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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJust saw Jim Webb
being interviewed on CNN by Jake Tapper.
It was a good interview, and Webb seems very knowledgeable about Iraq, etc. (no other way to put it other than "etc"
.
He'd be good on a debate stage. Like Bernie and O'Malley, he answers questions and is proud of his opposition to both the Iraq War/Invasion and the mis-adventurous excursion into Egypt. He said that Egypt had not been approved or discussed by Congress and never would have been if the White House had conferred with them first. He's served actively and also was a Journalist. Jake pointed out that he was against two of the things that Mrs. Clinton was for, and Webb acknowledged this humbly.
A while back I posted that Webb may run, and some(one) said that they would NEVER vote for Webb. Why not if the person(s) who said that is reading this....or any other who would NEVER vote for him...
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Aerows
(39,961 posts)and hear what he has to say!
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)When his views come out, I doubt many will want to vote for him
Read these three:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/09/23/really-jim-webb-for-president/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/01/05/jim-webb-and-the-democrats-white-man-problem/
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/12/jim-webb-climate-change
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I support Hillary, but I would vote for Bernie or O'Malley long before I would consider Webb.
I guess I would say I would never vote for him since there are better choices.
He will not be the Democratic candidate, so I can safely say I would never vote for him.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)Patrick Caldwell wrote the motherjones piece. He said that Webb wasn't the greatest on Clean Air - about 5 years ago and made a speech in the Senate about carbon dioxide not being that bad.
Patrick Caldwell wrote a motherjones piece about Mrs. Clinton (I don't know her well enough to call her by her first name). It said that she was not about to divulge the names of her contributors and there were about 19 paragraphs about her fund-raising and it was customary to give perks or something like that.
Now Webb's crimes, if they are crimes, are public. Mrs. Clinton's, if there are any, we will never know.
The Washington Post articles say that Webb sympathizes with the poor whites in the south who get no help from anyone getting into college, while other minorities get some grants from schools. Not a crime.
I don't recall the other Washington Post article, but there was nothing that a smart cookie like Davie Axelrod (my pick for president), if Webb could get him, or David Plouffe, who has another job, couldn't clean up with one article and one tv interview with Rachel on MSNBC or Chris Cuomo on CNN...
Thank you for keep us all informed.
Cheerio.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)& most of what that implies. I would need to know more about that.
His antiwar stance is good.
My ranking of candidates in terms of what I now know and how I see their politics matching mine is more-or-less this:
Bernie
Liz (Yeah, I know…)
O'malley
Maybe Webb
HRH (I meant HRC)
Mass
(27,315 posts)Sure, he will be better than any Republican running for the nomination (and not running but making noises), but we should be able to do more (starting by Sanders or O'Malley).
gwheezie
(3,580 posts)He's got some evolving to do
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)If he won the nomination, no way would I NOT vote for him in the general.
MADem
(135,425 posts)He has a poor record on women's issues, and he's way too gunny to suit me.
I've met him too, when he was younger, working for Saint Ronnie of Raygun, and, well, more of an asshole. I didn't like him much, I have to be honest. Maybe he's mellowed w/age.
I will vote for the Democratic nominee, whosoever she or he may be. If it's Webb, though, I will do it with less enthusiasm.
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Webb might have a higher bar than some others, for reasons mentioned, but I am still open and undecided.
WestSideStory
(91 posts)fadedrose
(10,044 posts)WestSideStory
(91 posts)Regardless of whether he ran against him in 2006
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)but with the current crop that we've seen, he doesn't seem as bad.
He needs cleaned up. Remember when GW was arrested for drunk driving just before the election or some crap like that, everyone forgot about it...
Some of our other candidates have a lot of baggage too.
People change. We all have..
Thanks for your reply.
WestSideStory
(91 posts)Otherwise, he is very center right.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)If he has baggage not sure what you mean. I'm pretty sure the drunk driving was from his younger adult life before he was a politician, its not an issue for me because its so widespread & its related to alcoholism. Its not something I make a judgment over unless obviously it is a happening over and over, but things he did in offense very offensive and much more harmful.
