Sunday, October 28, 2007
James Webb
When James Webb represented the Democrats in one of those required media “reply to” balancing segments after a Bush speech I was impressed by the sophisticated presentation — Webb's words were better than expected in these things; it later came out that Webb had discarded the speech given to him, writing the speech himself.
But what stayed with me, without knowing much about him, was Webb's reptilian stare as he delivered the speech. The press euphemizes this mean-spirited quality as being “direct”. Later, in news clips, Webb appeared a a ponderous, populist demagogue, with little regard for the subtleties of the world. Now there is talk about Webb as a potential running mate. This would be a major mistake for the Democrats.
WaPo says of Webb, the self-righteous public brawler,
This spring, when a senior Webb staffer was arrested carrying the senator's loaded handgun into a Capitol office building, Webb asserted his right “to defend myself and my family.”
If the above-the-law Webb doesn't fully reveal himself for you in that self-presentation, this should tell you all you need to know about the man:
[Webb] also offered a sharp critique last month of a resolution urging that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps be designated as a terrorist organization, arguing that it would give President Bush an opening to seek war with Iran…
Webb is more obsessed with his disdain for and distrust of Bush than with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, responsible for 70% of American deaths in Iraq — not to mention the havoc this gang wreaks in their own country.