Senator Jim Webb to leave Myanmar with convicted American

I'm liking this new fangled "diplomacy" thing the administration discovered, but I'm still not clear on why this guy was arrested.

WASHINGTON (AFP)– US Senator Jim Webb will fly out of Myanmar on Sunday with an American convicted to seven years imprisonment after securing his release from the military regime, Webb's office said in a statement Saturday.

(snip)

Webb, a Democrat who is close to US President Barack Obama, became the first US official to hold talks with junta leader Than Shwe and also held talks with detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

Webb said that the junta agreed to free US national John Yettaw, who was convicted along with Aung San Suu Kyi after the American swam uninvited to the Nobel laureate's lakeside home.

"Yettaw will be officially deported on Sunday morning," Webb's office said in the statement.

"Senator Webb will bring him out of the country on a military aircraft that is returning to Bangkok on Sunday afternoon," it said.

Jim Webb goes wobbly on EFCA

Now, I really never got the nuance behind the whole "card check" schtick, but I do want it to be easier for workplaces to form unions, and I do believe in "you dance with thems' that brung ya", so this smells awful bad.

This one is very, very bad news for the Employee Free Choice Act: Senator Jim Webb, who was thought by labor to be supportive of the measure, now won’t say whether he’ll cast a key vote for it.

Worse, his office says he views this as a bad time to be introducing the legislation — a potentially serious blow, because Webb is generally seen as strong on labor issues.

“He doesn’t believe this is the appropriate time to introduce this legislation or to be debating it,” Webb spokesperson Jessica Smith confirms to me. “He’s always been a strong supporter of the right to collective bargaining, but as written, he would look towards improving the legislation in a way to make it more fair and equitable.”

Jim Webb Just Screwed Us

Brokaw just played the noun, verb, POW McCain did last night and straight up asked Jim Webb about it. AFTER (once afreakingain) lauding him for his service blah, blah, blah, Webb pretty much blew it off as "his perogative". WTF? He couldn't have just refused to answer and make a face or something?

Pussies, they're all freaking pussies.

UPDATE- THAT WAS FREAKING FEINGOLD WITH WEBB? Jeff just stormed in here f-bombing all over the place about it, and bitching about Feingold? WTF? I was listening, but I thought it was Bayh he was acting like such a wuss. Dear g-d, we're doomed.

Webb OUT as veepee option

By GottaLaff

(this is a still, not a video, btw)

That was fast:

Virginia Sen. Jim Webb's decision today to voluntarily remove his name from the pool of people being considered as Barack Obama's running mate came as a significant surprise to those closely monitoring the veepstakes.

"Last week I communicated to Senator Obama and his presidential campaign my firm intention to remain in the United States Senate, where I believe I am best equipped to serve the people of Virginia and this country," Webb said in a statement released by his office. "Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President."

That's pretty close to Sherman-esque and represents the second serious contender to take himself out of the vice presidential sweepstakes before they ever got under way. (Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland removed himself last month.) [...]

So, why did he do it? [...]

Those familiar with Webb's thinking argue that his success in passing the G.I. Bill of Rights earlier this year confirmed for him his ability to serve as a bridge over the partisan divide in the body and convinced him that he could make the most difference in the Senate.

Webb said as much in his statement. "The bipartisan legislative template we were able to put into effect through 18 months of work in order to enact the new, landmark GI Bill will serve as a prototype for my future endeavors in government," he said. "This process, wherein we brought 58 Senators from both parties to the table as co-sponsors, along with more than 300 members of the House, gives me renewed confidence that the Congress can indeed work effectively across party lines and address the concerns of our citizens."

The other major reason for Webb's decision could well be that he knew that he would almost certainly have to withstand a re-examination of of his past controversial comments -- on affirmative action and women's role in the military -- that his campaign operatives effectively beat down during his 2006 race against Sen. George Allen (R).

I have said as much in posts and comments.

In making a decision between continuing what has been by most measures a very successful first term and facing that sort of potentially rough vetting, it makes sense that Webb chose the course he did.

