Thought you'd enjoy the update:
Miller rolls out TV ad in primary fight (Roanoke Times)
The ad promotes Harris Miller as a "lifelong Democrat."
By Michael Sluss
(804) 697-1585
RICHMOND -- Democrat Harris Miller took his campaign for the U.S. Senate to the airwaves Wednesday, debuting a 30-second television ad that touches on two policy issues and takes a swipe at primary opponent James Webb.
Miller is the first Senate candidate to air a television ad in advance of the June 13 Democratic primary. The winner of the nominating fight will face incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen in the Nov. 7 election.
The ad promotes Miller, a former technology association executive, as "the Democrat we can count on." The spot began running on Northern Virginia cable outlets Wednesday and eventually will air statewide, said Miller spokeswoman Taylor West.
"The idea is to let people know who Harris is and what he's about," West said.
Webb's campaign has not decided whether to spend on television ads before the primary, a spokeswoman said.
The Miller ad touts the Northern Virginia lobbyist as a "lifelong Democrat, Virginia high-tech leader and adviser to Gov. Mark Warner." It displays images of Webb with his family and a photo of him with Warner.
Miller is a former chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee and president of the Arlington-based Information Technology Association of America. He was not part of Warner's administration, but did serve on a council that advises governors on research and technology strategies.
The ad also features images of Webb with former President Ronald Reagan and Allen with an announcer intoning: "Jim Webb? Reagan official, supported George Bush, campaigned for George Allen." An image of the president appears with a glimpse of the aircraft carrier on which the president in 2003 declared victory in the Iraq war beneath a "Mission Accomplished" banner.
Webb served as secretary of the Navy in Reagan's administration, voted for Bush in 2000 and endorsed Allen's Senate candidacy the same year. Webb has since said that he regrets backing Allen and has apologized for doing so to Charles Robb, the Democrat whom Allen defeated. Webb was an early, outspoken opponent of invading Iraq and has criticized the Bush administration's handling of the war.
Webb has responded to Miller's attacks on his Democratic credentials by pointing out that Miller has contributed to the campaigns of a handful of Republican congressional candidates, including House of Representatives Speaker Dennis Hastert. Miller made the contributions while serving as ITAA's president.
"He's displayed his Democratic credentials as if they're flawless, and they're not," said Webb spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd.
Miller's campaign said the ITAA board of directors encouraged donations to GOP candidates to assuage concerns that the organization favored Democrats. Miller also calls for the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and for a windfall profits tax on oil companies.
Miller plays up rival's GOP past (RTD)
U.S. Senate hopeful airs TV advertisement in bid for nomination
BY TYLER WHITLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Harris Miller portrays himself as a "lifelong Democrat" in the first television commercial of the U.S. Senate primary campaign.
Miller bought time for the commercial yesterday on a Northern Virginia cable television station, and a campaign spokeswoman said the ad will be shown in other parts of the state over the next week.
Miller, a retired high-tech trade association executive from McLean, and James Webb, an author from Falls Church, are vying for the Democratic nomination in a June 13 statewide primary. The winner will challenge Republican Sen. George Allen in the general election on Nov. 7.
The Miller ad shows Miller with former Gov. Mark R. Warner. It shows Webb with former President Ronald Reagan and Allen.
Miller and Warner have their arms around each other. Warner, the popular former Democratic governor, is staying neutral, although both Miller and Webb are claiming his support.
The pictures of Webb with Reagan and Allen and a separate picture of President Bush represent attempts by Miller to link Webb to the Republican Party.
Webb served a year as secretary of the Navy under Reagan and endorsed Bush and Allen in 2000. He says he converted to the Democratic Party in 2002.
"Harris Miller -- the Democrat we can count on," an announcer says.
"Jim Webb? Reagan official, supported George Bush, campaigned for George Allen," the ad says.
In the ad, Miller describes himself as "a Democrat who will fight for change in the U.S. Senate." He says he would fire Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, and tax the profits of big oil companies to invest in alternative energy.
Webb has not yet begun television advertising, but his campaign says it will before the vote.
He issued a rebuttal e-mail yesterday citing instances in which Miller has supported Republicans. Records show that the Information Technology Association of America, of which Miller was president, donated $5,000 to six Republicans, including the Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.
Miller said he did so under pressure from the directors of the trade association, who wanted it to be bipartisan.
Miller said he has contributed $62,325 to state Democratic campaigns in Virginia since 1996 and $59,090 to federal-level Democrats since 1990.
Miller worked in the Carter administration and was chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee for seven years.
The Miller ad was prepared by Squier Knapp Dunn Communications, one of Washington's best-known advertising agencies. Most of its political work is done for Democrats.
***FACT CHECK: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller’s Television Ad “Change”***
Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller claims he is a “Lifelong Democrat” but Harris Miller has a history of supporting the most conservative Republicans.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller has spent decades as a lobbyists for big business making millions of dollars by pushing through legislation that only benefits big business.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller has made thousands of dollars in personal campaign contributions to rightwing Republicans including Dennis Hastert, Spencer Abraham, Arlen Specter, Billy Tauzin, John Sununu and Adam Putnam.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller has contributed the maximum amount allowed under the law to Republican House Speaker Denny Hastert.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller praised George Bush as a strong economic “leader.”
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller was “doing everything ” to get Spencer Abraham re-elected while Democrats were fighting in the trenches to take back the Senate in 2000.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller called the Nomination of John Ashcroft a “win-win because he has impeccable legal credentials.”
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller said he thinks permanently extending the Bush tax cuts is “a great idea.”
Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller claims he is a “Virginia high-tech leader.” Miller’s record shows he is a leader of the movement to outsource American jobs and fight against the interest of worker.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller said “offshore outsourcing pushes the U.S.
Economy to perform at a higher level.” Offshore outsourcing will result in the loss of 3.3 million well-paying jobs and over $136 billion in lost wages by 2015.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller the AFL-CIO calls Miller “truly one of the bad guys” whose "anti-labor, anti-worker activities...find him unfit for any kind of labor support."
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller wants to replace American tech workers with immigrant workers by removing the cap on those workers.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller worked to block efforts in the Senate to expand rural internet access.
Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller implies he has support from Governor Mark Warner
FACT: Mark Warner has held a fundraiser for Jim Webb where he said “In Jim Webb we have somebody who’s not afraid to take on a fight.” Warner Called Webb “a great American” and a “great Virginia Democrat.”
FACT: According to Time magazine Webb “seems to have the backing of
Warner.”
Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller says he wants to Fire Rumsfeld to change course in Iraq.
FACT: Jim Webb has been an outspoken opponent of the War in Iraq
since late 2001, well before it started.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller supported the Bush Administration invasion of
Iraq, and only recently flip-flopped and began to oppose it.
Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller wants to Tax profits of big oil to invest in alternative energy, profits he helped create.
FACT: According to ITAA lobbyist disclosures Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller was a
registered lobbyist on the Bush-Cheney energy bill in 2003, a bill that included $23.5 billion in energy related tax giveaways and over $75 billion in authorizations for the energy industry including money for oil pipelines and offshore drilling.
FACT: Corporate Lobbyist Harris Miller supported Spencer Abraham, Bush-Cheney energy secretary during the first term who also supported the '03 energy bill.
Antonia Scatton
Arlington Democrats
Director of Communications
cell: 202-487-0187
antoniamax@yahoo.com
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Grassroots mailing list
Grassroots@webb2006.org
http://webb2006.org/mailman/listinfo/grassroots_webb2006.org
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