Saturday, December 02, 2006

Give Me a Break



Remark By Webb Arouses Passions:

Okay, a little background if you haven't heard the story. At a White House reception for the newly elected members of Congress last week, Preznit George Dubbya Bush walked up to Senator-elect Jim Webb and asked "So, Jim, how's your boy?"

Now, if I, like Webb, had a son serving in Iraq, a number of retorts would have come to my mind, such as:

"In the goddamn quagmire you stuck him in, you arrogant ass."

Or:

"Unlike your worthless drunken hell-spawn, volunteering to serve his country".

You get the idea.

But Webb was politer than I would have been. "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," he answered.

Bush decided he was going to push a little harder:"That's not what I asked you," he said. "How's your boy?"

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

From the reaction of the Washington chattering class, you'd have though Webb had spat in the face of the Dimwit-in-Chief.

George Will was the first to get all prissy: "Webb certainly has conveyed what he is: a boor. Never mind the patent disrespect for the presidency. Webb's more gross offense was calculated rudeness toward another human being -- one who, disregarding many hard things Webb had said about him during the campaign, asked a civil and caring question, as one parent to another."

Well, boo-fucking-hoo. God forbid that anyone should engage in "calculated rudeness" to a man who'd said, in so many words, that if you vote for people like James Webb, terrorists win.

Then Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell chimed in: 'I understand having a child over in harm's way in Iraq. You take the situation over there much more personally,' McDonnell said. 'The problem for Mr. Webb is he's got to learn a little bit better about having a sense of decorum. To be an effective U.S. senator, you have to deal in a collegial manner.'"

As the kids on the Internets say, O RLY? Is this the same collegiality Vice President Dick Cheney showed when he told Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy to fuck himself?

I've got news for you, Mr. Will and Mr. McDonnell: civility flows both ways. After six years of being called traitors and terrorist sympathizers, I hope you'll understand if some of us don't get the fucking vapors because a newly elected Senator who was accused by Republicans of writing child pornography doesn't bow down and kiss Bush's ring.

Frankly, it's about the time someone gave the Boy in the Bubble a little reality check. The problem with this so-called "civility" is that sociopaths like the current crew in the White House manipulate it so you'll give them a pass on their rotten behavior. They count on you not making a fuss.

Well, news flash. Fusses are about to be made.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've got some 'calculated rudeness' for George Will:

"Suck a dead yak's cock, you lipless nancyboy spunk rag."

If somebody knows George Will, please pass that along to him. Thanks.

Catzmaw said...

Damn, I didn't even know there was such a thing as "redneck noir", but I'm game. I'll read them.

Anyway, as a resident of Northern Virginia, just across the Potomac from the rarified air of the White House, home of a twerp who once responded to the question "What do you talk about with your father?" with "Pussy", I must give you a resounding hear-hear on your Webb posting.

I went in a few months from not knowing much about Webb except that he wrote interesting novels, articles for Parade, and was a former SecNav Vietnam vet, to realizing that he's exactly what America's been looking for: A very intelligent, very courageous, pissed off, but savvy redneck. I grew up in a redneck neighborhood in Northern Virginia (bet you didn't even know we had those), and he's the first guy I've ever seen running for office who talks my language.

What people don't understand about rednecks is a) they don't have to be uneducated; b) they're more about attitude than they are about any particular group; and c) they totally kick ass on poseurs and snobbyshits.

I've been trying to explain to people that Webb must have had acid burning through his stomach as he briefly considered whether or not he should deck the chimpudent twerp who dared demand that he answer a question about his personal life. I'll bet his hand still itches as he thinks about it. The fact that he pulled off a perfectly civil albeit frosty retort is awesome. MUCH better control than I might have had.

The good news is that most of the people I've talked to about this, and most of the blog postings, are rolling Webb's way. He's not stupid about such stuff, though. He knows he's a lightning rod so he's already started talking to the Democratic leadership about sponsoring his first piece of legislation, which will be relief for veterans. The man's willing to have somebody else's name on the legislation if that's what it takes, which makes him even more of a freakin' hero in my book.

Anyway, enjoyed your comment.

JD Rhoades said...

Catzmaw: You're going to fit in fine here.

Richard Cooper said...

Jim Webb probably guaranteed a veto of any legislation he sponsors, for sure. Gotta love the politics of gridlock.

Louise Ure said...

You go, Dusty! You've just entered my Keith Olbermann Hall of Fame with this post.

Unknown said...

Dusty,

I'M REPEATING PART OF A COMMENT I LEFT ON AN EARLIER POST OF YOURS ... JUST SEEMS APPROPRIATE SOMEHOW

Finally my absentee Florida vote was not dimpled or hanging this time!

Jim Webb for President. I'm reading his book 'BORN FIGHTING : How the Scots-Irish shaped America'
Terrific (and scholarly) read. But, being an Ulsterman myself, I suppose you could accuse me of just a little bias!

Slan,
Pat.