I'm posting an interview I conducted this afternoon with Jim Webb, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia. Mr. Webb will be available for the next hour to participate in the discussion. Thanks.
P.S. I'm posting it under my account because Webb's account is less than a week old so he can't post diaries from it.
Webb for Senate
Contribute Online
1)
You served in the Reagan Administration and were a Republican for many years. What are the main reasons you decided to switch to the Democratic Party?
I've never run for office. That tends to clarify the mind. I identified myself most strongly with the Democratic Party until the end of the Vietnam War, then I went with the Republican Party on issues of national security. I was not affiliated in any way with either of the Bush Administrations. Events following 9/11, plus a lot of thought while I was writing Born Fighting, led me to decide that I best identify with the Democratic Party. That being said, I have friends in both parties, and if I am elected I hope we can restore a measure of civility in the Congress that is now sorely lacking.
2) Which wing, if any, of the Democratic Party do you feel most comfortable with? Would you describe yourself as a liberal, moderate, conservative, populist, or progressive Democrat? Or something else entirely?
I would describe myself as conservative on national defense, populist on economic issues, and a social moderate.
3) Why did you decide to run for U.S. Senate from Virginia? Is your run fueled by any degree of anger towards the Bush Administration and "culture of corruption" Republican Congress?
People who are looking for anger from me will be disappointed. I was angry for many years following Vietnam because by virtue of my writings and government jobs I had inherited the responsibility of defending the wrongs done to those who had served in that war. But I lost that anger after 9/11. There are too many important issues to focus on, here in the present.
To be sure, this Administration has been woefully inept in many areas, and the political culture in Washington has become corrupted due to a Congress that has lost its way. I will focus on those areas, but more as leadership challenges than as the result of personal anger.
4) What differentiates you, if anything, from other politicians in America today?
The major difference between me and most of them is that I am not a career politician and have never desired to be one. I have strong experience as a committee counsel in the Congress and as a Defense Department leader. But I have been extremely fortunate to be able to support myself and my family through a writing career that has given me independence and also insights that I would never have obtained if I had been running for office continuously. Writing also allows one a measure of introspection that is rarely available in government.
5) What are your main criticisms of George Allen, who you would be running against if you win the Democratic nomination? What is your main argument for replacing George Allen, and why do you believe you have the best chance to defeat him this year?
If you like George W. Bush then you should love George Allen, who has supported this president 96 percent of the time