Webb's speech is powerful

By: teacherken
Published On: 1/23/2007 10:15:23 PM

The Washington Post has the entire text up here.

I will below the fold offer the conclusion.  Don't look if you don't want to, but look if you want to know why I think it is powerful. 

[UPDATE: YouTube video link added by Lowell]

The President took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War, the chief of staff of the army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable - and predicted - disarray that has followed.

The war's costs to our nation have been staggering. Financially. The damage to our reputation around the world. The lost opportunities to defeat the forces of international terrorism. And especially the precious blood of our citizens who have stepped forward to serve.

The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq's cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

On both of these vital issues, our economy and our national security, it falls upon those of us in elected office to take action.

Regarding the economic imbalance in our country, I am reminded of the situation President Theodore Roosevelt faced in the early days of the 20th century. America was then, as now, drifting apart along class lines. The so-called robber barons were unapologetically raking in a huge percentage of the national wealth. The dispossessed workers at the bottom were threatening revolt.

Roosevelt spoke strongly against these divisions. He told his fellow Republicans that they must set themselves "as resolutely against improper corporate influence on the one hand as against demagogy and mob rule on the other." And he did something about it.

As I look at Iraq, I recall the words of former general and soon-to-be President Dwight Eisenhower during the dark days of the Korean War, which had fallen into a bloody stalemate. "When comes the end?" asked the General who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two. And as soon as he became President, he brought the Korean War to an end.

These Presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.

Thank you for listening. And God bless America.


Comments



Webb says he's reminded (Chris Guy - 1/23/2007 10:54:26 PM)
of a situation faced by Teddy Roosevelt.... http://www.raisingka...

Aren't we all Senator ;)



This from the National Journal's Hotline website (Chris Guy - 1/23/2007 11:19:35 PM)
Who's the first pundit to mention Jim Webb in connection with Veepstakes?

http://hotlineblog.n...

See? I'm not delusional!



Short, to the point, (Teddy - 1/23/2007 11:27:07 PM)
and the patriotism and love of this country shines in every phrase. Straight into the bulls eye, just as we knew Senator Webb would do it. Thank God we are finally hearing the real truth and real solutions from a true leader. I cannot imagine that even the most dogmatic of republicans was not impressed.


Jim Webb (Ingrid - 1/24/2007 9:34:50 AM)
just provided the Democratic Party with some seriously needed muscle!


Thanks to all of you who recruited Webb (Hopeful in NJ - 1/23/2007 11:29:59 PM)
what a service to the country!  A great response.


I for one (thegools - 1/24/2007 12:24:30 AM)
was glad to do it.  Everyone of us who helped his candidacy whether it started in Dec. 2005 or at the ballot box in Nov 2006, everyone of us made a difference in getting him in there.  I couldn't be more pleased with what I am seeing, I am not surprised, but I am mighty pleased.
  Who else is glad this night to say Webb is our Senator...from Virginia?


hell (chiefsjen - 1/24/2007 11:47:56 AM)
i was badgering a brand new employee at work the day OF the election to go vote for webb when she got off work.  she did and i hugged her for it.

talked to the grocery clerk near my house, proudly displayed his bumper stickers and yard signs and would talk anyone's ear off that would listen (and even some who wouldn't) about him.

he's the best!



Powerful speech (mbmarkham - 1/23/2007 11:36:14 PM)
Even David Brooks liked it -- said "A Star is Born".  Great speech; Virginia is proud.


Webb's Speech (tvhost - 1/23/2007 11:37:27 PM)
I was very impressed with Senator Webb's Speech... Makes Me Proud to be a Virginian...


Wooohoo! (Silver Fox - 1/23/2007 11:37:43 PM)
I am so proud to be a Virginia resident tonight!  Jim Webb was awesome!


Now that is what I call a Senator (relawson - 1/23/2007 11:38:41 PM)
Senator Webb is by far my favorite elected representative.  His words on economic fairness hit home for me.  And I hope his words on Iraq hit home for the President.  We need a new direction on both Iraq and Economic fairness.

Best damned Democratic response I have EVER heard!!!



