George Allen Claims vs. the Truth

By: Lowell
Published On: 9/28/2006 4:40:09 PM

From the Webb campaign...bolding added for emphasis.

(Arlington) GÇô George AllenGÇÖs campaign continued their pattern of GÇ£slash and burnGÇ¥ campaign tactics distorting Jim WebbGÇÖs record of accomplishment.  The most recent ads, filmed at the behest of the notoriously negative campaign consultants of George Allen, contains GÇ£testimonialsGÇ¥ given by three women, all with extensive political ties to the Republican Party. Jim Webb served honorably as a combat Marine, Assistant Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Navy.  Jim has opposed the invasion of Iraq since before it started, he wants to help middle and lower class Americans achieve their dreams and force accountability on the Bush Administration.

GÇ£This is partisan politics.  Republicans attacking Jim Webb.  Virginians are smarter than this, they will see through the distortions and Jim will win because he is right on the issues,GÇ¥ said Webb campaign spokesperson Kristian Denny Todd. GÇ£I would expect Republicans to attack Jim Webb, their attacks are not news.  This is a fight from 30 years ago that George Allen is determined to re-fight because he refuses to run on the issues. George Allen is a career politician who was a dude ranch cowboy while Jim Webb fought in Vietnam and he supports President Bush 97% of the time.  George Allen knows he cannot win this campaign on the issues so his henchmen have resorted to smear tactics to steal an election.GÇ¥


Jim Webb tripled the number of billets available to women as Secretary of the Navy, the most in history. Jim Webb cracked down on sexual harassment as Secretary of the Navy.  Nearly two decades after Jim Webb wrote his article, George Allen opposed the entry of women into VMI as Governor of Virginia. In his race for the Senate in 2000, George Allen opposed women in combat positions. In fact, George AllenGÇÖs respect for Women is suspect, he was accused by his sister of hanging her over the railing at Niagara Falls instilling a permanent fear of heights, and dragging her up the stairs by her hair as a child. Jennifer Allen also has recounted stories of Allen hitting her boyfriend on the forehead with a pool cue, and Allen once spit tobacco on a female reporter. (Fifth Quarter, by Jennifer Allen, pgs. 22, 43, 178, Smyth County News & Messenger)

GÇ£Actions speak louder than words.  Jim WebbGÇÖs life is marked by service to his country. George AllenGÇÖs life is marked by a pattern of bullying tactics that includes, but is not limited to the women in his life.  He disrespected his sister, he hit her boyfriend and he spit on a reporter.  This is not old news with George Allen, he continued his bullying last month when he bullied Sidarth,GÇ¥ according to Denny Todd. GÇ£George Allen is desperately trying to distract attention from his record of outbursts.GÇ¥

George Allen Claims
Carolyn Slowikowski: James Webb accused women of the naval academy of being promiscuous

Truth
This claim is false.  Jim wrote that intimate interactions between males and females at the Naval Academy were GÇ£a natural human phenomenon.GÇ¥

JimGÇÖs criticism in this regard was much more pointed towards male midshipmen, whom he pointed out were GÇ£breaking regulationsGÇ¥ by dating female midshipmen. (The Washingtonian, 1979, p. 277, 280)

George Allen Claims
Mara Matthes: Mr. Webb's viewpoints absolutely showed disrespect towards women.

Kathleen Murray: To imply we were there for sexual purposes was beyond belief.

Truth
GÇ£Excerpts from JimGÇÖs 1979 Washingtonian article show JimGÇÖs great respect for women. GÇ£I believe most of what has happened over the past decade in the name of sexual equality has been good.  It is good to see women doctors and lawyers and executives. I can visualize a woman President. If I were British I would have supported Margaret Thatcher.GÇ¥

According to Jim, women at the Naval Academy Gǣare for the most part delightful women, trusting and ambitious and capable in many ways, and I admire them GǪ no other group of women in this country has ever undergone such a prolonged regimen.Gǥ (The Washingtonian, 1979 p. 145, 281)

These women all have ties to the Republican Party and have partisan reasons for condemning Jim WebbGÇÖs reputation.

George Allen Claims
Mara Matthes: Mr. Webb has been in positions of leadership and he used that to further his ideas.

Kathleen Murray: James Webb's comments regarding women and their capacity to lead, was a slap in the face.

Carolyn Slowikowski: He never fully apologized, showed remorse, or tried to make amends.

Kathleen Murray: I really have to make it very clear the women of Virginia who may be considering voting for this man that he is no advocate for women.

Truth
Jim Webb has used his leadership positions to advance womenGÇÖs positions in the military:

-+  As Navy Secretary, James Webb tripled the number of seagoing jobs open to woman. As Secretary of the Navy on his own initiative he put together a task force which opened up more operational billets to women than any other secretary of the Navy in history. [12/21/1987, Christian Science Monitor; Copley News Service Interview 11/2/05]

-+  The first female graduate of the naval academy to make the rank of admiral, Rear Admiral Michelle J. Howard, credited James Webb with helping the careers of women by opening up logistical ships to women. She was the first African-American woman to skipper a Navy ship. [Earl Kelly, GÇ£First female grad to make admiral reflects on career,GÇ¥ Capital-Gazette 5/27/06]

