George Will – who’s never been counted as one of those pundits dazzled by the Bush family’s brand of brilliance – takes not-quite-senator James Webb to task for boorishness:
Wednesday’s Washington Post reported that at a White House reception for newly elected members of Congress, Webb “tried to avoid President Bush,” refusing to pass through the reception line or have his picture taken with the President. When Bush asked Webb, whose son is a Marine in Iraq, “How’s your boy?” Webb replied, “I’d like to get them (sic) out of Iraq.” When the President again asked, “How’s your boy?” Webb replied, “That’s between me and my boy.” Webb told the Post:
“I’m not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall. 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.”
Webb certainly has conveyed what he is: a boor. Never mind the patent disrespect for the Presidency. Webb’s more gross offense was calculated rudeness toward another human being ‚Äî one who, disregarding many hard things Webb had said about him during the campaign, asked a civil and caring question, as one parent to another. When ‚Äî if ever ‚Äî Webb grows weary of admiring his new grandeur as a “leader” who carefully calibrates the “symbolic things” he does to convey messages, he might consider this: In a republic, people decline to be led by leaders who are insufferably full of themselves.
Great, just what the senate needs: Another ego.
(H/T to teh Buckethead)
Lex, first of all, THANK YOU! This is for the courage and discipline you have shown in this blog. I’ve learned a great deal. I hope until the day I die, I will always be learning. As I watched this thread, I became concerned as I watched stress fractures start to form. As I’m typing this post, I’m looking at post #36, by Michelle. Her Wisdom on the subject of CONTENT without CONTEXT, really hit me. It also became part of the healing process. You (pl) deserve a respectful answer to your posts. Let’s begin, #25 Curt, you took the time to write your thoughts. I don’t vote for people based on their political party, but upon their personal history. If it were Republican or Democrat, I would have acted the same way. I am registered as an Independent. TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE WRITTEN ON THE SUBJECT OF DAUGHTERS IN THE SERVICE, you are all right you cannot conscript them into the military services during the GWoT. It would have been helpful if the daughters were involved in some way. It could be as simple as visiting the wounded troops in the military/VA Hospitals. BADBOB, you don’t know me well enough to put a label on me. I refuse to put one on you.
Lex, Thank you,
“Grumpy”
“We also can learn that Jim Webb knew he was in the wrong, because his initial reaction to the press reports was rage that his behavior had been exposed to the public. If he knew he was in the right, he would not have accused the White House of ‘leaking’ the information.”
A thought – perhaps he was angry because he expected his chat with the president to be private?? If you had something deeply personal to say to the president in repsonse to question, regardless or whether it is said diplomatically or confrontationally, wouldn’t you be surprised to see it in the WaPo or wherever?
Flite-
“Certainly, we lived with the threat of nuclear annihilation in the Cold War, but we then had STABILITY through MAD and our Triad. With GWOT, that is no longer the case.”
1. Check your Dem leadership. The WMD’s don’t exist.
2. A CBN capable terrorist is a scary thought, and a lit nuke inside our borders would be horrific, but we don’t face complete destruction like we did from CCCP. We have also, thankfully, demonstrated that we are not afraid to throw the first punch if necessary to protect ourselves (rather than putting our anger and aggression in a lock-box). The first time we demonstrate that we are not willing to fight, and fight hard, for what we believe in and our way of life, we are lost. Clinton pulled us out of Somalia at the first sign of trouble and let murders at our embassies go basically unanswered (TLAMs are a great tactical tool, but as a response they are a wuss play) and look what came next.
3. I believe (at least I hope) that a CBN attack on us would be followed by the US turning the ground under a couple of countries into glass.
N
Think there is enough courage in the US anymore for a ‘first punch,’ Nose? Anybody, Dem or Rep, got the will? We’re probably going to turn the responsibility for Iran over to Israel alone.
As for a responsive punch, consider the arguments following a WMD attack in CONUS:
1) Gotta be sure we know which country it came from.
2) Was it that country’s government or a radical element therein?
3) How do we penalize all the people in the country, when only a few are responsible?
4) If we attack one, don’t we then offend others in the world and make terrorism worse?
5) Mabbe we need to give this to the FBI, or mabbe a special UN commission!
I think our proactive days are over, unless GW well and truly feels we are in Great Danger. He’s got the gonads, me thinks.
And it seems to me that ‘complete destruction’ isn’t necessary, nor is it the terrorists’ objective. One well-placed device (ie, in a major port like Los Angeles/Long Beach) would critically wound the economy and our ability to feed and provide for ourselves. Our enemy (and even some of our ‘friends’–France, Russia, China) hope that a major blow would sap the nation’s will (whatever is left), and the USofA would leave the field of battle–total victory for the terrorists, and not so bad for those ‘friends’ either.
They don’t really have to take us out. I fear they are biding their time, and working steadily toward One Big Event that will lead us to remove ourselves as a world power.
My hat’s off to all of you, those I agreed with and those with whom I differ. We chatted at length about a potentially sensitive topic but managed to stay on message, rather than pile on the messenger.
That’s rare enough these days that you should congratulate yourselves for being a part of it.
Proud of yez.
Hey, what happened to *my* comment, which shoulda been #46? I’ll paraphrase: I wrote that Mr. Webb is, as my Mom and her family would say, “common.” Mr. Webb thinks that’s OK. So do I, sort of sometimes. W. is not a real Texan.
My earlier, disappeared comment was much more discursive, and exhaustive, and all-explaining and devastating.
Dammit!
Grumpy,
You are right. I do not know you. However my post must have had a negative impact on you.
Let’s go back to my post following yours at #26. I did not attack you. I simply said your argument was, tending towards/alluding to, the problematic, stale and specious “ChickenHawk argument”. (def as-if you haven’t served in combat you have no right to comment on/support/manage/lead/direct any war effort)
Whether or not you were aware you were using “the argument” is not necessarily important. I find that once a discussion takes on those tones, all is lost.
As you might surmise I personally do not ascribe to the “ChickenHawk argument” and confront it head on when I see it being used. Fliterman actually went there but wasn’t confronted on it.
b2
air purifier air cleaner…
air purifier air cleaner…