GOP Hands Are Wrung Over Party Prospects

While Republicans Face Costly Losses In "Safe" Districts, Cuomo Deconstructs Voter Ire

(CBS)  With Republicans losing a third special Congressional election this week in a historically Republican district, party figures have been struggling to rebrand the GOP, refocus their outreach to voters, and stem a nationwide tide of discontent over politics-as-usual.

However, there are concerns among some Republicans about Washington-political-strategies-as-usual, such as tying local races to the Democratic presidential contenders (like the Republican attack ad tying Barack Obama to Mississippi House candidate Travis Childers).

The ad didn’t help. Childers beat his GOP opponent by 8 percentage points.

When asked by Face The Nation host Bob Schieffer what was wrong with the ad, Republican strategist Ed Rollins said, "Everything.

"First of all, Obama is not running down there. Obama is John McCain's problem. And I think to a certain extent, that's going to be a tough enough campaign as-is. [But] people in Mississippi - or in Louisiana or in Illinois, the three seats we lost - want to know, 'What are you going to do about gas increases? What are you going to do that's going to relate to my life and basically help me, help my kids?'"

Which means, while Democrats have a potent lightning rod for nationalizing races by running against George W. Bush's record, Republicans running alongside the President risk looking defensive.

"We need to, as a party, go back to our roots, if you will," said Gov. Charles Crist, R-Fla., "make sure we understand we're the party of Abraham Lincoln, the party of Teddy Roosevelt, the party of Ronald Reagan, who had that wonderful optimism that people looked toward and were excited about and understood that there was greater hope, greater opportunity for the future."

Rollins also said it was a mistake for President Bush to inject himself into the presidential race with his inflammatory comments during a speech before the Israeli Knessit (in which he compared Obama's stated intention to talk to anti-democratic world leaders with Nazi appeasers in the 1930s) because it suggests that John McCain is running for Mr. Bush's third term. "If it’s the Bush third term, John McCain can’t win," he said.

"This president has to realize that he is no longer on the ballot," Rollins added.

Also appearing on the show, Mario Cuomo, the former Democratic governor of New York, believed the Democrats - regardless of how their contentious primary battle shakes out - have an enormous advantage come November, in a nation where 82 percent believed our country is moving in the wrong direction.

"How do we make the most of the Republican problems, all of which are Democratic opportunities?" Cuomo said.

"America wants and needs everything that we have got from 1993 to 2000," Cuomo said. "You got 22 million new jobs. You got a balanced budget. You got a potential surplus of $5.4 trillion. You got an ascending middle class. You got a shrinking poor population - all in those years. You got peace. And that's what the United States wants again."

---

Read the full "Face the Nation" transcript here.

[haoli25]

It appears that Dubya is not the only stupid Republican.

[dewardbowles]

The Republicans don''t have a clue. If you don''t run on the real issues this year your finished.

Preying on the ignorance of the American people by running on fake issues like flag pins is a loser.

Big give aways to Oil companies disguised as a gas tax holiday is not going to work.

Running endless loops of something somebody''s paster said 7 years ago will not sway anyone.

Pretending that changing a failed foreign policy is akin to being a traitor and a Nazi appeaser is a mistake.

Running on smear masquerading as policy is going to backfire.

Pretend patriotism hiding behind flag burning issues when we are facing the worst crisis in 60 years in this country will get you a ride out of town on a rail.

[samthetvcat]

-----"Rollins also said it was a mistake for President Bush to inject himself into the presidential race with his inflammatory comments during a speech before the Israeli Knessit (in which he compared Obama''s stated intention to talk to anti-democratic world leaders with Nazi appeasers in the 1930s) because it suggests that John McCain is running for Mr. Bush''s third term. "If it%u2019s the Bush third term, John McCain can%u2019t win," he said."-----

He probably didn''t want to come out and say it, but the problem wasn''t just Shrub mouthing off was it? Wasn''t the problem that John McCain went into cheerleader mode and jumped on the bandwagon with both feet, rah rah? The moment came for cooler heads to prevail and McCain sort of just took the moment and let himself get swept along with the tide . . .

[cfin5]

As long as these stories keep coming up here,....I''m going to keep saying "RON PAUL". Check out what he says by doing some history book work guys of EITHER PARTY! I can''t do your homework for you. Things are best believed when one does ones own research.