-+  As Navy Secretary, James Webb ordered a crackdown on sexual harassment and increased training programs to counter sexual harassment. [December 28, 1987, St. Petersburg Times, Enlightenment on the seas; 12/21/1987, Christian Science Monitor]

-+  As Navy Secretary, James Webb met regularly with a panel that monitored womenGÇÖs issues and had direct access to reveal problems and propose solutions. [2/28/1988, NY Times]

Jim released a statement on September 13, 2006 outlining his continuing remorse for the tone of this 27 year-old article:

GÇ£I did not anticipate the widespread reaction to this magazine article, and to the extent that my writing subjected women at the Academy or the active Armed Forces to undue hardship, I remain profoundly sorry.  On the first occasion that I was invited back to the Academy in 1983, among my comments was a strong call for harmony among male and female midshipmen.GÇ¥

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

Comments



We'll loose if we don't begin connecting with voters (Arlington Tom - 9/28/2006 5:03:00 PM)
This is what one can expect from a rough and tumble dirty campaign team. The republican play book is well known: Go negative and personal, turn disadvantage into voter confusion, call names, apply labels, scare about taxes & national security. It seems to me, even republicans are getting tired of Allen- Now it's time for Jim to give voters a reason to vote for him.

We need hard hitting and frequent TV for the Fairfax/Loudon/PWC swing voters. It seems that who this women in the navy add is aimed at- we need to have a voice too.

Last night I saw another national democratic add in support of Cardin. When will the national folks begin to help us in Virginia? If they give up on red states like Virginia- one of the reds showing signs of being in play again-- we'll never have a hope of becoming the majority party nationally.

We can't count on Allen self-destructing for ever. We need to get out in front.



Have you contributed? (Bubby - 9/28/2006 6:28:14 PM)
We're doing this from the bottom up. There is no "them" funding the campaign, it is us.  Money puts TV ad up.
Thanks!


You mean, national folks like Barack Obama, (Lowell - 9/28/2006 7:44:47 PM)
Wesley Clark, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton?  All of them - and many more - have been helping out a great deal.  Now, if you're talking about the DSCC, you can always express your feeling directly to them about how their money is spent...


Yes, the DSCC and other national groups- The ones who send all that mail! (Arlington Tom - 9/28/2006 9:09:30 PM)
Since the run up to the 2004 elections through today, I have been given eneough to the various national groups that I get a direct mailing at least once a day. I am surprised to see them advertising for Cardin in the DC market; I am dissapointed I haven't seen them advertise for Webb.

Thank you for the pointer to write to the DSCC. I will, it takes a day to post on their website- you'll see me there tomorrow- Rightly or wrongly, I have now learned the lesson that for red state folk, best to keep contributions local.



National Support is Great, but ... (Catzmaw - 9/29/2006 8:57:06 AM)
It's fine that Wesley Clark, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards support Webb, but guess what?  I didn't see or hear anything about it in the news other than one or two brief blurbs saying they were here.  And I'm not seeing any ads featuring their support.  How about pamphlets and handouts featuring Webb's strongest arguments?  They're less expensive than radio or TV time.  I just gon't get a sense of this campaign's connection to the voting public.


Where are Webb Women on TV (Teddy - 9/28/2006 6:01:21 PM)
Where is the so-called free publicity on, say, Hardball, etc, interviewing women like Adm. Michelle Howard, responding to these slanders?

I agree the national Democratic Party is apparently being extremely foolish but I thought Dean had instituted a 50-state strategy.  Here in Virginia if anywhere, is a test case.

Other alternative: extensive LTEs to every newspaper concerning the truth as outlined in this article. Let's get busy.  Meanwhile, think I'll call DNC and or DSCC and register my complaints. They do have a tally program whereby additional donations can be indirectly (and legally) earmarked for final use to support a particular candidate. Interested pro-Webb folks can make donations with that in mind. I have a copy of the tally letter.



The difference. (Bubby - 9/28/2006 6:35:55 PM)
A Federal Court Order forced the admission of women to VMI. George Allen wasted taxpayer money on a doomed legal defense of discrimination against women while he curried political favor with VMI Alumni.  A profile in Cowardice.


There Has to Be a Solid Response on Women (Catzmaw - 9/29/2006 8:49:51 AM)
I think it's absolutely critical that the Webb campaign respond strongly and specifically to the Allen campaign's latest ad.  Where are the military women who benefitted from his work as Navy Secretary?  How about an ad featuring Rear Admiral Howard?  Mr. Webb's record may be evident from his supporters' blogs, but it sure as hell isn't evident for people who watch TV for their news and political ads.  It did NOT come through clearly on his appearances on Meet the Press and the Fairfax Debate. He's GOT to address this or he's going to suffer from real harm.  What's going on with the DNC?  I sit at home every night and see dozens of ads for Cardin and absolutely nothing for Webb. 

I think the Webb campaign would benefit very much from an ad specifically addressing the accusations of those women (it doesn't help to just call them biased Republicans), setting forth the salient parts of his record, and pointing out his support for other things important to women voters.  Not interested in seeing attack ads.  I want to see something that talks about issues.



You are exactly right - most needed ad in the Webb campaign right now. (snolan - 9/29/2006 10:15:27 AM)
And unlike other ads, this one needs to play in the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads areas; in the middle of the Oprah show and the morning run on Newschannel 8.

This is the make or break for the campaign amongst Virginia's women voters.