Post-Gazette Editorial – 12/4/06

This page was last updated on December 4, 2006.

Respect the office: A new senator’s rudeness to Bush is unacceptable; Editorial; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; December 4, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“James Webb, graduate of the Naval Academy, decorated Vietnam War veteran, former secretary of the Navy, acclaimed novelist and senator-elect from Virginia, should know how to be an officer and a gentleman.”

[RWC] “[A]cclaimed novelist” by whom? Admittedly I’m not a big reader, but I never heard of Mr. Webb’s books until his Senate campaign, and what I heard wouldn’t get me to read one.

“Apparently not. According to The Washington Post, the Democrat attended a recent White House reception where he went out of his way to avoid his host, President Bush, declining to stand in a receiving line or have his picture taken with the president. But Mr. Bush found him anyway.

“According to the Post, Mr. Bush asked him, ‘How’s your boy?’ Mr. Webb’s son is a Marine in Iraq.

“‘I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President,’ Mr. Webb responded.

“‘That’s not what I asked you,’ Mr. Bush said. ‘How’s your boy?’

“‘That’s between me and my boy, Mr. President,’ Mr. Webb said to end the conversation.

“Plenty of people criticize George W. Bush and poke fun at him in public arenas -- that’s called democracy. But to meet a president, any president, and show cold contempt -- that’s called rudeness. The discourtesy was compounded by the fact that Mr. Bush was asking a friendly question about the welfare of Mr. Webb’s son, a fair and decent inquiry. It would have been better had the senator-elect not attended the reception than behave like this.”

[RWC] This is a curious editorial on two points.

First, the editorial could have been written many times since President Bush took office but wasn’t. For example, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) referred to President Bush as a “loser” when speaking to schoolchildren. About a week after President Bush called to congratulate John Kerry on his virtual clinching of the Democrat nomination, Mr. Kerry referred to President Bush and his administration as, “the most crooked, you know, lying group I’ve ever seen.” The examples go on ad infinitum. Though Mr. Webb was undoubtedly rude, he didn’t engage in name-calling, at least not in this incident.

Second, Mr. Webb said what he had to say in President Bush’s presence. Most people who engage in name-calling and personal attacks of President Bush don’t have the courage to do it to his face.

“Mr. Webb is a man of strong convictions and it’s true that feelings about Iraq are running high. As Americans showed on Nov. 7, they want an end to the debacle there. But it is a fair bet that they also want an end to the political rancor that infects Washington, D.C. This was just more of the same.”

[RWC] Earth to PG, no one wants a war and everyone wants this war and all wars to end. If Republicans had held its majorities in Congress, would that have meant we’re warmongers?

“Anyone with a military background should know that you salute the rank, not the man. While Mr. Webb was at a social function, and not on a parade ground, the same principle applied. In the future, we hope Mr. Webb’s sense of duty and honor also include old-fashioned courtesy.”

[RWC] I hate to break the news to the PG, but you don’t need “a military background” to know what good behavior is.

I can’t help but believe there’s some ulterior motive behind this editorial. Perhaps it’s to lay the foundation for not criticizing the new Democrat leaders in Congress.