Election 2004: Virginia Primary
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.
8th Congressional District
Tuesday, June 01, 2004; 3:00 p.m ET
On June 8th Democrats in Virginia's 8th Congressional district will decide whether U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. or challenger Andrew M. Rosenberg will go up against the Republican congressional nominee in November.
Rep. Jim Moran will be online Monday, June 1 at 3 p.m. to discuss the Virginia primary, the issues and his career.
Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.
Challenger Andrew Rosenberg will be online Wednesday, June 2 at 11 a.m. ET.
Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this Live Online chat. It has been a great honor to serve Northern Virginia in Congress and I hope to have the supporters of 8th District voters in our primary on June 8, one week from today. I look forward to your questions and appreciate this opportunity to connect with you online.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.:
Rep Moran,
I and others are very much supporting your primary and general re-election effort! You have given many years of great service to the 8th District, which should not be forgotten. Without your representation, the Commonwealth will not only lose a great statesman but also your seniority within the Democratic Party and your seat on the ever crucial Appropriations Committee. I find it amazing that Virginia voters would be willing to lose such leadership and influence.
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thank you. People like you make it all worthwhile. I hope there will be an opportunity for me to further express my appreciation for your support.
_______________________
Stony Brook, N.Y.:
Why has there been such a growth in high technology and research jobs in the Dulles Corridor?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: One of the reasons is that, with the help of Senator John Warner, we have been able to steer 9-12 billion dollars a year in technology contracts with the federal government to Northern Virginia, primarily through the Defense Appropriations bill.
_______________________
Herndon, Va.:
On May 15 you spoke against the abuses towards Iraqi prisioners and you have also voted against HR 557. These are all passive attempts to convey your stance against Bush's initiatives on Iraq. Will you make any increased actions (proposing your own legistlation... etc) against the Iraqi war situation?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: I was a co-author, with John Spratt, of the Democratic alternative to preclude us from going to war with Iraq unless under U.N. auspices. That received 155 votes, but when that failed, I spoke and voted against President Bush's resolution, although I was joined by only one quarter of the Congress in opposing the war.
I believe I am also the only member of the Defense Appropriations Committee to refuse to provide funds to continue the war.
I have been a very aggressive questioner of the military, and especially the Pentagon civilian authorities ultimately responsible for the prisoner abuse. Although this has been understandably in classified hearings.
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
Dear Rep. Moran,
Thank you for taking our questions today. I'd like to hear your take on your infamous quote last year, when you apparently said something about Jewish-Americans' influence in the leadup to the Iraq war.
I support your stance on Mid East peace--holding both sides accountable for their violent actions. But of course anti-Semitism has no place in critizism of Israeli government policy.
Your comment (if accurate) does seem to smack of racism. Would you please explain?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thank you for understanding my efforts on behalf of a sustainable peace in the middle east. The moderator of the famous Reston forum where I made the comment that has been so criticized called in to the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU FM today. As he explained, I was responding specifically to a questioner who identified herself as Jewish and was asking specifically about Jewish leaders' support of the Iraq War, ie. the so-called neocons such as Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, and others. No member of the audience, to my knowledge, and there were several Jewish people in attendance, found my remarks anti-Semitic, offensive, or even inappropriate.
I have apologized for the comments because the context in which they were presented to the public in the media implied that I suggested that the Jewish people led us to the war in Iraq, which was understandably hurtful, inappropriate, and untrue.
At the time, two thirds of the American public including many leaders of the three major communities of faith, supported going to war. I believe if there had been consensus, even within one of the major communities of faith, let alone all three of them, we would not have gone to war. Any such community of faith is influential enough to change the political course of our country, and in the case of going to war, I felt that they should have. In the case of the remark that has become so controversial, I was responding specifically to a woman who asked about Jewish leaders, but I have expressed similar feelings about leaders of the Catholic faith, the Southern Baptist Convention, and other religious institutions.
_______________________
Fredericksburg, Va.:
What can the Democratic party do in Virginia to reverse the Republican lock on Congress? This used to be a solidly Democratic state.
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: First of all, we need to make sure that Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3) and Rep. Rick Boucher (VA-9), both of whom have serious challengers, are re-elected.
One of the most troubling things is that, while most Democrats complain about the Republican dominance of the White House and our General Assembly, the statistics show that only about half of them make the effort to vote. I was delighted to hear that John Kerry plans to make Virginia a competitive state by investing in advertising here this fall!
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
If you could submit one question to your challenger for his live chat tomorrow, what would it be?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Why have you never even voted in one Democratic primary, according to Virgina state party records?
