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| James Webb, a-hole from the start | |
| 2006-11-29 | |
At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized on the stump this fall. But it wasn't long before Bush found him.
"I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme. "That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?" One is polite and courteous, the other's a pompous ass. "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said coldly, ending the conversation on the State Floor of the East Wing of the White House. guess which is which Webb was narrowly elected to the U.S. Senate this month with a brash, unpolished style that helped win over independent voters in Virginia and earned him support from national party leaders. Now, his Democratic colleagues in the Senate are getting a close-up view of the former boxer, military officer and Republican who is joining their ranks. If the exchange with Bush two weeks ago is any indication, Webb won't be a wallflower, especially when it comes to the war in Iraq. And he won't stick to a script drafted by top Democrats. "I'm not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall," Webb said in an interview yesterday in which he confirmed the exchange between him and Bush. "No offense to the institution of the presidency, and I'm certainly looking forward to working with him and his administration. [But] leaders do some symbolic things to try to convey who they are and what the message is." In the days after the election, Webb's Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill went out of their way to make nice with Bush and be seen by his side. House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sat down for a lunch and photo opportunity with Bush, as did Democratic leaders in the Senate. Not Webb, who said he tried to avoid a confrontation with Bush at the White House reception but did not shy away from one when the president approached. a social greeting is a confrontation only when one is so anti-social they choose to make it one The White House declined to discuss the encounter. "As a general matter, we do not comment on private receptions hosted by the president at the White House," said White House spokeswoman Dana M. Perino. Webb said he has "strong ideas," but he also insisted that -- as a former Marine in Vietnam -- he knows how to work in a place such as the Senate, where being part of a team is important. He plans to push for a new GI bill for soldiers who have served in the days since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but not as a freshman senator. He has approached the Democratic leadership about getting senior legislators to sponsor the bill when the 110th Congress convenes in January. A strong backer of gun rights, Webb may find himself at odds with many in his party. He expressed support during the campaign for a bill by his opponent, Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), that would allow concealed weapons in national parks. But an aide said this week that Webb will review Allen's legislation. "There are going to be times when I've got some strong ideas, but I'm not looking to simply be a renegade," he said. "I think people in the Democratic Party leadership have already begun to understand that I know how to work inside a structure." His party's leaders hope that he means it. Top Democratic senators, including incoming Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), had invested their money and prestige in Webb before he won the party primary in June. His victory was also theirs, but now they have to make sure he's not a liability. you bought him, now see what you got. You may not like it. Heh "He's not a typical politician. He really has deep convictions," said Schumer, who headed the Senate Democrats' campaign arm. "We saw this in the campaign. We would have disagreements. But when you made a persuasive argument, he would say, 'You're right.' I am truly not worried about it. He understands the need to be part of a team." One senior Democratic staff member on Capitol Hill, who spoke on condition that he not be identified so he could speak freely about the new senator, said that Webb's lack of political polish was part of his charm as a candidate but could be a problem as a senator. "I think he's going to be a total pain. He is going to do things his own way. That's a good thing and a bad thing," the staff member said. But he said that Webb's personality may be just what the Senate needs. "You need a little of everything. Some element of that personality is helpful." Webb has started to put himself out front. On "Meet the Press" last week, he dispensed with the normal banter with host Tim Russert to talk seriously about Iraq and the need for economic justice in the United States. He announced yesterday that he has hired Paul J. Reagan, a communications director for former governor Mark R. Warner (D) and a former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.). It will be Reagan's job to help his boss navigate the intricacies of Washington and Capitol Hill without losing the essence of his personality. "The relationships he has built over his long career will serve me well," Webb said in a statement yesterday. the ones he hasn't burned... Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who campaigned hard to get Webb elected, said yesterday that the first-time officeholder doesn't have the finesse of most experienced politicians. "He is not a backslapper," Kaine said. "There are different models that succeed in politics. There's the hail-fellow-well-met model of backslapping. That's not his style." But Kaine said that Webb's background, including a stint as Ronald Reagan's Navy secretary, will make him an important -- if unpredictable -- voice on the war in Iraq. "There are no senators who have that everyday anxiety that he has as a dad with a youngster on the front lines. That gives him gravitas and credibility on this issue," Kaine said. "People in the Senate, I'm sure, will agree with him or disagree with him on issue to issue. But they won't doubt that he's coming at it from a real sense of duty." nice job, Virginny.. | |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #34 Lots of southerners moved to Ohio in the 20th century looking for work. Some were trying to make it to the auto industry in Detroit, but their jalopies would only make it as far as Akron or Cleveland. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2006-11-29 22:44 |
| #33 If I were George Bush, Jim Webb would be the first name on my "do not call, do not invite, do not allow to visit" after that little incident. Some people just can't relax and be polite, even in what is obviously a social occasion, rather than a political venue. Webb needs to get waxed six years from now. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2006-11-29 22:30 |
| #32 We've got a Waffle House on the east side of town by the Interstate, and you can get sweet tea at the Tumbleweeds on the north side as well. |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-11-29 21:52 |
| #31 lol, Jim! By that standard, the Cleveland suburbs are part of the South. Not that I'm complaining, mind you; my wife likes sweet tea. Mike, I guess I'd add it's standard in not only your everyday restaurant, but also your "fancy" restaurants. You really know if you can get it at a Waffle House w/in 2 miles of your home. Other criteria include the above listings (RC, Moon Pies, etc.), as well as them serving grits for breakfast, and/or being able to buy pig feet/ears in your local grocery, lol! |
| Posted by: BA 2006-11-29 21:22 |
| #30 #8: I always considered anyone north of I-10 a Yankee... Guess I qualify, by about two miles. I did emigrate from the North however, came down here to Mobile from Montgomery. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-11-29 19:50 |
| #29 And cornbread dressing. With lots of sage. Lol. They do oversweeten the tea, always have, but it's served in flagons large enough to drown mere men, lol. |
| Posted by: .com 2006-11-29 18:43 |
| #28 The South is where you can get grits, soda (or RC) instead of pop, hound dogs, sweet tea and where Elvis is still alive. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-11-29 18:40 |
| #27 Me personally? I now draw the "new" Mason-Dixon line based upon whether or not you can get sweet tea at your average restaurant. Me? I figure if you can drive Northbound on your local interstate and reach a Waffle House, you might be in the South. ;) |
| Posted by: eLarson 2006-11-29 18:02 |
| #26 Don't forget George Allen blew a huge lead by making stupid comments, the last of which was NOT denying his staff released the porno quotes from Webb's books. Allen shot himself in the foot with the 'machaco' remark, (but the MSM beat it to death), and then in the groin with the porno book thingy. Poor dimwit was hoping to run for President, too..... |
| Posted by: Bobby 2006-11-29 17:26 |
| #25 I now draw the "new" Mason-Dixon line based upon whether or not you can get sweet tea at your average restaurant. By that standard, the Cleveland suburbs are part of the South. Not that I'm complaining, mind you; my wife likes sweet tea. |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-11-29 17:19 |
| #24 I always considered anyone north of I-10 a Yankee... Jeebus, grunt. You're leavin' out a LOT of Redneck country with that comment(GA, SC and TN alone make up a LOT of the South, not to mention KY, northern Missip, a lot of Texas, Arkansas and OK), and including places like southern FL, which is by NO means "Southern," lol! Me personally? I now draw the "new" Mason-Dixon line based upon whether or not you can get sweet tea at your average restaurant. While northern VA is "northern", I'd suspect that central and southern VA still serves it as sweet as syrup, lol! |
| Posted by: BA 2006-11-29 15:36 |
