Jim Webb Will Vote to Break Health Care Filibuster; Won't Commit on Final Vote

I'm looking forward to watching video of Jim Webb's interview on CNN's "The Last Word", but for now, here are a few highlights.

*On health care, Webb says the White House "should have come down with a very clear template in terms of what they were expecting" rather than doing it "it the reverse way with these five different bills percolating up through committees."

*Also on health care reform, Webb says that "in an ideal world, we should be looking at not-for-profit insurance companies."

*Most importantly of all, Webb says that "he has given his commitment to support Democratic efforts to break any filibuster of the health care reform bill" (although he's not "committed at this point to vote in favor of the final bill").

*On Afghanistan, Webb says the Obama Administration's process is "very proper and smart," contrasting it with the Bush Administration's headlong rush to war in Iraq. Webb adds that "Obama should not accept, without any scrutiny or additional input, the reported request for 40,000 additional troops from Gen. Stanley McChrystal," noting that "McChrystal is one voice" along with others (like National Security Adviser, Retired General Jim Jones).

*Finally, on Virginia's gubernatorial election, Webb wouldn't answer a question about whether this is a "referendum on Obama's presidency so far." That's a smart move, because there's really no clear-cut answer here; my view is it's a variety of factors, most (e.g., the economy) having little if anything to do with President Obama per se.