Webb Is Vague About Gun Incident

Webb said he flew to New Orleans on Friday, not Monday. He said he learned of the trouble when he was still in New Orleans. He then offered a vague account of what happened.

"We had three cars on Friday that were being moved about because of my trip, and that is probably a reason that this inadvertent situation developed," Webb said.

The first-term senator was more clear-cut on a couple of points.

He reaffirmed his friendship with Thompson, who quit his job as an editor with the Army Times Publishing Co. to work on Webb's campaign last year.

And he defended his right to carry a gun. Webb has a license in Virginia to carry a concealed weapon. D.C. law bars people who are not in law enforcement from carrying handguns and concealed weapons.

"I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment," Webb said. "It's important for me personally and a lot of people in the situation that I'm in to be able to defend myself and my family."

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, "there has been agreement that it's a more dangerous time," Webb said. "I'm not going to comment with great specificity on how I defend myself, but I do feel I have that right."

Compared with the president and others in the executive branch, lawmakers have little protection, Webb said, making no mention of the security provided by Capitol Police. "We are required to defend ourselves, and I choose to do so."

Asked whether he feels he is above D.C.'s gun laws, which are among the strictest in the country, Webb replied, "I'm not going to comment on any level in terms of how I provide for my own security."

He said he thinks Virginia's gun laws are fair, and "wherever you see laws that allow people to carry, generally the violence goes down."

Webb regularly takes target practice at the National Rifle Association shooting range. He was an expert marksman as a Marine and once taught marksmanship using a .45-caliber handgun.

Although Thompson faces a potential prison sentence, the political consequences for Webb might not be so severe, analysts said yesterday. The incident could solidify his standing with voters in Virginia, particularly in rural areas, they said.

"Having a gun is not a liability in this state for a politician," said Mark J. Rozell, a politics professor at George Mason University. "The fact that he carries a concealed weapon confirms his credentials with gun owners."

"I think what it reinforces is that Webb is a different kind of Democrat who is clearly committed to the Second Amendment and has a gun close by when he is in Virginia," said Robert D. Holsworth, a political scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University. He said it was interesting that Webb pointed out yesterday that members of Congress are "left unprotected" and "are compelled" to protect themselves out in public.

Staff writer Timothy Dwyer and staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.