GOP Frontrunners Confident Before Primary

Katie Couric Interviews John McCain And Mitt Romney In New Hampshire

(CBS)  Six months ago, Sen. John McCain was considered washed up in the presidential campaigns. Now he's leading in at least one national poll. CBS News anchor Katie Couric interviewed both McCain and his chief rival, Mitt Romney, in New Hampshire on the eve of the important Granite State primary.

Speaking with both McCain and his wife, Cindy, Couric asked: "Do you guys look at each other and say whodathunkit?"

"A lot of that had to do with after Labor Day, the voters started looking at the candidates and we had a good debate up here," McCain said. "And a little straight-talk here, Katie: The fact that the Petraeus strategy has succeeded in Iraq has given me credibility."

"You supported the surge," Couric said. "The surge was designed to increase security so political reconciliation could take place. As far as I can tell, political reconciliation still hasn't gotten very far, so can you truly say the surge was fully successful to do what it was designed to do?"

McCain responded: "It has succeeded. It has succeeded beyond many expectations, and there is now last New Year's Eve people out in the streets in Baghdad celebrating the new year for the first time. The political process is moving forward very slowly. There are no Thomas Jeffersons in Iraq. Saddam Hussein killed 'em all. The same people that are criticizing the political process are the same ones that declared the war lost. They were wrong then and, with all due respect, they're wrong now."

"Let me ask you about down the road, if in fact the Democratic nominee is Barack Obama, and you are in fact the Repubican nominee, there will be a big difference in your ages," Couric said. "You think that will become an issue on the campaign?"

"I think maybe experience and judgment may become an issue in the campaign. But let me say this: I believe that if Sen. Clinton, Sen. Edwards or Sen. Obama are the nominees or the party, all of whom I know well and respect, we will have a respectful debate. There won't be any of these negative ads, personal attacks and things like that. The American people are hungry for a debate on the issues. I look forward to any of those three, with their positions and their philosophy, debating mine. And I think the American people want that rather badly right now."

McCain's main rival in New Hampshire, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, is campaigning in his own back yard, and outspending everyone - $53 million through September - and still finding himself behind.

"John McCain won here in 2000, beating George Bush by a wide margin," Romney told Couric. "He's got a network here. He's been endorsed by all the papers here. That's his constituency. And so I recognize this is an uphill fight for a guy to get into a race who's relatively unknown and fight his way to the top and here I am, either right about to beat him or going to beat him."

Couric said: "You must be a bit frustrated here, governor. C'mon, level with me on that."

"Why would I be frustrated? This is fabulous!" Romney said. "Literally, at the beginning of my campaign I was number five or six off the list. People said 'how do you think you can run against John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson?' Now I'm in the lead in every early state - tied for the lead or in the lead. I'm in rarefied air. Hey, for a guy from Detroit, this is pretty cool."

Does he make any apologies for basically flooding the press with negative attacks about both Mike Huckabee and McCain?

"Have you seen what comes on my side? I have been attacked from the very beginning of this campaign in a personal way. The messages that we send out describe differences on issues and record. In a campaign, you're trying to describe the very important differences that exist between you and your opponents on your record and on your positions. But it's very different if you call someone names or impugn their character."

[david1737]

aheadofcrowd

Good post. Remember 2000 election? Big Pharma/oil corps. were commonly referred to as "Bush Stocks" (as Bush''s polls went up so did these stock sectors.

I''d be curious to see the same numbers for the GOP candidates for this election cycle.

[aheadofcrowd]

Contributions from Pharmaceuticals/Health Products Industry:

Clinton:$269,436
Obama:$261,784
Romney:$260,535
Guilliani:$138,850

Kucinich: A measly $5,100


Should''nt we be looking at who our potential president is getting his/her money from?

If we''re going to get it right this time we absolutely need to see who our next president owe''s their allegiance to. Is it going to be the people or a small band of greedy and dangerous corporations?

Let''s get it right this time because we see how it can effect our world if we don''t.




http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/select.asp?Ind=H04

[lone-star5]

Mitt Romney is the only candidate with a brain and a plan to get us out of the current mess our country is in. He can deal with the economic and security issues that we face.

[lone-star5]

Obama supports later-term abortion. I don''t support Obama!

[lochlan-2009]

I don''t understand why the democrats, while knowing that they will have very little difficulty in defeating what has to be the most corrupt GOP party in U.S. history, would make their two of their three prime candidates a woman and a black man. Now I am all for breaking the trend of white American male presidents, however, there is a big portion of this country who wouldn''t vote for a minority president if their life depended on it, never mind having to vote democrat. Why would this party tell all those people (mostly southerners, and plain state folk) to take a flying leap, when the country needs first and foremost a representative that is for the people of this country, not the international corporations with so much invested in K-street? There had to be a catholic democrat who likes country music, has a real concern for America and it''s citizens, all while wearing a cowboy hat somewhere in this country. Unfortunatly, the number one question NOT asked by Americans is, what can you do to stop the corruption and greed that has rotted our government to the core and how can you guarantee me that this will be your ultimate goal and accomplishment during your presidency?

[obama1289]

This video switched me to an Obama guy after Biden dropped out. Please watch this moving video

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jPev5sEdTjg

[obama1289]

This video switched me to an Obama guy after Biden dropped out. Please watch this moving video

[gkc99]

Neocons don''t like uppity women or uppity N-words either. So expect the Slime Boat crowd to be out in force with the "Hillary is a lesbian" and "Obama is a Muslim" themes.

The White Male Supremacist theme has about played out for the bushits. Even White Males can recognize a moron and a puppet when they see one.

[prinzowhales]

These mainstream candidates are going to give you more of the same--war, economic collapse, un-Constitutional money, open borders and a police state...and they are going to do by pandering to your hopes and your ignorance.

Their financial backers are the same ones who have backed George Bush through eight years...their policies are the same ones that have been pursued by George Bush...On the Republican side, there is one choice and one choice only that will guarantee a continued Constitutional Republic in America-- that is Ron Paul.

Bush has taken this nation to the very edge of the precipice...the Regime and its Oligarchical backers want you to jump off and vote for one from their stable of candidates in the Demo-publican party.

[micma-2009]

All the Republican candidates have to offer is a third Bu$h term. It doesn''t matter who they nominate. He''ll continue the disastrously failed policies of Bu$h.