Sunday, June 11, 2006

Miller vs. Webb at-a-glance

Better late than never, here's SLANTblog's handy candidates-at-a-glance guide for the statewide Democratic primary on Tuesday:

Harris Miller
Slogan (from web site): “We Can Fix Washington”

Age: 54
Occupation: Businessman and lobbyist; former president of the Information Technology Association of America
Previous political experience: Former chairman, Fairfax County Democratic Committee. Lost campaign for U.S. House in 1984.
Education: B.A., University of Pittsburgh, 1972. M.A. and master of philosophy, Yale University, 1975.
Family: Lives in McLean with wife Deborah Kahn. Two adult children, Derek, 24, and Alexis, 22.

Newspaper endorsement: The Washington Post

Quotes:

“...Over the past several months, I have traveled close to 25,000 miles around this state, talking to Virginians from every region and walk of life. And the message from all of them has been crystal-clear: The leadership in Washington has taken this country in the wrong direction.

“Now it’s time to turn things around. It’s time to invest in the future and create opportunity for every Virginian.”

“...George Allen has had five-and-a-half years to make a real difference for Virginians in Washington. Instead, he has consistently put partisan politics ahead of the people of Virginia. In fact, he has voted with the disastrous policies of George Bush 96 percent of the time -- more than almost any other member of the U.S. Senate.”

“...With real change in Washington, we can restore people’s faith in government, we can make sure that our government works well for its citizens, and we can ensure that every Virginian has the chance to live the American Dream.”

Miller's official web site

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Jim Webb
Slogan (from web site): “Born Fighting”

Age: 60
Occupation: Author and freelance journalist.
Previous political experience: Never held political office. Secretary of Navy, 1987-88; Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, 1984-87; Counsel, U.S. House Committee on Veteran Affairs, 1978-82.
Education: U.S. Naval Academy, B.S., Engineering, 1968; Georgetown University, J.D., 1975.
Family: Lives with wife, Hong Le Webb, in McLean. Four children: Amy, 35; Jimmy, 25; Sarah, 23; Julia, 20.

Newspaper endorsement: The Roanoke Times

Quotes:

“...Like many Americans, I became deeply concerned about the direction of leadership at the federal level following the events of 9/11. After the disastrous mismanagement of the crisis that Hurricane Katrina brought to New Orleans, I decided for the first time in my life to seek an elected office so that I could more directly help our nation move into a brighter future.”

“...We are undergoing a sea change in American politics. The old labels of liberal and conservative no longer apply when we are examining the issues that affect the country and our future. I believe that there are many people who left the Democratic Party because of its foreign policy measures at the end of the Vietnam era. These same people would now be willing to come home to a Democratic Party that again embraces the principals of Jacksonian democracy and maintains a Trumanesque common-sense style of leadership.

“We measure the health of our society not by how people are doing at the top, but how the people who have no power are being represented in the corridors of power. For those who have no voice, I’d like to be that voice.”

Webb's official web site

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The source for the candidates’ quotes and some of the profile information was The Virginian-Pilot. Click on the link to that Tidewater newspaper to read more about the candidates. Neither it, nor the Richmond Times-Dispatch, chose to endorse a candidate in this race. To get an overview of the partisans’ views out in the Virginia blogosphere click here.

Caricatures: F.T. Rea

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

nice pics Mr. Rea.

Dvt guy said...

Isn't it a felony to draw pictures of Harris Miller?:)

F.T. Rea said...

virginia centrist,

In 1832 Honoré Daumier (http://www.daumier.org/) went to jail for six months for his ‘toon, “Gargantua,” which mocked the French king, Louis-Philippe. Daumier is one of my biggest heroes. Lots of cartoonists have been punished harshly for getting some big shot’s goat. So the Muslim zealots, who now call for death to be dealt out to the cartoonists who depict The Prophet may sound crazy, but there’s nothing new about their sentiment.

I wish somebody in Webb’s camp would have compared his reaction to the notorious flier to the fuming Muslim zealots. It would have been a much better defense than claiming the artist was “tracing” from a photo. It also would have confused the politically-incorrect angles of the brouhaha to no end.

In case you haven’t noticed I've not been one of those objecting to the comic strip over its purported anti-Semitism.

Dvt guy said...

I know, I know - I read your defense, I was just kidding around.

And you're right - the furor over the muslim cartoon might have been a good defense.