Why I Oughtta'...
Radley Balko | November 29, 2006, 1:46pm
The junior senator from Virginia is already
living up to expectations:
At a recent White House reception for freshman
members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President
Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving
line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized
on the stump this fall. But it wasn't long before Bush found him.
"How's your boy?" Bush asked, referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq.
"I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme.
"That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?""That's
between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said coldly, ending the
conversation on the State Floor of the East Wing of the White House.
Webb later said he "wanted to slug" Bush for his tone. He then added that he didn't run for the senate to get a picture of himself with the president hanging on his wall.
Amen to that. Washington's version of the "ego wall" isn't degrees, awards, and newspaper clippings, but a collage of photos of one's self with people who wield political power, in descending order. So that pic of you with Clinton at the MS fund raiser goes at the top. The one with Rep. One-Termer at the bottom. My general impression after seven years in this town is that there's a direct correlation between the size of one's ego wall and the overall loathesomeness of his personality.
Webb's economic populism leaves a lot to be desired. But otherwise, I can't help but like the guy. Not only did he refuse a photo with the most powerful man in the world, he sassed him, too. Props, senator.
Evan! | November 29, 2006, 2:38pm | #
"That pretty much sums up the Reason staff these days. "We hate Bush so much that we can't help but like a guy who wants to enact every damaging nanny state economic policy we profess to be against. But we are not sell outs or anything."
Oh, please, John...get a fucking grip. There's more to Webb than his economic principles...there's plenty else to like, not just his Bush-bashing. Or should we oppose Webb altogether, just because we disagree with
some of his policies?
Oh, but I forgot...this is John, the ol'
"I can't wait to pounce on any instance of any Reason contributor saying anything good about a Democrat, and then just call them Bush-bashers" standard. Any time Dave Weigel isn't "sufficiently" critical of Democrats, or, god forbid, actually offers praise of one, you hop out of the fucking bushes and yell GOTCHA! Dude, wtf?
"Moreover, if he is there why does scoring points about Iraq prevent him from being polite? Why couldn't he have just said, "He is doing really well, but I am worried about him and I think we need to get him and those serving with him out of Iraq as soon as we can."? It is possible to make a point to someoen withtout being a complete and total asshole about it."
You've got to earn respect, John, and, personally, other than being elected to a certain governmental office, I haven't seen too many things that Bush has done to garner respect. Indeed, quite the opposite.
This fucking country, and its obsession with the executive, has elevated the president to the status of king, at least in the general mythos (said mythos is creeping into reality with all these "absolute executive power" episodes). He's another man, like you and me, not some god among peasants. And if he hasn't earned respect, then he does not deserve it.
John | November 29, 2006, 2:45pm | #
"Got a lot of kids in Iraq, John? No?"
No Joe I don't have any children but I have a lot of friends there and very well may be back there again this summer. I am sure my father would have never acted like that if someone had asked him the same question about me.
Good to see the KOS brigade has shown up. As far as Webb's economic policies, lets look at what the Dem Congress wants to do
1. Raise the minimum wage.
2. "[F]orce companies to provide more and clearer details of CEO pay, devise policies to recapture incentive pay if earnings are later restated, and require shareholder approval of 'golden parachute' payments to dismissed executives."
3. "[S]low the flood of imports and rethink the pacts that President Bush has been negotiating to lower trade barriers."
4. "[R]equire employers to recognize a union after a majority of workers sign cards asking for representation instead of secret-ballot votes."
5. "[L]et at least some of Mr. Bush's income-tax cuts expire in 2010 or roll them back--including "[ r]aising the top two tax rates, now 33% and 35%" and raising the top (15%) capital gains tax rate.
6. Enlarging the earned-income tax credit
7. "[O]ffer eligible dislocated workers up to half the difference between weekly earnings at their old and new jobs, up to $10,000 a year"
8. "Allowing businesses with up to 100 employees tax credits to buy [health] insurance through a government-sponsored pool modeled on the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan, which gives federal workers a choice of private health insurance plans"
9. A "'universal 401(k)' to which employees, employers and, in some cases, the government would contribute, a cousin to the private accounts Mr. Bush wanted to carve out of Social Security.
10. "[D]oing more to help Americans pay for college, including making up to $12,000 a year in college tuition tax-deductible ... [snip] as well as cutting interest rates on student loans and increasing the maximum Pell Grant for low-income students to $5,100 from $4,050."
11. "[M]ore government support of Pre-K education." [Boldface added]
Please explain how any of that is libertarian? It is precisly the stuff that Reason claims to be against but of course they can't help but like the people who endorse it.
"Furthermore, its his son. Why should Webb have to hold his tongue?? "
You are right, having an opinion gives you the right to be an asshole. You and Joe prove that on Reason every single day.