Sanders is clean and for a politician I'm having a hard time something for an ethical concern and I know where to look to find them. I can't think of a vote a backing of a corporate subsidy -- I mean very clean for a politician. Not sure what you mean "cleaned up" but the problem starts with the handlers where eventually the politician eventually is carefully crafting every little thing that is said. If he comes out and his himself & that is appealing that is what we need you says the right things, at the right moments, for the right voters
When it comes O'Malley & Hillary Clinton like where any statement posted by someone they post on DU I doubt for no other reason as naturally inclined too. When its just rhetoric that does nothing for me, Hillary Clinton did come out saying she would have a litmus test if they overturned Citizens United. In the limited scope of the Stupid Hillary movie nobody saw it becomes a line where courts & judging are deciding which is art or which is campaign ad. That alone I say they should have let them have the Stupid Hillary movie no body saw but the wide ranging precedents that went from into something bigger. But again, I don't automatically believe it because she says and timing of saying it during political campaigns.
Bernie Sanders doesn't have something, I recognize there is probably something where he comes out way, a full 18 another then -- basically not having the courage of convictions for your beliefs that is plaguing campaign strategy. Bernie Sanders strength is public speaking, his disadvantages come from not being heard. I can't think of times where he said something completely foolish, especially leading opposition over something you have limited understanding of (it becomes transparent when you do) so it helps to be consistent & honest and I'm not saying he is above it completely -- the main thing is not finding much in ethical issue. There is the one IBM stock he owns & events he spoke that were sponsored or speaking out in favor at an event on the subject of green energy in favor of IBM with this initiative or another. Well, except for Hitler which is pretty bad for ethical red flags but how it relates to Bernie Sanders this was it. Its like I see the stock he owns, I dig half-expecting something and come across this. He is about the cleanest of national politicians I have ever known. Truman was in a class of his own on ethics & having the courage of your convictions.
In 2012, Fortune ranked IBM the No. 2 largest U.S. firm in terms of number of employees,[7] the No. 4 largest in terms of market capitalization,[8] the No. 9 most profitable,[9] and the No. 19 largest firm in terms of revenue.[10] Globally, the company was ranked the No. 31 largest firm in terms of revenue by Forbes for 2011.[11] Other rankings for 2011/2012 include the following:[13]
No. 1 company for leaders (Fortune)
No. 1 green company in the U.S. (Newsweek)[48]
No. 2 best global brand (Interbrand)
No. 2 most respected company (Barron's)[49]
No. 5 most admired company (Fortune)
No. 18 most innovative company (Fast Company)
For 2012, IBM's brand was valued by Interbrand at $75.5 billion.[50]
For 2012, Vault ranked IBM Global Technology Services No. 1 in tech consulting for cyber security, operations and implementation, and public sector; and No. 2 in outsourcing.[51]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)when he was much younger, it wasn't in Texas. It was disclosed a couple of weeks before the election.
Maybe I'm thick, but what do the corporation ratings and information have to do with any of the candidates? Are those the ones that Bernie owns?
As far as stock goes, I think Biden doesn't own any, but not sure of where I heard that. I remember Letterman saying he doesn't own any stock, and that I heard with my own ears from his own mouth within the last few months..
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)When its not one thing there is usually another thing. I can't seem to find that with Bernie Sanders.
Stock holdings was based on looking around Finance Disclosure Reports
This is what is more typical though this is the kind of target I'd naturally suspect to check 4 pages in one year buying & selling stock -- obviously conflict of interest and there is one there with Bernie Sanders but factor in the environmental reasons that positives of the company
John Boehner finance disclosure report: transactions
https://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/transactions.php?year=2012&cid=N00003675
If the baggage or skeletons is on Bernie Sanders I wouldn't mind knowing what it is.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)I agree, he would be good on a debate stage. I welcome all contenders for the Democratic nomination.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)him being on the Reagan administration which that alone sent me running for the hills but I want a reform of US foreign policy very badly, I recognize pretty much anyone and that could include Sanders but I don't think he'd be willing to sanction countries or push regime changes while look the other way on our friends.
Post-military career
James Webb as Assistant Secretary of Defense, 1984.
