GOP Foes Mobilize Against McCain

Washington Post: Some Members Of Republican Establishment Are Trying To Keep Arizona Senator From Getting The Nomination

(Washingtonpost.com)  This story was written by Jonathan Weisman.

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Over the past decade, Sen. John McCain has annoyed, aggravated and nearly destroyed some of the most powerful members of Washington's Republican establishment, creating a list of antagonists including anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist and the vehement Gun Owners of America.

Now, with his victory in the New Hampshire primary putting the Arizonan's quest for the GOP presidential nomination back on track, his old adversaries are mobilizing to keep him out of the White House.

"It is conceivable that he can be nominated because of the [primary] system we developed," said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union and a longtime McCain foe. "It's not conceivable that he could come out of this nomination fight or the national convention with the kind of enthusiastic support he is going to need for the general election."

For at least eight years, official Republican Washington has been dominated by what McCain advocates have called President Bush's "Death Star" -- an array of advocacy groups and lobbyists that backed Bush in 2000 and have remained the city's conservative power brokers. Republican politicians with national ambitions genuflect to Keene at his Conservative Political Action Conference. They sign Norquist's pledge not to raise taxes and attend the weekly conservative conclaves over which he presides as the head of Americans for Tax Reform. And they curry favor with religious conservatives such as Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition.

McCain has not only declined to offer such gestures -- he's stomped on them.

Last year, he snubbed Keene and his conference, choosing to appear on David Letterman's show instead. In a nationally televised debate in November, he dismissed Norquist's pledge on taxes, declaring, "My record is up to the American people, not up to any other organization." He starred in advertisements on behalf of mandatory gun-trigger locks. And his investigation of felonious lobbyist Jack Abramoff in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee wound up painting Norquist and Reed as cash conduits who enabled Abramoff's predations, charges they have said are unfair and vindictive.

On top of that, his famous temper and expletive-laden tirades against fellow Republicans have long led opponents to question his suitability for the White House. One congressional GOP leadership aide said he could accept some of McCain's iconoclasm, but when the senator introduced legislation in 2004 to create a federal boxing commission, the aide began wondering why McCain thought he belonged in the party of small government.

"He almost seems to delight in going out of his way to stick his fingers in folks' eyes," said Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America.

Far from shying from the fight, McCain supporters seem to relish it. John Weaver, a longtime McCain adviser, said the senator's opponents long ago lost their power and influence, even if they don't realize it.

"Here's who John McCain has angered: self-described conservative lobbyists who basically represent special interests," Weaver said. "They're angry at him because he has put the national interest in front of their special interests."

And without doubt, McCain has split the Republican establishment. While some in Bush's 2000 campaign orbit actively oppose him, others, such as GOP lobbyist Charles Black, are major figures in his campaign. Victory, Black said, has a way of bringing people around.

"In three or four weeks, everybody will be for McCain," he said.

Opponents concede the point. "In the Republican Party, there is an anybody-but-McCain group. And in South Carolina that vote is divided," said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a Mitt Romney supporter. "Anything can happen now because the votes are split so many ways."

Over most of his time in the Senate, McCain, now in his fourth term, has compiled a reliably conservative record, winning him supporters among social and economic conservatives. But in his White House bid in 2000 and the few years afterward, McCain managed to anger just about everyone in the GOP establishment that developed around Bush.

His battle to overhaul the way political campaigns are paid for and fought infuriated an array of interest groups that believed he was trying to muzzle them, especially with a provision that outlawed "issue" advertisements in the last days of campaign seasons.

His February 2000 speech calling Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance" and comparing them to Louis Farrakhan and Al Sharpton earned the enmity of some religious conservatives.

His votes in 2001 against Bush's first major tax cut, then in 2003 against Bush's second, made economic conservatives leery.

[mudrose-2009]

LOL.. Thank God is right. Either one of those goof balls would be easier for the Democrats to beat than McCain.

Posted by kansas1946

The Gutless Hag and the Loose Changer are beatable without McCain. Really.

[ov442]

President Bush''s deathstar - that would make him the Emperor and Cheney would be Darth Vader.

The rebellion would consist of the Democrats.
lol

the fact that these evil forces mobilize against mcCain a popular man, will pry antagonize more independants that would lean conservative into voting for him.

[samsel3]

We can all talk about the past, but what about now and the future ? Presently the CNP Council for National Policy is planning your future. This secretive organisation of several hundred of the richest men in the USA put Bush & Cheney in office to accomplish their global agenda. In September 2007 they met again in Salt Lake City. Cheney & Mitt Romney were keynote speakers. Romney wants their backing. The CNP wants to continue their agenda in global market control for BIG OIL & allied industry in the next election. National media outlets are owned by their members. Who will expose them? Who will stop their insanity and destruction of constitutional freedom ? Who will stop their misuse of the military to promote their global agenda ?

[kansas1946]

How people can be so blind. Thank God Thompson is surging in South Carolina (up 7 points over the weekend for a tie for second) and Romney is moving up in Michigan.
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LOL.. Thank God is right. Either one of those goof balls would be easier for the Democrats to beat than McCain.

