Hey all!!!
As part of the Crashing the States project, the Webb campaign has invited us into some behind-the-scenes stuff at the campaign!
Right now, I'm sitting in the WEBB CAMPAIGN WAR ROOM at the Tyson's Corner Hilton in Maclean, Virginia, where the debate is about to start in a few minutes. I just ran into George Stephanopoulos in the hallway, along with Lowell Feld, Webb's Netroots Coordinator and leader of Raising Kaine--you can see his liveblog here.
Stephanopoulos said that he's just going to be more of a traffic cop today, but he does have the right to ask for follow-ups if the candidate hasn't answered the question.
Right now Jessica Vandenberg just walked into the room. Lowell is here, as are a bunch of people from the Webb campaign. The atmosphere here is very jovial and relaxed--everyone is getting salads and drinks and having a good time. The debate is scheduled to start in a few minutes. Uodates in the extended! recommend this if you want a live debate thread!
UPDATE 2:08 The debate is over and the war room is wrapping up and debriefing outside.
UPDATE 12:54:the host is now introducing George Stephanopoulos...blah blah blah about George Steph. Can we just get to the debate please? Thanks.
UPDATE 12:56: Stephanopoulos is setting the groundrules. The questions will be asked by a media panel, with Stephanopoulos intervening if necessary. Stephanopoulos is introducing the panel right now.
UPDATE 1:00: The candidates have now been introduced! Stephanopoulos is listing all of Webb's military credentials and awards, which is cool!
George Allen is giving his opening statement. Introductions, blah blah. It's good to be with all of you because we've worked together over the years to improve the lives of people in Northern Virginia, etc. We've worked on projects like agony and congestion. The Woodrow Wilson bridge, etc. Allen is focused on traffic congestion??!
More personalized healthcare options and less litigation. Yeah, less litigation will solve the healthcare problem. Sure. Not insurers dropping people who file claims.
UPDATE 1:02 Jim Webb gives his regards to Senator Warner, and echoes concerns on all the issues Senator Allen raised. Takes a moment to say how proud he is to stand as a candidate for the Senate. It's a unique country, provides people with opportunities they wouldn't be able to have in any other system. A multicultural society in a continuous state of abrasion that makes us both contentious and creative. As I was sitting at my desk, I was looking at a picture of my grandfather. He was a sharecropper in East Arkansas when he passed--was born in Kentucky. It was one of only two pictures that were ever taken of him and I saw him with his overalls on, and I couldn't help but smile about what he would be thinking.
Those are the anchors of what I believe in. We must make the US a place that is fair and open. Where the leadership of this country will put pre-eminently its responsiblity to take care of all Americans, especially those in harm's way.
UPDATE: George asks about the chief source of abrasion. Webb responds: Different philosophies of how government should work and what we're debating. The political process, the issues that separate us--chiefly, foreign policy, which is in total disarray because of Iraq, and the three Americas--we are breaking apart because of globalization. The people at the top have never had it so good, and that's not class warfare.
ALLEN RESPONDS: There is one America, and we need more people interested in science and technology to develop intellectual property. Talks about his technology achievements. So things are made and manufactured here. We need more women, African Americans and Latinos to get interested in technology. It's one of the key leadership and missions for our country's leadership and future.
WEBB: In terms of H-1 visas, we need to bring people in, but we need people in Congress who are going to look after the American worker.
THE WAR ROOM IS VERY HAPPY WITH THAT!
Next question: Warner has a tie that says that "Democracy is not a spectator sport." But in DC, Democracy is a spectator sport. We have no representation, and we have someone who wants to expand democracy everywhere but at home. For Senator Allen, will you be in favor of the Davis-Norton bill, which will provide representation for the 580,000 residents of DC?
ALLEN: Here's what I'm pushing and would be the best approach legalistically (?): The bill is an interesting approach, but what ought to be done is what was done with Arlington county, which was retroceded to Virginia. The balance of the district should be ceded back to Maryland. That would be legally sound and constitutionally sound.
