It seems Washington DC just can't catch a break.
NLS has a post today about Jim Moran, Tom Davis and other area luminaries stumping in support of the Washington Nationals.
It seems that Major League Baseball "bartered away" the TV rights for the Nationals and now over 75% of those games will not be televised.
?The Nationals must have the same wide and dependable broadcast reach that other major league clubs enjoy, in order to grow their organization. After such an exciting season last year, failure to maximize the club?s potential would be a shame and a detriment to Washington D.C.?s investment."- Jim Moran
This is astounding and tragic, but really it's just more of the same Taxation Without Representation that is the norm in Washington DC.
While Eleanor Holmes Norton does a great job in Washington as a "Congresswoman", she has no voting rights, and thus Washington DC is literally unrepresented in Congress. I have nothing but the highest respect for the honorable Ms. Norton. What I find unconscionable is the fact that the citizens of the District of Columbia have no effective voice in our national government. I'm no expert on this issue, but I would love for somebody to explain to me just how this has happened and how this state of affairs endures.
I applaud the great work of Jim Moran. I know he has a great working relationship with Tom Davis and others who do a lot to look out for the interests of the District. I do however, think it's a tragedy that they have so much power over what happens to people who didn't elect them. The only thing worse than not being able to watch the ballgame after your city has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in bringing Major League Baseball to town, is that fact that the people of Washington DC don't have a voice in the US Congress; no Senators either.
If we can't get voting rights for DC, the least we can do is call Comcast and tell them to broadcast a few more ball games.
If you're a subscriber, give 'em a call.
There is a constitutional issue as to whether giving DC Senators would infringe the equality of state representation (after all the current DC was part of Maryland more than 200 years ago). This seems a pretty weak argument to me, but if it was upheld then any amendment for Senate representation would need to be ratified by all the states instead of the usual three-quarters.
Of course the real reason for the opposition is that Republicans do not want to add certain Democratic votes to the rolls of Congress.
What is the "great work" that Jim Moran allegedly did? Are you talking about his sponsorship of bankruptcy reform? Whipping of CAFTA on behalf of Tom DeLay? His vote for Class Action Reform?
What is the great work? Tell us.
I fear the data mining will pick you up and whisk you away to an undisclosed location.
Also, Google rules.
Have fun with that. It just seems a bit mean sprited to me.
#2 in your list is incorrect, by the way. I saw Tim Kaine and Jim Moran during the campaign. I think in August.
Keep up the good work.
I really was impressed with Jim Moran yesterday.
Thanks for stopping by. What is it you're really trying to accomplish, anyway?
Josh
P.S. You're up early this morning...excited about James Webb? :)
(1) Play a role in retiring Moran sooner than he would have retired if not for my efforts.
If that is not possible then:
(2) Harm his reputation in order to make him radioactive with other pols and reduce his influence. Tim Kaine cancelled his only one-on-one appearance with Moran, allegedly because of the John Robert nomination (yeah, right, that was not a House or state issue).
If that is not possible then:
(3) Harm the reputations of those who support him in order to reduce their influence.
If that is not possible then:
(4) Interfere with the implementation of some of Moran's unpopular issues, such as, in this term, CAFTA, I-66 widening in Arlington, and tariff elimination for Sri Lankan/Wal-Mart clothing imports.
If that is not possible then:
(5) Have an entertaining website that people enjoy visiting and so has an audience.
If that is not possible then:
(6) Learn about programming by running my own webserver and writing my own code.
If that is not possible then:
(7) Express myself.
This is a really complex issue for many people. I view a photo like that as common in Europe but still pretty outside the mainstream in America. Also, it is very hard to ignore something, turn the other cheek, or live and let live when you believe something is morally wrong. Finally, along the same line of feeling uncomfortable, have you ever seen a picture of an abortion being performed????
And I did not think your wife was shrill. I think her points just made someone uncomfortable. She really hit the nail on the head. Not only are gays not going away, but the historical trend is in their favor. Younger demographic groups are more in favor of gay rights. The trends are just like those for the civil rights movement. I hope it happens as fast. I saw many individuals recognize the error of their beliefs by the 1970s. That's going to happen here. And I think there are many people of good heart and good will who just, sadly, got hard wired into believing the anti-gay nonsense. It is very hard to outgrow.
I personally prefer to respetfully disagree on some issues and work towards common goals that most people can agree with albeit from a Republican perspective :)
Even though I count democrats among mostly all of my friends, I still have to remember that my sexuality makes them uneasy. Just the mention of the fact that I have a boyfriend is unsettling to some people.
I really hope that one day that can change. From this post today and the fact that you had to change it to a more acceptable ad kinda makes me think different. Pretty dissapointing.
nice.
I do everything I can to keep words like "hitler" and fascism and nazism out of the discourse. I don't think they serve.
That site, however really does give me pause.
stunner.