Exactamundo. (phriendlyjaime - 1/23/2007 11:50:36 PM)
That was incredible. 


That WAS the best (thegools - 1/24/2007 12:31:35 AM)
State of the Union Response I have ever heard too.  No question. (Sorry Gov. Kaine.  I still like you though.)


Until last Year with Tim Kaine I didn't bother..... (Used2Bneutral - 1/24/2007 10:29:00 AM)
Tim was very good, Webb was amazing.... it made up for all the circular inaccurate BS from "W".....


I wonder what all the people who opposed Webb (Lowell - 1/24/2007 10:57:47 AM)
during the 2006 primary and general elections are thinking now.  Alternate history:  Jim Webb isn't "drafted," doesn't run for Senate, doesn't win the primary thanks to huge grassroots/netroots support, George Allen is re-elected and on his way to the White House.  Yeah, let's stick with the current version of history! :)


i just (chiefsjen - 1/24/2007 11:49:27 AM)
vomited in my trashcan at that thought!  please make the horror stop! and oh yeah, thanks again Lowell -- you are a genius and a true american and true virginian!


Lowell, I was trying (madgranny - 1/24/2007 2:42:41 PM)
to imagine George Allen last night. I could see him sitting there, big ol' cowboy boots on the table, watching and agreeing with the president. Then Jim Webb comes on and delivers that great response. I would have loved to have seen Felix's face.


Here he is! (Lowell - 1/24/2007 2:50:25 PM)


"A Start is Born", says Mark Shields (Catzmaw - 1/23/2007 11:44:11 PM)
And the speech was "strong and intense" in his reactions on PBS.

David Brooks declared it "confrontational", but also said that the the old adage saying "freshmen should be seen and not heard has been set aside", and agreed with Shields that a star is born.  Brooks snarked something about Webb not being able to be civil to Bush and Shields leaped to Webb's defense and said he would be happy to give Brooks Webb's side of the story.  Brooks noted that Webb has been very consistent on both the economy and the war since his campaign and said that he didn't see any signs of bipartisanship, at least on Iraq. 

Both commentators agree that Webb will be a major influence in moving the Democratic party toward a more populist economic stance.

In watching Webb's speech I was struck by the intensity which overcame him when he began to talk about the war.  At no point did he lack intensity, but he was compelling and charismatic on a totally different level when he spoke of the Iraq.



I meant "spoke of the Iraq war". Went a little ADD there. (Catzmaw - 1/23/2007 11:47:22 PM)


A Star is Born (Bernie Quigley - 1/24/2007 9:54:54 AM)
Mark Shields is absolutely correct. On his first public day as a national figure, Jim Webb is already a living legend. Historians will look to lsat night and today as the first day of the new century. It was one of the best speeches I have ever heard, bringing in the spirit of three great Americans to his camp who changed the tide of history, Jackson, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower; Presidents who changed the world as much by the force of their personalities and by their insight and abilities. Webb will do the same. It is possible to see now something extraordinary awakening within the Demographic Party and something rising as well in the heart of the common man. In terms of policy discussion it was on a level with the greatest minds and the greatest strategists, but when he talked about bringing his father's picture to bed with him it made this grown man cry. It takes a real man to do that.


What's amazing is that I heard the same thing (Lowell - 1/24/2007 10:01:47 AM)
when I first talked to Jim Webb back in December 2005.  I remember getting home from that meeting and immediately looking up Andrew Jackson on the internet.  I had studied him in High School, but my memory was a bit fuzzy.  Something tells me we're going to be hearing a lot more about "Jacksonian Democracy" over the next few years (not to mention my all-time hero, the "Bull Moose" Teddy Roosevelt!). :)


Monday Night (Gordie - 1/24/2007 10:27:21 AM)
Chris Mathews said Bush better make a good SOTU because he heard part of Webb"s and it was dynamic. Bush made the best of his career and still sucked.
Yes, Jim was dynamic and he makes me proud to be an American. Irregardless of Politics, he is the best in thought and getting to be the best in delivering those thoughts.