Webb attended Georgetown Law Center from 1972 to 1975, graduating with a Juris Doctor degree. While at Georgetown, he wrote his first book, Micronesia and U.S. Pacific Strategy.[22]
From 1977 to 1981, Webb worked on the staff of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. During this time, he also represented veterans pro-bono. Webb also taught at the Naval Academy and was criticized for a 1979 article published in the Washingtonian magazine titled "Women Can't Fight"[23] (see "Senate Election" below).
During the Reagan Administration, Webb served as the nation's first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from 1984 to 1987. During his time as Assistant Secretary, Webb sought to reorganize the Marine Corps. He was gravely concerned with the disarray the Marines had fallen into post-Vietnam: drug use, racial infighting, and low morale within the Corps left him with the impression it was no longer America's premier fighting force. The Marine Corps was also rocked by two scandals during this time: the Clayton Lonetree espionage affair, where Lonetree became the first Marine convicted of espionage, and Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North's central role in the Iran-Contra affair.
In 1987, he served as Secretary of the Navy, becoming the first Naval Academy graduate to serve as the civilian head of the Navy. As Navy Secretary, Webb pushed the appointment of Alfred M. Gray, Jr. as Commandant of the Marine Corps, hoping that Gray could reshape the Corps into the elite unit it once was.[24] Webb resigned in 1988 after refusing to agree to reduce the size of the Navy. Webb had wished to increase the Navy to 600 ships. As revealed in The Reagan Diaries, President Ronald Reagan wrote on February 22, 1988: "I don't think Navy was sorry to see him go."[25]
After his resignation, Webb earned his living primarily as an author and filmmaker. He won an Emmy Award for his 1983 PBS coverage of the U.S. Marines in Beirut.
Among Webb's awards for community service and professional excellence are the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award, the American Legion National Commander's Public Service Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Media Service Award, the Marine Corps League's Military Order of the Iron Mike Award, the John H. Russell Leadership Award, and the Robert L. Denig Distinguished Service Award
In a 1990 New York Times opinion piece, Webb opposed further U.S. military escalation in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield citing lack of a coherent strategy and consent from the United States Congress. He also warned against a permanent military presence in the Middle East.[26] Seven months before the beginning of the 2003 Iraq War, Webb wrote an essay for the Washington Post in which he
“ questioned whether an overthrow of Saddam would "actually increase our ability to win the war against international terrorism" and pointed out that the measure of military success can be preventing wars and well as fighting them. He charged, "those who are pushing for a unilateral war in Iraq know full well that there is no exit strategy if we invade." He concluded, "the Iraqis are a multiethnic people filled with competing factions who in many cases would view a U.S. occupation as infidels invading the cradle of Islam. … In Japan, American occupation forces quickly became 50,000 friends. In Iraq, they would quickly become 50,000 terrorist targets."[27] ”
During the 2004 presidential campaign, Webb wrote an op-ed piece for USA Today in which he, as a military veteran, evaluated the candidacies of John Kerry and George W. Bush. He criticized Kerry for the nature of his opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1970s while affiliated with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and accused Bush of using his father's connections to avoid service in Vietnam. Webb also wrote that Bush had "committed the greatest strategic blunder in modern memory" with the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[28]
Webb supported Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey's campaign for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination.[19] In 1994 he endorsed incumbent Democrat Charles Robb for reelection to his Senate seat, over Webb's former Naval Academy classmate Oliver North; like Webb, both Robb and North were decorated Marine veterans of the Vietnam war.[29] Webb subsequently endorsed Republican George Allen over Robb in 2000,[30] and then ran against Allen himself in 2006.
United States Senate
2006 Senate campaign
Main article: Virginia United States Senate election, 2006
Painting of Webb
In late 2005, a campaign to draft Webb to run for the Senate in 2006 began on the internet, promoted by netroots activists such as those at the blog Raising Kaine. On February 7, 2006, he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Senate race against incumbent Virginia Senator George Allen.[31]
In the Democratic primary on June 13, 2006, Webb faced longtime businessman and lobbyist Harris Miller. Webb won with 53.5% of the vote, in a race with low turnout.[32]
Webb benefited from the fallout from an August 11, 2006, incident in which Allen used the word macaca to refer to S.R. Sidarth, who was filming an event as a "tracker" for the Webb campaign. A poll the following week showed Webb gaining 10 percentage points. The race, which at one point looked like a sure win for Allen, became one of the most watched and closest races of the 2006 elections.
