For days, rumors and stories have been swirling about regarding possible violations of Virginia campaign laws by the Harris Miller campaign. Specifically, the allegations were that Miller was behind a "mystery poll," ostensibly by Pew, that "asked detailed questions about James Webb and his positions on Affirmative Action to see how voters react[ed]." A few days later, Miller held a press conference in Richmond in which he "smile[d] behind African American legislators as they accuse[d] Mr. Webb of basically being a racist who doesn't care about poor African Americans."
Well, now we have a formal complaint, filed by a citizen who received the phony "Pew poll." Her name is Theresa "Terry" Hartnett, and she's a long-time member of the Democratic Party. Among other things, Hartnett has served as vice chair of the Braddock precinct for the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC). Hartnett also was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and deputy campaign manager for the "Kerry-Edwards/Virginia Victory 04" coordinated campaign in Northern Virginia. Finally, it is worth pointing out that Hartnett is a journalist, and when she received the "Pew" poll, she took notes as any good journalist would do.
In other words, Terry Hartnett is a loyal Democrat, a serious person, and an extremely credible source who is willing to go on the record. Now, she has filed a formal complaint with the Virginia State Board of Elections (SBE). The full letter is available here. The operative paragraphs are these:
Based on the content of that call and my reading of VA Code 24.2-1014.1, I believe the caller violated Virginia law and should be subject to penalty or misdemeanor as it applies.[...]
All of these facts lead me to the disturbing conclusion that the Harris Miller Campaign conducted this poll, knowingly failed to provide identifying information as required under Code of Virginia 24.2-1014.1 section B and, in fact, willfully mislead me. Namely, the caller told me that 60 people had made approximately 300-400 calls, the poll was taken less than 180 days before the June 13 Primary, I remained on the call until its conclusion and I asked four times for the identification of the sponsor of this poll but was given no answer.
I hereby request that you formally open an investigation into this matter. I am available for further consultation.
I spoke with Terry Hartnett this morning, and she emphasized to me that she was doing this "with a heavy heart," but she felt she had to because "I love the Democratic Party" and "I think it hurts the Democratic Party if we do things like this. In addition, Hartnett added that "I think I have an obligation to report this." And, Hartnett noted, "I've been involved in Democratic politics for 30 years and I've never seen a primary so nasty....to be charging someone with racism."
As far as Jim Webb is concerned, Hartnett said that she was supporting him because she's "read his books" and gotten to know a lot about him. She "certainly does NOT believe he's against Affirmative Action." Noting that she's "been an advocate for affordable housing" and that "there are people living in poverty throughout this state," Hartnett added that "Webb will do something about this...it's a core Democratic value."
A side point, but an important one: Hartnett noted, matter-of-factly, that in all her years of involvement in FCDC, she had "never seen Harris Miller" - who claims to be a long-time Democratic activist - "at an FCDC meeting." Hartnett also stated that she had never once seen Miller at the Kerry/Edwards campaign office, "and I was there every day from 9 AM until 10 or 11 at night."
Fascinating.
What an amazing new format!
Second, great job on getting the details about this out!
Unfortunately, something seems to be wrong with your "feed" to Lefty-Blogs, so I'm going to link to you and help people find their way here.
This is a really important post!
Harris is seeming to get more shifty. Not what we need.
What I don't know about election law could fill a library. Actually, it probably does :)
Anyway - new format's great.
I was able to get in through the 'forgot my password' link, thanks for hooking me up -
AS FOR THIS...
It kind of makes me just sad, either way this is a loss for the Democrats, now we look like we can't be cohesive even in a primary, I'm not really sure what I think about it.
And in my opinon, after meeting Mr. Miller, he seems like a nice guy, and a good Democrat, Mr. Webb seems nice to and committed to his cause.
If we want to criticize them, why not criticize them on things that might matter, like how the appear. I think that honest criticism could be that Mr. Miller comes off as too slick, and Mr. Webb comes off as too detached. Although I've only seen them in person twice, so I guess that's not really saying much. But why is our primary here becoming so NEGATIVE?
