Webb aide arrested with gun at Senate office

[Penndems]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An aide to Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, was arrested Monday morning with a gun at the Russell Senate Office Building, according to Capitol Hill Police.

Webb's office identified the employee as Phillip Thompson. A statement from Capitol Police Sgt. Kimberly Schneider indicated an X-ray machine spotted "a loaded pistol with two fully loaded magazines" when Thompson entered the building shortly before 11 a.m.

"It was determined that he did not have a license to carry a pistol in the District of Columbia," Schneider said. "He was in possession of an unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition. He was subsequently placed under arrest and charged with carrying a pistol without a license, unregistered firearm and unregistered ammunition."

Details from Webb's office were sketchy. In a written statement, Webb communications director Jessica Smith said, "To our knowledge, this incident was an oversight by the senator's aide. Phillip Thompson is a former Marine and is a long-term trusted employee of the senator. We are still awaiting the facts."


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/

[uppityperson]

1. "oversight" to have an unregistered gun/ammo, no license to carry?

An "oversight"?

[cboy4]

5. Some important information:

A congressional official who has been briefed on the incident by law enforcement told CNN that the handgun belonged to the senator. Thompson was driving Webb to a Washington-area airport, located in Virginia, earlier Monday morning, the official said, when Webb remembered that he had the gun on him. It is legal to carry a concealed handgun in Virginia.

He gave the weapon to Thompson, the official said, and asked him to take care of it. Thompson subsequently put the gun in a briefcase and returned to Capitol Hill where "he spaced, he literally forgot" that he had the gun, the official said

[Penndems]

9. That's what I figured

n/t

[uppityperson]

10. Aha, thank you. That makes more sense.

Seemed a bit of a stretch for an oversight (dang, I knew I forgot something, like to get a license and registered gun/ammo). Thanks.

[Kagemusha]

11. So the good senator just got his friend some serious jail time.

Nice of him. (Edit: No of course not intentionally and the friend shouldn't have forgotten but... goodness. I would never just hand a friend a gun. It's screaming for trouble.)

[Penndems]

13. Phil Thompson is one of Senator Webb's closest friends

He was by Jim Webb's side every step of the way throughout the campaign.
They're both members of that brotherhood former Marines share.

Senator Webb probably handed Phil the gun before he went into the airport, and asked Phil to take it home. The Senator was probably giving Phil some directives concerning upcoming events that required his immediate attention. While Phil was making mental notes, he probably put the handgun in his briefcase without thinking and just rushed back to the Russell Building to take care of priority action items.

Just a guess here.

[cboy4]

18. What was he supposed to do? Try to smuggle it on the plane?

He did the only thing he could at the airport.

[Kagemusha]

19. I doubt that was the only thing he could do.

But I'm not going to speculate any further. It's just, I would not feel good about getting a good, old friend of mine in non-trivial legal trouble over my gun. I would not put my friends in such positions.

[cboy4]

20. It's his aide, it's his driver, it's apparently his right hand man....

it's not like he was handing it over to Mr. Jones, the neighbor, who gave him a lift to the airport.

This is so not a story.

I mean, who cares?

[Kagemusha]

24. The friend will care when he sees the felony charges against him

Otherwise, I guess no one.

[pokercat999]

23. True but with 20/20 hindsight putting it in the trunk of the

car may have been a better move.

For our repug friends watch how a true "man" steps up to the plate. I'm sure Webb will come forward and take full responsibility if he hasn't already.

Compare to GWB........and :puke:

[Penndems]

26. U.S. Capitol Police thoroughly inspect cars entering and leaving the

Capitol garages and parking lots.

Phil would've gotten caught on that one, too. :(

[Canuckistanian]

38. "Spaced"?

Seems to me like you either KNOW you have a gun in your briefcase or you don't.

Is carrying a lethal weapon that inconsequential?

Do you "forget" you're carrying a device that can kill people?

I'm just curious, coming from a country that doesn't value these things.

[cboy4]

42. You've already inferred you wouldn't understand

living where you do.

A gun owner -- especially if you are law enforcement/security/military, get very used to being around weapons, and you don't carry it around like it's a time bomb.

In Virginia, you may carry a concealed weapon in public.

