Vote George Allen for Senate on June 12th

Puiblished May 18, 2012 in the Lynchburg Ledger 

By Bill Wheaton

Press media Group, LLC

Virginia will be holding a second Republican primary on June 12^th to select a candidate to run for U.S. Senate.  One term Senator Jim Webb decided not to seek a second term.

Webb narrowly defeated incumbent George Allen six years ago and Allen is one of four candidates running for the GOP nomination.

Former Governor Tim Kaine has already secured the Democrat nomination.

Opposing Allen on the ballot are Del. Bob Marshall, Chesapeake minister E.W. Jackson and former tea party leader Jamie Radtke.

Northern Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall is one of the pro-life champions in the General Assembly and made a run for the Senate nomination four years ago against former Governor Jim Gilmore.  Gilmore won the nomination but lost to Democrat Mark Warner who rode the Obama coattails into office.

Marshall, who entered the race late, does not have the statewide organization to run an effective campaign.  Many of those who would typically support his campaign are supporting former Tea Party leader Jamie Radke.

Radke has a smattering of support statewide but the tea party, which is a very loose confederation of concerned citizens, does not have the statewide organization either.

Marshall and Radke will end up splitting the die-hard conservative vote.

Bishop E. W. Jackson served in the Marines and graduated from the University of Massachusetts and then Harvard Law School (where Barack Obama attended).  While at Harvard, he was accepted into the Baptist ministry and studied at Harvard Divinity School. 

He says he does not consider himself to be an African-American but rather an American-American.  He does not have much of a statewide organization and does not stand much of a chance, but it is good to see a black Republican running for office.

The odds-on favorate to win the nomination is, of course, George Allen, who recently picked up two very important endorsements.

One came from the American Conservative Union (ACU) Political Action Committee, whose chairman, Al Cardenas, said, “George Allen is the clear choice for conservatives who want to win in Virginia this November.  George Allen’s lifetime ACU rating of 93 while serving in Congress shows a consistent commitment to conservative principles on a wide range of issues.”

The second endorsement came from the National Rifle Association (NRA) Political Victory Fund.  In responding to the NRA endorsement, Allen said, “It’s a most significant honor to receive the important endorsement of the National Rifle Association (NRA), a great American organization with so many patriotic, active members throughout Virginia.  The NRA supports law enforcement professionals, gun safety education and stands strong for our foundational Second Amendment rights.  I have always been proud to support the natural rights of law-abiding citizens to protect their families and themselves.  In the U.S. Senate I will remain committed to defending our rights enshrined in our Constitution.
“My friends in the sportsmen community who enjoy the natural beauty of Virginia’s fields, forests, streams and lakes can count on me to be a strong and steadfast advocate for their freedom to hunt and fish.  And all Virginians have my commitment to stand up for their God-given rights.  The way to reduce crime is to crack down on criminals, not disarm our law-abiding citizens.”
Jamie Radke has questioned the NRA endorsement, which sounds like sour grapes to me.  Radke, who has never held public office, has no track record at all, while George Allen does.
I recall a number of years ago when Allen was governor, I went to Richmond to witness his signing of the Parental Notification bill for a minor’s abortion.  During that visit, I talked to him about a bill the General Assembly had passed concerning limiting concealed carry in Fairfax County.  I asked him to veto the bill, and he informed me he had already decided to do just that.
Six years ago, George Allen was defeated by Jim Webb by 9,329 votes or 0.39 percent of the vote.  Allen carried most of the state but lost big in Northern Virginia, where he was continuously attacked by the Washington Post over the “Macaca” statement. 
The fact is the liberal media was out to get Allen any way they could as he had played a big hand in defeating liberal favorite Tom Daschle from South Dakota. 
This year, the political climate is much different.  The liberals still have a great deal of influence in Northern Virginia but Tim Kaine has closely aligned himself with Barack Obama.  Although Obama carried Virginia in 2008, he is not expected to this year as Virginia is likely to move back into the red state column.

In November, it is vital that two things happen.  First is that Barack Obama is defeated.  The second is that the Republicans take control of the Senate.

The Senate, controlled by Harry Reid, has blocked every piece of conservative legislation passed by the House.  If the rolls were reversed and a Republican Senate would not even schedule debate on Democrat House-passed bills, the liberal media would screaming for blood.

George Allen is the only candidate with a chance to beat Tim Kaine this fall so on June 12^th, go to the polls and vote for George Allen.

Bill Wheaton lives in Concord, Virginia.  Recent columns are available at billwheaton.blogspot.com.  His email address is bwheaton@moreinformation.net