Either that, or it was the vast stupid wing conspiracy that grabbed it out of the ether.
http://www.hatecrime.org/subpages/hitler/hitler.html gays.
This is John Aravosis' analysis comparing the arguments Hitler used against the Jews to the arguments used by the religious right against
As to the people who think homosexuality is morally wrong, and base it on the Bible, I wonder when their ilk is going to get the Bob Marshalls (and George Bushes) of the world to pass a law saying slavery is okay, as is selling your daughter into slavery, as is killing your children for minor offenses -- all approved by the God of the Old Testament. Maybe some believe in that book as inerrant.
A better interpretation is that it was written by the powers-that-be of the time, violence prone males who treated women as property. (That's still the norm throughout the Middle East.)
Josh is right. Look around and see what George Bush has wrought. And his foreign policy (and domestic policy) immorality is going to be with us for a long time.
I do not think the gay hate amendment will necessarily in Virginia. Besides its poor wording and uncertain reach, most Americans now support at least the concept government approved civil unions. The key is going to be how many young people get out to vote, since they see the hate-the-gays politics for what it is.
And this topic is certainly not inappropriate for this forum.
Finally(Josh - 4/4/2006 11:33:28 PM)
Finally, along the same line of feeling uncomfortable, have you ever seen a picture of an abortion being performed????
Have you ever seen pictures of the dead and dismembered children from Iraq and Sudan? Have you ever seen what happens to kids who get poisoned by mercury or other toxins from drinking water? Have you ever thought of all the children living in poverty, starving and dying around the world because our world economic system gives to the rich and leaves the poor to suffer and die?
Nova: you're a good guy, and I respect your belief, but the right has no universal claim to the moral highground.
The point of this is that if you don't face your own demons they will consume you. When enough people are consumed by their demons, the demons consume society.
I've swapped it out for your benefit.
Interesting reaction. I'm pretty sure that, based on your/our reaction here, the gay debate is lost in Virginia for this election cycle.
Makes me uncomfortable, too, but... to each his own. I'm uncomfortable seeing overt sexuality in public, of any kind. Period. This is a private matter, so far as I'm concerned, and so it should remain. It's a standard of conduct, good manners, and so on... the way we have to conduct ourselves if we intend to live in a civil society.
And do you know, in my fairly long life I have worked with, played with, schemed, and fought with homosexuals of every kind. In the long run, folks, it really doesn't matter. We own our own bodies, not the State, not the Church, not some moralizing self-appointed censor. Just don't get in my face with whatever hangups you have, and we can get along just fine, proceed with civilization and living our lives as we choose.
I'm sorry, but for anyone using the Bible to say homosexuality is a sin, but the same book of the Bible says that touching the skin of a dead pig is a sin; that planting the seeds of two different crops in one feild is a sin; that troublesome children should be stoned; etc. So how come we don't follow all of those biblical interpretations? Why does what the Bible say come into the discussion for policy in the country that created religious freedom? Why is 'it's the way it's always been' a justification for a state amendment outlawing a different lifestyle? At one point in American histry slavery was seen as an institution that 'hatd always been around' and needed to be protected (one that, btw, is more supported by the Bible than the anti-homosexual agenda). Our better angels prevailed and slavery is now universally seen as an evil. So how long until homophobia is seen as the same? As was mentioned above, demographic pressure will ensure that any measures passed now will be overturned in the near future.
I'm sorry, but it's 'icky' is not justification for discrimination and hate.
Jeez.
Uhm...cough..cough..anyone else notice that Candana beat USA in the World Baseball Classic yesterday?
Just some food for thought.
Hence, we censor sex and nudity but pornographic violence shows up freely.
It's more likely, though, that Miller will end up following the Warner blueprint and use the name recognition gained from a run at the Senate seat for something else down the road, according to Farnsworth.
This is all about getting the Rhinestone Cowboy out of the US Senate.
Greg: Feel free to take pics. That's not just fine, but expected. Oh, and I owe you an email, bigtime.
After graduate school, Harris began his 30-year career in public service. As a top Congressional aide, he tackled tough issues such as energy independence, transportation, and immigration. Working in the Carter Administration, Harris was involved in overhauling the government personnel system and making it run more like a business while protecting federal worker rights.
In 1984, Harris turned to the private sector. He spent the next decade helping raise his two young children, playing an active role in numerous community organizations, and running a series of small businesses that specialized in banking, insurance, technology, agriculture, and immigration issues.
In 1995, with the online revolution gearing up, Harris became President of the Arlington-based Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), where he led the charge that made Virginia and the United States global centers in the new field of Information Technology (IT). Within a decade, Harris tripled the ITAA's membership, while also heading up the World Information Technology and Services Alliance, increasing its scope from 22 to 67 countries.
http://action.miller2006.net/miller2006/bio.html
So, there was some involvement with "small businesses" that had a variety of expertise - one of them being "technology."
