Webb vs. Bush, Round 2
Posted by: Quang | 01/16/2007 4:47 PM
In reading about the OC GOP's sour outlook on POW hero and media sensation John McCain (I echo the same sentiment), I wonder if he will eventually enter the '08 presidential race at all. He has been slipping because of his support for the upcoming surge in Iraq. On the other hand, James Webb is a fast-rising superstar for the Democrats.
The Dems finally got a real warrior in Webb, not a three-month combat tour vet/career politician like John Kerry "whose handshake he refused for twenty years." Webb was one of the most decorated if not the most-decorated (Navy Cross, Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts) Marine officer in Vietnam and was medically discharged for his war injuries. This is an excerpt from the 10/30/06 issue of The New Yorker on how Webb got into politics during the early Reagan years. It's classic Webb.
Webb, who had been a nominal Democrat in his youth, knew this from personal experience. According to Robert Timberg’s book “The Nightingale’s Song,” Webb was recruited into the Reagan Administration by a Republican official who had once heard him being interviewed on the radio. The interviewer, talking to Webb about “Fields of Fire,” mentioned that Jane Fonda was in town and asked Webb whether he might wish to meet her. “Jane Fonda can kiss my ass,” Webb replied. “I wouldn’t go across the street to watch her slit her wrist.” The Republican official, John Herrington, who later became Reagan’s personnel chief, championed Webb’s appointment, in 1984, as Reagan’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs and, in 1987, as Secretary of the Navy.
Sen. Webb has been tapped to deliver the Democratic response to the State of the Union address next Tuesday night. Last year it was the newly-elected Virginia Governor Tim Kaine who spoke. How does a puny state like Virginia pull so much weight with the DNC? In comparison, our pathetic Barbara Boxer wrote a political novel last year and delivered a low blow last week to Condi Rice about not having a "personal price" to pay in Iraq. It's not like Boxer's kids or grandchildren are saddling up for the Al Anbar Province like Webb's son Jimmy!
A few weeks after the November election, Webb had a nasty private exchange with the President during a reception at the White House. That was widely covered, including in tomorrow's WaPo, and nicely summarized at Larry Sabato's blog.
Webb would pack a powerful punch as VEEP on somebody's ticket although it would be premature for him to leave Senate to run a national race. But I would not be surprised at anything he does. As a final note, Webb still believes the worthiness of fighting in Vietnam (as opposed to Iraq) when I spoke to him shortly after his slim margin of victory over George "Macaca" Allen was final.
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
Hate to break it to you Quang, but John Kerry did serve in Viet Nam and Navy records back up his side of the story. The Swift Boat Vets for Truth have been consistently inconsistent on telling their side of the story. And while Kerry may have only served a short time in Nam, he was there, unlike President Bush, or VP Cheney or many of the other Chicken Hawks that lead your party. As far as Boxer delivering a low blow to Sec. Rice, well, its a far cry from Mr.Cheney's "Go F&^% yourself comment to Sen. Leahy of the floor of the Senate.
Quang:
I have been a Republican all my life; Ronald Reagan was our "Boss" and like good little OC rich-kids, we all had matching blue blazers and red neckties --- just like Dutch.
But I must say, the positions you offer and the commentaries you make influence me tremendously towards voting for "...the Best (Man) for the Job..." If it be Webb, So Be It.
That is what scares me the most... Democrats may just field better Leaders due to the fact we as Republicans spare no effort to kill & discredit our own because of petty political issues & in-fighting based on stupid crap from 40 years ago. If McCain aint our Guy, then let's throw in behind anyone, BUT DO IT NOW!!!
Sad isn't it??? Makes me wish there was another option than "red" or "Blue"...
Dan. Thanks for you commentary. I am sick and tired of someone's service to our country being trashed over personal political differences.
Kerry was awarded his medals under the protocols of the Navy at that time. Quang. You of all people should know the influence a Navy lieutenant has in such matters. To imply that Kerry scammed the system is in itself a disservice to those who put on a uniform and volunteered to be sent to a combat arena not once, but twice like Kerry. Albeit one of those tours was spent offshore on a ship, he was still in a combat zone away from home and family. Unlike someone in NG duty who managed to get a special assignment to work on state senate campaign. Something I'm sure was an option available to all those drafted for service in the Vietnam era.
And as Dan pointed out. Many of the Swifties have either been discredited or in one case has recanted his story. To quote an Airborne term. None of the Swifties are the type of guys who would "stand in the door" when you really needed it.
