Feb. 26, 2008
Dem. Governors See McCain As Formidable
Washington Post: Democratic Governors Say Life Story, Reputation For Political Independence Make McCain A Threat In November
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Looking Ahead To The Election
How would Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton fare if they faced Republican frontrunner John McCain in the general election? Nancy Cordes reports on a recent poll.
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McCain Takes Back War Comment
"CBS News RAW:" After a spur of media coverage focused on his statement that he could lose the presidential election due to his support of the Iraq War, John McCain officially retracted the comment.
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McCain Advisor Speaks Out
Bob Schieffer speaks with Charles Black, a senior advisor for the McCain campaign, about recent claims that the Republican presidential candidate engaged in an improper affair with a lobbyist.
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Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., second from left, greets the crowd after a town hall meeting in Cleveland, Ohio. Monday, Feb. 25, 2008. At center, former Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine. (AP)
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Photo Essay
John McCain
Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
From Our Partner:
Democratic governors from states likely to help decide the 2008 presidential election see Republican Sen. John McCain as a potentially formidable opponent whose life story and reputation for political independence make him a threat in November, despite conditions that they say now favor their nominee.
"To quote President Bush, McCain is never to be misunderestimated," said Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona, McCain's home state. "He's a tough campaigner."
"In some ways," said Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, a state that is considered a must-win for any Democratic nominee, "he's the ideal [Republican] candidate for Pennsylvania."
As Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) continue to battle for the Democratic nomination, McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has the luxury of beginning his general-election campaign.
McCain still has work to do inside his party as he tries to overcome conservative resistance to his candidacy. But Democratic governors for the most part assume Republicans will rally around McCain, leaving him free to shift his attention to the center of the electorate.
"He is appealing in Michigan," said Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who supports Clinton. "He does appeal to independent thinkers -- at least he did in the past -- and we have a lot of those in Michigan. Whoever the Democrat is, Michigan is a state where we're going to have to work."
Rendell, also a Clinton supporter, said McCain can compete for votes in southeastern Pennsylvania, where suburban voters generally favor abortion rights, and in western Pennsylvania, where many strongly oppose abortion.
"He's going to contest for those suburban voters that have been delivering Pennsylvania to Democratic presidential candidates for the last four elections," Rendell said. "He will be the strongest Republican to contest for their votes. And he does it without sacrificing the ability to go after conservative, pro-life Democrats in the western part of the state."
Napolitano, who backs Obama, acknowledged that with McCain as the GOP nominee, Democrats may face a stiffer challenge in winning Rocky Mountain states that have voted Republican in most recent elections but whose changing demographics make them Democratic targets.
"If I'm the Republican nominee and I'm John McCain, I do not take those states for granted," she said. "But it does change the strategy [for the Democrats]." She said the goal should be tying McCain closely to President Bush.
"I think John McCain could have an appeal to a lot of Ohioans," said Gov. Ted Strickland, a Clinton supporter. "I don't think it's a given that John McCain can't win the election. I just think that, rightly or wrongly, he is perceived as a straight-talking, independent, honest person." But if McCain appears to be pandering to his party's conservative base, Strickland said, he might not do as well.
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, a Clinton supporter, said McCain's biography, which includes more than five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, makes him "a formidable challenge" in the fall campaign. "But I do think that the wave of change and the reaction to these last really disastrous years to our country under George W. Bush is going to be difficult for him to overcome."
Other Democratic governors also balanced positive assessments of McCain with criticisms. Granholm said Iraq and the economy could undermine him in her state.
"Michigan is not in favor of 100 years in Iraq," she said, referring to McCain's statement that a long-term commitment in Iraq -- though not an all-out war -- might be acceptable to help stabilize that country. "He's got to be strong about not entering into new trade agreements that give away the store," she continued. "On those two issues, I think he's going to be vulnerable."
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said a McCain-Obama race would provide "the absolute matchup that contrasts the past and the future." Sebelius has endorsed Obama, and when asked how he would compare with McCain as a potential commander in chief in the eyes of voters, she pointed to the 1996 race between President Bill Clinton and former senator Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.).
Like O'Malley, she cited McCain's personal story of courage and heroism but recalled that Dole, too, was a war hero with a powerful personal story but nonetheless lost his bid to "a young leader who had a different vision of America."