Ughh...
Can I get a BOO-YA!!!?
The answer? M-I-L-L-E-R!!
Also, I'd say that Miller's past donations to right-wing Republicans, and his strong statements in support of those right-wingers (Hastert, Abraham, etc.), are definitely fair game, if for no other reason than they point out a HUGE degree of hypocrisy with this "loyal Democrat."
Finally, I believe that a story like this, where a citizen has filed a formal complaint with the Virginia State Board of Elections against the Miller campaign for a fake "Pew poll," is HIGHLY relevant to the candidate's fitness for higher office. Just because Miller was a long-time lobbyist doesn't necessarily make him ethically challenged, but if he was behind this poll - and he has not denied it - then I'd say he's got serious ethical "issues."
When he said at the FCDC meeting, that we should pull out of Iraq..that makes him a supporter of the War on Iraq,
And when he said he's going to vote against the Marriage Amendment, that makes him supportive of it?
You maybe right on the other things, I haven't heard him talk about that, but I remember those too being clearly answered by him at the FCDC meeting in those terms.
As for the last thing, you're right if he did support it, then he deserves to be challenged on it, and he's being negative. But at the moment, I'm going to wait til I ask him about it in person, and if he seems to circumvent the question, then I'll give credence to your argument.
Until then...
Enough attack jobs, Webb is a good candidate, you shouldn't have to keep going on the defensive, just keep showing his good traits.
ON a totally different topic, are you doing anything on Andy Hurst and Ken Longmeyer? I'd like to see some articles on those guys coming soon,
DOWN WITH DAVIS!!!
When he said at the FCDC meeting, that we should pull out of Iraq..that makes him a supporter of the War on Iraq,
And when he said he's going to vote against the Marriage Amendment, that makes him supportive of it?
You maybe right on the other things, I haven't heard him talk about that, but I remember those too being clearly answered by him at the FCDC meeting in those terms.
As for the last thing, you're right if he did support it, then he deserves to be challenged on it, and he's being negative. But at the moment, I'm going to wait til I ask him about it in person, and if he seems to circumvent the question, then I'll give credence to your argument.
Until then...
Enough attack jobs, Webb is a good candidate, you shouldn't have to keep going on the defensive, just keep showing his good traits.
ON a totally different topic, are you doing anything on Andy Hurst and Ken Longmeyer? I'd like to see some articles on those guys coming soon,
DOWN WITH DAVIS!!!
On the Marriage Amendment, Miller has implied that he's supportive, but it's hard to know for sure. Webb has said point blank that he opposes it. Period.
On Hurst and Longmyer, we've done extensive interviews with them here and here.
I hope that helps.
Miller, when I personally posed the question to him at the FCDC meeting, "Do you support the creation of civil unions, particularly at the federal level?", in late February he did not answer it. In fairness it was a two-parter, the first part which he answered, but the second part he did not.
That is important, because without the creation of civil unions at BOTH the state and federal level, the benefits and rights that go along with that level of government are not possible. That's why it would be more simple and effective to just equalize marriage, but even the creation of civil unions would be progress.
Just like subscribing 100% to a candidate because they're Democrat is a pretty lame civic duty policy, so is conforming to the largest organization just because they're the biggest. I'm bigger than Josh and Lowell, but it doesn't mean I get to decide where we go to dinner.
I wonder if everyone could take a minute and play through in their minds the possibilities that could come from argument/disagreement/criticism within our party. We've been taught to believe (by the 600 lb donkey) that any disgreement will cause us to fail.
Divided we stand, united we fall, united under the wrong ideas without questioning, and we're Republicans.
Now, about that little bump on my...
Well...cohesion tends to help in the long term, I guess for elections you just need a late burst of cohesion so in reality, right now if there's a split it doesn't matter as long as its gone by election time. And there's a difference between disagreeing on something, and just plain being nasty. I'd just like to see more peices on both candidates on issue weaknesses...the criticism I find works the best for telling me which candidate to choose isn't that they did something bad in the past, its more that they're wrong on the issues.
