The Nation: Webb to Bush: "We Will Be Showing Him the Way."

[marmar]

BLOG | Posted 01/23/2007 @ 10:31pm
Webb to Bush: "We will be showing him the way."
Ari Berman


Last year, Democrats chose newly elected Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to deliver the Democratic response to President Bush's State of the Union address. Kaine barely mentioned the war in Iraq and mostly spoke about domestic issues, just as President Bush did tonight. He was a red state Governor who won with a smile on his face.

This year Democrats--perhaps reflecting their newfound confidence--chose another Virginian to rebut Bush, but one who's not afraid to go toe to toe with the President, both on domestic policy and matters of war and peace. Unlike Kaine, Webb is more likely to scowl than smile. His implicit message is that serious times deserve serious men.

Webb's upset of George Allen and now infamous exchange with President Bush at the White House in November set the tone for the new Congress. When asked by Bush "How's your boy?" a reference to Webb's 24-year-old son serving as a Marine in Iraq, Webb responded: "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President."

"That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?"

"That's between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said, ending the conversation.

The moment was a deeply symbolic one, proving that President Bush's days of ruling like a king had come to an end. Democrats could be blunt, uncompromising and outspoken. During his campaign, the former Republican Secretary of the Navy "transformed into one of the unlikeliest protest candidates ever," Bob Moser wrote of Webb last October. Now he's becoming a similarly unlikely spokesman for his party.

In his speech tonight, Webb emphasized two issues that brought him and so many other new Democrats to Congress: the rising inequality between rich and poor and the toll the war in Iraq has taken on this nation.

Webb is a keen student of history and the strongest part of his speech came when he invoked the leadership of presidents past. .....(more)

The rest of the article is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15

[napi21]

1. Do you realize THAT is a sentence that will be quoted EVERYWHERE!

That's the kind of statement that just lingers, like "Don't ask what your Country can do for you, but what you can do for your Country", or "There he goes again", or "Senator, YOU are no Jack Kennedy!"

Webb is going to be a very successful Senator, and you just MAY see a President Webb some day!

[demnan]

2. Hey baby, admire the Avatar

n/t

Oh well, my usual avatar is Jim Webb. :)

[marmar]

3. Can't see it yet....

I don't think they've been turned back on yet.