Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) is on MSNBC with Tim Russert right now

[LucyParsons]

10:20am CST

He's been on for at least ten minutes. Talking about his new book "A Time to Fight", "economic Darwinism" and the "new aristocracy" (saying it's time for the government to step in and do its job).

He's my no. 1 VP pick.

:patriot:

[harun]

1. Anybody got a link to a clip of this? I would really like to see him talk about this.

[Crunchy Frog]

8. You can get these as podcasts now.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8132577

(It will be available later in the day.)

[LucyParsons]

12. Awesome, thanks!!!

:)

[clevbot]

14. good to know

[wisteria]

2. Decent guy, but not for VP! n/t

[blm]

3. If he passes the vetting process, there's an excellent chance he will be.

.

[LucyParsons]

4. That's my hunch.

He's started being very cagey about answering the question, whereas previously he said he was not interested. The only thing that might be a problem, as far as I know, is his history of making anti-women-in-the-military statements. I am a feminist, and I somehow missed this scandal, but I am more than willing to hear him out on this, as I think his other policies, and demographics, make him an excellent VP choice for this GE.

Also, interesting timing on the new book.

[Crunchy Frog]

9. I believe the "scandal" happened 30 years ago.

[blm]

10. Your concern is exactly mine, and why I said IF - he's come a long way since then

and he'll have to address his past statements and repudiate them in as forceful and convincing as possible. The media climate will be crucial.

[w8liftinglady]

5. I gave his new book to my dad for Father's Day

MY dad,an old Eisenhower Repub,likes Webb,and would vote for an Obama Webb ticket,I believe.He despises McCain.

[LakeSamish706]

6. I like him as well, but I don't want to see Obama take any Senators...

out of the Senate.... We need all of our good guys in both the Senate and the House.

[Lex]

13. yes, good point

nt

[Lasher]

7. Interesting prospect.

Obama has the potential to invigorate a whole new generation of Democrats. And you know what, so does Webb.

[LucyParsons]

11. Can't find a video of this yet, but he said, in the three segments I saw:

1. It was 40 years ago yesterday that he graduated from the Naval Academy and took the oath of office as U.S. Marine, the day after RFK was assassinated. He spoke with great feeling and insight about that tumultuous time.

2. He answered Tim's questions about how difficult it was campaigning on an anti-Iraq-war platform while is son was in combat in Ramadi. He acknowledged that it was very difficult, and spoke of his family's (and many other Americans') tradition of "citizen-soldiers".

3. He compared our current economic situation, as far as wealth discrepancy, to the FDR era, saying it's possibly even worse, and that we need the government to step in and do its job to regulate runaway CEO salaries, inflation, etc., but not through capping salaries. He compared the 431-1 ratio of CEO-to-worker salary, as compared to about 40-1 when he graduated from college 40 years ago, and about 11-1 in contemporary Germany, and said that if other countries can achieve a more equitable balance while maintaining a strong, enterprising economy, so can we. He also called our current environment "economic Darwinism" and said we are heading for an economic aristocracy, and that's what it's the government's job to protect us from.

4. He then spoke on Obama's "Appalachia problem" and said he thinks many of these voters will be for Obama when he spends some time talking with and listening to them, as he campaigns (and he has enough money to do this, unlike McCain in CA, for instance :) ). He reiterated his points in his previous writings, that poor Southerners and African-Americans have the same economic interests, and insisted that "the South was never about white versus black - it was about a small white aristocracy manipulating white against black". He believes that Obama is a leader who can transcend this and get these groups to the table, which will lead to real change.

5. When asked, at the end of the interview, about whether Obama should pick Gov. Tim Kaine, former Gov. Mark Warner, or Sen. Jim Webb as his VP. Webb said he could advise Obama on any of those, and then launched into a hearty laugh that seemed to defang any further questioning along these lines.

Anyway, here's Senator Webb introducing Obama on June 5, at his first rally as the Democratic nominee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2uxWKpj97M