I just feel like a lot of people here think Miller is a pseudo-Democrat and are Webb supporters anyways, so that its easy to bash him. I don't really have a horse in the race, so I just want a clean fight. I guess that's how it goes.
As for the bump...I suggest thoroughly expensive invasive surgery with a multi-drug anti-viral recovery prescription to keep you from infection....
Now send me my bill and call me when you're able to turn your telephone service back on after getting out of debt from paying me. =OP
We haven't even begun to explore the depths of Mr. Miller's record, but we are starting to.
Harris Miller is not a "good" Democrat!
As I've said before, Harris Miller was a teensie iota away from capturing my vote after his performance at the FCDC back in early February. However, later that month at the Loudoun meeting, I started to see Slick Harry emerge, and although since then I've definitely been leaning to Webb, the latest round of stunts has pushed me not only solidly into the Webb column, but driven me to give him money, and get involved.
I cannot stand negative, nasty, ugly, etc. campaigning (let alone illegal activity!). There is no way in hell that I would be rewarding Harris Miller with my vote in the primary, after what his campaign has done.
I agree with Loudoun County Dem. I know some really great people (like Andy Resnick) working for him. I don't know how they can stomach it. I don't hold anything against them, the tone of a campaign and the responsibility for that always comes down to the candidate's wishes.
For the record, I know that negative nastiness sometimes wins in the general election, but I don't think it's going to work on more astute and involved Democratic voters (i.e. the base). Voters like Ms. Hartnett, for instance.
I think there is probably a large enough army to stand behind her for the right reasons that it would be suicide to attack her.
At any rate, I think Democrats are completely capable of having an in-house struggle like this, and emerging after it's all over 100% unified and ready to do battle in the general. That's an important notion.
Most of the Dems I've talked to have been very turned off by Miller's campaign tactics, it has generated several volunteers for the Webb camp.
If he had something to say, he'd say it.
What a friggin' wimp!
Is Mark Warner going to hold tight until after the primary and throw his weight around then?
Keep in mind that this sort of push-pull poll isn't that far removed from the false "studies" that Miller was forever shoveling from his leadership position at the pro-outsourcing ITAA lobby.
Among those of us who have watched Miller's pro-outosurcing follies for years, he has long proven himself an expert at manipulating opinion. His group [ITAA] or other corporate funded "think tanks" were always coming up with "studies" showing terrible high tech labor shortages in the U.S. which would "endanger American business competitiveness" and the "high tech economy" UNLESS large numbers of ADDITIONAL foreign guest workers were allowed into the U.S. IMMEDIATELY.
These "studies" were frequently released just before critical debate and votes on raising the NIV caps. And almost always, Miller was successful in pushing through bills that hurt more American tech [IT]workers.
It never made any real difference that opponents could find plenty of real stories of people actually replaced by guest workers and unable to find employment in IT because of outsourcing and the widespread use of imported foreign low wage workers -- NIVs. Harris Miller knows very well how to manipulate the press and the politicians.
Those of us following such things consider Miller a master of the lie. He has an incredible aptitude for media manipulation.
And, of course, Millers undergrad and graduate degrees are in the art of politics -- political science.
Harris Miller is not a political novice. He has spent decades studying politics and playing politics. He knows damn well what he's doing and he's good at it...
Mr. Webb is an Outsider, obviously not a polished politician, sometimes seeming a little rough around the edges to the jaded eyes of Beltway-dwellers... but exactly what non-Beltway folks understand and appreciate. Sometimes he doesn't yet know how to give the quick sound bite answer. I hope he never becomes that polished a performer. His style is to give a thoughtful, reasonable, well, ADULT consideration to a question or a problem. Webb is the genuine article, and voters will recognize and resonate to this in what is fast becoming the Year of the Outsider.