In 2006, Webb was the VA primary choice thought to have the best chance to beat Allen. But, his record on women from when he was in the military was atrocious. Even worse, from my perspective at that time was that he, for all intents and purposes, swiftboated Kerry, in 2004, when he was already the defacto nominee. (He wrote a dishonest oped that attacked Kerry for the work he did reconciling with Vietnam and his protesting. I was further angered when I read the reason in Rolling Stone - Webb, who used incidents of atrocities in his fiction was NOT angry because he misunderstood Kerry's testimony. He was angry because he thought that in 1971 the war was still popular and could be won! (Apparently, he blamed Kerry's testimony with making it unpopular!) Even when Kerry endorsed Webb, graciously forgiving this, I still hoped he would have lost the nomination. He didn't and went on to win the election very narrowly even with a major Allen screw up. His winning may have been the ONLY way to get that seat that year -- and it gave the Democrats the majority.
Here, I wonder if Obama has some reason that is leading him to ignore the criticism and to maybe nominate Hagel. I was wrong in 2006 - there were bigger things than Webb being very sexist, stupid on Vietnam, and an ass with regards to Kerry. Obama. Biden and Kerry all know Hagel well. Biden and Kerry have outstanding records on women's rights and gay rights, if they are advising Obama that Hagel is good for the team (and we don't know if they are), I would assume it is because of something he could bring that others can't. At minimum, I would wait to see IF Obama nominates him, and if he does, what he states as his reasons.
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