Lindsay Graham sounded like he was on a pot of coffee, seven Red Bulls and a couple of packs of cigarettes—while being fluent at the Evelyn Wood talking points course. Jim Webb was not thrilled to be sitting next to him.
Download | Play 
Download | Play (MP4) 
Download | Play (QT)
Webb: Lindsey’s had a hard month…excuse me friend…
And he got angry when Graham, (McCain’s BFF) tried to put words in the mouths of our soldiers
Webb: Don’t put political words in their mouths…
No wonder Republicans are afraid of Webb. Here’s some highlights:
Graham: “The surge has been in place for two weeks” Webb: “we didn’t
do that in two weeks”
Webb: “It’s been a hard month Lindsey, hasn’t it?”
Webb: “Lindsey’s had a hard month. These people who have gathered
around the President, you know, on the immigration bill and this bill,
I know it’s been tough. We gotta bring people together …” (more down below)
Webb: “We’re now in a situation where the soldiers and the Marines are
having less than a one to one ratio [time at home versus time at war],
and somebody needs to speak up for them instead of simply defending
what this President …”
Graham: “Well, they reenlist in the highest numbers anywhere than the…”
Webb: “This one thing I really take objection to is politicians …”
Lindsey keeps interrupting
Webb: “May I speak? … Is politicians who put their political views
in the mouths of soldiers. You can look at poll after poll and the
political views of the United States military are no different than
the country writ large. Go take a look at the New York Times today.
Less than half of the military believes that we should have been in
Iraq in the first place.”
Graham: “Have you ever been to Iraq? Have you ever been?”
Webb: “Have you ever been to these … I’ve covered two wars as a
correspondent.”
cross-talk
Graham: “Have you been to Iraq and talked to the soldiers?”
Webb: “You know, you haven’t been to Iraq Lindsey. (cross-talk).
You go see the dog and pony show. That’s what Congressman do.”
cross talk
Webb: “I’ve been a member of the military more than the Senators been
a Senator.”
———
Webb: “35% of the United States military agrees with the policy of
this President.”
Graham: “Well, why do they keep reenlisting? Why do they go back?”
Webb: “Because they love their country. (cross-talk) They do not do
it for political reasons. Believe me, my family’s been doing this
since the Revolutionary War.”
Graham: “Yea? Well so has my family.”
Webb: “They do it because they love their country. They do it because
they have a tradition, and it is the responsibility of our national
leaders so make sure that they are used properly.”
13 Trackbacks To “Jim Webb rips into Graham for putting political words in our Soldiers’ mouths“
That was by far the best thing on tv today, hell, maybe ever
Really what was wrong with Graham? I’ve never seen him so crazed before. Was it desperation? He needs a timeout!
Jim Webb and Ron Paul for President with Secretary of State Wes Clark. When will this loser country begin to select winners?
There’s a lot of David Vitter in Lindsay Graham.
Actually Ron Paul for VP on the Webb ticket.
Patricia,
The David Vitter revelation clearly dominated Lindsay Graham’s face and general demeanor.
Webb kicks butt!
PLEASE, my fellow humans. Webb worked for Reagan as a cabinet member. He recently voted to continue the war. He recently created a bill that he knew would never get to the vote. He is a republican by all measurements
be careful where you place your hope. this one has all ready lied and voted with the president on the mass kill fun in bagdaddistan
how low a standard to some of you folks have? we will never be able to get them to stop if you keep making heroes out of killers
“There’s a lot of David Vitter in Lindsay Graham.”
er… sort of… but it’s not polite to mention that he’s a big hypocrite who’d be run out of town on a rail if his brain-dead, hillbilly supporters knew the truth.
And BTW… LINDSAY GRAHAM SHUT THE FUCK UP! You are an asshole and will always be an asshole.
Thank You.
Go Webb!!!!Sic’em boy!
It used to be (1970s) common practice to offer enticements to a potential re-enlistee: schools, choice of duty station, etc… I wonder if this has anything to do with re-enlistments?
