McCain: bending over for Falwell

[Irvine511]

[q]McCain, February 28, 2000, Virginia Beach, Virginia:

I am a pro-life, pro-family fiscal conservative, an advocate of a strong defense, and yet Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and a few Washington leaders of the pro-life movement call me an unacceptable presidential candidate. They distort my pro- life positions and smear the reputations of my supporters.

Why? Because I don't pander to them, because I don't ascribe to their failed philosophy that money is our message.

Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0002/28/se.01.html

[/q]



[q]Press release from Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, March 28, 2006:

American military hero and Arizona Sen. John McCain will deliver the Commencement message at Liberty University on May 13, at 9:30 a.m., in the Liberty University Vines Center.

While Sen. McCain and Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell have had their share of political differences through the years, the two men share a common respect for each other and have become good friends in their efforts to preserve what they see as common values. This will mark his first ever appearance at Liberty University.

http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=6848&NewsID=131

[/q]



[q]More from the Lynchburg, Virginia News & Advance:

Falwell said McCain's appearance at LU's graduation is another sign that McCain is wooing evangelical Christians.

"He is in the process of healing the breech with evangelical groups," Falwell said.

Falwell said McCain has expressed a willingness to support a Federal Marriage Amendment, an issue dear to conservative Christians.

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/...icArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834984968&path=

[/q]



guess who just lost my vote as one of only 2 Republicans i could possibly vote for (the other being the pro-gay, pro-life former mayor of New York)?



[q]And if you're going to win a national election, we're going to need to see some real proof that you're stupid enough to carry Kansas. Sorry, but if you think that issues like creationism or flag-burning or boys kissing are more important than messing up Iraq, the state of health insurance and the evaporating planet earth, then I have two words for you: the Sylvan Learning Center. Okay, that's four words, but the point remains...

The vote that frontrunners McCain and Hillary Clinton have already made very clear they're going after the wedge-issue cement-heads. McCain, who once called Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "forces of evil," has now come out for teaching "intelligent design." That is sad, when smart people have to pretend to be so dumb to get elected. ~ Bill Maher, 3/17/06
[/q]

 

[deep]

yeah

the bloom has been off the rose for some time now for me, too

in 2000 I had high hopes for a true, third way populous revolution
led by McCain

but when one panders to haters
they have been compromised

 

[melon]

I hope McCain goes down in flames.

Melon

 

[U2democrat]

I really do hope the GOP nominates George Allen in 2008. Warner v. Allen... An almost orgasmic scenario for me.

 

[deep]

then maybe
your room mate would have cause to complain

 

[BVS]

That is sad, when smart people have to pretend to be so dumb to get elected.

This is the worse aspect of current politics, pandering to the dumb.

It's a growing trend I've seen recently, and it will destroy America.

Idiot's Rule

 

[verte76]

I'm ready to cast a vote for Rudy Giuliani. Does anyone know if there is a campaign to draft Rudy? If we have to elect Republican presidents he's my clear-cut choice right now.

 

[deep]

he will never get the nomination

to even be in contention

he will have to pander
and flip-flop like Romney and McCain

 

[jay canseco]

I had such high hopes for McCain.

 

[U2democrat]

then maybe
your room mate would have cause to complain

I just laughed out loud...wow...deep you're great

 

[Dreadsox]

Sorry kids...

but...

you have to play the game to win.....

that is the reality of POLITICS......

 

[melon]

Sorry kids...

but...

you have to play the game to win.....

that is the reality of POLITICS......

Then it's time to cross off this loser.

Melon

 

[nbcrusader]

Sorry kids...

but...

you have to play the game to win.....

that is the reality of POLITICS......

With a simple commencement address.

If we knew all the back office political connections and the money flowing into campaigns - no one would pass this level of scrutiny. Unless, of course, Falwell is just different.

 

[melon]

Unless, of course, Falwell is just different.

Marketing yourself as a political maverick and sucking up to Jerry Falwell is a conflict of interest. That's generally the issue here.

