Jim Webb at Colorado JJ Dinner

By: Lowell
Published On: 3/1/2008 7:25:46 AM

Thanks to my good friend Stan Davis for the following report from yesterday's Colorado JJ Dinner festivities.

Sen. Jim Webb was the keynote speaker at Friday's statewide Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.  Earlier in the day, Webb and CD-2 (Boulder) Congressman and Senate candidate met with a group of veterans.

The dinner was 1800 of my nearest and dearest.  I watched him on the big screen, since I was way off to the right of the stage.  He noted the attendance and said that his margin of victory over Allen was about the number of people in the room.  He also noted that our Ken Salazar was the first Senator to support and endorse him.

Webb is a MUCH better speaker than what I remember from his campaign.  He seemed quite comfortable, appeared to have only scant notes, and spoke very well.  He's a good match for Colorado. I didn't take any notes, but he talked about his legislation for vets and financial/economic justice.  He also refuses to call the "thing" in Iraq a war.  He talks about the war in Afghanistan and the occupation of Iraq.

More on the "flip."

I didn't know that he was a big pro-union guy even in the Reagan years.  He talked about how nobody could figure him out (my term would be label or pigeonhole him).  He said something about being the only Democratic Senator with eight (or whatever) novels, a union card, and two purple hearts under his belt.  The bottom line:  Jim Webb is just Jim Webb -- a "oner."  The union card is with the Screen Writers Guild or something, since he worked on the screenplay of "Fields of Fire." (?)

In the introduction at the dinner, Udall read Webb's Navy Cross citation.  I cried.

Geez, you can just see and feel the steel in the guy's spine.  I want him on my side in a bar fight, and I'd go way out of my way not to make him mad.  I'd bet those eyes with an angry stare would melt titanium.  Anybody who tries to question his patriotism had better duck, and fast.  Salazar touted Webb for VP, but Webb didn't pick up on it.

I also learned tonight that the Salazar for Senate '10 campaign has hired the Brent Blackaby and Larry Huynh group for internet work.  A Salazar staffer, Ken Lane, a former big Clarkie, apparently was the catalyst.  I can't imagine a bigger mismatch -- the old, stodgy Ken Salazar and the innovative BlakrockOnline group.  I'm going to e-mail them and ask them to help turn Ken into a Democrat.

I had a nice reunion with Nick Kelly.  None of his family came, though.  Nick and I tag-teamed a couple of ladies from across town with Clark stuff.  One of them was for Clinton and the other was for Obama.  But they were still friends.

It was great to see my '04 Senate candidate Mike Miles.  He's for Obama (no surprise there).  He's thinking he might try something in about 8 years, when he will be 59 and his kids will be older (the youngest is 6).  I told him that President Obama should appoint him as an Undersecretary of State or Secretary of Education.  Meanwhile, he's the superintendent of a medium-to-large school district in south Colorado Springs.  Remember that he also was a West Pointer (8th in his class), a counter-terrorist Army Ranger, and a State Department intelligence analyst and diplomat.


Comments



Jim Webb's net approval ratings up (Lowell - 3/1/2008 9:31:54 AM)
See SureyUSA for the latest: 51% approve/37% disapprove of Webb right now, one of his best ratings ever.


Interesting (leftofcenter - 3/1/2008 9:37:17 AM)
that he would attend the CO JJ dinner but not ours.


Ever think that Webb (Alicia - 3/1/2008 10:58:23 AM)
had a REASON???
Or would you rather just keep having a temper tantrum?


I absolutely certain he did have a reason (Evan M - 3/1/2008 4:43:28 PM)
The question remains, though: What WAS that reason?

He was at the Colorado JJ, the New Hampshire JJ... but not ours.

I'm certain there's a reason. A simple note to his constituents, or even the activist who supported and elected him, explaining it, would be a really nice thing.



DOH!!! (Evan M - 3/1/2008 4:44:40 PM)
Netiquette Law #1:

Always read all your email/thread/posts/comments before commenting or posting yourself.

See the next top-level comment.

I withdraw my critique.



I withdraw my comment too (Alicia - 3/1/2008 5:38:06 PM)
because I had the same reaction when I went one message lower and read the better response.  


Webb &JJ (Mary I - 3/1/2008 10:07:00 AM)
One more time...The date of Virginia's JJ was the same date as Webb's birthday. He made the decision to spend that day with his family and one might add, a family that has a son who may well be on the short list back to Iraq. He also has a very young daughter.
Some of us remember during the campaign that he did not attend a major parade that kicked off the political season.
Allen was there riding his horse, Bubba. Webb was not. He was with his son who was leaving for Iraq. Good for him.
Those in public life also have a private life. Those who understand the "boxes" of life understand that.


