Some things you may have missed

Today’s Pilot had a front page, below the fold article on the Allen-Webb race. The headline in the print edition is “Now, it’s wide-open.” Writers Dale Eisman and Warren Fiske opine:

Whether Allen can repair the damage done by his “macaca” comment and whether Webb, short of cash and still largely unintroduced to the electorate, can exploit his opportunity are critical questions this Labor Day weekend, the traditional start of the fall campaign season.

In addition to pointing out the last financial reports where Allen had a huge advantage, the article points out a couple of other potential Achilles heels in the Webb campaign:

Webb also has yet to fully address uncertainties about his candidacy among two key Democratic constituencies – women and blacks.

Webb “got a tremendous bump” from the “macaca” incident, said state Del. Ken Melvin, a Portsmouth Democrat. “But whether or not it is sustainable is highly questionable.”

Like other black leaders, Melvin is openly concerned about Webb’s statements likening some aspects of affirmative action programs to “state-sponsored racism.” The candidate has said programs designed to redress blacks for centuries of discrimination have been unfairly extended to other nonwhite racial groups.

“He’s a tough sell in the minority community,” Melvin said.

Webb also figures to come under fire this fall for his outspoken opposition in the 1970s to the admission of women to his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy. He penned a 1979 essay titled “Women Can’t Fight” that argued against opening much of the military to women.

Expect to hear more on these two issues as the campaign season progresses. Allen is running ads but so far, none of them have included this information. I fully expect that we will hear a lot more about these two issues as the campaign season progresses. I hope Webb can come up with some suitable responses.

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Following last week’s appearance by Republican incumbent Congresswoman Thelma Drake, Democratic challenger and current Virginia Beach Commissioner of the Revenue Phil Kellam appeared on Joel Rubin’s “On the Record” this morning. I must say: Kellam certainly sounds a lot better than he has in the past. He was confident and poised and had a much better grasp of the issues. As I said before, being the challenger is much more difficult because the incumbent has the advantage of actually having been there. Kellam is getting up to speed on some pretty significant issues, including Iraq and offshore drilling. Interesting point in the conversation: Rubin asked about the “heavy guns” that Drake has had coming to town on her behalf. Kellam’s response was that he would rather have the “people rather than the PACs,” and feels very “fortunate” to have the “strong, unequivocal support of former governor Warner.” He said he is “also enjoying extraordinary support from incumbent governor Kaine.” He believes these people have the interests of Virginia at heart.

Kellam and Drake will appear together on the November 5th edition of “On the Record.”

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Ford Motor Company chairman and CEO Bill Ford sent a memo to all Ford employees on Friday, although three members of UAW Local 919 contacted by the Pilot had not seen it. The memo attempts to assuage the fears of Ford workers everywhere. The Norfolk Ford plant, which employs about 2,400 workers, is scheduled to close by 2008, but many think it will close earlier.