By Sean Reagan

With the Democratic convention in full swing – and the Republican’s Minnesota bash in the not-so-distant future – it’s important to keep in mind that the political landscape includes more than just the big dogs at the top of the bill.

In Virginia’s fifth district, for example, Democrat Tom Perriello is pitted against Republican incumbent Virgil Goode, Jr. Goode was elected in 1996 as a Democrat but changed party affiliation in 2002.

Perrellio on track to turn it blue again.

That’s good news for the residents of the fifth district. Goode has toed the Bush/Cheney line about as faithfully as anyone else has. Consider a few choice votes:

He voted against a $10.2 billion shot in the arm that would have boosted federal education and Health and Human Service projects. He voted against tax incentives geared towards promoting energy production and conservation. He voted against a similar incentive that would have encouraged renewable energy. He voted against making between two and four million additional children eligible for SCHIP.

But no vote is as telling as Goode’s opposition to the farm bill. He voted against and then – when Bush’s veto was overridden – he voted against that, too. As one blogger – a native of the fifth district – pointed out, Goode’s nay vote was all about protecting corporate interests.

This is only one example of the kind of people Virgil Goode will accept money from and supports in Congress. It’s only $1,000, right? Well, not really. As seen from previous Goode corporate profiteering, he also received another $1,000 from lobbyist group Troutman Sanders, who list Monsanto as a client. The same firm also represents the Farm Credit Council, a pro-corporate agribusiness group which also gave $300 to Goode. However, if I can take 10 minutes from a busy day and find one instance of corporate bundling in Virgil Goode’s 2008 corporate donor list, what else is in there?

And what did Monsanto’s money buy them? A vote against the Farm Bill, that’s what.

So much for for Goode. What about Perrellio?

Well, for starters, he’s actually got a “farmers” section on his issues page.

Our farmers have always been the backbone of a healthy Virginia economy. Whether producing second-generation biofuels or bringing locally grown produce to market, Virginia’s farmers and farmland must be protected and supported. This includes assuring that small farmers, not big agribusiness, receive the benefits of subsidies. Tom will support the Local Food movement, including removing regulations that make it difficult for schools and other local institutions to buy from local farmers. Tom will shift farm subsidies to focus on small farmers who are central to the natural heritage of our counties. Tom will support second-generation bio-fuels, wind power and other forms of alternative energy production on Virginia farms.

I like that. I like this, too:

Our campaign slogan is the “Common Good for the Commonwealth” because we believe our nation’s problems run deeper than any single policy. We stand at a moment when we must replace “greed is good” with America’s historic commitment to the common good – to a sense that we are in this together.

Too often we’ve been faced with false choices in the political debate between one extreme or another that are meant to divide us and turn us against each other. I believe that it is time for a politics of right and wrong instead of right and left and that this new politics will be based on the concept of the common good.

And on the subject of rural/urban partnerships:

People throughout my district share many of the same values, and there are issues that unite us all – health care, affordable housing, astronomical gas prices, and the crisis in Iraq. We need to continue to strengthen the understanding that Danville, Charlottesville and all the areas in between share a common future and purpose. We all benefit from an improved economy in Southside and ensuring smart growth in central Virginia. For example, Southside is perfectly positioned to be at the forefront of the new energy economy, and Charlottesville has the economic and political capital to help make that happen. We can unite around an agenda of jobs and energy security.

And to top it off, Perrellio is volunteer tithing – ten percent of volunteer hours are donated not to licking envelopes or working the phones for Perrellio, but on service projects around the district. That kind of generosity alone ought to elect the man.

Earlier this month, polls put Goode on top, but that was taken before the first debate of the season. It also fails to take into account the attention that the state overall is going to get in the general election. Obama and McCain are consistently tied, though the most recent poll give Obama a slight edge. Expect a fierce battle for the state.

And don’t be surprised when Perrellio’s thoughtful and responsible message gains traction in the fifth.

Posted on August 25th, 2008 by seanreagan
Filed under: 2008 House races, Uncategorized