And in the process has no doubt endeared himself to the MSM. Why? Read on:
At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia’s newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized on the stump this fall. But it wasn’t long before Bush found him.
“How’s your boy?” Bush asked, referring to Webb’s son, a Marine serving in Iraq.
“I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President,” Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme.
“That’s not what I asked you,” Bush said. “How’s your boy?”
“That’s between me and my boy, Mr. President,” Webb said coldly, ending the conversation on the State Floor of the East Wing of the White House.
[…]
“I’m not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall,” Webb said in an interview yesterday in which he confirmed the exchange between him and Bush. “No offense to the institution of the presidency, and I’m certainly looking forward to working with him and his administration. [But] leaders do some symbolic things to try to convey who they are and what the message is.”
In the days after the election, Webb’s Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill went out of their way to make nice with Bush and be seen by his side. House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sat down for a lunch and photo opportunity with Bush, as did Democratic leaders in the Senate.
Not Webb, who said he tried to avoid a confrontation with Bush at the White House reception but did not shy away from one when the president approached.
I’m with Dana Pico, on this one. He asks:
My question would be: if the honorable gentleman from Virginia didn’t want to be seen or photographed with, or polite to, the President of the United States, why did he attend a White House reception in the first place? He’s a free man; he could have stayed away.
Disgusting.
Indeed. So much for being able to ‘put differences aside in order to be able to work together’, eh?
Looks like we have another juvenile Bush hater in the Senate, folks. Just what we needed.
Hat tip: Brian at Iowa Voice, who notes that the Nutroots are lapping it up.
Read more via K-Lo, Michael van der Galien at The Moderate Voice
(Cross-posted at Right Wing News)
It’s a shame, too. Jim Webb almost seemed like the kind of democrat I could tolerate. Before the election, I kept saying, “if it weren’t for the war it might be fun to see what the dems could do…” Unfortunately, it is not going got be fun to watch folks like this–who, though he denies it, does disrespect the presidency–will be making decisions about the war. What a shame!
Comment by jeff @ 11/29/2006 - 10:10 am
Yes, disgusting that freshman Senator Webb (a) attended a White House function for freshman senators, and (b) answered Bush’s question with the same degree of flippancy as it was asked and (c) that his answer was honest!
My, isn’t it infuriating!
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 10:52 am
And as usual, the peanut gallery weighs in with a sarcastic, equally juvenile answers that tries to excuse away an unexcusable response by one of their own. How surprising. Not.
Here’s some advice: Grow. Up.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 10:56 am
to quote a commenter elsewhere:
Asking a man who ran a very anti-war campaign and has a son in harm’s way in Iraq how his son is doing is incredibly naive, cruel or stupid of George Bush.
What did Bush expect? More than anything, it shows his callousness and the fact that he’s just an a-hole.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 10:56 am
Here’s some advice: Grow. Up.
Right. Sarcasm is juvenile, that’s why you never use it, ST?
Maybe if Webb grew up, he would learn to lick the boss’s boots when he comes swaggering over with a flippant remark.
Oh wait, Bush isn’t even his boss.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 11:02 am
“….[answered] Bush’s question with the same degree of flippancy as it was asked”
- So biwah thinks that the president inquiring as to the situation with Webbs son is “flippant”. I think if somehow a large dose of civility, and just plain common sense, was injected into the brains of the average SecProgg, their heads would explode.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 11:03 am
“Right. Sarcasm is juvenile, that’s why you never use it, ST?”
That was said where exactly? That’s right, it wasn’t. Your strawman is noted with boredom.
“Maybe if Webb grew up, he would learn to lick the boss’s boots when he comes swaggering over with a flippant remark.”
Yes, asking how your son is doing in Iraq is a “flippant remark.” You guys are so completely clueless it’s almost sad. This isn’t about “licking boots” - of course, I can see how that would be to someone like you (and others like you) who don’t even understand what the word “civility” means, let alone know how to practice it.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 11:07 am
I confess to being pissy lately, but will be civil. I don’t think either of the men behaved in an exemplary way. I think calling Webb disgusting for saying he would like his son to come home is in itself disgusting. It’s hardly an ambush answer. First, it’s true. Second, Bush and a few hundred million of the rest of us are well aware of Webb’s feeling son the matter. For him to deflect the question gracefully would have been, well, graceful, but it was not “disgusting” of him to answer forthrightly.
