Jim Webb Kicking Butt on Plotkin Politics Program

One point: Mark Plotkin has criticized Allen for refusing to appear on his show despite being asked "many times."  Is this part of the "muzzle our candidate" strategy by Dick Wad(hams) et al?  If Allen's own campaign doesn't have faith in him, why should we?

On Gail Parker, Webb says he hasn't talked to her but is not opposed to talking to "anyone about anything."  Webb pointed out that he has been speaking "in favor of approving rail systems" and also for "accountability."
Asked about his "approachability," or lack thereof, Webb said he didn't think he was unapproachable.  He also talked about the huge turnout he's been getting at rallies, including the "biggest turnout ever seen in Harrisonburg," according to Mark Warner.  On his style of soliciting peoples' votes, Webb said that his style was to talk to people about what he believes and what we can accomplish together.

Turning to the Sludge...er, Drudge Report, and the slimeball Allen campaign's "charges" against Jim Webb for including sexually graphic scenes in his - gasp! - fiction writing, Webb spoke forcefully, making several points. 

First, Webb noted that he actually SAW the particular event mentioned by Mark Plotkin "happen in a slum in Bangkok," and that it was "not a sexual act." 

Second, Webb talked about how "the duty of a writer is to illuminate his surroundings" and to "portray the world as it is," noting that he is a "serious writer" who has "made my career as a novelist."  Webb blasted the Allen campaign for its "smear after smear," pulling excerpts out of context and "pound[ing] people over the head" in classic Karl Rove fashion.

Third, Webb criticized George Allen for running this kind of campaign.  Webb charged that this is because "George Allen doesn't have an accomplishment" of his own, despite many many years of public service.

Fourth, Webb bristled at Mark Plotkin actually reading a sexually explicit passage on the air.  Webb said that this was "not appropriate for you to read on WTOP," and I couldn't agree more.

Fifth, Webb pointed out that the scene Mark Plotkin referred to is the sort of thing that "hundreds of thousands of military men" in places like Vietnam and Thailand have experienced.  More broadly, this is what a novelist does, depicting how the "human species behaves" with all its good and bad parts.  [Note by Lowell: if George Allen ever READ great fiction, he might know that!]

Sixth, Webb explained that his novels were not "Tropic of Capricorn" style novels, but that his books "go after themes" and aim to show "how the world lives."

The bottom line is that this is a Karl Rove campaign by George Allen - divisive, character assassination, etc.  In contrast, Allen is "not running on his affirmative vision" and instead is trying to "avoid the fact that he has shown no leadership" on the Iraq War and other issues.

On Iraq, Webb said he would not vote to cut off funding, but that he certainly would not vote to fund construction of permanent bases in that country.  Webb reiterated that he was an early warning voice against going into Iraq in the first place.  He also noted that what Jim Baker and his study group are saying now, "I started saying 2 1/2 years ago."  Webb stressed that we need to talk to everyone, and that we need a Senator with the ability to "think these issues through."

On women in the military, Webb pointed out something I hadn't known before, that in that "infamous" article of 27 years ago, he had actually written that he would support a woman for President.  That's groundbreaking for the late 1970s, and directly refutes the charge that Webb was uncomfortable with women in leadership positions.  In addition, Webb repeated the fact that he had opened up more operational positions for women in the Navy than any other Navy Secretary.

On mobilizing youth turnout, Webb said that he'd been getting "incredible turnout" at his rallies, including at James Madison University yesterday.  According to Webb, young people are greatly concerned over the Iraq War and the breakdown of society along class lines, where the average CEO now makes 400 times the average worker, compared to 20 times the average worker when Webb was a kid.  In addition, Webb says that young people understand that good jobs are going overseas as a result of globalization and other forces, and that we need to do something about this situation.

On public-private partnerships, Webb said that he had talked to Governor Kaine about possible "build, operate, transfer" (BOT) contracts with regard to transporation projects in Virginia.

Asked about "class warfare" and a "$2,000 tax increase," Webb said that he had never suggested anything of the sort.  Instead, Webb said he has proposed closing loopholes to ensure that corporate America pays its "fair share."

On his political evolution, Webb talked about growing up in a Democratic household, in which his mother's side of the family (from east Arkansas) viewed FDR as a savior of sorts.  After Vietnam, he became disillusioned and went over to the Republican Party, but he was never comfortable with the Republicans on issues of economic fairness and social justice.  Webb is now a Democrat in part so that he can work to ensure that the health of our societyis measured at its "base not its apex."  Webb added that his anger over Vietnam went away after 9/11, that "the wall came down," and that Webb realized there was "too much at stake" to "keep dwelling on this."

On John Kerry, Webb noted that Kerry was the 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee, that Kerry had asked to "come over and help me," and that he had voted for Kerry in 2004.

On Bill Clinton, Webb said that "we threw a lot of bombs at each other" int he past, but "we all grew."  Today, according to Webb, Clinton is "the leader of the Democratic Party."

On his own political views, Webb talked about himself as someone who will not change his position on an issue to win votes or raise money.  In response to a Republican caller, Webb said that he had spent his career standing up and being independent on "issues I care about."  As a U.S. Senator, Webb will continue to think about issues inedpendently, "in a different way" than standard liberal or conservative approaches.

Webb said he had great respect for John Warner, but that his political role model was former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynhihan, who combined politics and academics (Plotkin mentioned the joke that Moynihan wrote more books than Dan Rostenkowski read, and Webb said laughingly that this was a "tempting line").

Webb was asked why he hadn't more bluntly contrasted Allen's lack of military service with his own war hero status.  Webb responded, essentially, that he didn't want to stoop to that level, but he's proud of his service and of his son Jimmy's.  Webb pointed out that most people go into military service not for political reasons, but because they "love their country" and also because of "family tradition."  Still, Webb pointed out that if more Congressmen "woke up every morning thinking about a loved one in Iraq," that war would be conducted in a "very different" way.

Webb said he thought we should start opening up relations with Cuba, that he opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and that he'd vote for D.C. representation in Congress. 

Webb ended by saying he was doing well in Hampton Roads, that people shouldn't believe Allen's ads about him, and that "if my opponent had something to offer, he should be putting out there right now."

All in all, a tough interview but a very good one for Jim Webb.  Interesting that George Allen's too afraid to appear on the Mark Plotkin Politics Hour and answer tough questions as Jim Webb just did this morning.

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

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