RK ARCHIVE - It's Official: John Kerry Endorses

U.S. Senator and +óGé¼-£04 Democratic Nominee for President John Kerry Endorses Webb
Kerry: +óGé¼+ôJim Webb has the best chance to beat George Allen+óGé¼-¥

(Arlington, VA)--Today Jim Webb received the endorsement of U.S. Senator John Kerry, +óGé¼Gäó04 Democratic nominee for President.

+óGé¼+ôJim Webb has courage and I am proud to endorse his courage and his character in his campaign for U.S. Senate,+óGé¼-¥ said Kerry. +óGé¼+ôWe need more people of courage in the Senate and that means we need leaders like Jim who have served honorably in the military and in the government serving the country they love.+óGé¼-¥

Senator Kerry joins 9 former and current U.S. Senators in support of Jim Webb. Jim Webb has already received the support of U.S. Senators Harry Reid, Ken Salazar, Dick Durbin, Chris Dodd, Debbie Stabenow and Tim Johnson, as well as, former U.S. Senators Max Cleland, Bob Kerrey and Tom Daschle.

+óGé¼+ôI voted for John Kerry for President in 2004,+óGé¼-¥ said Webb. +óGé¼+ôI am honored and grateful for his endorsement today. It is very meaningful for me to have so many military veterans stand with me during this process. I look forward to serving with Senator Kerry in the U.S. Senate.+óGé¼-¥

Military veterans such as former U.S. Senators Bob Kerrey and Max Cleland as well as Congressman John Murtha, former Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark and former Commander of U.S. Central Command General Tony Zinni have endorsed Jim Webb+óGé¼Gäós candidacy for U.S. Senate.

+óGé¼+ôWe need to beat George Allen,+óGé¼-¥ continued Kerry. +óGé¼+ôJim has my support for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Virginia. He has the best chance to beat George Allen.+óGé¼-¥

Jim Webb is a decorated Marine, former Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretary of Defense, and 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 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 Public Officials:

* Former VA Congresswoman and +óGé¼-£05 Democratic Lt. Governor nominee Leslie Byrne
* Retired VA Congressman Owen Pickett
* Democratic Congressional Nominee Al Weed
* Former Democratic Whip of the Virginia House of Delegates Chap Petersen
* Commonwealth Senator Phil Puckett
* Commonwealth Senator Patsy Ticer
* Commonwealth Delegate and +óGé¼-£01 Democratic Attorney General nominee Donald McEachin
* Commonwealth Delegate Jim Shuler
* Roanoke County Clerk of the Circuit Court Steve McGraw
* Roanoke County Commissioner of Revenue Nancy Horn
* Roanoke County Sheriff Gerald Holt
* Dickenson County Commissioner of the Revenue Ronnie Robbins
* Charlottesville Councilor-Elect Dave Norris
* Page County Treasurer C.R. Suddith
* Washington County Treasurer Fred Parker
* Former Commonwealth Senator Emilie Miller
* Former Commonwealth Senator Madison Marye
* Former Commonwealth Delegate Joan Munford
* Former Commonwealth Delegate David Brickley
* Former Commonwealth Delegate Marian Van Landingham
* Prince William County Democratic Committee Finance Chair Harry Wiggins
* Arlington County Board Member Jay Fisette
* Arlington County Board Member Barbara Favola
* 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
* Former Fairfax County Supervisor Rufus Phillips
* Fairfax County School Board Member Janet Oleszek
* Fairfax County School Board Member Catherine Belter
* Former Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Member Lilla Richards
* Alexandria Vice Chairman of the School Board Charles Wilson

* 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 Debbie Stabenow, Secretary of the Democratic Senate Conference
* Senator Ken Salazar
* Senator Tim Johnson
* Former Senator Max Cleland
* Former U.S. Senator and Member of 9/11 Commission Bob Kerrey
* Congressman John Murtha

* 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 history

* Sheet Metal Workers International Association
* Vietnamese-American Veterans Coalition

* Tom Lehner +óGé¼GÇ£ Chief of Staff (1993-2001), Sen. Robb
* Susan Platt +óGé¼GÇ£ Campaign Manager, Robb for Senate +óGé¼-£94
* Susan Albert Carr +óGé¼GÇ£ Scheduler, Gov. Robb; Legislative Aide and Communications Director, Sen. Robb
* Ridge Schuyler +óGé¼GÇ£ Legislative Director, Sen. Robb
* Peggy Wilhide +óGé¼GÇ£ Press Secretary and Communications Director, Sen. Robb
* Julia Sutherland +óGé¼GÇ£ Gov. Robb Press office; Press Secretary, Robb for Senate +óGé¼-£88; Press Secretary, Sen. Robb
* Rhett Walker +óGé¼GÇ£ Deputy Campaign Manager, Robb for Senate +óGé¼-£94
* John DiBiase +óGé¼GÇ£ Advance Director, Robb for Senate +óGé¼-£94
* Bryson Monteleone +óGé¼GÇ£ Assistant to Campaign Manager, Robb for Senate, +óGé¼-£94
* C.R. Suddith +óGé¼GÇ£ Controller, Robb for Senate +óGé¼-£88; Senate Aide, 89-90; Deputy Treasurer Robb for Senate +óGé¼-£94
* Louise Ware +óGé¼GÇ£ Campaign Staff, Gov. Robb; Campaign Staff, Sen. Robb

* Won the Fairfax County Democratic Straw Poll 58%-42%
* Won the Prince William County Democratic Straw Poll 57%-43%
* Won the Newport News Democratic Straw Poll 77%-23%

Comments

From James Webb's webpage; the full comment from Kerry: (phriendlyjaime - 6/2/2006 7:31:25 PM)

It is just fantastic, and really powerful. I think my LTE's will be just this... ;)

(bolds are mine, for emphasis on how fucking awesome this is)

campaign quote in italics:
We only put a few excerpts in the press release, but the longer quote is extremely powerful, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

John Kerry:
Jim Webb has courage and I'm proud to endorse his courage and his character in his campaign for the Senate. We need more people of strength and character in the Senate, and that means we need leaders like Jim who have served honorably in the military and in the goverment on behalf of the country they love.

Jim Webb quit the Republican Party over the Bush Administration's incompetence and malfeasance in creating a mess in Iraq that has cost lives and weakened our security. For Jim, this is personal. I want to know that after November the father of Marine Lance Corporal Jimmy Webb will be in the Senate thinking and leading on the best course for American troops including his son who will be deployed to Iraq this fall. I dare any Republican to question this man's courage, character, or moral authority on questions of war and peace. He'll be a voice in the Senate who fights every day for our security, not a Senator like George Allen who says he's bored in this institution at this perilous time.

That's another reason we need Jim Webb in the Senate. We need to beat George Allen. This is a critical year for Democrats. We can take back the Congress and put an end to this string of disastrous years of Republican control of Washington. It won't be easy. It demands candidates of unquestioned integrity and experience who can fight and win tough campaigns against challenging odds. Jim is in a tough primary fight in Virginia. I don't like to choose sides among my fellow Democrats, and neither of us would deny that we've had our differences over the years, but Jim has my support for the Democratic nomination for the US Senate. He has the best chance to beat George Allen.

me:
Can I start calling Harris Miller "Embarassed Miller" now? Because I would be MORTIFIED over the amount of Jim Webb's endorsements vs Miller's shady background and lack of support. Add this to the positive mailer with the perfect amount of digs at Harris Miller and FANTASTIC photos of amazing Virginians, and my friends; I think we have a new US Senator.