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."

[perception5]

***Mitt Alert*** Mitt Romney has won the state of New Hampshire!. In a poll of 8,500 6th and 7th graders in NH, kids were asked who they would vote for for president, they picked Mitt Romney!!!!!!!!! FYI in the history of doing this poll the "kids" have never been wrong.

Results:

Mitt Romney - 35%

McCain - 20%

[bdribus]

Romney is phony. Don''t vote for him.

[papabc]

1 Mitt,
2 McCain,
3 Thompson,
4 Rudi
5 Hunter
6 Paul

[perception5]

Romney is phony. Don''''t vote for him.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by bdribus at 07:19 PM

bdribus, you''re regurgitating the same propaganda that''s coming from the most corrupt institution in America, our liberal MSM wolfpack press.

Propaganda works.

[blancadebree]

Maybe Katie can go a piece on the lighter side of losing.

http://blancadebree.blogspot.com
Come into the Blancasphere

[truthspeake2]

Given the state of affairs the GOP has run this country into the last 7 years, the devil himself would beat a Republican right now and for the next 8 years. People here are fed up with the GOP and that has America so fired up because we the people are taking our country back and have decided...

- No more illegal wars
- No more illegal elections
- No more defense company''s getting rich at the expense of lost lives and no bid contracts for non-functioning equipment
- No more welfare for corporations
- No more out of control deficits
- No more hypocrisy (moral values, yeah right!)
- No more fear mongering
- No more breaking or working around our Constitution
- No more "status quo" politics as usual

The Revolution has begun...and it will be televised!

[gce65]

Hey regarding amnesty for illegal immigrants, what''s wrong with that idea?
RONALD REAGAN GAVE BLANKET AMNESTY TO 3 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMMIGRANTS and he is our conservative overlord. You will bow down before him!!!

[l8c6]

perception5

Hey Joker, if there was a liberal press there would be outrage to the high heaven over current regime.

It takes 3 brain cells to figure out this blatant truth.

[prinzowhales]

McCain and Romney front runners? How can people be so fundamentally contemptible as to vote for either one of these Bush clones...McCain is more of an insane war pig than Bush and Romney will continue the Bush policies...Hucksterbee? He is right there with Bush on continuing the war.

[merlgrey]

''In 1994, Romney sought the Senate seat from Massachusetts held by Edward M. Kennedy. Romney boasted that he had helped create more than 10,000 jobs at companies he had retooled. But Kennedy painted him as someone "who puts profits over people," and an ugly labor dispute at Ampad''s factory in Marion, Ind., soon helped sink Romney''s campaign.

Still other troublesome cases emerged when Romney ran for governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Chief among them was Damon Corp., a medical testing company in a Boston suburb. Romney had joined Damon''s board of directors after Bain Capital purchased a stake in 1990. He remained there until Corning Inc. bought the company three years later. Bain tripled its investment.

But in 1996, Damon pleaded guilty to massive overbilling of the Medicare system and paid $119 million in criminal and civil fines. No one at Bain was implicated in the fraud.

Asked about the case during his gubernatorial campaign, Romney told reporters that he "blew the whistle" on the overbilling scheme while still on the Damon board, and had taken "corrective action." Donald K. Stern, who was U.S. attorney at the time, said he had no recollection of Romney alerting investigators or taking other action. Romney''s aides now argue that reporters misunderstood his claim back in 2002.''

[mediapreachr]

''Romney is phony. Don''''t vote for him.
Posted by bdribus at 07:19 PM : Jan 07, 2008''
Not only this guy is a phoney...he comes from a corporate background where money is alpha and omega.
I bet you anything that after this guy is defeated,another jerk will show up(in about 5 years),who thinks he can buy my vote;they never learn.

[excoachken]

McCain vs. Edwards would be the best contest. It would be the first "clean" election in years.

