Where's the clue for Ben?

WHERE'S THE MONEY FOR WEBB?

Michelle Cottle's great profile of Jim Webb in this week's New Republic reminds me of a point Alec raised last month, during the Connecticut primary: Wouldn't the fundraising energy the bloggers lavished on Ned Lamont been better spent funding challengers seeking to defeat actual Republicans? Come November 8th, would they rather see Joe Lieberman looking hangdog or George Allen staring shellshocked?

Like Lamont, Webb won the Democratic primary in an upset fueled in part by the bloggers’ support. But a distaste for fundraising has left him with merely $500,000 on hand while his incumbent opponent, George Allen, sits atop $6 million. So, as Cottle points out, Webb may be catching up in the polls right now, but he lacks the funds to sustain the rally. What happens when Allen deploys his war chest to make Webb into a baby-eating gay marriage counselor?

No progressive, no matter how much they hate Joe Lieberman, can reasonably claim that he's nearly as odious as George Allen. So wouldn't focusing the Netroots on Dems in close races who aren't independently wealthy, like Webb, have made more sense?

--Ben Adler

Dear Ben,

First of all, there is plenty of blogging support for Webb, both directly for the campaign and by outside groups.

But Webb hasn't asked for money or appeared in NY or LA to get any. His campaign isn't running ads asking for it. So what are people supposed to do. Ben, remember, it was bloggers who brought up macaca, loaded the video on You Tube and ran the
picture of Allen with the suit and tie Klan.

Webb's distate for fundraising is his problem. He wants to be senator, he has to raise the cash, he can't just sit there and not ask for money. Allen's campaign is limping along because of blogger inspired attacks. Webb has to get the cash he needs.

Oh, and one other thing, Lieberman has been attacking the Democratic party for years while claiming to be one. He has been used by Bush to provide cover for the war and his insane policies. Lieberman had to be stopped.