Melon

 

[Dreadsox]

Believe me I would like to have a candidate that did not have to kiss some ass.....

but....

his ass got handed to him last time....and he apparently wants the job.

 

[Dreadsox]

I look forward to you all reacting with outrage when the democrat kisses the ass of people offensive to us on the right.

 

[melon]

his ass got handed to him last time....and he apparently wants the job.

In the process, it's looking like he doesn't deserve it.

Melon

 

[melon]

I look forward to you all reacting with outrage when the democrat kisses the ass of people offensive to us on the right.

Examples? The right getting offended is usually in the context of someone telling them they don't own America and don't have the right to discriminate against groups of people they hate.

I can't think of any Democratic official that has ever threatened the civil rights of white people.

Melon

 

[Dreadsox]

Examples? The right getting offended is usually in the context of someone telling them they don't own America and don't have the right to discriminate against groups of people they hate.

I can't think of any Democratic official that has ever threatened the civil rights of white people.

Melon

Let me put it back at you, are you saying there are no people that you as a democrat would cringe at knowing a democrat was kissing the ass of?

Kerry tried to portray himself as more moderate, and was getting his ass handed to him in the primaries and moved left because of it.

He lost the election in my opinion, because he was forced to the left and could not move back.

Bush, had to move to the right in the republican primaries. Bush originally tried to be moderate....when shaken he moved to the right forcing McCain to move to the right too late.

McCain in 2000 was the best hope this country had at the time of someone being moderate but now recognizes the effects of abandoning the right.

It is not hard to understand the point I was making, but surely you must recognize that everytime a major player wants to be centrist, the party powers force them away.

 

[Dreadsox]

For many social conservatives, nothing may matter more than a Senate vote set for June on a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage — a measure McCain has opposed on grounds that marriage policy should be determined by states.

"If he doesn't change his mind and support this amendment, he will have a virtually impossible task to win the Republican nomination," said Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest U.S. Protestant denomination. "There won't be a social conservative in the Republican Party who [won't] remember that."


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationw...0,3559983.story?page=2&coll=la-home-headlines

 

[anitram]

If he wants to court the bigot vote, let him.

Anyone who doesn't fall into that category should have no reason to vote for him and indirectly support this bigotry. Vote for a third party if the Dems disgust you as much.

 

[melon]

Let me put it back at you, are you saying there are no people that you as a democrat would cringe at knowing a democrat was kissing the ass of?

Kerry tried to portray himself as more moderate, and was getting his ass handed to him in the primaries and moved left because of it.

I mainly cringe, because Democrats are busy trying to suck up to the bigot vote. I find it unconscionable to reject what your party traditionally stands for in the pursuit of vote getting.

He lost the election in my opinion, because he was forced to the left and could not move back.

He lost, because Democrats are curently not adept at figuring out what's wrong with the country and solving it. Likewise, they seem to have a hard time taking the pulse of America and figuring out the right candidate according to that pulse. Bill Clinton was certainly not the most liberal of presidents, but he was a good fit for his time; and for the most part, he did not compromise what it meant to be a Democrat in the process. I want to underscore "most part," because his signing of the "Defense of Marriage Act" is enough for me to hate him until kingdom come.

Bush, had to move to the right in the republican primaries. Bush originally tried to be moderate....when shaken he moved to the right forcing McCain to move to the right too late.

Seeing how Bush surrounded himself with PNAC acolytes from the start, any notion of being moderate would just have been a ruse. At least we've seen Bush's true colors from the start. But if America wants a bumbling idiot for a president, then I guess there's not much you can do.

McCain in 2000 was the best hope this country had at the time of someone being moderate but now recognizes the effects of abandoning the right.

It is not hard to understand the point I was making, but surely you must recognize that everytime a major player wants to be centrist, the party powers force them away.

He should take the lessons of Ariel Sharon and Kadima. Sometimes doing the right thing means pissing off the far right base of your party, but you had damn well have the backbone and vision to give the people an alternative in its place.

But, really, all this does is confirm what I've believed for years: all our politicans are morons more concerned about getting elected and maintaining their image than actually doing something.

