And such a jackass!
George Will details just how much of a jackass Sen.-elect James Webb made of himself at that White House reception.
A transcript of the conversation:
Webb later had the unmitigated gall to say Mr. Bush's part in this exchange nearly led him- Webb- to slug the President!
Will is right. Webb's part of the conversation was boorish, arrogant, uncivil, and disrespectful of the office of the man he was talking to. And I'll go one step further: it was behavior unbecoming an incoming United States Senator.
"Calculated rudeness," Will calls it. That's about right. Apparently, by his own admission, Webb believes that ill manners are an appropriate way of signaling who he is and what his message will be.
Who is he? Was it really his intent to signal that he is a jackass? What will his message be? That bad manners, rudeness, and personal bile are appropriate ways to discuss our differences?
Just what we need in Washington.
A transcript of the conversation:
BUSH: How's your boy?
WEBB: I'd like to get them (sic) out of Iraq, Mr. President.
BUSH : That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?
WEBB: That's between me and my boy, Mr. President
Webb later had the unmitigated gall to say Mr. Bush's part in this exchange nearly led him- Webb- to slug the President!
Will is right. Webb's part of the conversation was boorish, arrogant, uncivil, and disrespectful of the office of the man he was talking to. And I'll go one step further: it was behavior unbecoming an incoming United States Senator.
"Calculated rudeness," Will calls it. That's about right. Apparently, by his own admission, Webb believes that ill manners are an appropriate way of signaling who he is and what his message will be.
Who is he? Was it really his intent to signal that he is a jackass? What will his message be? That bad manners, rudeness, and personal bile are appropriate ways to discuss our differences?
Just what we need in Washington.
Comments
Webb made a point of appealing for an end to the politics of division in his lacklustre victory speech. It was my first exposure to him (thanks, C-Span), and I was gravely under-impressed.
Webb has now pretty much proven my suspicion that, when politicians call for an end to divisiveness, they're talking about the other guy.