JAMES WEBB & MARIA CANTWELL

James Webb won his primary race against a fairly formidable Democratic opponent and will face Republican George Allen in the battle for Virginia's U.S. Senate seat this November-- Webb staunchly opposes the Iraq War and forthrightly campaigned on that issue and a handful of others-- Some gnashing-of-the-teeth Democrats of the DLC AUB LDP ilk have carped about Webb's obvious military legacy and criticized his 'vagueness' on many issues and an apparent refusal to take a stand on others deemed important to those critics-- Those party purists think their candidates should have thirty-second sound-bites on seventy-five issues so smoothly rehearsed and slickly deliverable only the shoeshine-and-a-smile of America's perpetual Salesman WillyLoman would dare a challenge--As if politics should be played as Jeopardy(Saddam for a thousand, please, Alex)-- Other pragmatic demo.'s lauded Webb as their only opportunity (therefore there is nothing to really lose) to defeat incumbent Allen in the fall-- Frankly Webb's unvarnished choice to actually run stoutly on PRINCIPLE instead of an expedient POSE is what truly engenders fear and trembling among the faithless hacks and shills promulgating candidacies everywhere-- One seems to know for dead certain that Webb will never have to recuse himself due to a gender identity crisis when the feces hit the fan and the beleaguered demo's real fear is that such spineful behaviour could somehow someday be demanded of them-- Webb may never magnetize the big-money needed to upset the well heeled incumbency of media 'cash cows' like Allen* but so far he is clearly the most interesting 'bellweather'-type challenger to the current corrupt one-party order--

From the other end of the Democrats' specious spectrum runs the incumbent Iraq War supporter Maria Cantwell-- Her marginalized anti-war primary opponents are former Marine family man Mark Wilson and the principled Vietnamese woman Hong Tran both of whom were initially denied speaking privilege at a recent Seattle Incumbent-Only Democrat Confab under the arrogant guise that incumbency actually bestowed upon Cantwell the rich privilege of being ordained rather than challenged-- The Party somehow must exist to facilitate only the incumbent candidate even when former shoo-in status of her campaign begins volubly hemorrhaging local support-- Even the Seattle Times runs a guest op. ed. extolling professorial advice on how Cantwell can re-right her badly listing ship-- In another regular newspiece the Times recounts how Cantwell sought an updated Iraq War de-briefing from a high-profile Lawrence Korb D.C. think-tank cravenly admitting the stubborn ineptitude of Iraq-as-a-year-of-TRANSITION-- Exposed as largely a political-stance-as-mirage since its' frequently repetitive voicings have failed to garner any re-vivified campaign traction it also exposes the deeply misinformed nature of her own Iraq intelligence about what is authentically transpiring/expiring ground level in Iraq-- Her poorly calculated subterfuge seeks to camouflage her disingenuous spin and only mirrors the incredulity of Bush's futile 'stay the course' slogan-- Transition to what, Mariah?-- A Republican upset??-- The rich and privileged Cantwell seems at a loss for what to do or say next-- Because Cantwell has proven herself a confident and very capable fundraiser the media has granted her cash cow status* and now actively seeks to aid her troubled campaign with unsolicited political advice printed as an editorial service from the Op. Ed. page directly to the incumbent herself-- Like Webb's primary success Cantwell's primary difficulties may also serve as an interesting possible Bellweather phenomenon--

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**** Incumbent Senators, conventional wisdom factoids around the web, need to average $10,000/day in re-election campaign contributions--Where does all that money go the MEDIA might but then again might NOT ask??--Why???-- Because it goes to them largely paid out to generously enhance the incumbents chances through lavish state of the art campaign advertising purchases-- The more moolah you generate the more ads you can purchase flattering your political image and attacking your lesser funded opponents -- Why would the media interfere with a bona-fide five star fundraiser reinforced with deep-pocket personal riches (how gained is of little import) seeking ordination?? Your guess is good as Hong Tran or Mark Wilson--