Senate Candidates in VA Bicker Over Party Loyalty

[MountainLaurel]

The two men vying for the Democratic nomination in Virginia's U.S. Senate race angrily accused each other of being disloyal to their party in a bitter exchange Friday during their first face-to-face meeting of the primary campaign.

Former lobbyist Harris Miller and former Navy secretary James Webb clashed during the taping of what was billed as a casual conversation for "On the Record," a Norfolk television show that will air Sunday morning. The exchange started calmly, with both taking potshots at the man each wants to face in the fall, incumbent Republican Sen. George Allen.

snip

"Why did you donate money to Dennis Hastert? I've never given money to a Republican in my life," Webb said.

snip

Miller acknowledged giving several thousand dollars to Hastert and Spencer Abraham, a former U.S. senator who lost his reelection bid in 2000 and went on to serve as energy secretary during Bush's first term. He told reporters later that the board of directors of the Information Technology Association of America, where he was the chief lobbyist at the time, strongly urged him to contribute to Republican candidates.

snip

Webb's campaign later pounced on those comments, saying it was an excuse for contributing to Republicans that only a former lobbyist could love.

"Right there you've got what the American public hates about Washington," said Webb spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd. "This is the problem with Harris Miller. This is how he thinks, how lobbyists think."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/19/AR2006051900799.html

:wow:

I'm no longer a VA resident, but this looks like it's going to be one helluva race! It's interesting to see the Vichy Dems getting called out.

[LibDemAlways]

1. Too much sniping here.

They sound like a couple of kids on the schoolyard tossing insults at each other instead of keeping the focus on getting rid of Allen.

The same thing is happening in CA. The two top Dems vying to replace Ahnold are wasting their time going negative on each other.

[Catchawave]

2. Gotta love the Dems....

But I agree, debating over George Allen's butt firmly planted on Bush's Ass, would have been much more productive :sigh:

Here's some emails I've received from the Webb Camp since the debate:

Campaign Email from May 19:

If it wasn’t clear before, it's clear now why Jim Webb will be the candidate to defeat George Allen this November. I just got off the phone with Jim and the team following a debate with his Democratic primary opponent, Harris Miller.

Jim overwhelmed his opponent with his wealth of knowledge and experience, while his opponent continued his campaign-long negative attacks on Jim.

Jim kept an often agitated Harris Miller on the defensive in today’s televised debate on Joel Rubin's political talk show "On the Record," which will air this Sunday at 10:30AM on Norfolk's ABC affiliate. Jim scored points throughout the one hour debate on issues ranging from electability, the economy, energy policy and the War in Iraq.

About the Iraq War Jim stated, "I would have absolutely voted against the resolution to go to war. That's what I think leadership is all about...We need people who ask the hard questions - people who have the experience and ability to ask the hard questions."

Help us put a real leader in the U.S. Senate. Please contribute to Jim today!

http://webb.bluestatedigital.com/page/m/yhj846gkv0m/VZl2Ic

By contrast, Harris Miller chose early in the debate to desperately attack Jim. For instance, while Webb was outlining his agenda to change the direction of the country, Miller interrupted to attack him.

When confronted by his own history of personally contributing money to a host of conservative Republicans, Miller denied it. In fact, Miller has made personal contributions totaling $5,500 to Republican members of Congress including Sen. Spencer Abraham, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Sen. Arlen Specter, Rep. Billy Tauzin, Sen. John Sununu and Rep. Adam Putnam.

Yet Harris Miller had no problem showing his disdain for the labor movement by continuing to defend his support of outsourcing as a legitimate business practice. And once again in contrast to Jim Webb, Miller refused when questioned in the debate to answer whether he would have supported the military invasion of Iraq.

This is not the kind of leadership Virginians deserve. Help us elect Jim Webb to the U.S. Senate to fight for Virginians. Contribute today!