As for Webb being a hypocrite for attending a White House function to which he was invited as a U.S Senator, I don’t thnk that even deserves a response.
Finally, whatever the quality of webb’s response, Bush’s response back was arrogant and incredibly rude. Disagree if you wish. I really believe I have the liberal lenses off when I say this. “that’s not what I asked you.” … !? WTF? It was beyond the pale of decency.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 11:33 am
And to be clear, I thought the phrasing of Bush’s original question (and the fact that he apparently opened the conversaton with it) was mildly flippant given the history between the men, their positions etc. But the real damage was done in the next exchange.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 11:36 am
“I confess to being pissy lately, but will be civil.”
And why you’ve been “pissy” is a mystery to me. You guys WON for crying out loud! I’d hate to see what mood ya’ll were in if you’d lost!
“I think calling Webb disgusting for saying he would like his son to come home is in itself disgusting. It’s hardly an ambush answer. First, it’s true. Second, Bush and a few hundred million of the rest of us are well aware of Webb’s feeling son the matter. For him to deflect the question gracefully would have been, well, graceful, but it was not “disgusting” of him to answer forthrightly.”
That’s a strawman. Dana (nor I, who agreed with him) said Webb was “disgusting” for saying he’d like his son to come home. Did you even READ what was written?
“As for Webb being a hypocrite for attending a White House function to which he was invited as a U.S Senator, I don’t thnk that even deserves a response.”
Of course not. Perhaps because you don’t have one?
“Finally, whatever the quality of webb’s response, Bush’s response back was arrogant and incredibly rude. Disagree if you wish. I really believe I have the liberal lenses off when I say this. “that’s not what I asked you.” … !? WTF? It was beyond the pale of decency.”
Um, knowing what Webb said about Bush and Iraq during the campaign, do you not think that Bush knew exactly what Webb thought of the war and didn’t need to be reminded that he “wanted our boys to come home”? If anyone acted like the jerk here, it was Webb, and I find it disappointing (but not surprising) that people are making excuses for him as if how he acted was justifiable. I guess this is all part of the “absolute moral authority” rule, eh? Bush should have just stood there and took it like a good little chastized President, right? The President realizes Republicans LOST the election, and came over to extend a hand in a gesture of good will to Webb, someone he’s going to have to work with in the Senate. The President takes enough grief over the Iraq war as it is. Do you think he deliberately walked over to Webb to ‘taunt’ him for no apparent reason, just so he would have to take more grief over it?
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 11:43 am
ST, let me help you out here. The reason Biwah and those like him/her can’t imagine that Bush was sincerely interested and was being flippant was because that is exactly what they would do in his position. They are all about hate and incivility. It is in their DNA. You hit it on the head: They won, yet this is how they act. Action is character.
Comment by Dave in CO @ 11/29/2006 - 11:59 am
lol, please make the case for Webb being a hypocrite for attending a white house function for senators. Do you need a picture of Bush on your wall, otherwise you may not accept such an invite?
Look, I can understand that Bush is in his toughest days so far. But his response was rude. As I said, Webb was not conciliatory. Where both of the men are concerned, it reflects more about the times we’re in than about either of their characters. It shows that neither one is superhuman.
By the way, “taunt” is a straw man. I said he was mildly flippant. As in, slightly off key. Very different.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 12:03 pm
Try your lines on someone else, biwah. You didn’t classify the President’ as “swaggering” up to Webb to give him a “flippant” remark about his son just for the hell of it.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 12:12 pm
That’s right, it was to make a measured point - to criticize Bush but not to dress him down, as explained in my 11:36 comment.
Come on, you cry strawman at the drop of a hat but feel free to conveniently infer whatever you want from my comments, even though I didn’t say it. I’ll trade my “swagger” for your “taunt”.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 12:27 pm
I’m not trading anything, biwah. You didn’t use that description of Bush walking up to him like that just to provide a mere description of his walking style.
The press, the far left, and other nuts have - for years - slammed the President’s ‘cowboy-esque arrogance and attitude’ on a number of issues. Cowboys noteably swagger.
