not such a big fan of the weasel being used on a fellow Democrat.

Please drop it. We don't need to antagonize any Miller supporters or create bad blood since we'll need supporters of all stripes against Allen.

If you're going to argue on merits, fine. But calling him a "Weasel" is not going to help anyone.

Miller is the one who went negative, damn it.  Why shouldn't we fight back?  If we don't, we will lose the election. Then what? He is a weasel. The weasel meter should stay!

I see people objecting to "weasel" (although Harris Miller is a corporate lobbyist, so seemingly appropriate title), so how about Outsourcer?

A NPR poll found that America's number one concern is outsourcing.

My point is obvious.  We cannot let someone who symbolizes the outsourcing of American jobs wear the label Democrat.  Not only will he never beat Allen, the message that sends on what the Democratic party as a whole is about would be a disaster.

determine who can be called a Democrat or not.  I’m pro-life does that make me a bad Democrat.  I’m also against embryonic stem cell research, does that make me a bad Democrat unworthy of the label.  I prefer religious tolerance of all religions rather then religious exclusion in the public and in government, does that mean I should be banished from the Democratic Party. this is supposed to be the party of the big tent and unless we’re tolerant of different opinions and differing views on policy and the like then we might as well just bow down and hand the Republicans their unopposed victory.  Let Mr. Miller have his views I’m sure I agree and disagree with many of them just as is the case with probably every Democrat.  To say he is unworthy of wearing the Democratic label because he supports outsourcing is somewhat hypocritical; think back to 2004 didn’t John Kerry run support NAFTA but somehow he is allowed to wear the label as well as a while the other Democrats who have supported NAFTA and CAFTA. Leave it to the Republicans to have a specific requirement and mold to be welcome in their party, we are the party for everyone they are the party for the rich.

There is something called a platform, which is the policy that anyone calling themselves a representative of the Democratic party is supposedly going to assist with pushing forth the Democratic agenda.

Read it here.

Please note "American jobs will stay in American, #1!"

That is why it is called a party, so people can vote one party and be assured that party will represent it's values.

I understand that there is a platform that Democrats generally adhere to.  But the platform is not a litmus test for who can and cannot be a Democrat.  This party has always had to deal with differing views among its ranks.  In fact, that diversity is the reason I joined the Democrats.  I enjoy having my own opinions.  I do not agree with Harris Miller's stand on outsourcing but that's the beauty of the Democratic Party, unlike the Republican Party we are allowed to have disagreements without being shunned. This is because we all share a common progressive purpose.  We are Democrats and we do not have to adhere to every point of a carefully constructed party platform.  Furthermore, we should be able to debate each other's views and make our decisions in this primary and others without attacks and gimmicks like the weasel. We need to take the high ground as Webb supporters.

As I have said Defend Webb when attacked, point out differences, and run a positive campaign. It worked for Warner and for Kaine; why change what works.

Democrats have to stick to a set of principles and ideals.

Else you get "Zell Millers" who will betray everything the Democratic party stands for.

And it's fairly clear from the AFL-CIO letter that Harris Miller will only not be supported, but it looks strong that the AFL-CIO would consider working actively against him.

To get the rhetoric down, Harris Miller should drop out.  If he's really a Democrat he should support Webb and focus on beating Allen. 

The people in the party should not be about the platform.  The platform of the party should be about people.  I agree that in general Democrats should support democratic principles; however, that does not mean that we should have to follow the letter of the platform word for word in order to be accepted. If we disagree with the platform it is our obligation to voice that disagreement in order for our party to grow.  It is the Republican's job to reject people who disagree with them.

The AFL-CIO letter did not attack Miller though.  It made an argument for Webb by pointing out the differences between Webb and Miller.

Miller dropping out would make things a lot easier for Webb and the party but I do not see that happening. Although, the reports of his lack of presence at the shad planking kind of makes me wonder.

A 20 year career earning $380k by promoting the idea of outsourcing and displacing Americans is pretty much the anti-thesis of the Democratic platform.

I'm sorry but there is a line in the sand of ideals and this is a major issue that the Democrats as a whole are trying to raise.

It's not a "minor discrepancy".

Here is the AFL-CIO letter.  It's quite damning on Harris Miller and it's only the primary.

Please do not try to dismiss this letter.  Also, in addition to the AFL-CIO there are other labor groups plus there are hundreds of thousands of computer scientists, engineers, medical transcriptionists, lawyers, x-ray technicians, where the "poster boy" of outsourcing, Harris Miller, would never gain their vote.  You cannot make a career out of attacking the American middle class and then expect to represent them, especially as a Democrat.

Dismissed the letter.  It does exactly what I said and points out where AFL-CIO takes issue with Mr. Miller and is doing so with its own research.  It makes perfectly legitimate points that should be taken very seriously.

I want to point out that the letter was accompanied by documentation -- a "fact sheet" (which is how it was titled).

The fact sheet contained far more than accusations and opinions. It contained direct quotes from Miller and specific actions taken by Miller and the ITAA in support of outsourcing, American worker replacement and in opposition to unionisation efforts of American IT workers.

