(VA-Sen) Harris Miller Interview

[AlecBGreen]

via Raising Kaine's Blog

Harris Miller gives a radio interview on WTOP. There is much more than what I posted so please check the orginial post at RK. This is a great look at one of our candidates for senate and everybody would do well to check this guy out.

note - Bold type is the author's, not mine

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Harris Yesterday (Friday), Harris Miller was on The Politics Program with Mark Plotkin and Bruce Allen. Here are some highlights from the hour-long interview. I have bolded what I think are the most important parts, so you can skim through in just a few minutes:

1) Plotkin asked Miller who he was, adding, “I don’t know that much about you, maybe the voters don’t either.” So, “who is Harris Miller and why are you running for the Senate?” The answer? “Harris Miller is a person who is living the American dream.” In his autobiographical presentation, Miller emphasizes that he “grew up poor in Western Pennsylvania,” that he “worked in a steel mill,” that he went to the University of Pittsburgh thanks to student loans, and that he’s lived in Virginia for 30 years. Miller also mentioned the fact that he’s “become quite successful in business.”

Why is Miller running for Senate? Because, he says, “Washington is broken,” and he’s concerned that “the next generation not have the chance to live that American dream.” No argument from me on any of that! Miller promises that, as “a businessman and technology executive,” if elected to the U.S. Senate from Virginia, “I’m going to fix it.”

“Washington is broken”/”I’m a successful businessman and I’m going to fix it.” That’s Harris Miller’s argument for his candidacy in a nutshell. You’ll undoubtedly be hearing a lot of it the next few months.

2) Miller emphasized - contrast to Jim Webb? - his long involvement in Democratic politics, starting when he was 16 years old for Robert F. Kennedy. Miller also reminded listeners that he served for six years as Chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, and that he “worked in statewide campaigns” for Chuck Robb, Gerry Baliles, Doug Wilder, Don Beyer, Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine. In addition, Miller worked on Capitol Hill for eight years - for Sen John Durkin (D-NH) as a legislative director - and also in the Carter Administration for three years (as deputy director of personnel management for Congressional relations).

Miller was asked about his one run for Congress, back in 1984, and it seemed obvious to me that he didn’t particularly want to talk about that subject. Perhaps that’s because Miller lost the Democratic primary in that race - badly - to John Flannery. Today, Miller says that Flannery “is a good friend of mine and supporting me in my campaign.” Interesting.

3) Plotkin asked Miller about the 800-pound gorilla in the room - Mark Warner. According to Plotkin, Miller said “off mic” that that Warner “was very enthusiastic…about your candidacy.” The question from Plotkin was direct: “Do you expect Mark Warner - you have primary opposition, Jim Webb - to endorse you and campaign for you?” Miller’s answer? “Mark Warner’s been very helpful…one of the first people I went to and talked to when I started thinking about this….very encouraging.” Miller added that “you’ll have to talk to Mark” to find out if “he’s going to officially endorse me or not,” but that Warner “has agreed to be a guest at fundraiser I’m doing early next week.” Finally, Miller noted that he had hired many people from Mark Warner’s 2001 campaign (and also from the Tim Kaine organization). Miller put it this way: “I’m a businessman, I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here in Virginia. These are two guys who have won statewide campaigns, and those people are supporting me in my effort.”

Perhaps, but it might be pointed out that Jim Webb has the architects of Mark Warner’s 2001 victory - guys named Steve Jarding and Dave “Mudcat” Saunders - working for him. Also, I would point out that Webb’s campaign just started last week; we’ll see who he hires.

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lots more to read here