RK ARCHIVE - Top 10 Reasons to Vote FOR Jim Webb

1) Jim Webb will be pro-environment. Webb will support renewable energy development, and will oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Jim Webb understands that global warming is a serious problem that needs to be dealt with. Webb also knows that we must wean ourselves off our addiction to foreign oil, for both environmental and national security reasons.

2) Jim Webb will help keep the government out of our bedrooms. Webb does not believe that the government should be snooping around in our private lives, unless there's some powerful, overriding reason why it simply HAS to do so. Webb is consistent on this philosophy, which is why he can simultaneously be for 2nd Amenmdment gun rights, against the Marshall-Newman "marriage" amendment, and for a woman's right to reproductive choice (Webb believes that abortions should be "safe, legal and rare"). In sum, Webb believes in personal privacy and is against unnecessary government intrusion in our lives.

3) Jim Webb will fight for the American worker in an age of economic globalization, outsourcing, and a widening income inequality that Webb calls the "Three Americas." Webb is pro-labor and against providing tax breaks to big corporations (ExxonMobil, etc.) and mega-rich people (the top 1% or less of America) that don't need them. Webb will fight to restore fairness and progressivity in our economy, including raising the minimum wage.
4) As a war hero himself (Navy Cross, Silver Star), and as a man with "skin in the game" (his son Jimmy is a U.S. Marine in Iraq), Jim Webb will fight harder than anyone in Congress for our soldiers and our veterans. Webb will push to provide our soldiers in harms way with adequate equipment, including top-notch body armor. Webb will propose a 5% tax break for veterans who have served honorably. Webb will fight for a GI Bill for today's veterans that will grant these veterans the same benefits as those from World War II, including full tuition benefits, the purchase of textbooks, and a monthly living stipend.

5) Jim Webb supports stem cell vital research to cure terrible diseases. Webb specifically supports embryonic stem cell research, which scientists and medical researchers believe holds the most promise in combatting Juvenile Diabates, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, paralysis, and many other conditions. Webb does not support human cloning, but he DOES support Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. (Note: these embryos are usually created in fertility clinics and are discarded after a period of time anyway...)

6) Jim Webb will work to restore Congress' role in our Constitutional system of checks and balances. As a U.S. Senator, Webb will be an independent voice and a counterweight to Presidents of EITHER party who exceed their authority and act without adequately involving Congress. In general, Webb will fight for Congress' role as a co-equal branch of government, which it is supposed to be but which it has NOT been the past six years.

7) Jim Webb will root out corruption, waste, fraud and abuse wherever he finds it. And he will look for it tirelessly. Along these lines, Webb - a man who personally cannot be bought - has proposed forming a modern-day "Truman Commission" to investigate how contracts were awarded to companies like Halliburton in Iraq. In addition, Webb will work to rein in the out-of-control influence of money in politics, including the power of lobbyists like Jack Abramoff and special interests like Big Oil. This is all part of Webb's philosophy that his job in Washington DC will be to work for the people and those WITHOUT a voice in the corridors of power, not the powerful and well-connected.

8) Jim Webb will work across the aisle with his friend Chuck Hagel, with people like John McCain and Russ Feingold, to restore an era of bipartisan civility and cooperation for the good of our country. Webb will do this as a strong, principled, and independent Democrat, something we sorely need in Washington DC these days. In all this, Jim's model will be people like Mark Warner, who believe in working with anyone who can help move us "forward, together."

9) Jim Webb will fight to recapture the American dream for every man woman and child in the nation. This means working for equal opportunity for all, combined with equal responsibliity. This does NOT mean special rights, but it DOES mean a top-notch education for every child in America, plus quality health care that can't be taken away. It also means fighting to ensure that our children and grandchdldren do not begin their lives saddled with a huge debt (a "birth tax") that they are forced to work their entire lives paying off. Last but not least, it means Affirmative Action for African Americans, as a unique program for a unique group that suffered the terrible "badge of slavery" in this nation's history.

10) Jim Webb will restore sanity and realism to our foreign policy, as opposed to the strange, starry-eyed theories of the "neo-conservatives" and others (like George W. Bush and George Allen). As someone who opposed the invasion of Iraq beginning in 2002, based on his belief that such an invasion and occupation of an Arab/Muslim country would turn into a strategic quagmire and a disaster, Webb has proven that he "gets it" on foreign policy and national security. As our next U.S. Senator, Webb will work to reorient our foreign and national security policies to ones that defend American interests while simultaneously restoring our position as a moral leader of the world. Regarding the latter point, Webb understands that it's not just "hard power" that makes a nation strong, but at least as much it's "soft power" - our economy, our diplomacy, our attractiveness as a Democracy, our willingness to sit down and negotiate even with our enemies - that helps keep us safe and secure in a dangerous world.

All in all, it's time for a positive change in America, and Jim Webb will bring that change. Vote Jim Webb on November 7!

[UPDATE: Reason #11 is that Jim Webb is one of the bravest and most honest men I've ever met, with more integrity in his pinky than BushAllen has in its/their raised middle finger(s). Jim Webb can NOT be bought or compromised. Jim's friends say that if he told a lie, his nose would fall off of his head. Wouldn't you like someone like that representing you in the US Senate?]

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

Comments

Excellent summary of issues (Shenandoah Democrat - 10/21/2006 7:56:07 AM)

Great discussion of the issues, Lowell. I particularly like the top billing given to environment and energy. It's important to focus on Iraq and other top issues, but the comprehensive summary is very valuable. Virginians need to know we have a real "thinking man" candidate, so unlike the opposition.

Thanks! (Lowell - 10/21/2006 8:11:34 AM)

There are many other reasons to vote for Jim Webb; this is simply MY top-10 list that I came up with this morning. I'd love to hear other peoples' reasons to vote FOR Jim.