Digging a little deeper:
Miller has a broad range of additional public policy experience. Prior to joining ITAA, he was president of Immigration Services Associates, a government relations firm based in Washington, D.C. specializing in immigration issues. Concurrently, he acted as government relations director for Fragomen, Del Rey & Bernsen, P.C., a nationwide law firm specializing in immigration, and he operated his own government relations firm, Harris Miller & Associates, with clients in high tech, agriculture and banking.
http://www.estrategy.gov/forum/forum_two/miller_bio.doc
So, he wasn't exactly a tech-savy businessman in the same vein as Warner. He's more like a tech-savy lobbyist.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/05.html
It's good stuff.
If you need another reason to like Olbermann: he has an on going fued with Bill O'Reilly. It's gotten to the point where O'Reilly has started a petition to bring back Donehue (who used to have Olbermann's time slot).
We didn't start this war, and we're sure as hell not going to finish it.
You're right. I love coming to this site once or twice a month to read the smears, lies, and insults toward other Democrats like Miller, Warner, etc., etc.
At Dkos and Mydd there are users that have the backbone to call out the likes of lowell (aka lowkell), josh, and the rest of these rats.
RK has become nothing more than a Webb fetish. It insults the intelligence, and they have no problem with lying when it comes to Webb.
They have no credibility. Even worse, the regulars on this site tend to just go along with this crap.
This is one reason I stay away from active involvment in the Democratic party. Now I expect one of the party people to post to this blog and suggest some kind of punishment for me. Trying to post here with this kind of resentment is almost like trying to post on a right wing site.
Let's face it. Progressives have their own views. We don't take orders, and that's a good thing. I also think that more and more the party will realize how much they need us.
OK. Should I go to GITMO now?
Harris Miller does not hunt because the word hunting implies the probability of failure. Harris Miller goes killing.
Harris Miller' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.
Harris Miller counted to infinity - twice.
Harris Miller does not sleep. He waits.
When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night he checks his closet for Harris Miller.
Harris Miller can speak braille.
Harris Miller was once on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and was the first to spin. The next 29 minutes of the show consisted of everyone standing around awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.
Harris Miller, Vin Diesel and Arnold Schwarzenegger have all died and are in Heaven. Each of them hope to occupy the seat next to God. God asks Vin Diesel why he thinks he should have the seat and Vin replies, "I believe... I should have the seat because of the virtuosity in my toughness and pride." Arnie says, "I believe... that I should be the one sitting next to you because of all my achievements." God then turns to Harris Miller, who replies with, "I believe... you are sitting in my seat."
Harris Miller puts the "laughter" in "manslaughter".
If Harris Miller is late, time better slow the f* down.
Harris Miller doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.
Harris Miller sleeps with a night light. Not because Harris Miller is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Harris Miller
If you can see Harris Miller, he can see you. If you can't see Harris Miller you may be only seconds away from death.
The chief export of Harris Miller is pain.
Harris Miller frequently donates blood to the Red Cross. Just never his own.
Harris Miller died ten years ago, but the Grim Reaper can't get up the courage to tell him.
Leading hand sanitizers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Harris Miller can kill 100 percent of whatever the f* he wants.
At birth, Harris Miller came out feet first so he could roundhouse kick the doctor in the face. Nobody delivers Harris Miller but Harris Miller
Harris Miller does not know where you live, but he knows where you will die.
When Harris Miller sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes only a picture of himself, crouched and ready to attack. Harris Miller has not had to pay taxes ever.
The quickest way to a man's heart is with Harris Miller's fist.
Harris Miller is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
Harris Miller once survived a suicide bombing. He was the bomber.
Geico saved 15% by switching to Harris Miller.
A blind man once stepped on Harris Miller' shoe. Harris replied, "Don't you know who I am? I'm Harris Miller!" The mere mention of his name cured this man blindness. Sadly the first, last, and only thing this man ever saw, was a fatal roundhouse delivered by Harris Miller.
Harris Miller once went on Celebrity Jeopardy and answered, "Who is Harris Miller?" to every question. It was the first and only time in Jeopardy history that a contestant answered every single question right.
Harris Miller can divide by zero.
Superman owns a pair of Harris Miller pajamas.
Water boils faster when Harris Miller watches it.
Harris Miller can slam revolving doors.
We all know the magic word is please. As in the sentence, "Please don't kill me." Too bad Harris Miller doesn't believe in magic.
A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Harris Miller and that you will be handicapped if you park there.
Harris Miller has to sort his laundry into three loads: darks, whites, and bloodstains.
Harris Miller owns the greatest Poker Face of all-time. It helped him win the 1983 World Series of Poker despite him holding just a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoloy card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game UNO.
They say that lightning never strikes the same place twice. Niether does Harris Miller. He doesn't have to.
Microsoft has released a new Anti-virus removal tool called Harris Miller. The tool dares the virus to enter the machine.
