Campaigning In Iowa, Webb Tries To Sidestep Questions About 2016

CEDAR RAPIDS — For nearly 40 minutes, former U.S. Sen. James Webb held forth on topics ranging from Asia to Israel to Syria, from climate change to veterans care, and, of course, the 2016 presidential race.The Virginia Democrat was much less forthcoming about any presidential ambitions he might harbor than he was about economic justice and rebalancing the relationship between Congress and the presidency.“Well, I’m here helping a couple of candidates and I’m really interested in hearing your views on things,” Webb told about 40 Linn County Democrats at a Wednesday evening fundraiser for the Phoenix Club, a political action committee that supports county and Statehouse candidates.He talked about his “different journey” in and out of public service as a combat Marine in Vietnam, counsel to the House Veterans Affairs Committee, assistant secretary of defense and Secretary of the Navy, an Emmy-award winning journalist and filmmaker.After writing the most recent of his 10 books, Webb, 68, took a year off, staying out of public life.