The classic quote of this year's political campaign season comes from a young man, Jim Webb's son (see photo at left) the U.S. Marine. Courtesy of AP political reporter Bob Lewis, here's the entire scene: Webb, in Norfolk today for his "Operation: Take Back Virginia" tour, ripped into George Allen and the Bush Administration, standing with the retired battleship USS Wisconsin behind him.
He also mocked a personal trademark of the folksy Allen: the pointy-toed cowboy boots he has worn for years with even the most formal attire. Webb said his son raised the issue."He said, `Dad, why does George Allen wear cowboy boots? There aren't any cowboys in Virginia. You should wear my combat boots,"' Webb said. "He had a point, and I have started to do that."
Bwahahahahahahaha. Why does George Allen wear cowboy boots? That is a GREAT line! Leave it to a U.S. Marine to come up with it, too. :)
Then, just to drive home the point:
Webb extended one leg from behind a podium to show the khaki-colored boots issued to U.S. troops serving in Iraq."I would like to invite all of you ... to put some boots on, folks. You can wear hunting boots. You can wear mountain-climbing boots, you can wear plowboy boots, you can wear military boots. Just don't wear cowboy boots," he said.
Finally comes the retort - if you can even call the following utterly lame response a "retort" - from Allen spokesman Dick Wadhams, "We just look forward to facing the winner of the wealthy-liberal self-funding primary." Huh? Liberal? Jim Webb? Or Harris Miller, for that matter? You MUST be joking, Dick! And "self-funding?" Oh yeah, Jim Webb is soooo rich, that's why George Allen has about 30 times more money than he does. Hahahahahaha. I'll tell you, if I keep laughing this hard, I'm going to need hernia surgery any minute now! :)
Seriously, though, if this is the best that the Allen camp can come up with, this race is going to unfold much like the Kaine-Kilgore contest last year. How about this: a George Allen 10-point lead shrinks to 5 points or so by the end of the summer, then disappears completely by the end of October, with Webb surging to victory by 5-6 points on Election Day? Or how about we just skip all that and have Jim Webb simply kick George Allen's phony cowboy ass with his REAL combat boots and his REAL Navy Cross heroism? Yeah, I like that last scenario better too. :)
It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but George begins to slide from the saddle. In terror, he grabs for the horse's mane, but cannot seem to get a firm grip. He tries to throw his arms around the horse's neck, but he slides down the horse's side. The horse gallops along, seemingly oblivious of its slipping rider.
Finally, giving up his frail grip, Allen attempts to leap away from the horse and throw himself to safety.
Unfortunately, his foot has become entangled in the stirrup, and is at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as his head strikes the ground over and over. As his head is battered, he is mere moments away from unconsciousness when to his great fortune........
Frank, the Wal-Mart greeter, sees his dilemma and unplugs the horse.