Guest posted by David Lerman at 3:14 p.m. CDT
Virginia Sen. Jim Webb said today his executive assistant made an ``enormously unfortunate” error when he inadvertently tried to carry a loaded pistol into a Senate office building Monday.
Coming to the defense of Phillip F. Thompson, who was arrested and charged with carrying a loaded gun without a license, Webb described the incident as an honest mistake made as the senator was flying off to New Orleans for the weekend.
``I think this is one of those very unfortunate situations where, completely inadvertently, he took the weapon into the Senate yesterday,” Webb said.
But Webb, who has a license to carry a concealed weapon in Virginia, declined to discuss any details, saying he did not want to prejudice Thompson’s legal case.
Thompson, who spent his 45th birthday in a D.C. jail, told police that the gun belonged to Webb and had been given to him temporarily for safekeeping, according to a court record.
But Webb, at a Capitol news conference, declined to say who owned the gun.
``I have never carried a gun in the Capitol complex and I did not give the weapon to Phillip Thompson,” he said.
Thompson, who served on Webb’s campaign last year, was released from jail after an arraignment Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court for a preliminary hearing on May 1.
Webb, a conservative-minded Democrat and proud gun owner who defended gun rights on the campaign trail, portrayed himself as a lawmaker needing protection in his new high-profile job in the nation’s capital.
``If you look at people in the executive branch, look at the number of people who are defending the president, other members of the executive branch, there is not that kind of protection available to people in the legislative branch,” Webb said. ``We are required to defend ourselves, and I choose to do so.”
Most senators do not receive Secret Service protection on Capitol Hill.
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Comments
Maybe Webb wants to knock off some of the lockstep Republican Senator's....not a bad idea....
Posted by: John E. | March 27, 2007 3:17 PM
John E. speaks for himself. It's more satisfying to send Republicans back into the private sector when they lose elections. Who forgets they are carrying a gun?
Posted by: Janet | March 27, 2007 3:34 PM
Nothing quite like advocating the murder of members of the other party, eh?
I read this on a blog a few days ago. I think it was stupid of Webb's aide, but certainly not indicative of anything more nefarious. If we made a ruckus over every stupid thing someone in Washington does we'd never get a chance to stop and take a breath.
Posted by: Jeff | March 27, 2007 3:41 PM
Crying Jeff,
Since the lockstep Republicans Senator's think it's ok for our troops to die in someone elses civil war in Iraq,I'd consider it a wash.
Posted by: John E. | March 27, 2007 4:14 PM
I love it! Webb and his aide are just doing their part to challenge the stereotype of the wimpy Democrat.
I don't like guns but Webb is obviously experienced and capable with his military background. And he probably needs to pack with all the Virginia Republican whackjobs still pissed about losing the election.
If anything, this incident may sway some on-the-fence manly men-types to go Democratic!
Posted by: Mollie | March 27, 2007 4:14 PM
If we made a ruckus over every stupid thing someone in Washington does we'd never get a chance to stop and take a breath.
Posted by: Jeff | Mar 27, 2007 3:41:02 PM
Wait, you mean that's not what The Swamp is here for??
Posted by: Jeff C. | March 27, 2007 4:15 PM
Since the Capitol Hill Police alone (not counting National Park Service, USPS, DC, Secret Service and other departmental squads too numerous to track) is the size of law enforcement in a good sized American city, this is probably and hopefully unnecessary except for PR among fellow gun-toting machos.
As for the congresswoman from GA who got quite belligerent after being stopped without proper ID by cops in the house office buildings, she didn't win re-election, so morale and karma among the Capitol Hill Police should be high.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | March 27, 2007 4:46 PM
Let's see, new members in my 'dream fox hole';
Mollie,
Phil
(Prior members included the 92 year old Atlanta 'Boom Boom' lady that smoked those cops, and Dale Peters, John E, Bill R, so we would be a fully discredited lot, but good at throwing out the rounds, I am sure.)
Posted by: C.Morris | March 27, 2007 5:16 PM
Hell, all Democrats (and especially liberals) should be armed.
Remember who's in charge of the defense and justice departments.
Posted by: Ron | March 27, 2007 6:46 PM
OK, so what makes the Robot called John E tick?
- He enjoys using a variety of anti Latino ethnic slurs.
- He expresses an irrational distrust of Jews.
- He has a fixation about wanting to shoot people.
- He has a fixation about calling male posters by female names. (Compensating for something?)
Your foxhole sounds more like a nightmare, C. Morris... or a latrine.
Posted by: Leo T | March 27, 2007 7:07 PM
Anyone see the movie 'The Survivors', starring a young Robin Williams? It's pretty funny IMO, a sampling:
Confessing to his wife that he's a hitman]
Jack: So you see, I'm not out there committing adultery. I'm out there committing murder.
Betty: Oh, thank God!
[Donald and Jack in a shoot-out to the death]
Donald: Jaaaack?
Jack: Yeah?
Donald: Time out, OK?