It was a mistake that resulted in a crime, so maybe he'll be more careful next time.

With the exception of perhaps frightening the person at the X-ray, this story affects nobody.

[Canuckistanian]

45. If you say so

I just find it.... unsettling.

[Bandit]

66. I find the whole gun ideology in the USA unsettling

:shrug: Some here actually seem to worship their guns...

[slackmaster]

70. I worship the Creator, not the object

All Hail Saint John Moses Browning!

[Toots]

76. Looks like something made for prairie dog

:patriot:

[TX-RAT]

71. "he spaced, he literally forgot" that he had the gun, the official said

Forgot he had a handgun and 2 magazines? That's pretty bad.

[benEzra]

79. Wasn't it in a bag or briefcase he was carrying?

If it's not on your person, that'd be easy to forget.

[Penndems]

6. I've met Phil Thompson - my guess is that Senator Webb probably gave him

the gun for safe keeping, and Phil just forgot about it.

[endarkenment]

8. Uh you are reading too much into this.

I read "It was determined that he did not have a license to carry a pistol in the District of Columbia".

he could, for example, have a valid permit for Virginia or Maryland. Still makes him an idiot for not getting a DC permit.

[depakid]

2. How stupid can you get...

Especially with the recent legislation and publicity about DC representation and gun control.

This person must be brain dead.

[torrentprime]

48. yES

But not everyone lives in such an anti-gun, hysterical locale; some states/counties are more sane about these things, so what some people are so afraid of, others are used to handling. It's quite possible to forget.

Or, you know, he's brain dead. One or the other, I'm sure. :)

[truthisfreedom]

3. Wow. I wonder how this one will play out.

Doesn't really sound very good.

[Schema Thing]

4. awwww, Another republican mantra down the drain

"all democrats want to take your guns"


And some built in exposure for the military-experience-and-competence wing of the democratic party at the same time.

[Penndems]

7. I was thinking the same thing . . .

"Those dang Democrats, they wanna kill the Second Amendment!"

Guess they didn't know Senator Webb is a staunch supporter.

[hughee99]

12. I don't know that having one of Webb's

people get caught with an unregistered handgun, unregistered ammunition and without a license to carry in DC is quite getting exposure for the "competence wing" of the party. It wouldn't surprise me if this was something very innocent in the end, but still, how do you forget you're carrying a loaded weapon into the Senate office building, even if it is in a briefcase?

[Penndems]

14. Knowing Phil, it was entirely innocent, and he probably feels incredibly stupid

and embarrassed about this incident, and the attention it's drawn to both the Senator, the rest of the staff and himself.

The next time Senator Webb hands Phil his pistol, you can be he won't forget to take it back to Jim Webb's home and put it away!

[Kagemusha]

15. That's too bad, because I'm sure he'll be prosecuted harshly.

I feel sorry for the guy, but he's not gonna get any leniency in D.C.

[Penndems]

16. He'll be spending the night in the slammer until someone from Senator Webb's office

comes and bails him out - and then he'll have to go to court.

One thing about getting caught with a loaded gun in D.C., and especially on Capitol Hill: Law enforcement doesn't joke around. The Capitol Police aren't known for their sense of humor when it comes to something like this, especially since two of their own were murdered back in July 1998 by some nut carrying a concealed weapon.

[torrentprime]

49. ayuh

Another reason to re-examine DC's gun laws. :)

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Paladin]

34. Take Your Democrat-Trashing Back To The Gungeon.....

....where you'll have an appreciative audience.

[MGD]

46. You'll find that many Democrats are more than a little irate about HR 1022

I think we'll just stick this issue right out in front for everybody to see and we'll do it at every possible opportunity and we'll see how well that works for us in 2008.

[FyurFly]

47. Are my rights not worth discussing?

:mad:

[MGD]

44. It only took 4 months to assemble the circular firing squad. That must be a record

n/t

[WorldResident]

21. Yes, I'm sure Democrats breaking the law, intentionally or not, is terrible news for the Republicans

:sarcasm:

[superconnected]

22. Both of these men - the dem senator and his friend, sound very dumb.

[Sapere aude]

25. hey, second amendment right?

