In recent weeks, I've been on the road all over Virginia, sitting down with voters and talking to them about the issues that matter to them most. My travels have left me with tremendous optimism that the voters of Virginia are ready for change - and real leadership - this November. Obviously, those are the main reasons I'm running so hard to defeat George Allen this November. U.S. Senators are not elected to be rubberstamps for the President, of whatever party. Russ Feingold knows this, as does Chuck Hagel, by the way. The founding fathers designed a system of government based on separation of powers, checks and balances, and the rule of law. George Bush and George Allen appear to have forgotten these concepts. Allen has voted with George Bush 97% of the time during his 6 years in the US Senate.
We need smart, forward-looking leadership, people who will act with vision and integrity, who are willing to take independent stands based on the facts. We desperately need a fresh set of eyes on the problems we face, ranging from conflicts in the Middle East to our "oil addiction" to the widening gap between rich and poor in our country.
A fresh set of eyes is the last thing we'll get with George Allen in the Senate and George Bush in the White House. We will also not get it with life-long politicians who are in the pocket of special interests and lobbyists. We will not get it from people who believe that fueling crises in the Middle East and trying to install Democracy at the point of a gun is a form of "progress." When I get to Washington DC in January 2007, I'm going to do everything I can to change all that.
Last week I issued a statement about President Bush's and Senator Allen's approach to the "global war on terror." I reminded Mr. Allen that -- even before the war -- I stated that "the Administration's misguided effort to drag our country into an ill-advised occupation of Iraq would hurt, not help, in the war against international terror." I also criticized Mr. Allen for knowingly misrepresenting my position in the war on terrorism by insinuating that my warnings and comments about Iraq somehow made me "against the war on terror." Unfortunately tactics like this will be the norm in this election as we move forward.
Last week I wrote an op-ed for the Roanoke Times criticizing George Allen for supporting tax breaks for companies that outsource entire factories to other countries, a practice that is damaging our middle class. In addition, over the past few weeks, I have strongly backed embryonic stem cell research, net neutrality, an increase in the minimum wage, cutting tax giveaways to Big Oil companies, and giving veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan the same GI Bill rights that were given to World War II veterans. These are all areas that would help the average American, not just the rich and powerful. I support increased energy efficiency and renewable energy to deal with our dependence on foreign oil as well as the terrible problem of global warming. I support fair trade as opposed to so-called "free trade" agreements.
All in all, I am running hard to be a completely different type of leader than George Allen and his political role model, George W. Bush. I have come home to the Democratic Party because Democrats represent the only real hope for positive, Progressive change in this country. It would come as no surprise that the Allen campaign is now getting ready to dump millions of dollars in negative campaign ads, in order to try to stop our momentum. Reality indicates that we must have the funds to fight back. I need your help. Volunteer for my campaign, talk up my candidacy on the blogs. And if you're able, donate to Webb for Senate so we can get our message of real leadership out across Virginia.