Editor, Times-Dispatch: James Webb, a leading Democratic candidate for Senator, is focused on getting the real work done to rebuild America. Webb was in New Orleans last week calling for action and full funding for rebuilding the levees. He criticized what he sees as "the half-measures of inattentive leaders" before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina.
His opponent Harris Miller was doing what he does best: lobbying.
Miller has been remarkably successful in shipping thousands of American jobs overseas through outsourcing. Thanks to strategic alliances forged by Miller, young people considering careers in engineering or computer science now have one more obstacle in their paths: They run a much higher risk of unemployment.
At the same time Miller has been working for years to bring cheap labor to the United States, which benefits the corporations he represents, translating to lost jobs for workers here at home.
Now Miller is lobbying for public office. He points to his Democratic contributions, while the companies he represents have contributed heavily to Republicans, including the man he hopes to oppose, Senator George Allen.
As the party of inclusion and equality, Democrats consider a strategy based on dividing Virginians with gender and racial politics an outrage and an embarrassment.
Virginians do not need yet another rerun season based on doublespeak and fabrication. We have lost all patience with attacks on the rare candidate with a genuine commitment to effective public service.
James Webb is a proven leader who has served his country with integrity and courage. We need real leaders to solve real problems, now more than ever. Kathy Gerber. massies mill.
I am helping the Webb campaign get grassroots groups together statewide via Meetup.
If you would like to organize a meetup in your area, visit: http://webbforsenate.meetup.com