The Gentleman From Virginia

The American Spectator ^ | 11/30/2006 | R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.

[AnnGora]

WASHINGTON -- When Ronald Reagan's former secretary of the navy, James Webb, eked out victory against the Republican Senator George Allen in Virginia, what did the Democrats gain? To be sure they gained control of the Senate. That has been widely noted. Less widely noted is the fact that they gained something infinitely more subtle, but delightfully more amusing as will become apparent in the months ahead. In Webb they gained yet another very unpleasant person as a conspicuous member of the party hierarchy. He will not be easily obscured. Webb now takes his place with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Dr. Howard Dean, Al Gore, Jean-Francois Kerry, and so many other Democratic notables as a rebarbative blowhard with whom you would not want to share a gondola.

[Zack Nguyen]

According to the Hill, Webb even told a source for the paper that "he was so angered by this [encounter] that he was tempted to slug the commander-in-chief."

Sounds like Sentator Webb has a little anger management problem. Had he given into this temptation, he'd be in a jail cell right now.

[popdonnelly]

"At what point in time will the Sheeple even notice?"

When they stop buying the PR crap that gets passed off as a political campaign. When you point out a candidate's foibles, you get accused of negative campaigning, for Pete's sake.

[uncbob]

Yeah they are all nut jobs

But that didn't stop the voters from electing them and damn near making Gore president and Kerry only lost by one state

[silverleaf]

rebarbative?

[Brilliant]

I'm not sure he's gonna make it 6 years. He's got the Nixon persona. He played a lot of dirty tricks on Allen.

If I were in the media, or in the GOP, I'd start looking at the info in the public records to see what laws he violated during the election. I bet there are a bunch. The most obvious place to start would be with fundraising. He's the kinda guy who left a lot of buried bodies in his path.

[AnnGora]

Tyrrell does have a way with words.

[LibLieSlayer]

Newt is a failure, as are his statements. He has no place in the Republican Party, after stating that MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ IS A FAILURE. He is not worthy of print. I will actively work against ANYTHING he does in the future.

LLS

[twonie]

To me, Newt has an edge about him. He's in the same category as Dick Morris. I will listen to them when they come on with O'Reilly or Hannity, but I am alwasy glad to see them go. Guess Tyrell knows something more about Newt.

[jazusamo]

All good points but short of someone having a video of him murdering someone he'll surely weather his six years, he's a donk. :-)

[muleskinner]

He resigned as SECNAV because he wanted a 600 ship Navy and Carlucci didn't. Budget issue's with Congress and such.

He didn't get his way, so he quit. In his resignation letter, Webb said he couldn't support him (Carlucci) personally, due to his (Carlucci's) previous decison of not backing the 600 ship Navy budget.

Why would Webb use "personally" in his resignation letter, or is that just boilerplate for the occasion?

We may have a live one here.

[top 2 toe red]

Webb sounds like a total braggart blowhard, attempting to make himself out to be the 'BIGGG MAN' by boasting about his temptation to punch the President.

I seriously doubt this happened as he related it...that does not sound like something W would say or how he would say it.

He reminds me of a puffed up school yard bully trying to promote his toughness by lying and exaggeration, I'd say the Senator elect has serious self-esteem issues.

[PzLdr]

You sure that's not "making his bones"?...a phrase which goes back to an institution far older [and at least as moral] as the great dissembler.

[popdonnelly]

By golly, you're right.

[billbears]

so many other Democratic notables as a rebarbative blowhard with whom you would not want to share a gondola

What's he talking about? That describes any politician.

[Democratshavenobrains]

He reminds me of the worst side I've read about Jefferson Davis. When he was a Senator, everyone says he used to take political disagreements as an insult on his honor.

[BamaDi]

a friend of mine who worked for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said based on her experience with webb the folks of VA won't have to put up with him for too many years as he always gets bored and quits whatever he's doing...one can only hope! (Now for a much more important question - who the he!! is Alabama going to hire as our new coach?)

[fieldmarshaldj]

Tyrrell's article still manages to point out Webb's virtues, leaving out his perverse scribblings, Klan-shoots, and rabid anti-Semitism.

[LiveFree99]

I starting to believe that Webb's tough guy/Irish bully act is just that, an act. Yes, he is a hothead, but a brawler ready to spring into action at any time? How many fist fights has he had in the past 25 years or so? I would think that if he had punched out even one person during that time it would have already become known. The secondhand report of his wanting to punch the president is just to inflate his ego and play to the haters in the Rat party. It reveals not only a boor, but a coward.

[x]

Now would be a good time to dig out those old American Spectators from the eighties and see how Tyrrell and his magazine wrote about Webb back in the day.

Of course, Webb's the turncoat, but Tyrrell doesn't come out of this looking that good either.

The "I always knew he was a louse or a loony but couldn't tell you until he went over to the other side" approach leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.

[LiveFree99]

Funny you should mention it, but I recently dumped a bunch of old circa-80s American Spectators as part of a desperately needed house cleaning.

I'm guessing that TAS didn't have too much to say about Webb back then; Webb was just a news blip before disappearing after quitting his Secretary's position in a hissy fit. Feel free to research it, though.