Today,
The Daily Pulse goes to Virginia, where George Allen and Jim Webb might battling it out for the decisive Senate seat. The big story in the editorial columns and letters to the editor appears to be just how enormously Allen's decision to save his 'Webb writes dirty books' attack for the end-run of the campaign, as if it were an insurmountable zinger, has blown up in his face. I looked at every available Virginia paper, including editorial pages, columns, and letters to the editor, and did not find a SINGLE item taking Webb to task. The criticism of Allen was unanimous and vicious. At best, Allen reminded the voters of Virginia that while he was playing cowboy, Webb was fighting a war.
Previous The Daily Pulse- Battleground Editions covered New York, Tennessee, Idaho, Missouri, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut and Indiana.
Daily News Record
Vote For Divided Government
The single most persuasive argument for your Republican/Libertarian (as compared to your Republican/Christofascist) friends to vote for Democrats is a vote for divided government. Divided government, you see, only does what MUST be done, rather than what one party or the other wants to do.
I'm not the only one worried about the direction of our country. Republicans like Joe Scarborough are too, saying "After six years of Republican recklessness at home and abroad, I seriously doubt Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid or ... Bourbon Street hookers could spend this country any deeper into debt than my Republican Party." ...
Let's listen to these real conservatives and go back to the time of divided government, which usually is, oddly enough, less divisive. Cheaper, too. Why?
Pretty simple: when one party proposes silly or stupid policies and laws, the other party just says no. Then comes argument, more argument and eventually compromise. We get better decisions, better laws and better policy. America does best when excesses are curbed, and, in our system, divided government is what curbs them. ...
The News Leader
Don't turn America into a theocracy
I have yet to hear an argument in favor of "Marriage Protection" amendments that doesn't come down to religion, and constitutional amendments to favor a religion are a tiny step away from theocracy.
Congratulations. Your editorial for a "no" vote on Ballot Issue No. 1 was extremely well written. It covered all of the salient points concisely and cogently.
Those in favor of a "yes" vote cite tradition and the Bible. Would they cite tradition for going back to slavery, to child labor, to hanging by the neck until dead, to witch burning, to torture on the rack in the name of God? The "yes" vote religionists base their position on is their religious belief, with no regard for the facts. ...
The Roanoke Times
Allen's `Webb writes dirty books' ploy has exploded in his face. Today I looked at EVERY (internet available) editorial page and LTE in Virginia, and while they were rife with criticism of Allen, there was not even a single letter castigating Webb for his writing. If, as I posit, local editorial pages and LTEs really do give the "pulse" of a community, then this was a terrible strategy.
Allen's war is a flight of fancy
Come on. Virginians surely aren't supposed to believe that war novels need to be rated G. For gullible, maybe? ...
Allen professes to be outraged that Jim Webb has written raw, sometimes brutal narratives about flawed people caught up in war. Why, the characters Webb creates do and say shocking things! ...
Allen, like the president he has served so faithfully, has none of Webb's firsthand knowledge of the reality of war. Perhaps if he did, he would be less easy in his reassurances about the sacrifices of others and tougher in his expectations of leaders whose war plans have gone tragically, and predictably, awry. ...
The Virginian Pilot
Changing the words, running away from "stay the course," means nothing if we don't also change the strategy. The White House's hope to have it both ways, to change the language but insist nothing real needs changing, is transparent. The American people are not so easily fooled by mere script changes, if the heart of the movie remains the same.
If not 'on course' in Iraq, then where?
Words are powerful things, used to both persuade and define. Employed with sufficient wiles, words can actually frame a conversation, even provide boundaries and terrain for the debate. ...
So it's not a small thing when the Bush administration changes the phrases it uses to describe a problem or its proposed solution.
In America today, there is no bigger problem than Iraq. The war has become such a quagmire that "staying the course" - an administration catchphrase until it was dropped last week - can only end badly. Still, it is an indication of the verbal discipline on Pennsylvania Avenue that only now are administration employees abandoning a phrase that seemed increasingly ridiculous in the face of reality. ...
