Today the Jim Webb for Senate campaign announced that an amazing 2300 volunteers from across the Commonwealth have joined the campaign through its website since the beginning of the campaign.
"Including over 375 volunteers in the Hampton Roads region, over 260 volunteers in the Richmond area, over 270 volunteers in the Southwest region, over 95 volunteers in the Charlottesville area, and over 780 volunteers in the Northern Virginia region."
It's a month before the primary and "Jim's Brigade" is coming out in full force and looking as if it were late October. Looking for a recipe to beat George Allen? This it, this is truly something special and sure beats the paid staffer approach of Jim's opponents.
The full press release is below the fold.
Over 2,300 Virginians Volunteer For +óGé¼+ôJim+óGé¼Gäós Brigade+óGé¼-¥Webb: +óGé¼+ôVolunteers Are The Backbone Of My Campaign+óGé¼-¥
Jim Webb announced today that his campaign has signed up 2,357 volunteers through his campaign website (www.webbforsenate.com) offering help in all facets of his U.S. Senate campaign. From planting +óGé¼+ôBorn Fighting+óGé¼-¥ yard signs to making phone calls to coordinating and leading community meetings, Webb supporters are signing up for +óGé¼+ôJim+óGé¼Gäós Brigade,+óGé¼-¥ the all-volunteer arm of the campaign, to assist in every aspect in the effort to elect Webb.
+óGé¼+ôWe will win in the primary because our grassroots people are in constant touch with every part of the state. They are incredibly capable and dedicated to victory,+óGé¼-¥ said Webb during a recent open house in the Arlington headquarters where over 250 volunteers came to meet with the candidate.
With only a month to go until the June 13th primary, Jim+óGé¼Gäós Brigade has all-volunteer branches running in all parts of the state, including over 375 volunteers in the Hampton Roads region, over 260 volunteers in the Richmond area, over 270 volunteers in the Southwest region, over 95 volunteers in the Charlottesville area, and over 780 volunteers in the Northern Virginia region.
In April, volunteers from Jim+óGé¼Gäós Brigade collected 14,231 petition signatures to place Webb on the June 13th primary ballot. While all of Webb+óGé¼Gäós signatures were gathered by volunteers, other campaigns paid as much as $2 per signature to meet the ballot requirements of Virginia+óGé¼Gäós Board of Elections. More recently, at the annual Shad Planking event in Wakefield, Virginia, volunteers planted over 8,000 Jim Webb yard signs.
+óGé¼+ôNot only is Jim+óGé¼Gäós Brigade important to the campaign strategy for logistical reasons, but it is critical for our bottom-up messaging approach and ultimately in our GOTV efforts,+óGé¼-¥ said Steve Jarding, spokesman for Jim Webb. +óGé¼+ôThis is as large a group of volunteers as we have seen in a Virginia primary in modern times, and it+óGé¼Gäós growing every day.+óGé¼-¥
Jim Webb is a decorated Marine, former Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretary of Defense, an award-winning author and widely respected journalist. Webb was awarded, among other decorations, the Navy Cross and Silver Star for valor as a Marine.
Since beginning his campaign for Senate in March, Webb has won two straw polls sanctioned by local Democratic parties. He won 57% of the vote at a Prince William County Democratic event and won 58% of the vote at a Fairfax County Democratic event. He has also secured support from numerous Virginia elected officials, national elected officials, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, the Vietnamese Veterans Coalition, and high-ranking military officials.
Virginia Elected Officials:
Former VA Congresswoman and +óGé¼-£05 Democratic Lt. Governor nominee Leslie Byrne
Retired VA Congressman Owen Pickett
Former Democratic Whip of the Virginia House of Delegates Chap Petersen
Commonwealth Senator Phil Puckett
Roanoke County Clerk of the Circuit Court Steve McGraw
Roanoke County Commissioner of Revenue Nancy Horn
Roanoke County Sheriff Gerald Holt
Page County Treasurer C.R. Suddith
Washington County Treasurer Fred Parker
Chesapeake City Council Member-Elect Ella Ward
Former Commonwealth Senator Emilie Miller
Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette
Arlington County School Board Member Ed Fendley
Arlington County School Board Member Mary Hynes
Arlington County School Board Member Libby Garvey
Arlington County Treasurer Frank O+óGé¼GäóLeary
Arlington County Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy
Fairfax County School Board Member Janet Oleszek
Former Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Member Lili RichardsNational Elected Officials:
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid
Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle
Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin
Senator Christopher Dodd, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Senator Ken Salazar
Senator Tim Johnson
Former Senator Max Cleland
Former U.S. Senator and Member of 9/11 Commission Bob Kerrey
Congressman John MurthaRetired United States Military Officials:
Retired Army General and +óGé¼-£04 Democratic Presidential candidate Wesley Clark
Retired USMC General and former Commander of U.S. Central Command Joseph Hoar
Retired USMC General and former Commander of U.S. Central Command Tony Zinni
Retired USMC Lt. General and former Commander of Operations, J-3 Staff
Gregory Newbold
Retired USMC Lt. General Frank Petersen, the highest-ranking African American in USMC historyStraw Polls:
Won the Fairfax County Democratic Straw Poll 58%-42%
Won the Prince William County Democratic Straw Poll 57%-43%
Jim Webb later said it was his favorite event since this whole thing started. (Ditto for his wife.) I think he really appreciated the chance to talk--at length--to people in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. And, as he always jokes, "it's all about the beer." And it was good beer, too!
If you've been meaning to volunteer, but haven't gotten around to it yet--what are you waiting for? 28 days and counting!
2) The AFL-CIO, DPE and CWA unions have condemned Harris Miller labeling him anti-union, anti-worker, pro-outsourcing and a "hired gun". In a two candidate race, that leaves Jim Webb as the anti-Miller candidate.