The only thing we have to fear is fear itself... The only thing fear has to fear is Harris Miller.
egregiously thieved and adapted from this: http://www.4q.cc/index.php?pid=top100&person=chuck
Webb hacks? Nah. Webb supporters? Yup. Just, instead of (or in addition to) wearing buttons and volunteering, you write. Nothing wrong with that. Critics need to take a deep breath, relax, and cut you some slack.
I would like to hear more concrete answers on where both of the canidates stand on issues.
ps. We are all Demorats here (well, most of us); can't we all just get along? :)
I completely admit that this was way self-aggrandizing but I just couldn't think of another way to better rub in the faces of naysayers the fact that when they were running for the hills, some of us were standing strong.
I'm going to get a beer and a good night's sleep. Then I'll take a break from patting myself on the back and get back to work.
;)
Drew, thanks for sharing your opinion. As for Governor Kaine (I love saying that) and the DPVA, Raising kaine is an independent pac, not autorized by (or beholden to) any party or candidate.
If there happens to be a preponderance of Webb support here, you can take that at face value.
Most people don't care much about what someone says in the blog world.
This place isn't about censoring our writings and words. This place is about saying what you truly think. A lot of people don't like that, but a lot of people do.
You're welcome here to criticize any candidate or action you wish. All we ask is that you don't make it personal.
Now, can you please tell me one instance where anyone here has lied when it comes to Webb? I can't think of one instance. Put up or shut up, dude.
I wonder if Webb is able to do this precisely because he's not beholden to those in the Democratic party who have given out so much bad advice.
Ha. That's way too funny to not pass up.
Mark Warner and his Forward Together PAC has $2.5M in cash on hand, Nigel Morris, Don Beyer, Mame Reily, Jerome Armstrong, etc. etc.
Oh, but Mark Warner also has Josh Chernila--There's some comfort! Now I can sleep better at night! Boy, I didn't know Josh was a founding member of that A-Team! I bet Nigel, Don, and Mame comes over to Josh's house (or dorm room?) for advice. I'm sure Jerome calls up Josh once a week--after all, Josh is mentoring Jerome, right?
You morons are so full of it! Get a clue already.
Principally, Webb will not endorse Feingold's censure motion, at least not yet.
His dodge on the recod over at kos amounts to 1) there should be investigation and 2) it's better to have democrats in power to subpoena witnesses.
Now, I agree with both of those things, but they are irrelevant.
Webb must 1) recognize that no investigations will occur while the GOP is in control and 2) cannot give real answers based on the hypothetical scenario that dems win back the senate.
While his rhetoric on accountability sounds good at first, there's nothing of substance to hang your hat on. He could turn out to be Joe Biden or Joe Lieberman in his ultimate votes. Biden has better sound bites than Lieberman, but on the voting record, he's not meaningfully better.
I will support the dem nominee, and vote for him.
But what's in play for me is this:
1) I write occasional front page posts at Firedoglake and have credibility in that community. I'm "home grown" there.
2) I live in VA and did gotv calls for Kaine. My volunteer time is limited to candidates who have real spine/
3) Hence, in order to pump up Webb at Firedoglake, and in order to offer my volunteer time, I want a clear answer. So far, all Webb's answers leave escape hatches everywhere. And that's not good enough, at least, not for me to put my netroots credibility on the line to join the bandwagon.
Can he shut up already? I mean, really...
As I recall there have been multiple requests for Miller writers on RK. I have no doubt Lowell/Josh etc would have any problem with articles about Miller. But no one has stepped up to the plate and offered.
Seems silly to me. RaisingKaine.com gets a ton of hits in the Virginia blog world (relatively speaking that is). Miller should take them up on the offer and get a little free advertising.
That's a really strange phenomenon. I can't say I understand it either.
He's stuck his neck out by going pro-choice in VA. He favors DADT while acknowledging that there have always been gays in the military and always will be and that there is room for evolution in this policy over time. He is against the iraq war and was one of the earliest and strongest critics. He wants congress to step up and reign in the power of the Presidency.
I just don't get these litmus test Dems.
DENNIS KUCINICH IS NEVER GOING TO GET ELECTED TO STATEWIDE OFFICE IN VIRGINIA! Get over yourselves and get to work taking back congress.
Not only will a Webb election help to energize and organize the progressive movement in Virginia, it will send a message to 2008 that Bushism is dead.
Oh, and by the way? There's no Presidential election in 2015. Nor in 2014. Now there is one in 2016, and I'm hoping at that time we're running whoever Mark Warner's VP has been for the past eight years.
Check back next week for another quickie interview.
;)
Clarence Carter was obscure. He had one hit in 1969. Maybe you mean Clarence Clemons? I didn't know he or Clarence Carter dabbled in politics.