Allen had been expected to be reelected relatively easily, and that this reelection would prepare him for a possible 2008 Presidential candidacy. But Webb's entry into the race and primary victory changed the political landscape. Political analyst Larry Sabato said in May that "Jim Webb is George Allen's worst nightmare: a war hero and a Reagan appointee who holds moderate positions… Allen tries to project a Reagan aura, but Webb already has it."[33] In September, Bloomberg.com's Catherine Dodge wrote an article highlighting Webb and the Senate race, and said "Webb isn't a typical Democrat. His family hails from the rural southern part of the state. He's pro-gun ownership, and he takes a harder line on illegal immigration than many Senate Republicans."[34]
On September 7, 2006, Webb released his first television advertisement, which included footage of a 1985 speech by Ronald Reagan that praised Webb's service as a Marine.[35] The next day, the Chief of Staff for the Reagan Library wrote Webb's campaign on behalf of former first lady Nancy Reagan, urging them not to air the advertisement saying it was neither fair nor respectful because it gave the impression of an endorsement.[36][37] The Webb campaign disagreed, saying, "What Reagan said about Jim Webb, that belongs to Jim Webb, frankly."[36] The library said they ask all candidates to refrain from using the former president's image but declined to say if they would request the Allen campaign to remove the image of Reagan used on his campaign website.[36]
Five female graduates of the United States Naval Academy held a press conference, decrying Webb's 1979 article, "Women Can't Fight." The women said Webb's article contributed to an atmosphere of hostility and harassment towards women at the academy. Webb was later endorsed by nine military women who stated that Webb is a "man of integrity" who "recognizes the crucial role that women have in the military today."[38]
In October 2006, the Allen campaign issued a press release quoting several passages from Webb's novels with sexual content, including graphic references to female anatomy and purported pedophilia, homosexuality and incest, citing a passage in which a Southeast Asian father ritually places the penis of his young son in his mouth. The press release said that the passages showed a "continued pattern of demeaning women".[39] Allen's campaign refused to tell a local radio news station, WTOP-FM, whether it in fact had issued a news release on the matter.[40]
On November 9, 2006, after AP and Reuters projected that Webb had won the seat, Allen conceded the election. Although the margin was narrow – less than half of 1% of the total vote and therefore small enough under Virginia law to allow demanding a recount – Allen stated that he would not challenge the result.
Webb, as a Democratic veteran challenger, was also considered one of the Fighting Dems.
Senator-elect
On November 15, 2006, Senate majority-leader-in-waiting Harry Reid assigned Webb to three committees: the committees on Foreign Relations, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services.[41]
That same day, an op-ed authored by Webb appeared in the pages of the Wall Street Journal. Titled "Class Struggle," the piece addressed what Webb feels is growing economic inequality in the United States. The article mentioned overly permissive immigration policies, extravagant executive compensation, the detrimental effects of free trade and globalization, iniquitous tax cuts, and speedily rising health care costs, and attacked the "elites" whom Webb said perpetuate the aforementioned woes for their personal economic gain.[42]
Exchange with President Bush
On November 28, 2006, at a White House reception for those newly elected to Congress, Webb did not choose to wait in the line to have his picture taken with the president,[43] whom Webb often criticized during the campaign. The president approached Webb later and asked him, "How's your boy?", referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq. Webb replied "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President." Bush responded, "That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?" Webb responded, "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President." The Hill cited an anonymous source who claimed that Webb was so angered by the exchange that he confessed he was tempted to "slug" the president.[44] Webb later remarked in an interview, "I'm not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall."[45]
In response to the incident, some conservatives criticized Webb, including George Will, who called Webb a "boor" and wrote, "[Webb] already has become what Washington did not need another of, a subtraction from the city's civility and clear speaking."[46][47] Others, such as conservative columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, reserved their criticism for Bush, writing: "I thought it had the sound of the rattling little aggressions of our day, but not on Mr. Webb's side."[48]
Jim Webb with son Jimmy and George W. Bush in March, 2008
Webb was asked about the exchange in a January 4, 2007 appearance on Hardball with Chris Matthews. He told Matthews:
"My feeling about that – first of all, it's been kind of a bit overblown. But I think when people are now seeing how John McCain is handling the situation with his son being in the Marine Corps, perhaps they can understand a little bit more what I was having to go through during the entire campaign. I greatly respect my son‘s service and all of the people who are serving. At the same time, I have not commented, even to many of my friends, about the operational side. That‘s personal to me in terms of my feelings about it. And it was not a casual comment. As I said in the piece that you just ran, I think the best article that was written on that was by Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal when she basically said that the lack of civility was not mine and I feel that way."[49]
After his son returned from Iraq, Webb "buried the hatchet" with the president by setting up a private chat with his son, the president, and himself in the Oval Office.[50]
Tenure as Senator
On January 4, 2007, Webb was sworn into the 110th U.S. Senate, accompanied by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., a fellow former Secretary of the Navy; and former Virginia Democratic Sen. Chuck Robb, who held the same seat before losing to Allen.