Today's debate reaffirmed what you already know, as one of Jim's most dedicated supporters: Jim Webb is the only Democratic Senate candidate who can beat George Allen in November. Jim has a vision to expand the Democrat party, based on core Democratic values. In the Senate, Jim Webb is the only candidate who will fight to refocus America's foreign policy and traditions, and will be the leader of the anti-outsourcing movement.

Thank you for helping us Take Back Virginia.

Sincerely,

Jessica Vanden Berg
Campaign Manager
Webb for Senate

P.S. We only have 5 days until the May 24th pre-primary FEC fundraising deadline. Help us send a message that Jim has the resources to go toe-to-toe with Harris Miller on June 13th.

Campaign Email from May 20:

Jim Webb has been running on and will continue to run on his life’s record of leadership, his strength of character, and his vision of where this country should be heading. From the start, though, Jim Webb’s primary opponent, Harris Miller, has run an extremely negative campaign against Mr. Webb. In addition to misrepresenting Mr. Webb’s views, Mr. Miller hasn’t been telling you all the facts about himself. At some point, in order to win races, successful candidates must stand up to the false criticisms leveled at them and they must make sure that the public becomes aware of significant facts that their opponents have been hiding. There is a reason why Republicans are reportedly organizing to vote for Harris Miller, who they believe is the weaker of the Democratic candidates. How has Harris Miller become such a wealthy man? It’s important that Democrats know the below facts about Harris Miller before they make their decision regarding who they will support on June 13th. Feel free to distribute this information to others.

WHO IS the REAL HARRIS MILLER? YOU BE THE JUDGE

Harris Miller is a highly connected corporate lobbyist and Washington insider who has supported some of the most conservative Republicans in Congress and praised President Bush.
Harris supported John Ashcroft’s nomination. He gave $2000 to Spencer Abraham’s re-election campaign, the same Spencer Abraham who is now George Bush and Dick Cheney’s ENERGY secretary.
He contributed to the Campaigns of Republican Speaker of the House Denny Hastert, Arlen Specter, John Sununu and Billy Tauzin.
Abraham, Ashcroft, Hastert and Tauzin all voted to either adopt articles of impeachment or found President Clinton guilty in the impeachment trial (Senate roll call vote # 17, 2/12/99 106th congress, 1st session; Roll Call vote numbers 543-546, 105th congress, 2nd session).
Harris Miller on the Ashcroft Nomination:
"Ashcroft’s nomination is a win-win because he has impeccable legal credentials and a strong grasp of high-tech policy." (Harris Miller as quoted in Computer Reseller News 1/15/01)
Harris Miller on Spencer Abraham:
"I’m doing everything I can to get him re-elected," (Harris Miller, Orlando Business Journal 10/20/00)

Harris Miller's Republican Contributions:
www.opensecrets.org reports that from 1998 to 2004 Miller gave a total of $5500 to 6 federal GOP candidates.

Spencer Abraham: $ 2000 (8/10/1998)
Dennis Hastert: $1000 (5/19/1999)
Billy Tauzin : $500 (2/21/2002)
John Sununu: $ 500 (6/08/2002)
Adam Putnam: $500 (2/12/2004)
Arlen Specter: $1000 (6/27/2004 )

HARRIS MILLER ON BUSH AND THE TAX CUTS

Harris Miller has praised President Bush for his "leadership" on economic issues. Said Harris: "The new leader of the US is demonstrating his leadership of the new economy." (The Australian 4/3/2001)

We might not have to vote against making these tax cuts permanent if it weren’t for the lobbying of Mr. Miller. In 2001 Miller urged the congress to pass the disastrous Bush tax cuts. Said Harris: "We encourage the House to move swiftly to pass a tax cut, and the Senate to follow."
http://www.itaa.org/taxfinance/release.cfm?ID=62>
And recently when asked if he favored extending Bush’s tax cuts, Miller said: "Extending the tax cuts, yeah I love the idea. I think it’s a great idea."
*Compare this with Jim Webb’s recent comment: "I do not think tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the richest 1% of America are good in any context."
Harris Miller on E-voting