No (leftofcenter - 3/1/2008 10:46:38 AM)
need to get snotty. I hadn't heard this before.
So now I am informed.


The reply was a little acerbic (Catzmaw - 3/1/2008 2:26:40 PM)
because it's been covered in several other diaries, most notably the ones about Webb's FISA vote.  


I second that and would.... (Ambivalent Mumblings - 3/1/2008 2:29:11 PM)
... just add that we also elected Webb because he wasn't that standard politician that always needs to be the center of attention.

The stereotypical politician would have blown off his family commitment in hopes of maybe getting some donations down at the JJ. Webb didn't do that and instead stuck to some of the qualities that we liked when we elected him.  



Nice write up (Alicia - 3/1/2008 11:00:36 AM)
and great pics!
Thanks for taking the time to let us know about this.  Didn't know of the CO JJ...


Interesting that even Salazar played on the V-P slot... (Shenandoah Democrat - 3/1/2008 11:26:50 AM)
leading me to the question, has anyone heard our Senator say he uniequivocally would not accept the V-P nod? With the rapid response that Obama did yesterday to HRC's red phone ad, I'm sure Obama's got to be aware of what an asset Webb on the ticket would be The question that kills me is there doesn't seem to be anyone else close, (unless you like the idea of military officers as candidates).


Colorado is a state much like our own (JMU Duke - 3/1/2008 12:07:31 PM)
Having elected a Democratic legislature, Senator and Governor, they are now on the verge of electing yet another Dem Senator. They are perhaps a shade or two of blue ahead of us (the seized both houses a few years ago) but their political dynamic is remarkably similar to our own. Hopefully 2008 will see both of our purple states turn bluer.


Indeed (Kristopher.Larsen - 3/1/2008 1:10:12 PM)
As a born and bred Colorado-boy who's just started reading this blog because of an upcoming move from the Colorado mountains to the Northern Virginia area, I am so happy to hear that Virginia is following Colorado into the blue. I've been so excited for the last few years as democrats, and especially progressive democrats, started claiming office after office out here in the west that I've been disappointed about moving to another 'Red' state. Reading this blog, and comments like the one above, make the move a little more palatable.
I'm looking forward to getting to work again when I arrive and help push another state into the blue. Now if I can only figure out what to do about the ski areas . . .  


Not much you can do about the skiing (Ron1 - 3/1/2008 4:21:55 PM)
East coast skiing just isn't very good. But you probably know this already. I guess there are a few decent resorts up in Vermont.

The good news is the DC metro area is probably the best served metro area in terms of flight choices because of the proximity of three major airports!



wow.. (lgb30856 - 3/1/2008 1:18:09 PM)
I was at this year's JJ in Richmond and noted that Webb was not there. No one told me why. Even our committee chair, who works for webb didn't know why. So to be rude to someone cause they note he wasn't at our JJ is over the top.
Why the meaness?
Now I know but no one told me or even knew he was with his family.


JJ is not official business. (WillieStark - 3/1/2008 5:47:42 PM)
So it is no ones business what he was doing. If he missed an important vote I would wonder more what he was up to.

Jim Webb is doing more to legitimize the Democratic party with working folks and moderates than anyone else in Virginia politics. To question his Dem creds because he did not show up at a soiree is a little peevish.



on Larry King: Jim Webb for VP (j_wyatt - 3/1/2008 3:53:27 PM)
For what it's worth, Larry King yesterday had a mixed group on discussing politics, including a couple of Hollywood types.  Amid some blather about an Obama/Clinton ticket, a very articulate Bradley Whitford said the vp he wants to see with Obama is Senator Jim Webb.


NYT's Frank Rich: VP Jim Webb (j_wyatt - 3/2/2008 5:06:05 AM)
Here's an interesting aside buried in today's Frank Rich piece on John McCain:

The one part of his Iraq past that Mr. McCain does want us to recall now is his subsequent criticism of the war's execution. But contrary to his current claims, he never publicly demanded Mr. Rumsfeld's head. And when Mr. McCain did call for more troops in Iraq, he was again in sync with Democrats like Joe Biden, with whom he made that case on "Meet the Press" in August 2003.

Rather than dwell on this ancient history, Mr. McCain said last week, we should talk about "what we are going to do now." But his answer to "what we are going to do now" in Iraq is merely more of what he did then.

If, as he says, the surge is "succeeding," voters may well join the Democratic ticket (possibly including the Vietnam War hero Jim Webb?) in asking why we'll still have some 140,000 troops on indefinite duty in Iraq as of this summer, a year and a half after this "temporary" escalation was announced. It will be a slam-dunk for Democrats to argue that it's long past time for the Iraqis to stand up on a sensible timetable that will allow the Americans to stand down.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03...