But it’s the message that is hypocritical. Mr. Moto is just the messenger, so don’t blame him.
Are you still all upset that we Pennsylvanians showed your buddy Rick to the curb, Moto? I applauded when I heard about Webb’s exchange with Bush at that reception. It was well past due for someone to give that man the cut direct…
Bush was rude to Webb, rather than the other way around. And it’s especially rude for a host to be rude like that to his guests.
If you’re going to behave like a jerk to your company, you shouldn’t throw parties.
An honest mistake by CNN: before they corrected the graphic under Webb’s pic, it said:
Anyone could make that mistake. No harm, no foul. 
I have to disagree. Note my defense of Adrian Fenty above.
There are people I disagree with in the Senate on many issues, including the war, but most Senators have enough class to speak civilly to the president when the occasion demands it. Hillary Clinton does so. Ted Kennedy does so. Barack Obama didn’t make a comparable scene at receptions with Bush, did he?
I disagreed with Bill Clinton on many issues, and supported his impeachment, but on the single occasion when I happened to meet him, I shook his hand and said hello.
Jim Webb is my senator, for better or worse, and I don’t think it is too much to ask for better behavior from him. After all, he is supposed to represent me.
The idea that Webb was rude to Bush is complete partisan hackery. If Bush was honestly concerned about Webb’s son, he would have recognized the concern of a father and said something along the lines that he hopes they can all be out of Iraq as soon as possible, as long as the mission is done, or some such.
But he chose to be a dick about it, and got a well-deserved rebuke. Or do you defend Bush’s petulant and snippy comeback of “That’s not what I asked you?” Is that the kind of respect and decorum that is okay with you, Mr. Moto? In my book, respect is commanded, not demanded, and people who don’t earn it don’t get it.
Bush has done nothing but prop himself up on the shoulders of other heroes, while having shirked away his own opportunity to be one himself. False concern and sympathy to pre-screened townhall groups is one thing, false concern in the face of a father and military veteran himself is another.
I welcome with great respect people like Jim Webb as leaders.
To respond more directly to John Mace’s OP, I liked the response, and it was in keeping with the respect I have for Jim Webb. I think Democrats like him and Jon Tester will tend to redefine “straight talk” into something more consistent with our everyday connotations of the term.
If your son were severely ill as a result of some act of malpractice on my part, it would be the height of rudeness for me to greet you with “How’s your son?”.
I get it: when you disagree with a messenger, then his behavior constitutes a message.
Jim Webb represents all the people of Virginia. Perhaps you are in the minority.
I have no problem with his response to Bush’s snippy question. It’s unfortunate that Bush has been protected from “unpleasantness” for so long.
Wes, that was very well put. What did you think about the domestic policy part of his speech-- are you on boards with what he was talking about? I have to admit that it wasn’t clear what he was proposing to do about the “problems” he highlighted.
Circumstances pretty much demanded a degree of vagueness, since he was recording his remarks in advance of the actual speech he was responding to. Before he heard it. Nurse? Nurse?
And that was supposed to be “Yes”, not “Wes”. I have no idea what caused that…
I’d’ve liked it better if Jim Webb had sung it.
By the time we got to Bagdhad he was smirking,
Bush thought he had this one wrapped, with a bow.
He smiled when he thought he was a hero
But he blew that one so many years ago.
What? Wrong Jim Webb?
A nice message would not have been appropriate.
No more than it was appropriate for Dem Congresscritters to stand and applaud last night.
I warned you. “The brown barrels are a bummer, man!” Owsley, my ass!
::applause::
His only specific domestic policy prescription was the minimum wage increase - did you notice that Bush made no mention of that whatsoever in his speech? - and I’m all for that, of course.
I agree with Webb that the wealth of this country should be more widely shared than it is. I’m looking forward to seeing what he prescribes in the way of solutions.
What a craven response.
::groan::
Oh, come on. We were all thinking it.