The "Webb Affair" ferments.

I want to thank everyone who commented on my post about Jim Webb's cloddish behavior at a White House function, especially Nathan Tabor, honcho of The Conservative Voice. As many irons as he has in the fire I'm amazed that he has time to read blogs.

To answer those who disagree with my characterization of Mr. Webb's actions I ask you to consider this. First, The White House is the President's home. I know that it is more than that, but it was designed first and foremost to be the residence of the President. When Webb accepted an invitation to a White House dinner he accepted an invitation to visit George W Bush and Mrs. Bush in their home. In polite society you do not enter a person's home as their invited guest in order to snub or insult them. To do so is extremely bad manners. If you despise someone so much that you can not maintain the civil amenities with them then do not visit them in their home.

Second, asking after someone's child who is deployed in a combat zone is not "flip" or a "frat-boy" stunt. To invite someone into your home and then fail to make a point of asking them about their son who you know to be in harm's way would be rude. It would, in effect, be saying "I detest you so much that I care nothing for the well being of your child".

George W Bush invited James Webb into his home. Webb accepted his hospitality by showing up then snubbed his host by refusing to go through the receiving line and shake the President's hand. Mr. Bush made a point of ignoring the insult and reached out to Mr. Webb on the one area in which any civilized person would assume that they could agree - the well being of Mr. Webb's son.

Instead of answering his hosts sincere question with a polite response like, "he's fine, I just heard from him", he chose to give an answer which said, in effect, "screw off, it's none of your business". Well I'm sorry Mr. Webb but as the Commander in Chief the welfare of an active duty Marine is damned well George Bush's business.

Also, consider how much political hay the left could have made if Bush had shown no concern whatsoever over Mr. Webb's son. Would not the mainstream media's action line be something like, "Bush sends Webb's kid to war and then can't even be bothered to ask how he's doing"?

I would also point out that there is history here. Before he ever ran for the Senate James Webb had a reputation for being an ass. I note that no one attempted to refute the points I raised in my brief biography of Mr. Webb. He did accept a job in the Reagan Administration and then leave in a snit when he wasn't treated as though he were the president instead of Ronald Reagan. Then while Reagan and his team were rebuilding the military, revitalizing the economy and defeating the Soviet Union Webb bitched and moaned and called Reagan incompetent.

In other words Webb revealed himself to be a classless oaf. A clod without the wit to realize when he is making a fool of himself and lacking the grace to care. Which is all fine with me. As a proud member of the Democrat Party Webb has found his home and I hope he is happy there.

I will give you this. When Webb made his thuggish reply to the President's question Mr. Bush did allow his "gracious host" mask to slip a bit. By answering back the way he did Bush did reveal that he has a very good idea of exactly what kind of man Webb is and that he holds him in exactly the esteem which he deserves to be held in. In other words Bush wouldn't piss in his face if his nose were on fire.