Anthony Zinni for Jim Webb

By: Lowell
Published On: 4/16/2006 6:50:17 AM

Yesterday's announcement that Owen B. Pickett - former Congressman from the Second District and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia - was endorsing Jim Webb for U.S. Senate was big news, no doubt about it.  As Dan Geroe wrote yesterday:

Anybody who questions Webb+óGé¼Gäós credibility and loyalty to the Democratic Party can give that one up now. Webb is the only candidate so far to have the public endorsement of a former Party Chair.  That means that the whole "Miller is the Real Democrat" argument is pretty farcical at this point.

Very true, couldn't have said it better myself, "Dannyboy!" :)

In the excitement of Pickett's great endorsement, we have not paid sufficient attention to ANOTHER endorsement, however.  Yesterday, according to the Daily Press, Jim Webb also announced that he would "re-visit the [Hampton Roads] area on May 3, when he's expected to accept the endorsement of retired Marine Gen. Tony Zinni."  According to the Daily Press, "Zinni is a Williamsburg resident and an outspoken critic of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the conduct of the war in Iraq."  For his part, Webb has said that "We do not need to be an occupying force in that part of the world." And the two men apparently respect each other tremendously. 
On April 1, Zinni appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press."  As I wrote at the time:

Yesterday's Meet the Press interview with General Tony Zinni, former commander in charge of U.S. Central Command, was a stunner.  I almost can't believe he said all this stuff.  Basically, what Zinni did yesterday was..."a point by point demolishing of the Bush positions and lies on the war. He is the Administration's worst nightmare."

Just a note here, before I get into Zinni's main points: my understanding is that Jim Webb and Tony Zinni are very friendly with each other, see things eye-to-eye on Iraq, and are highly simpatico in general.

Among other things, Zinni called for Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld's resignation, and also for other responsible parties "to be held accountable."  Zinni strongly implied a lack of "integrity, honesty and performance and competence" in the Bush Administration, while calling the Administration's pre-war assertion that Saddam wasn't contained:

...an insult to the troops who, for 10 years, ran the containment: those brave pilots who flew the no-fly zones, those sailors who enforced the maritime intercept operations, our soldiers and Marines that were on the ground out there that responded to every crisis, our support for the efforts of the inspectors that were in there.

By the way, Tony Zinni is no liberal (not that there's anything wrong with being a liberal!). In fact, it's unclear whether or not Zinni's a Republican, Democrat or independent.  Whatever his political affiliation, Tony Zinni is a man of great integrity and courage. In other words, Tony Zinni is the Bush Administration's worst nightmare. Just like Jim Webb - another man of tremendous integrity and courage - is George Allen's worst nightmare.  This should be an interesting campaign: Jim Webb, Tony Zinni, Owen Pickett, Wes Clark, Paul Hackett, and no question many other American heroes and leaders taking on George Allen the phony, bored, southern California "cowboy."  This should be fascinating.


Comments



Webb in Hampton Roads yesterday (DemTilDeath - 4/16/2006 11:20:04 AM)
Here are a sampling of the comments about Webb that have arrived in my inbox from people who saw Mr. Webb in Hampton Roads yesterday.

"Webb will win."

"I am totally sold on Webb."

"I was truly impressed."

"Webb made a lot of friends today."

"Webb is the real deal."

"If I hadn't known what he looked like, I would have assumed he was just another one of 'us.'  Well, he IS one of us.  He has no 'airs' about him."

"Webb will be elected because the people put out a 'call to action.'"

The party leadership needs to understand what a treasure they have in James Webb. 



Wow, these are great! (Lowell - 4/16/2006 11:49:17 AM)
Thanks very much for sharing. 

Hey, Miller supporters, do you have any quotes like that about your candidate?  Just curious whether Harris ever gets that kind of reception from Democrats.



Quotes (Arturo - 4/16/2006 12:33:31 PM)
for Harris Miller:

"Miller will lose."

"Miercoles! Miller sold my job!"

"I am truly pissed."

"Miller made a lot of enemies over the years."

"Miller is a fake."

"Miller is just another lobbyist.  He is NOT one of us. He is arrogant."

"Miller will not be elected because union members have a long memory."



Very funny, but I'm serious... (Lowell - 4/16/2006 12:52:49 PM)
are there ANY Miller supporters out there with positive quotes about the guy? Anyone?!?


Yes, the party needs to get in line with the Webb phenomenon (Rebecca - 4/16/2006 12:01:37 PM)
I agree, the Party needs to get on board. But just think about it. Isn't it pathetic that we need to be saying that sort of things about the party (meaning the DC Democrats)? Hey, DC Dems: "Want to win? Come on, you do want to win, don't you?"

I mean they are real losers if they don't get on board. Either that or they are working for the opposition. Sometimes I think its a combination of both.



Option #3 (Lowell - 4/16/2006 1:29:28 PM)
Read Markos and Jerome's "Crashing the Gate," particularly the chapter on "The Gravy Train" and "the Beltway Mafia."  Basically, according to Markos and Jerome, unless you're one of them, that being the insider money-driven, campaign consultant model, you lose. And so do the Democrats. And so does the country.