Melon

 

[Irvine511]

Let me put it back at you, are you saying there are no people that you as a democrat would cringe at knowing a democrat was kissing the ass of?

actually, the opposite happens.

it makes me sick when Kerry has to go duck hunting or Clinton has to return to Arkansas to preside over the execution of a man so mentally retarded he asked if he could save the rest of his last meal for later.

the idiots on the Left are effectively cut out of most of the political process -- their votes are pretty much assumed by the Democrats, or that such people simply won't vote at all.

the idiots on the Right are courted and pandered to by both sides -- and they make us all dumber as a country.

i will not vote for McCain now, and i might have.

and for me, yes, Falwell is different.

as Falwell should be different for every single person who isn't a straight white male Christian fundamentalist and doesn't think that lesbians and the ACLU were responsible for 9-11.

 

[verte76]

This is all so damn depressing. I'm thinking of starting a liberal whining thread. Just joking. We've already had a gazillion of them, including some started by me! Remember my "liberal Catholic advice" thread right after the 2004 election? If not check out the FYM archives, it's got to be in there somewhere.

 

[financeguy]

as Falwell should be different for every single person who isn't a straight white male Christian fundamentalist and doesn't think that lesbians and the ACLU were responsible for 9-11.

Well I think that the Democrats can make great political capital of this - imagine the TV adverts : 'This man says America deserved 911. Yet John McCain has been desperately fishing for his approval.'

 

[Irvine511]

Well I think that the Democrats can make great political capital of this - imagine the TV adverts : 'This man says America deserved 911. Yet John McCain has been desperately fishing for his approval.'

if only the Democrats were that astute.





though i will say that their slogan for the 2006 elections -- "Had Enough?" -- isn't bad.

 

[XHendrix24]

though i will say that their slogan for the 2006 elections -- "Had Enough?" -- isn't bad.

Haha, is that seriously their slogan for this year's elections? If so, I like it. Clever use of political allusion.

I'm kind of disheartened after hearing this news about McCain. I was really hoping that he'd keep his dignity this time like he did during the 2000 election. Oh well, I guess that's just the game.



However, kowtowing to to Jerry Falwell or not, President McCain would still be a million times better than President Frist.

 

[Irvine511]

However, kowtowing to to Jerry Falwell or not, President McCain would still be a million times better than President Frist.

this i can agree with.

 

[deep]

if only the Democrats were that astute.





though i will say that their slogan for the 2006 elections -- "Had Enough?" -- isn't bad.

I thought Newt Gingrich said that should be the Dem's slogan?


and then there is this

Democrats Pledge to 'Eliminate' Osama

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 58 minutes ago

Congressional Democrats promise to "eliminate" Osama bin Laden and ensure a "responsible redeployment of U.S. forces" from Iraq in 2006 in an election-year national security policy statement.

In the position paper to be announced Wednesday, Democrats say they will double the number of special forces and add more spies, which they suggest will increase the chances of finding al-Qaida's elusive leader. They do not set a deadline for when all of the 132,000 American troops now in Iraq should be withdrawn.

"We're uniting behind a national security agenda that is tough and smart and will provide the real security George Bush has promised but failed to deliver," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday.

His counterpart in the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., said the Democrats are offering a new direction — "one that is strong and smart, which understands the challenges America faces in a post 9/11 world, and one that demonstrates that Democrats are the party of real national security."

The latest in a series of party policy statements for 2006, the Democrats' national security platform comes seven months before voters decide who will control the House and Senate and as Democrats seek to cut into the public perception that the Republicans are stronger on national security.

Bush's job approval ratings are in the mid- to high-30s, and Democrats consistently have about a 10-point lead over Republicans when people are asked who they want to see in control of Congress.

With the public skeptical of the Iraq war and Republicans and Democrats alike questioning Bush's war policies, Democrats aim to force Republicans to distance themselves from Bush on Iraq and national security or rubber-stamp what Democrats contend is a failed policy.

"The Democrats are going to take back the security issue," said Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

 

[diamond]

America's best hope for 2008: