Right after I posted this video of McCain talking about 2000, I ran across evidence that things are definitely looking better for him this time than last time. Rasmussen has him up nine points over Huckabee. (And for you Fred fans — Thompson’s numbers have improved, too.)
Meanwhile, the race on the Democratic side is seen as tightening up. with Hillary Clinton only five points behind Barack Obama.
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As far as McCain is concerned, he is nothing more than a RINO (Republican In Name Only). He is a big supporter of numerous liberal bills, including the requirement of much tighter auto emissions standards, costing auto manufacturers (and us consumers) BILLIONS in unnecessary costs. He also opposed President Bush’s tax cuts, and don’t forget his ridiculous and the unconstitutional McCain-Feingol Bill fiasco.
There’s a reason some of John McCain’s conservative supporters avoid discussing his record. They want to talk about his personal story, his position on the surge, his supposed electability. But whenever the rest of his career comes up, the knee-jerk reply is to characterize the inquiries as attacks.
The McCain domestic record is a disaster. To say he fought spending, most particularly earmarks, is to nibble around the edges and miss the heart of the matter. For starters, consider:
McCain-Feingold — the most brazen frontal assault on political speech since Buckley v. Valeo.
McCain-Kennedy — the most far-reaching amnesty program in American history.
McCain-Lieberman — the most onerous and intrusive attack on American industry — through reporting, regulating, and taxing authority of greenhouse gases — in American history.
McCain-Kennedy-Edwards — the biggest boon to the trial bar since the tobacco settlement, under the rubric of a patients’ bill of rights.
McCain-Reimportantion of Drugs — a significant blow to pharmaceutical research and development, not to mention consumer safety (hey Rudy, pay attention, see link).
And McCain’s stated opposition to the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts was largely based on socialist, class-warfare rhetoric — tax cuts for the rich, not for the middle class. The public record is full of these statements. Today, he recalls only his insistence on accompanying spending cuts.
As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, McCain was consistently hostile to American enterprise, from media and pharmaceutical companies to technology and energy companies.
McCain also led the Gang of 14, which prevented the Republican leadership in the Senate from mounting a rule change that would have ended the systematic use (actual and threatened) of the filibuster to prevent majority approval of judicial nominees.
And then there’s the McCain defense record.
His supporters point to essentially one policy strength, McCain’s early support for a surge and counterinsurgency. It has now evolved into McCain taking credit for forcing the president to adopt General David Petreaus’s strategy. Where’s the evidence to support such a claim?
Moreover, Iraq is an important battle in our war against the Islamo-fascist threat. But the war is a global war, and it most certainly includes the continental United States, which, after all, was struck on 9/11. How does McCain fare in that regard?
McCain-ACLU — the unprecedented granting of due-process rights to unlawful enemy combatants (terrorists).
McCain has repeatedly called for the immediate closing of Guantanamo Bay and the introduction of al-Qaeda terrorists into our own prisons — despite the legal rights they would immediately gain and the burdens of managing such a dangerous population.
While McCain proudly and repeatedly points to his battles with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who had to rebuild the U.S. military and fight a complex war, where was McCain in the lead-up to the war — when the military was being dangerously downsized by the Clinton administration and McCain’s friend, former Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen? Where was McCain when the CIA was in desperate need of attention? Also, McCain was apparently in the dark about al-Qaeda like most of Washington, despite a decade of warnings.
Mitt Romney is by far the most qualified man in EITHER party and is a class act all the way. And yet since he became a GOP candidate for president, I have seen nothing but negative, trivial articles/stories about his Mormon religion, his money, his slick appearance, etc. fully intended to sway a naive electorate that pays far too little attention to the most important 4 year event in our country.
Mitt Romney is a TRUE family man and very successful at turning failed or failing enterprises around and Lord knows the United States of America needs turning around. It should be run as a business first, with a strong military to protect it from harm. All other social, giveaway programs should be scrutinized (and certainly would be under a Romney presidency) as to efficiency and even necessity. The fact that he was even elected Governor in a state (MA) controlled by 85% Democrat legislature was a feat in itself. In spite of it, he did a very admirable job as Governor, turning a large state deficit into a surplus. Of course, his many justified vetoes were constantly overturned by those liberal Democrats which made for a lot of frustration.