Bob Dylan was not a political activist. He didn't lead antiwar marches. Check it out. Antiwar people liked his songs. Civil rights marchers sang "Blowing In The Wind."
Show me a Dylan 60s song about Vietnam. He muted it to make timeless music. He did not discuss that type of current event.
Now the "Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" was a news story about the actual murder of a black maid in Maryland. And Dylan did a Medgar Evers blues song. So maybe vis a vis civil rights you have a point, sort of. But vis a vis Vietnam, no.
Dylan talked through his music. His political positions are inferred through his music. That is a different thing than Natalie Maines mouthing off about Bush.
Listen to Dylan's Albert Hall concert, from 1966. You will not hear any political statements there.
Neil Young? CSNY? He did write a song "Four Dead In Ohio" which was political. But again. The real artists let their music do the talking. They are not mouthing off at concerts with a shpiel about what you should think.
And if they do so then they lose their radio friendliness. Someone once asked Elvis about the Vietnam War. He answered "Ma'am, I'm an entertainer."
CCR, "Fortunate Son", again, the music did the talking. Natalie Maines did her own talking and opened herself up to a world of hurt.
What did the Rolling Stones ever do that was political besides get high, make money and have both gay and straight sex?
Marvin Gaye? The same thing. What's Going On is a great album with insightful lyrics. I assume that it is sort of subtly an antiwar album. But no overt here-is-what-you-should-think stuff.
Springsteen is no longer a current radio artist. He is oldies. Sorry. I heard his recent album dealing with 9-11. Yes, Springsteen opposes suicide bombings. So do I. Even Jim Moran does.
I don't think that even on his new album you can say what Springsteen thinks we should do in Iraq.
Don't know Pearl Jam. After my time. Same thing with Green Day. I thought Green Day sang about girls and stuff.
Again listen to Dylan's classic Albert Hall bootleg (actually recorded in Manchester England in 1966). No political patter between songs.
Listen to Beatles Live at Hollywood Bowl. Listen to Stones Ya-Yas Madison Square Garden 1969. Listen to Woodstock! Pete Townsend of the Who chased Abbie Hoffman off the stage with a guitar after Hoffman got up and started ranting about politics.
I will finish up with a great statement by Smokey Robinson. He mentioned that in the 1960s he wrote a song about antiwar protests, and it was a minor hit. But he says that no one has rerecorded that song of his, and no one ever will. He said it is dated by its subject matter.
Listen to Dylan. He did not discuss current events in his heyday, except for Civil Rights.
Now I am a big fan of Dylan's pro-Israel song "Neighborhood Bully" which is a sarcastic jibe at how some, including Jim Moran at times (but not recently) have criticized Israel. But it is not Dylan's best work. And it came out in 1983 on Infidels, after his heydays.
A few queer sorts say Infidels is Dylan's best work. Sianaid O'Connor (sp?) said so. But few others agree.
Natalie Maines was misguided. She was supposed to be a professional, and not antagonize her concert audiences, most of whom are not political and just listen to the music.
Use your musical celebrity to advance controversial poltitical causes, e.g., telling Brits that "I am ashamed of Bush" and you are asking for trouble.
I am sorry these girls got into trouble (and when they pose nude on magazine covers they are definitely going for the girl image) but the country music demographic just won't accept them. It accepted Mary Chapin Carpenter until her music went south but she didn't high-profile it like the Chicks did.
I see them having a comeback as folkies. But they are finished in country music, and pop won't accept them as crossovers. That spot is taken by Faith Hill.
Earle's The Revolution Starts Now is a great album, although the melody's are repetitive and the antiwar lyrics get repeated across several songs as well.
Earle was not a major star, rarely played on country radio, so he can say whatever he wants. And that is where the Chicks are going, into the Steve Earle small club spot. Quite a nasty fall for them.
The only thing that would save the Chicks would be if Natalie Maines would announce that she has a drinking problem. She could go into People magazine with details of her rehab and look back on how her drinking drove her out of control and now she would never say things like she used to.
Then there is redemption. County fans and others like that.
So if I were the Chicks manager I would insist that Natalie develop a drinking problem so that she can be cured of it in front of the public and achieve Hugh Grant/Mariah Carey levels of redemptiveness.
The Chicks should have gotten themselves started by posing with beer bottles and empty Jack Daniels. Natalie could be half passed out in the corner while the two sisters try and revive her.
Listen to me. I can make them big stars again.
;)
Oh well, scooped again by RK.
The telling people that Webb is really a Republican is slimy for sure. I hope that this isn't a pattern with the Miller folks. I agree with Leslie Byrne who said “I believe Jim is the BEST kind of Democrat who will stand up for all Virginians as well as fight for what is right in Washington. Jim is the kind of candidate we need to win in November.â€
This is just as bad as someone filling in an address on the sheet, or making up a name if someone forgot to fill it in.