[sistatee-2009]

News flash! There IS NO Republican Party.

[notopennshut]

This country has been driven to its knees over the last eight years and also being looked down by many other countries all over the world. How can anyone, in their right mind want to vote for another four years of more of the same or even worse?? this is what the Republicans have brought us to, even if the democrats have the house , but is being thwarted by the republicans and the veto by Bush at every step. It is not going to be easy even if a democrat is the next president since it will take time to fix all the problems brought by recklessness and arrogance of eight years, takes time to mend fences with the international community and build trust. We have finally discovered that we just cannot do things ALONE, strong as we are. Hope this lesson is learnt and sweep out all those old republicans and begin rebuilding what was once a strong and respected nation.

[nbrdknkldgr]

With Republicans losing a third special Congressional election this week in a historically Republican district, party figures have been struggling to rebrand the GOP...

How about the "Party of Failure" or just simply, the "New KKK", the Party of Non-Inclusional Toe-Tapping Inbred Knuckle-Dragging Family Values!

[ixoye_02]

Rollins hit it one the head...one of the primary reasons I left the republican party was that republican policies were too focused on social conservative issues and political opponent character assassination. And it doesn''t seem as though the republican party will focus on the real issues that matter to American families in the near future. So, my vote is going to the Democrats and Independents that are at least speaking to my concerns. And given the failure of the republican political leadership in Congress to do anything civil or stay out of sexual scandals, I don''t see how anyone could trust those hypocrites. Certainly the Democrats have had their own scandals and problem, but the republican party takes the gold medal for this decade. And I''ve been an active voter for for almost 30 years. Once more, the republican party has lost my trust, it will be along time until I vote for another republican either in my home state or nationally. Let the purging begin!!!

[taylor2124]

Cuomo who? I thought that fat loooooser died YEARS ago. Get real.

[bluestardad]

COULD YOU BE TALKING ABOUT THE PARTY THAT WAS WARNED ABOUT AN ATTACK ON AMERICAN SOIL BY TERRORIST USING PASSENGER AIRCRAFT BUT SAID THERE WAS NO ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE!

WAS THIS THE PARTY IN POWER THAT DISBANDED THE UNIT HUNTING BIN LADEN?

YOU MEAN THE PARTY WHO PREACH MORALITY THEN ARE CAUGHT IN BATHROOM STALLS WITH MEN,

OR CHASE UNDERAGE MALE PAIGES AROUND THE HALLS OF CONGRESS?

MAYBE THE REPIGS THAT PREACH MORALITY FROM THE PULPIT AND ARE HIRING MALE PROSTITUTES?

IS IT THE SAME REPIGS THAT LIED A NATION TO WAR AT THE COST OF TRILLIONS AND LIVES OF THOUSANDS?

HOW ABOUT THE REPIGS THAT BLOCK EVERY DOMESTIC SPENDING PROGRAM FOR THE POOR STOPPING HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY?

OR MAYBE THE PARTY THAT TOUTS SUPPORT THE TROOPS THEN BLOCK BENEFITS FOR VETERANS?

MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE TRIED FOR WAR CRIMES OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE!

WHY ARE THESE GUYS WORRIED?

[observantx]

In essence, what refers to itself as the Republican party for at least that past 7 + years is not the Republican party. What we have now is a radical neocon party. I remember real Republicans, Eisenhower, Goldwater, Rockefeller, etc. And I probably didn''t agree with them but I respected them. They had a valid point of view and worked to promote it. No way were they the "My way or the highway", neocons we see today. We''re talking ants posing as elephants here.

So what do we have now? We sure as h*ll don''t have Republicans any more. That''s why the radical Repugnicans, as they should be called, are going down in flames this November. Until they go back to their true conservative roots, they are DOOMED. They are going to get totally and truly waxed. It''s what they deserve and it''s what they''re going to get.

''Nuff said

[sgtrds-e4]

John McCain and the GOP may wish otherwise, but because he has sold out to the chimp in the White House this really is a race between Obama and four more years of Bush. The as*s kicking they''re going to get this fall is going to be a well deserved one in punishment of 8 years of blind obedience to a mongoloid idiot of a president and an evil lunatic string pulling VP. They''re blind following of the neoconservative/neoNazi movement has casued nearly irrepatable damage to this country and now it''s time for some payback!

