Last night my lovely wife and I visited the Sunday Supper Club to hear Harris Miller (who is seeking the Democratic nomination to run against George Allen this fall for U.S. Senate). As many of you know Harris Miller will have to face off against James Webb (former Secretary of the Navy during the Reagan administration) for that Democratic Party nomination on June 13th (Primary Election Day!).
Until last night I was strongly favoring Webb because I felt, like many over at Raising Kaine, that James Webb had a better chance of defeating the evil scoundrel we have in office now (Allen). I also like some of Webb’s positions as a veteran (I am a veteran too), and his position on getting us out of the so called war in Iraq is very brutally forthright (something I value a lot in this age of spin and double-speak). Webb commands a lot of respect and that is a good thing, and his whole combat boots versus George Allen’s cowboy boots thing rocks.
Last night Harris Miller was able to completely change my mind. He has positions on many issues that align exactly with my own and I am no longer concerned at all that he will be a corrupt politician representing only corporate interests. He plainly stated that we have two types of corruption in our congress today, personal corruption like Duke Cunningham (now in jail), and corruption of interests due to campaign finance money raising, the constant hammering of too many lobbyists, and lack of access to the public’s airwaves during elections.
Harris Miller is also dedicated to preparing our country and it’s resources (and debts) for the next generation (as opposed to George Allen and George Bush, who are robbing our children in pure greed). He is dedicated to seeing Donald Rumsfeld fired and held accountable for his actions, immediately. His priorities include getting the United States less dependent on foreign oil (unlike Bush and Cheney who have managed to take us from 45% dependent to 60% dependent during their administration). He knows (as I do) that a key part of that strategy is to massively fund public transportation (yes rail!) and another is to fund research into alternative fuels. He wants to revitalize our “19th century” education system and prepare students for both 21st century academics and non-academic vocational skilled labor training (about time someone running for office realized this). He thinks we should be telecommuting more, and when I asked him specifically about the problem of the last mile and the big baby-bells and cable companies standing in the way and lobbying for more corporate handouts he responded that we need to force them to repay the Tauzin-Dingell (and similar earlier) funding or implement the advances that funding paid for already (damn it is nice talking to someone who understands this issue). He is focused on rebuilding the EPA and other environmental issues (in start contrast to Bush/Allen and even James Webb has been silent on the environment).
I plan to hear Webb talk on the 22nd at the Dulles Area Democrat’s Breakfast Speaker Session, and will listen with an open mind, but for now my support is going to Harris Miller right up to the Primary. Of course I will support either Miller or Webb (whomever wins) to see George Allen defeated soundly in November. To that end, should Webb win on June 13th – we’ll be hosting a fundraiser for him on June 18th (Sunday afternoon) – please come on by the house and bring your checkbook. Should Miller win on June 13th, I’ll try to arrange a fundraiser with his campaign staff (date to be decided).
By the way, at the wonderful Sunday Supper Club meeting, it was announced that we will have a ballot measure to amend the Virginia Constitution in November. It will be officially called a marriage amendment, but that is a myth – in truth it is a “get out the neo-con vote to try to save George Allen’s sorry butt from losing” amendment. Allen asked for this ballot measure to be held now because he knows he’s in trouble. Please do get out and vote in November, but vote against this silly measure that would amend the state constitution for the first time ever to restrict our civil rights rather than expand them. That ballot measure needs to be defeated almost as much as George Allen does.
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AS a charter member of the Sunday Supper Club, I found it interesting how few people showed up for the Miller event. Though I wasn’t there for Miller due to a previous commitment, I can say that the house was packed for Judy Feder.
Oh yeah GO WEbb!
You should go back as I did and look at the past actions, views, and lobbying stances Miller has taken. With Dems like him, who needs republicans. Unfortunately for those that have started to pay attention as of late, Miller’s stances on many of his most unsvory actions/views have changed 180 degrees only in the past few months.
Webb is the true progressive with integrity to match.
I saw Harris Miller speak in Lynchburg and I was completely underwhelmed. He looked to me like a suit full of 45%. A lot of his positions are tempting to progressives, but he can’t win and he knows it. He’s told plenty of people privately that he can’t win and is just trying to carry the flag and slow Allen down on his way to a White House run. James Webb is running to win and he’s the one the GOP is scared of. If you want to cheer on a laundry list of pet issues, vote for Harris Miller. If you want to add a seat to the Democratic caucus in the Senate, vote for James Webb.
Scott, I can’t imagine how you came to such a favorable view of Miller in light of all the revelations about his past published on Raising Kaine and the Richmond Democrat blogs.
As I have repeatedly pointed out on my blog, The Modern Patriot, on RK and on RD, Miller’s experience in “business” is his employment as a lobbyist for anti-union and pro-offshore outsourcing business groups. He is neither a “tech executive” nor a “technology leader”.
Miller has been condemned by both union and non-union opponents of worker replacement programs. His activities have been the source of scholarly criticism and Congressional testimony.
While I agree that Miller can speak convincingly on a variety of subjects, this hardly explains his role in the deliberate replacement of American workers with low wage foreign replacements, the deliberate misrepresentations he has made re. offshore outsourcing and the ficticious claims of “labor shortages” used to import foreign “business visa” workers in the high tech sector.
I urge you to reconsider your present support of Harris Miller or, at the very least, do further investigation. I would be quite happy to discuss the matter further with you via email.
Miller did a 180? Webb was a REPUBLICAN!
Dave, I took the liberty of omitting the profanity in your otherwise very poignant comment, then approved it. I’d have left it in, but you used a bogus addess.
Truth is, what Dave says is right. Webb used to be Republican, a Reagan appointee no less. I’ll be very interested to hear Webb talk about that turn-around.
Scott -
“Webb used to be a Republican – a reagan appointee..”
Exactly why he’s an incredibly strong candidate. Bringing Reagan Democrats back the party (working class folks) is the only way the Dems are going to retake the majority.
Webb stands ready to accept them. Miller is their anti-christ…
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[...] So to compare this event with my one, in-person, meeting with Harris Miller at the Sunday Supper Club last month; it boils down to a really tough choice. I like what Harris Miller has to say about public education and campaign/election reform better, but I like what Jim Webb has to say about worker’s rights and foreign policy better. I find Miller to be a more polished politician, with very detailed policies on a variety of topics, and I find Webb’s lack of polish on appealing too. I firmly believe that both of these men have the ability to oust George Allen in November General Election. I remain very optimistic on my feeling that the American voter has awakened to the manipulation of the Republican party and will throw the bums out with a vengeance this November. [...]
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