There is nothing to correct.  Taxpayers have every right to use a public person's image who delivered a public speech and is now in the public domain.  If Webb pulls his ad, so should ten or more Republican candidates who are using Reagan's image.  And if Webb pulls his ad, he will have given in to the Allen people.  Who do you think were behind this nonsense?  No apologies are necessary, as far as I'm concerned.

It's not a matter of who is right or wrong, it's a matter of political appearances.  Virginians have views about how you handle an elderly woman's request.  It's bullshit, I know!  But we have to give in to this or we'll be sunk.  I canvass all the time and even in NVA this is true.  We need to use better ways to talk to people and tell them what we believe in. The Webb campaign forum stuff I've read about "Out of State Trash" are another thing -- this is really stupid!  Look, my last name is Maynard and my great grandfather was a Congressman in Virginia and a direct descendant of White Horse Harry Lee.  But there is so much we need to look forward to.
Come on, let the Reagans go.  Let the ads go too.

The whole Ronald Reagan thing was, if I might say, insulting to Democrats to begin with because we don't believe in what Ronald Reagan did!  I hated it!  It was false from the get go and the campaign is going to have to do some damage control.

Like I said in reference to an earlier post, I think there are going to be some trade-offs.  I think most of the damage for this will on the left from running an ad featuring Reagan.  Webb will need to make an appeal to anti-Reagan Democrats as well--and I suspect this will be forthcoming.

As far as the political appearances go, I think this is probably a wash.  The campaign against using the ad raises questions about double-standards.  Was Mrs. Reagan manipulated?  Possibly.  Should Webb provide her with a letter of explanation?  From a political perspective it might make sense.  This election battle though ultimately comes down to the wishes of Virginia voters.

As a moderate voter who has voted for GOP candidates in the past, and would likely support the GOP more actively if I lived in the northeast, my feelings towards Reagan's legacy are mixed.  On national security matters I generally give him very high points.  On economic issues, I think his report card is mixed, but generally favorable.  On social issues, I think things like the Meese Commission were a waste of taxpayer dollars.  I think this is an opportunity to welcome moderate Reaganites into the fold this election.  I suspect most of the outrage will be coming from a segment of Reagan's support--the Meese wing--that would never consider voting for a Democrat anyway. 

if and when nancy requests that Allen pull his picture of Reagan, you might almost have a point.  That Allen links to the request from her spokesman at the same time as he has Redagan's picture on his website just points out the hypocrisy of Allen.

Webb served 4 years in the Reagan administration.  Does that mean he also cannot use the letter Reagan wrote to him when he resigned? 

The Allen folks are paranoid that the video validates for "reagan dems" and independents voting for Webb.  They're right.  As Jim said, the ad would make Allen's head explode.

And since Jim made clear in the primary that he was a Reagan Dem, on national security issues, and still won the primary, there is nothing in featuring this clip that in any way contradicts his running as a Democrat.  You can also expect clips of prominent Dems supporting him, perhaps in the ads run by the DSCC.  The point is that Jim is someone who can appeal to everyone except those who have blind party loyalty or blind loyalty to Allen.

I think the campaign new the ad would raise controversy.  Their "buy" was, I am told, in the 100,000 range, and yet they are getting 4-5 times that in free publicity, in free showing of the clips on news programs.  I think it was a smart move.  I don't expect the ad to run more than perhaps a week, perhaps even less than that.  But it will have accomplished its purpose, which is to raise the fact that Reagan praised Jim Webb's military service.

Oh, and one other point.  He called Jim the most highly decorated member of his class at Annapolis.  Remember that one classmate was Ollie North.  Hmmmmmm......

I beg to differ.  That footage belongs to Jim Webb.  It is public information, it's part of his resume.  Ronald Reagan was introducing him as his choice for Sec. of the Navy.  And Nancy doesn't own that.  Jim Webb does.  What you are suggesting is that a real accomplishment with real praise for a man by a US President (this is significant!) can't be used.  That's just illogical.  But it's more.  To claim Webb can't use it is to deprive him of his own legacy to America.