Republican governors, including several who supported McCain early, even before his campaign went into a tailspin last summer, said he will present a contrast with either Obama or Clinton that voters will find attractive.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty cited McCain's work on global warming and his efforts to overhaul immigration law as characteristics that give him appeal beyond the traditional Republican coalition.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said McCain offers "a different face for the party" in a race in which "we're going to face the most left-wing presidential candidate, whichever it is, that the country has seen nominated."
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford supported McCain's candidacy in 2000 but remains neutral this year. Noting polls that show Obama leading McCain in general-election tests, Sanford said the campaign will look far different by Labor Day.
"As [Obama] beings to fill in the blanks of what change means, a lot of the jet fuel that's been fueling his campaign is going to be taken out of his gas tank," he said.
By Dan Balz
© 2008 The Washington Post Company
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See all 75 CommentsJuan is staring at 72 the average life expectancy for a man in the U.S. is 75. The voters had better demand a life insurance policy the same way his bank did.
twocanpete says; we don''t need no Vickigate!
Prognostications at this point are nothing more than a mental jerk off because so much can change between now and November and, quite frankly, none of these candidates have been tested like they will be now.
McCain & Obama will both be formidable candidates and either is quite capable of winning in either a squeaker or a rout.
Aren''t 30% of the country, evangelicals who supported Bush? That''s one heck of a headstart McCain has over the Democrat nominee.
KBR 4Q Boosted on Tax Benefit
Feb 26, 9:43 AM (ET)
By JOHN PORRETTO
HOUSTON (AP) - Former Halliburton subsidiary KBR Inc. (KBR) (KBR) said Tuesday fourth-quarter profit rose 65 percent, lifted by contributions from natural-gas projects, work in Iraq and a tax benefit related to a 2006 asset sale.
Why wonder. It''s obvious he''d LOVE it. MORE LOBBY MONEY!!!
In the meantime our PET FOOD, HUMAN FOOD, MEDICINES, Children''s TOYS, ETC. have ALL BEEN FOUND to be CONTAMINATED with DANGEROUS and DEADLY SUBSTANCES due to the NEOCON PUSH for GREED and SELF-INTEREST over the health and well being of our CITIZENS. Iraq is just another PROFIT STREAM for them to milk!
Prisons are gated communities too so let''s INVITE the sleazebags that put PROFIT OVER HEALTH AND SAFETY and PEACE in them.
They should feel right at home.
Posted by oeangus
Yep, they want McCain so bad they are out showing it by voting for Huckabee.
SO which State to you surmise Obama could win as a nominee, which of these red states he has been wining? And dont believe for a moment he could win Ohio, Pa or VA there is no way that would ever happen.
What rabbit in the hat is there for Barack to attract other than Liberal Progressive and Blacks his current base.....which are all Dems to begin with and now with a Federal Corruption Trial with his name all over it who dose pull into a O column...
Tell me why, please, we would ever want to go back, back, back to Bushco crappola or Republican anything ever again? I''d really like to know. Honest.
Thanks for your usual posturing.
Here''s what Rasmussen''s Daily Tracking Poll hs to say to you:
Pennsylvania-
Obama 49& McCain 39%
McCain 44% Clinton 42%.
They call Pennsylvania "likely" Democratic. That''s likely if Obama is the nominee.
Ohio-
McCain 42% Obama 41%. A dead heat. They don''t bother with figures for a McCain vs. Mrs. NAFTA match up.
What makes you the expert on Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Virginia?
I grew up in Columbus, I''m 57 and I''ve been following Ohio politics closely for 47 of those years. The old Republican strongholds of Columbus and Cincinnati have been trending blue for severl election cycles now and the rural vote is where Democrats have historically done the worst but where Obama is doing the best.
I''m not going to be a toad like you and pull any firm predictions out of my ***, but your declaration is nothing more than your own wishful thinking.
I will entertain you with what states he can win(whether or not he actually does) that would get him well beyond 270.
All of New England, NY,NJ,PA,MD,DC,Del, VA, NC, FL, OH, Mich, Ill, Mn, Wisc,Ia, Mo, Ks, Colo, NM,Az,CA, Ore, Wash, & Hawaii.
Good luck trying to make hay over the Rezco trial.
If Obama was involved in any way to the dealings which Rezco has been indicted for he would be indicted as well. He isn''t. There''s no indication that he''s even been subpoened to testify. That would certainly indicate that he has no involvement in the case.
Better luck next time.
"As [Obama] beings to fill in the blanks of what change means, a lot of the jet fuel that''s been fueling his campaign is going to be taken out of his gas tank," he said.
