Webb Rally

Fred and I decided to attend a Webb Get-Out-The-Vote rally in Annandale, VA. It was an opportunity to hear not only Jim Webb, but former governor Mark Warner and current Governor Tim Kaine. So close, and nothing else to do that day--so we headed on over.

It was great. We got there early enough to get seats! Not just seats, but good ones, as you can tell from the pictures I got. Watching the arrangement of people standing behind the speakers on the risers and watching the volunteers scurry around getting ready for the speech made me feel like I was on the set of the West Wing.

Our local congressman Jim Moran spoke; fortunately, Jim knew he couldn't speak for long as there were so many other speakers. He introduced the candidates for several of the local congressional districts, and then Mark Warner. As the former governor took the podium, a woman in the audience hollered out "we wish you were running for President, Mark!" He replied as he took the mike, "I have a lot of campaigns in me still." (He's 51.) I had never heard Mark Warner speak before. He is quite charismatic, with a Clintonesque quality of speaking directly to every person in the room. He teased Jim Moran a bit about managing to cut his speech short, gave a compelling argument for change in the Senate and passed the baton to Governor Kaine.

The governor spoke about being in the shadow of Mark Warner ever since law school, including being introduced, at his 30th high school reunion, as Governor Mark Warner of Virginia... He was also very good, much better than when he rebutted Bush's State of the Union speech. Perhaps he, like many, is better in an informal setting.

Jim Webb was next. If you're interested, you can read Webb's bio here. It includes the citation for his Navy Cross, part of which I'll repeat here:

Continuing the assault, he approached a third bunker and was preparing to fire into it when the enemy threw another grenade. Observing the grenade land dangerously close to his companion, First Lieutenant Webb simultaneously fired his weapon at the enemy, pushed the Marine away from the grenade, and shielded him from the explosion with his own body. Although sustaining painful fragmentation wounds from the explosion, he managed to throw a grenade into the aperture and completely destroy the remaining bunker. By his courage, aggressive leadership, and selfless devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Webb upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.

What in George Allen's entire life has he done that can equal that? And Allen has the nerve to complain about Jim Webb's writing?

Of course, as in all rallies, the speeches were interrupted many times by partisan applause, which Fred and I contributed to. Webb's speech was very good; he responded to Allen's attacks, talked about his background and what he wanted to accomplish in the future. This is a man who stood up for what he believed when he worked in the Reagan administration; I can believe he will do the same now.