The Democrats' Plan To Hit McCain

Politico: Presumed GOP Nominee's Reputation For "Straight Talk" Will Be Scrutinized

(The Politico)  This story was written by Jeanne Cummings.

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With John McCain poised to win the Republican nomination, Democrats are already gathering ammunition to use against him in the general election.

In more than a few instances, the best fodder has been provided by the candidate himself.

A case in point: As the economy was rising late last year as a major issue for voters, McCain in New Hampshire delivered this grenade, with its pin still in it: "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should," he said. "I've got Greenspan's book."

Those are not the only words that will come back to haunt him in November.

From the economy to Iraq to immigration to abortion, the Arizona senator's lengthy voting record and his primary season offerings to the Republican Party's conservative wing provide a deep vein for opposition researchers to mine for shifting positions and policy inconsistencies.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is already moving to redefine the presumed Republican nominee. In a fundraising appeal sent out Wednesday, Dean called McCain "a media darling" and warned that "from Iraq to health care, Social Security to special interest tax cuts to ethics, he's promising nothing more than a third Bush term."


The tough part for Democrats will be making any criticism stick. Republican rival Mitt Romney tried to no avail. The sharp, eleventh-hour assault launched by conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh and a cadre of high-profile conservatives also failed to derail his candidacy.

Doug Schoen, a former adviser to President Clinton, says the Democrats must act quickly. "The trick is to get him on the flip-flops and not let him get back to the center where he can be a real force," he said.

The appeal of a flip-flop assault is that it could undermine McCain's reputation for taking tough stands and sticking with them no matter how the political wind blows.

Carter Eskew, a former adviser to Vice President Al Gore, puts it this way: "Go right after his strengths. Take the Straight Talk Express and push it off the rails."

Democrats are also convinced McCain is standing on soft ground on policy issues that are foremost in voters' minds. Tad Devine, a strategist to 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry, says those substantive critiques should be the first line attack.

On the economy, McCain has tried to distance himself from his self-deprecating comment about his understanding (or lack thereof) of the economy. But his attempts have fallen flat in part because he's made the mistake of alluding to the weakness more than once.

In 2005, he sat down with Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal, and said: "I'm going to be honest; I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."

On the campaign trail, he's also suggested he'd look for a vice presidential running mate with strong economic credentials to balance weaknesses of his own. He tried to take that one back, too.

Those comments, coupled with McCain's relatively thin economic message, could leave him vulnerable to recasting by the opposition.

One broad theme that will be used against him is that he's offering little more than an extension of the Bush economic policies that have exacerbated the nation's wealth gap and brought about a return of giant deficits.

Democrats could also take some sharper shots at his economic plan, which centers on two core messages: cutting taxes and cutting spending.

On taxes, McCain's votes against President Bush's 2003 tax cuts and his explanation for them are likely to become major talking points. "I just thought it was too tilted to the wealthy and I still do," he said of those tax cuts. "I want to cut the taxes on the middle class."

Democrats are sure to argue that if the Bush tax cuts were "too tilted" toward the rich in 2003, they are only more so now.

McCain will have to square his previous comments with his call today to make Bush's tax cuts permanent and add new cuts for the middle class.

To recover the lost revenue from the tax cuts, McCain is promising to cut earmarks and wasteful spending -- a line that plays well with his party's fiscal conservative wing.

On this point, the senator is on firmer footing since he's earned solid credentials on the issue by leading some major fights against pork barrel projects.

[johnny343sc]

McCAIN 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HE''S EARNED THE PRESIDENCY!

;)

[tylenol6]

McWar''s rise only explains one thing...This is McCain''s
PAY BACK for backing Bush such as the "iraq surge is working". Remember McCain was shopping in Iraq and saying everything was rosy while he was wearing a bullet
proof vest and had tons of security. Well, this is McCain''s pay back for sticking with Bush.
MC CAIN = BUSH

[clestes-2009]

He is off the mark on almost everything. I see his rise to front runner a blowback from the ultra right conservatives who grabbed the rep party and forced it off road on to their private road. That alienated moderates, who must be with you to win anything.

No, the christian right, which is anything but christian, has brought this on themselves. They thought they could force their views on the party and everyone would fall in line and that was never true.

