Jim Webb Interview in Iowa Fuels 2016 Presidential Talk

[lowkell]

http://bluevirginia.us/diary/12077/video-jim-webb-interview-in-iowa-fuels-2016-presidential-talk

Fascinating interview earlier today, here are a couple key quotes:

*Asked if he's running for President in 2016, Webb says we're in a "transitional period in the country," that we "need to have a strong debate inside the Democratic Party and between the two parties" about where we need to go, and that "I'm curious about the political future of the Democratic Party and of our country."

*Asked how he feels about Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State, Webb says "I think there's time to have that discussion later." When pressed by a reporter, "Why not now?", Webb responds, "It would probably take up the whole show."

*When asked if he could see himself running in the Iowa caucuses, Webb responded, "I really have enjoyed the past few days I've been here" and laughed. He says he hopes that he'll be coming back to Iowa frequently.

[4now]

1. More from the interview

*Webb reiterates his three themes from 2006, emphasizes "economic fairness and social justice" and how "the stock market has almost tripled since March 2009" but "real income for workers actually has decreased in the same period." Webb says things are not going well for working people in this country, and the "solution for that is only going to come from the Democratic Party."

*Webb says he doesn't believe the phrase "don't do stupid stuff" is a fair characterization of the Obama Administration foreign policy, that "it's a very complicated world right now," that the "pivot" to Asia for instance was "healthy" and "good." Webb also praises the Obama Administration for the "careful way" it's approached the Ukraine situation.

*Webb isn't a fan of the administration's Middle East policy and points his finger at Hillary Clinton. "I can't understand why people would have supported the notion of arming certain groups inside Syria a couple of years ago...I say that not only as someone who has spent a lot of time working on foreign policy, but as a journalist in Beirut in 1983 when the word I got from Marines on the ground was: 'Never get involved in a five-sided argument.'"

*On Iraq, Webb says "we do not belong as an occupying power in that part of the world...We opened up Pandora's Box when we invaded Iraq...[going into Iraq] unleashed this sectarian violence." Webb says we should be extremely careful in differentiating between terrorism and Sunni animosities towards the government in Iraq.

[msongs]

2. all those republicans like to stir things up lol nt

[brooklynite]

11. Webb is a Democrat...

[PADemD]

3. On the issues James Webb

http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/James_Webb.htm

[silvershadow]

4. I guess they're not gonna let it go without a fight (the Republicans). nt

[DinahMoeHum]

5. Well, Tom Harkin's annual steak fry is September 14. . .

. . .so we'll see if Webb is there.

Then again, most national Democrats of consequence go to Iowa for this event - so there wouldn't be anything unusual in seeing Webb and Hilary Clinton at the same gig.

[brooklynite]

12. The 2014 Steak Fry is Bill and Hillary...

The cattle call is usually the year before the Presidential election; assume Bruce Braley will carry on the tradition.

[DinahMoeHum]

13. ". . .cattle call. . ." love that!

[on point]

6. Very thoughtful and deep responses worthy of consideration

[TheNutcracker]

7. I still wonder about the mysterious death of his staffer, which never looked like suicide

I always wondered if he found something out...

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_15/-27153-1.html

Hutchins died sometime between 4:30 a.m. and 7:08 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Botetourt County Sheriff’s Department. At that time, an officer stopped to inspect Hutchins’ car, which was parked north of Fincastle on the shoulder of U.S. 220. Hutchins’ body was outside the car on a small embankment by the road.


so....you get out of the car and walk to the side of the road? This doesn't make sense, if you ask me. I never believed it was suicide.

[Reter]

8. Never heard about that, but reminds me of Terrance Yeakey "suicide"

He was the officer who was the first responded in the Oklahoma City /bombing in 1995. He always said it wasn't like they had said, then died a year later.

[madinmaryland]

9. No. Webb needs to get behind the Governor of the state just north of Virginia...

[FSogol]

10. +1. Think how competent a O'Malley/Webb ticket would look compared to

Ryan/Rubio or Rand/Cruz or any other clown car combination that the GOP could come up with.