No one's perfect, and I understand that this was a blatant obvious breaking of the law...but I want Webb to win your alls nomination based on his merit, but because Miller had to get our of the race, or a scandal.
I agree that this stuff most likely happens all the time, and it probably won't mean anything in June. I guess a lot of us are still naive about this kind of stuff, and we want to see everything be fair. Not going to happen, but we just wish it was, and we want to do what we can to keep it that way.
p.s. I really want Webb to win on merit, too. I think Miller ending his run over a scandal would be bad for Democrats. We need to have somebody win a contested primary fair-and-square for things to be "cool" at the end of the day.
I want Webb to win your alls nomination.
But LaserTag? I'd switch sides!! (JUST kidding)
Miller IS Paying Underage Petition Collectors.
I see your point TC. I'd rather talk substance as well, but this is messed up.
I am the other licensed attorney that JC refers to. And yes, the story is, as corrected by J.C , what happened. The only thing I will add is that the Webb campaign lost a person who would have otherwise probably signed for both Democratic candidates, as he stated to me as “He’s a Republican, that’s what she saidâ€, in referring to the young girl that JC has identified. I followed the guy to get his signature after she had left our area where I had asked her how much she was being paid, initially out of jest.
I’m sure JC will give a more complete blow by blow, but I will have to say the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became and the disgust and loathing hasn’t yet leveled off! Talk about “business as usual†from the Lobbying Crowd, I can’t think of a better illustration of the concept. I’d write more but the wireless at home sucks.
Just quoting the Code, that’s all.
Want to go into a bit more detail for me?
In every other respect teh story is true. Three people witnessed the event, including two licensed attorneys.
I mean honestly, what will Harris Miller offer next? Pork rinds?
No offense, but who cares why you want Webb to get the nomination! You're a republican!!!
I was relaxing on the patio, and then I get a call from a friend who just saw this blog. Curious, I thought I’d take a look at your spin.
After reading this blog at 6:05pm, I immediately telephoned a friend on the Miller staff. As a Haris Miller supporter, I am very concerned by this issue. As someone who has volunteered many hours over the past 15 years getting petition signatures for candidates, I have seen mistakes AND illegal conduct.
I just got the phone number of the guy in charge of the Miller effort in Richmond (I'm in Fairfax). When I find out what is going on, I will post another response. This should be within the next hour.
If I don’t hear back from this guy ASAP, I’ll be pretty angry and will post accordingly.
In regard to a 15 year-old collecting signatures, I’m not sure if this is an honest mistake or willful misconduct. I will find out. If true, this is very alarming.
Regarding the issue of paying signature collectors, this has been going on in campaigns for a long time. Both Republicans and Democrats do this. I’m not saying that this is always the best way to go, but it does happen. It is legal, and it is often used in Virginia and about two dozen other states. I made a campaign contribution to Harris Miller, and I don’t mind if he chooses to pay for signature collectors because when I was in college, I did it for other Democratic candidates. I usually got between $15 to $40 for helping a fellow Democrat get him/herself on the ballot.
Regardless, I will find out how many non-paid volunteers and paid volunteers were in Richmond today. I will also provide the name of the Miller guy in Richmond, and the first name of the 15 year-old in question. In other words, I’ll find out what happened, what went wrong, who is responsible, and what is (or will be done to fix this).
If you want to give me a call, Mary Dotson has my phone number.
Again, I should be able to post a response pretty soon. I’ll tell you what I know, and I’ll leave it at that.
The Miller campaign guy in Richmond is Kevin O’Hallerhan. He is on the Miller campaign staff, and knows that I am a strong supporter for Harris.
I told him what I needed to know, and no bullshit. He agreed. We spoke at length.
Kevin stated that the volunteers (paid and un-paid) meet at a Starbucks in Richmond at 10:00am this morning. There were 5 unpaid volunteers and 5 paid volunteers. One paid volunteer was not present, and she needed to be picked up because she did not have transportation. One of the paid volunteers at Starbucks had already arranged to pick her up, and would do so after the morning meeting.
Kevin explained how to properly collect signatures, stated that the purpose was to only place Harris Miller on the ballot, etc., etc. I specifically asked him TWICE if he or any other volunteer at that meeting had discussed Webb as a “Republican.†Kevin said absolutely not. Kevin said that at no time did he or anyone else “coach†the volunteers or condone misleading or false comments.
Kevin went with a handful of volunteers to Church Hill, one or two (I forget what he said) went to the YDC, and the one who would be picking up the other volunteer would be collecting signatures in Carytown.
Kevin said the day went fine, and everyone met up at the Starbucks at 4:00pm. He noted the day’s results per each volunteer, and only then found out that the one volunteer who did not attend the morning meeting (the one who was picked up after the meeting), was the 15 year-old.
