VA Fighting Dems in Primary Race - Jim Webb and Al Weed

[trillian]

Cross posted at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/6/11/135715/938">kos where Al is live blogging right now.


Virginia Fighting Dems in Primary Race – Jim Webb (Senate) and Al Weed (House) live blogging
::
Fighting Dems, Band of Brothers, Veterans for a Secure America, vets for congress, Jim Webb, Al Weed,

The Officer and the Sarge

Two Virginia Fighting Dems will be gearing up for battle in November in the June 13th primary. One was an officer, Jim Webb, with impeccable credentials and is running for Senator and the other was a Command Sergeant Major, Al Weed, running for the House in Virginia CD 5 – and he is no slouch either. So it will be the Officer and the Sarge, both Vietnam Vets, fighting side-by-side to take back Congress and put America back on course.

Jim Webb and Al Weed did in fact stand together in Rocky Mount on May 31st to listen to some bluegrass music and to offer support for each other.



Jim Webb endorsed Command Sergeant Al Weed with the following words:

"Al and I share many common ideals. <b>We are both Fighting Dems</b> and we will both work tirelessly in the halls of Congress for those who are not represented by special interests."

These echoed the words Al had spoken just moments before

"I'm proud to endorse Jim Webb and I look forward to campaigning and governing with him. As veterans, we both understand how to fight for our country. For too long, George Bush, George Allen, and Virgil Goode have worked against the American values that Jim and I fought to protect," Al said. "It is our duty to stand up so that Washington can, once again, work for all Americans. Together we will bring honest representation back to Washington.”

AN UNUSUAL ENDORSEMENT

As you have probably already heard, Webb Picked up the endorsement of the
Head of Senate Campaign, breaking with the tradition of not taking sides before a primary and urged Virginians to vote for Webb. The Washington Post reported on June 8th the following:

"With Jim Webb as the Democratic nominee in Virginia, we have an opportunity to give George Allen a real run for his money. He's our best hope for defeating Allen in November," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the DSCC chairman. "Jim's a real fighter -- he has the experience, energy and commitment to make this a winnable race."
It is extremely unusual for a DSCC chairman to endorse a candidate in a contested primary. The move reflects a consensus among national Democrats that Webb -- a former Republican, author, war hero and Navy secretary -- will make a stronger general election candidate than lobbyist and longtime Democratic Party activist Harris Miller.

Jim has also already been endorsed by eight Senators and two former presidential contenders, Gen. Wesley Clark and another Senator the ‘04 nominee John Kerry. And there is a great post on kos today by Lowell on another great pair, Wes Clark and Jim Webb. Read it here: Wes Clark and Jim Webb: This is a Fight for America's Future!. He speaks forcefully about Clark's speech at the Texas Convention as awesome and urges support for Webb on Tuesday.
And Al Weed is one of those we need in Congress to take back the House. Al Weed is no stranger to live blogging. He live blogged on Raising Kaine this week and now will be with us. In preparation for blogging on Raising Kaine, he had this to say.

First of all, I'd like to thank Lowell and the Raising Kaine community for welcoming me today. You all have done a great deal for the progressive movement in Virginia and created a kind of energy that was quite rare in 2004. I've already seen a few questions about what's different this time around, and it all boils down to energy. The war is out of control, the debt, global warming, corruption, the imperial presidency -- they're all worse for the Republicans than they were in 2004. But wars and corruption don't win elections -- you do; energy and motivation do. That's what's different about 2006.
Not only are the Democrats energized and ready to go, but the Republican base is hurting bad. They've got nothing left to energize volunteers except immigration and gay marriage, but the electorate won't have it this year. They didn't buy it from Jerry Kilgore and they won't buy it from Virgil Goode. There are too many important issues to deal with to spend our time dividing the country over the issues that least affect government. Southside is suffering from the war, from globalization, from the do-nothing congress and Virgil Goode's inaction. Danville has the highest unemployment in the state, our farming economy is struggling to stay afloat, and too many of our children are going off to war instead of going off to college. The district is demanding change -- the nation is demanding change -- and I am here to bring that change.

Below is some detailed information on these superb fighting dems. You can read about other fighting dems on Fighting-Dems.com:

Jim WEBB for VA Senate



Officer, U.S. Marine Corps
Jim was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Jim served with the Fifth Marine Regiment in Vietnam, where as a rifle platoon and company commander in the infamous An Hoa Basin west of Danang he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. He later served as a platoon commander and as an instructor in tactics and weapons at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School, and then as a member of the Secretary of the Navy's immediate staff, before leaving the Marine Corps in l972
Website
Donate

Jim spent the "Watergate years" as a student at the Georgetown University Law Center, arriving just after the Watergate break-in in 1972, and receiving his J.D. just after the fall of South Vietnam in l975.

In government, Jim served in the U.S. Congress as counsel to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs from l977 to l98l, becoming the first Vietnam veteran to serve as a full committee counsel in the Congress. In 1982 he first proposed, then led the fight for, including an African American soldier in the memorial statue that now graces the Vietnam Veterans memorial on the National Mall. In 1984 he was appointed the inaugural Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, where traveled extensively in, and worked closely with, our NATO allies. As the Assistant Secretary he directed considerable research and analysis of the U.S. military's mobilization capabilities. In 1987 he became the first Naval Academy graduate in history to serve in the military and later be appointed Secretary of the Navy. He resigned as Naval Secretary in 1988 after refusing to agree to a reduction of the Navy's force structure during congressionally-mandated budget cutting.