“Sir, I’ll take that billet down at the South Pole, sir.”
I contributed to Webb’s campaign and this is why. Don’t agree with all
of Senator Webb’s views (when ever with anybody?) but he thinks and
speaks clearly.
Go Jim!
…
The subtext to all that is that Jim Webb’s son is over there, which he didn’t want to bring up.
Last week, Lindsay Graham lauded the Bush surge in Iraq. A veteran of both the armed forces and an April shoppng spree in Baghdad (”I bought five rugs for five bucks”), Graham concluded last Saturday:
For more background, see:
“Iraq Surge Wins Reviews.”
MTP brought to you by “Red-Bull, Red-Bull gives you SPIN!111111″ also brought to you by “De-Nile, hate the truth? hat reality? Take De-Nile and just wash them libereeraaaal! facts away”. (side effects include sounding like a jabbering fool and having an inability to make eye contact)
curious vet @ 12:
Yep, they are being offered big bonuses and chances to complete their enlistment stateside. Otherwise they run the risk of being ’stop lossed’ with no bonus and returned to Iraq. But to tell you the truth, they’ve been screwed with the 3 month extension and word has it they’ll be extended another 3 months…they just don’t no it yet. Looks like another Christmas alone this year.
At last, someone like Webb who very impolitely lets these bastards and
their idiotic talking points HAVE IT. Right in their face. Go, Webb.
I’m postive I heard there are big bonuses for staying in the military.
Hey, here’s a thought .. maybe they re-enlist because since they’ve been deployed so long their businesses are gone, they really have no job to return to and the economy, especially for those who have no plans for college, is rather bad.
There have been several stories on the MA newspapers this past month about servicemen who come home to their ruined business that died in their absence, and no job prospects.
sad thing is little green footballers and freepers will say Graham won
I am just hearing Sen. Graham saying “the Iranians are killing the Americans.” What? Is he nuts? We started the war for oil, power over the region, one world order, blah, blah. It is typical of the Christian fundies to be in denial.
Folks, if ever you have another election, boot him out.
We need people like Webb. Great job!
Lindsey Graham is such a blind loyalist traitor. It’s obvious from his statements that he’s nothing more than a shill..
- the surge has made “enormous progress” yet it just started “2 weeks ago”.. both of those statements can’t be true!
- “Our soldiers go to Iraq and they see the FACE OF THE ENEMY” - is the face of the enemy the Iraqi people that we went there to “liberate”? It’s such a sick and tragic joke.
POP, a lot of these guys go back to be with their guys. I know. They’ve been to hell together. They’re closer to each other than their own spouses. That kinda smarts.
Motorhead Vette ‘67 @ 3:
Yeah that is the ticket, have the republicans screw up the government by controlling the congress for over a decade and the white house for 2 terms… and now we need an asshole libertarian in GOP clothes who wants to dismantle the government because it is so mismanaged.
I have a concept, if libertatians and GOPers hate the government so much why don’t they stop sucking off the public tit and get real jobs. Leave the government for those who still believe that humans are social animals and who are not willing to turn their backs on 10 millenia of human society.
Webb is so correct. I served in Desert Storm. One of my sisters served and was wounded in this war, her husband still is in Iraq. My son, a member of the Guard is in Iraq. My Dad retired from the Air Force about 2 years ago. My family has served this country for many generations, yet almost every one do not believe in this war started for lies. We should have never invaded Iraq.
Contrary to the Neocons and fact-blind supporters of the War, people can support the troops, yet not support the Policy.
Just how did it occur in this country, that unwaivering obedience to corporate interest is what constitutes being patriotic now days?
General Petreas had better get ready to get fucked. The administration and the Republicans in congress are setting him up for a fall when he gives his report in September. Then they will blame him and him alone for the failures in Iraq.
Be honest Lindsey: Except for that treasonous, secessionist period called the Civil War, in which, the Graham clan got its collective ass handed to it. Traitorous blood runs deep.