[ubrew12]

Article: "Gov. Charles Crist, R-Fla., "[Repubs need to] make sure we understand we''re the party of Abraham Lincoln,"
YES!
"the party of Teddy Roosevelt,"
YES!
"the party of Ronald Reagan"
OOPS!!
Americans have spent $1 trillion dollars just paying the INTEREST on the Reagan debt since he left office. That''s 1 trillion wasted dollars into the pockets of rich Republicans (yes, rich people are the only ones with the ability to loan America money, why do you think Republicans prefer deficit spending?). It didn''t buy roads, bridges, sewer systems, even ''security''. It bought a feeling of ''morning in America'' thirty years ago.

You cant buy ''morning in America'' with a credit card. Until the Republican Party realizes that, they will continue to find themselves on the margins of modern American society.

[irliberal]

The GOP is done. Time to stick a fork in ''em. GO OBAMA, GO HILLARY!

[joe1022joe]

Democrats controlled the House from 1954 to 1994. The "real Republicans" referred to by ObservantX were Republicans such as Bob Michael who were content to live with Democratic control of the House and usually the Senate. NO LONGER. The three Republican House losses were before the California Supreme Court handed the Republican Party the keys to not only the presidency, but to retaking the Senate and possibly the House this November: The California Supremes overturned a law created, not just by a legislature, but a citizen referendum of the people of the State of California barring homosexual marriage. A most unfortunate turn of events for the Democratic Party. This issue combined with the driver''s-license-for-illegals issue will win 45 states for the Republicans in November. The fact is that Obama supports and each and every one of the Democratic Party candidates will have no choice but to endorse the action of the California Supreme Court. Elites overriding the will of the people. Obama is also on record as supporting driver''s licenses for illegal aliens. This presidential campaign has not yet begun. Just wait.

[harrydoghiny]

The Dems could run Big Bird and still mop the floor with McBush in November. The party''s over, Neocons.

[david1737]

In a recent poll 82 percent believed our country is moving in the wrong direction.

[demslie]

The GOP is done. Time to stick a fork in ''''em. GO OBAMA, GO HILLARY!

Posted by IRLiberal

All These Negative Democrats cannot answer why John McCain is polling even or ahead in most major polls. IF all Americans hate Republicans the Democrats think, then why the poll numbers. Its because the DNC is where Democrats get thier info. All Democrats are full of Hate and Anger and They only listen to other Democrats who are full of Hate and Anger. John McCain has not said a bad word about anyonw while O''Bama talks Hate and Anger every day.

[fire007man]

Why do the Democrats think it will be any better with them. The Country will just sink faster and we will just get poorer while on the list for medical care.

[david1737]

I ask all Americans to google the Keating 5/S&L scandal.

McCain/Bush and his family were all over this and it cost the American tax payer over $1.4 trillion dollars!

It stems from deregulation of the S&Ls.

Do some research.

[sgtrds-e4]

All These Negative Democrats cannot answer why John McCain is polling even or ahead in most major polls.

Posted by demslie at 05:45 PM : May 18, 2008

That''s because he''s not.

[holmantx]

As the founding father of neoconservatism Irving Kristol remarked: "Viewed in this way, one can say that the historical task and political purpose of neoconservatism would seem to be this: to convert the Republican party, and American conservatism in general, against their respective wills, into a new kind of conservative politics suitable to governing a modern democracy... " McCain embraces the Welfare State and Global Warming, nation-building, deficit spending, amnesty . . . all are neoconservative give-aways for power. They are pragmatists. McCain is neoconservative. Conservatism has been cut adrift.

[riptide213]

All the worlds a stage,

And all the men and women merely players,

They have their exits and their entrances.

William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 2 7

[observantx]

joe1022jouh, Joe

I have no objections to a true debate between Democrats and real Republicans. What I think you misunderstand is that what we have today in no manner,shape, or form are REAL Republicans.,. The name has been highjacked.
Granted, the Demos of the period you refer to did go a little overboard. That in no way diminishes the HUGE swing the Neocons have imposed on our government.

These Aholes have nearly brought our nation to ruin. It''s time for the TRUE Republicans to take back their party, so that we can have an honest and productive debate.

[fire007man]

It''s time for both parties to step aside and let someone who really cares about america run it. The democrats are so radical they would distroy this country to have thier power back and the republicans have lost thier way.

