McCain: I Need Conservatives To Win It All

Obama Tells Face The Nation He Can Attract More Independents, Disenchanted Republicans Than Clinton

(CBS)  The Republican frontrunner for president, Sen. John McCain, promoted his conservative bona fides on Face The Nation, while also admitting that, should he win the GOP nomination, he would likely not win the general election without the backing of the party's conservative base.

He also refuted claims by his opponent, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, that the Arizona Senator was not a true conservative.

“First of all, if you examine my record, it's more conservative than Governor Romney's is," he told host Bob Schieffer. "I went to Iowa and told them that I was against subsidies for ethanol. He was for them. I went to Michigan and said the old automobile jobs aren't coming back; new ones are, but old ones aren't. He wants to give them $20 billion, to Detroit, over four years. We went to South Carolina - same kind of deal. So look, I am proud of my conservative record, and I will run on it.

"We carried Florida in a Republican-only primary," he said. "We got very large percentage of the 'conservative' vote. And I'm confident that once they examine my record and as we unite against a common opponent, we'll do fine with that.”

McCain said that, if elected president, he would veto any attempt to raise taxes. "I think if we're going to be in some shaky times - and by the way, I believe the fundamentals of America's economy [are] still strong - then the worst thing you can do is increase taxes at that time."

He also sided with President Bush in maintaining tax breaks for upper income Americans and corporations. "I think everybody needs a tax cut," he said.

Later, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said his campaign was attracting not only Democrats but also independents and disenchanted Republicans - and could do so better than Sen. Hillary Clinton.

When asked about the chances that Clinton would attract more negative attacks from the GOP, Obama acknowledged "There is some history there, not all of Senator Clinton's making, but I don't think there's any doubt that the Republicans consider her a polarizing figure. Now, keep in mind, I don't expect, should I become the Democratic nominee, that I'm going to be immune from some of the attack that I think the Republican spin machine is so accustomed to.

"But what we have found - this is true in Illinois, when I was running for the United States Senate, I think it's going to be true nationally - is that the tone that I take, the ability to disagree without being disagreeable, the willingness to listen to Republicans about some of their ideas, even though I may not agree with all of them - I think that creates a different climate. And I think that we can attract independents and Republicans in a way that Senator Clinton cannot.”

He said he anticipates Clinton will do well in some Super Tuesday states, such as New York and California, just as he expects to do well in others, including his home state. But he pointed to his campaign's ability to attract new or inconsistent voters to the polls.

"I was in Idaho yesterday and we were up in Boise. We had 13,000 people come out to a rally. Keep in mind that four years ago, only 5,000 people participated in the Democratic caucus. And I think that's one of the untold stories of this campaign, is the enormous turnout that we've been seeing in the first four early states."

He disputed talk of a "brown/black divide" between Hispanic and African American voters, given how Clinton attracted more of the Hispanic vote in Nevada and elsewhere.

"There's no doubt that Senator Clinton is still more familiar with [the Hispanic community] than they are with me. But I think that that is changing. And I think we're making enormous progress.

"In Illinois, when I ran for the United States Senate, I got 75 percent of the Hispanic vote. In Iowa, where we had time to campaign and Hispanic voters knew my track record of working on issues that help with the education of Hispanic kids, and have a comprehensive immigration strategy that will deal with the problem in a way that isn't just having it used as a political football, we actually won in Hispanic precincts. So my challenge has always been to make sure that the Hispanic voters know who I am."

Finally, in light of the positive audience response during the most recent debate when it was suggested that both candidates be on the same ticket in November, Obama said it was "presumptuous" to consider that either he or Clinton would accept a vice presidential slot if the other won the nomination.

“I think she is running actively for the presidency, as I am. But I think that there's no doubt that Democrats are eager to unify against the Republicans."

Read the transcript here in PDF format.

[amishcar]

OPENSECRETS.ORG ROMNEY AKA CONMEY THE SNAKE OIL SALESMAN AND MCCAIN AKA MCNUTS BOTH HAVE DEBTS ON THEIR CAMPAIGN SO NEITHER CAN BALANCE THE US GOVT BUDGET. ONLY RON PAUL DOESN''T HAVE A DEBT ON HIS CAMPAIGN ALL OTHER CANDIDATES HAVE DEBTS. GO SEE FOR YOURSELF AT OPENSECRETS.ORG AND READ MORE THINGS WHILE YOU ARE THERE. EDUCATE YOURSELF AND THEN VOTE AND DONATE.

[amishcar]

RON PAUL IS THE ONLY TRUE CONSERVATIVE AND THAT''S WHY AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE MAGAZINE ENDORSED HIM.. http://amconmag.com/2008/2008_02_11/feature.html DONATE TODAY AND SPREAD THE WORD. RONPAUL2008.com

[brittanicus-2009]

McCain is a dangerous individual, who likely in captivity was brain-washed by the enemy. I saw him verbally attack a reporter on the steps of the Capitol. He went from a passive stance to vicious verbage that did not dignify his political personage. Hopefully this man never steps foot in the Oval office, because he would send us hurtling into another war that we do not need. Many other countries let us spend billions, while they stand back and watch our troops get killed!

