Truthdigger of the Week: Sen. Jim Webb
Truthdig tips its hat this week to the newly elected Democratic senator from Virginia, who delivered a blistering response to President Bush's State of the Union address.
Truthdig tips its hat this week to Jim Webb, the newly elected Democratic senator from Virginia, who delivered a blistering response to President Bush’s State of the Union address.
The money quote requires a bit of context:
Toward the end of his rebuttal speech, Webb referrred to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower, holding up each as a paragon of virtue in economic and foreign policy, respectively. Contrasting those former presidents with the current one, Webb closed his speech by saying:
These Presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.
Watch it:
Click here for a full transcript.
Click here to see Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr.’s take on Webb, whom he labeled a “Reagan Democrat.”
Jon Stewart marked Webb’s speech by favorably contrasting it with the mealy-mouthed SOTU rebuttals of recent years.
Webb was, of course, the dark-horse candidate who upset incumbent George “Macaca” Allen in last November’s midterm election. Our favorite video of that campaign is one we like to call Webb’s “American President” moment.
If you’ll remember the 1994 movie: Michael Douglas, playing President Andrew Shepherd, spends almost the entire movie stoically enduring personal smear attacks by a political opponent. But near the film’s end, during a surprise appearance in the White House press briefing room, Shepherd unloads on his opponent with devastating Aaron Sorkin-scripted gusto.
Watch that scene:
Back to Webb:
Throughout Webb and Allen’s neck-and-neck campaign, Webb repeatedly declined the opportunity to comment upon and make political hay out of Allen’s well-publicized gaffes: both “macaca” and Allen’s dissembling about his Jewish ancestry. Like fictional president Andrew Shepherd, Webb chose to make his campaign about the issues. But toward the end of the race, Webb channeled a little Aaron Sorkin-style thunder himself.
Watch it (YouTube link):
Your support matters…Independent journalism is under threat and overshadowed by heavily funded mainstream media.
You can help level the playing field. Become a member.
Your tax-deductible contribution keeps us digging beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that unearths what's really happening- without compromise.
Give today to support our courageous, independent journalists.
The fundamental premise of Sanders’ campaign—that his “political revolution” can be accomplished within the confines of capitalism—is incorrect. That will soon be clear.
Before all the craziness—before Donald Trump and Ben Carson and the need for two-tiered debates—Republicans’ biggest fear about next year’s election was having to run against Hillary Clinton. As we saw Tuesday night, they were right to worry.
And will the moderator and his colleagues ask tough questions on issues like Wall Street accountability, campaign finance reform and health care?
It's not just the more conservative members of Congress who are challenging President Obama's course of action in Libya; besides the likes of Ron Paul and John Boehner from the Republican side, Dennis Kucinich, Maxine Waters and Jim Webb .
Democratic Sen. Jim Webb says he won't vote for the compromise ending the ban on gays in the military until the Pentagon completes its review of the policy, even though the whole point of the compromise is that the ban wouldn't actually end until the military completes its review. (continued)
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.