Stephanopoulos follow up: Would you vote yes or no? ALLEN: I would look at the bill as it passes. I would amend the bill to retrocede the non-federal part to Maryland.
WEBB: I laughed because I knew it was coming and I knew you were going to ask it. It's a different question from Senator Allen. There are certain advantages that DC has in terms of federal funding. It would be interesting to see a plebiscite, but I would vote for the bill.
NEXT QUESTION IS ABOUT MACACA, AND COMMENTS THAT IT'S TUNISIAN AND HE'S FROM TUNISIA!
ALLEN: I've never heard that word before, from my mother or anyone else. If I heard that it was offensive, I wouldn't use it. It's not how I was raised, it's not what I believe in. You don't care about that on a football field. You care about whether they can help the team, and that's a meritocracy.
COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US WHETHER YOUR FORBEARS INCLUDE JEWS, BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T, BUT YOU WERE NAMED IN YOUR MIDDLE NAME FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS.
Allen: I'd like to ask you why that's relevant to anyone. My mother is French-Italian, and I think that was raised as a Christian. That's just all. Let's ask questinos about issues that really matter. And I'll say one other thing: preserving our values, including freedom of religion.
WEBB: the difficulty I had is that it falls into the Karl Rove era of dividing, rather than focusing on issues. I've had a camera in my face from 3 feet away for 8 months, and I don't feel it justifies singling someone out. George Allen made a comment he knew was untruthful, and I was in SouthWest Virginia when Allen was still a Californian. I spent 4 years in the Reagan administration, rather than 10 months. I'm not going to comment on whether Senator Allen knew the word, or not. What I have a problem with is the misrepresentation to the people of SouthWest Virginia, that they might intimidate someone. Sidarth spent the night at one of my relatives.
QUESTION FOR WEBB ON WALMART BOYCOTT: I don't think it was a hard choice for labor to support me based on the positions I've taken. I met with mine workers. Senator Allen did not meet with them when they went to his office. We need to have more collective bargaining. We need to reinvigorate people with organized labor because of what has happened with outsourcing and immigration. More than 70% of Walmart products are made in China. We have 46 million people who have no health insurance.
ALLEN: We have a right to work law. And speaking of WalMart, there's going to be a Walmart opening up in Lee County, in SW Virginia, and it's creating 350 jobs, and they're happy about that. As far as healthcare, we need to have litigation reform. And we need health savings accounts. We need small business health plans.
UPDATE 1:27:Allen is beginning to look nervous talking about his record. Webb keeps on repeating the point about 46 million people. SAYS: I've had a military health plan ever since I was wounded in Vietnam. But we need a Massachussets style plan.
STEPHANAOPOULOS ASKS ABOUT STEM CELL RESEARCH AND ALLEN'S VOTE AGAINST STEM CELL RESEARCH!!!
ALLEN:
Now, that doesn't prohibit the private sector or states themselves from doing it. I would not fund it as governor either because I would want to fund research that helps people right now.
WEBB: I would have voted for it. this is an issue that has the weight of medical science with it. these are embryos that were put into the process, not to become human life as we know it. Nancy Reagan is very strong on this issue, this is one of her key points. I would vote for it. you have to respect the wieght of medical science and the need to apply this research.
THE WAR ROOM, AND THE CROWD, IS VERY HAPPY.
ALLEN: The science shows that you can get everything in particular. And I wish he's respect Nancy Reagan by taking down that ad.
STEPH: What about the process of in-vitro fertilization which creates embryos? What's the distinction?
This question will get me booed. My brother-in-law is in Iraq. What are they fighting for and when will they come home?
ALLEN: They're fighting for the secuirty of the United States. It's tough. We know it's tough. (WAR ROOM COMMENT: IT'S HARD WORK!!) We must win there, I think we're in agreement. There should be no permanent bases, and it doesn't make sense to have a timetable. My opponent Mr. Webb said yesterday that we ought to invite in Iran and Syria, two state sponsors of terror. They're state sponsors of terror. That won't secure America's future.
