The editor would like to thank all involved for their time and effort on this edition of The Voice.

The opinions expressed in any Sweet Briar College publication or other forms of media are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration. Therefore, Sweet Briar College is not responsible for its content.

Editorials represent the opinion(s) of the editor(s) and/or staff/guest writer(s).

This site was designed and is maintained by Anne Proctor. Please email any questions or comments concerning the web site to her.

Jim Webb
By Leslie Lewis '09
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The War on Terrorism is an unavoidable issue on all of our minds. Headlines scream of failure, radios say we’re coming home, and the cashier at Starbucks tells me we’re invested in Iraq for life. Are we coming home, moving in, or just temporarily babysitting? Should we be worried about our reputation within the international community? Is the United States standing alone?

In the midst of such uncertainty and indecision, we must have a clear, precise and consistent message regarding the time frame and intentions of our occupation. We must have a firm, applicable plan for insuring infrastructure renewal and political stability. Finally, we need an unwavering, experienced leader to insure the other two prerogatives are accomplished. Our needs as a nation start at home, and Virginia senatorial candidate Jim Webb’s proposed two-step formula for rectifying and completing our involvement in Iraq is the first step in making sure that those needs can and will be met.

First, Webb calls for a firm resolution from the administration, clearly establishing that the United States is not invested in Iraq for the long-term. This would prove essential in eradicating confusion and concern on the behalf of both Iraqi and American citizens, as well as provide a motivational and moral deterrent towards the onset of future insurgent activity. Most importantly, it would serve as a red flag for the Iraqi government. The gradual withdrawal of American involvement, physically and politically, means that the Iraqi government cannot crawl forever; they must learn to walk if they are to institute political stability and cohesion.

Rather than supporting an occupation with no end in sight, Webb believes that American money and efforts should be focused on those procedures that will provide for the social, economic, and political renewal of Iraq without amplifying our own military presence.

Webb also proposes that we take a more partisan approach in regards to the reconstruction of Iraqi. Webb’s plan calls for the formation of a cooperative union with those nations that have a political and historical investment in the area and that share our goal of establishing a democratic state. Presenting such a strong and united front could deter the onset of future insurgent activities and would clearly divide responsibility, in regards to maintaining stability within Iraq, among members of the international community.

National security is an ongoing issue, a long-term concern. So let’s cast a vote for the long-term, a vote which will address not only the immediate issue of Iraqi, but also reassess the way in which future military strategy is designed and implemented. In order to satisfy those national needs which Iraq has made so readily apparent, we must first begin at home with the election of strong, dependable leaders who are capable of voicing and acting upon the concerns and needs of their constituents. Webb is capable of fulfilling that need- the question is, are you capable of insuring that he does?

The editor would like to thank all involved for their time and effort on this edition of The Voice.

The opinions expressed in any Sweet Briar College publication or other forms of media are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration. Therefore, Sweet Briar College is not responsible for its content.

Editorials represent the opinion(s) of the editor(s) and/or staff/guest writer(s).

This site was designed and is maintained by Anne Proctor. Please email any questions or comments concerning the web site to her.

George Allen
By Brandon Agnew '08
STAFF WRITER

First, I would like to point out that the newspaper decided to support the Democratic candidate before ever hearing my case. But I will not waste your time with petty debates. Instead, I will get straight to the point, George Allen, Virginia’s Republican candidate for the US Senate.

George Allen is running as the incumbent for the seat, after a strong first term. In his lengthy political career Allen has held seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, the US House of Representatives, Governor of Virginia, and the US Senate. During his time as a Senator he has held chairman positions on the High Tech Task Force and the Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcomittee on European Affairs. He has also been a member on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. With these credentials one has to admit he has been doing something right.

