Has it really come to this? Allen, a draft dodger, gets a "it's inevitable he's gonna win..." from Michael Scherer. Hail, Oh 30-second spots! Campaigns hinge only on money, and [sigh] the Republicans have it all. Sorry about that.

Too bad the dumb Democrats did not think to get the necessary millions before starting a Navy Cross winner. According to Scherer, it all comes down to $millions in the trough and 30-second spot commercials.

You don't stand a chance of winning if all you have is, say "honesty," 2 Purple Hearts and a Navy Cross. Virginians sucker for Rove every time.

Oh, let's not forget that the brilliant, and I mean brilliant, George Allen and his Rovian staff ("...he's Rove's heir apparent") thought enough to limit his slogans to "three or four words."

Webb says: If you look at economic issues, this is not Ronald Reagan's Republican Party."

Run up deficits. Tax cuts for the rich. The little guy gets shafted. (Trickle down, or "Piss on the Poor," economics.)

What part of that GOP economic policy was Reagan against?

Anyone who can write a book like "Fields of Fire" gets my vote. If you haven't read it, make it your next book. Truly exceptional.

Though this quote seems rather cliche these days, its well worn triteness is derived from the stark reality it still represents. The race in Virginia between Webb and Allen for the junior senatorial seat is little more than a microcosmic Bush vs. Kerry redux. Once again you have the privileged, rich, draft dodging product of promigenitor vs he real life war veteran and hero. And because of that fact this election will likely mirror the results of the 2004 presidential election. As astute political analysts have pointed out on numerous occasions, elections have less and less to do with the power of the competing individual personalities and more and more to do with the power of the competing machines that the two respective individuals rest upon. Kerry from the standpoint of pedigree (education, accolades,military service) in addition to his performance in three head to head debates clearly outclassed Bush from the standpoint of both substance and style, but the superior machine that Bush rests upon was ultimately, and with great ease, able to surmount and eclipse this handicap.

In other words, another military veteran Dem candidate is about to go down in flames, smeared, Swift Boated, and Dixie Chicked, out spent, and if the vote is close enough, they'll pull out the caging lists to purge enough VWB ballots to make sure the "correct" candidate wins.

This race, between a rich, spoiled phony asshole and a war hero reminds me less of the Kerry race than the Max Cleland race. We need to contribute to Webb's campaign, via DFA or whatever, to give him the funds he needs to win. This race is deeply symbolic, and we need to win it.

Webb assured the voter that he would never use war dead for political ends, and promised to look into it.

Images of the dead and wounded are as powerful and persuasive an argument as any words one can formulate. The Republicans, and especially the administration, would prefer that no one see them, for just that reason.

Anti-abortion advocates have no qualms about showing aborted foetuses, a much less legitimate practice (where did the photos come from?).

We can't afford to sit atop our glorious white stallion anymore, for fear of getting our boots muddy, even when he gets stuck in the mire. We'll sink along with him unless we help him slog it out.

What's wrong with showing what Bush's policies have wraught.

Now, if he were to do it, I would expect him to deny it of course, so maybe that's what is going on. This may be good or bad. I think he'll be punished by the talking heads for it whether he authorized it or not, so maybe he should just accept it and defend it. It wouldn't be hard to do.

Hannity: "Mr Webb, aren't you just exploiting these soldiers and their families for your own personal gain?"

Webb: "Certainly not, showing what happened to them as a result of Bush's failed policy is not explotative. Stubbornly sending them to die rather than admitting wrongdoing is the real exploitation we should be discussing."

Huh. Looks like he redcoats are still King George's men.

Wonder what Jefferson would think about that?

THINK then ACT

Voters in Virginia will decide whom they will want to represent them.

If they exercise a reasonable degree of intelligence and are alert to the facts about the two candidates, they will likely choose Webb.

If, instead, they are gullible, uninformed, profoundly stupid, swayed by a good ol' boy with the swagger (like the moron they helped send to the oval office), and set on voting for the Republican candidate no matter how empty a suit he is, even if he fakes a cowboy attitude and a ten gallon hat, they will get the stupifying ignoramus they deserve.

And remember, Virginia voted handily to, put Bush in the White House and Republicans in the Congress.

Unfortunately, we would all have to tolerate Allen in the Senate. With his flamboyance and political fakery, and his meager legislative talents, he is far more likely to end up in the DeLay/Abramoff/Boehner club, sucking up to the lobbyists, pulling sleazy money deals, and working to corrupt the Senate much as those criminals have corrupted the House.

Will the Virginia voters act intelligently ?

Do you think so ? Remember, that's the land of Jerry Fallwel.

So I'm not holding my breath.

Although I'm not happy about it (please, I've had to spend years watching George Allen firmly glue his lips to Bush's derriere), there is another reason Allen has name recognition in Virginia, which Michael Scherer inexplicably omits. Allen was governor of Virginia in the mid-1990s. In fact, he was a horrendous governor, notoriously wreaking havoc on education in the state, but his tenure is far enough in the past that few people will remember his misdeeds and instead simply recall he held the position. As much as I loathe Senator Allen, Jim Webb definitely has his work cut out for him. Scherer's account of Webb's early campaign missteps are discouraging, although I still think he has a shot.