A Time to Fumfer? Webb Wimps Out on VP Question

Photo of Mark Finkelstein.

As political rituals go, the phony denial of interest in the VP nomination is among the most annoying. So credit Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee for unequivocally stating their willingness to serve as McCain's running mate.

But please, politicians out there, spare us the feeble non-denial denials such as the one Jim Webb offered up on today's Morning Joe. Isn't Webb supposed to be Mr. No-Nonsense Macho Man? After all, he was on the show to tout his new book, A Time to Fight, and to talk up his rough 'n tumble Scots-Irish roots. But judging by his wimpy response to the Veep question, perhaps the book should be renamed A Time to Fumfer. His reply to Mika Brzezinski's question on his interest in the Veep nomination has to go down as one of the lamest of an already-lame genre.

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MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I'm going to start at the top. I'm going to start with the question you were asked at your party the other night, and that is, some say that an Obama-Webb ticket is in the realm of possibilities. If asked, would you accept to be Barack Obama's running-mate?

JIM WEBB: That's just sorta, something that hasn't been discussed, and, um, something that I really haven't focused on that much. Here's a good little data point for you: when speaking of oil going to $130, we should all remember the month that Congress approved this war in Iraq oil was $24.

BRZEZINSKI: Wow. Can you imagine that?

Let's break Webb's statement down.

  • "That's just sorta, something that hasn't been discussed." The question wasn't whether the Obama campaign has discussed it with you. It's whether, if asked, you'd accept.
  • That's "something that I really haven't focused on that much." So you've focused on it. You've even focused on it "much." Just not that much. OK, so what did your much-of-a-focus lead you to conclude?
  • "Here's a good little data point for you: when speaking of oil going to $130, the month that Congress approved this war in Iraq oil was $24." Huh? World's worst segue.

And what about Mika? Instead of posing the obvious follow-up along the lines "so, would that be a yes or a no?" she let herself get distracted by Webb's oil-price non sequitur.

—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.


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That's a lib answer to any

That's a lib answer to any question...sidestep, lie, then blame (the republicans).

 

"They need to have a course in college called common sense and everyone should take it. Problem is there isn't too many people that could pass or teach it." -my grandfather

Liberal School

This must be the first thing they learn at Liberal school.

2+2? Well do we know why

2+2?

Well do we know why we have to add these numbers or even the purpose, after all we've seen studies that show it could be 5, 6...and historical records show it could be 3 so the answer is pretty inconclusive, either way Republicans are racist, hate-mongers.

 

"They need to have a course in college called common sense and everyone should take it. Problem is there isn't too many people that could pass or teach it." -my grandfather

Worst!

What an awful response to such an easy question.  Why must liberal do this?  Its asinine!  They must really think we are stupid not to pick this stuff up.  Say what you mean and mean what you say, not avoid questions you don’t want to answer and pose stupid facts that really don’t relate to anything.  You know what you rambling idiot Webb, gas was much less expensive too when you got into office than now, so YOU”RE AS MUCH TO BLAME AS ANYONE!!!  What about that stat?

Jim Webb and John Kerry

If Obama chose Webb as a running mate, I suppose the Democrats and the mainstream media (but I'm being redundant) would have to ignore the fact that Webb "swift boated" Kerry even before there was a Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

See http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-02-18-veterans-edit_x.htm

 P.S. Webb also lied about Bush's TANG service in that column.

Of course they'll ignore it,

Of course they'll ignore it, they always ignore the acts of liberals to hype up the made up stories about the conservatives.

Thanks for the link,

Thanks for the link, Arminius. Fascinating! I'd encourage others to read.

And what makes you think

And what makes you think that will have any effect on anything now? This is Obama, not Kerry. That was then; this is now. And since when is lying about President Bush a negative for Democrats? Webb was their hero when he said he felt like slugging the President.

Webb could've at least gone

Webb could've at least gone with the "I just got elected to the Senate; not even half way through my term.  I need to concentrate on this job" line.

But I guess that wouldn't look too good for the Obama. Not that Mika would have picked up on it!

Just like, when he said that about gas prices, any non-starstruck "journalist" would have pointed out how much gas cost when the Democrats took over the House and Senate, with their "plan" to lower gas prices!