It’s not a stretch to infer what you were saying. OTOH, you directly set up strawmen out of things I neither said nor implied. Big difference.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 12:36 pm
- I detect a certain Monday morning lassitude in the hard Left ST. They know quite well, “they” didn’t win anything. In fact, the only race they took any substancial part in, the Lamont mess-up, was a resounding failure, and so far the Blue dogs in Congress are holding sway, as witness the very first stubbles by Pelosi right out of the starting gate, and she han’t even officially taken office yet.
- Not a very auspicious start for the SecProggs, and things don’t look any better for the future. No wonder biwah is “pissy”. This is NOT how they thought it would be.
- Added to that “happy” situation, their once darling Fitzy, is now persuing the lap-dog MSM criminal NYT reporters, so even Christmas is not going to be fun this year for the moonbats.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 12:39 pm
I did not imply that Bush was taunting him. I said he was rude. Unsurprisingly, your “inference” (i.e. fabrication) was quite charitable to your argument. Kind of like how the anti-left broad brush chatter on this thread is mindless, but not necessarily dangerous. Quite the opposite, it’s pretty harmless.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 12:47 pm
You only THINK the chatter in this thread is “mindless” - that must have been why you thought you could get away with acting like you didn’t mean to infer anything but “rudeness” with your description of the President. Oh yes, of course you mean to say it was “rude” of the President to “swagger” up the Webb and “flippantly” ask about his son in Iraq. What a joke!
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 12:55 pm
- biwah - If you find the comments on this blog to be such “broad-brush chatter”, (what a hoot coming from the gaggle of hard-left idiotarians, nee “We hate bush” dripping from every word), why do you waste your precious time, dropping all your pernicious anti-Bush rhetoric here. Interesting question, wouldn’t you aggree? Must not be as harmless as you fecklessly contend.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 1:09 pm
BTW biwah. the core of your party, the ones with a modicum of common sense, are running away from the “cut and run” defeatist narrative like scalded geese, since they realize its political suicide leading up to ‘08. Apparently you didn’t get the memo.
- I think someone should drop by DNC headquarters and paint “HE”S NOT RUNNING AGAIN” in 10 foot red letters on the store front.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 1:15 pm
“why do you waste your precious time, dropping all your pernicious anti-Bush rhetoric here.”
because you dead enders need to be reminded of why most Americans cannot stand him - his policies, and him, personally.
Sorry, Webb is holds the moral high ground in this situation.
Comment by jvf @ 11/29/2006 - 1:17 pm
“Sorry, Webb is holds the moral high ground in this situation.”
- Maybe in the defeatist imaginary universe of the video game set. Nowhere else on the planet.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 1:22 pm
- Webb, as a junior Senator, will be taught and learn, the cordiality, mutual respect, and civility of the Congressional family, or he won’t last very long. All part of growing up, something the so-called “elitists” seem to forstall as long as possible.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 1:27 pm
Sorry, Webb is holds the moral high ground in this situation.
As well as his son’s prick in his mouth no doubt.
Comment by Severian @ 11/29/2006 - 1:27 pm
Yikes! Can we use a little different word for the slang one the next time around, Sev?
Delicate eyes are reading 
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 1:50 pm
OK, how about schwanstucke! Blucher!
Comment by Severian @ 11/29/2006 - 1:57 pm
He’s acting small. But my interpretation is it’s bigger than that. Jim “hates” Bush. When you can’t even answer in a civil way how your son is then to me his smallness was because he “hates”. Jim has taken disagreement to a level of hate. You can’t simply not agree with Jim’s position I guess.
Bi-wah commented negatively, “it shows his callousness and the fact that he’s just an a-hole.”
I disagree. Being cordial and asking caring questions and making an effort to communicate civilly is the polar opposite of your perspective it seems.
Dave in CO. You hit the nail on the head.
Comment by Baklava @ 11/29/2006 - 1:57 pm
jvf wrote, “because you dead enders need to be reminded of why most Americans cannot stand him - his policies, and him, personally.”
Yes. We are always reminded of your hate. You can’t simply disagree you have to turn it into hate because he doesn’t see things your way. That … is arrogance defined.
