More Barfbag Stupidity (Miller's response WAY better than Webb's)

[beachmom]

This is just, well, barfbaggy (and plus I'm trying to make Rockymountain feel better with the whole Allard incident):

http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=102558&ran=222029

Allen's letter touting general stirs up religion, politics
By DALE EISMAN, The Virginian-Pilot
© April 5, 2006


WASHINGTON - His career apparently stalled after superiors chided him for casting the war on terrorism in religious terms , Army Lt. Gen. William G. "Jerry" Boykin on Tuesday was caught up in a campaign for the U.S. Senate and a budding contest for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

A letter from U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., urging Boykin's promotion and transfer to a high-profile assignment drew howls of outrage from a potential Democratic challenger to Allen.

Boykin's past comments about Muslims "are inappropriate and reckless, and George Allen knows it," said Harris Miller, one of two Democrats vying for their party's nomination to oppose Allen's re-election.

Excellent response, Mr. Miller. I suppose that the other Senator from Virginia will support Allen against pesky liberals like Miller.

Allen's fellow Virginia senator, Republican John Warner, issued a statement saying "this officer would not be among those whom I would recommend for this position." Warner chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, which would review Boykin's nomination and the promotion to four-star rank that goes with it.

And what of lefty blogosphere darling James Webb? I'm sure he has a fantastic smackdown against this latest idiocy of his Barfbagness.

Though he declined to join Miller in attacking Allen's decision to send the letter, another Democrat seeking the Senate seat said such direct involvement by a senator in a pending promotion "is a little unusual."

James Webb, a former secretary of the Navy, said letters like Allen's are "not unprecedented" but also "are not the usual province of the Congress."

I report. You decide.

[karynnj]

1. This really does say a huge amount

Miller's and Warner's answers are both very good. Allen, of course, deserves his nickname.

Webb's answer is wrong on so many levels -
-It shows he still thinks in terms of military hierarchy - he only questions whether it's within the role of a Senator.
-He, unlike the others, completely avoided commenting on the general and we know that he is quite willing to trash others, so it's not just an unwillingness to critisize. Boykin's comments did hurt our efforts in the Middle East damaging our reputation and making the soldiers jobs harder.

[TayTay]

2. Oh yeah, the 'God wants us to kill them A-rabs' guy.

He is rising to his level of incompetence aided and abetted by the Rethug retard contingent. Sen. Barfie Sea Slug is bending over backwards to try and get people every bit as awful as him in the upper ranks. What a duo.

I hope RockyMountDem and Paulk don't feel bad about Allard. Hey, we in Mass have produced some, 'real winnahs :sarcasm:' over the years, like that moronic walking ahir piece that currently is threatening to run for Prez, Mitt Romney. If they have to bear Allard, then I have to bear Mittens and that's awful, cuz I can't stand him. Same thing guys. We all get these little pimples on the arse of Democracy sometimes. It's not your fault.

[sandnsea]

3. oh for petes sake

Warner does a better smackdown than Webb???

:banghead:

Did you post this in GD or GDP? It ought to be a Kos Diary too. Gads.

[beachmom]

4. I posted it in the Virginia forum

They're the ones who are going to vote in the primary and volunteer for campaigns. But I changed the subject line so Webbies unsuspectingly will read the whole thing, thinking it's just an Allen bashing thread.

[JohnKleeb]

5. because Warner has some common sense

I am not a fan of John Warner's but he unlike our junior senator doesn't do everything in lockstep and hes not a chickenhawk either FYI funny that Webb uses his background as a past secretary of the Navy to say this is not uncommon but Warner who also was Secretary of the Navy under Tricky Dick seems to be criticizing Boykin.

[sandnsea]

6. Warner's ok, just wrong on his politics

He always tends to come through when push comes to shove, speaks his conscience, eventually. I can tolerate someone who truly means well and is just wrong on their politics. It's the ones who obviously don't care and would never put the truth over their political leanings, like Allen and Allard and Cornyn...