Mika...last name....cafeteria...

 

Just like, when he said

Just like, when he said that about gas prices, any non-starstruck "journalist" would have pointed out how much gas cost when the Democrats took over the House and Senate, with their "plan" to lower gas prices!

Why is no one talking about this fact.  Since they took over prices have soared and blamed the president and big oil.  Hey if you don't like prices the way they are LET US DRILL IN ANWR AND OFF SHORE!  What ever happened to us Americans being self-sufficient?

The House and the Senate

The House and the Senate don't control the price of oil.  That's handled by OPEC. Right now the prices of oil are being manipulated by commodities traders who are speculating on the U.S.'s involvement in the Middle East as well as the jump in worldwide demand.   If we start a war with Iran (an OPEC) nation,  the chances are pretty good we'll see another spike in the price per barrel.

BTW,  there is much more oil off the coast of Florida than in ANWR.  Unfortunately,  Jeb Bush prevented new drilling off the Florida coast and in the meantime, the Chinese have built oil rigs off the coast of Cuba and are slant drilling in to the U.S. coastal waters and the Bush administration does nothing.

But they blame George Bush?

So the Congress and Senate don't control the prices, but the Democrats think George Bush does????

"George Bush is, by far, the worst person who's ever been president of the United States. ... Gas is $4 a gallon, on its way to $8 a gallon, and this man sits there, clueless." -Dick Gephardt at the Missouri State Democratic Convention

Don't attempt to instruct me, goldbar, you should have written to Her Speakerness and told her that.

She is the one who shot off her mouth before the '06 elections, saying the Democrats had a plan to bring the price down if they had control of the Congress. So where is their "plan"? Oh, that's right, says Her Speakerness, we really can't do anything about that!! Sorry, my bad!

Apparently their idea of "bringing the price down" is to have "hearings" with oil company executives and complain to them that they make too much money.

How's that workin' for you guys?

 

From Nancy Pelosi's

From Nancy Pelosi's website:

"Speaker Hastert and the Majority have been blocking action on Congressman Stupak’s Federal Response to Energy Emergencies Act (H.R. 3936) since last September, which would protect American consumers from high gas prices by empowering the FTC and the DOJ to investigate and prosecute oil companies engaged in price gouging at each stage of the energy production and distribution chain and outlaws market manipulation."

I believe the vote was taken when Republicans were still in control. That will no doubt change under President Obama.

Great news! The

Great news!

The delusional Democrats return us to the days of gas lines and shortages!  Maybe they will even impose price controls as an added Facist bonus.

I see no mention anywhere of producing any new supplies.  You don't suppose adequate supply to fill the demand will be a problem, do you? 

We could drill off the

We could drill off the Florida coast where there is more oil than ANWR if George and Jeb would let us.

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news-story.asp?date=053002&ID=s1156519

Which of your slimy Dem

Which of your slimy Dem friends in the Congress are going to approve that?   The same ones who are resisting drilling in ANWR, and off the Coast of CaliforniaThis jerk who's got her nose so far up Speaker Pelosi's arse she can hardly breath?  Or this clown who opposes drilling the oil shales?

Goldie, you're so easy you must be a candy ass.

Oh, and I almost forgot to thank you for tacitly conceding the Democrat plans will cause gas shortages, gas lines and rationing.  These are fine reasons to elect Obama, are they not?

Keep getting warmed up,

Keep getting warmed up, because you'll have a lot of complaining to do when McCain goes down in flames again and the Senate is strongly democratic. 

McCain 65-35.  Remember you

McCain 65-35.  Remember you heard it here first.  Obama is both a racist and a communist and that doesn't even get into his real religious persuasions.  Lord only knows what they may be, because that church he attended was certainly not about God.

And once again you concede my point:  Democrats oppose all further oil exploration and development within the US and its territorial waters.

Would you like to extend that argument to energy production in general?  If Free Stinker were around, that'd be NL: 2,  Goldie: 0 on this thread.

redbar,

Not nearly as much complaining as you and your lefty friends will be doing once you figure out what really happens to low-income workers when taxes are raised on small business owners-those you and your fellow government-schooled economic illiterates refer to as the "rich."

But that, of course, is lightyears beyond your comprehension.

