This afternoon, students in Professor Larry Sabato’s "Introduction to American Politics" course prepped questions for their third special guest in four weeks, U.S. Senator Jim Webb. And, since Sabato’s students get first dibs on questions, it took a bit of extracurricular work to hear his response to President Barack Obama’s support of oil drilling and production off the coast of Virginia.
"It’s important to remember that the revenue that would come in comes from the signing of the leases rather than the discovery, so it would be an income generator," Webb told reporters after his appearance. "I think it’s good for Virginia." Earlier today, Governor Bob McDonnell issued a statement that singled out and thanked Webb, along with Senator Mark Warner and Congressman Eric Cantor, "for their leadership and advocacy on the issue." More below.
Professor Larry Sabato looks on while Senator Jim Webb speaks to students of "Introduction to American Politics."
Webb spoke to Sabato’s class about partisan divides in the U.S. Senate and used the recent passage of the healthcare bill as an example; he referred to the bill as a "dividing line" between Democrats and Republicans. Asked about the content of the bill, however, Webb said he "voted with the Republicans 17 times, but I voted for this bill. We need this bill."