Now, the moderates and less right reps are veering away from any candidate that smacks of the ultra right and have gone with the only choice they had, McCain.

This has pissed off the ultra rights and caused a fracture in the party. The rep party is in disarray. Now whether they get it back together again or not is unknown.

But McCain will be an easy target for the dems. He has made so many stupid comments, pissed off so many fellow senators with his arrogance and rudeness plus his pro-war stance is hugely unpopular, even in the rep party faithful.

This is shaping up to be a banner year for democrats. Congress is already a done deal. The dems will only secure more seats and possibly a filibuster proof majority in the senate while the house will be 2/3 democratic. The question is, who will be the dem nomination for president.

At this point, to close to call. But no matter who it is, McCain is a cooked goose!!

[clestes-2009]

johnny343sc,

being president has nothing to do with "earning" it. It is not a job that someone gives you after x number of years of service.

It has to do with who is the most qualified at the time to do the job. It requires foreign policy skills, this year it also requires a good understanding of economics, which McCain himself admits he does not have. It requires a good understanding of diplomacy.

Just because Mccain is a war vet and surviving POW does not, in any way, qualify him for the job of president. It is going to take someone with a broader resume than that.

[denn034]

Go McCain! It should be noted that the Democrat''s are the one''s poisoning the political climate this time around with their negative campaigning but, people react against such and that''ll hurt the Democrats in the end.

[rowdytexan2]

McCain''s just another Neocon clone. The fact that he opposed the big business tax cuts shows he has a conscience...but he''d still take our young people to Iraq to fight for the Neocon regime''s oil, and push the regime''s interests for world power no matter what the cost to the American people.

We have to take this country back from this regime.

[mike71067]

Any attempt by the silly Democrats to attack McCain''s reputation for "straight-talk" will fail miserably. All McCain has to do is point out Hillary''s propensity to change her views depending on her audience, or Obama''s lack of any real views on anything. Obama can talk about "change" all he wants, but he really has no new ideas to speak of.

McCain won''t make a perfect president, but he''ll make a good one. And he''s enough of a ****** to stand up to members of either party.

[danstoned]

Neocon mike71067, better get used to a President Obama, because there is no way America will put another Republicon in the White House for at least the next 16 years. Besides, not enough White folk in the USA to put an old man like McCain in the White House..

[kesac4650]

Making an issue that McCain admits not understanding economics as well as he thinks he should, is not much of an issue.
Perhaps it would be more of an issue, that Hillary believes that she understands finances, foreign relations, or the 2nd, or 10th Ammendment that should be more of an issue.
Hillary once said that she would like to make abortions, safe, and rare. What has she done to make them rare?

[smirk5]

denn034,
"It should be noted that the Democrat''''s are the one''''s poisoning the political climate this time around with their negative campaigning but, people react against such and that''''ll hurt the Democrats in the end."

I laughed so hard at your statement. You are hilarious. Didn''t Mitch Romney (a Republican) just allude to idea of an Obama or Clinton Presidency as a surrender to terror just yesterday? Yes he did. I guess in your fantasy world, Romney was being bipartisan.

[quantitave2]

Go democrats! Knock yourselves out! Not so many of the republicans like him either, so, what a great whipping boy! Don''t think the Democrats have any fear of running against this old war horse. Didn''t Viet Nam get over about 35+ years ago?? Why is his service in this war relevant in 2008 in a presidential race in a time in history that is far different from anything or anytime we have ever faced before????

[b-easy63]

Nope. The only thing the Dems need to do, is remind people if the daily price tag of being in Iraq and replay over and over again McCains advocacy for a 100 year war. Romeny and the conservatives could not hurt McCain on that one issue --because they all were still for war too--but it WILL hurt McCain and since most people want the war to end (and he is proposing possibly 100 more years) and anyone with a brain can note that 300 million going for a war based on lies may not be the best way to stop a money drain--Dems can hit McCain where other conservatives fear to tread. McCAin set himself up--as for flip flops--the bagdhad lies and the lies on Romney are excellent fodder besides his other campaign snafus. McCain is a seriously flawed candidate--almost as flawed as Hilary. But then, Hilary never said she would give us a hundred more years of senseless bloodshed, just that she would take care of us with our own money and tax us later for it.

