VA and NJ Primaries: Live Blogging!

[trillian]

Cross posted from kos where Rich Sexton is live blogging right now.

Fighting Dems Webb for Senate and Weed for Congress in the VA Primary.
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Fighting Dems, Jim Webb, Al Weed, Bern Ewert, Virginia Primary, California Primary, New Jersey Primary, Virginia Senator, Virginia CD 5,
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The Fighting Dem Vets Diary this week will be reminding folks of the CA primary that we posted on last week (read here) and featuring the VA primary coming up a week from Tuesday. This Tuesday is also the NJ primary and our solo candidate from NJ, Rich Sexton, will be live blogging with us today along with any of the other vets who can break away from church or campaigning.
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Two Fighting Dems will be making history in Virginia on the June 13th primary. Jim Webb has impeccable credentials and is running for Senator. And Al Weed is no slouch either as he seeks the House seat in Virginia District 5. In addition, in a rare display of selflessness, Al Weed’s opponent for Congress in CD 5, Bern Ewert (the ’04 candidate) put personal motives aside in favor of selfless service and endorsed Al (see his statement on his website here). This is what team work is all about. Congratulations Bern on doing what you thought was right and not putting self-serving motives ahead of selfless service.
So it will be the Officer and the Sarge, both Vietnam Vets, fighting side-by-side to take back Congress and put America back on course.
Jim Webb and Al Weed did in fact stand together in Rocky Mount on May 31st to listen to some bluegrass music and to offer support for each other.



Jim Webb endorsed Command Sergeant Al Weed with the following words:

“Al and I share many common ideals. We are both Fighting Dems and we will both work tirelessly in the halls of Congress for those who are not represented by special interests.”

These echoed the words Al had spoken just moments before

“I’m proud to endorse Jim Webb and I look forward to campaigning and governing with him. As veterans, we both understand how to fight for our country. For too long, George Bush, George Allen, and Virgil Goode have worked against the American values that Jim and I fought to protect,” Al said. “It is our duty to stand up so that Washington can, once again, work for all Americans. Together we will bring honest representation back to Washington.”

Jim Webb Jim Webb is an extraordinary man, famous for his book, "Fields of Fire," and a remarkable life which included being a decorated Vietnam vet and tenure as Secretary of the Navy under Ronald Reagan.

Jim WEBB for VA Senate


Officer, U.S. Marine Corps
Jim was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Jim served with the Fifth Marine Regiment in Vietnam, where as a rifle platoon and company commander in the infamous An Hoa Basin west of Danang he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts. He later served as a platoon commander and as an instructor in tactics and weapons at Marine Corps Officer Candidates School, and then as a member of the Secretary of the Navy's immediate staff, before leaving the Marine Corps in l972.
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Jim spent the "Watergate years" as a student at the Georgetown University Law Center, arriving just after the Watergate break-in in 1972, and receiving his J.D. just after the fall of South Vietnam in l975.
In government, Jim served in the U.S. Congress as counsel to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs from l977 to l98l, becoming the first Vietnam veteran to serve as a full committee counsel in the Congress. In 1982 he first proposed, then led the fight for, including an African American soldier in the memorial statue that now graces the Vietnam Veterans memorial on the National Mall. In 1984 he was appointed the inaugural Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, where traveled extensively in, and worked closely with, our NATO allies. As the Assistant Secretary he directed considerable research and analysis of the U.S. military's mobilization capabilities. In 1987 he became the first Naval Academy graduate in history to serve in the military and later be appointed Secretary of the Navy. He resigned as Naval Secretary in 1988 after refusing to agree to a reduction of the Navy's force structure during congressionally-mandated budget cutting.
Among Jim's many other awards for community service and professional excellence are the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award, the American Legion National Commander's Public Service Award, the VFW's Media Service Award, the Marine Corps League's Military Order of the Iron Mike Award, the John Russell Leader-ship Award, and the Robert L. Denig Distinguished Service Award. He was a Fall 1992 Fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics.
Jim has written six best-selling novels: Fields of Fire (1978), considered by many to be the classic novel of the Vietnam war, A Sense of Honor (l981), A Country Such As This (1983), Something To Die For (1991), The Emperor's General (1999) and Lost Soldiers (2001). He taught literature at the Naval Academy as their first visiting writer, has traveled worldwide as a journalist, and his PBS coverage of the U.S. Marines in Beirut earned him an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Jim has traveled extensively, particularly in Asia, as a journalist, business consultant and screenwriter-producer. He has worked on feature film projects with many of Hollywood's top producers. His original story “Rules of Engagement”, which he also executive-produced, was released in April 2000 and starred Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson. His book Born Fighting, which is his first commercial non-fiction effort, was published in October 2004 by Broadway Books.
Jim lives with his wife, Hong Le Webb, in McLean, Virginia. He has four children: Amy, 35; Jimmy, 25; Sarah, 23; Julia, 20.
Webb says he broke with Republicans over the war in Iraq. In September 2002 – half a year before the U.S. invasion – Webb wrote a commentary for the Washington Post warning that war with Iraq would not diminish terrorism and would lead to a long and costly occupation of the nation. Webb's reunification with Democrats came while he was researching his latest book, “Born Fighting,” published in 2004. The non fiction work traces how the Scots-Irish influenced America. Their working-class, Southern heritage and identification with populist Democrats such as Andrew Jackson spoke loudly to Webb.