On his first day in the Senate, Webb introduced the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to expand benefits for military families, which he had written. The act replaces key provisions of the Montgomery G.I. Bill for recent veterans and "makes veterans benefits identical to those soldiers received following World War II." "With many of our military members serving two or three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is past time to enact a new veterans’ education program modeled on the World War II era G.I. bill. This is exactly what our legislation does." Webb said. It became law on June 30, 2008, as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008.
In a January 4, 2007, appearance on The Situation Room, Webb articulated his position on the Iraq War: "What we really need to do is to get into the arena where we can talk about a strategy, talk about the pluses and the minuses of the Baker-Hamilton Commission and work toward a solution that, on the one hand, will allow us to remove our combat troops, but on the other, will increase the stability of the region, allow us to continue to fight against international terrorism and allow us, as a nation, to address our strategic interests around the world. And this is – this is one of the drawbacks that we've had with so many troops having been put into this constant rotational basis inside one country when we have a war against international terrorism that's global."
<snip>
inal Justice Commission Act of 2009
On March 26, 2009, Webb filed the Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 (SB 714), which would create a blue ribbon commission to reevaluate the criminal justice system and drug policy and make recommendations for reform.[60] Noting that the United States houses 25% of the world's inmates despite having only 5% of the world's population, Webb proposed a comparison between U.S. incarceration policies and those of other developed nations.[61] At a United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs hearing, Webb described the criminal justice system as being in "...a profound, deeply corrosive crisis that we have largely been ignoring at our peril." He also criticized the lack of standards in prison administration and highlighted the justice system's negative impact on communities. The subcommittee chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), expressed support for the bill at the hearing and indicated his intent to move the bill to the full United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.[62] By the end of June 2010, the bill had 39 cosponsors.[63]
In the fall of 2009, an amendment to SB 714 was proposed by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) that would have prohibited the commission created by the bill from discussing or recommending the decriminalization or legalization of any substance prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act.[64] The proposed amendment drew criticism from some in the online community and was perceived as an attempt at censorship. Grassley later rescinded the amendment and claimed in a Des Moines Register op-ed he had proposed it to "start a debate on this important issue."[65]
SB 714 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a voice vote on January 21, 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb
His visits to Asia are something that curious me only because I don't know what is behind them. Could be positive or something ulterior, I'm suspicious of everything a foreign policy. Virtually, there is no one that stands out unless Cornell West were to run for President. His foreign policy views are very similar to mine but so far he has shown something very positive he is easily my #2 -- at-this-point I trust Hillary Clinton over O'Malley because I have an idea of what to expect, with O'Malley he says something amusing but why he said it but nothing but empty rhetoric. Webb here anyway, something logical & factual here.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)The guy's not as Liberal as I want -- but he's got the most important quality I'd want in a Democratic (or any) nominee: INTEGRITY.
ChiciB1
(15,435 posts)We DO HAVE other candidates, we DO! I'm more BERNIE and ELIZABETH, but WE DO have OTHERS!
We're Just Too Scared Out Of Our Gourds! I swear I'm going to slit my wrists before 2016, not sure I'll make it.