OTOH, who knows the agenda of the writer. Maybe they thought criticizing Boykin would hurt Webb so they didn't report everything he had to say. Just never know anymore.

[JohnKleeb]

7. I dont know

Yeah I think Warner isn't a bad guy, he did some ballsy things in the early 90s, refusing to endorse North, refusing to support the leader of hte homeschool movement for an elected office, supporting some pro choice and pro gun control legislation, I definely disagree with him more than I agree. I dont know what Webb's writer was thinking honestly, if Warner who is a former government administrator of the same department is criticizing what was going on then I would think he should too. Did you read his comments on affirmative action? If Miller shows more and more that he's the better candiate for minorities then he may have a shot I think. I've only disucssed the primary with my grandmother thus far and I got her to support Miller.

[sandnsea]

8. I agree

Miller is certainly the better candidate. I was just giving Webb the benefit of the doubt, maybe the writer of the article had a different agenda and thought they were helping the guy by not labeling him one of those nutty liberals. I don't know. Just rambling.

[JohnKleeb]

9. I dunno

"nutty liberal"/4 term senator Warner criticized him. Its all good, the way Webb responded on this makes me trust Miller more and more.

[sandnsea]

10. Virginia loves Warner though, right?

Doesn't he get a pass if he says anything controversial? Do people debate between his views and Allen's? Is Allen seen as the standard bearer of conservatism?

The mainstream is deciding between Miller and Webb, and if nutty liberalness figures in at all, then Webb just went down on the conservative side. Wouldn't that be good for him? I don't know how conservative Virginia really is.

[JohnKleeb]

12. Living in the more liberal part of the state

we don't hear much debaet about who is the true conservative, I will say this though that Warner is definely more popular than Allen is, and he's been reelected very easily since he first won as an ermegancy candiate back in the late 70s with the exception of 1996 where the conservatives backlashed him when Mark Warner ran for the senate. Virginia is an odd ball, I don't think we'll have any truly liberal senators or governors soon but if we run centrists in hte Mark Warner mold which many of the so called netroots despise we can win seats, Miller is like Mark Warner and Kaine, if you watch why hes running on his website, he wants to bring what has worked here to the senate and I like that, since Virginia has gotten much better under Warner and now Kaine.

[beachmom]

13. Warner is HIGHLY respected in this part of the state

He's considered the wise old man, and what he has to say about the military and our bases here is watched carefully. I agree with you, Kleeb, that although I disagree with his politics, I think he is a decent man and a good bread and butter senator (they've been really nice when I've called his office). Don't forget that he was in the Gang of 14 -- we might be a little mad at the Dem side of that gang, but his not wanting a partisan fight was praiseworthy. Still, he usually votes the wrong way for me.

In regards to our air base, Oceana, which is in jeopardy, I actually think Mark Warner was more involved than John Warner. Mark Warner said Virginia Beach should really try to save the base but John Warner was more cautious, saying that we had to weigh the costs and benefits (BRAC is asking VB to condemn houses in the crash zone, and buy up land that cannot be developed, all of this very expensive and controversial, otherwise they are threatening to move the base elsewhere). I have to say on something like this, I liked hearing from both of them, and appreciate their efforts.

I don't know what people think of Allen. I think a lot of people haven't even heard of him. They'll just see the R, and vote that way. Hopefully, this year will be different.

[JohnKleeb]

14. He's former Navy/Marine Corps

Yeah I appreciated his work in the Gang of 14. Nah people know about Allen, especially here, hes best known as his father's son and our former governor. There are even stickers here that say Redsksins Fans for Allen, I know a family who has one. Hah is it any wonder that I am a Steelers fan, joking about thats why, its other non political reasons. Allen I think beat Robb because Robb had ethical trouble which I learned recently. Yeah I won't be voting for John Warner if he runs in 2008 for reelection but I don't think he's a bad man. He and I just disagree on mostly everything but I appreciate that he's willing to be a maverick at times.

[sandnsea]

11. I have to go

Getting baby pictures done. Didn't want to just dump you. Are you not shocked, shocked, that I am a grandma?? :)

See ya' later.