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
Congressman Moran,
I am concerned about the anti-gay rhetoric coming from Richmond and Capitol Hill. Where do you stand on equal rights for all citizens regardless of sexual orientation?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: When I was Mayor of Alexandria, I introduced and got passed the very first ordinance in the state prohibiting discrimination against gay people. I was one of the small minority in Congress who spoke against DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) on the House floor and voted against it. I am proud to say that I have a 100% voting record with the Human Rights Campaign fund and have been endorsed by the Virginia Partisans.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.:
Is the primary limited to only registered Democrats or can anyone in the district vote?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: It is an open primary. Any registered voter in the 8th District can vote next Tuesday.
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
To me this is a critical issue of the day: do you believe the United States should tone its foreign policies away from the belief that we can do what we wish regardless of international opinion, or should we do more to develop better increased international cooperation? If it is the latter, how would you use this international cooperation to bring a settlement to the instabilities in Iraq and in Afghanistan?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: I believe that America's real enemies throughout the world are poverty, ignorance, and disease/illness. To the extent that we use our vast resources to combat these common enemies, our stature and support throughout the world will be regained dramatically.
As Bill Clinton said in his commencement address last week, when you live in a world of increasing conflict and terrorism and you can't kill, imprison, or even control all your enemies, we have a responsibility to make as many friends as possible by building international institutions of mutual interdependence.
_______________________
Falls Church, Va.:
I have heard that Americans for Democratic Action
have endorsed Andy Rosenberg, your opponent.
Have any major organizations endorsed you, or
are most waiting until after the primary is over?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: I am very proud to have been endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Virginia Partisans, the Virgina AFL-CIO, the National Education Association, the International Association of Firefighters, and several other environmental and progressive organizations.
Americans for Democratic Action has actually rescinded its endorsement of Andy Rosenberg and I am not aware of any other credible organization, nor any Democratic official in the area, which has endorsed his candidacy.
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.:
Congressman Moran,
I was a passionate supporter of Governor Howard
Dean and was delighted when you supported him
for President. I have two related questions:
1. What did you find appealing about Howard
Dean?
2. Do you support John Kerry now? If so, you
have any reservations about supporting Kerry?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thanks for your question. I hope you will join us on Friday, June 4 at 8:00AM at the Sheraton Premiere in Tysons Corner, where Governor Howard Dean will endorse my candidacy. I continue to be a strong admirer of the Governor. I feel as though his competitors were reluctant to voice opposition to the war or tax cuts for the wealthy until they realized that he was reflecting the sentiments of the Democratic base.
I do support John Kerry's candidacy, unequivocally.
_______________________
Arlington, Va.:
Congressman Moran,
I am a teacher in Arlington and received a letter
last week from the NEA political action committee
recommending that I support you for re-election.
I have every intention of voting for you -- I think
you've served us very well here in Arlington,
especially with public education.
But I was curious about a detail in the letter -- it
says you considered voting in favor of school
vouchers for DC. Since you are such a supporter
of public education, why would you ever even
think of supporting a plan that takes funds away
from public schools and funnels them toward
private schools that are not accountable in the
way that public schools have to be? I know that
ultimately you voted against them, but I'm
wondering why you even considered it.
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thanks for this question and thanks so much for all that you do for the children of Arlington.
The reason for my initial ambivalence with regard to DC vouchers was related to my close friendship with Mayor Williams, who strongly advocated for the voucher program because the Republicans had agreed to more fully fund the public education system if he would allow their introduction into DC. Notwithstanding Tony's arguments, however, I felt that the precedent would have been wrong.
_______________________
Fairfax, Va.:
Congressman Moran, I'm a new addition to your district and from what I've learned in Marc Fisher's columns, you are a strong and devoted fighter for the causes you believe in, but you've also got some temper. So my question is, do you really think it makes sense for you to stay in office after all the controversies you've had?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thanks for this question.
I admit to getting angry at injustice and discrimination, but the only times that I have ever truly gotten into any kind of physical confrontation was when I witnessed the bullying of weaker or defenseless people, and this only in my younger years. It is true, however, that my passion for issues is both my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. It does make sense for me to stay in office as long as I continue to have the commitment to work hard for the interests of all of my constituents.
_______________________
Shirlington, Va.:
OK, I'm on the fence about sticking with you or going for Rosenberg. He hasn't done anything, so I don't see why he deserves to be in Congress. but you've had more than your share of trouble, right? Maybe this isn't a fair question, but if you were just a voter, and not yourself, how would you make the decision between a new, inexperienced but smart candidate and the old standby who's maybe seen better days?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: I hope my fiancee, who I will be marrying on June 12th, doesn't see this description of me as an "old standby who's maybe seen better days"!