Jim Webb with Keith Olbermann

I really enjoyed this. Good laughs.

Jim Webb on Meet the Press

By GottaLaff


Tim Russert interviews Jim Webb:

On being vice president:
I'm not interested in becoming vice president, but "in getting things done" in the Senate, crossing party lines. I would "highly discourage them" from asking me to be veep.

On Bush's Hitler comments:
It shows how out of touch this administration has been... and why we're still in Iraq. It's a classic holding action so that political resolutions can be made. He should be looking at China in the 70s, not Germany in the 30s. By aggressive diplomacy, and keeping other options open and maintaining alliances, we could bring China into the community.

On Democrats being the anti-war, anti-military party; Republicans politicizing military service:
Democrats tended to treat veterans as victims.. but there's been a reverse. I intro'd the G.I. Bill on my first day in office. We now have 58 sponsors in the Senate, 300 in House, and Bush is going to veto. So, we have his rhetoric on how great vets are, but has stop loss... The Dems clearly must value military service or lose their support. John Warner, Carl Levin, Akaka, Specter, Hagel all support it. Bush can show he values military service, so if he vetoes it, it will be an issue in the campaign.

Obama's withdrawal plan (from Iraq), McCain's plan... how do Dems avoid appearing weak?
We need the kind of leadership that aggressively pursues robust diplomacy. To turn that around the other way: I don't believe we'll ever have stability in that region with troops in Iraq. It's in our interest, our economic interest, to remove combat troops, and it is doable.

Sunday Morning Show Lineup

By Paddy

THE LINEUP -

Meet The Press: Author and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA). Very Serious Discourse with failed senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. (DLC-TN), rapist paroler Mike Huckabee, GOP strategist Mike Murphy, and finally Bob "0-8" Shrum gives his expert and-he-should-know analysis on the failures of the Clinton presidential campaign.

Chris Matthews Show: Clarence Page, Norah O'Donnell, Gloria Berger, Andrew Sullivan. Quotes here. Interesting Clarence Page quote there.

This Weak: Joe Biden (D-BULLSHIT!!) and Worst House Minority Leader in History John Boehner (R-Effexor). Matt Bai (who's book has just been made irrelevant by the Obama campaign), gop-trasher Peggy Noonan, Donna Brazile and George Will.

Face The Nation: Missing-in-Action Gov. Charlie Crist (R-McSame), GOP strategist Ed Rollins, Ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo (D) and ex-CO Gov. Roy Romer (D).

Fox News: American Patriot Chris Dodd, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Karl Rove who is on Frog-March Watch.

Late Edition with Wolf: Commerce Sec. Carlos Gutierrez and lobbyist Trent Lott (R-MS). John King, Jessica Yellin and Dana Bash talk about how anytime McSame links himself with Bush, it means he's winning.

60 Minutes: Iraqi informants, Indonesia's Garden of Eden, and Jon Bon Jovi

Lineup and snark via Sam Loomis

MSNBC Confirms John Edwards Will Endorse Obama AT 630p EST

By Paddy



****UPDATE***
Title changed to reflect what Chris Matthews just announced. Link as soon as I get it. 517p est. Also rumours that Carl Levin will endorse as well here.

Per Marc Ambrinder at the Atlantic-

It's him. He's the endorsement. He didn't give the Clinton campaign a heads up, and most of his senior campaign staff were caught unawares.

Edwards is on his way to Michigan to endorse at a rally in (I believe) Grand Rapids, my old hometown.


These are the kind of surprises I like!!

SuperD Watch: Oklahoma's State Senate President Pro Tempore

He's a superdelegate, and he's endorsed Barack Obama.

and

A big endorsement
The Obama campaign just moved its evening event up to 6:30 for what reporters are being told is a big endorsement.

The rumours I'm seeing are John Edwards, Wes Clark, Jim Webb and Hillary herself (conceding). If you hear any others, leave them in the comments. Here's waiting for 6:30!!