AFP/Paul J. RichardsFrom Jonathan Alter on Hardblogger:
Something unprecedented happened tonight, beyond the doorkeeper announcing, “Madame Speaker.” For the first time ever, the response to the State of the Union overshadowed the president’s big speech. Virginia Sen. James Webb, in office only three weeks, managed to convey a muscular liberalism-with personal touches-that left President Bush’s ordinary address in the dust. In the past, the Democratic response has been anemic—remember Washington State Governor Gary Locke? This time it pointed the way to a revival for national Democrats.
snip
Webb was given a speech to read by the Democratic leadership. He threw it out and wrote his own.(my emphasis added)
I think Alter gets it exactly right. Not only was Webb's response substantive and clear, his tone was perfect. It was nice to hear a democrat sound confident, smart, and unapologetic.
I shudder to think what the speech he was given looked like. Maybe, just maybe, the leadership will learn something from this.
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Webb was given a speech to read by the Democratic leadership. He threw it out and wrote his own.(my emphasis added)
And it never in a million years ocurred to them that since Webb owed them nothing -- he was elected in spite of the national leadership, not because of them -- he would treat their prepared speech with all the respect it no doubt deserved.
So nice to have a fucking independent voice again.
Flory, it never occurred to them that the speeches they've been given suck ass.
remember Washington State Governor Gary Locke?
The fact that I don't says a lot.
Wow, really??? Woo-hoo!!! Yessiree, Bob! That's great. You go, J. Webb!
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