thedrifter
04-25-06, 06:54 PM
Va.'s Democratic Candidate for Senate Denounces Iraq War
Former Navy Secretary James Webb Assails 'Culture of Corruption'
By Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 25, 2006; 4:54 PM
GATE CITY, Va., April 25 -- James Webb, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who served in the Reagan administration, officially kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign in this southwest corner of Virginia Tuesday with a strongly populist message about ending the Iraq war and the "culture of corruption" in Washington.
Webb, 60, a former Republican now running as a Democrat, condemned the Republican Party "for sending other people's kids to war and other people's kids to bad schools."
He will face Harris Miller, 54, a former technology lobbyist from McLean who launched his campaign last week, in the June 13 Democratic primary. The winner gets to challenge Republican Sen. George Allen, who is seeking a second term, in November.
Webb was an assistant secretary of defense and secretary of the Navy under President Reagan. The former Marine received the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He is also a novelist and screenwriter, who helped write "Rules of Engagement," a 2000 film.
In his comments here, he drew a distinction between not supporting the war in Iraq and still supporting the troops who are there. In fact, Webb's son is a Marine who expects to be deployed to Iraq this summer, and Webb said he will wear combat boots throughout the campaign to honor his son and others who are deployed.
He also assailed what he called the "money-drenched" political machine that sets the agenda in Washington. He criticized Allen saying that "voting with the president 97 percent of the time tends to hold you accountable."
One of the challenges for Webb's campaign this spring is to explain his Republican background to the Democratic faithful. He has said that he has long history of supporting Democrats, including former senator Bob Kerrey during his short-lived presidential run in 1992, and former senator Charles S. Robb against Republican Oliver L. North in 1994. He did, however, endorse Allen when he challenged Robb in 2000.
Ellie
Former Navy Secretary James Webb Assails 'Culture of Corruption'
By Robert Barnes
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 25, 2006; 4:54 PM
GATE CITY, Va., April 25 -- James Webb, a decorated Vietnam War veteran who served in the Reagan administration, officially kicked off his U.S. Senate campaign in this southwest corner of Virginia Tuesday with a strongly populist message about ending the Iraq war and the "culture of corruption" in Washington.
Webb, 60, a former Republican now running as a Democrat, condemned the Republican Party "for sending other people's kids to war and other people's kids to bad schools."
He will face Harris Miller, 54, a former technology lobbyist from McLean who launched his campaign last week, in the June 13 Democratic primary. The winner gets to challenge Republican Sen. George Allen, who is seeking a second term, in November.
Webb was an assistant secretary of defense and secretary of the Navy under President Reagan. The former Marine received the Navy Cross, the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts. He is also a novelist and screenwriter, who helped write "Rules of Engagement," a 2000 film.
In his comments here, he drew a distinction between not supporting the war in Iraq and still supporting the troops who are there. In fact, Webb's son is a Marine who expects to be deployed to Iraq this summer, and Webb said he will wear combat boots throughout the campaign to honor his son and others who are deployed.
He also assailed what he called the "money-drenched" political machine that sets the agenda in Washington. He criticized Allen saying that "voting with the president 97 percent of the time tends to hold you accountable."
One of the challenges for Webb's campaign this spring is to explain his Republican background to the Democratic faithful. He has said that he has long history of supporting Democrats, including former senator Bob Kerrey during his short-lived presidential run in 1992, and former senator Charles S. Robb against Republican Oliver L. North in 1994. He did, however, endorse Allen when he challenged Robb in 2000.
Ellie