Webb's Heart/Head/Spoken-word connection (Used2Bneutral - 1/24/2007 11:24:50 AM)
Just keeps getting better..... the reason his speech and debate skills/content are so good is that they are HIS ideas and thoughts.... his delivery dynamics are definitely getting better as well, but I hope he never looks and sounds like the stereotypical politician...... it would take from his honest credible first impression.


Shorter Webb: (Different Drum - 1/23/2007 11:44:17 PM)
"Lead, or get out of the way."


Even shorter Webb. (Lowell - 1/24/2007 12:46:37 AM)
Cooperate or die.


Resistance is futile ... (Catzmaw - 1/24/2007 12:59:54 AM)


Jim Webb is so manly (DanG - 1/24/2007 11:31:11 AM)
That merely standing next to him causes other Democrats to sprout Chest Hair.


Yes, Even.... (BP - 1/24/2007 11:47:35 AM)
female Democrats.


Ackk!!! Let's not get carried away. (Catzmaw - 1/24/2007 11:54:44 AM)


Attention Female Democrats (Chris Guy - 1/24/2007 12:08:26 PM)
Step Away from Jim Webb. Please.


The right response from the right messenger (JPTERP - 1/23/2007 11:50:44 PM)
I was listening to this on NPR.  The commentators were starting to effuses about the Democratic response afterwards--e.g. that it was powerful, that it wasn't a pro-forma political speech--and then the moderator moved the discussion to a different topic.

I'm curious to see if E.J. Dionne writes an Op-Ed about the Democratic rebuttal over the next day or two.



Thanks Jim! (Bubby - 1/23/2007 11:52:28 PM)
This was easily the most powerfully crafted response to a George W. Bush speech we have ever witnessed. Just what America needed to hear.

"When comes the end?" asked the General [Eisenhower] who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two. And as soon as he became President, he brought the Korean War to an end.

These Presidents [Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower] took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.

That, for the benefit of those not familiar, was a glove hitting the floor.  President Bush, you are on notice. Thank you James Webb.



Out of the Park ! (hereinva - 1/24/2007 12:00:51 AM)
Jim nailed it out of the park ! Fantastic reply. Thank-you Senator Webb .


Reaction from around the blogosphere (Chris Guy - 1/24/2007 12:02:42 AM)
is great. Democrats around the country are going nuts.


Some on the blogosphere (Oakton Dem - 1/24/2007 1:24:10 AM)
are now talking about Webb as a VP pick or eventual Presidential nominee.  What a reversal of fortune.  A year ago, people were toasting an Allen run for the Presidency and Webb was a nobody.  Who would have believed it??


And is anybody who's been following Webb (Chris Guy - 1/24/2007 11:41:16 AM)
for the past year the least bit surprised by this reaction? Nope.


Webb's rebuttal (seamusotoole - 1/24/2007 12:11:56 AM)
Senator James Webb.  You hit the ball out of the park.  I am so proud to be from Virginia and so glad that I worked so hard to get this man elected.  What a fabulous response.
Jimmy Webb wherever you are I hope you get to hear your Dad's speech.  How proud I am to hear a Democrat in Congress speak his mind and not be afraid of what others think.  This speech was from the heart and he's earned the right to express what he feels.  His entire family has served this country.  God Bless American and God Bless Virginia and God Bless Jim Webb. You have already served us well.


I hope young Jimmy gets to SEE his old man's speech (Catzmaw - 1/24/2007 12:55:39 AM)
because it was extraordinary the way he introduced his father's WWII pic and then sequed into discussion of why his family and others enlist, and then segued into an extension of his 1990 speech at the Confederate War Memorial where he described leaders as holding soldiers' lives in a "sacred trust".  What a passionate statement it was, and so eloquently set forth, eyes blazing with intensity.  The C-Span people and PBS folks both mentioned that he wrote the speech himself.  Dubya's speech was prepared by a team of spinmeisters over several months, and endlessly revised and rehearsed.  Webb knocked his out on his own with just a few days to prepare, and all while doing his work in the Senate.  Awesome response. Dubya's never written an eloquent statement in his life and never had an original thought, either.  I'd suggest an unscripted debate over Iraq between them but Webb probably has scruples against combat against an unarmed and helpless opponent.