I think the DPE fact sheet is very compelling and not at all just a reflection of the DPE's opinion.

Has Miller or his staff actually refuted any of the accusation and rendition of facts? NO! Theya re attempting to evade and obfuscate -- a time-proven mode of operation for Miller and his pro-outsourcing allies.

that there have been more posts by RK about Miller(16) then Allen (13). also for the last 10 posts attacking Miller there has been only one about Allen. Makes you wonder who RK is Against more the disagreeing DEMOCRAT Harris Miller or the real Opposition Repug George Allen.  I wish RK would stop eating its own and focus on Allen. Defend Webb when attacked, point out differences, and run a positive campaign. If Miller goes negative so be it, I'm not a Miller supporter anyway; but, those speaking on Webb's behalf need to stop putting that black spot on his campaign and go back to what is important.  Winning the primary with a positive unified Progressive message and beating King George Allen.

So, for Goodness Sake take that Stupid Weasel down and lets get to work on beating Allen.

Miller has gone negative; Webb will lose if you don't fight back.

Allen's people know that Webb's the stronger candidate - which is why they've pretty much held their fire against Miller.

This is politics - not touch football. Take a page from Karl Rove's book and fight mean - then let Miller's people worry about getting along with you once you win on June 13.

There's nothing wrong with defending him. Point out exactly what Miller is saying and show why is wrong; then follow that up with what Webb really stands for.  Kaine Proved that attacks are not necessary and in fact Kilgore proved that they will lose elections.  The focus has been too much on Harris Miller.  You're right Allen has been holding his fire against Miller which is more of the reason to go after Allen.  Webb can wipe the floor with Miller and Allan if he and his supporters (myself included) defend him and counter the attacks with his positive message and ideas. Mark Warner did it, Tim Kaine did it, and there's absolutely no reason why we should change a proven winning strategy.

Personally, I am not taking anything from Karl Rove.  If I have to degrade and humiliate a good person just to win at politics then the fight is not worth it.  I would rather lose on my merits then win based on a lies and attacks. I'm a progressive and will not lower myself to the level of Karl Rove.

Remember what happened in the South Carolina primary in 2000? John McCain took the high road, and the Bushies stomped all over him with charges that had this been the UK McCain could have gone to court over for libel.

And Bush won.

However if you review that period of time you will see that Bush himself never really did any mudslinging against McCain - that's what his operatives did.

That's your job.

If you don't beat Miller, you won't have the power to take on Allen. Miller has the money and experience as a lobbyist to be a smooth talker, and then hire attack dogs to go after anyone who stands up to him.

Let Jim smile and take the high road. Take a page out of Machiavelli and von Clauswitz and rip Miller to shreds.

After you've won, you'll find that getting Miller's people to back you won't be a problem. You will also have surprised the Allen people - who have been expecting a cakewalk with Miller.

Don't give them one.

I was all for the highroad with Harris, until his cowardly attacks on Webb.  When I first met Miller I thought he was a good guy, the more I learn, the more I know he's worthy of everything we throw at him.

Webb handled those with great aplomb: "Seems like his whole campaign amounts to 10 reasons why you shouldn't vote for me". 

Webb is also ready to handle Allen's attacks.  Check out his article "Purple Heartbreakers".

Because like John Kerry, McCain did not defend himself properly. Take Miller's attack on Webb for affirmative-action.  Miller didn't directly attack Webb he got one of his supporters to do it for him just like Bush did against McCain.  Webb has come out and explained how Mr. Miller misconstrued his position, explained where he actually stands on affirmative-action, and got those who have endorsed him to counteract Miller's attack.  Without ever attacking Miller, Webb took the high road, defended himself, and came out as a better and stronger candidate on the issue. He did the same thing with the attack on his stand on women in the military.  Not to mention, James Webb has the advantage of the national media that Mr. Miller does not.  So, let Mr. Miller attack all he wants unlike McCain and Kerry, James Webb knows how to defend himself and come out on top.

Why do Dems believe that anyone listens to reason?

Look at the Swiftboat ads, they were beneath contempt, stupid, and factually incorrect, but they got people pissed so Kerry lost.

This is gut check time for Democrats.  Either start talking from the heart or continue losing.

that Allen is the true enemy.  And most of RK feel strongly that Webb is the candidate who has the best chance of defeating Allen.  But in order to do battle with Allen, Webb must first win the primary. 

To state the obvious: to take the Senate seat Webb literally has two opponents and their party affiliation can only be a minor consideration.  Both opponents must be defeated and I doubt there will be anything pleasant about either battle.  Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it work out another way, but that doesn't seem to happen in politics anymore.

So Miller is just the first opponent and our current ratio of Miller to Allen posts is a direct result of that fact. 

But rest assured that Allen will not be overlooked by the weasel or RK.

There is this myth in politics that you never attack your own during the primary phase because you will need them in the general election.

It's just that: a myth.

If you support Jim Webb, then now is where you learn how to fight. Jim Webb may have been born fighting, but we might need an education - and that education is during the primary.