This young lady’s name is Parker. According to Kevin, she has helped other Democrats in past elections canvass for support. This was the first time that she had collected petition signatures, and she did not realize that she needed to be 18. Per Kevin, she felt awful and was very sorry. Kevin felt terrible that she was not told, and that her hard work was for not. She thought that she could earn a few dollars, have some fun, and help the “cause.†She collected 33 signatures (25 on one sheet, and 8 on another).
Kevin has those 2 petitions, both not signed and not notarized. They are crossed out and therefore invalidated. Kevin will make a file and note what happened. Kevin informed her that these petitions cannot be used. He added that she still wants to help, and that he will make sure that she will have better and appropriate opportunities.
Kevin feels terrible, Parker feels terrible, and I feel bad for both. This is an accident that was caught at 4:00pm instead of at 10:00am, like it probably should have been.
Should blame be assigned? I don’t know, especially since Kevin immediately explained to me what happened, felt responsible for what happened, and then did everything right to correct the problem immediately after he found out that she was 15.
As far as the “Webb is a Republican†statement that was heard from one of the Miller volunteers, all I can relay is that Kevin was emphatic that he does not approve of that statement because it makes Democrats in general seem callous and irresponsible toward the general public.
Well, that is what I know. It was an accident.
But I do have one strong concern: If we are all Democrats here, why air out this dirty laundry in the blogosphere?
Four weeks ago at the Pan-Am Safeway (in Fairfax), I stopped by to say hi to some petitioners. I just got done with petitioning at another location, and was curious to know how thinks were going. I found out that one of the Webb petitioners did not have Mr. Webb’s home address on the petition (that is a clear violation of VA law). I told him that he needed to get the address on the form. He did not realize that this was a violation, and I approached the petition coordinator who was at the Safeway. She acknowledged that the address needed to be on the petition, and would go over to him and make it right.
A well-seasoned and well-reputable coordinator was 15 feet from the Webb petitioner. Yet, a violation was in progress. Should I have complained, or went to the blogosphere, or had a seizure? Of course not.
I’ve probably gotten over 2,000 signatures for Democratic petitions over the last 15 years. I got 160 signatures for Harris Miller in just the last four weeks. I would like to claim that I never made a mistake, but I don’t know (I don’t think so, anyway).
So, at first glance, the incident in Richmond seemed wrong. But like the incident at the Pan-Am Safeway, it appears to be an honest mistake that should have not happened. These things will happen. More importantly, both incidents were handled appropriately.
Perhaps your reactions were appropriate, but if you look at what took place and read what Kevin did to correct the problem, then I cannot imagine any reasonable person believing what took place to be illegal, especially since the young lady did not sign the document in front of a notary.
I would recommend that you do what I did: Take the high road. If you see a problem, take the petitioners name and contact his/her coordinator. If you still have a problem, then immediately contact the Webb campaign and inform them. Let the campaigns investigate each other, which is what ought to happen. There is no need to air-out dirty laundry for Republicans and Independents to read. It makes us all look bad, especially when mistakes occur and always when there is a perception of a campaign violation.
I won't reply, I've got relaxing to do. Peace.
Props to Bill for helping us to figure this out.
George Mason in the national news as the hero underdog story. Who would have thought THAT possible? Amazing.
Also, that stuff about misrepresenting Webb is unacceptable. But as a Webb supporter. I'll let it slide as long as it doesn't continue.
Bill: Yeah, we have nothing against Miller paying for signature work. It IS common. I know the only thing that I'm pissed about it the "Webb is a Republican" and the "15-year-olds collecting signatures." Not only is it illegal, it makes you look desperate. And that "Webb is a Republican" thing? Believe me, you don't get more negative than that.
Basting it all over the web will only help to make Miller's supporters less friendly with Webb supporters....and we are all on the same team!!!
Remember after June 13, we must be together.
Perhaps we don't agree that Miller is the best to represent us, but that doesn't mean we should make him look bad....I don't agree with "too conservative" on everything, but on his remarks I do. We should concentrate on issues!!... & on Allen!! (not this.)
*the invasion of Iraq
*censure of President Bush
*earmarks and lobbying reform
*the "marriage" amendment
*repeal of the estate tax
*"don't ask, don't tell"
I'd love to hear his answers...
As for the Webb and Women meme, Most of the senior slots in Webb's staff are held by women.
Leslie Byrne - Senior Advisor
Jessica Vanden Berg - Campaign Manager
Liz Reiter - Scheduler and Advance
Kristian Denny Todd - Press
Who does Miller have? I am reliably informed that Mo Eleithee is a guy, so don't try to fool me twice on that one.
Now, now, Lowell, I think we're asking too much about what this guy thinks. I mean, it's not like he's running for office or something.
Oh wait...
P.S. These are all direct quotes from Miller. Hey, I don't make this shit up!
She called a friend and mentor very upset and asked what else she could do to help.
It's amazing, appalling even, that a group of people will go to such great lengths to make a 15 year old who wants to help out feel like a criminal. I hope she doesn't see this blog, her name posted on it, and all the ridiculous assertations that she might be fined and/or go to jail.
