Andrew Ferguson of Bloomberg points out some of the reasons that Democrats may not quite know what to do with Senator—elect James Webb.

Let those other pundits and reporters obsess over the new Democratic leadership as it brings its own special brand of ``progressive reform'' to Capitol Hill. (An all— vegan menu in the cafeteria? Hookahs in the cloakroom? Mandatory Birkenstocks in place of wingtips?)

I will be directing my attention to the back benches. I'll be watching Jim Webb. [....]

He is, for instance, an absolutist on Second Amendment rights —— the right to keep and bear arms —— but he made sure the subject seldom arose as he campaigned in the liberal suburbs of northern Virginia.

He has written extensively about affirmative action, calling it ``a permeating state—sponsored racism that is as odious as the Jim Crow laws it sought to countermand.'' He has praised the Confederate battle flag and the sacrifice of the Confederate soldier with an eloquence that Jefferson Davis might envy. [....]

His revulsion for Bill Clinton and his administration is deep, longstanding and very public. ``Every time I see him salute a Marine,'' he once told an interviewer, ``it infuriates me.''

There's much more. Ferguson is one of my favorite commentators, and his sense of irony nicely compliments the insights you will find. Webb promises to deliver a fair amount of entertainment in the six years ahead.

Hat tip: Richard Baehr

Thomas Lifson  11 14 06