Webb getting criticized on Hardball over remark about women

[OzarkDem]

even Charlie Cook says it has slowed down the advantage Webb gained after Allen's screw up.

Admitting he was wrong would help get this behind him.

[cspanlovr]

1. What did he say?

:hi:

[OzarkDem]

6. When asked about comments he made

in 1979 stating women didn't belong in combat. His positions as Secy of Navy under Reagan opposed women advaning in rank, along with some other very offensive remarks about women. He was asked if he had changed his mind in a recent debate on MTP. He said he regretted the remarks, but when asked if he had changed his mind, he didn't give a straight answer.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200609180002

As Charlie Cook pointed out, Webb is alienating himself from women voters in a tight race when he was finally gaining an advantage. Of course the news media played up Webb's remark and said little or nothing about Allen voicing similar opinions.

It would be easy for him to make this go away by expressing total support of women in the military.

[Felix Mala]

27. He should have dodged this sucker punch... As an "appointee"

he could not have provided his personal view, but the view of the person who hired him.

[formernaderite]

31. I don't get why he didn't back off the comments...but then again

I don't buy the "I'm a democrat" now bs....Webb is a republican who happens to hate this war... I also hate this war...but I don't think it should be our guiding issue for electing true democrats. Face it, we're trying to elect an anti-war republican.

[Mz Pip]

2. Spin

A remark from 27 years ago holds more weight than a remark from a few weeks ago?

The Repug spin machine is really grasping at straws.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[sandnsea]

3. Not buying into a trumped up swiftboating

would help even more. He said he made mistakes and wishes he had addressed the issues differently. We either help end the attack or we're part of perpetuating it.

[bigdarryl]

4. There holding him accountable for something he said 27 years ago

And when Laura Bush ran over and killed a person years ago they said that was a long time ago and shouldn't be brought up.

[kaygore]

9. 27 years ago, Bush was face down in his own alcoholic vomit, snot

coming out of his blow blown nose and track marks up his arms, yet we are told to overlook this and that it is wrong to bring it up.

27 years ago, Allen was wearing white sheets and burning crosses, but it is wrong to mention this.

I wish some women would step forward and say how much he did for them when he was secretary of the Navy!

[cali]

20. Oh, for pete's sake

Although I definitely believe that Webb's apology for his remarks, should suffice, (and some of the offensive statements were made more recently), I can't stand the hypocricy that's endemic here. We attack repukes all the time over shit in their distant pasts. We should expect it to happen to dems as well.

[kaygore]

5. Webb has admitted he was wrong

I live in Virginia. It has been reported in the papers and on the news here.

Also, it has been reported in the NYT:

"On women in combat, Mr. Webb said that he was sorry for any pain his writing had caused, that times had changed, and that he should be judged by what he did in the intervening years to expand opportunities for women."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/us/politics/18webb.html?pagewanted=2&_r=3&th&emc=th

[AtomicKitten]

8. I quote you below!!!

[kaygore]

17. Thank you. I hate that they are Swift Boating a good person

[OzarkDem]

10. Perhaps he should reiterate that

then flip it back on Allen.

[AtomicKitten]

7. posted by kaygore already

from http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2832533#2833022

Webb Apologizes For Column About Women In Military

POSTED: 2:56 pm EDT September 14, 2006
UPDATED: 3:25 pm EDT September 14, 2006
Email This Story | Print This Story
RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia's Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb has apologized for his former opinions about women serving in the military and said he has changed his mind.

<snip>

Webb said in a statement released by his campaign on Wednesday that he did not anticipate the widespread reaction to his article. He said he was "profoundly sorry" and said he is "completely comfortable" with women's roles in today's military.

<snip>

The women spoke at a Richmond news conference organized and paid for by Webb's Republican opponent, Sen. George Allen.

.................................

[Cha]

29. A person who has evolved!

What a concept.

[jrw14125]

11. Allen tried to hit him with it at debate I heard on NPR this a.m...

Webb just replied "I guess that's my macaca payback, huh?"

[OzarkDem]

12. Perhaps he's not getting fair treatment by the news media

If he has apologized, that should be sufficient.

[underpants]

22. LOL did he really?

[Old and In the Way]

13. Having those women officiers weighing in on a clearly politically

motivated attack, is not a good idea. The comment was made 27 years ago. It's one thing for retired vets to voice political opinion, but having our military used as political props for both parties is not a good thing. Having our military as politicized as our general population ought to be a concern to all.

[Bake]

32. Were they in uniform?

And if so, is it legal to do so in uniform?

Bake

[blue cat]

14. I saw that

CM makes me sick. He would do anything to bring down a democrat.

[FrenchieCat]

15. This is bullcrap....and Cook/Matthews/Fineman know it.....

Hell, I'm still waiting for an apology from Bush for snorting cocaine about the same time frame...if not more recently!

