Jim Webb had chance to kick Bernie's ass tonight and decided not to do it

[Cheese Sandwich]

When they asked him about Bernie applying for conscientious objector.

I thought that was very respectable.

COOPER: Secretary (sic) Webb, you served in Vietnam. You're a marine. Once a marine, always a marine. You served as a marine in Vietnam. You're a decorated war hero. You eventually became secretary of the navy.

During the Vietnam War, the man standing next to you, Senator Sanders, applied for status as a conscientious objector. Given his history, can he serve as a credible commander-in-chief?

WEBB: Everybody makes their decisions when the time there is conscription. And as long as they go through the legal process that our country requires, I respect that. And it would be for the voters to decide whether Senator Sanders or anyone else should be president.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/10/13/the-oct-13-democratic-debate-who-said-what-and-what-it-means/

[Fearless]

1. He would have just come off more hawkish if he tried.

[Enthusiast]

15. I agree. It would have hurt Webb more than it hurt Bernie. The historically correct position was

to oppose the Vietnam War. That is undeniable.

[Kalidurga]

2. Webb and Sanders are allies.

They work together on veterans issues. And I think that Webb carries scars from the war to this day. He will remain loyal to anyone who helps him with the pain he carries. Working on those issues helps him to deal, he clearly understands that vets need a stronger safety net and more services to help them with their pychic and physical wounds.

[jfern]

3. Bernie's Veterans bill last year was certainly a big deal

Bernie became Veterans chair exactly when Webb left the Senate, though.

[Art_from_Ark]

11. Bernie did good with the veterans bill

http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/socialist-sanders-legislates-va-healthcare-deal/?dcz

[marym625]

4. great comment

[delrem]

5. Lotta people "served" in Vietnam, did the full tour of hell,

and who didn't agree.
In fact IIRC the number who agreed, among the youth, was a minority.
Since the Vietnam war didn't make a lick of sense.

The differences were between tactics for dealing with the abhorrent situation.

Here in Canada we benefited by an influx of draft dodgers and their families, who tended to be very likable folk with a large creative potential. For certain those draft dodgers had a better outcome than the poor sobs who ended up in a paddy in Vietnam with their heads blown off. Life is unfair because there is no justice. Not really.

Maybe we should learn to not enter into wars of choice like Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Syria?

Maybe?

[akbacchus_BC]

6. Enlisting is a personal choice and I do not think a Presidential Candidate need to explain why!

Lots of Americans were against the Vietnam war.

[delrem]

7. I think a person should always explain why he/she's pro-war. Whatever war.

"Oh! But the war is there! I'm from a military family! So yippee ai yae!"
Well, that's an explanation of sorts. A bloody poor excuse for an explanation, especially for a candidate for POTUS, but there you go. It's what you've got.

[murielm99]

10. Some people enlisted because

they knew they would be drafted otherwise. They chose, if qualified, a branch of the service that they saw as a better personal option. It did not necessarily mean they avoided combat.

I grew up during the Vietnam era. Most of the people I knew were against the war. Many people served honorably, in spite of their reservations. It was a tough time for young men. They had to make difficult, life altering decisions.

I cannot disrespect anyone's choices during that time. No one, Presidential candidate or otherwise, should have to explain themselves.

[lovemydog]

8. It was an incredibly classy thing for Webb to say.

In my opinion it also shows that even our worst democratic candidate is a million times better than the republicans' best candidate.

[left on green only]

9. ^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^^ eom

[deutsey]

12. Agreed

[Cheese Sandwich]

16. Yes it a classy move

And just the right thing to do

[Joe Chi Minh]

13. My step-father, who served in Europe as a sergeant in the artillery durng WWII,

often said in his opinion the conscientious objectors were the really courageous one. It took more courage. Not that I personally think it was a wise choice in WWII.

[davidpdx]

14. Webb and Chafee both fell flat