McCain is a vile and corrupt dog which no one should fear and all should scorn! He will keep your sons and daughters in Iraq for ONE HUNDRED YEARS!! He is a Keating Five Crook!! He is an Israel-firster who has promised us ''fewer jobs and more wars'' for Israel and Anglo-American finance!
What is there to fear in this used up skin of excrement? The Arizona Mob that he married into? The dung-eating AIPAC spies who applaud him? His plasticene junkie wife? The same witless Bush supporters traipse at his heels...
What has your Demopublican Congress done in the last year about the housing crunch?--Foreclosures are on the increase...in major markets like California by over 50% in the last year...while Congress leaves the borders open, Demopublican backers like GM eliminates tens of thousands of jobs...the Regime prepares to save the banks while scr*wing the jobless mortgage holders.
McCain--An economic ignoramus, ''ell bent on more war and open borders...and quashing dissent...And the slinking Democratic governors think this is a formidable candidate? The only thing that gives him a chance is the hatred Americans hold for Hillary and the contempt they have for General Dynamics new toy soldier, Barack Obama.
Before the SC primary, I was still thinking Rudy Giuliani had a strong chance of pulling through and winning - not sure whether it was an underestimation of McCain as a competitor or a misunderstanding of how Republicans would rally around a front-runner, but I do think there may be something to that.
This caution though assumes that all other factors will remain basically the same from now until the election. The big unknown is whether Iraqis are going to end their cease-fire and essentially make a mockery of McCain''s surge. Without the perception that McCain was right on the ''surge'' and it''s contribution to the relative decrease in violence, he''s basically got no edge.
McCain''s ''political independence'' is negative imo - he''s rallied against Liberals as a Republican and he''s rallied against Conservatives as a ''maverick'' . . . that doesn''t leave a lot of people left who feel like he''s a rebel with a cause . . .
Somebody in another thread pointed out how to a substantial number of people that patriotism is basically nothing more than having slapped a yellow ribbon onto their gas-guzzling suv''s.
I think what Hillary''s now finding out that McCain seems to also be on track of finding out is that maybe people are really thirsting to redefine patriotism as those who believe a strong military is one who doesn''t ''game'' the system because it''s cheaper to pay death benefits than provide MRAPS. It''s also a military that keeps their troops strong not just in body but in mind with humane rotations, and quality aftercare. It''s a military that sends troops in to fight wars we can win, rather than sending them in to police civil wars and nation-build. It''s honoring commitments like having the national guard only guard our nation. It''s having a government who nation-builds at home after Katrina rather than after civil wars in Iraq.
Point taken about we Dems underestimating Repub support for McCain and his surge. I think you Repubs need to pay heed not to underestimate we Dems support for Obama and redeployment strategy.
Really how much more obvious and corrupt can our liberal MSM wolfpack press get?
Really sad indeed.
Good luck trying to make hay over the Rezco trial.
If Obama was involved in any way to the dealings which Rezco has been indicted for he would be indicted as well. He isn''''t. There''''s no indication that he''''s even been subpoened to testify. That would certainly indicate that he has no involvement in the case.
Better luck next time.
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Posted by ealpatriot1 at 11:05 AM : Feb 26, 2008
Delusional as always lol those States no way, Cincy is Flaming RED and only Worthington was trending blue 53 percent blue now you also have an open seat in that district and the Republican is looking good for that. As far as Rezko Obama is mentioned in the federal corruption indictment and guess what he did benefit from the straw donations he says he has since returned and Rezko was on Obama Senate finance committee now supposedly unknowingly to the naive Obama he did not know his political patron of 15 years was a STINKER, but we of course did not know about the boneheaded ethical co purchase with the indicted felon of the Obama family mansion until the Rezko jail bond hearing what else was boneheaded the saintly naive O missed ehhh check the judges ruling from Monday his name comes into the trial and why has he not volunteered to be interviewed by USA Fitzgerald?
ALways nice to hear from the RNC wing in drag
I think that''s a huge vulnerability when you''re campaigning against a conciliator. An example of how this vulnerability might manifest is when Barack points out how his healthcare plan has a pricetag of $70billion and will drive down costs by taking on big pharma (with use of generics) and big insurance (by having the non-profit government compete against the for-profit sector). In contrast, McCain''s plan has no cost-lowering plan (pro-big business, laissez-faire at it''s most inept), and has a pricetag which I estimate to be around $500billion (repeal of the company tax credit estimated to result in 175million employees no longer covered through work, tax revenues generated approximately equal to McCain''s tax credit for uninsured, net number of uninsured (125million people) times low-ball cost for an individual policy ($4000) equals $500billion).