We are being smothered by government in this country. - Neal Boortz

Florida Oil

The Chinese are gonna drill for oil between Key West and Cuba anyway. I think there are acceptable areas of Florida waters where oil and gas can be drilled for.

---
Communist vs. Statist '08

Q. Is Panamanian born John McCain a "Natural Born Citizen"

In point of fact, the US

In point of fact, the US government sold leases for Florida waters some years ago.  Florida opposed all drilling off its coasts as Glodie so generously noted, without mentioning that leases were sold for Florida offshore anyway, just not as many or in all areas as originally planned -- a compromise occurred.

On the other hand, the Dems have blocked 100% of all new leases off the coast of California and 100% of all drilling in ANWR.  No compromise occurred here.

NL..it hasn't just been the

NL..it hasn't just been the dems stopping ANWR and drilling...the RINOs like McCain who had led the way in 05 have stopped it too...for years.

Just my two cents.

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill

This has unfortunately been

This has unfortunately been true as well. However, RINOs are NOT Conservatives. This is an important distinction. I'd place the RINOs in the Democrat party in the 1960's and 70's. Today's Dems have moved so far left that the likes of John Kennedy and John Stennis would not be welcome in their party today.

Hey NL...I agree with all

Hey NL...I agree with all of your post...I was just mentioning this because you only mentioned dems...lol.

"Never murder your opponent when he is committing suicide." ~ W. Churchill

I guessed that.  But it was

I guessed that.  But it was true that I wasn't clear about the RINOs being part of the problem as well.  I don't use the Republican label for anything very much because of them.  They are just Dems in an Elephant suit, another, less severe kind of statist.  In the long term I belive they are just as harmful to liberty as real Dems are.

I don't know about you, but

I don't know about you, but Webb comes across as an angry, bitter individual on the verge of snapping; ready for a real shoot up at the Capitol. Wasn't he caught trying to carry a gun on a plane not too long ago.

I think we need to watch this guy...I see him and think, "Call Security"...

He definitely seems to have

He definitely seems to have an angry streak lurking not too far beneath the surface. I can imagine him committing some kind of serious gaffe on the campaign trail. My sense is that the Obama camp realizes that. I'd be surprised if they take him. They'd be better off with Sam Nunn, IMHO, although it would undercut their argument about McCain being too old.

Doesn't Webb also write

Doesn't Webb also write laughably risible sex scenes in his novels?

I'm sure Obama is going to look forward to hearing those mocked relentlessly and mercilessly!

Vote 4 change. Vote 4 anything. See Jack & Mr Shy's first campaign ad for the ONLY viable 3rd party candidate.

Mark, I agree with you.

Mark, I agree with you. Webb's too much of a loose cannon. I think Obama is going to ask Hillary as his running mate. I know they hate each other now, but look at Kennedy and Johnson...

Whoever John McCain picks is much more important as that person will eventually become President. My vote is for Kay Bailey Hutchison. :o)

And I was 5 years Younger!

So if the war hadn't been approved we'd all be 5 years younger today? Gee, great linkage there dumb a$$

Good point

You mean supporting the troops cost me five years of my life!?!?

Ack! But Jeez, I'd still be older than dirt.

oil was about 2.50 when you all took office in 2006

Democrats are responsible for the 4.00 gas prices. You know, like siding w/ environazis year after year, Clinton vetoing the bill which would allow us to drill for oil in Anwr, not allowing nuclear plants to be built throughout the 80's. Etc. Etc. They have and always will be on the wrong side of the argument when concerning US energy policies.

Mika Dingbatski should quit while she's ahead.

I've been having a ball watching her without Joe.

It's like a train wreck you can't look away.

 Mr.L

 

Obama-Webb

It may not be the perfect ticket, but it's definitely the perfect metaphor.

Look at the hysterically leftist Brzezinski's smile

Exhibit No. 1,000,000,000,000,000,001 of leftists like Brzezinski "interviewing" their love interests in the Democrat party while looking absolutely orgasmic.  If anyone has a photo of Brzezinski or any other identically like-minded militant feminist in the Washington press corps questioning a Republican and looking so orgasmic, please post it.

From the looks of the

From the looks of the screencap I think Opie's tie is too tight.