Kevin acted quickly and professionally.
I find being sneaky about gathering information from a dedicated high school student, then posting it on the blogs (and from what I understand, JC said straight to her and the other petitioners with her that they were going to post this on a blog, freaking her out and causing her to panic) without her knowledge or understanding is reprehensible.
The Dems won't be smart enough to see what they have in Webb.
Let's not make them happy.
Obviously they didn't get the "buying votes" memo, they were too busy shooting me.
I saw your comment this afternoon, and your concern for this young lady had concerned me. I just called into the Miller campaign to ask if anything further was done for the young lady.
Turns out that Harris personally called her around Noon today, to express his gratitude for her hard effort and to encourage her to continue to volunteer and stay active. She agreed, and I was told that she was very appreciative that Harris himself had contacted her.
I hope that we may all agree that, hopefully, yesterday’s experience will not diminish her clear enthusiasm for activism in the Democratic Party.
On a personal note, my wife and I have seen Harris and Deborah over the last several weeks, both privately and on the campaign trail. We are so glad to know such classy, energetic, and warm people. I was real glad to hear that Harris called her, and yet I wasn't surprised a bit that he called her.
I thought it appropriate to pass this along to all of you.
This was all an accident, one that has been taken care of. Let's all let it slide.
But there are always instances when a young, idealistic volunteer isn't fully aware of the consequences of what they're doing, and sometimes does something he or she should not.
The Miller campaign made every effort I'm sure to make sure things were done legitimately, but in campaign work, especially field work, it is extremely difficult to keep tabs on everything.
I've seen this sort of stuff happening in numerous campaigns, and it is almost never done deliberately. The Miller campaign should not be faulted for this incident, as long as they respond appropriately, as it appears they have.
The tragic thing is this represents 33 signatures the Miller campaign will never get, as those people will be extremely hesitant to sign a second petition, even if they're aware the first one is invalid.
Let's do some issues discussions. I'm up for it.
We'll leave the guns at home and just get together for some good old fashioned knife fights.
You up for it?
Josh
I will say you all did a great job fueling debate here.
Lowell-thanks for the comments.
The Democratic blogosphere continues to gain my respect for thoughtful discussion. You guys over here are always realistic and sensible.
I wish half of my own party took a note out of the Democratic handbook...not on issues...but on presentation.
On the topic at hand...
While I enjoy Bill's thoughts on the issue, I do respect you all for putting this out there.
As bloggers, we can put out whatever we want. We get results from doing this.
Josh and Lowell-I think you all will realize in June that both our parties leadership/core base votes with their heart and not their mind.
Who was the only Republican candidate who could have carried NOVA, helped NOVA delegates win, and boost Kilgore....? Connaugthon
Who is the only Democratic nominee who can reach out to the Virginia masses, win NOVA and Hampton Roads...appeal to pro-2nders, and veterans...? Who is the only Democratic nominee who has any chance of beating George Allen..? It's Webb.
I don't think your base will be smart enough to elect him.
Second, the matter had been put to rest by Bill’s explanation, actions to correct the problem and disqualify the signatures “in houseâ€. However, you opened up the wound, and it cannot go unanswered. What is “reprehensible†is a prima facie case of voter fraud. Virginia Code § 24.2-1016
Start using people subject to being able to be of the status of those persons who are "qualified or eligible to be qualified to vote for the office for which this petition is circulated" as required by the SBE form, if so, there will be no further problems.
Now, let's cut the crap and end the matter, as Bill attempted to do and had accomplished until your post. Let's put it to rest. Now, let's have peace.
"Apparently Harris Miller is that “angry†Democrat the Republicans keep talking about."
J.C., if you want to associate your name with Dick Cheney's, then be prepared for the shoe to drop when you pick on kids who are involved in politics. I'm sorry you have thin skin about this.
She was wrong. It got fixed. She comes out looking like a well-meaning kid who just wanted to help. You come off looking like a grouchy, anal-retentive guy who reminds people of their freshman english professor who took 2 letter grades off their final paper because it had 1.25" borders rather than 1" borders.
And here's a heads up: I don't mind attacking people, and I won't apologize. I'm not working for Miller, so don't associate blame him for what I say. I'm on my own. And if I see stuff happening that I don't like, I'll call you on the carpet for it.
Don't get self-righteous with me, either.
J.C. here. I spent 14 hours this weekend volunteering for candidate I support. During that time I gathered hundreds of petition signatures and I broke no laws. I didn't pay anybody anything to work for my candidate: people were proud to show up and work. All of them were adults. All of them were registered voters. All of them were locals.
I think it's great that you can attack me personally for doing all of the above and objecting to someone else's flagrantly breaking the rules. I think it's just great. Thanks Adam. Thanks alot.
--J.C.