David Corn

More Wars & Less Jobs in 2008, vote McCain.

What's he gonna talk about...His 100 year plan for bankrutping the country with endless war and occupation?

-T

I guess the 37 troops killed since the first of the year aren't worth a mention either.

Do you now think Al Gore knew something when he declared he didn't want Bill Clinton campaigning for him in 2000?

Do you think he knew President Clinton would make any stump speech all about himself, rather than the candidate?

Tom

Al Gore? I think he was more right than wrong on many issues. What Bill might have done (plus or minus) is hard to imagine. I think Bill was far more popular then (at least with the pro-BJ/pro-oral sex crowd).

I think Bill was too large a character and would have made Al seem squat or shadowed. I think that is what I thought then.

Even without Clinton it took the SCOTUS to decide so Al could have done far worse - he could have been waxed.

I still cannot believe people supported Bush. I have had a poor opinion of Dubya since before he was Gov. so I was never going to be a supporter.

I never thought much of Bubba until they went after him.

I think all politicians are living (quite well) on our dollar and I don't hold any of them in high esteem so it is easy for me. I know the next president will do some stuff I will hate. I also know what they say when they are running is a sales pitch so . . .

I do think the GOP has cooked its goose with the excesses and abuses of the last two terms even though it remains to be seen if a majority of voters agree with me.

I think people want integrity in their government. George 41 told people to read his lips, then raised taxes.

Bill Clinton ran as a moderate, then immediately approved gays in the military, a tax increase and the appropriation of 1/7 of the American economy for health care. It was only when he got out of his own bad way and let this great economy thrive, plus reforming entitlements, etc., that he regained his popularity. I think he lost it again when the promised "most ethical administration" in history turned otherwise.

Look at the poor Republicans of today. All of their promises of 1994 have evaporated. They have presided over the largest spending and deficit increases in the history of this Republic. Earmarks have exploded. They, until recently, preside over truly hapless wars. They have all morphed into Democrat-lite.

Here is the secret for all politicians - of any and all political persuasions.
1.Tell us exactly what you're going to do.
2.Work like hell to get done exactly what you said you were going to do.
3.Be willing to live with results.
4.Be honest with your assessment of the failures and successes of your program.

"Even without Clinton it took the SCOTUS to decide so Al could have done far worse - he could have been waxed."

There is some argument over whether any subsequent recounts would have favored Vice President Gore or Governor Bush. Most of the newspaper pro forma recounts favored Governor Bush.

There can be no argument/doubt, however, that, even more so than SCOTUS, Ralph Nader cost Vice President Gore at least Florida and perhaps several other states.

"There is some argument over whether any subsequent recounts would have favored Vice President Gore or Governor Bush. Most of the newspaper pro forma recounts favored Governor Bush. "

That is not correct. I can give you citations.

By any state-wide count of FLA Gore won.

But that is not very important now, is it?

Gore beat Bush in the national popular vote by over a half million votes.

That is not bad - all things considered?

"The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
~ Joseph Stalin (1879 - 1953)

Mr Corn,

McCain didn't need to say anything about Iraq. If you don't know where he stands on Iraq by now then you have your head in the sand.

I find it interesting that you said, back when McCain was given up for dead, that he should be the one Republicans should be supporting because he was for the war and the surge from the beginning. Now you try and dismiss your prediction(because it makes you look foolish) by saying he didn't mention it in his Florida speech.

I note that I was the only one here that said he would be successful and it would be because of his support of the surge (and I was right).

It seems the left is awfully afraid of McCain and what he stands for, for good reason.

It seems the majority of Americans agree with me about McCain.

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey of Election 2008 shows Republican frontrunner Senator John McCain with single-digit leads over Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. McCain now leads Clinton 48% to 40%. He leads Barack Obama 47% to 41%.

One other thing - after Mayor Giuliani's lackluster presidential campaign, it is problematic that he could have bested Senator Clinton had he stayed in the New York senatorial race in 2000.

Oh, and Captain, you and I are both right. According to the way the recounts were being conducted by Democrats, in limited areas, Bush still would have won However, if the entire state had been recounted, Gore would have won.

Tom,

High fives. Right on the money.

Iraq War Not Worth Fighting for Americans

Many adults in the United States disagree with their government’s decision to launch the coalition effort, according to a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News. 59 per cent of respondents think removing Saddam Hussein from power was not worth the number of U.S. military casualties and the financial cost of the war.

******

I can find six out of ten reasons McCain will not want to express his perpetual or 100 year "get your war on" war policy. That is if you can believe polls.

Maybe the WSJ has turned soft?

Americans Choose Diplomacy to Deal with Iran

The vast majority of people in the United States think the best way to persuade Iran to drop its nuclear aspirations is by relying on economic and diplomatic efforts, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today (November 14, 2007)
. 73 per cent of respondents share this opinion, while 18 per cent think it would be best to take military action against Iran.

******

Over seven of ten reasons to never sing that insane refrain: “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran” - or should McCain really use some straight talk and make THAT his campaign song?

That would be honest while running from or pretending that is not his position is dishonest - or am I missing something?

McCain "He noted that he first was attracted to the "principles and policies" of the Republican Party when he heard of the conservatism of Ronald Reagan "in whispered conversations and tap codes" while he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam." Yeah, right. I would have thought the POW's were taping out words of encouragement and plans for escape, not the political philosophy of the governor of California.
McCain will say anything and pander to anyone to get the nomination.

Some critics say McCain is too old to be President. Maybe his age is catching up to him and honestly forgot to talk about Iraq? ;)

In other news
Lobbyists find more ways to bond with lawmakers
Despite a strict new ban on gifts to lawmakers, lobbyists routinely use these prime locations to legally wine and dine members of Congress while helping them to raise money, campaign records show. The lawmakers get a venue that is often free or low-cost, a short jaunt from the Capitol. The lobbyists get precious uninterrupted moments with lawmakers — the sort of money-fueled proximity the new lobbying law was designed to curtail. The public seldom learns what happens there because the law doesn't always require fundraising details to be reported.
...
Even so, they illustrate that lawmakers still are allowed to accept valuable favors from special interests willing to pay for access, despite promises by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers that the restrictions on gifts and trips would "break the link between lobbyists and legislators."

The role of lobbyists in fundraisers wasn't addressed in the lobbying law signed last September. As long as they don't exceed the federal cap on campaign donations — $10,000 per two-year election cycle for political action committees — lobbyists can underwrite an event for a favored senator or representative at a resort, on a golf trip or at their town house.