[kansas1946]

All These Negative Democrats cannot answer why John McCain is polling even or ahead in most major polls.

Posted by demslie at 05:45 PM : May 18, 2008

That''''s because he''''s not.



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

Posted by SgtRDS-E4 at 05:52 PM : May 18, 2008
+ report abuse
*******************************

LOL, Sarge. Good answer. I love to see the rabid-right shaking in their boots. It is so crazy, that our Republican senator from Kansas is attacking McCain on the Boeing contract fiasco. Of course, he is doing that to protect HIS seat. You know it is bad with a Republican is attacking their own candidate for president.

[riptide213]

%u2026Standing at this point of time, looking back to that generation which has gone by and forward to that which is advancing, we may at once indulge in grateful exultation and in cheering hope.

From the experience of the past we derive instructive lessons for the future.

Of the two great political parties which have divided the opinions and feelings of our country, the candid and the just will now admit that both have contributed splendid talents, spotless integrity, ardent patriotism, and disinterested sacrifices to the formation and administration of this Government, and that both have required a liberal indulgence for a portion of human infirmity and error%u2026%u2026

Excerpt from the Inaugural Address of President John Quincy Adams
March 4, 1825

[sgtrds-e4]

kansas1946

That''s right. They know that there is really only one way left for a republican to have a decent chance of winning any election this fall and that''s to switch parties and become a Democrat.

;-)

[goldesprit]

Barak didn''t want a re-vote.
He didn''t want to count existing votes.
...and he originally WITHDREW HIS NAME from the ballot in Michigan-- WHEN THERE WAS NO REQUIREMENT TO DO SO-- AS A STRATEGY--BECAUSE HE DIDN''T WANT TO BE SEEN LOSING THAT STATE!!!

Repeat after me,
"Michigan and Florida"...

[prinzowhales]

McCain is a crook, married to the daughter of crooks. His associates are crooks and liars, he-- like the Trotskyite Zionazi--William Kristol--is not a conservative...Unless "Neo-Conservatism" means "Not Conservative."

Conservatism was betrayed from the moment Reagan''s economic brain trust--a motley collection of Rockefeller assets and powerless ideologues--sat down to continue the destruction of the American economy with what came to be known as "Reaganomics".

[prinzowhales]

Clinton''s Secretary of State, Mad Albright, said what Obama said the other day--America has a bipartisan foreign policy...in other words it doesn''t matter who you elect, you are getting the same sorry policy... You should have learned that in 2006 when you thought things would magically change if you elected pro-war Democrats to replace pro-war Republicans.

Obama has already been made out a liar by his advisor Austan Goolsby who told the Canadians to ignore Obama''s anti-NAFTA rhetoric...it was just politics... it was just lies to win those union votes from the very pro NAFTA Clinton.

That the Repubican Party would have a problem defeating either of the lying, corrupt Democrats is testimony to how utterly corrupt both parties are... The slogan "My Lying Thief has more experience than your lying thief" is not very inspiring.

Don''t waste your vote on Demopublican scum!

[jeffstersf]

RIP GOP

[prinzowhales]

John D. Rockefeller IV, is supporting Obama...On the Senate Intelligence Committee this Oligarch let the Neo-Con case for war pass without due diligence...He and Bilderberger attendee, John Edwards back Obama... Both were on the Intelligence Committee, and both allowed the obviously flawed case for war pass muster.

Now, we have William Kristol, the founder of the pro-Iraq war of aggression PNAC saying that he prefers Obama over Clinton....Don''t you find it the least bit curious that Kristol backs the allegedly anti-war Obama over the woman who voted for the war?!!

[drivelphobe]

McCain''s nomination has driven me from the Republican party, and I hope with millions of others. The underlying anger concerning illegal immigration amongst the "folks" is far more reaching than these imbeciles realize. If McCain, and his new best friend Juan Hernandez, feel the USA owes anything to "god''s children", particularly amnesty, then let him wallow in the rubble of defeat.

I have been a republican for most of my life and I''m voting for Obama out of total disgust with the GOP''s arrogant pursuit of their own open-border agenda and their shallow self-serving actions directly in oppostion to the will of "We the People". I really don''t see much difference whether McCain gives these criminals amnesty or Obama does. I''ll just have to sell off my portfolio prior to the massive tax increase we''ll get from the Dems. This country is in big trouble except for those who can insulate themselves and hang through the civil unrest. If I hear dail 1 for English much longer, I''ll never wote again. Where''s the fence??????