I heard Webb saying on C-Span how he has put together one of the most professional and talented staff there is.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

27. SEND HIM TO THE FRONT LINES!!!!

...they need the ammo there...

:shrug:

[Penndems]

28. Phil's been there - he's a former Marine

Not Viet Nam (he's too young), but later.

I believe he served in the Persian Gulf War, but don't quote me on that.

[hollowdweller]

29. This will help Webb in the Rural parts of VA

[Lilith Velkor]

69. Yyyup.

[UpInArms]

30. We are still awaiting the facts.

huh?

I thought they hated facts - they added too much confusion to the GOP's lies :eyes:

[poorinnaples]

31. Good news for 2008...

This could draw the western independent, & libertarian votes, that ultimately decide national elections, in the first place...exactly as Harry Reid said. The future lies in the west, not the politically gridlocked, "talking point" quoting east. Not only are westerners "obsessed with the amount of taxes they pay", they also hate seeing their tax money frittered away, for every dumbass foreign folly, a neocon can concoct, or a bunch of brain-numbing feel good programs (i.e. the drug war), that generally tend to make matters worse. The more I see of James "Born Fighting" Webb, the more I like him...a dose of medicine, the Democratic Party truly needs, right now...a man, or woman, with a spine.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20070326-9999-1n26nevada.html

“The future of the Democratic Party lies in the West,” Reid said at the recent Carson City forum. “I believe that without any question the Western region is going through a realignment. The Democrats have an opportunity to harness these events and take us to the White House.”

“There's a very libertarian political culture here,” said Ted Jelen, a political science professor at University of Nevada Las Vegas. “People are obsessed with the amount of taxes they pay, even though it's very low compared to the rest of the country.”

[billbuckhead]

32. Breaking gun laws is a folk crime to some Americans?

No wonder America has such a higher murder rate.

[poorinnaples]

33. As the old saying goes...

Figures lie, & liars figure.

[billbuckhead]

36. The only problem is there are countable dead bodies from coast to coast

and billions and billions of dollars of hospital stays.

[torrentprime]

50. Wow

That's not an loaded way to describe the situation.
When librarians decided to shred records rather than wait for a Patriot Act request, would you accuse them of breaking ant-terrorism laws? When protestors get arrested during sit-ins, do you describe them as trespassers?
The man, a formal Marine for God's sake, had a gun with him and forgot it was on him. He didn't kill anybody, or commit a crime. He was in possession. Horrors!

[billbuckhead]

55. He broke an important law and should go to jail

Law and order demands everyone be treated the same, whether politico or "gangbanger".

[torrentprime]

57. No one is suggesting anyone be given special treatment

What is being suggested is that the law itself may be flawed.

[billbuckhead]

75. We need lots of guns floating around Senate offices? How is the law flawed?

Some people think guns are the only way to solve problems and it's sad to see Democratic leaders hiding behind guns.

[torrentprime]

77. "Hiding"? "Only way to solve problems"?

The fact that you use such insulting language indicates your bias on the issue, I believe. Yes, believing that possession of an object is not a crime clearly indicates that one things the object is the only way to solve a problem. <eyeroll>

So if one believe that marijuana should be legal for medicinal purposes, and that mere possession is not a crime, I assume you believe that person thinks marijuana is the only way to solve problems?

[Paladin]

35. So We Westerners Need Flagrant Firearms Law Infractions.....

...to be persuaded to vote Democratic?

With "friends" like you slinging around bullshit notions like that, how many enemies do we need?

[billbuckhead]

37. It's all those Zell Miller "Democrats" looking for duels

[yava]

39. where are the body guards

Dont they have security people to transport weapons?

[poorinnaples]

41. Maybe...

James Webb Democrats is probably a better description...working class American vets, who used to define our party, & seem to be ripe for the picking, if some within the party could lose the elitist attitude.

[poorinnaples]

43. "Paladin"???

Maybe your arguments with Harry Reid, "The future of the Democratic Party lies in the West". For many of "we westerners", the west includes the intermountain west, where just like Ted Jelen, the political science professor at University of Nevada Las Vegas said, "There's a very libertarian political culture here", & if you ignore it, you'll lose every time.