Comment by Baklava @ 11/29/2006 - 2:03 pm
Bang, the relevance percentage of your comments are running about even with Bush’s approval ratings.
the cordiality, mutual respect, and civility of the Congressional family
Yeah, when is that secret castration ceremony happening anyway? Til then, Webb will probably just continue eroding the stature of the institution with his damned honesty.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 2:07 pm
biwah wrote, “the relevance percentage of your comments are running about even with Bush’s approval ratings.”
Irrelevant to the discussion. The only person people can control is themselves and it is OUR opinion that Jim was acting small and not being cordial. A deflection to approval ratings does not justify Jim’s behavior.
biwah funnily wrote, “when is that secret castration ceremony happening anyway?”
And when does being civil or cordial or tactful or with manners mean you have to be castrated? It would be wise for everyone to act better and not justify their behavior with excuses of having a disagreement with someone’s policy.
There is a time and place for making policy or issue statements. It’s not a discussion about honesty biwah. It’s a discussion about knowing how to act. One things is sure, I’d never invite you to my house seeing what you think is or isn’t appropriate.
Comment by Baklava @ 11/29/2006 - 2:16 pm
Baklava,
I struck a reasonable position earlier, definitely not approving of Webb’s response, but it was met with a bunch of hardline wholesale attacks on the Left and Bush apologias. So your point is well taken but I’m taking it easy now.
Not that it’s relevant, but I don;t know that I’d qualify as a real Lefty anyway. Point being, Bang hardly knows what I think about more substantive issues, but he’s reeling off his typical screeds about our faulty DNA etc. Yawn.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 2:30 pm
Sorry, it was Dave with the DNA comment. It was Bang that referred to
the gaggle of hard-left idiotarians, nee “We hate bush” dripping from every word
while himself foaming at the mouth about I-don’t know-what.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 2:34 pm
WTH? Your position in this entire thread hasn’t been reasonable. Why in the world would you expect us to believe that you think that you “didn’t approve” of Webb’s response when throughout the whole thread you’ve described it as “honest”??? Does that mean you “don’t approve of honesty”?
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 2:35 pm
Is there no shame? After six years of Mr. Bush’s ruination of this country, he expects “normal” Americans to sit by and not comment on their wants or wishes? Mr Webb has a child serving in our armed forces - quick question for you - name 3 members of the bush administration who have worn a uniform. You can’t do it can you? So a parent expresses to the man who started a vanity war that he would like to see his son come home. What parent would not want their child home from a shooting war? All of you would want your children home from the war - right? This is what Mr. Webb stated. The fact the “dear leader” didn’t want to know what Webb truly thought, why ask him a question anyway? Rethugs have allowed bushco to avoid any talk of “reality”. Truth be told, most of you are forced to live in reality - right? But you don’t ask your dictator to live there also? Doesn’t that seem strange to you? Mr webb was not rude. Mr Bush was rude for allowing his ego and neocon friends to start this illegal invasion of a soverign nation. History will weep for this administration and all of you who blindly support dumbya.
Comment by Tom @ 11/29/2006 - 2:35 pm
“Bang, the relevance percentage of your comments are running about even with Bush’s approval ratings.”
- Maybe you’d be a good deal less Bush deranged if you didn’t believe everything you read in the Drive-by media.
- Oh, and like I care so much concerning what any brain dead SecProgg thinks is relevant, since I would’nt p** on the best of you anti-American scumbags if you were on fire. Hope that doesn’t sound too harsh, *chuckle*. Just being “honest” as you would put it.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 2:35 pm
Tom, do you guys have any freaking shame whatsoever? Save your “you’re a chickenhawk so you can’t comment” and other assorted tin-foil hat nonsense for people who don’t have anything better to do with their time.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 2:40 pm
“Truth be told, most of you are forced to live in reality - right? But you don’t ask your dictator to live there also? Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”
- I’ll tell you what seems “normative” to me. It’s perfectly normal for people to look for bogeymen and scapgoats when things don’t go perfectly in our “instant gratification” society. Particularly when a small minoroty make it their lifes work to spread discontent, and impatience, in the face of a very pliable, and intenesely extremist enemy. That some among us insist on greeting adversity with all the fortitude of a six year old child does not surprise me in the least.
- On the other hand, expecting the adults around you to act in the same immature manner, is not going to happen, so you will just continue to wallow in your defeatism by yourselves.