Experience does count for something. Every campaign that I have run has been based on a record of accomplishment. Even when I ran the first time for Alexandria City Council in 1979, I had been an officer of more than a dozen different civic and human services organizations, with a reputation of a "doer". A more diplomatic Representative would not have been likely to have called the Bush White House's hand and gotten them to open National Airport months before they wanted to. Nor would a less experienced Representative have been able to secure the Hope 6 housing funds that enabled public housing in Old Town to be transformed into dramatically improved housing without any reduction of the number of subsidized units. Likewise, a member with less passion for the issues would not have been in such a small minority opposing the Defense of Marriage Act, or the Iraq War, or misguided "three strikes and you're out" criminal legislation, let alone the hundreds of millions of dollars in appropriations that I have delivered to Northern Virginia over the last decade.
Ultimately, I want you to vote in what you consider to be your best interest and that of your neighbors in Northern Virginia.
_______________________
Falls Church, Va.:
Congressman,
In 1999, lobbyist Terry Lierman loaned you $25,000. Within five days of executing a promissory note spelling out the cushy details of the loan, you signed up to co-sponsor a bill to help Mr. Lierman's client, Schering-Plough, extend its monopoly on the allergy drug Claritin. The move would have cost consumers billions while pumping up the Schering-Plough's profits. The Washington Post quotes Mr. Lierman that he "probably did lobby Jim" on the Claritin bill.
On March 1, 2004 Common Cause, a non-partisan watchdog of the public trust, released a report entitled "Decade of House Ethics Inaction." It lists the top 13 most egregious violations of the public trust that went uninvestigated by the House Ethics Committee. Only two individuals make the list twice: Tom Delay and Jim Moran.
Rep. Moran, is it ever appropriate to accept such a large sum of money from someone who has interests before the House?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thanks for the opportunity to address this issue.
Terry Lierman, whose name you may recognize because he was the Democratic candidate who almost beat Connie Morella in 2000 in Montgomery County, has been a personal friend of mine for 25 years.
The loan in question was repaid at a rate of 15% interest.
The reason I signed on to the request that Schering-Plough made was that they had a legitimate request in the minds of a great many of my colleagues associated with the Democratic Leadership Council, including Ellen Tauscher, the co-chair. Ellen's letter, which was written at the request of Vick Fazio, the former national Democratic Caucus chair, outlined several extenuating circumstances supporting this patent extension. If you'll check the records, Mr. Lierman is a lobbyist for national organizations promoting greater research funds for the National Institutes of Health. To the extent that he represented Schering-Plough at any time, it would have been marginal and of no particular consequence to either of us. Mr. Lierman's loan and my long-term friendship with him had no impact on my decision to support this legislation.
The House Ethics Committee and, I believe, the Justice Department, looked in to this as the request of Republican "watchdog" groups, and found nothing unethical to pursue. For what it's worth, I received prior approval from the Ethics Committee before receiving the loan.
_______________________
Richmond, Va.:
Congressman Moran, I know you have been involved in making fiscal responsibility a vital part of government, yet all we see with Republican control is a federal deficit that is ballooning and a budget awash in red ink. What's the deal?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: As the second-ranking Democrat in the House Budget Committee, much of my time in the last several months has been spent in opposing the Republicans' budget resolution. Not only is it $500 billion out of balance, but its priorities are skewed toward spending more on destruction and then reconstruction in Iraq than they are in investing in our physical and human infrastructure at home. The Congressional Record will show that I have spoken out on almost a daily basis against the Republicans' fiscal irresponsibility and have voted against their tax cuts for the wealthy and their misallocation of the resultingly scarce federal dollars available.
_______________________
Gaithersburg, Md.:
Congressman Moran -- I really admire you for your opposition to the Iraq war. Can you describe how you arrived at your conclusion to vote against the war, and why you think so many Democrats, faced with the same information as you had, voted for it?
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: Thank you for your awareness of my early and adamant opposition to the Iraq War. I can't speak for "so many Democrats who voted for it", but unfortunately there is a tendency within every organization to hope for the best, to "go with the flow", and to be led by the polls. At the time, the polls showed that two-thirds of the country supported President Bush's decision. For many of the same reasons that get me in trouble, I prefer not to "go with the flow" or be led by polls. As usual, this caused controversy among many of my friends and political supporters, but I was confident that, in the end, my decision was the right one.
I do want to say, though, that as was the case in the Vietnam War, the young men and women representing us in Iraq are doing what they have been told is the right thing in service to their country. They should be respected, admired, and brought home whole as soon as possible.
_______________________
Rep. James P. Moran Jr.: I want to thank all of you who participated in this online chat. The questions, supportive and less so, were all intelligent and appropriate. I regret not being able to answer each and every one of them because they all deserve a thoughtful reply. Unfortunately, we've run out of time today, but I hope we can do this again sometime soon.
Whereever you stand, I do hope you will participate in the Democratic primary election next Tuesday! Thank you!
_______________________
Automatically Update Page
Get New Responses
Submit Question
| 
