Virginia Democrat Webb to Retire from Senate After One Term

First-term Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia will retire when his term ends next year.

Webb made his announcement in an e-mail, saying, "After much thought and consideration I have decided to return to the private sector, where I have spent most of my professional life..."

Webb's decision leaves Democrats with the daunting prospect of finding a viable candidate to run in what will be a very hot senate race in the Old Dominion. On the Republican side, former Virginia Governor and Sen. George Allen has already announced his intentions to recapture the seat Webb took away from him in 2006 in a razor-thin victory.

Now, all eyes turn to Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine. Though the former Virginia governor recently said even if Webb didn't seek reelection, he would not be interested in the Senate seat, Democratic officials in Washington tell FOX News that that isn't the end of the story and that Kaine could still be a candidate



Read more: Virginia Democrat Webb to Retire from Senate After One Term - FoxNews.com

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That's rare, I applaud any politician that only serves one or two terms in the Senate, 4 in the house.

MrVicchio said:

That's rare, I applaud any politician that only serves one or two terms in the Senate, 4 in the house.

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Meh, there's an ill wind blowing, and he feels it.

I'll be voting for George Allen to take his place.

other said:

I'll be voting for George Allen to take his place.

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Same here. Webb sees the writing on the wall. Why bother spending all the energy and time fund raising and campaigning when his votes with TeamBama have sealed his fate?

Someone smarter than me said, there really are no moderate Democrats. Webb is not a loon like Reid, but still when the chips are down, the hammer goes to the team every time.

Adios, Jim.

P.S. he really owes his seat to the Washington Post whose Macaca wall to wall tipped it for him.

bombshell, baby!

the commonwealth is convincingly conservative

mr macaca will matriculate

virginia was the single most important state in 2008, it was ohio in 04, florida in gore 2000

without virginia, it's gonna be very difficult for the party still in power to hold the presidency, let alone the senate

republicans took every virginia seat in play on tsunami tuesday---glenn nye, tom perriello, rick boucher---except for one, gerald connolly in VA11, fairfax, the seat people like me wanted more than any other in the nation

cuz if the dc suburbs, the professional capitol commuters, abandon the blues...

as it was, connolly held on---but only AFTER A RECOUNT

meet virginia---we own all but 3 of the house delegation, mcdonell won by EIGHTEEN in nov, 09, a 25 point shift

cuccinelli won a verdict in his jurisdiction against THE MANDATE and is RISING because of it

bingaman's next

signs are HE won't seek reelection

it was the new mexican whom obama summoned to the white house to provide direction on ENERGY

this, after what happened to congressmen mitchell and teague on tsunami tues

the land of enchantment is very energy conscious

thus the choice of bingaman is so resonant

ie, cap and trade is comprehensively kaput

and on ENERGY, the prez is position-less, at least when looked at in the context of political reality

party on, progressives, punier with each pratfall

are you sure this president knows what he's doing?

Another Democrat draggin up?

That's the second one, this week! :lamo

Erod said:

Meh, there's an ill wind blowing, and he feels it.

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You do have a point, but many politicians will run anyway as the numbers side with the incumbent.

MrVicchio said:

That's rare, I applaud any politician that only serves one or two terms in the Senate, 4 in the house.

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SOB should have never been elected. Only reason was because of the Macaca incident.

combat boots webb is so called because when he was first elected in 06 he regularly wore his famous reinforced footwear along with his business suit

he was a star when he beat mr macaca (by less than half a percent), any democrat who can take virginia (just like any dem who can win in colorado) is instantly notable nationally

virginia is famous for electing superstar senators who used to be governors on the same day they select superstar gubs who used to be senators, and one is often red while the other is blue

anyone who can win statewide in the commonwealth is automatically important

boots is also well known for the time he answered w-stands-for-what's-his-name's gracious question about how webb's son in iraq was doing by coming back with rudeness and anger---that's between me and my boy, were his words

he later said he felt like slugging w

boots is not the kinda guy to be messed with

he's almost surely a NO vote on the mandate, that is, he looks to be siding with mcconnell

webb voted against udall's filibuster reform, he's been an outspoken critic of cap and trade, he's a strong advocate of 2nd amendment rights...

ie, he's not your typical east coast dem

but then who from the commonwealth could be

fyi

why do you think he quit, why did the budget chair (conrad), why did the bluedog rival of pelosi (harman), why did jiltin joe (lieberman)?

who's next?

they're trying to tell you something

"this seat's gonna flip"

The Fix - Jim Webb's retirement (and what it means)

it is no spin to note that anyone even eggshell blue is gonna have a fit in dark blood red montana and north dakota and nebraska

this totally expected OPEN now in virginia...

on top of manchin and ohio's brown and pa's casey and bingaman and florida's nelson and MCCASKILL and stabenow, kohl, klobuchar...

them's a lotta plum picking even we knuckle draggers can reach

read the wapo piece, progressives, you really need to read more

you'll never keep up if you don't, and you're already way behind

stay up

Jim Webb has always been a thoughtful and independent voice in the Senate. He will be missed.

I've always had mixed feelings about Jim Webb. Great American, great Marine, smart and incisive, good Senator, all-around decent guy. However he also wrote the script for one of the most effed up movies I've ever seen (Rules of Engagement) and made that ridiculous comment about women at the Naval Academy a few years back.

StillBallin75 said:

I've always had mixed feelings about Jim Webb. Great American, great Marine, smart and incisive, good Senator, all-around decent guy. However he also wrote the script for one of the most effed up movies I've ever seen (Rules of Engagement) and made that ridiculous comment about women at the Naval Academy a few years back.

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I don't know squat about Jim Webb. I certainly didn't know he was a scriptwriter with a movie under his belt. What was the ridiculous comment, btw?

DiAnna said:

I don't know squat about Jim Webb. I certainly didn't know he was a scriptwriter with a movie under his belt. What was the ridiculous comment, btw?

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It was an article that Webb wrote back in 79, titled "Women Can't Fight."

Va. Senate Race Goes Negative on 1979 Essay - washingtonpost.com

He described one of the coed dorms at Annapolis, Bancroft Hall, as a "horny woman's dream." I hope this is all water under the bridge for Webb though.