A Time To Fight

I'm reading this at present. So far, so-so.

Senator Jim Webb (Dem., Virginia), roots in Northern Ireland, has led an interesting life (Marine Corps, Vietnam, injuries, then a long career as a writer and journalist, before winning election to the U.S. Senate by a tiny majority of votes). Much of what he decries as wrong with America in the first few pages of "A Time To Fight" are issues which the Obama campaign brought to national attention (growing opposition to the Iraq war, health care costs, the environment, politicians exploiting petty obsessions with gay marriage/abortion). But he seems to be as sincere and genuine an egotist as ever girded himself for service in the arena of the United States Senate.

And yes, he is a fighter: he boxed from the age of twelve, and I can attest to memories of various Webb families in and around my home town of Dungannistan, Northern Ireland, many of them wild, fightin' men and equally wild women; hilarious tales are told.

More telling a tale about Webb, is this gem: November 28th, 2006, a reception is held at the White House to welcome newly elected members of Congress. According to a Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia, aides warned President Bush to be "extra sensitive about talking to Webb about his son, since Webb's Marine Corps son had had a recent brush with death in Iraq."

The President approached Webb and asked him, "How's your boy?" Webb, who campaigned as a veteran utterly opposed to the Iraq War, replied: "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President."

Bush responded: "That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?"

Webb responded: "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President."

The Hill newspaper cited an anonymous source who claimed that Webb was so angered by the exchange that he confessed he was tempted to "slug" the president. Oh, I would have given an arm and a leg to see that. But they patched things up! And so there is a photo of Webb and his son with the Amoralist-in-Chief, W., from 2007.

[Also, Webb defeated that racist asshole George Allen in the 2006 Senate race. Well done!]