Our responsibilities
Thu Feb 15, 2007 at 01:49:49 PM PDT
I would like to thank Daily Kos and the entire netroots community for all of the support for my campaign for U.S. Senate. Your efforts, energy, and contributions were a great help, and a major reason I am able to stand on the floor of the U.S. Senate and fight for the issues that we collectively care about. And, only two months into the new Congress, we are beginning to make progress on matters most important to the majority of Americans.
My Fight for America: Two Weeks to Go
Tue Oct 24, 2006 at 12:07:30 PM PDT
When I entered this Senate race back in February, I knew the difficulty of running against an entrenched incumbent who has spent an entire career collecting special interest money and acting as the servant of those who hold the economic and political power in this country. I had to accept the fact that I would be against a Karl Rove campaign machine that would grossly distort my record, duck debates, demonize me and outright lie to hold onto this Senate seat. And I also had to proceed from a starting point that was outside the traditional party structure, beginning with absolutely NO campaign funds and having to build a staff at the same time that I was introducing myself politically to the people of Virginia.
Jim Webb Live Blog (6:15-7:15 PM Eastern Time)
Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 03:26:33 PM PDT
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.
My Netroots Victory
Fri Jun 16, 2006 at 12:22:01 PM PDT
This Tuesday, you won an impressive, 7-point victory in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Virginia. Overall, what do you think were the strong points of your campaign for the Democratic nomination, what were the weak points, and what would you do differently if you ran it all over again?
I'm tremendously proud of the campaign we ran to win the primary. We did not go negative. We believed in our message and stayed with it. We never backed down from what we believed in, either for votes or for money. We stood firm on our convictions and those convictions will continue to guide us in the coming months.
Jim Webb Memorial Day Liveblogging
Fri May 26, 2006 at 01:20:13 PM PDT
Conservative pundits attack Democrats calling for an exit strategy in Iraq, saying that they are "for failure in Iraq, not victory" and that such calls demoralize our troops there. Can an exit strategy for Iraq be a victory for America's defense interests?
The Administration's comments along these lines basically explain why we're in the situation we are now in. Instead of saying that these alternative suggestions are recommendations for "failure," they should have been defining "success" in explicit terms. You don't have a strategy unless you can define a concrete end point of your effort. This has never been done. So the "end point" continues to be vague, and anyone who questions its vagueness comes under attack for not supporting the present effort.
Jim Webb Liveblogging Now!!!
Thu May 11, 2006 at 12:57:29 PM PDT
In recent days, you have received some impressive endorsements from national Democrats, labor unions, etc. What, in your view, is causing this rush of endorsements for your candidacy?
The support that my candidacy recently received at the national level validates the support my candidacy has been receiving at the grassroots and netroots level. These leaders are recognizing the influence of those of you who express your opinions on blogs and other coordinated internet activities such as the
"Draft James Webb" effort that played a significant part in my decision to run. Moreover, their support also indicates to me that they believe I can help unify the Democrats, expand the party and get out our message, especially in poor rural areas.
Jim Webb LIve Blogging Now!
Mon Apr 24, 2006 at 02:47:20 PM PDT
1) You've been a candidate for U.S. Senate for about 2 months now. Are things going about how you expected they would, or not? What have been your main impressions as a first-time politician?
First, I've been impressed with the level of enthusiasm from people who gravitated toward this candidacy from the bottom up, and in a very real sense made it happen. I would not have run if I had not seen the spontaneous support that began on the internet and spilled over into a lot of civic groups. In a way, this is a "reverse" candidacy - we did not start with a finance plan and a group of political `pro's.' We started with an idea and then moved forward toward traditional structures.
Jim Webb Liveblogging Right Now
Thu Mar 30, 2006 at 02:35:56 PM PDT
1) Your opponent for the Democratic Senate nomination, Harris Miller, has stated that his belief that, in the proper context, "it,s a great idea" to extend the Bush tax cuts. Do you agree with this position? If not, why not?
One of the central themes of my campaign is social fairness, and I believe that if you are going to cut taxes it should be done in a fair way, one that benefits people who need help the most. Capital gains taxes, for instance, benefit a wide range of people in this country. But others that benefit only the richest 1 or 2% of America should be looked at carefully, particularly in a time when the Iraq war will soon have cost us $500 billion. As my friend Mark Shields often points out, this is the only war we have ever fought without increasing the size of our armed forces and with a tax cut. Who's paying for it? The young folks who are over there in the dirt, and the future generations who will absorb the national debt
Jim Webb Live -- Foreign Policy and National Security
Mon Mar 20, 2006 at 03:36:26 PM PDT
1) You were an early opponent of invading Iraq -- speaking out on the issue in September 2002. What were your reasons for caution on Iraq?
Actually I spoke out on this before September 2002, although the Washington Post article I wrote in that month was one of the first major pieces warning that the real issue was not WMD's, but impending terrorism and the lack of an exit strategy. It has been my strong position for many years that the US should not become an occupying power in that part of the world, with its constant, multi-polar turmoil.
