessman and I'm going to fix it." That's Harris Miller's argument for his candidacy in a nutshell. You'll undoubtedly be hearing a lot of it the next few months.
2) Miller emphasized - contrast to Jim Webb? - his long involvement in Democratic politics, starting when he was 16 years old for Robert F. Kennedy. Miller also reminded listeners that he served for six years as Chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, and that he "worked in statewide campaigns" for Chuck Robb, Gerry Baliles, Doug Wilder, Don Beyer, Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine. In addition, Miller worked on Capitol Hill for eight years - for Sen John Durkin (D-NH) as a legislative director - and also in the Carter Administration for three years (as deputy director of personnel management for Congressional relations).
Miller was asked about his one run for Congress, back in 1984, and it seemed obvious to me that he didn't particularly want to talk about that subject. Perhaps that's because Miller lost the Democratic primary in that race - badly - to John Flannery. Today, Miller says that Flannery "is a good friend of mine and [is] supporting me in my campaign." Interesting.
3) Plotkin asked Miller about the 800-pound gorilla in the room - Mark Warner. According to Plotkin, Miller said "off mic" that that Warner "was very enthusiastic...about your candidacy." The question from Plotkin was direct: "Do you expect Mark Warner - you have primary opposition, Jim Webb - to endorse you and campaign for you?" Miller's answer? "Mark Warner's been very helpful...one of the first people I went to and talked to when I started thinking about this....very encouraging." Miller added that "you'll have to talk to Mark" to find out if "he's going to officially endorse me or not," but that Warner "has agreed to be a guest at fundraiser I'm doing early next week." Finally, Miller noted that he had hired many people from Mark Warner's 2001 campaign (and also from the Tim Kaine organization). Miller put it this way: "I'm a businessman, I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here in Virginia. These are two guys who have won statewide campaigns, and those people are supporting me in my effort."
Perhaps, but it might be pointed out that Jim Webb has the architects of Mark Warner's 2001 victory - guys named Steve Jarding and Dave "Mudcat" Saunders - working for him. Also, I would point out that Webb's campaign just started last week; we'll see who he hires.
4) Miller steadfastly declined to talk about Jim Webb, but focused on George Allen and his mantra: "Washington is broken. [Allen's] been part of the problem for 5 years. I have solutions to fix it." Pressed on whether he expected Webb to get into this race, Miller ducked again, saying simply: "You'll have to talk to Jim Webb. He'll talk for himself. I'm going to talk about what Harris Miller offers as a candidate...specific solutions...how as a Virginia Democrat I can make a difference in the US Senate."
5) Plotkin asked Miller about his fundraising and speciflcally about how much Mliler felt he needed to run in the primary and - if vhe became the Democratic nominee - in the general election against George Allen. Miller didn't give a direct answer ("I don't think Joe Gibbs puts out his playbook a week before the game") but did say that he was "raising money very successfully so far" and that he would "have enough money to make sure my message gets out to all the voters of Virginia."
On the related question of whether Miller - who is very wealthy - will "self finance," Miller said that he was "out to raise money because I think that's part of candidate support." However, he also said something that most candidates can't: "in the first quarter of the year, for every $2 check [people] write to me, I'll write $1." In other words, Miller is using the "matching grants" concept as a "good incentive,"while "putting my own skin in the game." Miller concludes this subject by noting that "I'm getting great support across Virignia."
6) Miller ducked more questions about Jim Webb ("what is the difference between you and Jim Webb?"), saying: "I'll let Jim come on the program and talk about his own campaign. I'm running against George Allen." Asked about Webb's "name recognition" and whether or not Webb's "certain star appeal and charisma factor" made him "the stronger candidate" who "can beat George Allen," Miller talked a lot about Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Essentially, Miller's argument appears to be that he's another Virginia Democrat in the line of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine - "a businesslike and technology approach" and a "focus on real solutions to real problems." Miller concludes, "That's the kind of candidate I am." The question is, will this line of argument work for Virginia voters.
Challenged that the Warner/Kaine approach was more suited to being an executive or a governor, not a US Senator (where you don't manage anything except "your office"), Miller seemed to bristle: "That's absolutely not true." He then talked about James Madison being "one of my heroes" for insisting on "three co-equal branches of government." Miller then attacked Allen as a "born again fiscal conservative" who has "had the ability to say no but...has never voted no on an appropriations bill." Miller claimed that "[Allen] voted last year for 14,000 special interest projects, which is at the root of the corruption in Washington," declaring, "I'm gonna vote for zero of them."