Thanks Jim! (Greg Kane - 1/24/2007 12:27:45 AM)
The country now knows why Virgina elected you.


Webb's speech- FULL TEXT HERE (thegools - 1/24/2007 12:37:35 AM)
http://www.nytimes.c...


could someone replace the Drudge link (Nell - 1/24/2007 11:05:06 AM)
with thegools' kindly-provided NYT link above?

Thanks, tg, and thanks in advance to Lowell or tk.



I linked to the Washington Post because (Lowell - 1/24/2007 11:08:19 AM)
the NY Times is behind a paid "firewall."


And to think... (Lowell - 1/24/2007 12:49:47 AM)
...almost a year ago to this day, Jim Webb had decided NOT to run for US Senate.  Thank goodness, he changed his mind shortly thereafter.  Just imagine if he had decided to keep making movies, writing books, traveling the world, and overall having a great life.  Hey, wait a minute, no wonder why he didn't want to run for Senate! :)


Do you remember all the people on the blogs that were ripping (thegools - 1/24/2007 1:28:29 AM)
him up about "dragging his feet?" Who could blame the guy for not jumping in to the Senate race without some serious soul searching.  He had a good private, comfortable life.

People forgot that the only reason he was seriouly considering a run was because of the pressure of the draft effort.  He was thrust into this to a great degree. 

I remember being crestfallen when you released the news that he would not run, but then was cheered when Webb responded to my email saying he was still considering it.

Boy, i am glad he made the plunge!!  Thank you to him and his family for giving him to Virginia instead of keeping him quietly for themselves.  Webb and his family have given up a lot that we could have him as our Senator.



First time I saw him . . . (Bernie Quigley - 1/24/2007 11:01:18 AM)
I wrote about Jim I think last April - before the primary when he was having a hard time raising money - I knew that he would be an instant folk hero as he embodies Virginia and Appalachian values; love-based values - community, family, character, honor. Y'all in Virginia may not be aware but up here in New Hampshire and Rhode Island when I was in high school in early 1960s, we went to the Newport Folk Festival and first heard people like Doc and Merle Watson, the Carter Family Singers, Johnny Cash and a variety of other folk, blue grass and gospel groups. It was like nothing we had been raised with in our own culture. It changed out lives completely and eventually it changed the world - we had never experienced that before; we learned that something deep in the hills and hollows of North Carolina and Virginia belonged to us and was us. I knew Jim Webb would bring that same authenticity to the country as a political figure.


After 6 years of Bush (Lowell - 1/24/2007 11:04:37 AM)
...Americans are truly craving authenticity and honesty, as opposed to Bush's smarminess and lies.  Well, we've now got a shining example of that with Jim Webb - "Leadership We Can Trust!"



Thanks (KathyinBlacksburg - 1/24/2007 11:38:51 AM)
Thanks ...for posting this video again, Lowell.  The whole country should see it.


wow (chiefsjen - 1/24/2007 12:00:50 PM)
i'd never seen that before.  seriously made me cry and made me wish i could vote for him all over again.  :)


You will, Chiefsjen, some time in the next six years (Catzmaw - 1/24/2007 12:13:42 PM)
and isn't it great knowing you made the right choice the first time?


i wont :( (chiefsjen - 1/24/2007 2:43:48 PM)
we'll be moving away from Va for good come this summer (we were supposed to move last summer) and god i am so glad we didn't -- cuz i was able to meet Webb 4 times, get his autograph twice (including my x-mas gift of fields of fire) do some good campaigning for him, meet barack obama and mark warner and tim kaine and andy hurst and judy feder, and appear in one of webb's commercials.

tho if and when he runs again (whether for senate, vp, pres) i will be there in spirit to support him!!!



There it was. (Neal2028 - 1/24/2007 1:01:05 AM)
11:57 pm on January 23rd, 2007.  Note the time and date.  A major reporter (Chris Matthews) mentioned Jim Webb as a possible VP candidate.


