Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., spoke to several members of the media, including The Cavalier Daily, via conference call yesterday regarding his opinion about President Bush's State of the Union address last night and issues facing the nation and University students today.
Webb's comments covered topics ranging from foreign affairs to the state of the local and national economies.
"The first thing we can say in terms of foreign policy is we continue to have this discussion largely limited to performance of our military in Iraq," Webb said.
According to Webb, government officials' foreign concerns should be broadened to examine the well-being of the entire Middle East region and its outlying areas. From conflict in Lebanon to Benazir Bhutto's assassination in Pakistan, significant issues have been overshadowed by Iraq, Webb noted.
Webb stressed the impact of foreign policy decisions on college students, especially the effects of the Iraq occupation. He also voiced concern about the health of the American economy.
"Our economy is at great risk on a wide variety of fronts as well," he said, claiming the nation's long-term trade policy has made the United States more vulnerable to rising powers such as China.
Politics Prof. Larry Sabato, commenting on the senator's statements, also voiced concern about the world economy and particularly its impact on University students.
"When the country gets a cold from the world, the students can get pneumonia," he said in reference to recent world market downturns.
Though Sabato emphasized that the existence of an economic recession cannot be confirmed, he noted that if a recession occurs, it could directly impact college students in search of jobs and internships.
In addition to addressing economic concerns, Webb also gave insight into his Senate experiences, noting he has been surprised by a lack of bipartisanship.
It is a "conscious strategy from the Republicans to not allow any legislation of any substance to pass," he said.
Sabato added that he is not surprised by the apparent lack of bipartisanship, given conflict between the Democratic Congress and the Republican presidential administration.
"In Bush's final year the word 'gridlock' will acquire new meaning," Sabato said.
Both Webb and Sabato said Bush's final State of the Union address may not be quite as significant as others' have been in the past, but added that the speech may still have elements of importance.
"It does matter for Congress because we can get a clear idea where he [Bush] wants to put the Congress," Webb said.
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