As useful as words are, they're also good for camouflage, to obscure intentions and agendas. If the language has shifted, the president's new words have not yet been mirrored by concrete changes in tactics, goals or intentions. ...
As important as they are, after all, words have a limited power unless actions give them momentum, things give them shape. Changing words, alone, can't alter the things they describe. At best, it only changes the way we see them.
At the moment, according to pollsters and observers, Americans see the situation in Iraq all too clearly. For a White House on the eve of an election, that's a big problem, and changing the script alone will do nothing to solve it.
The Virginian Pilot
The `Webb writes dirty books' meme continues to blow up in Allen's face.
Fiction vs. fantasy in Senate race
Virginia's bizarre Senate contest took another weird turn last week when incumbent George Allen accused challenger Jim Webb of resembling his fictional characters. ...
Who is better-suited to shape national policy: a Marine hero in Vietnam whose men-at-war fiction is informed by grim facts, or a football-tossing politician whose view of reality in the Middle East is skewed by wishful thinking? ...
Not until Virginia Sen. John Warner returned from Iraq recently with a much different assessment from Allen's -- that Iraq is "drifting sideways" -- did the junior senator bow to a reality that many find obvious. ...
Jim Webb, who has lived through harrowing realities, has drawn some scenes and some characters that aren't good. So, of course, have William Shakespeare, Toni Morrison, J.K. Rowling, John Updike and scores of writers who force readers beyond the comfortable boundaries of their own worlds.
On Nov. 7, voters can decide whose fictions they find most dangerous and whose realities ring most real.
The Roanoke Times
Allen is owned by energy interests, including coal mining that is stripping Virginia of much of its natural beauty. He is just another example of payola Republicanism.
Big energy companies back Allen
In one of his campaign commercials, Sen. George Allen touted his record on energy as being good for Virginia. But his voting record indicates otherwise. That is, Allen supports energy policies that are favorable to the oil, gas, coal and electrical utility companies and less favorable to the environment and public health of Virginians. ...
As a majority member of the Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Allen helped devise the 2005 Energy Policy Act that passed Congress and was signed into law by the president last year. ...
Other energy industries receiving huge subsidies in this bill include nuclear ($12 billion) and coal ($9 billion). The devastating effects of mountaintop removal coal mining in Southwest Virginia and throughout the Appalachian mountains suggest that we should be doing less mining of coal -- not more of it. And it particularly irks me not only that more of our beautiful mountains will be destroyed as a result of this act, but that I pay for it as a taxpayer. ...
Some would say that candidates will not be influenced by who contributes the most to their campaigns. However, I am not so naïve as to think that Allen would not be influenced by the $140,100 he received from oil and gas industries, the $146,590 he received from electric utilities, and the $284,926 he received from lobbyists during this campaign (figures as reported by the Center for Responsive Politics from federal reports). ...
Virginia would be well served by a United States senator of vision who could see the long-term benefits of decreasing use of fossil fuels with their accompanying air and water pollution as well as their contributions to global warming. At the same time, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy would decrease dependence on foreign oil.
It will not be easy to switch to these energy sources nor will it happen within a few years. But, it certainly will not be done by George Allen, who has received substantial campaign contributions from oil, gas and other fossil fuel industries.
Martinsville Bulletin
This paper not only says the `Webb writes dirty books' meme was a mistake, it says it was "the last straw" in their endorsement selection.
Vote for Webb for Senate
Sen. George Allen's criticism of novels written by his opponent is the last straw in a negative campaign the likes of which Virginians have not seen before. It also has convinced us to endorse Democrat Jim Webb in the Nov. 7 election. ...
The book attack was not the only error Sen. Allen has made during this campaign. There was the "macaca" incident which showed a complete lack of sensitivity. Then his temper flared when a reporter questioned his family's heritage. And it has come to light that the senator failed to disclose stock options as required by the Senate so that the public can police lawmakers for possible conflicts of interest.
Mr. Webb, on the other hand, has been discussing the war in Iraq and the need for a negotiated solution, including an exit strategy for U.S. troops, and leadership to combat terrorism. To his credit, he does not flaunt the fact that his son is serving with the military in Iraq. But when that is combined with his own military service, it gives Mr. Webb a unique, personal perspective on the war. ...
