Defiant Iraq War Foe Defined by Vietnam

The man who seems to have accomplished everything he has put his mind to -- officer, writer, Emmy-winning journalist -- sometimes seems to be going through the motions as a candidate.

"My natural personality is not to intrude on people's space. That's just the way I am. And I don't like people to intrude on mine," Webb said, explaining his awkwardness. "I just have to accept that I don't have the persona of a lot of people in [politics]. But, believe me, I wouldn't go through this if I didn't know I had the right answer at the end of this."

Webb says he's driven to run to help reshape national security policies, of which those about Iraq are just a part, by relying more on international diplomacy.

Although Webb received some of the country's most prestigious medals for valor in Vietnam, he often falters while campaigning, standing stiffly in a crowd and pinching the hem of his sports coat until his fingertips turn white. He seldom cracks a smile in public but giggles during an interview as he recalls his delight at seeing his first mango when he was a kid.

Webb entered his first campaign for elective office in February -- remarkably late for a statewide race -- but he had toyed with the idea for years. In 1988, the Republicans approached him to run for the same office. Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska asked Webb several times to run in the 1990s. "It's not really what I wanted to do," Webb said. "I really love the independence of being a writer."

As war loomed in Iraq, however, Webb became frustrated that few in power spoke against it. Then Hurricane Katrina hit, and Webb had seen enough.

"Katrina was the last straw for me," Webb said. "For some reason, I felt personally insulted for the slurs that were being made against the people who were trapped in New Orleans. . . . Where is the government in this?"

His clumsiness as a candidate remains a frustration for many Democrats, who hope Virginia can tip control of the Senate to their party.

"It's been a campaign that really has been plagued by missed opportunities and a candidate that seems to resent having to campaign," said one Democratic consultant in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity so he would not anger Webb.

Webb acknowledges his image as the reluctant candidate but dismisses the criticism. He thinks that his firsthand taste of battle has given him a perspective that too many politicians in his generation lack. Webb also says Iraq is not the only reason he is challenging Allen, preferring to promote populist themes such as the "three Americas" divided among rich, poor and a struggling middle class. Yet his campaign highlights his military résumé, and supporters see his candidacy as a referendum on the war.

Webb also won't talk about his son Jimmy's deployment to Iraq, saying the Marine, 24, should not be used for political gain. But Webb works the campaign trail in his son's combat boots, the Marine emblem on their heels.

'A Rough Experience'

James Henry Webb Jr. was born Feb. 9, 1946, in St. Joseph, Mo., one of four children. His father, an Air Force colonel, enlisted the day after Pearl Harbor. Webb's mother, Vera, the daughter of a sharecropper, is 81.