Military women support Webb as 'man of integrity

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Democrat James H. Webb Jr. yesterday picked up an endorsement from nine military women, a key voting bloc that political analysts say the candidate needs in order to upset U.S. Sen. George Allen of Virginia in the Nov. 7 election.

In announcing their endorsement, the women called the former Navy secretary a "man of integrity," who is well versed in national-security and foreign-policy issues.

"He recognizes the crucial role that women have in the armed forces today, and the sacrifices that they're making alongside their male counterparts in the toughest assignments in Afghanistan and Iraq," said retired Army Lt. Col. Kate Wilder, a Democratic activist.

Mr. Webb, 60, and Mr. Allen, 54, have been trying for weeks to appeal to female voters.

The military women yesterday said the television ads Mr. Allen is airing that criticize Mr. Webb for writing a 1979 magazine article questioning a woman's place in the U.S. Naval Academy are "powerful" but "bogus."

"American military women have moved beyond Jim Webb's ... article," Navy Capt. Barbara Brehm said.

Mr. Allen told editors and reporters at The Washington Times Monday that he spent thousands of dollars on the ads to show Mr. Webb's "lack of respect for women."

Mr. Allen did not mention the article when Mr. Webb endorsed the Republican for the U.S. Senate in 2000.

The military women yesterday stressed that Mr. Webb's point of view 27 years ago mirrored the sentiment that most men held at that time. They also think that Mr. Webb's perspective changed, saying that in 1987 Mr. Webb opened more operational positions for women in the military than any other Navy secretary in history.

"That provided genuine career opportunities for women to serve," Capt. Brehm said.