- Wake up Lefties. It isn’t going to happen. This isn’t 1972, and you’re not living in a hippie society anymore.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 2:48 pm
To Sister- Mark these words: History will weep for this administration and all of you who blindly support dumbya. Thats the truth, and you all know it!
Comment by Tom @ 11/29/2006 - 2:50 pm
I don’t think either of the men behaved in an exemplary way.
That’s what I said. I think Bush was the bigger jerk, but then again, as I said,
I can understand that Bush is in his toughest days so far. But his response was rude. As I said, Webb was not conciliatory. Where both of the men are concerned, it reflects more about the times we’re in than about either of their characters. It shows that neither one is superhuman.
Answer your question ST?
OK Bang, it’s all about “society” isn’t it? You and William Bennett, we lost all of our moral fiber in the 60’s and what’s a good partitoic conservative to do, blah blah blah. I don’t know what SecProgg is but I barely comprehend half of what you write anyway. Yes I’m an idiot (along with being an idiotarian) I’ll say it for you.
Are you actually a computer programmed to spew this stuff? Be honest now.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 2:55 pm
“Thats the truth, and you all know it!”
- Correction….thats the “truthiness” as you believe, and for reasons of your agenda, hope it is.
- So tell me Tom. Is it your position that those poor uneducated brown people in the middle East are just to underclassed and stupid to deal with the complexities of a Democratic form of governance, and therefore deserve to live under a murderous dictatorship? You just don’t want to be bothered with those uncivilized creatures, so you think we should just turn our backs on the ME?
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 2:59 pm
So, Baklava, what time should I come over? I’m a microbrew man, as you can probably guess from my politics.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 3:31 pm
Amazing! Thanks for the link Sis. I picked up the story from Brian @ Iowa Voice, then picked up your link, and then Salon picked it up. So far, I’ve had 255 hits, almost all of them libs who are just mad as can be.
Comment by Dana @ 11/29/2006 - 3:43 pm
I can’t speak for Sis, but when I used the word “disgusting,” it was a reference to Mr Webb’s conduct, not to him personally. I’ve never met the man, and have no idea whether he’s normally a nice guy who was having a bad day, or really is slime.
Comment by Dana @ 11/29/2006 - 3:45 pm
Tom wrote, “he expects “normal” Americans to sit by and not comment on their wants or wishes?”
Americans can and do comment on their wants and wishes. That’s not what this is about. It’s about how Webb responded to a reaching out type question as to how his son is doing. Policy or issue statements have their time and place. Do you not agree? It’s an issue of appropriate behavior.
You don’t justify inappropriate behavior due to your disagreements with Bush policies that you think are ruinous. Those are topics you debate on not something you justify behavior with. The only person you can control is your own words and actions.
Tom wrote, “So a parent expresses to the man who started a vanity war that he would like to see his son come home.”
You could’ve reworded to say that the President with the vote of most Democrats and Republicans sought to remove Saddam from power and have been trying to now do what we did with Germany and Japan and install a new government. Jim would like to see his son come home and last I checked Jim’s SON HAD VOLUNTEERED and there is NO DRAFT and he WASN’T ASKED (not yelling.. I’m capitalizing to make it clear) what policy decision he would make as Bush has HEARD Jim’s policy statements throughout the course of the campaign. The question was a reaching out and asking how his son was doing. Jim FAILED to respond appropriately.
Tom wrote, “The fact the “dear leader” didn’t want to know what Webb truly thought, ”
You can’t say what anybody “didn’t want to know” as you aren’t in anyone elses head but your own. I’ll state again that of course Bush knew what Webb thought on the subject of bringing the troops home. He’s seen his campaign commercials. He’s been on the news.
Additionally, the rethugs and dumbya comments display your hate and are inappropriate and rude also. You calling a war illegal doesn’t make it so either, it is irrelevant to the discussion and shows lack of clarity in thought and a diversion to the discussion.
Tom wrote, “History will weep for this administration and all of you who blindly support dumbya. Thats the truth, and you all know it!”
People will do as they wish. People (not history) will look at history and see 25,000 marines dying for Iwo Jima during WW2. People will see more of our troops dying in WW2 in a 4 week period than the 3+ years in Iraq. People will see a region changed with:
1) No more Saddam created mass graves
2) No more $25,000 payments to Palestinian suicide bombers
3) Women learning and become participants in elections
4) Radical Islamists killing people and torturing people in the name of Allah.
