The perils of electing an egomaniacal jerk

It’s never exactly been a secret that James Webb is a jerk. But even before he takes his place in the Senate, this fact is becoming common knowledge. First, he turned a kind inquiry about his son from President Bush into a confrontation. Given the president’s unpopularity, Webb figured he could get some mileage out of his boorish conduct, which he proceeded to publicize.
However, Webb doesn’t figure to get much mileage from stiffing veterans in Virginia Beach. Webb promised to appear at a Veterans’ Day event there, but pulled out at the last minute on the theory that attending would have “eaten up an entire weekend.” Webb then purported to be “perplexed” because the veterans weren’t sufficiently understanding of his circumstances.
According to the Virginian-Pilot, reaction from veterans ranged from disappointment to fury. Said Patrick Callahan, combat vet and president of a local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter, “ditching us was uncalled for and it will not be forgiven.”