Hate to break it to you Dan, but I'm a just right-of-center DTS voter and have been since I became a citizen in 1984. The fact that I get to post on this blog (Red County) as a yet-to-register Republican speaks volume of Jubal and his backers.
Ronald Reagan was a motivator for me while I was at UCLA because he spoke highly of the military, especially following the Beirut barracks bombing. This is my favorite Reagan quote, "Some people spend a lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."
I am leaning towards registering GOP, but the way Pres. Bush is conducting business in Iraq, Republicans can kiss the Oval Office goodbye along with Congress along with the majority support of active duty personnel and veterans. I respect Chuck Hagel and wish that he would run. He visited the OC last year at an Atlas PAC event and I got a chance to meet him.
I did not question if Kerry had served in Vietnam but rather that his three-month/three combat award military stint was politically driven since he was such a copycat of JFK and his PT-109 exploits. Furthermore he exaggerated about going into Cambodia and unnecessarily badmouthed the South Vietnamese Navy in his ghost-written memoir "Tour of Duty" which I scanned before chucking it. ElroyEl, I do know about the military award system and it is totally flawed. I was the operations officer who kept track of combat time for awards for my squadron during Desert Storm and I was a general's aide who saw every award, admin and combat, submitted to him for an entire year at El Toro.
My main thrust was that Kerry is no Webb and the Dems are so fortunate that they got Webb because they have no clue on what to do in Iraq. Kerry has never released his official Navy records either. I have a copy of mine on my laptop. If I ever run for public office, I would release it as should every congressional and presidential candidate who tout his/her service as much as Kerry did in 2004.
FYI, I personally know one and have met several Swift Boaters and wasn't blown away by them either. The venture capitalist who backed my first company (Lathian Systems) was Kerry's California finance chairman. No, he didn't bother to ask me to donate any money because he knew I would never support Kerry. And Webb signed my 2ndLt commissioning paper twenty years ago. It's the only official USMC paperwork with an original signature from a senior official (he was SecNav) that I own. It's really a small world Dan.
I agree that Webb is going to be a future star for them Dems. He seems like a straight shooter who will take on the White House and not roll over like McCain cosistently does. Bush has repeated the mistakes of Vietnam. He has and still is ignoring advice from the military leaders and instead is relying on his vast military experience,which should really excite the swift boaters. At least Clinton was smart enough to listen to those who actually wore the uniform and served this country. Colin Powell,Westly Clark,Tom Daschle,Al Gore,Ted Kennedy,John Conyers,Tom Harkin,Max Cleland,Charles Rangel and John Kerry were much better for this country than the likes of Cheney,Hastert,Frist,Blunt,Rice,Gingrich,
Limbaugh,Chambliss,Rove and Wolfowitz. All of whom never served a day in the service.
One thing George Bush has proven is Experience Matters. I know Roosevelt never wore the uniform but he didn't have Team Bush in his corner giving him advice. If he did we'd all be speaking German or Japanese
"I read your book Quang":
The GOP fields plenty of good leaders, and now is the time to realize that. Name ID isn't all it's cracked up to be this early in '07, so look beyond Giuliani and McCain, and look at the credentials of our very own rising star, Mitt Romney.
It's time all GOPers start to realize the potential this guy has, not only in the GOP, but as a future World Leader.
Google him and check out his wikipedia page or his main site.
Hope this helped.
I'm looking forward to Romney coming to Red County and touting Arnolds health care plan which is must like the one Romney championed in Massachusetts.
Quang: you're wrong -- Kerry has released his complete Navy record last May (May 28, NY Times story). You need to take everything you read from The Swift Boat book and check it. Read the facts yourself from this Dick Cheney-endorsed site: http://www.factcheck.org/article231.html
Well, just because Reagan spoke highly of the military doesn't qualify him for a spot on Mt. Rushmore in my opinion. I don't recall Bill Clinton ever saying anything negative about our military either, but he was dissed because he never served (neither did Reagan).
Glad Reagan inspired you in college; in a way, he inspired me in college as well, but cutting my federal aid in half during a recession. My dad was struggling to put 4 kids through college at the same time and the Dutch did my middle class family no favors. I got the hours on my part time job bumped up and got a fellowship. I'm a Democrat thanks to Ronald Reagan.
You might also recall Reagan's term was rife with scandal; he admitted trading arms for hostages. If you want to pin the tail on the person who helped arm Al Queda, well, its Dutch (they were called "Freedom Fighters" first before they became the Taliban whom we know provided all sort of support to the terrorists.).
Back to your point; Kerry may not be the military equal to Webb, but W isn't the military equal to Kerry.