I see this, and all I can think of is President Webb.
eddi e at 9, like, uh, Miz Lindsey is a hypocrite?
I thought Graham won on points. In any case it was hardly worth getting excited about. Webb is one of the better Dems but I cannot understand how the Left gets so excited about a half-ass performance like that. I guess as Eddie Murphy says, if your starving in the desert and someone gives you a Ritz cracker…..
A reminder to Sen. Graham:
Your grandfather and those around him might have fought the Brits occupation in the Americas. You folks rebelled against the monarchy to create the republic.
Similarly, the Iraqis are fighting the occupation and rebelling the democracy against their theocracy.
Ponder on this!
You created the Al Qaeda.
We should have Sen. Webb as leader of the Senate, we definitely need someone
who can generate some form of passion and who is not afraid to point out the
Repbulican garbage. Sen. Reid is a good person, but is not the leader for this point in
time, we need a tough fighter and that maybe our problem why our voices are not
been heard more. Reid’s lack luster attitude is not going to get us any where. We need to change course in the Senate just as the president need to change course in Iraq. Sticking with Reid is not going to cut it much longer.
this is what happens when someone represses their sexuality in the repuglican party….you become a vile sycophant for the chickenhawks.
come on Lindsay let yourself out of the closet….and practice your man love. BE FREE!
maybe then 100,000’s of innocent people no longer have to die.
Graham’s must have no concept of what management is, the role of Congress and the role of the Military. Congress isn’t micromanaging the war, their job is to set end goals, to say go in or get out and to define over-arching missions and to dictate time lines. It’s the Military’s job to figure how to achieve those goals, how to go in, how to get out, how to enact those missions and how to reach those time lines. It’s amazing Graham can’t understand these simple facts. Of course, he can’t seem to distinguish between Al Qaeda and Iraq’s nor the difference between a “war” and the “troops”. Sad.
Gaius Gracchus @ 28:
I can find no reference to his family serving either for or against the USA.
Methinks he is lying!
The real reason people keep re-enlisting is to get more money, I myself am attempting to re-enlist but mainly because I hate my current job in the signal corps. We’re due to deploy around October or so, I want to try to get the new MOS before then (otherwise I get to go to Iraq for a year or more and then I can change when I get back).
Also we get sizable tax free bonuses when we go down-range (danger pay). Some people just really love the army life, others want a better job (me), still others just want to experience as much as they can in the army. I’m willing to bet the number wanting to go back to Iraq just to finish the job is very, very low, I’ve yet to hear anyone around me saying that.
Lindsay Graham, what a putz. Does he really disbelieve the polls, and instead believe what is told to him at the dog and pony shows they give to congressmen when they visit Iraq? What a goddamn maroon. He looks like the type who never saw even a schoolyard battle in his life, let alone the military and its operations.
And yet he has the guts to tell Webb how it is.
Gaius Gracchus @ 28:
Webb could’ve nailed him hard right there, most of Grahams family state and the South in general were on the side of the Brits during the Revolution.
Graham was quite nervous and uncomfortable. Graham represents a classic whimp who cowered further when Webb put his hand on his shoulder.
By the way, this is what EVERY Dem in congress should be doing - appearing on the media, well prepared, to attack the wingnuts. Not offer respect to them, like Pelosi the few times she deigns to appear, but attack.
Webb did an excellent job.
As a soldier on his second tour in Iraq, very very few people reenlist because they like comming over to Iraq. Many do it for the very large tax free bonuses they can get (for junior soldiers this can be almost as large or larger than their annual salary). The ones with 12-14 year in are reenlisting because “Hey I only got [so many] years left till retirement. How many times can they send me here?”
The most telling is junior officers (Captains and below). A very good portion is leaving the first chance they get. These are the people that can’t be swayed by big bonuses, or fall for feel good line like “Odds are good you’ll go to another unit that won’t deploy for another 2 years”. Unfortunately these are the people that will be the Armys battalion commanders and brigade commanders in 10 years, but they’re leaving.
Watchdog, will this be your first deployment?