| #23 He plans to push for a new GI bill for soldiers who have served in the days since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, . Why restrict it to only those that served since Sept 11? |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2006-11-29 15:16 |
| #22 "That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?" Game, set and match to Bush. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-11-29 15:05 |
| #21 #17 Edwin Edwards has deeper convictions, and he even lost the appeal. Having grown up in LA, I can attest to that. Fast Eddie certainly has more charm than this creep. |
| Posted by: cajunbelle 2006-11-29 14:56 |
| #20 I thought "fields of fire" was a great book and Webb totally thrashes the lib media and the hippy movement for being enemy enablers. I'm reserving judgement to see what he actually does as a legislator. |
| Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-11-29 14:26 |
| #19 Ed, the problem is that the last time the Dems "reinvented" the Federal Government, while the total number of employees was reduced, almost all the reductions were in the Defense and Intelligence sectors (both of which were savaged). The parts of Government that most of us would like to see go away, the touchy feely overly intrusive we know better than you how you should live your life crowd mushroomed. Webb is an asshole, but he fits right in with the Dem leadership. No class, no intelligence, no redeeming features, just thugs and bottom feeders. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-11-29 13:19 |
| #18 I just want to voice my opposition to the redundancy of James Webbs. Ya got yer telescope Webb, and a hairy Florida astronomer who was in the paper the other day, and this clown, and Wikipedia has a whole page where you can go to sort out your James Webbs. I am against this proliferation of Webbons. |
| Posted by: Angie Schultz 2006-11-29 12:03 |
| #17 Edwin Edwards has deeper convictions, and he even lost the appeal. |
| Posted by: Abdominal Snowman 2006-11-29 11:31 |
| #16 Webb is pro-gun(?). Schumer is a gun grabber. Is this just all Dhimmi double-speak? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2006-11-29 11:30 |
| #15 "He's not a typical politician. He really has deep convictions," said Schumer, Credit Sen. Schumer when due. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2006-11-29 11:26 |
| #14 FYI, Hiring Jim Moran is one of the biggest idiots in the Congress. Go look up his quotes - he's been Rantburg fodder many times. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2006-11-29 11:18 |
| #13 Webb was, is and always will be a dickhead. Thats just his basic personality. In 6 years, both sides will hate him. Ask anyone that worked for him as SecNavy. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2006-11-29 11:16 |
| #12 "It will be Reagan's job to help his boss navigate the intricacies of Washington and Capitol Hill without losing the essence of his personality." Dose turd polishers sure do talk purdy don't they Jimbo. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-11-29 11:14 |
| #11 A Virginny on another blog pointed out that Allen's campaign was clueless (DUH!) because Webb has a temper and they didn't make him lose it. |
| Posted by: anonymous2u 2006-11-29 10:58 |
| #10 I guess Webbs son was one of those people who could not find employment or money for college and had to join the military because he had really bad parents that didn't guide him to the right decision. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-11-29 10:53 |
| #9 Too close to the MASSHOLES!! Hey, I resemble that remark... |
| Posted by: Raj 2006-11-29 10:53 |
| #8 I always considered anyone north of I-10 a Yankee... Webb is a loose cannon. Just give him enough time and he'll hang himself. (He just writes book on pedophilia for entertainment....) |
| Posted by: 0369_Grunt 2006-11-29 10:45 |
| #7 LOL I love that idea of layoffs. Cut a few thousands loose and all of a sudden the Dems are a minority...again. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-11-29 10:32 |
| #6 I assume GOP operatives are strategizing as we speak on how to counter this. Government layoffs? |
| Posted by: ed 2006-11-29 10:18 |
| #5 I always knew VA. was a YANKEE STATE....Too close to the MASSHOLES!! |
| Posted by: ARMYGUY 2006-11-29 10:14 |
| #4 From what I've read, the Dems won in VA because they managed to increase Dem turnout by a large percentage in two key counties: Fairfax and Arlington. Arlington has a large population and has always been socialist. Lots of govt employees, lib ideologues, and activists live there. Increase the turnout by 20% and you get enough Dem votes to account for the margin of victory. I assume GOP operatives are strategizing as we speak on how to counter this. |
| Posted by: fmr mil contractor 2006-11-29 09:38 |
| #3 I just thought I'd poke my head in for five minutes and see if OS was around. |
| Posted by: Phil 2006-11-29 09:20 |
| #2 Wow. Sic the IRS on this creep, lol. |
| Posted by: .com 2006-11-29 09:04 |
| #1 No class. None at all. |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-11-29 08:59 |