Defender of the Second Amendment, if Not of His Aide

Washington Post ^ | 3/28/07 | Dana Milbank

[freespirited]

Duck!"

The cry -- from a member of the Capitol Hill press corps -- rang out as Sen. Jim Webb rounded a corner at high noon and strode toward reporters waiting outside the Senate chamber. Webb had called the news conference to talk about his aide, who was caught walking into a Senate building with a loaded pistol and ammo that, the aide said, belonged to the senator. ...

"I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment," he announced, wearing the sort of baggy suit that made it hard to tell for sure if he was packing heat. "I have had a permit to carry a weapon in Virginia for a long time, and I believe that it's important for me personally and for a lot of people in the situation that I am in -- to be able to defend myself and my family."

If Webb seemed to be enjoying the moment a bit too much, that's probably because a Virginia politician has never lost an election for loving guns too much. But Phillip Thompson, who carried the weapon, derived rather less pleasure from the incident.

Thompson -- a.k.a. "Lockup No. 1" -- spent 28 hours in the slammer after walking into the Russell building Monday morning with a gun and two loaded magazines in his briefcase. Two hours after Webb's performance in front of the cameras, Thompson -- sandwiched between drug cases and domestic disputes -- made his appearance in the foul-smelling arraignment room at D.C. Superior Court. He had a 5 o'clock shadow and a new pair of leg irons to accessorize his rumpled business suit. Ordered to stand in a box marked off with frayed duct tape, he must have been too stunned to answer when the judge asked if he understood the charges.

[freespirited]

Webb said during the campaign that he lives two blocks from the MS-13 capital of Virginia. I'd want to be armed too under those circumstances.

But he really should be taking more responsibility for what happened. His close friend (or perhaps ex-friend) spent 28 hours in jail, quite possibly because he didnt know that Webb's gun and ammo were in the briefcase.

[JennysCool]

Webb's a nutcase.

[TomGuy]

On a FoxRadioNews earlier today, Webb said it is his gun but he did NOT give it to the aide.

[Is Webb doing a Kerry and blaming his aide for this?]

[Dacb]

Hostettler got a slap on the wrist, so will this guy.

But the article reads like the guy was in a Third world prison. Oh, wait. My bad. DC jail.

[digger48]

Who's got the gun now? you little "f"!

[3AngelaD]

Some questions. Is this man still an active Marine? If crack dealers can be back on the streets of DC in three hours, how come Thompson was held for more than a day? What is the world is wrong with Webb? A word in the appropriate ear would have at least gotten Thompson out before that media circus occurred.

[siunevada]

Webb said it is his gun but he did NOT give it to the aide.

It makes the self-defense slightly more difficult when you lose track of your sidearm.

[3AngelaD]

When I saw Webb on TV today he seemed curiously detached, yet had the deer-in-the-headlights look so common to freshman Senators who have gotten their tails caught under someone else's rocking chair.

[freespirited]

On a FoxRadioNews earlier today, Webb said it is his gun but he did NOT give it to the aide.

Means one of two things I would guess.

1. Webb gave him the briefcase, which contained the gun, so in that sense he did not hand the gun to him directly. (remember Webb is a lawyer, good at parsing words).

2. Another individual gave the aide the briefcase.

[padre35]

Webb's a nutcase.

Exactly, a real nutjob, if he had any Character, he would introduce legislation that would repeal DC draconian firearms laws.

[Redbob]

"If crack dealers can be back on the streets of DC in three hours, how come Thompson was held for more than a day?"

Try carrying a loaded firearm into a courthouse or airport - it's considered a serious offense in many places.
</sarc>

[JennysCool]

I think the "deer in the headlights" look comes from being a plain ol' nutcase, like I said above.

Agree with your earlier post, and wonder why the hell, if the aide was carrying his water (ie: gun), Webb didn't foot the bail and have the guy out in a couple of hours, at most.

[ClaireSolt]

Webb gives me the creeps. He's wound way to tight, and now he seems paranoid. So, of course, he is being mentioned for veep.

[Brad from Tennessee]

I held Webb in admiration for years. We served in the same battalion in Vietnam at different times. I followed his career and read some of his books. But, when he got into the Virginia race for senator he seemed willing to debase himself to win. The whole campaign was a mud fight and I got the impression Webb was running as a Democrat because that was the slot that was open. I watched him pander to people he probably despised. And I believe like Bob Dole and John McCain, Webb probably has bouts of post traumatic stress disorder: hyper-vigilance, insomnia, paranoia, aggressiveness and a propensity toward violence. I wish Allen had won so Webb could go just back and write more books.

[Skibane]

I believe that it's important for me personally and for a lot of people in the situation that I am in -- to be able to defend myself and my family.

TRANSLATION: I'm an extraordinary person. Extraordinary people shouldn't be subject to the same laws that govern the common man.

[AZRepublican]

Webb really dug himself some grave during that news conference.

[Neu Pragmatist]

Paranoid , how so ?

[Neu Pragmatist]

That seems to be a very accurate assessment of Webb. You are right on about Webb pandering to people he most likely has always despised. Things will be very interesting with Webb around .

I just hope he turns out to be as solid on the Second Amendment as he claims , we're stuck with him for 6 years and lost a good pro-gun Senator when Allen lost .

[MonTinaGirl]

And I believe like Bob Dole and John McCain, Webb probably has bouts of post traumatic stress disorder: hyper-vigilance, insomnia, paranoia, aggressiveness and a propensity toward violence.

Bob Dole is like that? Honestly? I can see it in McCain, but Dole surprises me.

[srmorton]

I hope the people of Virginia are happy that they replaced a solid conservative Senator like George Allen with this scumbag. I do not care how outstanding his military record was, he has betrayed everything he once stood for by his actions today - not only by refusing to take responsibility for the actions of "his men" but also by his vote on the defeatist bill passed by the Senate. I pray that the strategy of the Republicans to move the process along works so that our troops can get the funds that they deserve and so desperately need.