Women in the Military--How Webb Should Respond; Debate Tidbits

Jim Webb continues to pay a price for a 27-year-old magazine piece saying women can't fight in the military, cleverly resurrected by the George Allen campaign to deflect attention from Allen's macaca moment.

So far, Webb hasn't been particularly effective in responding.

Here's what he needs to do. It's not enough to just "apologize".

Instead Webb needs to say something like this: "It turned out I was WRONG. Dead wrong. Women have made a huge contribution to our military. [Then he should cite some--Marine Colonel Adele Hodges, Commander of Camp LeJeune, would be a good one.] I'm glad that those initial female cadets at the Naval Academy and all their successors proved me wrong, and I do apologize to them for any problems my article caused them." (He could expand a bit on the apology.)

"My friends, it's important to admit when you're wrong, as I have just done. Unfortunately, Sen. Allen has yet to admit that he and the President were wrong on Iraq. They have yet to admit that they misled Americans on Iraq. They have yet to admit that they mismanaged Iraq and are still doing so. You can't fix something that you don't think is broken . . ."

In addition, it would be nice if the Webb campaign could round up some women in the military who do support him--we're sure there are plenty--for a few campaign appearances.

Allen's Grandfather Jewish? Not an Issue

We're with the folks who boo'd a reporter who asked Allen if his mother wasn't really Jewish. Allen is not Jewish folks, and it really doesn't matter whether his mother or grandfather were, or were not.

Allen: Glad to Help Those Who Can Help Themselves

Here's Allen's idea of how the government should help Americans: health savings accounts, support for small businesses and efforts to invest in technology. All of these are upper middle class welfare programs. Most people, for example, don't have the discretionary income to take advantage of the tax advantages of health savings accounts; no big surprise, the richer you are, the bigger benefit you get out them.

When it comes to helping those who need it most, however, Allen turns up his nose. He opposed increasing the minimum wage, which hasn't been raised in years and which doesn't cost the government anything.

Allen is right about one thing: "this isn't a one issue campaign." He's the one out of step with the vast majority of Virginians on a whole host of issues--the economy, taxes, energy, the environment. He's one of those guys who thinks we still need to study global warming (take a look at the money he's gotten from oil companies who spout doubletalk on global warming).

And so it goes. Bring it on, George!