Jack: Time out?
Donald: Time out.
Jack: What do you mean, 'time out?'
Donald: You're not gonna believe this. I was in a hurry when I left the cabin this morning, and, well, silly me, I got the wrong bullets.
Donald: You shot my gun! You don't shoot a man's gun!
Donald Quinelle: What kind of man gives cigarettes to trees?
Sonny Paluso: You think Wes is God, don't you.
Donald Quinelle: No, not God, Just an ordinary man. Maybe a little ahead of his time, but just an ordinary man.
Sonny Paluso: Wes is an a#@hole.
Donald Quinelle: Blasphemy! Oh, you'll smoke a turd in hell for that!
Donald Quinelle: OK, Mr. Honky Mo-Fo... take your best shot!
Jack: I was raised a strict Southern Baptist. I place a high value on human life... $20,000 minimum.
Posted by: dt | March 27, 2007 7:29 PM
Once more, Leo T shows a complete lack of humor.
The whole 'dream foxhole' scenario is a ongoing joke.
Not serious.
(Probable Leo T response)
Joke is right! You are all a joke!)
How'd I do?
Posted by: C.Morris | March 27, 2007 7:45 PM
Your foxhole sounds more like a nightmare, C. Morris... or a latrine.
Posted by: Leo T | Mar 27, 2007 7:07:57 PM
Hey..I resemble that remark!
Posted by: bill r. | March 27, 2007 8:20 PM
Barry Barack "Hussein" Obama should have a talk with Webb about guns,Osama is a gun grabber.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | March 27, 2007 11:59 PM
Leo T,
I'm making you some cement shoes,what size feet do you have?
C Morris,
This Texas Ranger would gladly serve with you and your fellow brave souls in that foxhole. It's time to start weeding out the fascist Repubs,good buddy.
Posted by: Chuck Norris | March 28, 2007 12:21 AM
bill r,
That remark wasn't directed at you.
C.Morris,
What lack of humor? If there's a joke here, it's obviously a private one and I'm not in on it.
'Splain the ha-ha to me if you want, but don't bust my chops for not getting a private "joke".
Lack of humor? "Humor" is my middle name!
Posted by: Leo T | March 28, 2007 7:03 AM
I'm a size 13-D. (Yes, I'm a big'un)
I see Loon is now calling himself Chuck Norris.
Posted by: Leo T | March 28, 2007 7:07 AM
C.Morris, aren't you concerned that you and Bill R. will be the only ones in your foxhole? There's a good chance that most of the people you mentioned are sock puppets. You better add Raving Loon just to be safe.
p.s. Maybe John Kerry can join you after he "gits me a huntin' license."
Posted by: Jeff | March 28, 2007 9:08 AM
Well, I thought Paulo had figured out how to use quotes when he once said Barack "Messiah" Obama. I was even gonna give him humor points, as it made me chuckle.
How naive of me...
Posted by: Jeff C. | March 28, 2007 9:26 AM
Leo T,
You have humor? .....OK....
The ha ha is that the only people I would trust with my back are the liberals. The other cons here might knife you to get a leg up on ya, maybe sell your 'stuff' for a quick profit.
You and J, and Bill and Jeff, on the other hand, are an open question. I haven't quite given up on you.
But truly, would you trust Crazy John D in a bad situation?
BTW, somebody is calling themselves 'Chuck Norris', but not Loony.
Re the foxhole; Ive been posting a dream foxhole for some time. The personnel change. Bubba wants in.
Posted by: C.Morris | March 28, 2007 5:59 PM
C.M.
I wouldn't trust either Johns... "E" or "D".
Posted by: Leo T | March 29, 2007 6:57 AM
Hey Swamp editors ---
Again, you don't enforce your "rules." You need to block comments that advocate the murder of our elected officials, such as the first comment in this string posted by that idiot, John E. Even if that comment was sarcasm it still doesn't belong here. Seriously, by allowing comments such as that you are only hurting the credibility of this forum.
On a lighter note, I just love how little press this incident has gotten. It's never quite the same when the Dems do something stupid. I was surprised to even find it here in the Swamp.
Posted by: no name | March 29, 2007 10:39 AM
No Name...I guess we all just assumed it was o.k. because funnyman Bill set such a fine example. Isn't he your "guiding light"? ;
"...If al-Qaida comes in here and blows you up, we're not going to do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You want to blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead," O'Reilly said.
Posted by: dt | March 29, 2007 6:08 PM
dt, don't make excuses. I was commenting on John E's remark in this topic, I don't even know who "Bill" is. John's comment was irresponsible and it was irresponsible of the Swamp to post it.
Posted by: no name | March 30, 2007 10:42 AM
No name,
Somehow I don't believe you when you say you don't know who Bill is. If you read the paragragh, it says
(O'Reilly said), at it's conclusion. When the voice of the "fair and balanced" network advocates blowing up a fireman's memorial, what are we to think?
Posted by: dt | March 30, 2007 12:26 PM