[trillion1]

I have to agree that the voter votes on sound bites. I''d say the average voter knows little or nothing about the details of any canadate''s stand.

[saxxondomela]

The Republican are in turmoil because they can''t figure out how to satisfy their corporate masters and convince the voters that they care about them at the same time. How about some concrete items like cross deputizing every law enforcement officer in the country as an immigration officer? Oh, thats right, they might lose a voting bloc. Switch to the metric system? Classify tobacco as a drug and ban advertising? Take care of our veterans? Its not like there is a shortage of problems that effect everyday Americans. Open your eyes Republicans AND Democrats.

[prinzowhales]

When Ariel Sharon said that Israel controlled America, was he thinking of Bush? or Cheney? or Rice?...was he thinking of the Representative for Israel in Congress from Chicago, IDF veteran Rahm Emmanuel? Was he thinking of Obama''s campaign manager the loathsome Axelrod, Emmanuel''s tool? How about the Rabbi who was comptroller of the Defense Department when Rumsfeld reported on September 10, 2001 that $1.7 TRILLION was missing from accounts? Would he have been thinking of Michael Chertoff, the Israeli director of US Homeland Security? Or, perhaps the gay Israeli who was appointed head of New Jersey Homeland Security by his lover, Governor McGreevy? Was he thinking of the ''Mega'' Group of 50 Zionist billionaires who, like David Rockefeller but American interests behind those of foreign powers? John D. Rockefeller IV backs Barack Obama...He also backs the global warming scam. That should tell you something about Obama.

Senator for Israel Joe Liebermann of Connecticutt backs John McPampers...the man Bill Clinton says is Hillary''s best friend in the Senate...Isn''t that cozy?
Both support the war...and Obama said in 2004 that his position on it and George Bush''s position were about the same. Tell me, would you then vote for George Bush as an anti-war candidate? Don''t tell me that is a silly question when you are thinking about supporting a man whose views on the Iraqi war are about the same as George Bush''s--Barack Obama!!!

[randynason]

The GOP is dying a slow, miserable death and will be buried for good. No one wants this corrupt, inhumane party to resurface, ever again. It serves no agenda, except on behalf of the ones who perpetuate greed, lies, theft and graft. Eyes are wide open, now.

[sgtrds-e4]

TireTubHlry

Only as*sholes or idiots multi-post their garbage over and over like that. Which one are you?

[prinzowhales]

Posted by SgtRDS-E4 at 06:44 PM : May 18, 2008
---------------------
Reading his post, I suspect both...

[jlcohen--2008]

Why do the current Repugs keep harkening back to Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt when they are nothing like them?

Lincoln was the 1st Republican, and although he was exactly what the country needed, his assassination gave him too little time to set peacetime policy after the Civil War ended. Nevertheless, he was far more effective than Shrub. If his generals weren''t producing results, he sacked them. He won the Civil War in less time than Bush''s fake war is taking.

Roosevelt would have been considered a leftist liberal by today''s standards. Roosevelt was a conservationist and a trust buster. He raged against the hegemony of big business and when Congress did nothing, he sued the trusts. After his second term, he supported Taft''s successful run in 1908. But by 1912, fed up with Taft and business as usual, Roosevelt ran for president against Taft, then split from the Republicans and created the Progressive Party, and switched his Presidential candidacy from Republican to Progressive. He didn''t win, but he got more electoral votes than Taft. Wilson, the Democrat won in what become a case of the incumbent coming in THIRD place.

BULLY for Teddy Roosevelt! The most Democratic Republican we ever had! If Republicans would embrace Teddy''s values of conservationism, standing up for the little guy and fighting against big business that only cares about profit, then I would probably become that kind of Republican. Then again, I already am. I''m a Democrat.

[prinzowhales]

It is way past time for Americans to leave both the GOP and the Democratic Party...they are both tools of the Oligarchy...from open borders to war...these parties are trying to destroy our country and will--unless we destroy them first!

[it_oldtimer]

The problem with the Republican Party (as it now stands) is that at its core, it''s made up exclusively of EXTREMELY wealthy Capitalists who have an agenda that really serves only the very wealthy.

