Q&A: James Webb, former secretary of the Navy

San Diego Union Tribune ^ | October 30, 2005 | Union-Tribune editorial board

[kms61]

Webb, a 1968 Naval Academy graduate, was a highly decorated Marine infantry officer in Vietnam. He was an assistant secretary of defense and later secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration. Webb is the author of six novels, the non-fiction "Born Fighting" and several Hollywood screenplays. He lectured at the James Bond Stockdale Leadership and Ethics Symposium at the University of San Diego Oct. 19 and was interviewed by members of the Union-Tribune's editorial board.

[kms61]

Some surprising stuff here from Reagan's former Navy Secretary. Some pretty blunt criticism of the Iraq war, and a comment at the end that he's mulling a run for the Senate against George Allen--as a Democrat.

[nj26]

I smell a potential running mate for Hillary in 2008.

[kms61]

I thought it was pretty odd myself.

[WFTR]

Whatever other good he's done, if he aligns himself with the Democrats, he loses my respect. They are the party of defeat and weakness. He can talk about neither party addressing the concerns of the average people, but putting the Democrats back into power is not going to lead to those concerns being addressed. The average people would be better off seeing the Democrats eliminated completely and then having their concerns addressed when the Republicans split.

Bill

[DakotaRed]

Let me guess, he's also a personal and close buddy of John "F"in sKerry?

[DakotaRed]

A bit of insight into Webb;

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2004-02-18-veterans-edit_x.htm

http://www.jameswebb.com/articles/NPR/npr8%2024%2004.htm

[mdefranc]

The interview is consistent with some underlying themes in his novels: admiration of combat-level military, mistrust of higher-level leaders, adovocay of a strong military, and unwillingness to use it.

Webb is somewhat in the loose cannon tradition of McCain, and I hope that Senator Allen would defeat either, albeit in different races.

Sidenote: It's humorous that the San Diego Union-Tribune thinks that "dissenting" religions are "descending" religions.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Do you think America's perception (of the war) has changed over the past 25 years given the boat people, human rights problems and Hanoi's dictatorship? What's history going to say about America's role in Vietnam?

Because of the MSM and the Communist/Democrat control of information, the truth has not been told. Few even know about the slaughter of the Cambodians and the Vietnamese after the Communist takeover.

If they could afford to be honest, the Democrats would rename themselves the Communist Party of Amrica. Then we could evaluate where we want to go. As it is and as it has always been, the Communists can't tell the truth because nobody wants what they offer. They must deceive in order to gain power. Once they do the truth no longer matters, only raw, deadly power.

[balch3]

Webb is a traitor to the legacy of Ronald Reagan.