Allen, the father of three children, holds his priorities high. One of Allen’s biggest plights is his fight to find an alternative energy source, which would lower America’s dependency on foreign oil. In order to do this Allen is determined to advance the US’s technology in order to keep America ahead. Allen has worked hard to keep jobs not only in Virginia, but to bring new jobs into both

Virginia and the US. He supports small American businesses and fights to reduce their taxes, amending a bill in 2005 that increased the incentives for small business investment. On top of everything, Allen fights to strengthen and support America’s national defense and homeland security. In 2005 Allen passed a resolution which increased the death gratuity for members of the Armed Services from only $12,000 to $100,000 for the individual’s next of kin. This resolution allowed those who died for our country to be truly recognized, respected, and to help keep their dreams alive in their relatives. Just recently in September Allen passed a bill which gave the Defense Heath Program $19,000,000 to put towards the Defense and Veteran’s Brain Injury Center. These may be small steps, but they are meaningful, the root of American democracy.

Allen is a family man, a proud American, and a strong candidate for Virginia’s Senate.

The editor would like to thank all involved for their time and effort on this edition of The Voice.

The opinions expressed in any Sweet Briar College publication or other forms of media are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration. Therefore, Sweet Briar College is not responsible for its content.

Editorials represent the opinion(s) of the editor(s) and/or staff/guest writer(s).

This site was designed and is maintained by Anne Proctor. Please email any questions or comments concerning the web site to her.

Sweet Briar Voice Endorses Democratic Candidate Jim Webb for Senate

This election year, Virginia voters face a surprisingly competitive race for the Senate seat that first time Senator George Allen won with a clear majority in 2000. Allen’s losses have been due in part to his allegiance with President Bush in the execution of the war in Iraq, in part to the credentials of his competitor, Jim Webb, and in part to the embarrassing gaffes made by the Senator in the last few months. South African monkeys aside, Allen’s history of hanging a Confederate flag and a noose in his office, and his bewildering, antagonistic responses to questions about his mother’s Jewish heritage—“I still had a ham sandwich for lunch,” as though being Jewish was tainting or shameful—are grounds for pause.

But this is not the stuff of high-minded political debate, and as a politician, Allen’s record isn’t bad. But it isn’t good, either. John Warner (R), Virginia’s other senator, has had the gumption to stand up to the administration’s myopic, incompetent efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. When the first photos at Abu Ghraib surfaced, cementing America’s image abroad as cruel and hypocritical, Warner was among the most vocal members of Congress to call the administration out on their deviation from a century-long tradition of humanitarian respect between engaging armies. But Allen has consistently remained a steadfast supporter of the administration, despite the numerous errors in judgment that have kept our soldiers in combat longer than they should have been, and without the supplies they need to succeed.

Jim Webb is not a Democrat to recently join the anti-war cause, capitalizing on the political fallout of the poorly organized war. Webb was a Republican, but this administration’s refusal to focus on Afghanistan while seeking war with Iraq prompted him to leave the party. The military experience that prompted this shift is impressive: he’s a war hero decorated several times over, and was Secretary of the Navy during the Reagan Administration. And unlike most members of Congress, including Allen, Webb has a personal stake in the conflict in the Middle East: his son, who is currently serving there.

In addition to Allen’s poor record on the military, his position on the environment is ghastly. He supports ‘exploring’ ANWAR, a euphemism for drilling in ANWAR, which would only produce (at most, if we were able technologically or economically to tap every drop of oil down there, and we are not) a few months’ worth of oil. Allen also supports ‘Clean’ Coal, which causes almost as much pollution as regular coal, and is much more ecologically harmful to harvest. Route 29 is dotted with ‘Sportsmen for Allen’ signs. How much longer do you think we’ll be able to hunt when Virginia’s rivers and mountains have been ravaged by pollution?

Webb isn’t a career politician, and when his campaign began he seemed stilted and not as gregarious as Allen. But unlike Allen, a California native who affects the good ol’ boy in cowboy boots, Webb is a born and raised Virginia voter. Given his history of standing up for his principles despite their unpopularity, he will be capable of more than Allen, who robotically echoes the party line, despite its detriment to his constituents. The Sweet Briar Voice therefore endorses Jim Webb for the Virginia seat.

Happy voting!