Here's a clue, the intermountain west is big on civil liberties, all civil liberties, & you ignore them at your political peril.

By the way, wasn't "Paladin's" motto, "Have Gun, Will Travel"?

[billbuckhead]

53. You mean LIEbertarians like Dick Cheney

Libertarianism is a hoax, just a veneer of freedom over fascism.

[poorinnaples]

58. Clear as mud...

Not exactly sure what you're talking about with that, but I think the premise for winning future elections is, expanding the big tent, by admitting the reality of the situation, in lieu of some utopian fantasy, that will never be, might be a recipe for stronger Democratic party. It's not much of a stretch to believe that prosecuting violent criminals, to the fullest extent of the law, while leaving honest, hard-working, non-violent gun owners alone, is a sound, & fair policy to pursue.

With both parties having what basically constitutes an electoral gridlock, & bases of equal proportions, & so many independents & libertarians in play, it just appears reasonable to court them by proposing fair, honest, & reasonable solutions.

The way things are, like it or not, Americans who aren't beholding to either party, ultimately decide who sits in the White House, no matter how much some in our party, wish it wasn't so. It just seems reasonable to give a little, to get a lot. As these two articles suggest, independents & libertarians are ripe for the picking, & my belief is, it's time to pick away. Or, we can always stand on what many Americans see as misguided, dishonest, & unConstitutional "principles", & lose the whole shooting match. Maybe defending all our rights, equally & broadly, is the better path. Like it or not, that message sells, as these articles suggest. Give a little, grow a lot.



"A PROGRESSIVE MANIFESTO - Liberaltarians"
https://ssl.tnr.com/p/docsub.mhtml?i=20061211&s=lindsey121106

"A Split in the GOP Tent - Could Libertarians Join With Liberals?"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/03/AR2006120300690.html

[Alexander]

81. I completely agree.

Living out here in Arizona is far different than what you'd think back east. In fact since I've now been all over the Rocky Mountain states I can say there is definitely a strong libertarian bent to the area.

Among other things, people here (except the fundies) tend to dislike:

-High taxes
-The Drug War
-Excessive gun control
-Laws banning abortion
-Constitutional amendments banning homosexuality
-The PATRIOT Act
-Warrantless wiretapping

Why, gee whiz, except for maybe one or two of those things, that sounds like a Democrat to me.

[torrentprime]

61. LOL

I'm sure that is quite a shock to all those libertarians who believe in freedom. And can you even explain how libertarianism is facism? Is this some Orwellian thing you're creating?

And don't for one second pretend that Cheney or many/most other Republicans are libertarians: the GOP has spent 8-12 years in a law-and-order orgy, 99% of which is antithetical to libertarians.

[Alexander]

80. Wow. You are seriously misinformed.

Libertarianism is about as far from fascism as you can get, and your post does nothing but show your ignorance of the political spectrum.

BTW Dick Cheney is certainly not a libertarian. There is more to someone's beliefs than just left/right, or did you miss out on Political Ideologies 101?

[billbuckhead]

85. The problem is that there has never been an actual libertarian government exist

In reality, some rich guy takes over and becomes dictator like Cheney is so close to doing. Everything libertarians talk about is just so much pie in the sky

[Alexander]

86. There's never been a real communist gov't either, but that doesn't mean

communism and socialism are the same thing.

Like it or not, when it comes to VOTERS, a lot of them out west tend to be real libertarians, who fit the description I made.

I had no idea this mindset was so pervasive out west until I moved out here. But I see it demonstrated every day, in nearly every Rocky Mountain state I've been to (except maybe Utah).

We ignore these voters at our own peril. Notice the pro-gun stances of many Democrats elected last November - Heath Schuler, Jim Webb, Jon Tester. Notice they were all elected in red states, places where you wouldn't normally expect Democrats to win big.

The Democratic leadership can continue to push bullshit bills like the "Assault Weapons Ban" (which is a total joke of a bill and a misnomer - it doesn't actually ban assault weapons), but they will lose every election if they do so.

[billbuckhead]

87. We don't need any more Zell Miller Democrats looking for duels

Most of these western states have less people than Gwinnett county.