[merlgrey]

''The most bizarre scandal of Romney''s campaign involves Jay Garrity, Mitt''s director of operations (basically, his right-hand man.) Garrity resigned from the campaign after several allegations that he claimed to be a policeman, and used that authority to intimidate people.

In one case, Garrity pulled over a New York Times reporter, ran his plates and ordered him to stop following the campaign caravan. In another, he allegedly called a plumbing company to complain about one of their employees, whose driving upset him, and identified himself as "Trooper Garrity of the Massachusetts State Police." Garrity denied that allegation, but he was cited by Boston police in 2004 for having police equipment -- including flashing lights -- in his Crown Victoria sedan without authorization. The phone call was recorded because an answering service actually fielded the call, which the person who called himself "Trooper Garrity" apparently didn''t notice.

Despite his resignation, Garrity remains under investigation in two states for impersonation of police.

According to three different anonymous sources, one who works for the Romney campaign, Garrity made up fake police badges -- bright silver plates with the seal of Massachusetts on them -- and gave them to several other staffers, who used them to order reporters and other people out of events, get past security guards, and avoid paying highway tolls. In fact, Garrity has been handing out badges since Romney was governor of Massachusetts.''

[lone-star5]

Romney is light years ahead of the other candidates! Romney is the only candidate with the brains and a plan to straighten up the economic and security issues we face as a country. He clearly won the Fox New Hampshire debate last night. Everything this man touches turns to gold. He has my vote for President of the United States of America.

[mediapreachr]

Romney president?I doubt it...Maybe in Utah.

[johnny343sc]

McCAIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESIDENT INSTEAD OF BUSH BACK IN 2000!!!

GIVE THE ANTI-BUSH A CHANCE!

;)

[cardston1980]

Just so everyone knows. The reason this kids pole is important is that kids repeat the name they hear their parents talking about. Thats why it''s never wrong.

[candide777]

Hey Joker, if there was a liberal press there would be outrage to the high heaven over current regime.
It takes 3 brain cells to figure out this blatant truth.
Posted by l8c6 at 07:58 PM : Jan 07, 2008

Ain''t that the truth? You know when one of the republican candidates is calling the administration onto the carpet for its illegal, unconstitutional and impeachable offenses, and the media is just ignoring it, something has gone completely wrong. This is a country who impeached a president for lying under oath about his personal sexual life, and now we have a president who makes no apologies at all about conducting a war without the proper declaration from Congress and a whole host of other illegal and unconstitutional activities. Ladies and gentlemen, you should all be grieving the end of our Constitutional government. We are no longer any different from the other nations of this world who have Constitutions but do not follow them. Why? Because all the cowards in congress refuse to do anything about it.

[tylenol6]

McCain is Bush''s little lap dog. Mc Cain is Pro-amnesty
all the way. Don''t let him fool you. Mc Cain also stated
the other day he dosen''t care if we are in Iraq for 50
years or 100 years. HE is a WAR PIG!!!!!!!!!!!RON PAUL
IS THE BEST CANDIDATE...............

[merlgrey]

""Mitt Romney has won the state of New Hampshire!. In a poll of 8,500 6th and 7th graders in NH, kids were asked who they would vote for for president, they picked Mitt Romney""

""Just so everyone knows. The reason this kids pole is important is that kids repeat the name they hear their parents talking about. Thats why it''''s never wrong.""

so does this mean the entire voting demographic has kids in the 6th and 7th grade? or does it mean the parents of 6th and 7th graders have bought into the elite globalist fearmongering and war propaganda while they rob us of of our bank accounts and provide comfort by lying that they will keep us safe from the undefinable and indefinite terror war and the boogieman?

[likeitis5050]

Granted, no one wants anyone they love off in a foreign country serving in a war they didn''t start...but putting 4 strapping boys in charge of helping dad win an election and calling it service to their country is a bit of a slap in the face to all those hoping their children, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins come back in one peice from war. If he had any real integrity and backbone, he''d know that by now.