Virginians need a senator who will act responsibly and who will represent their interests, not one they have to apologize for. We believe they need Jim Webb in the U.S. Senate.
The News Virginian
Yes, there really are Christians out there who remember Jesus as a man humble and kind, rather than angry and judgmental. And both sides are reading the same book?!
Christians should oppose `marriage amendment'
The proposed constitutional amendment in Ballot Question No. 1 disturbs me as a Virginian and a Christian. ...
As a Christian, I believe we should try to emulate the way Jesus lived. He argued mostly with the self-righteous, and braided His own whip to drive those who had profited from the devout out of the temple. Some polls suggest a majority of us will side with the self-righteous and the moneychangers to drive out gay Virginians. The Jesus of the Gospels would not act that way toward my son's friend, or anyone else.
Christians must vote "No" on Ballot Question No.1.
Manassas Journal Messenger
It never hurts to get a summary of a few Republicans scandals in the lead-up to the election.
Why does Congressman Tom Davis stay silent?
Congressman Tom Davis has remained startlingly silent on a number of important issues this fall facing our country and our county.
Three senior Republican congressmen have resigned and been convicted due to corruption charges. Several others are under investigation. Tom Davis remains silent. ...
It is clear to me that Davis is concerned more about politics and money, than protecting Americans, both here at home and abroad. He has violated his own term limit pledge. His unwavering support of Bush administration policies, his lack of family values, lack of true leadership, and lack of forthrightness on the issues of the day, lead me to question his fitness for office.
That's why I am voting for Andrew Hurst. It is time for something different, something better, someone who has the family values and integrity it takes to stand up for American families in Congress.
The News & Advance
`Conservative' is a misnomer
They still call themselves conservatives? ...
We have the largest deficit in history as well as the largest balance of trade deficit. Chinese banks and others are financing an ill-conceived war because taxes for the richest among us were cut.
Cowboy Allen has walked lockstep 97 percent of the time with that other cowboy with the same name. James Buchanan, our 15th president, is chuckling out loud now. He is no longer considered the worst president in history along with the worst Congress, (They "work" from Tuesday through Thursday, some weeks out of the year) and give themselves raises and perks every chance they get while withholding upping the minimum wage so at least a few can rise above the poverty level. ...
I really hope that no one wants more of the same, including needless deaths and maiming of our young people in a war that we should never have been in. If you do not, vote for people who will bring much needed change. Vote Democratic; Vote Webb. Vote Weed.
Bev Jordan
Lynchburg
The Free Lance Star
More on the `Webb writes dirty books' meme, and it is ALL backlash against Allen. I like the REPTILE acronym.
Novel attack
Memo
To: All operatives From: Solly M. Goode, Director, Republicans Elected on Partial Truths, Innuendo, and Lies Extraor-dinaire (REPTILE) Re: Opposition research--fiction category
DON'T LET the subject line fool you, troops. I'm referring here to real fiction, not the kind we specialize in (ha-ha). ..
But in Virginia, the Primary Target offers us some exciting new possibilities. Before he ran against Our Guy, he wrote novels , mostly about the Vietnam War. If I may pause a moment for personal reflection, this was my war. And, if I may say so, no one on the Vineyard fought it any harder. But I don't deserve full credit. I can't neglect to mention a draft board that fell for the lisp. ...
You've seen the trend lines. Grim. The Primary Target is within a point and closing. But if you all perform like the Great Americans I know you are (don't dare do CNN without a flag on your lapel), this should knock him back into the low 40s, minimum. And don't worry if those pointy-heads in the press complain that fiction is just a means of reaching some kind of Larger Truth and that you sometimes need characters who aren't registered with the Moral Majority to make that happen. The only Larger Truth here is Nov. 7. Do I make myself clear?
The News Leader
Lest you think I am biased in my selection, as compared to my comments, please let me remind you how I put these together. I look at every paper in the battleground state, and pick ANY editorial of national political interest. So if they trend one way or another, that's how they are trending in the papers themselves. And here, as you can see, is an endorsement of Allen, not something I would ever stand behind on my own.
