So now we have Scott Howell AND Chris LaCivita.  Man, this'll be one nasty race come November.  But it's clear that Allen thinks it'll be Webb he has to take down, else he would not be hiring these very expensive political hitmen.

There's a huge difference between Jim Webb and John Kerry. Although Kerry served honorably and was much decorated, as Webb was, in the Vietnam War, the truth is that when Kerry returned home he headed up a huge anti-war veterans' group, Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He also appeared to throw away his medals (although in actuality he didn't)at an anti-war rally in Washington, DC. I was at that rally and it did appear that he tossed them into a casket. It later turned out that it wasn't his own medals he had thrown away. Then, he angered some Vietnam vets with the Winter Soldier hearings, which accused servicemen of committing atrocities and war crimes in Vietnam. Jim Webb, in fact, was one of those who remained angry at Kerry for years for this.

I was an anti-war activist, at the time, and had many friends who were in VVAW. I worked with them on demonstrations and I still believe that there was some truth in the allegations that came out of the Winter Soldier hearings. No war is ever fought without some soldiers crossing the line. In time of combat, the stresses are enormous. Even in Iraq, we have had Abu Gharib. And in Vietnam, it was proved that Lt. Calley conducted a massacre at My Lai. So, I'm not criticizing Kerry for what he did as a young man in opposing the Vietnam War.

However, it did leave him vulnerable to being a lightning rod for the resentments of some of his fellow veterans. That made it easier for Chris LaCivita and others to deliberately misrepresent his record and to revive old resentments.

Jim Webb, in contrast, came back from Vietnam and served as a Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan, who is still the major unifying force among Republicans and conservatives. Webb's war record is impeccable. There is no controversy over how he won his medals or over his patriotism. And unlike Kerry, who was saddled with advisers who couldn't understand the concept of fighting back, Webb will return fire if he is attacked.

If Allen's campaign tries to misrepresent Webb's war record or anything about him, I think the Webb campaign will hit back hard with statements of truth. They won't let attacks go unanswered. Just as Tim Kaine answered the death penalty attack ad, by the same group, against him. That series of ads backfired so badly that it certainly helped cost Kilgore the election.

I think the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth members who created that Kilgore ad got burned pretty badly by that experience. I don't know whether they learned their lesson. But I think we did. Answer negative ads with truth and integrity and simplicity and you have nothing to fear.

and I think they know it would cost them hugely among veterans.

No, the attack will be which Jim Webb should you believe, the one who endorsed George Allen and George Bush in 2000, or the one who claims an epiphany since then.  Webb knows it is coming, and in a sense is already inoculated -- he has apologized to Chuck Robb, who in a general campaign will free to say that he accepts the apology, and remembers how forthright Webb was in supporting him against Ollie North.  IF Al Gore also gives hyis blessing, that attack won't work either.  And my guess is that Jim, as a hunter and fisherman, wilol talok about the need to preserver the environment or there will be no place to hunt or fish.

Please note  -- I have no inside knowledge of how the campaign will approach this.  It is the line of attack I expect, and I fully believe that the campaign is prepared for it.

and I think they know it would cost them hugely among veterans.

No, the attack will be which Jim Webb should you believe, the one who endorsed George Allen and George Bush in 2000, or the one who claims an epiphany since then.  Webb knows it is coming, and in a sense is already inoculated -- he has apologized to Chuck Robb, who in a general campaign will free to say that he accepts the apology, and remembers how forthright Webb was in supporting him against Ollie North.  IF Al Gore also gives hyis blessing, that attack won't work either.  And my guess is that Jim, as a hunter and fisherman, wilol talok about the need to preserver the environment or there will be no place to hunt or fish.

Please note  -- I have no inside knowledge of how the campaign will approach this.  It is the line of attack I expect, and I fully believe that the campaign is prepared for it.

Thank you AnonymousWoman for your Jim Webb comments ...  very fair and informed. If only the various party chairs and committees throughout the state took the time to think an issue through (like what are our chances of winning in November) as you have done ...... then we wouldn't be worried about voter participation and afffirmation of Jim Webb come 13 June 2006.

At this point in time Harris Miller has lost in a landslide to the ultra-critical internet blogging community.  And websites like RK (see blogroll to the left) certainly are influencial in forming opinions and moving (the movement) forward on issues .... but money in politics still seduces. Large numbers of voters are still susceptible to being mislead .... which leads me to this point:

The Jim Webb candidacy offers the democratic party of Virginia the opportunity to reach out across party lines to build the majority needed to win in November!! No other candidate in this race has such unique potential. Are the 13 June voters aware of this .... and will they send the message (via nominating Jim Webb) that this is NOT politics as usual!!

I certainly hope so .... Swift Boating is nothing to fear at this point.... It's whether or not the institutional democrats around the state know a winner when they see one.

Jim Webb is that man ... let's get out the vote!

Love that photo Lowell ... I took it at Allman's Barbeque down here in Fredneck land.  Bruce Springsteen yeah buddy.... Rock on!!

Read the Gibson article carefully. Gibson is analyzing both campaigns and is wondering whether the overwhelming blog support for Webb can translate into actual votes on primary day and ensure a Webb win. Nothing wrong with his question.

If you don't have your own blog, you can easily start one and promote Miller all you want. But stop spamming this place with your recycled distortions.

...that at last weeks monthly Loudoun County Democratic Committee meeting (these are exactly the kind of Democrats who are paying attention to an off year primary election) there were people lined up to speak for Jim Webb while they we had to ask for anyone to speak on behalf of Miller (after an uncomfortably long period of time one person stood and read a Miller campaign email out loud). We ran out of time before all Webb supporters got to speak (including myself).

If this and/or sticker count of these probable voters are any indication, Webb will win the primary handily.

I care not about signs on median strips, I do care about people willing to put them up in their yards.  My wife and I drove around some this afternoon, we only saw 17 Webb signs (not counting the highly visible one in our yard), which would be disappointing, except we saw NO Miller signs in anyone's yard.  We drove around Clarendon, Lyon Village, Cherrydale, Waycroft-Woodlawn, and a couple of other neighborhoods as well.  In fact, nhot counting our yard, we saw 4 Qauker "War is not the Answer" signs, one of which - like us -  also had a Webb sign up.

Not one Miller sign in someone's yard, but Webb signs all over Arlington.  I'm also seeing Webb signs being ripped out of the ground - and have heard many, many others report the same thing - while Miller signs miraculously happen to remain standing.  Hmmmmmmmmmmm........