Al WEED for Congress (VA-05)


Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army
Al served in Panama and Vietnam (1962-1966). Al’s father was a First Sergeant in the Marine Corps, stationed at Quantico, Virginia.
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Al interrupted his studies at Yale University to join the army. While stationed in Panama, Al he met his future wife, Emily Chan, a U.S. trained nurse who worked in a nearby hospital. He was deployed to Vietnam, but on his homecoming. Al and Emily were married. Al went back to school and received a BA in Latin American Studies from Yale and then did graduate work at Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs, majoring in Economic Development and Political Modernization. He served as Class President and was awarded a Master of Public Affairs in 1970.
With his degrees completed, Al worked for a year as the first Technical Assistant to the US Director of the World Bank. When the Alternate Director left office, Al functioned as the Temporary Alternate US Director (the formal Alternate's position required a Presidential appointment). He served in this position for a year until the position was filled by the White House. He was then hired as the Director of the Washington Office for the Arthur Lipper Corporation, an international investment company, and spent time working in Asia and Europe. However, he began to long again for a farm and in 1973, just after the birth of their daughter Julia, the family moved to Nelson County, Virginia. Al is Founder of Virginia's Oldest Winery, Mountain Cove Vineyards (since 1973).
Al says, “It is time for our Government to work for the people again, and that is why I am running for Congress. I believe in Government. I believe each of us deserves a true partner in our quest for the American Dream. I wore this nation's uniform for too long. I will not sit back and watch as the values I fought to protect are ignored.
The founding fathers gave us the power. It is our responsibility to let our elected officials know when they are doing the job right, and when they are doing the job wrong. How have they been doing lately? It is time for a change, and that change starts with your vote. This year you, the voters, want a different story, a different outcome; an outcome of hope, of decency, and of respect for you and your family. I am offering the good people of the Fifth the opportunity to have an honest representative, one who shares your beliefs, your values, and your common sense.”
Al has a tough race ahead, but with the incompetence and lack of values shown by the current administration, this is the year of opportunity.

Rich SEXTON for Congress (NJ-03)


Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy, U.S. Navy Reserves
United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated from Annapolis and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy. He was then stationed onboard an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Enterprise, at the time the largest warship in the world. Sexton served over 4 years aboard the Enterprise, including three overseas tours in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Northern Arabian Sea. During his time on the Enterprise, he was awarded the Pacific Fleet Shiphandler of the Year Award.

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Rich eventually left active duty and transferred to the Naval Ready Reserve but continued in public service, this time in law enforcement, working with the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Delaware State Attorney General’s office. During this time, he also attended Rutgers Law School at night. While practicing law, Rich continued his service in the Naval Ready Reserve and Standby Reserve, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He also continues to serve as a volunteer in many community and church activities, working with groups protecting the environment, providing aid to the homeless and hungry and coaching youth sports.
Rich has been married for over 24 years to Kathleen Logan Sexton and they have three children Sarah, Andrew and Matthew.
Rich says, “I am running for Congress because we need strong leadership for a new course in Washington and representation for the citizens of New Jersey's 3rd District that is more in tune with mainstream America and working class families, not the hard right wing agenda from the Bush-Cheney-DeLay-Saxton team. There is nothing more important than protecting the security of our citizens. To that end, we need our leaders to say YES to National Security, Social Security AND Job Security. We also need our leaders to say NO to Social Security Privatization, Irresponsible Deficit Spending and reckless Foreign Policy.”
Rich is running against 11th term Republican incumbent Hugh J. "Jim" Saxton. He needs all the help we can give him to turn out another neocon rubber stamp for the Bush administration. Sexton NOT Saxton!




Bernie Quigley, in an Op-Ed Old Dems, New Dems and Fighting Dems on Fighting-Dems.com sums up our message for the day in these selections:

Next month, Jim Webb faces a primary race in Virginia. Webb is a fascinating man who once wrote the most well-known novel about Vietnam, Fields of Fire, after serving in Vietnam as a Marine. He was also Secretary of the Navy and has done all kinds of things. And he comes with a big noise. If you go to his website a speech opens upon you. He is possibly the best public speaker since Malcolm X. He will eat George Allen, his opponent in the general election, alive.

Jim Webb, like fellow Fighting Dems Chris Carney in Pennsylvania and Tammy Duckworth in Illinois and Eric Massa in New York are soldiers who bring a sobering sensibility to the Democratic Party. They bring a character-based sensibility to politics, honed in duty, sacrifice and civic responsibility.

These people have always been here. It is the Democrats who have turned away. The Fighting Dems, with Jim Webb as Pathfinder and Gatekeeper, awaken a new political front. Once again, others will follow their lead.

[skipos]

1. The fact that Webb has already polled only 7% behind Allen is impressive

I know some DUers aren't crazy about him, but it is hopefulyy obvious to everyone that he is lightyears better than Allen. It is great that we even have a slight chance of beating a repub hero like Allen.

[trillian]

2. And the Dem with the best chance of beating Allen.

Electability is tantamount. imho

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Even beyond the elecability, if you look into the man .....

.... there's a good bit there to like. This is NOT in any way in opposition to his opponent, but Webb, as a person, is actully pretty reasonable, in a conservative Big-D-Democrat sort of way, on the issues.

[spooky3]

4. and we Jim Moran Democrats don't have a problem with a little righteous

anger on occasion!