Chapter 55.7: The State of the Senator

Boy, my first impression of Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) is that he's a no-nonsense populist. I like that. He's got an impressive speech writer, too.

Webb included the gngoing need to assist the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, which President Bush never referenced in this year's State of the Union. And talk about credentials for discussing the situation with the war! Webb's family history and pride in military service can never be disputed. From what I understand, during his senatorial campaign Webb often mentioned the Andrew Jackson quote about focusing on the state of the base rather than the state of the wealthy. And I appreciated the math on how it takes the average worker more than an entire year to earn what the high-paid corporate CEOs make in one day.

I don't know whether the Eisenhower and Teddy Roosevelt references were usual campaign pitches or not, but I thought they were quite impressive ways of saying "other Republican presidents have been able to lead the country. What's wrong with you, Mr. President?"

But my personal litmus test for the effectiveness of Sen. Webb's speech: My wife stopped and took notice. She's not political and cleaves to no party. For her to listen to what this man was saying means that other people will too. I didn't realize a response speech could be so impressive. I expect great things of him.