Oddly, Sen. John McCain opposes an update of the G.I. bill, which would bring educational benefits for veterans in line with the current costs of college. It's a good bill, and we support it. So does Sen. Barack Obama. Gliding into general-election mode, Obama sharply criticized McCain's opposition to the bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat from Virginia.
Obama's defense of Webb's bill is too small a sample of tea leaves to offer any certainty as to his ultimate choice of a vice presidential candidate. But Webb has often been mentioned. Webb is a Vietnam veteran and a former Navy secretary. His son has served in Iraq, and Webb had a testy exchange with President George W. Bush when Bush inquired how his son was doing in that combat zone. Webb is famously combative, a trait that he would ascribe to his Scots-Irish origins. In fact, he wrote a controversial book called Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America. He also wrote some fiction, with some steamy sex.
So Webb, like Obama, would come to the race as a successful author. But his temperament is much hotter than Obama's cool persona. That disposition would make Webb a natural for the attack-dog role so often assigned to past vice presidential candidates.If he were on the ticket, the sparks would fly.
Obama still has not acquired the number of delegates he'd need to stand at the top of the ticket. So it's way too early to bet heavily in the veepstakes. But his stout defense of Webb's bill is at least a reminder that Webb is an interesting possibility.