Jim Webb blasts Palin, plumbers protest Obama rally

First published at WashingtonTimes.com

ROANOKE, Va. — Sen. Jim Webb introduced Democratic nominee Barack Obama this afternoon with praise for his pal and ridicule for Republican nominee John McCain.

 

Webb asked the crowd, "When's the last time you saw John McCain in this part of Virginia?" a question that drew loud boos.

 

"This really isn't about whether John McCain is a good person or not, but whether John McCain is the right person to lead the country," Webb said, before turning to criticism of Sarah Palin.

 

"If I were standing here at a McCain rally, it would say 'Country First,'" he said, referring to the Republican's slogan. "Do you really think Sarah Palin is the most qualified person?"

 

Webb said when watching the debate, he heard Palin ask "Can I call you Joe?" and he was thinking Biden should have said: "You can call me whatever you want. In two months you are going to be calling me Mr. Vice President."

 

The crowd here laughed loudly.

 

He added that the Palin choice reminded him of an old country tune: "I know what I was doing, but what was I thinking?"

 

"John McCain is probably thinking of that song right now," he said.

 

Some reporters here searched around, and we think he meant this song, which includes the lyrics, "I know what I was feeling, but what was I thinking."

 

The song is about Becky, "a beauty from South Alabama" who was nothin' but trouble.

 

Here's the chorus:

Cuz' I was thinking 'bout a little white tank top sitting right there in the middle by me
I was thinking about a long kiss, man just gotta get goin' where the night might lead
Well I know what I was feeling But What was I thinking?
But What was I thinking?

 

Obama got big cheers when taking the stage. Here's some video:

 

 

 

 

Rally attendees arriving at the city's coliseum were greeted by five young men wearing overalls and shirts reading "Joe the Plumber," a reference to the Ohio voter who Mr. McCain repeatedly talked about during this week's debate.

 

One man held a sign reading, "It doesn't take a plumber to know Obama's taxes stink."

 

They held plastic plungers that one man said they bought for $6 at Wal-Mart, telling me, "Lucky the taxes are still low, we can afford 'em."

 

They got glares from the Obama supporters walking by, and one Democrat mocked the group, asking: "You mean, the Joe that didn't pay his taxes?"

 

— Christina Bellantoni, national political reporter,
The Washington Times

 

Please bookmark my blog at
http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/bellantoni

Find my latest stories here and visit my YouTube page

Comments

[bdaved]

The headline says "plumbers protest Obama rally". The article says "five young men wearing overalls" with plungers they bought at Wal-Mart. So were they plumbers, or people doing a little political theatre pretending to be plumbers?

[Martha601]

I have to say, I absolutely love the people on this site. Not necessarily because you share my same views, though that helps, but because I believe that you see a human race. Beautiful people to be able to do that in this time that only reminds us of what used to be. Barack the Vote!

[egal]

Policy comments to the ignorant protetors might have included: "You mean the Joe who would pay less under Obama's plans?" "You mean the purchase taxes that would rise under Mccain's plan to pay for the tax cut for only the top 3%?" or "You mean the Obama tax plan that the Plumber's Union has supported because it saves them considerably more and doesn't increase the deficit by 3 trillion dollars?"

But, of course, the one that was said was far catchier, more succinct, and snarky--the perfect zinger. And what's the point in wasting policy arguments about people who are voting against their own best interests because they trust the people who drove our economy into shambles?

[0whole1]

Had they come to fix the sink?

Just curious.

[milo h minderbinder]

And one of the four fake plumbers (or is that fake "fake plumbers"?) was from Australia. Pretty sad when the GOP can't even get enough guys from this country to do their little dress-up protest and have to get someone from overseas to do it? Yeesh.

[OrangeSam]

Just to show my age (I was actually quite young at the time), I remember when the term "plumbers" in political circles referred to Richard Nixon's dirty tricks troupe.

[SpoxLogic]

(They got glares from the Obama supporters walking by, and one Democrat mocked the group, asking: "You mean, the Joe that didn't pay his taxes?")

Kudos to the Democrat that gave them that zinger.