Where do they come up with this stuff? (Chris Guy - 1/24/2007 11:44:46 AM)
http://www.raisingka...


Response to Webb's speech (Susan Mariner - 1/24/2007 1:01:19 AM)
I was fortunate enough to host a party at the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach tonight.  The place was pretty much packed, and the response to Webb's speech was through the roof.  The energy was fantastic.  Even the inebriated Republicans from the bar thought Webb wiped the floor with Bush.  What a night to be a Democrat.

Thank you, Senator Webb!



Great SOTU Rebuttal! (Oakton Dem - 1/24/2007 1:05:56 AM)
That was the best SOTU rebuttal ever.  Webb has the passion, the experience, and the credentials to make Bush look exactly like what he is: a shallow idiot who has been in way over his head since day one.  When do they tangle next??  I can hardly wait.  I'm lovin' it every time they have an encounter.  Someone pinch me:  the Dems have finally found their voice!!


Jim Webb for President? (DanG - 1/24/2007 1:29:13 AM)
I personally don't think so, but the netroots are buzzing now.  Don't get me wrong, I love the idea.  But I don't want to lose my Senator!  I don't want to share!

Imagine if Jim Webb had been President after 9/11.  Not only would Osama have pissed his pants after a Webb Speech, but Secretary of State Bob Kerrey would've had to physically hold Webb back from grabbing an assualt rifle and heading over to Afghanistan himself!



If Jim Webb had been POTUS after 911 (phriendlyjaime - 1/24/2007 11:06:45 AM)
Osama Bin Forgotten by Bush would have been dead.  Period.  Now, we "don't even think about him that much anymore."


Not to throw cold water on this, BUT (Used2Bneutral - 1/24/2007 11:43:03 AM)
Jim Webb has the skills, the knowledge and now the opportunity to be an amazing Senator. We all have a responsibility to help him become that. BUT, let's not even consider de-focusing him from that job.  The need for BIG Money, the monsterous amounts of Time, the "Swift-boats" BS times 100 that WILL come eventually, like it or not, will add a whole other universe of effort.  I think the real sleeper for 08 still is Al Gore and he can wait until in the cycle before the convention. He has the money (over $500 Mil from his Google stock), the skills, the name recognition, the experience and now the credibility on issues like "Global Warming" with enough buy-in even from some Republicans. I could definitely see a Gore/Obama ticket making it a landslide with more coat-tails to fill in some more Senate and House seats too.


I think it's safe to say (DanG - 1/24/2007 1:44:39 AM)
That Jim Webb will be one of the headline speakers at the DNC convention in Denver in 2008.


Indeed (DukieDem - 1/24/2007 1:54:22 AM)
Obama/Webb 08


I don't know if he'll be on the ticket (DanG - 1/24/2007 11:32:36 AM)
But he'll definitely be one of the top speakers!


I have never been more proud of my efforts in a campaign... (FxbAmy - 1/24/2007 1:51:37 AM)
Webb proved why so many Dems were loyal and even fierce advocates for him. If the national Party recognizes non-traditional candidates like Jim who resonate with the national conscience we can't lose in 2008.

But not our junior Senator, he has work to do for the Commonwealth.  We drafted him, let Dean find his own!



Just came back from Baileys (drmontoya - 1/24/2007 2:23:20 AM)
In Ballston (Arlington). Great attendance. Lowell Feld, Will Edwards, a few Webb staffers, & Sarah Webb.

It was a great night, and a great speech by Sen. Webb.



awesome. i was at... (Jambon - 1/24/2007 4:06:58 AM)
Sign of the Whale in Falls Church with the Fairfax County Democrats.  We probably had a good 35 people there at least.

Our "Bush Bingo" victor was none other than 11th District Chairman George Burke.  Congrats George!

The place went nuts with applause on Jim's last line of his rebuttal.  What a speech and what a night! 