Webb: Senator Allen would like to believe that this is the only issue that divides us. I could list a whole littany of proposals. And as for bringing in other nations, I'd like to refer to Senator Allen's comment that we should be talking to our enemies. WAR ROOM IS HAPPY. We brought all the countries around Afghanistan to the table including Iran. that was teh policy until the Axis of Evil speech. No great country should be afraid to talk to any other nation. Nixon began a process in China in 1971 of bringing them back into the world community, but this administration has blinders on on this issue.
Steph asks about the key difference. WEBB: Senator Allen is comfortable with us being in there 20-30 years. ALLEN: As usual, there is no clear plan. Other than process, of course we're working with other countries. He said that Iran and Syria ought to get involved--WEBB REBUTS: the president of your government in Iraq is talking to Iran, Mr. Allen.
Next question is about forcing states to honor concealed weapons permits, vs. opposition to motor voter laws.
UPDATE 1:42: I missed Allen's response to the question. Webb says that he has a permit to carry, and agrees with Allen's response. I've had guns since I was 8 years old. I think every American who so chooses has the right to defend themselves at home and elsewhere.
ALLEN: There's one other law I've sponsored allowing off-duty police to conceal and carry. That's why the Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed me.
QUESTION: Would you, Webb, vote for a cutoff of appropriations to end the war, like Vietnam? Is there a point where you would vote no on funds to end the war?
WEBB: That's not how the Vietnam war ended. A bunch of things piled on. We got into Iraq precipitously, we need to get out carefully, but not take a great deal of time in order to do that. I would not vote--I would want to ask hard questions about our permanent bases in Iraq. We need to have a different type of leadership on the issue. there's only a certain amount you can do with military force. We need more things like the Madrid Conference. I was not alone here--General Zinni endorses my campaign. We all said that this would only empower Iran.
Is that a yes or no?
WEBB: I would not vote to cut off funding.
UPDATE 1:48 I had to take a call from Louise Slaughter's office, so I missed out on a few things. The next question is about Webb's "horny woman's dream" comment.
Webb responds with all the provisions on sexual harassment that he has done in the Navy, and doesn't apologize for the debate about the issue. Just the tone.
ALLEN TRIES TO TIE IN THE MACACA COMMENT, WITH NANCY REAGAN. Webb responds: I guess this is my macaca payback--nice try George.
Last question is about transportation in DC.
Allen: the role of the federal government is to help. We were able to get funding from the feds for priorities in Virginia, like the congested interchange in Gainesville. More lanes in (something I have no idea about since I'm from California). Making there be less congestion. Ideas that I've led on as a US Senator. And I've worked across party lines to make sure that it's there for private investment.
WEBB: I agree with Allen on the need for private investment. When I was bringing American companies to Vietnam, that was one of the only ways to bring infrastructure into that country. We had BOT. Build, operate until profit margin was agreed upon, and then transfer. That's the type of private sector funding we can do. Virginia only gets 91 cents on the federal dollar that it pays in taxes. You could probably argue for more than that. At a full dollar, you're talking about 65 million a year. We've got a great governor here and I look forward to working with him in the future.
Allen responds about gas taxes and getting more oil and gas from domestic sources.
CLOSING STATEMENTS: Virginia is open for business, blah blah blah. We make computer chips now! #1!! (Of course, Mark Warner had nothing to do with that right?)
WEBB RESPONDS: (none of this is written--it's all off the cuff.) with all the technology stuff, it's great--and Mark Warner deserves a lot of the credit for that. The state of the leadership in this country, from 9/11 to Katrina, and sitting in my living room wanting to see firm leadership on a wide range of issues, and not just on one issue--every poll that we see shows that 2/3rds of the people in this country believe it's headed in the wrong direction. It's about solutions. I can bring to you a variety of experiences that will allow me to see these issues differently. Military, executive, bringing business to Vietnam. When I go to my grave, whether or not I'm a Senator will not matter to me. It's about standing up to an administration that has abused its constitutional powers in the last five years. We have major political differences. I look forward to the next seven weeks of being able to do this.
CLOSE!!!! Damn, that closing statement kicked some ass in my opinion.