5) Democrats and other liberals giving aid and comfort to the enemy with their comments and fighting Bush with every tool that he has come up with in fighting the enemy in this GLOBAL war on terror. Not just a war against Osama or Afghanistan. Democrats ignoring that language and acting like Repubs are claiming Saddam was behind 9/11 when nobody is saying that phrase except Democrats.
That’s what history will show. Perspective. And yet it’s off topic. Sorry ST.
Comment by Baklava @ 11/29/2006 - 3:47 pm
biwah wrote, “I’m a microbrew man, as you can probably guess from my politics.”
I’m a microbrew, home brew, Samuel Adams brew, Guinness Brew and Coors brew kind of guy. I like ‘em all. I also ride the bus and care about this country, my daughters future, etc.
Doesn’t mean that your behavior or your lack of perspective on appropriate and inappropriate behavior would have you in any gathering of mine.
You should learn that disagreeing with somebody doesn’t give them the right to act inappropriately. Just my opinion.
Comment by Baklava @ 11/29/2006 - 3:51 pm
Baklava, I doff my hat to your diversity of beverages. Anyway, I intended it to mean that, as I stated early on in this thread (and as was summarily ignored), I don’t approve of either one’s behavior.
I can hardly disagree with the proposition that there is a time and place for raw honesty, and I will keep that in mind over the holidays while consorting with the extended family, in-laws, etc.
But there are also times when what a person lacks in grace and charm, he can make up for with refreshing, if inappropriate bluntness. Don’t get me wrong - those times are few and far between. I also understand that not everyone felt refreshed by it, and I am not jumping on anyone for feeling that way.
So in short: I can’t really defend either one, but got a kick out of Webb’s bluntness, think Bush was the bigger jerk, but acknowledge that there is a lot of pressure on very weighty issues, and that this exonerates both men of anything worse than some justifiable testiness. I would just ask that ST & Co. read my comments before screaming that my pants are on fire.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 4:03 pm
It NEVER ceases to amaze me how the biwahs of this great nation seem to have become profoundly obsessed with GW. Have I been in lockstep agreement? Could GW have done a much better job of holding the line? Absolutely. I’m mad at him for being more like them and less like me, in point of fact. We generally speak our minds when we don’t like what we’re seeing from our side of the aisle. On the other hand, goose-stepping and mindless droning is reserved for libs and other under educated idiots who instead of having the ba!!s to actually object to their parties actions, they cower behind their apologist facade and refuse to publicly or even privately object to the complete and udder lack of convictions their party, or more specifically their ideology. Lastly BIWAH, you refer to yourself as a ‘microbrew man’. I’d say ‘Microbrew Boy’ is more appropriate.
Comment by Enzo Ferarri @ 11/29/2006 - 4:09 pm
Enzo:
udder lack of convictions
call me overeducated, but I find this quite funny. Congrats, you spoke your mind. Unfortunately it’s written in some foreign language vaguely related to English.
But I beleive you just blasted me for not speaking my mind, when I have been attempting to speak my mind in the clearest possible way, getting blasted the whole way. and, all I was doing was applauding Webb for speaking his mind, even if it was not totally per social etiquette. And the apologists are all the Bush-lovers who think what he said to the father of a combat soldier was totally above board.
Cowering behind my apologist facade? I love it! WTF are you talking about? Try breathing, it helps.
Unlike Bang, you are definitely human. It would be hard to program such an off-kilter thought process as yours.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 4:26 pm
So Baklava - You are proud of what “dear leader” is doing to our country and the world? Really. So Hussein is gone - so what! He didn’t have anything to do with the chimps vanity war. So he was a “bad man”? That is not enough a reason to bankrupt our country and create thousands more terrorists for us to deal with. As to Mr Webbs “appropriate” behavior, well he did fine. Bush is no dictator and he should hear the concerns of loyal americans.
