Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb said protesters who flooded the streets of the District Saturday represented a public more united against the course of the war in Iraq than during the Vietnam War protests of the late 1960s and early ’70s.
Tens of thousand of protesters marched on the Capitol demanding an end to the Iraq War. They came as the new Democratic Senate is set to debate a resolution this week condemning President Bush’s plan to increase the number of troops in Iraq in an effort to quell sectarian violence.
“I have a strong belief that in this country, one of our greatest strengths is we have a right to stand in front of the people in power and state our views,” Webb said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning.
Webb — a decorated Vietnam veteran who advocated for veteran rights upon his return — said protests over the Vietnam War were different from the ones that took place Saturday. He said turmoil over the civil rights movement and perceived government irresponsibility helped to fuel Vietnam-era protests.
He noted that according to polls, in 1972 the majority of the U.S. public supported the U.S. presence in Vietnam. Now, polls indicate an American public strongly against the course of the Iraq War.
“We have an American public,” Webb said, “that has turned strongly against … the lack of wisdom in the strategic effort” in Iraq.
“This is almost like a tipping point for a lot of people who are saying we cannot continue to give the administration a clean hand in the manipulation of troops numbers without a clear strategy,” he added.
Webb’s appearance on “Face the Nation” is the second time in a week that he has been in front of a national television audience. On Tuesday, the freshman senator gave the response to the president’s State of the Union address.
