Jim Webb's VP Prospects Helped By Passage Of GI Bill

Washington Times:

Speculation about Virginia Sen. Jim Webb's prospects as a candidate for the Democratic vice presidential nomination got a boost last week with the passage of an important GI benefits bill -- a signal achievement for a freshman lawmaker that won him praise from both parties.

The artfully crafted bill allowed Democrats to tangibly support U.S. troops while still opposing the war. The gesture toward troops straining to cope with near-constant deployments also drew no small amount of Republican support.

If President Bush signs the bill as expected, it will be one of the most significant pieces of legislation approved by Congress this year.

Just two years ago, the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Democrat was waging a long-shot bid for Senate against popular Republican incumbent Sen. George F. Allen -- having switched parties in order to mount a campaign against the war in Iraq.

Read the whole story: Washington Times

Comments

[openhand]

Orwells Double Speak, "War is Peace" meaning the best option for peace is to fight. If so the Dems winning wont change anything, only delay in a Repug backlash.

If you play the line backwards you get "Peace is WAR", meaning the best way to fight is with peace. (Ghandi)

This is your policy in China and Korea and now Vietnam with the Miss World Pageant taking place there soon. Peace is your most effective weapon, problem is its organic, you cannot monopolize it so it doesnt help the seniors in the GOP.

The thing Bush fears most is PEACE. If you want to beat his legacy, the way to do that is with PEACE. And you start this by working with progressive Republicans, not by showing that the dems are strong and the repugs are weak, because that is still war. Choose a Republican who wants to talk the language of Peace, that is NEGOTIATION, and you will destroy the Bush Legacy.

Go Bi Patisan, it might not taste good but its your only chance to change things. You can be strong, correct, and not change a thing, or you can unite beyond party lines and change forever.

[JJeff88]

I agree with ladydragon - who said that Webb had some explaining to do about his position re the Confederate flag (& I'd add the Tailhook scandal).

This doesn't mean that Sen. Webb doesn't have a broad set of appealing qualities.

What it does mean is that he took a few hard-to-accept positions in the past that he'll need to clarify. He should do so clearly, forthrightly and, most important "early" (to put these questions behind him before we get to "crunch time").

[Sp8z]

Tom Daschle is the perfect complement for Obama. Knows his way around the back hallways of Congress and is well liked by our people and respected by theirs.

[Beachrunner]

Senator Webb would be a great choice . . . . for McCain.

[Gemma08]

Agreed. Theres just something about him I find dodgy. I bin saying it for months. My woman's intuition...

[meltingpot101]

General Wesley Clark should be Obama's VP choice.


He offers everything Webb does without all the controversy.


OBAMA/CLARK 08

[personalpolitical]

Bad idea, way too much baggage, and Obama doesn't need to look like he needs a big ex-Republican tough guy babysitter.

[hillaryj]

Let's not take an important person from the Senate..........we will need him there in the future.

[cadbury]

"Webb has the potential of giving Obama's foreign policy arm a boost and bring in all of the disassociated Republicans."

Webb has the potential of keeping many of Clinton's female supporters away once and for all. I wish people would stop pushing him. Ditto Nunn, who would guarantee much of the gay community stays home. Or Hagel, who is a conservative Republican! If Obama really needs someone with military cred (which I'm not totally convinced is true), Wes Clark would be a much better bet.

[robynuva]

Agree about women, and I love Jim Webb.

O should look at Schweitzer from MT or Brown from OH.

[ladydragon]

Sen. Webb needs to explain his thoughts on the Confederate Flag. He needs to go to the African American community and explain what he meant when he discusses the legacy of slavery with relation to that flag. Until he does, I'm going to be suspicious of him; that article in the Washpost change my mind about him.

[afrographia]

I don't really care what his thoughts are on the Confederate Flag. That's a philosophical argument. What will be more telling, and what should be more important to Black folks, are his thoughts on public education and poverty. We should be suspicious of every politician until we get an answer to that. The Confederate Flag is not keeping our folks down. It's the other parts of the legacy of slavery, like institutionalized racism and economic marginalization.

[GoCards1978]

Well said! Substance is always more important.

[americanwhocares]

I saw the video where flip/flopping McBush was taking credit for passage of the bill even though he and bushco opposed it. Hypocrisy knows no bounds in the right wing lunatic fringe.

[eNewsReference]

Webb has the potential of giving Obama's foreign policy arm a boost and bring in all of the disassociated Republicans...Is McCain worried yet?

[DRaymond]

I'd rather Webb Stay in the Senate because frankly he is more valuable there. Almost as important as Obama in the presidency is a 60 vote block in the Senate. There are plenty of good places to get VPs from rather than raiding sitting Senators.

[mamacat]

There are many good potential veep nominees, and Sen. Webb is certainly one of them. I hope that Sen. Obama chooses someone who we can all respect, and, given his past actions, I expect he will.

[kevenhusseinseven]

Webb would be a strong VP candidate, and help the ticket on many levels:

1) He could actually deliver VA.

2) He would help throughout the region.

3) Vets would take him, especially after this bill, and by extension, O bama, seriously.

4) He helps across the board on security.

5) His is a profound intellect.

6) He is a pit bull, not the sissy that Edwards came across as.

7) The negatives, many of which are overblown, would only hurt with the way left like myself. They are positives with most Americans.

O bama has recently displayed an interest in selling to the center, and even the troglodytes. I would not be surprised if Webb were his choice.

[moneyrunt]

Rare to even recognize anything in the Communist Party (Dems), but he really seems to be a decent man for the job. Of course, Elliot Spitzer was one of the handfuls in the appeaser party that showed promise, and he proved himself to be a Clintonian (perv).

[kevenhusseinseven]

Flagged.

[OrleansCatalan]

God bless you too.

[fnygy]

Feel better, now?

[reggieb]

Borrow and squander Fascists (Repubs) have no decent men for the job.

[Exit]

Jim Webb is the Messiah. Pick Webb please!

[kevenhusseinseven]

OK.