All of your thin reasons we invaded Iraq are unraveling. Even bushco doesn’t know how to consistently answer that question. For what it is worth, I don’t “hate” anybody (well maybe that purple dinosaur Barney). I certainly do not hate mr bush. The righties are so quick to equate our legitimate concerns with a hatred of some sort. That is not the case. Mr bush’s behavior and the behavior of his henchmen are to be considered before any talk of hating the “man”. And that is just the thing which makes me so confused. Bush will be gone soon. You can’t worship him anymore (maybe in Paraguay). So who you gonna worship? How about the constitution? Maybe the bill of rights? What about them? I have no idea how you are going to explain to your children that it is ok for government to spy on its citizens, or to suspend civil rights, or to bankrupt the nation, or to ignore human rights, or to re-write laws they don’t like, etc…Your children will discover that life in the us was much different before you folks became so scared of everything. I stand tall against the enemy. Loyal americans will stand tall against any enemy. Founding fathers are much smarter than you or me. They truly are smarter then dumbya. So why would you throw out the wise words and deeds of the founding fathers to replace them with bushco. I said it before, and I’ll say it again: History will (in fact) show that we could have done a much better job of fighting terrorsim if you folks wouldn’t have bought into the rethugs ‘fraidy cat concepts. Being scared (as you are) and believing in lies is a bad way to approach any serious challenge. To your comment about the dems voting for the AUTF, well if you are interested in current events, you would have known that bush lied to everybody about the facts and situation. You all know it. He says everybody got the same intelligence, well they didn’t. Thats what I mean when I write of history. All the lies and BS will make the light of day. Once out in the open, only your worship of your dictator will keep you from driving off a cliff in disgust. How could you have bought into such crap? God, you all probably think you are religous too. Jesus is weeping on you all. He is not proud of you turning away from his teachings. He would not invade a country, he would not torture, he would not lie to the planet (and his own citizens), he would not have turned the globe against the USA. You see, Jesus is truly a uniter. God bless America.
Comment by Tom @ 11/29/2006 - 4:37 pm
the cordiality, mutual respect, and civility of the Congressional family
As exhibited by the President and the Vice President.
Comment by atomicswerve @ 11/29/2006 - 4:42 pm
Pretty sad when a guy tries to be polite and someone else smacks him over it. Webb acted like a petulant child not an elected statesman.
As for Tom, well this is the left’s Bush Derangement at work. Make up anything you want about him Tom, call him any name you want. We are all suitably impressed and chastened…Not.
All it shows is your own idiocy, not his.
Once upon a time in America, manners and behavior mattered and were a source of pride. Now they are abandoned to the cult of anger. It’s sad when a man who behaves as a gentleman is considered an atavistic anachronism.
Life be not so short but that there is always time for courtesy. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Comment by Karl @ 11/29/2006 - 4:52 pm
Thank you atomicswerve for helping everybody remember just how civil and mature our leaders behave. God help us all.
Comment by Tom @ 11/29/2006 - 4:53 pm
Karl - please, sir. Invading a soverign nation is not polite. Lying repeatedly to the nation is not polite. Taking cronyism to a new level is not polite. Spying on everybody is not polite. Destroying our Constitution is not polite. True “gentlemen” do not live in the current White House. I make up nothing for Mr Bush. Sadly he provides all the ammunition anyone would ever need to question his sanity and leadership. I still have no idea why he has brainwashed you so much. Are you guys related or something? Please stop drinking the kool-aid. Please.
Comment by Tom @ 11/29/2006 - 4:58 pm
Once upon a time in America, manners and behavior mattered and were a source of pride.
Nowadays, we just sneak behind the German chancellor for a surprise shoulder rub and go on TV to say a vote for our political foes will result in terrorist attacks (oh, but it’s true - right, I forgot).
the cult of anger
Oooh, good one. Saying it really will make it so!
Has anyone even had the sac to assert that Vush rose above the fray and responded graciously to Webb? (but it was justified! - right, I forgot)
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 5:09 pm
Gimpy complained, on my site:
To which I responded:
Just a point of information for you Sis, if you care.
Comment by Dana @ 11/29/2006 - 5:15 pm
Biwah asked:
Actually, I think President Bush could have responded better than he did; it seems to me that he was caught off-guard on a social occasion, where he just assumed that the guests of honor, the incoming freshmen, were ladies and gentlemen, and knew how to behave themselves accordingly. That’s a weakness we Southerners have.