"They" are just playing those comments up in order to give Allen cover. Assholes!

[OzarkDem]

18. Its looking that way

but they still have a long way to go to reach the "macaca" moment.

[Windy]

16. He did admit he was wrong on MTP.

This is the new right wing plan. they've been blasting it on fox too.

[CTyankee]

24. He didn't apologize as forcefully as he should have

so it seemed a little weak. These are things that our candidates have to take very seriously and combat with a strong response of regret and admission of being wrong and now having seen the light. All of this MOnday morning quarterbacking would then be unnecessary and he would have put it squarely behind him, period, the end. And the reference to "horny women's dream" should not have elicited that little laugh at the end.

Mine are just the musings of a woman who worked on the "women in the military" issue at the time Webb made that original comment 27 years ago. A lot of women took a lot of abuse trying to gain equality in the service academies and in the rank and file military.

Preparation is key. It amazes me that this was not taken more seriously by Webb's campaign so that he was better prepared in the actual moment on national TV to put it to rest. It's really too bad, because he has some great ideas, particularly about the war. I just don't understand why WEbb wasn't better served by his campaign team. Perhaps they just didn't think it was that important.

[oncall247]

19. What a useless issue to even be discussing with what is confronting

this nation. So women can fight, ok. Now what? To link this man's statements with hazzing and harrassment of women in the military exonerates those who committed the crimes and puts all the blame on Webb. It's an issue designed by the RW to woo the women who have turned their backs on the Republican war party. Only thing is, most Republican women feel now like Webb felt then about women in combat. They even beieve women should not have a career or make choices about their own bodies. And this Webb statement is an issue? How utterly stupid.

[CTyankee]

25. But Webb's advisors should have seen this coming

The point is that you don't let the issue hit you in the face on MTP nationwide Sunday morning. You are prepared to punch it right back. This required more than "Well, I apologized and I don't feel that way now." Perhaps Webb should add a strong woman, a feminist with gut instincts, to advise him. If I lived in VA (where I did once)I would volunteer because I believe in his candidacy.

[maine_raptor]

21. Saw that little conversation on HardBall too.

That was a blatant hit piece, pure and simple.

Did ya notice the tape they had of the ex-CMDR talking about Webb's remarks being hurtful to her way back when?

Funny how they never mentioned that that took place during an Allen campaign sponsored news conference.

Kinda relevant to the whole discussion, eh, Tweety?

[OzarkDem]

23. Agree - but even more important

is GOP focus on this wedge issue, as well as exploitation of terror issues. It shows that the GOP knows who the most important voters are to court - women. This is just one more example of how the GOP continues to take advantage of Dems biggest weakness - ignoring their base of women voters. Women used to make up more than 55-60% of Dem voters. The number has been dropping steadily over the last several years as the GOP learns how to cultivate their support. Dems still haven't even acknowledged it yet.


It is a shame that Webb had some vulnerability on this issue. Though he appears to have redeemed himself since then, it will continue to be a weakness that the GOP will exploit.

[Catchawave]

26. Where were these ladies when Reagan

appointed Webb SecNav ? Or the Virginia primary? Maybe Chris Matthews needs to have them on and ask these questions.

[Virginia Dare]

28. Good point...

he was right in line with all the cronies at the Pentagon at that time I'm sure, Republicans all.

WTF????

[KoKo]

30. This will make Webb look better to the Fundies in VA. And, even to

the Mainstream Repugs. I don't know that VA has a thriving Feminist population. :-(

[Vinca]

33. That was my thought, too.

The fundies want women barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen, not on a battlefield.

[w4rma]

34. Webb sorry for 1979 article, Sep 14, 2006

1979 article sparked criticism; Allen blasts TV ad on armor

BY TYLER WHITLEY AND JEFF E. SCHAPIRO
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITERS

Sep 14, 2006
…
The Allen campaign brought six former officers, one of whom was male, to the Richmond Marriott Hotel to meet with reporters. Allen's advertising consultant, Scott Howell, filmed it for a possible campaign commercial.

Webb quickly apologized.

In a statement issued by his campaign, the former Navy secretary and Republican-turned-Democrat, said, "I am completely comfortable with the roles of women in today's military."

Webb also said, "To the extent that my writings subjected women at the Academy or the active armed forces to undue hardship, I remain profoundly sorry."

The speed with which Webb apologized was in contrast with Allen's handling of fallout from his calling Webb aide S.R. Sidarth "Macaca," a genus of monkey and word used in some cultures to demean dark-skinned people.

More than a week passed before Allen apologized to Sidarth. The episode revived an image of Allen as racially insensitive.

Webb, who was dogged by his disputed article during the Democratic primary but never apologized at the time, said the piece was written "during a time of great emotional debate over a wide array of social issues in this country and the tone of this article was no exception."
…
http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149190613022
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2510876&mesg_id=2510876