Thanks.

Lowell

Missing the person ... (A Siegel - 10/21/2006 8:21:10 AM)

I explain my support for Jim Webb as follows:

* Jim Webb is a very ethical person -- and there is much evidence of that through his life / career.

* Jim Webb has shown himself to be a learning person -- he is not static, but intelligent enough to learn through both his own and through others' experiences.

* Jim Webb is extremely intelligent, thoughtful, and articulate (see his novels).

* Jim Webb is extremely accomplished -- he has excelled in multiple careers/environments: from extremely honorable military service to tremendous writing (such as perhaps the best novel on the US military experience in Vietnam) to serving as staff in a Senate committee to ...

He will bring to the Senate these characteristics and provide Virginians a Senator who we can be proud of ... a Senator who will improve the discourse and critical thinking that is vital to a strong legislature.

You beat me to the post, but no sweat (Used2Bneutral - 10/21/2006 8:51:05 AM)

Your points about Webb "The Person" are absolutely as important as his present thoughtful stand on the issues to me. I NEED the trust and honesty he brings to satisfy the real environment of an ever changing world. As much as his "Hero status" is not really used by his own choice, he hit that status by the strength of his character and instincts. I'm voting and supporting someone to whom I will have to trust the future of my kids and their kids. Webb passes that test in my mind.... Allen doesn't even get close

Unlike George Allen, here's an ethical politician (PM - 10/21/2006 12:05:29 PM)

http://news.independ...

Tony Blair loses another ally:

Clare Short quits the Labour whip, citing Blair's deceit
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
Published: 21 October 2006
Clare Short angrily resigned yesterday as a Labour MP, condemning Tony Blair for "half truths and deceits" over the war on Iraq and accusing his Government of being "arrogant" and "error-prone". ***

Arrogant? Error prone? Deceitful? Sounds like the Bush Administration.

George Allen -- can you picture him ever putting principle over party? What's that silence I hear?

All excellent reasons, (libra - 10/21/2006 6:44:19 PM)

Lowell and Siegel. Almost any *one* of them would be enough to make one vote for Webb, since they're a (dark) mirror of what Allen is and what he stands for.

But I would also like to mention a word which seems to have disappeared from most dictionaries: HONOR. It's not quite the same as "honesty", though the two usually run in tandem. And it's not the same as "having moral values" (or not as the term is being used these days), even though it *is* a moral value.

I would trust Jim Webb's personal word of honor much sooner than Allen's hand on the Bible.

Another word which can easily be applied to Webb, but by no stretch of imagination to Allen is: PRINCIPLE. This word has also fallen out of favor recently, to the extent that lots of people spell it "principal" and don't even see the the difference (Bush and Allen are principals without principles, in our political landscape).

For me, voting for Webb is a chance to restore their due status to those two words...

You're singing my song (Catzmaw - 10/22/2006 1:44:47 AM)

libra. Honor is a very big deal to me, bigger than whether Webb's policy positions closely match mine. I can live with an honorable senator who may not advocate what I would advocate, but has articulable reasons for his position and is trying to do the right thing. I was pleased with his comments to the NAACP that he wanted the members' votes, but that their votes would not sway his decisions as senator. He was well-received there, to the point where the membership had to be reminded to stop cheering because they are a non-partisan organization.

Oh gosh, why do we just pick, pick, pick (Catzmaw - 10/23/2006 11:26:48 AM)

about the Iraq war instead of thanking the Shrub for our fabulous falling gas prices? Why are we so suspicious and questioning about the dear Halliburton company's war profiteering and no-bid contracts? Why can't we accept that Cheney knows better than us and had every right to have secret meetings in the White House with gas and oil companies? Why can't we accept that poor folks don't NEED a higher minimum wage, that they should just accept their pay so companies can fund rapaciously high CEO compensation? Why do we keep complaining that the same 140,000 military people are being cycled in and out of Iraq and made to shoulder the whole burden of the war? Why do we question how our government can gut our Constitution and Bill of Rights as a way of "preserving" our freedoms? Why do we question our Administration's fear of our own system of justice, the foundation of our democracy? Why don't we understand financial markets the way NoVa Rearguard does, who apparently understands that you can reduce taxes and reduce revenues in a time of war, but still keep your economy healthy and growing? Why don't we accept that it's perfectly good accounting practice to boost your claims of a thriving economy by simply labeling funds borrowed from the Social Security trust and foreign banks as "off-budget", so that no one notices that they add about $500 billion dollars back into the national debt?

Me and my loony leftist questions. If only I could make some sense. Sigh.

Wow Lowell... (NoVA Rearguard - 10/23/2006 11:28:22 AM)

That was an amazing response. Just said I have no real argument although Allen is the one with an actual written and published plan compared to Webb and his sloganeering. Impressive verbal judo.

Tell me again the Democratic plan for oil conservation and reduction of reliance on suppliers abroad...without additional drilling. And I mean concrete steps.

Insults and ad hominem attacks are always the sign of weak arguments and minds... (NoVA Rearguard - 10/23/2006 11:52:01 AM)

...but thanks for confirming what I suspected Lowell.

And just to get one more point in, it really won't matter if we make every single appliance in America an EnergyStar one or if we squeeze more mileage out of our Toyotas and even SUVs (although yes those are good things--and they're in George Allen's comprehensive plan)...there's a finite supply of oil as well as coal that can be turned into oil, and we're sitting on literally tons of it.

Unfortunately while we attend Al Gore film festivals and bemoan the possible fate of some caribou we funnel billions of petrodollars to the very regimes that are sponsoring folks who want to kill us all--and with our money!

They even want to kill 'trolls' like me...