[drnewknee]

Clearly the liberal press wants Obama and he is rocking. His youthful charismatic message of change will take all the old-fogey republicans to the cleaners.

All, that is, except for Romney. This is why the libereal bias is bent on taking out Romney. Take out Romney and Obama takes the White House.

Remember how the press took out Romney''s father. We got Nixon instead. That turned out well didn''t it?

[trinitron01]

Hello People! You have a real chance to get the best man in office with a perfect record in congress-- none of them come close to Dr. Ron Paul. I have compared them. I didn''t know who was who and didnt trust the media machine. Look up ronpaul2008.com and his issues and record, and you will see for yourself. Don''t be fooled by the imitators, there is only one guy that can really make a difference for the people. Also Dr. Ron Paul is on TONIGHT WITH JAY LENO - Tonight!!!

[twister61]

The truth is,the media does have alot of influence in this election.They do in fact want a liberal in the white house and will do whatever it takes to keep the only logical candidate from the GOP,from getting into the White House...Mitt Romney.All the libs and three GOP candidates are all for amnesty for illegal aliens...McCain,Huckabee,Rudy.New Hampshire....do the right thing in the morning and vote for Mitt!

[lnardozi]

When you''re filling your car with $3 gas and buying some $2.65 a dozen eggs, remember who is running on stopping deficit spending. The war for oil is what caused prices for anything that eats grain to skyrocket. When THOSE prices rise, the fresh fruit seller raises his prices again, now you have some nice $5 a pound grapes in the market. Laugh all you want, it''s YOUR money being spent. YOU''RE the one going to pay $250 a week for groceries. Still think Ron Paul sounds like a bad idea? He''s the ONLY candidate, Republican or Democrat that is running on reducing your cost of living. Maybe you have plenty money. Me, I''m not so rich.

[cfin5]

With McJohn in the lead in New Hampshire and all that we know what he has done since he was there in 2000 at that,......I''m questioning the relevance of their states motto "LIVE FREE OR DIE". I didn''t think that they were a bunch of "usetacoulds".

[trinitron01]

Ron Paul should lead in the "Live Free or Die State" That NH is. If he doesn''t its not because of him, but the people there did not vote for brains and sense of he guy, they voted by the biased media machine most popular contest. And that would be a real joke !

[trinitron01]

Hello People! You have a real chance to get the best man in office with a perfect record in congress-- none of them come close to Dr. Ron Paul. I have compared them. I didn''''t know who was who and didnt trust the media machine. Look up ronpaul2008.com and his issues and record, and you will see for yourself. Don''''t be fooled by the imitators, there is only one guy that can really make a difference for the people. Also Dr. Ron Paul is on TONIGHT WITH JAY LENO - Tonight!!!

[cfin5]

Ron Paul has demonstrated year after year of his love for the Constitution of the United States, the greatest one the world has ever seen, by abiding with what it says "literally" with his voting record. You cannot ask a public servant to do more than that,.....in upholding his oath to the same..........

[cfin5]

..........."On every question of construction [of the Constitution] let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or intended against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

letter to Judge William Johnson

(from Monticello, June 12, 1823)

[cfin5]

The 9th. Amendment to the Constitution says......The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people........You folks in New Hampshire understand what this means in modern day english? It means that it is UNCONSTITUIONAL (against the supreme law of the land) to twist the "literal" meanings of our rights by some pet ideology in the effort to confiscate or diminish the rest of our rights that we have. Now you people had better wake up and burn some midnight oil on the subject "WHY WE ARE AMERICANS", or you will be reading books in the future titled "WHY WE ARE NO LONGER AMERICANS".......How does the word "Canamerexican" suit you?.....Ron Paul, proven public servant of the Constitution in 2008! GO USA!!!

[inventagod]

god - these republicons sure know how to waste money...

Bu$h has single-handedly killed the republicons hopes of being elected president for forty more years...