All you''ll see from Fox, talk radio is veiled and not-so veiled black and muslim talk for the next 6 months while Barack''s pointing out holes in McCain''s policies. Are Repubs really willing to give up their healthcare to support McCain?
Do you honestly believe an old, injured, jaded war-soldier, well-meaning as he may/may not be, is what we want to lead this nation? Come on now. You cannot tell me you''re serious.
A war-hero does not a president of the these United States make! Period! McCain looks as tho'' he''s been resurrected from the dead already, and acts like it too.
Who do you think kept leaking the story to the ''msm''? Dems don''t have access to that kind of insider information. Talk radio was eager to sell out the values voters because so many of them really don''t live the lifestyle they were preaching - O''Reilly: sexual harassment suit settler; Glenn Beck: recovering alcoholic, divorcee; Limbaugh: recovering druggie, illegal drug purchases, 3x divorcee; Hannity: just my women''s intuition but by the look on his face he hasn''t been faithful to his wife - can''t prove this though, jmo.
I don''t think they''re true fiscal conservatives either if they weren''t so disgusted by McCain that they would rally around him when the story in fact seems to be true . . .
Hmmm. Try telling that to Washinton, Roosevelt and any number of other presidents who served in wars prior to becoming president. Serving your country shows loyalty, dedication and the ability to put your country above yourself. I''d say those are EXACTLY the traits we are looking for. Of course, you''d probably rather have someone who has no experience and only a ''vision'' that he hasn''t shared with the rest of us. Tell me.. When will he share these said ''changes'' he envisions for us? Will it be BEFORE we elect or after? MY bet is after. Hopefully he never has the chance.
That being said, Janiet5 makes a crucial point - sometimes people imbue individuals with characteristics that their experience has not instilled in that individual. For example, as a war hero and even having spent 25 years or whatever in Congress, McCain is nevertheless acknowledging that he doesn''t know anything about the economy. One only has to look at how he ran his campaign into a state of deficit spending to know how McCain handles budgets. To assume that just because somebody has served in the Senate for longer automatically makes him better able to handle the economy would be a mistake . . .
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Posted by Nancy_Naive at 12:09 PM : Feb 26, 2008
why are you picking on McVet?
What about job creation? What about getting us off our oil dependency?
I''m not talking about Worthington, I''m talking about all of franklin County. I''m not saying that Franklin or Hamilton County are not still red, I''m syaing that the Republican plurality has declined in a major way. If you had studied the election results over the past 3-4 Presidential elections you would see that.
Speaking of delusional, you don''t know who the "unnamed political figure" is in the Rezco indictment
unless your name is Patrick Fitzgerald. It could be Obama or it could just as likely be Mayor Daley. Either way, the person is not indicted or an unindicted conspirator. They''re a witness and you don''t know jack about how they''re related to the case, if at all.
Obama''s no saint but he will match up just fine against Senator"Don''t ask me about Keating" or Senator"Don''t ask about my tax returns or foreign agent donors".
If anyone is a Manchurian candidate it''s Hilary for the Chinese and the Premier of Dubai.
Well, lets explore your logic regarding experience then. You can take either of the democrats that are still in the race and add their experience together, double that, and they both still fall short of McCains experience. Neither of them have any concrete solutions for the economy other than raising taxes. SO while you point to McCains inexperience on the economic issues as a reason to not vote for him, what is your basis for voting for either of the democratic candidates? Seems like a double standard if you ask me. I''ll again point that Obama, the likely candidate, speaks eloquently of change. What change? How will he bring about change? I find it hard to believe that anyone can actually be caught up in this rhetoric. He is simply providing broad brush strokes and failing to provide ANY details. I won''t even go into Clinton and her Socialist agenda here. So tell, how is it that you differentiate the experience levels in a manner that makes it ok to vote Obama/Clinton and to not vote McCain?
Don''t blame me for what the Rasmussen poll said because I think Obama will win Virginia handily. However, my opinion like the others on here is just that and not based in concrete numbers.
Polls this far out can''t accurately predict what''s going to happen in November but they''re a far better measure than posturing of people like pepperp1 and jack3213.