[abbe91]

Mccain booed in Michigan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-nVJGsTdKU

[abbe91]

"dontb1,,,,, It was our own American industrialists & Banks who supported Hitler & probably the sole reason that Auschwitz wasn''''t bombed.
Posted by j-whitman at 06:06 PM : Jan 14, 2008"

Auschwitz was too useful for making the fortune of Prescott Bush. Finally, his grandson is where he is thanks to the poor guys who died over there.

[realpatriot1]

The Republican and democratic campaigns are mirror images; as the insurgents gain on the establishment the establishment pulls out the sleaze.

Rather than taking advantage of the self-inflicted wounds of the Democrats the incompetent Republicans
will follow suit and eat their own young(or in this case old).

[Netterz]

I hope either McCain or Ron Paul wins, and takes the other as his vice all the way to the White House, and they go in an clean house, shake out the creeps and criminals, bring this country back to a great Nation, and back to basic principles it was founded on. Every time I see any of the other candidates, I see a snake in the grass, rearing its head to strike. We need leaders who are going to go in, shake it all up, stop the insanity and spending, our leadership has spun way out of control, stealing our $ and freedom more every day, to line there own pockets, and live there luxurious lives, while the rest of us are losing our jobs,homes, and lives.

[staycalm]

It seems McCain has angered all the people I can''t stand. He''s moving up on my list.

[merge98fm]

Well, speaking of age. Ron Paul is 72 now, one year older than McCain is. You think he might have the same cognitive problems as McCain would presumably suffer if he were President, or does he have more brain cells than our friend from Arizona?

[idlepugilist]

almanojodo, at least McCain would keep a focus and not be ADD like Bush. As for being divisive, I have to disagree - McCain works across the aisle, but doesn''t kiss the feet of many PAC''s. If he''s divisive with PAC''s, I''d like to see more. No matter, he''ll still lose in Nov if he''s the candidate.

[idlepugilist]

fuzzy, we understand your concern; but I believe it''s misplaced. A Republican will only win the White House this time around if there''s a deal with Satan, much like 7 years ago when Sweet and Innocent George slandered and libled McCain.

[almanojodo]

Huckabee''s fair tax system is HOGWASH! Anyone who has passed Econ 101 knows better than to fall for such "snake oil"!

[almanojodo]

Senator McCain is TOO ANGRY, TOO OLD, AND TOO DIVISIVE! The senator has some good ideas, but he is too hot tempered to trust in the oval office. I Fear McCain would lead us into WW III. His "I''ll Chase Osama to Hell" rhetoric scares me! If McCain''s ego need to "get Osama Bin Laden" takes control of the White House, we can expect another war to break out before the current one is over. But then McCain said it was fine with him if we keep troops in Iraq for fifty years, didn''t he. How would he do that? Start the draft again?? For the safety and sanity of the world, DON''T VOTE for McCain!

[idlepugilist]

God forbid the God-fearing mongers of God misinterpretations should allow John McCain to upset their crusading, Swift-boating drive to prevent all abortions/conduct all wars deemed prudent/allow the sacrifice of all indigenous people as a tangent benefit of these wars/execute all prisoners deemed unworthy by those who strive to be most God-like.
At least McCain will tell it like it is, and be willing to work across the aisle instead of being a stubborn, blinded, self-righteous, pompous toad that so many politicians de-evolve into.

[kansas1946]

So if you want to become poorer then vote for McCain, Romney, Thompson, Guiliani, Paul, Clinton, Obama, Edwards..... but if you want to become richer vote for Huckabee!
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LOL How many times have I heard that over the last forty years!

[kansas1946]

Gee, McCain is sounding better all of the time. I supported him in 2000 but lost my taste for him because he kept his nose up GWB rear for the last seven years. Also I disagree with him on Iraq. But if he is hacking off the neo-cons and the far-right whackos, then I am going to take another look.

[hypnotoad72]

That first paragraph has had me re-thinking some of my previous thoughts. The fact he''d annoy the NRA and Mr Norquist -- wow. That takes chutzpah.

Thanks for posting this article, CBS.

As for "FairTax", if the US didn''t have $9 trillion in debt, such a scheme might work. Sadly, the here and now is a bit different. Unless the gibber about the "Amero" and all that is actually for real, but if the Dollar was ditched, what would happen to countries holding our currency? As usual, I''m short on details, but Huckabee''s plan just doesn''t make sense. And I otherwise truly like the guy as a candidate.

[excoachken]

He is so old and weak, he probably won''t be able to make it all the way to November if the republicans nominate him. He is an embarrassment every time he talks. It is like the Uncle you really don''t want to have talk at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

[tibu987]

Voting for McCain or any of the other Republicans with the exception of Huckabee means business as usual. Keeping the good ole boys in power and nothing changing.
McCain, et al, are part of the Bush legacy and will continue the arrogant, self-aggrandizing, inept, porkmeisters, bottom feeders that have been in Washington too long.
Vote for change.
Vote for term limits.(2 max.)
And, Huckabee with his direct line to god is scary.
What does the Constitution say, there should be a separation of church and state.