By the way, this is an astounding endorsement. It rejects Webb because of his "somewhat slim credentials in public service," as if a career in the military and a stint as Secretary of the Navy were just hobbies. Then it says Allen wasn't a sock puppet, he was just "loyal" when Bush was so obviously wrong. Can somebody please tell me the difference?
Re-elect George Allen
As we have said in the past, an endorsement is not a statement of unconditional love -- merely our appraisal of who we believe to be the best person for a particular job at a particular time. In this case, Sen. George Allen is that person.
We find Allen's Democratic challenger, Jim Webb, lacking in passion for Virginia, the prospect of being a U.S. senator for Virginia, and as a person. That lack of passion is premature, considering Webb's nonexistent résumé in elected office and somewhat slim credentials in public service. Webb, while an obviously intelligent man, is not on fire with ideas -- and he does not appear particularly hungry for the office he seeks. We're not entirely sure what he stands for. While this is not a personality or popularity contest, we cannot in good conscience say that Jim Webb is the best choice to represent Virginia in the United States Senate. That honor goes to Sen. George Allen. ...
Sen. Allen is also his own man where policy is concerned -- and not just on the Iraq war. Although Allen has been accused of being a sock puppet for President George W. Bush -- and has made no apologies for supporting the president when he believed him to be right (and for not abandoning the president even when he was obviously wrong -- it's called loyalty), it would be unfair and wrong to characterize Allen as a robot. Evidence to support that conviction is present in veteran (in more ways than one) Sen. John Warner's support for Allen -- and in Allen's evolving opinions about the strategy and terms of the Iraq war.
We agree with Sen. Allen (and disagree with Jim Webb) about the prosecution of that war. Although we now know that we were misled -- by the Bush administration, among others -- about the reasons we invaded Iraq and that the war has been horribly bungled -- also by the Bush administration -- we know this: We simply cannot abandon Iraq to its own devices after we have broken it so badly. We cannot expect neighboring countries to welcome us in an off-stage role because we find it convenient or politically expedient to do so, as Webb suggests. ...
Danville Register & Bee
Adam & Steve?! Is anybody not already onboard the fundy-train persuaded by this?
Adam & Steve
I read the letter "Why stay the course?" (Oct. 20, page A12). George Allen has values. Virgil Goode has values. Both stand up and represent us well. They represent the conservative values of the majority of the state.
In my view, the two Democrats represent a total lack of ethics and the "Hollywood crowd." Neither believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. I guess in their book, the good Lord did say Adam and Steve, not Adam and Eve. Logic does not apply to these two Democrats, nor does common sense. ...
Daily Press
Back to Webb's books. I wonder if the genius that suggested saving this attack for the end run will ever be able to find work that doesn't involve the sentence "would you like fries with that?"
Allen: no record
Just when you think the mud and smears cannot get worse, they do. What is George Allen doing? When you've got no record to run on and the thought of losing is such a concern, this is what you get from the Allen camp - some bad words in a novel? Give me a break. This shows the real colors of Allen. ...
The Bristol Herald Courier
The only thing Allen achieved by raising Webb's books was to remind all of Virginia that he is a pretend cowboy, while Webb is a for-real veteran. Nice job, George.
Webb's works acclaimed
The ugly face of bigotry appears as Sen. George Allen attacks Jim Webb for passages taken out of context from his highly acclaimed Vietnam War novels. ...
If Allen had actually read any of Webb's books, he would have found as Time said of "Fields of Fire," "Webb's book has the unmistakable sound of truth acquired the hard way." The Philadelpia Inquirer said it "pulls off the scabs and looks directly, unflinchingly on the open wounds of the Sixties." Newsweek called it a "stunner." ...
Vietnam was an ugly war, like Iraq today. Combat veterans know what war is about. Perhaps if George Bush and George Allen had ever been in a war, instead of avoiding it, they would understand the need for books like Webb's. Censoring quality books that illuminate war is bigotry, plain and simple. Virginians should be proud to have a senator who is acclaimed as an author and war hero