Citing McCain''s platform wasn''t just for substantive informational purposes, it was also to show how low the bar has been set. What Obama does with his is balance the budget - his healthcare plan costs one seventh of McCain''s and also lowers healthcare costs to boot. He intends to end the Iraq war where McCain seeks to continue it for the next 100 years. Obama also pledges to repeal Bush tax cuts on corporations shipping jobs overseas and on the top % of income earners to pay for the tax cuts to the middle class while McCain has not explained how he is going to pay for his middle-class tax cuts. McCain also supports free trade without attaching labor, economic and safety standards which have already been shown to result in tremendous job losses at home and lack of purchasing power for foreign labor.
I had more stuff, but I lost my train of thought :D
You''ve placed your finger on the reason why I would bet my house that McCain will get his butt handed to him in November(in a sense, I am betting the house).
He has no clue on the economy. He thinks in order to not lose he has to convince people that the surge is working but what he really has to do is to convince people that the tax cuts for the rich are working.
He needs to convince Americans that it''s more important to provide healthcare to iraqis than it is to provide healthcare to Americans.
And he does need to convince us that staying in Iraq 100 years will work.
Who wants to apply to be his camapign manager?
Obama 08!
General Jackson was pro-American and anti-British and set the stage for American greatness with reasonable tariffs--HE HANGED BRITISH AGENTS!!...while McCain courts AIPAC spies and takes money from these interests and serves the interests of Anglo-American finance.
Why are these candidates afraid to talk about the Israeli spy network and the AIPAC spy apparatus?--Their agents are awaiting trail!!
Hmmm. Try telling that to Washinton, Roosevelt and any number of other presidents who served in wars prior to becoming president. Serving your country shows loyalty, dedication and the ability to put your country above yourself. I''''d say those are EXACTLY the traits we are looking for. Of course, you''''d probably rather have someone who has no experience and only a ''''vision'''' that he hasn''''t shared with the rest of us. Tell me.. When will he share these said ''''changes'''' he envisions for us? Will it be BEFORE we elect or after? MY bet is after. Hopefully he never has the chance.
You didn''t address, or even attempt to, the fact that McCain is an old jaded, injured (both in mind and body) war vet. And this makes him presidential material just how? There lots of these wonderful old vets sitting around the local watering holes, talking of the "old days", their scars, etc. Are they ready to take over this country and lead it to a better future? I think not!!
Try a dose of reality. Johnny has come marching home again, and he is ready for the rocking chair and a whole lot of R & R, not the POTUS.
They fear his military record and his "supposed" political independance which may sway voters in the November election.
However, when one considers his comments of late, that being continuing the Iraq "occupation" for 100 years to get the job done, allowing oil companies to charge $8.00 a gallon for gas, forcing everyone (except the rich who could afford it!) to "conserve" by walking or using bicycles, and continuing forever, tax breaks for the rich and business while the economy of the country goes into bankruptcy, one wonders why ANYONE would vote for this "crackpot" anyway!
Still, the neocon Fascist Nazi Republicans are stupidly-loyal and will support whatever person winds the GOP nomination, even if it means marching straight into a GAS OVEN!!!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!
sig heil, McCain???
Most people would not argue that Grant was the last great war hero to be elected Presiident, most would say it was Eisenhower.
You don''t have to win a battle or a war to be a war hero. Johm McCain is a war hero to me for a couple of reasons:1) He had the guts to serve(many ran to Canada or to College or to the national Guard) 2)He survived Hanoi Hilton.
I haven''t done those things so I''m not about to pass judgement on the service of Senator McCain.
mccain only drags out the war and the economy "isn''t his specialty".
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What is it with you people... is it possible to actually address issues raise by your fellow citizens without trying to put them in a box or claim they aren''t patriotic because they do not back your "Party". As a Combat Veteran of another war I honestly find you folks to be a bigger threat than any enemy we have. YOU are blind! You refuse to accept mistakes and outright blunders, instead attacking anyone who does. If you can''t see that we are flat out LOSING this thing YOU simply can''t see at all. It''s been 6 years since we went to Iraq and there still isn''t any security there and NONE of the Bench Marks have been met. Now keep in mind that the enemy IS not there but is in Pakistan so we still have that fight ahead of us. It now appears that NATO may abandon us there as well... Regardless we are getting our brains kicked in and someone needs to change directions and change tactics here...we can NOT afford to slog along spending 12 BILLION dollars a month here... can''t do it an win that''s for sure. Don''t believe me? Ask Russia.
Huh? That is so 2000...
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