Rock Star Warner Stumps for Lesser Star
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
The WaPo has noted the Mark Warner will be the honored guest at an upcoming fundraiser for Harris Miller in campaign against James Webb for the Democratic nomination to challenge George Allen.
According to the invitation, "Friends" who want some intimate time with the ex-governor can contribute $500, "Sponsors" may give $1,000, "Benefactors" may offer "$2,100" and "Co-Hosts" can provide Miller's campaign with"$4,200.Can you even give $4200 at once? I thought it was $2100 in the primary cycle and $2100 in the general. Honestly though, that isn't even what bothers me about this fundraiser. My problem lies with Warner and his intentions--which I perceive to be self serving.
Whether you like how his campaign is starting out or not, James Webb is heads and tails a better candidate than Harris Miller. James Webb can actually win this thing. Not just spouting off here, look at the numbers where Allen succeeds, and ask yourself, "Culturally, which candidate can eat into the base better, Miller or Webb?"
But here is Mark Warner, the rockstar, throwing his support behind Harris Miller. In a sense I understand that. I would imagine that a man whose greatest struggle in life was his decision to go into business rather than practice law would find it hard to shine next to a man who served with the Fifth Marine Regiment in Vietnam, where as a rifle platoon and company commander in the infamous An Hoa Basin west of Danang he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts.
What Warner is telling us here is that he is for politics as usual. He thinks the Commonwealth is better served by a lobbyist who "pays to play" rather than a REAL AMERICAN HERO famous for speaking truth to power. This all causes me to question Warner's sincerity. In the next two years he is going to appear before various Veterans groups, and crowds of men and women who offered their best for us all. Do you think he will have the courage to tell them that when he was offered a choice, he chose the other guy, the lobbyist?
Ellen Qualls, a spokeswoman for Warner, said the former governor -- who is busy thinking about running for president -- has not formally endorsed either Virginia candidate.Well, now Webb is in the race. So when is Mark gonna pony up and help all Democrats, not just those who make him look better when standing next to him?
"Harris is a longtime friend of the governor's and he promised to help with a fundraiser before Jim Webb got in the race," Qualls said. "It should not be considered a formal endorsement."
As I said in an earlier post, I guess thats why the Backstreet Boys would never open for the Rolling Stones. Simply put, its the difference between ego and the real thing. Besides, I imagine lobbyists laugh harder at that stale cell phone "Ka-ching, ka-ching" joke.
posted by Libertas @ 12:27 PM,
8 Comments:
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At 1:50 PM,
said...
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Mark Warner has known Harris Miller for over 20 years. They are good friends. I am very impressed that Mark Warner honored his pledge to hold this fundraiser.
If you are so impressed with Webb, then you must have met him, right? You must know all about him, right? The truth is that you have a little blog, and you are in love with the idea of a former republican/ex-military hero running against Allen.
Webb has not even launched is campaign yet, so lets see how he behaves in the public light and with democrats. After hall, he has a long history of bashing current and former democratic leaders (lexis-nexis).
No one should be surprised that Virginia democratic leaders are jumping on the Miller wagon.
The thing is, Mark Warner is a pretty smart man and a saavy political leader. Maybe Warner knows something that you don't know? Ever think about that?
Oh, and I do not work for Miller, and I am not a repug. I am a democrat who has been a strong supporter of Warner since the early 1990s when he was the party chair. -
At 2:04 PM,
Libertas said...
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"If you are so impressed with Webb, then you must have met him, right? You must know all about him, right?"
I have met him.
I do know him.
I have also met harris Miller and spoke with him. he is a fine man but nonetheless, a lesser candidate.
Mark Warner has the ability to be a good person as well. Of course thats when he doesn't let that rock star attitude get in the way.
Mark Warner likes saying he is the only Democrat who can win a red state. The easiest way to keep saying that is to nominate weak Dem candidates.
Before you accuse Webb of bashing Democratic candidates, you might want to explain why Miller, the greatest Democrat ever gave money to Arlen Specter, John Sununu, and others? -
At 3:12 PM,
Politicl.Animal said...
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Why did Webb endorse Allen in 2000?
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At 3:18 PM,
said...
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"Before you accuse Webb of bashing Democratic candidates, you might want to explain why Miller, the greatest Democrat ever gave money to Arlen Specter, John Sununu, and others?"
First, I am not 'accusing' Webb of bashing democratic 'candidates'. If you would read a little more carefully, you'll find that I stated the obvious. Lexis-Nexis yourself, or stay in the dark (which you appear to be).
Also, If you 'know' James Webb, does that represent a 30 minute conversation, or a three hour meeting? No, of course not.
You are married to the idea of Webb without really knowing him.
Why will Harris Miller out-fundraise Webb and get more democratic support than Webb could ever possibly imagine? Because Miller is a known and proven democrat. Webb is neither.
Regarding Miller's campaign contributions to republicans, why ask me to explian? Let Miller explain. Call up his office and ask him? And while you're at it, go back to fec.gov and vpap.org and look up how much Miller has contributed to democrats over the years--winning races and losing races, and how much Webb has contributed to democrats. I'll give you a jumpstart, one of those men has given $0.00 to any democrat.
One thing that you, Webb, and all the other "I love you Webb" bloggers cannot deny: Harris Miller was an active, supporting, contributing democrat when it was not popular to be a democrat in Virginia. Christ, Miller helped get Governor Wilder elected (the first African American governor in the US).
Where has Webb been for the Democratic party. Nearly nonexistent. And you actually think the rank-and-file democrats in this commonwealth will actually come out in droves to support, campaign, contribute, and fight for Reagan-era Webb? -
At 4:38 PM,
Libertas said...
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The difference between our arguments is this- I perceive the term "better democrat" in the same way I do the term "tallest dwarf." It still leaves you short.
There are thousands of "good democrats" across this state that have worked hard to elect democrats. Does that qualify each and everyone of them to run for Senate?
The fact remains that we have a credibility/responsibility issue in Washington. At the heart of the crisis lies lobbying. Our answer to that problem should not be another lobbyist?
A major problem we have is looking in the past. We need a party and a candidate that is about the future. If James Webb says he is now a democrat and will support Democratic principles then I believe him. I don't think anyone can show proof that he has ever gone back on his word.
So, Harris Miller may have been country when country wasn't cool, but James Webb can win this election. -
At 6:49 PM,
Howling Latina said...
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Yes Perserverando, Warner is a good friend of Miller and so...he's gonna do what he can to see he wins the election.
Warner was the one who asked Miller to run, what do you expect?
But...maybe Miller can nab Kaine to hold a fundraiser for him, si...? -
At 12:20 AM,
F.T. Rea said...
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Your bombast and venom remind me of those Swiftboat loonies who torpedoed John Kerry. Why all the anger?
You say James Webb is better suited to beat George Allen than Harris Miller. Fine. Maybe you’re right.
Hey, I like Webb, too. But going after Mark Warner in the way you did, for merely keeping a commitment he made to a friend -- BEFORE Webb finally made up his mind to run -- is making trouble. Webb’s rather late move was bound to catch a few people on the wrong foot.
Why not let the dust settle, give people time to get to know Webb? Meanwhile, Webb needs to start acting like a candidate, ASAP. -
At 9:32 PM,
said...
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FWIW - You can contribute $4,200 at once - the contributor just has to designate that $2,100 is for the general election and the candidate is not supposed to spend that $2,100 until after the primary.
It happens every day, thousands of times a day across the country. Perfectly legal. Standard operating procedure.