The Washington Monthly

December 22, 2009

QUOTE OF THE DAY.... The Washington Post reports today on Republican efforts to win four traditionally-GOP-leaning congressional seats in Virginia, currently held by Democrats. Of particular interest is Tom Perriello in Virginia's 5th.

Thanks to a surge of voters in Charlottesville, a left-leaning college town, Perriello eked out a 727-vote victory over right-wing incumbent Virgil Goode (R). Well aware that turnout will be weaker in a midterm election, Republicans immediately put the Virginian at the top of their 2010 target list. Most campaign watchers expect Perriello to lose.

And to that end, attack ads have been airing against Perriello all year, and the Tea Party crowd has been organizing actively against him. One might expect, under these circumstances, to see the freshman lawmaker moving quickly to the right in order to keep his job. Perriello doesn't see it that way.

Perriello said there is a difference between being targeted and being vulnerable, and he said his support for health-care and energy reform are not as out of touch with his constituents as his opponents say. But even he seemed to acknowledge the challenge of winning next year as he described how he has sought to govern since taking office in January.
"My ultimate goal is not to get reelected," he said. "It's to know that I did the best damn job I could representing the people of the 5th District and making a difference. That's just a different litmus test than some of the powers that be are used to working with."

"My ultimate goal is not to get reelected." Perriello believes he was elected to do a job, not to position himself for future elections. He's decided to do the right thing for his constituents by voting for the economic recovery package, health care reform, and cap and trade, even if they're not popular in his district.

The usual model tells lawmakers to vote in such a way as to keep power, even if lawmakers know better. Perriello thinks it's more important to use power than to keep it. This is rare and admirable quality.

This is a quality that voters tend to overlook, swayed more by 30-second ads and robocalls than principled leadership. It no doubt contributes to the efficacy of Congress, or lack thereof.

And as long as we're talking about Perriello, I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention this profile from Slate's Dahlia Lithwick from last year:

Here in Virginia, when Democrats talk about [Perriello], cartoon birds sing and cartoon butterflies play small cartoon harps. A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, Perriello worked to end atrocities in Liberia as well as with child soldiers, amputees, and local pro-democracy groups in Sierra Leone. He became special adviser for the international prosecutor during the showdown that forced Liberian dictator Charles Taylor from power. His work as a security analyst has taken him to Afghanistan and Darfur. Perriello has also been a part of a groundswell of young progressives whose religious faith motivates them to seek social change through public service. One of the most startling aspects of his 2008 campaign was his pledge to tithe 10 percent of his campaign volunteers' time to local charities. Time they could have spent stuffing mailers and phone-banking went to building houses for the poor.

—Steve Benen 3:15 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (15)

Comments

We couldn't think more highly of Congressman Perriello here in VA, and there are many of us who will do whatever we need to do in order to see him re-elected next fall! The "Tea Party" crowd isn't the only group who has "targeted" him -- plenty of liberal and progressive Democrats are already rallying behind him, in large part because of the attitude to the office that he brings.

Posted by: Gretchen Laskas on December 22, 2009 at 3:40 PM | PERMALINK

So...Tom Perriello is the Messiah...

...despite the fact that according to VoteView, he has a more conservative voting record than Parker Griffith.

Sure, he has a conservative district, but that's exactly the point, isn't it? Conservatives represent conservative districts, and crowing about losing 'far-right-reactionaries' doesn't hold much water when a congressman who votes against our priorities MORE of the time is your BFF. It's just petty retconning to crow when one of our guys gets up and crow when one leaves if their voting records are similar.

Posted by: Black Mage on December 22, 2009 at 3:40 PM | PERMALINK

"petty retconning" ???? WTF? Some kind of insider slander?

Posted by: David in NY on December 22, 2009 at 3:48 PM | PERMALINK

Oh please -- can we stop with the Republican meme that Democrats think candidate X is the "messiah?" I was a Democrat long before Barack Obama, and I was a Democrat long after Tom Perriello. Am I proud to have them in my party? Absolutely. But I'm proud because they embody many of the ideas and values that the PARTY cares about, not because I think they as people are going to lead me to some mythical ideal.

Posted by: Gretchen Laskas on December 22, 2009 at 3:52 PM | PERMALINK

I live in VA-05 and I couldn't be more proud of Congressman Periello. I hope he gets re-elected next year; if not, it will be sad. That being said, if he does lose I would love to see the Obama administration offer him some kind of appointment. The guy is doing great work and he deserves the continued opportunity to make a difference.

Posted by: OSheaman on December 22, 2009 at 4:10 PM | PERMALINK

He is a great man doing something for the good of his country and district. He is not there to line his pockets like the rnc chairman Steele is doing. Or caving in on his beliefs to get reelected for life. He is making tough votes on our top priorities and we need to remember him for contributions next year.

Posted by: Patrick on December 22, 2009 at 4:18 PM | PERMALINK

Humm..... shades of Paul Wellstone.

Posted by: the seal on December 22, 2009 at 4:18 PM | PERMALINK

I think we are very fortunate in the 5th District to be representative by TP. He is no ideologue. He votes with what he thinks is in the best interest of his district and nation. If it happens that his district chooses to go in another direction so be it. If that is the case we will have been the richer for his service and the poorer for not having the sense to continue to send to Washington a thoughtful, energetic, and compassionate representative.

Posted by: Saleeby on December 22, 2009 at 4:36 PM | PERMALINK

Next time you post a story like this, how about a link to an Act Blue fundraising site?
I'm serious; the netroots should be doing everything they can to support Dems like this (instead of talking about how we are all teabaggers...FDL...).
You can easily imagine the Dems wanting to run some blue dog in a district like this, but instead it has Perriello. We want folks like him moving up in the party, and with a surplus war chest so he can help out like-mindeded reps. That's the kind of thing that will give us a better government, not protest votes or abstentions in 2010 that let the (Rs) back in.

Posted by: agorabum on December 22, 2009 at 4:49 PM | PERMALINK

"'petty retconning' ???? WTF? Some kind of insider slander?"
Posted by: David in NY on December 22, 2009 at 3:48 PM |

Ask and you shall receive; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=retcon

Posted by: smartalek on December 22, 2009 at 5:51 PM | PERMALINK

Assuming Virgil Goode doesn't run again, Perriello will have done the district a favor regardless of the outcome next time. Goode is an idiot.

Posted by: Mxyzptlk on December 22, 2009 at 6:31 PM | PERMALINK

Proof Virgil is an idiot, and dangerous to boot:
http://earthobservation.blogspot.com/2008/11/hes-no-goode.html

Posted by: Mx on December 22, 2009 at 6:33 PM | PERMALINK

I'm in VA-06 (70miles south-west of Charlottesville) and me and all my friends are green with envy about Periello. All we have is the Bitter Brew (Goodlatte), who doesn't even bother to hold townhalls. Sends a questionnaire/money-beg once in a while... that's his entire interest in his constituency.

Posted by: exlibra on December 22, 2009 at 7:05 PM | PERMALINK

Black Mage, never heard of VoteView but Tom Perriello voted for Health Care, ACES, the stimulus, Lilly Leadbetter, SCHIP funding... He's voted with the Dems more often than Griffith and has a better progressive punch score. Perriello is doing exactly what his district sent him to do: Serve them and work his behind off for them.

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