Comment by Dana @ 11/29/2006 - 5:18 pm
Dana, I agree with the first 2/3 of your comment. In fact, the gulf between “he’s an a-hole but it was the stress” (me) and “he was caught off-guard” (you) is not as wide as it might seem - but that last bit? Bush was feeling so hospitable, that he was taken aback, that he snapped at Webb?
Oh never mind, I applaud that argument on purely stylistic grounds. What else matters?
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 5:34 pm
“Emily Heil wrote in The Hill: “Webb confessed that he was so angered by this that he was tempted to slug the commander-in-chief, reported the source, but of course didn’t.”
- Just the perfect way to start of as a freshman Senator.
- Oh yes. This numbskull will go far in Congress.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 5:39 pm
- Rest of the story here
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 5:42 pm
Heres some more concerning the Frosh senator from Virginia, who seems to have a very selctive memory, depending on what he needs at the moment.
excerpt from Power Line…
Webb seems to get off on disrespecting presidents. In 1997, he said:
I cannot conjure up an ounce of respect for Bill Clinton when it comes to the military. Every time I see him salute a Marine, it infuriates me. I don’t think Bill Clinton cares one iota about what happens in a military unit.
However, when Webb needed Clinton’s help, he brought the man whose administration he had called “the most corrupt in modern memory” to help him raise funds. Webb explained his about face by claiming that 9/11 had wiped the slate clean.
Thus, if Bush cared, he could take solace in the knowledge that if the wind changes, so too will the attitude of the erratic opportunist from Virginia
Rest here…..
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 5:51 pm
I dont find his response necessarily rude.
I think he responded directly by trying to re-ask the question, which was a polite how is he doing.
Webb’s initial response was so tacky I imagine he was taken aback.
Webb was an ass.
Comment by Karl @ 11/29/2006 - 5:51 pm
Sister, I think your site has been taken hotage by the moonbats, wish we could go on their sites and reek havoc. !!!!!
Comment by Drewsmom @ 11/29/2006 - 5:53 pm
- Drewsmom - Avoid them like the plague. The last time I made a forage into the fevor swamps of the moonbat communes, it took a week to get the smell out of my nostrils. At least, if you decide to take the plunge, make sure your shots are all up to date.
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 6:23 pm
Bang, the quality of your humor doesn’t do anything to dispel my suspicion that you are actually just a collection of microchips.
Comment by biwah @ 11/29/2006 - 6:33 pm
Can the insults and name-calling, everyone, please.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 6:35 pm
Sis? Is it ok to call Webb an ass? I was nice to everyone else.
Comment by Karl @ 11/29/2006 - 6:47 pm
Sure - public figures are fair game, here.
Comment by Sister Toldjah @ 11/29/2006 - 6:53 pm
Whew. Didnt wanna violate your ethics
HEHE
Comment by Karl @ 11/29/2006 - 6:53 pm
Karl asked:
And our beautiful blogmistress gave him permission. Me, I prefer referring to a couple of people as “the slang term for the human rectum,” when the need calls for it!
Comment by Dana @ 11/29/2006 - 7:04 pm
Can the insults and name-calling, everyone, please.
Darn- a day late and a dollar short, as usual!
Comment by TedintheShed @ 11/29/2006 - 7:05 pm
Webb turns out to be an immature jerk. Color me surprised!
Comment by benning @ 11/29/2006 - 7:05 pm
“…[our] beautiful blogmistress”
- Although certainly true - Still - shameless suckup!…. *snort*
- Ok, as our blog Sistah has asked us to refrain, I can’t call you a typical Left-wing knuckleheaded twit biwah, so I won’t. *snicker*
- Bang
Comment by Big Bang Hunter @ 11/29/2006 - 8:06 pm
I didn’t vote for Webb, but expected better than this. Seems that for every Texan who misunderestimated Bush, there’s a Virginian who misoverestimated Webb.
Comment by Xrlq @ 11/29/2006 - 11:45 pm
Bang, I always try for complimentary citations, as in “our esteemed host(ess)”, but “beautiful blogmistress is much more alliterative!
I suppose there are sites where I could write “our bitchy bloghostess,” but this ain’t one of ‘em.
Comment by Dana @ 11/30/2006 - 7:33 am
I thought webb was a tad on the rude side towards Bush, just my .02 though.
Comment by Staunton News @ 12/3/2006 - 2:15 pm