Comments on: RNC Chair: Party Will Win On Security

Political Players: Mike Duncan Says Republicans Are Better Able to Protect America

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Things like that must be put ... uh, delicately. In effect, they need George''s money -- oh, how they need his money -- but let''s face it: he''s drenched in voter-repellent. This may be America but 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is seen by the vast multitudes as enemy territory. Thanks a lot, George, for greasing the skids of your would-be Republican successor with molasses.

Nevertheless there''s that matter of dangled money, which in politics, as in life, has a certain magnetic charm -- a certain pull in the way of patching up bruised relationships. You know, like ones in which you were falsely excoriated before a third of your base for having fathered an illegitimate child, costing you your dream of a lifetime and leaving you wandering in the wilderness for years.

But the thought of those plain brown envelopes stuffed with right-wing cash has McCain''s advisers feeling that Christian warmth of forgiveness. "We were dyspeptic jerks who held grudges," said one, perhaps merely in happy anticipation of getting back on a payroll that actually pays. Every month.

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Yet there''s a second "nevertheless." And this one, practically speaking, may be a whole lot tougher to overcome than the emotional stuff.

As the Times understated the political undertow, the McCain camp is staring down the barrel of a "difficult calculus" -- that of "using Mr. Bush enough to try to make the tough sell of Mr. McCain to conservatives but not so much that he will drive away the independents and some moderate Democrats that Mr. McCain is counting on in November."

The problem, of course, is that using Mr. Bush at all -- which they''ve already conceded they must do -- will approach the equivalent of Alf Landon having had Herbert Hoover dragging behind him on the 1936 campaign trail; of taking a dire calculus and making it immeasurably dismal.

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Every time John and George are caught together on camera, the improbable pair will remind voters -- moderates, independents and even that handful of thoughtful conservatives -- that the latter just spent eight years, as Jonathan Rauch of the National Journal has painted the GOP''s smiley face, sponsoring little more than "ruthless partisanship ... fiscal recklessness ... polarization ... presidential monarchism ... [and the] erosion of U.S. credibility on human rights." All are welcome to add to this list of U.S. fortunes-reversal, and they will.

The solution, says Rauch, is McCain. "If the Bush years were snakebit, think of McCain as an antivenin.... Wise Republicans know, to begin with, that the party is lost if it cannot rebuild its own center and appeal to the country''s."

In short, McCain and some message of moderation can overcome the electorally narrowing megalomania of Karl Rove. The center shall set him -- and his party -- free.

[watcher269-2009]

Democratic Senator and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jack Reed, appeared on Late Edition and did a great job of debunking the lies and spin being floated by President Bush and the GOP on FISA. As Juan Williams did earlier on Fox News Sunday, Reed makes it clear that allowing the flawed FISA legislation passed last August to lapse does not mean the U.S. can%u2019t do surveillance on suspected terrorists.

Host Wolf Blitzer floated out the exact same argument William Kristol did on Fox, which is this notion that Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, is some sort of apolitical figure and somehow that makes him more believable. Reed shot that down, reminding Blitzer that the previous FISA laws are still in place and that U.S. intelligence can still go after suspects for several days before requesting a warrant.

[rowdytexan2]

Good Gawd! This man totally skirted every question he was asked by pointing at the democratic candidates! ROFL

He had not one *** thing to say about Bush being the criminal he is...and how he''s almost destroyed this country!

Listen to this:

Mike Duncan: The Congressional approval rating is lower than the president''s approval rating.

ROFL! It only has a low rating because the Neocons say so! Our Congress is doing just fine by not sending anything to this bustward that can be vetoed and sent back to be rewritten his way! He''s only gotten some very very essential legislation...and he''ll not get anymore!

And this:

CBSNews.com: But Americans don''t feel better off economically than they did eight years ago. How do you turn that around?



Mike Duncan: It''s getting our message out to the American people.

WELL GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! Hahahahaha!

[newearth2-2009]

RNC Chair is mistaken on Barack Obama experience issue. What kind of experience did George W. Bush have besides knowing how to grow the government. Clinton didn''t grow the government as much as George W. Bush has. What is the big Republican vision for 2008? War and how to keep us safe. We won''t scare so easily. Why they are running a old white man promising the same as Bush/Cheney is behond me. It''s all over for the war party and will be for along time.

Thank God

[giantrobot2]

Ohio and Texas voters are overwhelming in favor of Mike Huckabee for president.

The Liberal Media and the Republican establishment don''t want the real poll numbers to be released showing how well Mike Huckabee is doing in those two states.

The Liberal media doesn''t want it because they know both Obama and Clinton''s selfish desires can''t compete with Huckabee''s down home charm in a national election.

And the Republican establishment doesn''t want it because they want to retain control over their money hungry control over taxes and greed.

Ohio and Texas have huge number of true conservative voters. The republican party & liberal media must come out of their shell and give John McCain and Mike Huckabee a chance to debate on live TV in both Ohio and Texas.

Conservative Newt Gingrich will be endorsing Mike Huckabee for President (Maybe a VP ticket). Read what Newt had to say about Mike:

"Over the past few months I%u2019ve been very impressed with the Governor%u2019s openness to new ideas and solutions for improving our country. He showed genuine leadership a few weeks ago by being the first candidate to sign the Nine Nineties in Nine debate pledge. By committing to a much more in-depth, solution-oriented political dialogue in our country, Governor Huckabee showed that he%u2019s truly interested in real change."

Huckabee was the 44th Governor of Arkansas and soon he will be the 44th President of America. All the connections are starting to light up now in the sky.

[nirak2-2009]

Anyone believing the Repugs are better at protecting the USA needs their Head examined and doesn''t deserve anyone better than George Bush.
The Republicans have been playing that card for 7 years and if Americans didn''t wake up yet, I assume they either drank too much of the KOOL-AID or they are brain dead.

[starleo146]

If Republicans are so much better at protecting America what the hell happened on September 11?

Posted by realpatriot1 at 06:25 PM : Feb 16, 2008

Boy I would love to hear there answers to your very insightful question. Way to go Realpatriot1

[starleo146]

You mean the ones that don''''t get erased or shredded. That is one thing I do not like about Obama. He is likely to forgive and ignore pursuing the corruption of Bush because he wants to build consensus--but we cannot heal as a country by ignoring a putrid sore caused by Bush--if left untreated--it can turn to gangrene and ultimately, be the death of us all.

Posted by b-easy63 at 03:20 AM : Feb 17, 2008
+ repo

B-easy63I agree with you on this and we have to hear these candidates very clearly. One is baseing his campaign on security the old Bush campaign of fear, and the other is making inspirational speeches, he is saying what Americans have felt for going on 8 years, and finally someone is saying what the Americans have thought, but is he saying what he will do about it I say no. Another thinks evangelical will cure it all and to use the government that makes law, not for just evangelicals, but the country as a whole is wrong. He will need to just get out and I think it is a way for him to make some money ie: Cayman Island speech. A woman who has been battered and is not having her message seen, because the media hates her, what they say may be how they think, but have no right to keep her words off the screen. We are in a lot of trouble and no end in sight. I want someone to say this is what Bush did, and this is what we will do.