[Paladin]

72. No, My Argument Is Definitely With You

The Webb gun incident involves unquestionably illegal activities. Your post insults Democrats, westerners, libertarians, civil liberties advocates, and anyone else with a brain larger than a LeSeur pea.

As far as the "Paladin" thing goes, why don't you think about that, really, really hard? I'll get back to you in a few weeks......

[poorinnaples]

74. Hmmm...

Are you sure you're posting to the right thread?

How could anyone, including yourself, possibly be "insulted", by what I posted?

I'm thinking "really, really hard", & I still can't seem to comprehend, how anyone could be "insulted"?

Please explain...

[Alexander]

82. So, you've never forgotten anything before, in your life?

Yes, what he did was illegal. No one is disputing that.

But based on what has come out so far, it sounds like an honest mistake. Some law enforcement officials can tell the difference and adjust their punishment accordingly; a pity you can not.

[Paladin]

91. I Don't Think I Advocated Any Specific Punishment

What I object to is the gun activist movement trying to make the Senator and his aide into folk heroes on the basis of this tawdry little incident, as is plainly the case on this thread and elsewhere. As you admit, there were illegalities involved; some punishment is warranted.

I hope the Senator has room on a wall for an NRA musket, because that's how this incident seems to be destined to end up. And people wonder why I no longer choose to participate in shooting sports.....

[torrentprime]

52. No,

But in case you're confused, we'll be happy to spell it out for you. What is needed is less focus on trying to constantly take guns away from people. Not too hard, right?

[DanWithAngel]

40. How is it possible to have a gun in DC?

DC chose to make handguns illegal so I don't see how this is possible.
How unsafe was DC while this upstanding citizen was toting around an illegal
weapon and gasp ammo?

[torrentprime]

51. LOL

Very nice. :)

I agree 100%. Prohibition always results in a zero supply, everytime, so with those anti-gun laws, how on earth could that gun have even existed?

[billbuckhead]

54. Japan has no guns and no gun crime and way less murder, so it does work

The guns come from more "libertarian" states that sell to anybody and don't care how the guns are used.

[FyurFly]

56. Then you should move to Japan Bill

Guns will never go away, for better or for worse it's American culture and I and many others will never go without our cherished firearms.

[torrentprime]

59. Exactly

And I thought only Republicans governed (or tried to) in defiance of reality. IMHO, trying to pretend that piling more and more laws on gun ownership will change either the underlying culture OR do anything but exacerbate the perception that Democrats oppose a fundamental freedom in this country only harms the Democrats. On a more personal note, it's also another sad example of Prohibition thinking: "If we just outlaw ownership of Item X, no one will use any Item X!" No, it just drives ownership underground, creates a black market, removes the ability for the law to help guide and direct ownership since any possession is outlawed from the start, treats ownership as abuse, and is a political killer.

[billbuckhead]

83. That's what they said about other forms of slavery and idolatry

I know many put their guns above society, nation and family, but this battle for a more just nation will go on till the last sword is beaten into a plowshares and women being shot by their husbands will be as archaic as witches being burned at the stake.

I ask all liberals to go to the NRA blacklist website, see who is on it and then decide which side are the real patriots and humanitarians.
<http://www.nrablacklist.com/>
BTW, the love it or leave it stench doesn't come from any known liberal camp I know of.

[IronLionZion]

64. Let's just prohibit murder and people will stop killing each other

after that we can prohibit drugs, underage drinking, vandalism, theft, and a lot of undesirable stuff. Why didn't anyone think of this before? Hey let's prohibit abortion! YES!!!!

:sarcasm:

Sorry for the sarcasm. Anyway, I think it's amazing how few people read above where it said it was Webb's gun. Webb handed it to this fellow when he went to the airport, then the guy forgot he had it in his briefcase. Which state is Webb from? Oh yes, a rural, gun-toting, concealed-carry state where it's a perfectly legal and normal way of life.

And now some of our own forum members want to insult the intelligence of this poor fellow and/or push some entirely un-related issue like gun laws and violence. Of course guns are illegal in DC and especially the Senate office building. They're NOT illegal in rural Virginia.

God help us...from ourselves.

[billbuckhead]

84. Let's just give up on all laws since they're so hard to enforce

This "logic" makes me :puke: Lets only have easy to enforce laws that conservatives agree with.

This lawbreaker should be made an example and given a very stiff sentence and not be allowed to ever own a gun, just like the sentence a urban minority youth would get.

[FlaGranny]

60. After reading this thread - my comment

Some people are so black and white in their thinking that they cannot see colors.

[glitch]

63. B/W thinkiing is the root of Fundamentalism, IMO.

It seems to be getting worse as the world gets more complex, like it's a refuge.

[-..__...]

62. While I fully support both Webbs and Thompsons right to carry a firearm...

the law was broken and someone needs to be held accountable (even if that means prosecution).

(IIRC, a similar situation happened a number of years ago in DC when one of Ted Kennedy's bodyguards was
detained for carrying a fully-automatic weapon where he shouldn't have. I don't recall the outcome).

In a sense, the incident isn't that much different than the McKinney cluster-fuck. Just because one is "connected" it does not grant them extra rights/privileges that separate them from the common citizen.

I feel bad for Webb and Thompson, but if it were just any old Joe Schmo in the same situation, they would be royally screwed.

FWIW... I firmly believe that the DC gun ban is a travesty and needs to be repealed either by the SCOTUS or by Congress (preferably by the former).

[Bandit]

65. and unregistered ammunition.

When did we have to register ammunition? :shrug:

[doodadem]

67. I smell a rat..........

I noticed every time this story was reported last night (which was often), they posted a big picture of Jim Webb. Webb, not his underling. This is a big fat chance to smear the Senator.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

92. Smear the senator?

Yes, the media shows pictures of Webb. You think that smears him? In Virginia? This is good publicity for him.

The incident is maybe not so good for his aide and good friend. But it's not doing Webb any damage at all.

Unless this gets perceived as an indication that Sen Webb lets his friend take the fall for his own error.

[elcondor]

68. How stupid can you get?!

I've never touched a gun, and would never consider owning one, but I did do an internship stint in DC this past fall and went in and out of the Senate/House office buildings quite a bit. I'm sorry, but you cannot tell me that while it may be someone's right to carry around a gun, that an individual who FORGETS he's carrying a loaded gun and goes into a metal detector should be carrying one in the first place. I can understand forgetting your keys at home, but seriously how does it slip your mind that you have a gun on your person, particularly when you go though those detectors every day? I like Webb a lot--while I was in the area I donated to his campaign and even attended a couple of campaign events, and I understand the gun culture is different in other parts of the country, that carrying a handgun might be the norm ... I just don't understand why a senator would need to carry a loaded gun and how the person he trusted it with could forget he had it? (Theories about his safety re: the administration aside ...)

[LeftyMom]

73. Is anybody else wondering what the hell Jim Webb feels the need to do with

a loaded pistol and a second clip out in public?

[benEzra]

88. Well, no...

probably the same reason that other Congresspeople and Senators have bodyguards armed with machineguns, or that an ordinary citizen might have a .38 on her person while out in public. Or why your local police officer might have a 9mm under her/his shirt while eating dinner at the mall.

And if you are going to have a gun for defensive purposes, it makes no sense at all for it to be unloaded, or for you not to have a spare magazine or two.

All but two states (Illinois and Wisconsin, IIRC) allow qualifying civilians to be licensed to carry a firearm for lawful defensive purposes. Two states (Vermont and Alaska) don't even require a license to carry, as long as you have a clean record and obey the law.

[benEzra]

89. Oops, double post (n/t)

[treestar]

90. self-defense

I could see where a Senator might consider himself somewhat more in danger than the average person, and they don't get bodyguards, do they?

[toopers]

78. The hypocrisy on the hill continues . . .

do as we say, not as we do.

[newspeak]

93. Is Webb the senator whose son is in Iraq?

Is he the one who * asked about his son whose in Iraq, then * gave him one of those smirky smiles and stated he hoped he was safe (or to that effect)? Webb is outspoken and seems to have guts--maybe a stupid move with the gun, but what do we know what's going down. If the aide forgot the gun in the brief case, then he'll face the music-period!!!!! What I see of Webb, I like, so I'm not going to be ranting about the stupidity of the act!!! enough said!!!