From The LA Times: (mkfox - 1/24/2007 5:14:21 AM)
When the more experienced leadership presumed to write his rebuttal speech, the ex-Marine-turned-senator threw it away, retreated to the condo overlooking the Iwo Jima memorial where he penned his seven novels, and wrote a speech of his own.

http://www.latimes.c...



Jim is Man in the Center (Bernie Quigley - 1/24/2007 6:52:30 AM)
Jim Webb is the Man in the Center of a new Democratic Party.


he is a leader (martha - 1/24/2007 7:23:04 AM)
I truly expected no less. He has impressed me from the beginning and continues to.
My parents ( mom and dad) were both WWII vets and that picture of his dad just did it for me.
I really hope his vision for diplomacy will be valued in the days to come.


"A Star is Born" (Lowell - 1/24/2007 8:15:52 AM)
According to Mark Shields:

I would say it was -- to be trite, I guess, a star was born. I think that the old line that freshmen should be seen and not heard was totally repealed and revoked. He spoke forcefully. He spoke from his own credentials.

[...]

I think that Jim Webb -- we don't separate the message from the messenger in American politics. And he is, as David said it, because of his own credentials, his own history, he's a very effective messenger, a strong messenger. So I think the message is reinforced. And I think he made it.



Unconfirmed rumor about Bush after Webb's rebuttal (Jambon - 1/24/2007 9:09:40 AM)
from blogger Matt Hamilin:


From what I hear, the White House staff was searching high and low for the best proctologist in DC after Webb spoke. Apparently Bush had a large military boot shoved someplace uncomfortable that needed removal.

hehe :)



This Liberal Supports Webb For President Over ANYONE Else (Matt H - 1/24/2007 9:25:11 AM)
Webb absolutely Rocks!

As a true and proud liberal, Webb speaks my language better and more sincerely than any of the Democratic candidates in the field primarily because he calls it like he sees it - not based on political polls.  He's not slick and he's not fake.  Could you imagine him asking Hillary what it was like being a Wal-Mart board of directors member? DRAFT WEBB '08.

He is the best person in the Senate since the late-great Wellstone and I'm so happy he's from Virginia (the Minnesota of the South!!).

I challenge any one to tell me who is better qualified than Webb for our country in '08.

-Matt Harris



seriously! (Jambon - 1/24/2007 10:32:50 AM)
when is the last time a Democrat has called out CEO's and all of Corporate America like that to a national audience???  Hell, you might have to go back to FDR!

i bet everyone over at the DLC was squirming in their seats listening to that stuff (including some of our "K Street" boys like Rahm and Steny)! 

i loved every minute of it! 



And this on Kos (which I am sure everyone saw but still...) (adshubert - 1/24/2007 10:42:29 AM)
This on Kos:

  I think we have to go out of our way to congratulate Jim Webb, tonight. Webb's response was the best Democratic SOTU response I've seen during the Bush administration. I have to wonder what effect that comparison -- both visually and rhetorically -- will have on Americans that tuned in to watch both.

I've been lurking and very infrequently postng on RK since I found it a few weeks before Gov. Kaine's historic victory.  I think--like most reasonable folks--blogs are just one part of the full spectrum of political activism in terms of getting people elected or policy influenced, but there is no question that the main reason in the space of one year Jim Webb went from medium-famous author and historian to a national political figure is due to the efforts both in the air (blogs) and on the ground (campaigning) of Lowell and the legions of posters and activists on this site.  I moved to Virginia in Oct. 1994 and promptly watched the GOP ascend to power in the Commonwealth unseen in a century.  All of us worked and worked on the local level to push them back, and now one could argue that despite our lack of majorities in the legislature, the Democratic party in Virginia has never been stronger, more vibrant, more dynamic, more relevant, and more reflective of the values of Virginians than ever before.  The fact that Leslie Byrne and Jim Webb both represent the Virginia Democratic Party on a statewide level truly shows how far we've come in a short time.  Sure, there's always more work to be done and 2007 is another in a long line of pivotal elections for our party and state, but every now and then we can watch someone like our junior senator on TV last night and allow a little smile of satisfaction of a job well done.



Key line (Lowell - 1/24/2007 10:55:22 AM)
"Sure, there's always more work to be done and 2007 is another in a long line of pivotal elections for our party and state..."

