Check this article out from The Washington Post. It's a little long, but worth the read:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/11/AR2006111100471.htmlHere are some excerpts:
Webb's long shot paid off last week as he unseated Allen after a bruising campaign, giving Democrats control of the Senate.
With the campaign having centered on Allen's gaffes as much as it did on Webb's views on issues, few know what to expect when the former Marine and novelist enters the nation's most exclusive club, where the art of the deal rules the day.
But Webb, a former Republican and Reagan administration official, said he might be a bit of a maverick in the Senate, which could frustrate Democratic leaders who poured more than $6 million into his campaign.
"I have my own views, and I have a lot of experiences, and I think I can bring the experiences I had to issues rather than having to read off a party briefing sheet," Webb said Friday in an interview.
Webb said he will model himself after former New York senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D), whom he described as someone "who had government experience that was shaped by the intellectual world."
But being a senator can be as much about politics as policy, and Webb on the campaign trail was almost the antithesis of the typical politician.
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"My perspective is Jim will be a much better and happier senator than senatorial candidate," said former Virginia lieutenant governor Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D). "I don't think he is a natural candidate, but he is very bright, strong-principled and apparently fearless. I think he can be a very strong voice in the Senate. He will be very comfortable working with 99 other senators to solve problems."
Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said Webb has "a keen intellect" and will do fine in the Senate, once he understands its frustrations.
"It will test his patience, as it does all of us," said Davis, who has known Webb since the two coached Little League games together in Fairfax County.
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Voters also should prepare for Webb's libertarian views on such issues as his support for abortion and gun rights and concern about some of President Bush's tactics in the war on terrorism, including the domestic wiretapping program.
"Government does not belong in people's private lives unless there is a compelling reason," Webb said.
Despite a desire to be portrayed as independent, Webb plans to become engaged with the state's Democratic Party. He said he plans to start helping Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) with his effort to elect more Democrats to the General Assembly next year.
"I want to do what I can to bring people back into the party," Webb said.
