Virginia Centrist's Most Excellent Article; Jim Moran's Most Misguided Decision

1. The #1 anti-incumbent issue this year, the corrupt Washington lobbying practices, will be rendered inert because Harris Miller is unfortunately a lobbyist.

2. The #2 anti-incumbent issue this year, the debacle in Iraq, will be utterly useless in a Miller vs. Allen race.

The choice this year is not between a moderate and a liberal. Harris Miller seems like a DLC moderate to me. He's a corporate lobbyist, right? James Webb has come out in support of abortion rights, against the War in Iraq, and in support of civil unions. He's already decried the Republicans' obsession with social issues. It is safe to say that every issue stance that I've heard from James Webb so far has been progressive.

On the two most important issues of this election, the War in Iraq and the corrupt practices of the GOP establishment, Harris Miller is on the wrong side.

The question is: are we willing to buck a small group of Democratic insiders who seem to have arbitrarily plucked another rich Democrat out of the nether and hoisted him forward? Are we going to let that happen once more time? Have we learned nothing from 2004?

To Democrats who are on the other side of this race: forgive me. I'm passionate about this because I loath George Allen. It's that simple.

As I said, I agree with this strongly.  Here's my thinking on the Webb-Miller contest in a nutshell. 

First, I believe George Allen's a disaster and want him defeated before he gets one inch closer to the White House.  Second, I believe there's only one Democratic candidate this year who can defeat George Allen, and that's James Webb not Harris Miller.  Third, I think it's "dumb as a post" for the Democrats to run a LOBBYIST in a year when their main theme is the Abramoff/DeLay/Washington DC "culture of corruption."  Fourth, the Iraq War - and national security in general -  is a huge issue, and Webb has great credibility there, while Harris Miller does not.  Fifth, James Webb is actually far more progressive than Harris "Old Testament Kind of Guy" Miller.  Sixth, James Webb is an independent-thinking outsider and NOT a typical politician, while Harris Miller is the classic product of the Democratic "back room."  Seventh, even though Miller is a "machine Democrat," he (nastily) criticizes the Democratic Party for supposedly being soft on criminals (see his WTOP interview) and supports the Bush tax cuts for the rich.

In sum, I favor James Webb over Harris Miller in this primary because Webb can win, because he's a far more appealing figure than Harris "Diebold Lobbyist" Miller, because he's got credibiltiy on the Iraq War, because he's more progressive than Harris Miller on the issues, because he has the potential to shake up politics in Washington, and because - despite the fact that he has not been an active Democrat - he's actually more loyal to (Jacksonian) Democratic ideals than is Harris Miller.

Are those enough reasons to support James Webb over Harris Miller or what?

[UPDATE:  "Not Larry Sabato" is reporting that Jim Moran is endorsing Harris Miller.  Why?  Because "At this point in my career I am going to support the people I know and the people who supported me."  With all due respect, Congressman Moran, the #1 goal here is to defeat George Allen, and Harris Miller can't do that. You all but admit that.  So why is it worth spending your time and energy supporting a candidate you know can't win?  Didn't you just tell Josh and me the other day that you wouldn't spend your time supporting Judy Feder, for example, because she couldn't defeat Frank Wolf?  Is the message here that you think things are great in Washington, that politics doesn't need to be shaken up, and that you'll support moderate Republicans and Conservative Democrats over Progressives? I don't get it.

OK, sure, I understand that you personally like Harris Miller - just as you personally like Tom Davis and Frank Wolf - but in my opinion that is NOT a reason to support any of them over excellent Democratic opponents like James Webb, Andy Hurst, and Judy Feder.  What about loyalty to Democratic principles and Progressive ideals?  Or are you saying that politics is not about ideals, only about backroom deals and "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours?"  Seriously, if this is your thinking "at this point in [your] career" - on James Webb, Andy Hurst, and Judy Feder - then perhaps it's time for your career in Washington DC to start winding down.  I respect you, Congressman, but today I'm a very disappointed and unhappy constituent.]

Comments