Last night, I attended a truly unique, extraordinary event in Charlottesville, Virginia featuring three authors - John Grisham, Stephen King, and Jim Webb - plus Virginia Governor Kaine. I've got full coverage at
Raising Kaine, but suffice it to say here that it was a special evening, with 1,000 people in the audience to see these three great men, around 200 people for the Charlottesville office opening party, and around $125,000 raised.
Here are some photos from last night, plus a few from the Webb for Senate office opening party which took place right before the Grisham/King/Kaine/Webb event. At the bottom, I'll put some intersting quotes from last night. Enjoy!
[UPDATE: More photos available here.]
Tim Kaine: "One of George Allen's main attacks on Webb is that he writes books. Didn't Jefferson write books?"
"I'm so proud to be carrying the banner [for Jim Webb]."
"The Senate needs someone who's not going to be a rubber stamp or a potted plant."
"Jim Webb will walk in, as a freshman, and not be the newest kid on the block" because of his tremendous life experience.
"Jim Webb will be a strong voice for what's right for this country."
John Grisham: "We wear combat boots to honor Jimmy Webb, a corporal, now fighting in Iraq."
"If we can ever get [him] home and stop this stupid war..."
"Jim Webb's on a roll!"
"On the one side, [we've got] those who wear cowboy boots...pretend to be tough. They're not real cowboys."
"[George Bush] ain't no cowboy, and he ain't from Texas."
"To prove they're 'tough' they say things like 'bring it on,' 'mission accomplished,' and 'welcome to the real Virginia.'"
*"'Cowboys' use war for political gain. From the safety of their offices, they look back 30 years later and slander those who DID fight. Shame on them.
Stephen King: "George Allen would not succeed as a fiction writer, because he can't seem to stick to his story."
"This is an extremely important election for the American people...Virginia is crucial."
The charge that Jim Webb is a "Hollywood guy" is "the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life."
"Being a poor Republican is like being on death row and greasing the electric chair as a hobby."
"George Allen makes it out like it's a bad thing to be a fiction writer."
"Fiction has been described as the truth inside the lie. Washington the last six years has been 'the lie inside the truth.'"
"George Allen is the fiction candidate."
"If you think George Allen might be best qualified to represent the people in Virginia, that might be fiction."
"I'm the horror guy; Washington, that's my territory."
"This is a watershed election."
"We need to put a check on this mad power grab."
Jim Webb: "Fiction allows us 'to get at [the truth] in a way you can't get at in other ways.'"
"What an honor to share the stage with these three gentlemen."
"Reading literature gave me more insight into the human experience, more insight into leadership, than anything else."
*"We can benefit from people who've had different journeys" in life.
"You measure the health of a society not at its apex but at its base."
"I know how I have lived my life."