Many middle-class conservatives have been suckered into believing that this ultra-wealthy Republican core serves them, as well, but that assumption has shown itself (again and again) to NOT be the case - and thus they become deeply disillusioned, and eventually re-brand themselves as moderate "Independents" in protest.

Those new Independents, more often than not, find that the Democratic positions are actually much more in line with their own interests.

That ultra-wealthy 1% (the REAL Republican core) has very little, if anything at all, to actually offer ANY middle-class voter, and that fact is finally becoming painfully clear to many [former] middle-class Republicans and Independents.

No hard-working middle-class voter wants to be used by the ultra-wealthy in this way, or serve as a powerless pawn to those that would do nothing for them but exploit them for their votes.

That''s why the Republican Party is in such deep trouble right now: 99% of us are simply not rich enough to benefit from Republican policies, which are always tilted toward the ultra-wealthy, not the middle-class

[prinzowhales]

Miamistax--I once shared your admiration for T. Roosevelt...I still admire him as a man...

Roosevelt made it possible for Woodrow Wilson to reach the presidency...The Roosevelts were a banking family with ties to the East India Company''s opium dealing in China...and the banking interests of New York were keenly interested in the Warburg plan to create a private central bank, the Federal Reserve. Wilson supported this...afterall, this pig was painted in Progressive colours so the mincing little Princeton perfesser could support this avant garde notion.

Taft had announced that there would be no central bank!! That is why Roosevelt ran against him. He talked a good game against the corporations, but he was not looking out for the little man. He was constantly calling for the US to join the British (with whom Dutch bankers are closely tied) in the war against Germany.

[neobrian-2009]

NOOOOO NOOOOO NOOOOOO
NO MORE CONS
NO MORE RepubliCONS
NO MORE CORRUPTION
NO MORE LIES
NO MORE CORPORATE CEOS running OUR COUNTRY
NO MORE GREASY OIL BARONS
NO MORE GREEDY PIGS

It should be against the law to vote for these kind of beings.

[sgtrds-e4]

Posted by SgtRDS-E4 at 06:44 PM : May 18, 2008
---------------------
Reading his post, I suspect both...

Posted by Prinzowhales at 06:45 PM : May 18, 2008

Considering he continues to do it, I''d have to agrre with you. Both.

[taotxzen]

Here is the true difference:

Democrat: How can we make this country better? Inclusive, as in we are all Americans, rich, poor, black, white, 1st generation, 6th generation, we are all in the same boat.

Republican: What%u2019s in it for me?
Read any post on this site and tell me I am wrong.

[jlcohen--2008]

More on Roosevelt (Wikipedia quote): "As President he firmly believed in the separation of church and state and thought it unwise to have In God We Trust on currency, because he thought it sacrilegious to put the name of the Deity on something so common as money." Wow. Imagine a modern day Republican saying something like that.

[taotxzen]

(CONT)

In a February 1991 article for Life Magazine, Atwater wrote:

My illness helped me to see that what was missing in society is what was missing in me: a little heart, a lot of brotherhood. The ''''80s were about acquiring -- acquiring wealth, power, prestige. I know. I acquired more wealth, power, and prestige than most. But you can acquire all you want and still feel empty. What power wouldn''''t I trade for a little more time with my family? What price wouldn''''t I pay for an evening with friends? It took a deadly illness to put me eye to eye with that truth, but it is a truth that the country, caught up in its ruthless ambitions and moral decay, can learn on my dime. I don''''t know who will lead us through the ''''90s, but they must be made to speak to this spiritual vacuum at the heart of American society, this tumor of the soul.

[taotxzen]

(CONT)



Shortly before his death from a brain tumor, Atwater said he had converted to Catholicism, through the help of Fr. John Hardon, SJ,[5] and, in an act of repentance, Atwater issued a number of public and written letters to individuals to whom he had been opposed during his political career, including Dukakis. In a letter to Tom Turnipseed dated June 28, 1990, he stated, "It is very important to me that I let you know that out of everything that has happened in my career, one of the low points remains the so called ''''jumper cable'''' episode," adding, "my illness has taught me something about the nature of humanity, love, brotherhood and relationships that I never understood, and probably never would have. So, from that standpoint, there is some truth and good in everything."

(CONT)