From the opinion page...
BOLDED WORDS are my emphasis (except for the title)...
Why I won't support James Webb for Senate, despite deep respectI admire Jim Webb, but I won't support him in his race for the Senate
Date published: 7/3/2006
Jim Webb has been nominated in a primary election in Virginia to run as the Democratic Party nominee in the Senate race against incumbent Republican George Allen. Many would think I would automatically support Webb in his candidacy. In fact, a couple of friends have already jumped to that conclusion and I have had to set them straight: I will oppose him vigorously and will strongly and enthusiastically support George Allen.
They assumed I would support him because I was a contemporary of Jim Webb in our Marine Corps service. I joined the Marine Corps in 1967, Jim in 1968, and we both served in Vietnam as infantry officers. We served in the same regiment--5th Marines--and in the same geographical area--southern Quang Nam Province, albeit he in 1969 and I in 1968. Though we are not even acquaintances, I greatly respect his Marine Corps service and his later service as an assistant secretary of defense and as secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration.
I have greatly enjoyed his writing, including his first book, the Vietnam novel "Fields of Fire," as well as his most recent book, "Born Fighting," on the Scots-Irish in America.
I differ with Jim Webb on the war in Iraq. I support, he opposes. But even there, reasonable folks can differ. The reason I oppose his candidacy for the Senate is that he is carrying the standard of a political party that is diametrically opposed to all my deeply held beliefs. He has already indicated that he is pro-abortion and pro-homosexual marriage, for example. There are many issues to consider, but Jim cannot join the Democratic Party, or any party for that matter, and not fall into line with at least the majority of the party platform planks.
Veterans are already hearing that they should support Jim Webb because he is one of them, and a distinguished one at that. But electing a senator or any other public official on his past military service alone is treading on very dangerous ground.
Sen. George McGovern had a legitimate and distinguished record as a bomber pilot in World War II. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross, our nation's third-highest award, while flying a B-24 over Europe. But in 1972, he was wrong on just about every issue, and the American electorate told him so by giving a landslide re-election victory to Richard Nixon.
The lesson is this: We can respect the war record of distinguished veterans, but it doesn't mean we have to agree with them in later election campaigns. I respect Jim Webb for his outstanding service to the nation, but he has joined a party that is dead wrong on all the important issues of the day, including the war.
I support George Allen based on our shared political principles, not on emotion. Allen and the Republican Party are right on the issues. You cannot separate the man from the party.
I have conservative friends, both Republican and independent, who are saying they may stay home at election time this year because they are very unhappy with how some things are going within the Republican Party. Upon close examination, they are really unhappy that some elected officials who are supposed to be Republicans are in fact deviating from the stated platforms and solid principles of the Republican Party.
But George Allen is not one of those who tosses out Republican principles. I have known him since 1990. In four elected offices--state representative, congressman, governor, and U.S. senator--George Allen has faithfully stuck to conservative principles.
Jim Webb will be voting Democratic Party principles.
DENNIS LISTER is vice chairman of the Fredericksburg Republican Committee.
Date published: 7/3/2006
Just chalk it up to another scared shitless Republican...
And pro-homosexual marriage too, huh? Again, I thought Webb was just against the marriage amendment, and actually not for legalizing gay marriage but all for civil unions. But since Lister is a PRO-ONLY STRAIGHT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE RELATIONSHIPS/ANTI-EQUAL RIGHTS kind of guy, I shouldn't expect much, huh?
And as for this choice quote:
I respect Jim Webb for his outstanding service to the nation, but he has joined a party that is dead wrong on all the important issues of the day, including the war.
I support George Allen based on our shared political principles, not on emotion. Allen and the Republican Party are right on the issues. You cannot separate the man from the party.
Funny how all of those "snapshot in time" polls have been against Lister's way of fascism thinking lately...
But, like Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Allen has been advancing his career in the public square from a life of wealth and position. It isn’t selfless service.
The entire blog is summed up within his first paragraph:
Why not vote for Jim Webb?Other than the fact thatI'd be stripped of my Republican offices, why shouldn't I?
If this is a typical example of the republicants marching orders they will drive even more Reagan Democrats to Webb.
the government's power ends at my front door, unless there is a compelling reason to come inside.
into 'pro-gay' and 'pro-abortion' while somehow forgetting 'pro-gun'. But how does directly equating Felix with Hillary not turn off these same voters? In this piece the author also directly equates Webb to John McCain. Wouldn't this make moderate R swing voters more curious about Webb?
The audience of the Va newsletter is the business community. I'm not sure how many people outside of businessmen Bacon's rebellion reaches. Even though I am in GA now I still find it entertaining.
We've come to expect rabid anger spewing from the mouthpieces as they try to excite their hardcore followers. But that's far from the case here - seemingly valid points are well argued in a calm manner. No doubt to further enhance the validity of what is being said to the moderates, who in this battle, would probably be turned off by bombastic nonsensical attacks.
Smart move and dangerous. And our side should be careful to respond in kind. No over the top outrage - keep it simple, calm, and logical to win over the moderates who by logic should be voting for Jim.
Because the last paragraph of the piece you linked says this:
I’ve seen Allen tolerate insipid questions from drooling morons (and I’m not just talking about the media) with charm, grace and wit. That is painful, but not selfless duty. The issue goes back to the guts.Issue by issue -- what is Webb’s stand on illegal aliens? -- Sen. Allen wins over 50 per cent of Virginia. If George Allen shows the passion of his principles, like digging deeper in a tough game, he can be a Man of the People. But he needs to see the overt racism of his own Indian bill, the triumph of Jamestown 400, the folly of the Voting Rights Reconstruction and Multi-culturalism, the non-fatal failures of Rumsfeld, and the arrogance of Virginia’s tax-and-spend Republican Senate majority for what they are – just as he came to understand that making homosexuals "a protected class of persons" is a step towards criminalizing Christian free speech.
If Allen fights as fiercely as Webb, mimicking Andrew Jackson, then voters won’t wonder who is born fighting for them or not.
I truly worry about Dems making an issue out of something that the Reps are quietly putting on the backburner, and then Dem noms are deer in headlights on issues they THOUGHT were just a political tool/wedge issue. I want all Dems to have an answer to the questions the Reps are planning on bullshitting through in debates.