If Mitt Romney does get the GOP nomination it will be MUCH to the chagrin of the Democrat National Committee liberal propaganda machine because he will be their worst nightmare and most difficult to defeat…Obama, Clinton, or otherwise.
Mitt Romney? More like Mitt Flopney. He is worse than John Kerry.
Just for balance, another poll (conducted 1/11-1/12) has Obama with a 13-point lead. The same polling outfit (Public Policy Polling) also has McCain by seven over teh Huckabeez.
http://www.politicalconsultantmisconduct.blogspot.com/
Isn’t it time to have a president with common sense and morals? Someone that can relate to the common man? I’m wavering between Obama and Huckabee because these guys really believe what they say. Romney is a liar. Thompson, McCain, Edwards and Clinton have done nothing in the Senate. Change? I don’t think so. Clinton went from a broke Little Rock lawyer to a net worth of $50 million in less than 20 years. Think she doesn’t owe people? Edwards panders to unions. Thompson is a washed up actor with no record. Again, Huckabee governed more successfully than Bill Clinton ever did in Arkansas, a very, very tough state to govern. None of the other candidates could have done it….Romney is a flip flopper. Obama or Huckabee for real change…..
Also, according to Rasmussen, McCain 49 percent, Clinton 38; McCain 46, Obama 43; but Obama 45, Huckabee 43.
McCain must have implemented operation Lazerus. His political life certainly appeared to be over.
McCain is a must have for us and our future. I feel safer with him in charge.
I had never heard anyone say they would rather of had Sen. McCain at the helm after 9/11 until reading the commentary after The State’s endorsement. We made the right choice in 2000, y’all have made the wrong one in 2008.
The Senator from Arizona is more, not less, likely to escalate our military involvement around the world. His recent statements about “100 years in Iraq” and another “surge” for Afghanistan sounds like the rhetoric we heard during the 1960’s. “We’ll win, just give us more troops and more time.” The Senator can impress us with a plan to end/win the war, not more hollow rhetoric about perpetual fighting.
Are these the same polls that had Obama up 10 points on Hillary and pulling away on the day of the N.H. primary?
bomb bomb bomb
bomb bomb Iran…
I consider myself mostly democratic, and I suppose I think I’m fairly liberal. There are 3 majoy issues that will help me make my decision. #1… I can’t stand bringing out racial issues in any way, shape, or form; not for elections, not for trials, not for jobs, etc. I BELIEVE that we need to consider what the candidates have to offer, and not for the color of their skin. Let’s not go back to the 60s, we are way past that! #2.. Medical insurance for everyone. I want someone who believes that elderly people and those who have chronic health issues should be provided with insurance. There are too many elderly people out trying to work because THEY HAVE TO, BUT REALLY AREN’T ABLE. The other group who should be a part of this is children. They can’t take care of themselves. Medical costs are out of control. I am sitting here now with a host of medical problems, but am having to fork out $410.00 per month for health insurance because of my illnesses. I have to do this for without it I would die. #3… The economy needs fixing. Everything is so outrageous that the average family has to do without in order to barely survive. Those who are hurting the worse is the middle class. The very rich don’t need help. The very poor already have help. How about those of us who are caught in the middle? Who is going to fight for us?
I forgot to say who I am leaning toward and why. I’m not a Republican, but if I had to choose one person, I would choose Huckabee. I don’t know much about him, but his beliefs most match mine. I like Sen. McCain, but I feel he leans toward a military point of view, and I am for bringing the troops home.
On the Democratic side I lean toward Hillary. I think that experience is more of a proven record for change than someone else who says they want and would push for change. Exactly what kind of change are we talking about? I like Obama, but he does not have the experience, particularly in foreign affairs to handle the mess this country is in now. I don’t like the fact that he and his fan base is trying to root the race card. Compete on ideas, good judgment, accomplishments made, and a proven record. Hillary, I believe, is much more ready to deal with important issues than Obama. Ideas sound good and momentum can get one elected, but what is he going to do as he first enters the Oval Office? When John Edwards ran last time, I pulled for him, but I have changed my mind now. It’s not because Hillary is a woman, but I truly believe that she can take care of our nation and put us back on the right track.
