George,

At a February forum at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Jim Wallis - author of God's Politics and founder of the progressive interfaith movement "Sojourners" - posited that 2006 is the year for progressive candidates because they are "people of faith". Wallis was not referring to religious faith: He meant "faith" in the sense of believing, even contrary to conventional wisdom, that people of good will can indeed improve the conditions of our society and world. He meant candidates who offer voters hope, and appeal to voters' better nature, not their baser instincts. He meant candidates who understand that community, inclusion and working together toward a shared future is a stronger, more resonant message than the cynical bribery, divisiveness and fear-mongering that Republicans have cultivated for the last 25 years, and that scared, centrist Democrats have been duped into adopting.

I think Jim Wallis is right about this year's elections, and that Al Weed offers the vision of hope, and the honest, effective leadership that voters are starved for.

The Republicans' incompetence, corruption and crumbling credibility will be central to this year's election. The Iraq war, the Bush administration's inattention before, during and after the devastation of Katrina, the outrageously cruel and expensive Medicare drug scam, our soaring defense costs and deficits, the ever increasing national debt, and the administration's overreaching and bad calls on national security, in part through the Patriot Act, are matters of wide and growing concern.

The Abramoff and MZM scandals are still in the early stages, but these too are likely to become more salient to the election as the year progresses. Meanwhile Virgil Goode's only accomplishment of note has been collaborating with war profiteers in order to get illegal campaign contributions and bring an MZM "national defense" plant to Martinsville (and trying to bring another one to Greene County - that effort ended abruptly when the scandal broke) - a trifecta of greed, incompetence and unwise security spending that Al Weed has the background to dissect and serve up credibly to 5th District voters.

Voters are making the connection between the administration's disastrous, costly national security policy, and the seeming inability of Congress to do anything to address the domestic problems that weigh so heavily on the citizenry. Virgil Goode has voted for everything the administration has asked for in this realm, and Bern Ewert supports much of it.

Unlike Goode and Ewert, Al Weed has stood firmly against the Bush administration's policies. Unlike Goode and Ewert, Al will insist on full accountability for the abuses, waste and profiteering that have resulted from these policies. For Al - in part because of his own long, distinguished military service - this is a matter of principle and honor, as well as constitutional necessity.

As opposed to Al's credible, solid positions on security and the need to change our national focus and direction, Ewert espouses well-worn Republican-lite cynicism: Wave the flag (the "Patriot" Act) and people will vote for you; support an endless war*** ("America can't cut and run"), along with torture and mass detention without trial, and people will vote for you; promise jobs RIGHT NOW (but with no infrastructure or planning for sustainable economic growth and security), and people will vote for you; and, especially, let corporations continue to run Congress, with no meaningful accountability, and corporate CEOs will give you the campaign donations you need to put up lots of sophisticated, empty TV ads to convince people who don't know any better to vote for you.

Self-styled "experts" on the 5th CD maintain that the majority of voters in Southside inhabit some country (or planet?) that is utterly isolated from the national issues of the day, and that these people will only vote for a Democrat who is very like Virgil on the issues. Hogwash. Why would voters support a Goode-lite, when they can re-elect Virgil himself?

In my opinion, the only way Democrats can win VA's 5th is to have a candidate of distinction and unquestioned integrity who inspires voters to think better of themselves and our nation, and who can credibly challenge Virgil, Republican policies and the Bush administration across the board, including on national security issues.

Al Weed is that candidate.

- Jean Wyant (electronic mail, March 27, 2006)

*** Ewert says he only wants the Iraq occupation to continue for another two years, but people who actually know something about the Middle East understand that continuing this ill-advised disaster for another 2 years effectively means we will be there, and will continue paying for it with American blood and treasure, for 20-30 years - or longer.

* Jean Wyant (jeanbee6@netscape.net) is a co-organizer of Central VA DFA (Democracy for America) and local representative to Democracy for Virginia. She is also the Volunteers Coordinator for the Al Weed campaign, and White Hall Chair and Steering Committee member of the Albemarle Democratic Committee. She became active in politics 3 years ago because of her strong opposition to the Iraq war and the inspiring presidential campaign of Gov. Howard Dean, who now chairs the Democratic National Committee. The views expressed here are her own, and should not be attributed to either the Al Weed campaign or the Albemarle Democratic Committee.

Editor's Note: These notes are included in Jean Wyant's letter.