Among Jim's many other awards for community service and professional excellence are the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award, the American Legion National Commander's Public Service Award, the VFW's Media Service Award, the Marine Corps League's Military Order of the Iron Mike Award, the John Russell Leader-ship Award, and the Robert L. Denig Distinguished Service Award. He was a Fall 1992 Fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics.
Jim has written six best-selling novels: Fields of Fire (1978), considered by many to be the classic novel of the Vietnam war, A Sense of Honor (l981), A Country Such As This (1983), Something To Die For (1991), The Emperor's General (1999) and Lost Soldiers (2001).

Jim taught literature at the Naval Academy as their first visiting writer, has traveled worldwide as a journalist, and his PBS coverage of the U.S. Marines in Beirut earned him an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Jim has traveled extensively, particularly in Asia, as a journalist, business consultant and screenwriter-producer. He has worked on feature film projects with many of Hollywood's top producers. His original story "Rules of Engagement", which he also executive-produced, was released in April 2000 and starred Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson. His book Born Fighting, which is his first commercial non-fiction effort, was published in October 2004 by Broadway Books.

Jim lives with his wife, Hong Le Webb, in McLean, Virginia. He has four children: Amy, 35; Jimmy, 25; Sarah, 23; Julia, 20.

Jim says he broke with Republicans over the war in Iraq. In September 2002 - half a year before the U.S. invasion - Webb wrote a commentary for the Washington Post warning that war with Iraq would not diminish terrorism and would lead to a long and costly occupation of the nation. Webb's reunification with Democrats came while he was researching his latest book, "Born Fighting," published in 2004. The non fiction work traces how the Scots-Irish influenced America. Their working-class, Southern heritage and identification with populist Democrats such as Andrew Jackson spoke loudly to Webb.


Al WEED for Congress (VA-05)



Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army
Al served in Panama and Vietnam (1962-1966). Al's father was a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps, stationed at Quantico, Virginia.
Website
Donate

Al interrupted his studies at Yale University to join the army. While stationed in Panama, Al he met his future wife, Emily Chan, a U.S. trained nurse who worked in a nearby hospital. He was deployed to Vietnam, but on his homecoming. Al and Emily were married. Al went back to school and received a BA in Latin American Studies from Yale and then did graduate work at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs, majoring in Economic Development and Political Modernization. He served as Class President and was awarded a Master of Public Affairs in 1970.

With his degrees completed, Al worked for a year as the first Technical Assistant to the US Director of the World Bank. When the Alternate Director left office, Al functioned as the Temporary Alternate US Director (the formal Alternate's position required a Presidential appointment). He served in this position for a year until the position was filled by the White House. He was then hired as the Director of the Washington Office for the Arthur Lipper Corporation, an international investment company, and spent time working in Asia and Europe. However, he began to long again for a farm and in 1973, just after the birth of their daughter Julia, the family moved to Nelson County, Virginia. Al is Founder of Virginia's Oldest Winery, Mountain Cove Vineyards (since 1973).

Al says, "It is time for our Government to work for the people again, and that is why I am running for Congress. I believe in Government. I believe each of us deserves a true partner in our quest for the American Dream. I wore this nation's uniform for too long. I will not sit back and watch as the values I fought to protect are ignored. The founding fathers gave us the power. It is our responsibility to let our elected officials know when they are doing the job right, and when they are doing the job wrong. How have they been doing lately? It is time for a change, and that change starts with your vote. This year you, the voters, want a different story, a different outcome; an outcome of hope, of decency, and of respect for you and your family. I am offering the good people of the Fifth the opportunity to have an honest representative, one who shares your beliefs, your values, and your common sense."

Al has a tough race ahead, but with the incompetence and lack of values shown by the current administration; this is the year of opportunity. Al lost in ’04 largely because of his outspoken opposition to the Iraqi War. What was a liability at that time is now a point of strength.

Bernie Quigley, in an Op-Ed Old Dems, New Dems and Fighting Dems on Fighting-Dems.com sums up our message for the day in these selections:

Jim Webb faces a primary race in Virginia. Webb is a fascinating man who once wrote the most well-known novel about Vietnam, Fields of Fire, after serving in Vietnam as a Marine. He was also Secretary of the Navy and has done all kinds of things. And he comes with a big noise. If you go to his website a speech opens upon you. He is possibly the best public speaker since Malcolm X. He will eat George Allen, his opponent in the general election, alive.

Jim Webb, like fellow Fighting Dems Chris Carney in Pennsylvania and Tammy Duckworth in Illinois and Eric Massa in New York are soldiers who bring a sobering sensibility to the Democratic Party. They bring a character-based sensibility to politics, honed in duty, sacrifice and civic responsibility.

These people have always been here. It is the Democrats who have turned away. The Fighting Dems, with Jim Webb as Pathfinder and Gatekeeper, awaken a new political front. Once again, others will follow their lead.

For things you can do, such as phone banking, go to Raising Kaine for some direction.

[UncleNoel]

1. Al Weed is live blogging and is a sharp guy...

This Virginia race looks like another winner to me.

UncleNoel