[usgeneral-2009]

.
The "character" of AMNESTY-JOHN can be summed up in one word: BETRAYAL.

1. Wife Betrayal. When his wife was injured in an auto accident resulting in a severe limp, AMNESTY-JOHN didn''t hesitate to divorce his then lame wife to marry-up into money. (His current wife is a multi-millionaire beer distributor who has refused to provide a single penny of her money to the AMNESTY-JOHN campaign.)

2. Constituent Betrayal. AMNESTY-JOHN betrayed his constituents on many, many issues. Most notable is his total support for providing citizenship to illegal immigrants - an issue opposed by more than 70% of his constituents.

3. Party Betrayal. AMNESTY-JOHN is one of the few "Republicans" most likely to vote against or oppose the interests of his party. He''s done it on taxes, spending, appointments, policy matters, social issues and on and on and on.

If you want to be betrayed - as the citizens of the US have been by the DickNBush criminals for more than 7 years - vote for AMNESTY-JOHN. Otherwise, elect somebody with integrity.

.

[stezzer]

Now Romney has dropped out, I think the Democrats are heading to the White House.

A pity, although Mitt seemed as genuine a Victorian DVD player, I still think he was the chap to ward off the looming recession.

[scottyusa]

Putting the words hit and Clinton together IS scarey. Obama is nothing more than a smooth talker. He has no experience to speak of which is indicated by his "we will get out of Iraq NOW" policy. He might as well fire all the generals too while he is at it so everyone has the same amount of experience that he commands. And what is all this change the democrats are talking about? Just what is it we are going to change? For one thing it will be our standard of living and it won''t be going up. Cheers!

[hypnotoad72]

kesac4650 - more, what has Hillary done to address the job problem? Encourage tax breaks for companies that hire home? Put a leverage between "free trade" and "fair trade"?

[kissamaarse]

scottyusa:
Is there something here you would like to open up for debate, or are you just in love with your own rhetoric and ritual defamation?

[danstoned]

All we Dems have to do is this: "John (GW BUSH) McCain." Thus McCain will be DOA. YOu Cons better get used to a President Obama, because lots of moderate Republicons have already said that he is their man, too.

[andersenme]

Hillary Clinton has lately been loudly proclaiming her fealty to the Democratic Party''s best traditions on human rights.

However, just two years ago, Hillary--the purported "expert" on international relations--said there should be "lawful authority" for torture in some cases.

(See, for example, www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0907/Hillary_and_torture_audio_version.html)

Her stand on one of the transcendent moral issues of our day was opposite to that of every other major Democratic presidential candidate in 2007-2008, and the heat she took for it caused her to make one of her famous "flip flops."

So much for her being "ready to go on Day 1."

More like not ready for prime time ...

MARTIN EDWIN ANDERSEN

[rfield9]

McCain Once Opposed the Bush Tax Cuts. In 2001, McCain was one of two Republicans to join "the majority of Democrats against" President Bush''s tax cut package." And when Senator McCain opposed the Bush tax cuts in 2003, he wrote a letter to the President saying "I would still be open, at some point, to proposals to stimulate the economy with tax cuts. But not now. We should, Mr. President, take a pause in our efforts to increase spending on non-defense needs and to reduce taxes." On the floor of the Senate, McCain said "no one can be expected to make an informed decision on fiscal policy at this time with so many uncertain contingencies." McCain called on Congress to pause before passing tax cuts, saying, "Let us wait...it is far sounder statesmanship than cutting taxes in the dark, or running up spending[.]" [McCain Release, March 18, 2003; Senate vote #170, H.R. 1836, 5/26/01, passed 58-33; Baltimore Sun, 5/27/01]

http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/12/mccain_taxes_hi.php

[rfield9]