Pressed for specific bills he would have opposed, Miller pointed to transportation, saying it was a "classic" with 6,000 "earmarks." Miller talked about the "bridge to nowhere in Alaska," borrowing (stealing?) Andy Hurst's line: "let the Eskimos drive around out there while we're sitting in traffic in Tyson's Corner. That's outrageous."
7) Miller was asked how he would have voted on recent Supreme Court nominees? Miller responeded, "I would have voted yes on John Roberts" because he was "a true bipartisan Supreme Court justice" but that "I would have voted no on Sam Alito, because he doesn't support the Madisonian idea that Congress is a coequal branch." Miller added that Bush's Alito pick was all about "partisanship" and "divisiveness," about "the President trying to score a point with his political base."
8) A caller asked about second hand smoke and a possible Virginia smoking ban. Miller pointed out that Virginia "is known as the tobacco state," but also that "there seems to be a lot of support for a smoking ban." Miller's position is that he "respect[s] the right of smokers to smoke" but does not believe "they should they be able to hurt other people in the process." Miller added that he has not taken any contributions from tobacco executives, and would not take any contributions from anyone "that was trying to buy me."
9) In response to a question on guns, Miller recited the Tim Kaine line: "I believe there are enough gun laws on the books."
10) On the war in Iraq, Miller was pointedly asked "What IS your position? Is there a difference between you and Jim Webb?" Miller's response, in my opinion, was evasive. Jim Webb, of course, opposed the Iraq War since 2002. Miller simply didn't get into that, but instead attacked the Bush Administration for not [providing our troops] the kind of support that they need." Miller noted that this was "totally unacceptable," and that "we have to get our troops home as soon as possible." However, Miller also suggested that "we have to have an exit strategy from Iraq that does not leave a humanitarian crisis that forces us to go right back in there." What would a successful exit strategy look like? Miller suggested that we treat this like a business: "Let's set up very specific type metrics. As each of those metrics is reached, we withdraw more troops." Finally, Miller asserted that if an elected Iraqi government "asks us to leave, we should leave immediately."
11) Plotkin asked Miller how he's going to be beat George Allen, who is "very popular," whose "father was a Redskins coach," and who is even talking about "running for President." Miller's response was a great one-liner: "George will have a lot of time to run for President when he's a former Senator." Ha. More substantively, Miller added that "the people of Virginia I've been speaking with" (he said he has driven almost 5,000 miles the last sic weeks and attended 71 events) are "sick of the mess in Washington." And Miller noted that "Allen has the third highest support score among all 100 senators for the Bush proposals." Miller noted that, while Allen has been there, the "federal deficit has gone from $4 trillion to $8 trillion," and that this constitutes "the biggest tax increase in the nation's history" since "what is a deficit if not a tax increase...passing deficits on to our children" and "creat[ing] this incredible debt burden on the future." In contrast, Miller says: "I'm going to make the tough decisions to get the fiscal house back in order, invest in the future."
12) Miller responded to a Republican caller by saying, "I'm a Democrat and I'm a proud Democrat but I'm nobody's lackey...I disagree with a lot of what the national Democratic Party advocates because I am a businessperson." Miller added:
I'm going to vote for what's best for Virginia. I'm an American first, I'm a Virginia second, I'm a Democrat third. Allen is a Republican first, Republican second, and Republican third.
Miller also expressed his belief that "we DO need to keep taxes down, but we also need to collect taxes" pointing out that there were "$350 billion in uncollected taxes two years ago," and that the people not paying taxes were not the poor or middle class, but "rich people...the people who support George Allen and George Bush." Miller noted that clamping down on this tax evasion "alone would have almost erased the deficit."
13) However, responding to a Mark Plotkin on whether or not he would vote to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, Miller said, "I love the idea...I think it's a great idea," while adding that "we have to do it in context" and "only if we can afford it." Specifically, Miller said that we can't cut taxes "at the same time we're cutting student loans."
14) Other areas that Miller is not a "traditional Democrat?" Miller's answer is fascinating:
I support the death penalty. I'm an Old Testament kind of guy. I understand that often the legal representation isn't what it needs to be...but if somebody killed my wife or killed my kids not only would I wanted to see them executed, I'd flip the switch... Criminals need to be treated for what they are, as criminals. I know a lot of people in the Democratic Party don't necessarily agree with that...
15) Asked about Google in China, Miller pins the blame on China, saying:
I am outraged about the way they are playing on the international trade scene. I am outraged about the unwillingness of George Allen and George Bush to take [the Chinese] on for their unfair trade practices....We need to get tough on China. Respect them...but we can't let them be wild cheaters and ignore all the trade laws.