So, more than likely, I will vote for her.
“OBAMA PORTRAIT MUSIC VIDEO” on Youtube – Don’t Miss It!
For those of you who still have not heard:
There is a WONDERFUL and INSPIRING music video on Youtube.com entitled “Obama Portrait Music Video by Bjarne O.”
You can use the free downloaded high-quality stereo version from the composer’s website in DVD form to show at house parties and fundraisers. Even people who knew nothing at all about Obama have been moved: either a thrilling introduction, or further inspiration for those of us who already know and fight for Obama.
The music soundtrack, which incorporates excerpts from the famous 2004 speech, can also be downloaded separately in high-quality.
It is an uplifting and informative campaign tool – so please, SPREAD THE WORD!
YES WE CAN
Anne
The fact that Obama and Huckabee believe what they say is scary – Obama because he is so ignorant of the issues, and Huckabee because what he says is different from week to week.
Is it possible to rotate Arkansas [Huckabee AND Hilary] off the menu for a season?
Reviewing Hillary’s recent commentary on Iraq; Pakistan; Energy Policy; Illegal Immigration; Taxes; Race; Massive new Government spending; Socialized medicine; and, the Clinton’s history of emasculating the military, verifies that this grievously flawed woman would be the female version of the Jimmy Carter debacle that gave us the Ayatollah Khomeini who ushered in rampant Islamic radicalism; block-long lines at our gasoline stations; a severely hollow military; and, a record Misery Index. Only much worse. Considering all of her recent gaffes, one has to wonder if excessive use of Botox has affected her mental stability. It’s no wonder that her campaign staff is shielding her from reporter and audience unscripted questions. Greg Neubeck
The best way to reduce government spending is to elect a Democrat, preferably Hillary. The Republicans have had it there own way twice in the last 30 years, in the 1980s and in the 200s. Both times government spending increased dramatically, mostly in the incredibly wasteful military sector. Reagan resurected the utterly useless B-1 bomber which, to date, has had no real mission. Reagan also ushered in the era of terrorism with his overtures to the Iranians through the Iran contra scandal. Indeed, if any single person must be held accountable to the rise of terrorism in the world it’s Ronald Reagan. His cowardly (and perhaps treasonous) trading of arms for hostages did more harm than any other foreign policy decision in the last 30 years.
As far as domestic issues go the Reagan, Bush, Bush debacle has brought us the most backward, inefficient health care system in the industrial world. We now have a life expectancy worse than Spain yet we devote twice as much money per-capita in comparison to Europe and Japan.
Was Jimmy Carter a great president? No. He did not work well with congress and he certainly made mistakes in dealing with the Iranians. Yet Carter was in many ways a visionary. After inheriting oil shocks, and long gas lines, from the Nixon era he had the forsight to draft a plan of action to deal with future crises due to falling international oil supplies. (Just for the record, the first and by far the worst gas lines occurred in 1973-74)
And what did the Republicans under Reagan and Bush do? Absolutely nothing. Thanks to the the GOP giveaways to big oil we are now more dependent on OPEC than ever before.
Mr. Neubeck you have it exactly backwards. The GOP has been a very poor steward of the American people’s tax dollar. The waste and giveaways to the rich have created the current collapse of our economy. Indeed working and middle-class Americans never did recover from the first Bush recession. Under Clinton the economy never suffered a recession. Under Bush, unless you’re very wealthy, we’ve basically had nothing but a 7 year recession along with a disasterous and expensive war. War and recession at the same time was thought to be impossible. But thanks to G.W. Bush we’ve managed to accomplish the impossible.
Mike Huckabee was overwhelmingly re-elected twice by the people of Arkansas because they loved his work.
Mitt Romney was not re-elected. So much for successes.
John McCain and Fred Thompson have never governed a state.
Today, Mike Huckabee became the first presidential candidate to sign NumbersUSA’s No Amnesty Pledge!
http://www.mikehuckabee.com