Harris Miller has worked to support the Diebold Corporation and to oppose voter verified paper trails: "We oppose the idea of a voter verified paper trail" (Harris Miller, CIO 7/30/04, http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;558873322;fp;4;fpid;21)

Harris Miller and American workers

Harris Miller has been called "the anti-Christ" to tech workers. "Harris Miller, aka the Antichrist if you're an unemployed IT worker, is gearing up for a Senate run as--a Democrat?" InformationWeek 1/9/06

The AFL-CIO said Harris Miller is "truly one of the bad guys" who is "unfit for any kind of labor support." (letter from Washington labor leader to Virginia AFL-CIO, February 6, 2006)

Mr. Miller supports the outsourcing of American jobs, a practice he likes to call "global sourcing", a practice that is estimated to cost the American workforce 3.3 million lost jobs and $136 billion in wages by 2015.

Harris Miller defends and promotes the outsourcing of American jobs overseas
As a lobbyist for corporate interests, Harris Miller claimed that: "Global sourcing increased US jobs by 90,000 in 2003 and will add more than 317,000 new jobs in 2008." And he claimed that: "…about 35,000 jobs per year were lost to global sourcing." Harris Miller, Washington Post online chat 3/22/04

The truth is this: "Forrester Research has projected that as many as 3.3 million white-collar jobs of all kinds and over $136 billion in wages will be moved from the United States to lower cost, offshore locations by 2015." (The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers ­ United States of America March 2004, http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/offshoring.html) Forrester Research is an independent technology and market research company that provides its clients with advice about technology's impact on business and consumers. Note the contrast between this message and Miller’s message supporting corporate bottomlines.

Mr. Miller supports eliminating the cap on H1-B visas which brings high tech workers from overseas to the US, who work for an average of $15,000 a year less than American workers. These workers directly replace American technology workers. The last time this cap was raised, it resulted in a near doubling of the unemployment rate for American technology workers.

During the same 3 year period that the Immigration and Naturalization Service was processing 856,000 H-1B visa petitions (407,500 new petitions and 448,500 renewal petitions), unemployment among managers and professionals increased steadily from 725,000 (1.7%) in 2000; to 973,000 (2.3%) in 2001; to1,341,000 (3.1%) in 2002. (The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers ­ United States of America February 2003)

According to the Department of Labor the supposed "safeguards" in the H1-B visa program to protect American workers do not work. "The H­1B program does not require there be a shortage of U.S. workers in the occupation for which aliens are being hired. " (US Department of Labor, Sept 2003)

WHO IS the REAL HARRIS MILLER? YOU BE THE JUDGE

The Webb campaign has authorized me to distribute this message. Use it as you feel appropriate.

Thank you,

[AlecBGreen]

3. Heres my take

Harris can only win by sniping at Jim and labeling him a johnny-come-lately Democrat. Jim Webb never backs down from a confrontation and calls the little weasel out instead of just brushing it off.

They cant help themselves...

[Moloch]

4. Ugh....

Save all the vitriol for Allen. He's the one who deserves it..

Does anybody have any polls for this senate race?

[rogue emissary]

5. Here's some recent polling numbers.

Virginia Senate: Allen in Command
April 19, 2006--
Senator George Allen (R) retains a solid lead in his bid for re-election in the fifth Rasmussen Reports election 2006 poll in Virginia.

Allen now leads businessman Harris Miller (D) 51% to 34%. He also leads former Navy secretary James Webb 50% to 30%.

A month ago, Allen led Harris 56% to 27% and Webb 54% to 30%.Neither challenger has come within single digits thus far in the campaign, but Allen's fortunes have bobbed a bit. . .

http://rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/April%202006/Virginia%20Senate%20April.htm

[magnolia]

6. It's way too early...

...to worry about numbers.

The biggest problem right now is that republicans can vote in our primary. If THEY elect Miller it will be much harder to get rid of Allen.

[Catchawave]

7. Looks like about 20% are still

"undecided". These numbers will get closer after the primary.