Miller noted that "Google wasn't a member of the ITAA, but that's neither here nor there." Still , Miller was sympathetic with Google's "tough choice" in China, especially since "one of the things that's going to help overthrow the communist government in China is the internet." Interestingly, Miller says he hasn't been allowed to travel to China the last two years, apparently for making critical remarks about the government there.
16) On education, SOLs, teacher salaries and public schools, Miller noted that he was "very proud" that "both my children are products of the Fairfax County Public Schools." Miller spoke passionately that "public education is the great opportunity creator... and we must support it", adding:
... and we are not doing it. We're seeing CUTS in Federal education. They're setting up expectations and standards but then passing along all the requirements to the states and localities to pay for it. That again is totally irresponsible. We have a system designed for the 19th century and we're living in the 21st century.
Miller noted that in his travels around the world, he has seen places like India and China "jumping ahead of us by leaps and bounds because they are making those investments" in education. For instance, China is graduating "six times more engineers" each year than we are. Also, "our math and science scores have dropped to 24th in the world" and that is "totally unacceptable." The bottom line, in Miler's view, is that "we have to make massive new investments in education. We need to double the number of science, technology, engineering and math graduates over the next 10 years."
On the related subject of the "No Child Left Behind" law, Miller called it a "bait and switch," sincer there is "no money to pay for it." As a result, we have "many many many more children left behind."
17) On the fillibuster, Miller said he strongly supported it, repeating that "James Madison [is] my political hero" and that "Congress is there to protect the rights of individual Americans against a too-powerful President" or a monarch like "King George." Miller was asked if he would have filibustered Sam Alito's nomination to the Supreme court, and he said no "I don't think Judge Alito's nomination rose to that level."
18) On the "PATRIOT Act," Miller emphasized that we live in a "very dangerous world," that "Al Qaeda is more dangerous [today] than on 9/11." However, Miller stressed that "we can't rip up the constitution in the process." Still, Miller "would have voted yes" on renewing the PATRIOT Act.
19) Asked what committees he would like to serve on in the Senate, Miller mentioned two: Labor/Human Resources, since it deals with education; and the Commerce Committee, since it deals with technology issues. Miller noted that the United States is "14th in the world in broad band deployment" even though "we invented the internet right here in Northern Virginia." And Miller added, "what that means [is that].people in rural Virginia, southside, southwest are not part of the internet age. Jobs going to India and the Philippines could stay right here if they had internet access."
20) Asked to list "3 or 4 issues on which he's going to beat George Allen," Miller pointed to health care, saying that both poor people and businss owners are "scared to death" about "soaring health care costs." Miller stressed his belief that "we've got to fix the health care system," but also that he opposed a "national, [single] payer system." Interestingly for a Democrat, Miller said that "government doesn't have the solution" to this issue. Instead, Miller talked about incemental solutions" like "bring[ing] in information technology" and allowing for "re-mportation of drugs from Canada."
21) On global warming, national energy pollicy, and energy efficiency, Miller joked that he "drove over in my hybrid." But seriously, Miller stressed that the White House and Congress are dealing with "side issues" like drilling in ANWR, which he opposes ("that's ridiculous" to drill in ANWR). Miller denounced Republicans for "denying that global warming exists contrary to all scientific evidence," and (rightly) blasted the Bush Administration for having "politicized science, whether it is stem cell research [or] global warming." On every front, the Bush Administration "look[s[ for political answers not scientific answers...that's really an embarrassment to this entire country." Miller stated that "we have to dramatically promote energy efficiency," and cited the example of Brazil (ethanol.
22) Finally, Mark Plotkin asked Miller if he would "debate Jim Webb at WTOP the Friday prior to the June 13 primary." Miller's response: "Wherever you want me Mark, I'll be there."
This should be an interesting primary.
[UPDATE: Miller was also interviewed this past week by the Connection Newspapers, which serve Northern Virginia. Here's an interesting excerpt:
MILLER IS FAR from anyone's idea of left-wing. He supports requiring parental notification when a minor seeks an abortion and he considers himself a strong believer in the death penalty."I'm just an Old Testament kind of guy," he said. "A lot of Democrats don't understand that."
[...]
Miller also said he is a supporter of the Second Amendment. "This idea that everyone who's got a gun is evil is simply wrong," he said.
Moreover, he has little time for liberals who express disdain at conservative Christian beliefs. "So many Democrats talk about the 'Religious Right.' Well, that's disrespectful of their views."