[cfin5]

Wow!!! Ron was great tonight on the Jay Leno Show. Come to think of it, I''m actually glad Fox snubbed Dr. Paul as it gave him tons more of FREE CAMPAIGN ADVERTISEMENT TIME......Some things always seem to work out for the good guys! Thanks for the invite Jay!!!

[trinitron01]

front runners? Please! Biased media tries to push certain ones as frontrunners and gives them all the media time. I want RON PAUL, and so do millions of people want to see him more on tv. Media has become a joke to smart people that know you are not caring about the peoples interest. YOu are stalling us and not focusing on the best guy because he doensnt approve off all the kickbacks big corps get from the govt. Check our ronpaul2008 .com and you will see how great he really is, no thanks to the biased media!

[tylenol6]

RON PAUL was fantastic tonight on Jay Leno. We owe Jay
Leno a big thank you....Ron Paul puts all the other
candidates to SHAME....Have you noticed all the other
candidates are using the word "change?" Give me a break.
Hope the american people can see thru these phonies.
VOTE RON PAUL.....

[cfin5]

"Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. He therefore is the truest friend to the liberty of his country who tries most to promote its virtue, and who ... will not suffer a man to be chosen into any office of power and trust who is not a wise and virtuous man." - Samuel Adams.................RON PAUL has fulfilled this saying in his public and private life. And he has done it amongst the "peer pressure" of Washington DC politics. The dude is grade "A" (American) Constitutional Steel!!!

[buddhabman]

Hope you all got a chance to see the You Tube video posted tonight of Ron Paul supporters harrasing and chasing Sean Hannity out of a restaurant. Good work Paulies. The thing about Paul is he brings new energy and new thought and debate to the politial scene. I don''t agree with all of his views but his ideas are worthy of vigorous discussion. It''s a shame we can''t maintain a viable third party.

Obama 08

[bluestardad]

STICK A FORK IN THEM THE REPUBLICANS ARE DONE!

[ronanhanna]

No wonder Ron Paul is a mere asterisk in the polls. He must spend all his time adding comments on the CBS news site about how great he is....

[gkc99]

The Seven Dwarves of the Repugniscum Party are all too cowardly to take any responsibility for the disaster of the Darth Bushit regime. Ever see such a crowd of witless cowards running away from their own party''s incumbent president? Especially since, with the possible exception of Ron Paul and John McCain, they''ve shown themselves to be spineless jellyfish in standing up to the U.S. Fascist Party''s minions like Karl Rove and Don Rumsfeld, let alone the sociopathic Darth Chickenshit or the Howdy Doody in the White House.

[antoniof123]

Given the state of affairs the GOP has run this country into the last 7 years, the devil himself would beat a Republican right now and for the next 8 years. People here are fed up with the GOP and that has America so fired up because we the people are taking our country back and have decided...

Posted by truthspeake2 at 07:43 PM : Jan 07, 2007

The devil has already has his two terms in office besides why would the Democrats nominate a Republican.

[janiet3]

Are any of you Republicans out there smart enough to realize that it doesn''t matter a whit if your nominee is McCain, Romney, or any of the above? You haven''t the slightest chance of winning anything since you allowed such corruption, well frankly, just about everything this adm. did stunk it up and you cannot recover? I''m not even sure America can. The rank holier-than-thou hypocrisy was enough in and of itself to stink to high heaven. I could go on and on about flaunting the precious Constitution as "just a piece of paper", illegal wars, fearmongering, oh poo. The list is just too endless.

Good luck, because you''re going to need it - plus an Act of God, or an Act of Congress might help. Who knows?

[gkc99]

"CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE
CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE
CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE"-- Posted by billysmith6



Clearly a supporter of the Darth Bushit regime. Too stupid to say anything smart or on topic, so just keeps spewing the same old Neoconscum Crapola.

Have a nice time in Paraguay with your Fuhrer, dipshit!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[obama1289]

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

[obama1289]

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

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

[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?

[lone-star5]

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