[milt560]

McCain is aweful!!! Liberal to the core!!!!

Vote for Romney!!!

[mctooold]

McCrazy, I have two words for you: KEATING FIVE

[mctooold]

BREAKING NEWS: After YEARS of NOT securing his own Arizona border, McCrazy said he is NOW ready to do so.

Non-thinking American: Ok, I''ll vote for you.

Viva Juan McCain! Amnesty America!

[mctooold]

The Huckster knows he can''t win. He''s staying in for two reasons: 1) Split (waste) votes with Romney. The McCamp is probably buying him ads. 2) Vice President ticket with McCrazy. Now there''s two peas in a pod! We can''t do any better than that?

[mctooold]

Why are border states supporting McCrazy? Californians are leaving, or being pushed out, by illegals and Californians are supporting a man who will further bankrupt their state. It will be more in debt than Arnie has already gotten it. Arnie also wants support for illegals so, hopefully, he can be president someday. McCrazy want amnesty and more freebies for illegals...enough said!
Viva Juan McCain!

[mctooold]

Let''s see...it''s the day before Super Tuesday. I''m sure McNasty can come up with another untruth to throw out at Romney today. McCrazy is ALL about "clean campaignig". To quote the great Bill Cosby, "RIGHT!"

[mctooold]

Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran! McCrazy has America A.K.A. the United States of Amnesia, under his spell. Get ready to give illegals amnesty and more free health care and education!
Viva Juan McCain!

[irliberal]

GO HILLARY 08, WOOHOO!!

Those who hate Hillary are:

A) White males who feel inferior before a woman of obvious power.

B) White females who think they should stand by their man, at least as long as it does not interfere with getting their hair done or interrupt their shopping.

C) Republicans, because she would end the Iraq war, balance the budget, and set this country back on the right course it was already on when Bill left office. If all that is possible to do in eight years anyway. You see, a single Hillary term would do much to illustrate to the world what fools the Republicons are and yes, they fear that. They fear it desperately.

D) Religious zealots of all shapes and sizes, who know that Hillary will preserve the line between Church and State, and that the tax free money that flows to pad their coffers and build mega churches and pay for se.x scandal lawsuits will likely stop.

E) Hunters, because the NRA tells them to think that way. Sure, those independent and fiercely free gun owners, true cows that they are.

F) The rich, who know that they will have a LITTLE LESS money than they do now, because they will be taxed at a higher rate. They might run a little short of cash for that second sailboat or that little villa in France and that JUST WILL NOT DO!

G) The military establishment, who no longer will get unlimited money to pursue pointless wars. Hillary would make sure the vets were properly taken care of though, something GW Bush OBVIOUSLY does NOT care about.

[johnny343sc]

McCAIN 2008
McCAIN 2008
McCAIN 2008
McCAIN 2008
McCAIN 2008

;)

[irliberal]

Typical republicans. Thinking that the horrible facts of the bush regime are "smears". Lol. Nothing could be more positive to the Democratic party at this point than GW Bush.

Where is Bin Laden? Oh, we attacked Iraq... that''s more important. We want to free the religious radicals from the religious radical. Fools.

[gkc99]

"He [McCain] also sided with President Bush in maintaining tax breaks for upper income Americans and corporations. "I think everybody needs a tax cut," he said. "


So if you enjoy the yellow-shower rain of warm liquid on your head, by all means vote for McCain. It''s the same old "trickledown" of the Reagan/Bushit fascist regime, transferring Americans'' wealth to multinational billionaires. McCain is just another front for the same war profiteers who are turning America into a banana republic as they line their own pockets.

McCain for Retirement! Send the senile old dodderer with the rotten face to an old folks'' home with a lifetime supply of Depends.

[marcodele]

McCain needs the votes of really dumb people to make the difference on election day. Rove and Bush did a great job of making him attractive to really ignorant voters and that made the difference. If McCain is smart, he''ll go real dumb.

[sshmg]

I agree with previous observations; Liberals seem to be more interested with smearing than debating. They like to use populist momentum rather than using time-tested principles.

[sshmg]

I believe the correct title of this peice should be that "I Need Conservatives To Win AT All."

I am a conservative, but would rather sit out than vote for McCain or Huckabee. I will vote for Romney.

[tkwjbb]

100 years in wars..I thinking Draft,Draft,Draft.
People is this what you want for your children and grandchildren.Wars??

[erichsh]

What a bunch of moonbat lowlifes trolling these boards! I don''t mind a fair debate on the issues. But when all I see coming out of you clowns are terms like "Freakvangelicals" and "NeoFreaks", it''s clear that there''s nothing here to debate; only a bunch of losers whose sole contribution to political "discourse" is hate-filled, meaningless, juvenile name-calling.

[joyous88]

thats just exactly what GW Bush said to get elected,
he need the conservatives - well the conservatives are immoral, they are evangelical Nazi''s

conservatives are whats wrong with ameriKa