The truth is that primaries weed out strategies that don't work and allow you to refine strategies that do resonate with your voters. Once you win the primary, your opponent might be bloodied, but s/he is battle tested and the campaign organization is a well run machine.

I think this is one reason why Gore stumbled in 2000 - he didn't have a serious primary challenger and so kind of expected the nomination - which he got.

Don't fall for the myth. If you support Webb, then you should attack Miller.

Likewise if you back Miller... well, you are already on the attack so never mind...

I believe that if we do some research, we'll find that Harris Miller and George Allen are both pro-outsourcing and pro-worker replacement. Many of the attacks on Miller are applicable to Allen. No one forced Allen to vote for H-1b and L-1 worker replacement programs... Allen is considered good on tech issues by one of the ITAA's longtime members -- ORACLE. Oracle is big on outsourcing and worker replacement. When Larry Ellison thinks George Allen has done a good job for the "tech industry" he isn't just talking about things like an internet tax.

Sorry guys, but you should have saved the weasel for Allen.

I hope Webb is the nominee too, and I think he'll make Allen have a really bad year in Virginia -- Webb will keep Allen tied down here, unlike the places he really wants to be like Iowa and New Hampshire.  I'm all for supporting Webb and standing up for what we believe.  That's great stuff!

But when you reach the point where you spend more time tearing down than raising up, something is wrong.

We ought to be building a progressive community in Virginia.  That requires "Raising", not "Razing".  I've seen some really great stuff here at Raising Kaine, and was a proud contributor in the halcyon days of its youth.  We have a lot to be proud about, guys like Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Leslie Byrne, Creigh Deeds, and Jim Webb.  All great Virginia Democrats.  It breaks my heart to say that not all of them have won, even Mark Warner lost his first race.  But we don't give up, and we get right back up and keep fighting for what we believe and for all Virginians.

I do not want to see Harris Miller win the primary.  I think  he will make things easier for George Allen for many of the reasons this place has cited.  And we ought to be "raising" our concerns, and our hopes, and our thoughts.  We ought to speak out when we feel our leaders and candidates are failing us, and we ought to tell Harris Miller when we think he is letting us and all Virginians down.

But we should remember who we are.  We are "Raising Kaine".  We are out to fight the good fight and tell thme like it is.  But if we are more about being anti-Harris Miller than we are about being pro-Jim Webb, then we are losing our focus.  We should always speak out, but we should also speak up as much as we can.  Raise Webb.  Be the fighter, the man who is still standing no matter what is thrown at him.  But do not be the pig who wallows in the mud.  People do not trust pigs to be looking out for them -- people trust pigs to only be looking out for themselves.

Save the weasel for the man who truly deserves it -- George Allen.

this is the best explaination of my and other RK readers points that I have seen.......

and decide what to do.  I've got mixed feeling about it, although I do believe Harris Miller richly deserves it.  I also believe that we've got to beat him first before we get to George Allen.  Having said that...

George Allen is the enemy.  Today at Shad Planking, that was quite clear.  This guy is a right-wing extremist, but he's a POPULAR right-wing extremist with wads of money and more on the way.  Plus, there are a lot of Virginians who simply like Allen, and many who agree with him on the marriage amendment, immigration, and other divisive social issues.  This is going to be nasty.

What I really wish is that Harris Miller would drop out and throw his support to the one guy who has a shot at beating George Allen, namely Jim Webb.  At the minimum, I would STRONGLY urge Miller - not that he listens to my advice - to focus his attacks on George Allen.  Here's a deal for Harris Miller:  if he stops attacking Jim Webb and instead spends his time and money going after George Allen, I'll turn my attention to George Allen as well.  What do you think, Harris?

If not then a bunch of RK writers and readers should write emails and letters to Miller urging him to take the pledge.

but check out the weasel now! :)

If you look at the right angle doesn't Allen l;ook like the weasle....

I'm a die-hard Gephardt man. I grew up in his district and met him a couple of times. There has never been a nice man, and principled politician in Congress EVER.

But he's in private practice now in Washington. He quit politics because it isn't a good place for a nice man anymore - especially when you are stabbed in the back by your own party the way he was during his term as Majority Leader.

He's still a decent man. I hope that I stay true to my principles the way he has.

No one has won being nice. Webb will lose if you aren't willing to get into a street fight for your man. He can stay above the fray, but someone is going to have to attack his opponent.

His opponent isn't George Allen. He has to get through Harris Miller first - and everything should be done with that in mind.

I know Harris Miller. I've seen the devastation he has caused as a lobbyist for foreign and domestic firms.

And if the thought of him actually becoming one of the 100 most powerful people in the country doesn't scare you at night, then... Well, it's your call.

The rest of us outside of Virginia just has to live with it...

Scott Kirwin

But here in VA Mark Warrner and Tim Kaine proved that Strong willed, honest, and principaled men do win out over negitive, and dishonest attack politics. Especally when someone like Jim Webb is running who has proven he knows how to defend himself and come out better then his opponent on the issue.