But in 2006 McCain VOTED FOR Bush Tax Cuts And Defended The Flip-Flop As A Legislative Gimmick. John McCain voted to extend tax cuts supported by the president that were set to expire between 2005 and 2010. "The Senate voted 53-47.in favor of extending the president''s investor tax cuts on dividends and capital gains. Joining in this breakthrough vote was John McCain, the senator who voted against these tax cuts when they were introduced in 2003. This is an important shift for the GOP presidential frontrunner[.]" McCain''s vote was described as "a sharp reversal of his anti-tax-cut posture," though he defended the shift, saying, "it was a gimmick," reasoning that "the tax cuts were temporary and then had to be made permanent. The tax cuts are now there and voting to revoke them would have been to--not to extend them would have meant a tax increase. I''ve never voted for a tax increase in my life." [Senate vote #10, H.R. 4297, 2/2/06, passed 66-31; New York Times, 2/21/06; Washington Times, 3/6/06; NBC News, 4/2/06]

http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/12/mccain_taxes_hi.php

[rfield9]

December 18, 2007

John McCain is in New Hampshire today trying to win over fiscal conservatives by touting support for "repealing the alternative minimum tax, making permanent President Bush''s tax cuts, and banning Internet and cellphone taxes." [New York Times , 12/18/07] The only problem? McCain''s record.

While McCain isn''t hesitating to use the alternative minimum tax (AMT) in his stump speech, he failed to show up to vote for a Senate bill a week and a half ago to provide 19 million taxpayers relief from the AMT. The votes he missed came after McCain''s GOP colleagues forced Senate leadership to dump fiscal responsibility and eliminate requirements for the tax relief to be offset, adding $50 billion to the national debt. [U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Session, Vote 00415 , Vote 00414 , 12/6/07; Senate Democratic Communications Center, 12/6/07'' AP , 12/6/07]

http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/12/mccain_taxes_hi.php

[rfield9]

25 years after the "trickle-down" scam, of NeoCon god Ronald Reagan;

- ghettos larger and worse than ever
- violent crime up, not down
- schools performing worse not better
- universal access to higher education still not realized
- 100 million Americans uninsured or underinsured, and one illness away
from financial ruin
- millions losing jobs to globalization, millions more to come - no retraining /
support safety net. Fend for self...
- several million now being foreclosed out of their houses
- refusal to embrace biofuels due to allegiance to Big Oil, has caused us to
sustain military occupations that have enraged the world and spawned tens
or hundreds of thousands of gihadist now interested in attacking us.

And you wonder why NeoCon dupes on here, want to throw stones at Bill
Clinton. They fear the truth, of their completely failed agenda.

[shutupnvote]

..................Liberals can still blow their opportunity by overreaching--and they may already be doing it.

Stop reading your own press clippings and Prgressive left of fringe...........your messianic swooning is alraming folks


AGREED...

[excoachken]

How could you hit this feeble and senile guy who can''t remember the name of the person on stage with him. I would be like befriending Brittany.

[steam10-2009]

Why do you democrats think that you have a right to take my money away and give it to your plantation folks?
My definition of plantation folks is those to think that they have a right to
Totalitarian elections by unions who don%u2019t want workers to have the right to a secret ballot
More money by Teacher unions who are afraid of private competition
Laws made by judges to can always be counted on to find new rights in the constitution
Shutdown free speech in the name of the fairness doctrine
Just to name a few of the mental and emotional models of democratic plantation folks

[excoachken]

Steam: Lighten up on the medication and never take it with a cocktail.

[random_radar]

Democratic leaders once approached McCain about switching parties. Fortunately, he didn''t choose to do so at that time.

The best strategy with McCain is to let him win the election and then welcome him into the Democratic party with open arms. Wouldn''t that be a laugh?

No, don''t laugh--it might happen!

[ontheleft]

"Totalitarian elections by unions who don%u2019t want workers to have the right to a secret ballot"
Posted by steam10

You have no idea of the level of ignorance you project.

[pensacola88]

The only way McCain can win this election is if he ignores the hardliner conservatives and goes after the more conservative Democrats and can move the split of undecided voters in his favor. It will require some compromising. He will actually gain more votes by bullying against Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson and Lou Dobbs....the same way Bush 41 took on Dan Rather on live TV in ''88 after being called a whimp.

[ajaxtheleast]

Combining the moral character of the two previous

presidents and getting: "I did not have ssexx with

those aluminum tubes from Africa." just may have

the American people not wanting their next

president to be even remotely associated with

either of them.

[amishcar]

http://www.usvetdsp.com/apr07/hendon_bk.htm JOHN MCCAIN DOESN''T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THESE TRUTHS. SPREAD THE WORD. JOHN MCCAIN IS A TRAITOR.