We did it in 2005 with Tim Kaine.  We did it in 2006 with Jim Webb.  Now, let's keep the momentum going in 2007 as we take back the State Senate and make significant gains in the House of Delegates!



The Blood of the Infantry (Hoss - 1/24/2007 10:58:17 AM)
The quote below was posted in the Operatiions Center of US European Command when I was posted there in 1999-2000.  It was a poke in the chest to the Intellience Staff and Leadership to remind us that we held the lives of men and women in our hands.  It is clear the the blood of the infantry runs through the veins of Jim Webb.

"Let the blood of the infantry flow through your veins,or the blood of the infantry will be on your hands." -GEN John A. Wickham, Jr (US Army Chief of Staff)



In the 12 hours since Webb's amazing SOTU response... (Loudoun County Dem - 1/24/2007 11:14:25 AM)
I have received a half dozen emails/calls from friends and family around the country thanking me for volunteering and working so hard to get Jim elected. For a few of them it was the first time they had seen him and they were giving me the "now I see why" call.

Is anyone else getting (re)thanked for being part of this historic movement?



Brought tears to the eyes... (KathyinBlacksburg - 1/24/2007 11:50:16 AM)
Webb's response was awesome in content, tone, and presentation.  And the firmness he expressed concerning the legislative branch's authority has been so lacking for the past few years.  So refreshing!

He blew out of the water the rubber-stamping Dems who helped bring us to this point in Iraq.  And he implicitly staked the definition of credibility for the upcoming presidential campaign: Pushovers and three-year-late apologists need not apply.

It really makes me glad I went door-to-door for Webb.  Would do it again, but only for the right candidate.



Finally the light breaks through (Rebecca - 1/24/2007 12:09:37 PM)
After 6 years of living under the low cloud cover of spin, lies, and media manipulation finally the light breaks through and someone tells it like it is. Thank you Jim Webb.

Earlier in the evening I heard one of Bush's speech writers in a radio interview. He said Bush was busy rehearsing to make sure he puts on a good show. He said it not once, but three times. So we finally learn that Bush is as he once said "a media creation". I'm sure his time in the Drama Club in college is really paying off. However that's about all his speech was. His policies are bankrupt and, except his war policies and his congratulations to a few lucky millionaires and a few people with far nore courage than he, he seemed to have borrowed the majority of his speech from Nancy Pelosi's playbook.

On the other hand Webb is a leader who was drafted by the grassroots. In that sense Webb illustrates Tolstoy's theory of how leaders arise. Tolstoy believed that leaders arise because society has a specific need at a specific time. The leaders who arise fulfill unspoken yearings of their supporters. That's certainly the case with Webb who was reluctant to run at first. Certainly Webb is more representative of this than Bush who was thrust upon us by the Supreme Count in a political vote.

Webb speaks the thoughts of Democrats and many Republicans. I think he will have a great future as long as he sticks to his principles.



Thanks for Tolstoi (Bernie Quigley - 1/24/2007 12:21:56 PM)
Thanks for bringing in the great Taoist father of our century, Tolstoi. It is entirely appropriate. A society finds its own antidote to its own weakness and miasma if it still has a life force & Jim is that antidote and is proof that Virginia and America still have a life force. I happened to see just yesterday on TV a repeat of an annual parade in a Greek neighborhoon in Canada celebrating the day Greece stood up to fascism - such a day is recalled throughout history as the day of awakening. It takes time to muster the courage to face the intimidator and the brute, but America crossed that river last night.


Thanks to Lowell (LAS - 1/24/2007 12:36:54 PM)
I don't think people can adequately express their gratitude and appreciation enough to you today. Many, many, many thanks for getting our man into the race and for all your hard work and tireless efforts.

It's a proud day for all of us.



Hey, no problem. (Lowell - 1/24/2007 1:34:18 PM)
Anything else I can do for our state and our country, just ask! :)


ok, I'm asking (CommonSense - 1/24/2007 8:55:41 PM)
Grisham for the 5th.