[ajmarine1]

Posted by ajaxtheleast at 09:28 PM : Feb 08, 2008


Any Independents running on the ballot?

[notopennshut]

John McCain, you do not need to campaign if your opponent is Hillary. Regardless of what the extreme right say about not supporting you, you know that once Hillary is named, it will be like a "scorch-earth" policy. Fear not then for thy wish will be granted.

[tibu987]

The Democrats won''t have to plan too long or too had to hit McCain. McCain will defeat himself and many moderate Republicans will help finish him off.

McCain, who reminds me of an excited Bantam rooster, does not only not have the stature to be president, but has views that conflict with both parties,and most of the American electorate.i.e.,
Amnesty for illegal aliens.
"Spend 100 more years in Iraq".
C''mon, is this excitable, quick to anger guy someone you want to head our country?

I don''t.

Plus, McCain is too old at 71, there is a good chance he may not be able to complete his term which would leave his ???? VP to finish his term.
Just does not add up to a good feeling.

[donbl1]

Not sure McCain has to move to get to the center.

He is in the center and that is what is causing the CPAC group the problem and the far right republican base.

Same problem Clinton is having as she is to the right of Obama.

[amishcar]

" I KNOW CATS AND DOGS SMARTER THAN JOHN MCCAIN. " - RONALD REAGAN

[amishcar]

http://mensnewsdaily.com/2008/01/01/nations-cops-applaud-presidential-candidate-2/ SEE WHICH CANDIDATE THE NATIONS COPS SUPPORT AND WHO CAN BEAT HILLARY. DONATE TODAY.

[ontheleft]

What do the Democrats plan to hit McCain with? Wet noodles? Strongly worded condemnations? I give up. It doesn''t matter anyway since McCain has no hope of winning.

The guy needs to be hit with a 2 by 4 right between the eyes. Maybe that''ll knock some sense into him to just drop out of the race and make his concession speech to the Democrats right now instead of wasting everyone''s time for the next 9 months.

[heartlight3]

Does anyone know how Senator McCain plans to pay for 100 more years in Iraq? At 200 Million per day, it does not look sustainable to me.

[ajaxtheleast]

Well, we could "hit" McCain with stuff like today''s
four US soldiers killed right in Baghdad today and
another killed elsewhere in Iraq. (NY times)

[anonbene]

Vote McCain, For more of the same! Sheesh!

[jonesforch]

Bring in on Dem''s. (smiling) cause this is what CBS wants you to see. But I know your all smarter then that and read beyond.

[jonesforch]

CBS? can you tell me why your posting a story. 6000 Mile "Trash Vortex" found in Pacfic? with no path or STORY?

[jerr11]

"John McCain Some call him a hero, some a maverick."


I call him a warmonger, eager to get more Americans killed in a war to profit Halliburton.

Eager to bring the country to complete financial ruin with an expensive war costing us 2.5 BILLION A WEEK!

I call him flipflopper, having changed his mind several times just for political gain.

I call him Halliburton''s spokesman, trying to sell us the Iraq war, also known as:

"Halliburton''s Great Business Plan."

[ringading3]

Hey Mary Landrieu, are you scared yet? Who will you support, the other blondie or Osama? In any case you will lose your seat in the Senate!

[smirk5]

5 more soldiers dead in Iraq.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq_soldiers_killed;_ylt=AkZ98P1pUXMM4vr7zewBF3ys0NUE

[smirk5]

The Iraq insurgency knows that a Democrat is the most likely candidate to end our occupation of that country. They know McCain is now locked into the "surge is working" box that he''s created for himself. They will probably show Americans that the surge isn''t working in a big way sometime near November.

[neobrian-2009]

Trash Story is There ,.. I Read it!
I even commented on it,...Matter of fact....I saw it myself last year on an extended stay in South America.

[nottellin1]

Plus, McCain is too old at 71, there is a good chance he may not be able to complete his term which would leave his ???? VP to finish his term.
Just does not add up to a good feeling.




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Posted by tibu987 at 09:43 PM : Feb 08, 2008

Mitt Romney for vice Prez is all I have to say about that.