Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Frogm4n on March 18, 2004, 07:00:50 PM
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I love it when john mccain speaks his mind.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040318/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_1
quote:
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WASHINGTON - Arizona Sen. John McCain, arguably the Democrats' favorite Republican, managed to step all over the GOP's carefully honed message of the week Thursday by rejecting the notion that John Kerry (news - web sites) is weak on defense.
President Bush (news - web sites) and his campaign apparatus have gone to great effort to suggest the Democratic presidential contender would be an unfit commander in chief, picking apart his Senate voting record on weapons and defense spending.
"The senator from Massachusetts has given us ample doubts about his judgment and the attitude he brings to bear on vital issues of national security," Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) declared Wednesday. A day earlier, the Bush campaign released an ad arguing Kerry had turned his back on U.S. soldiers by voting against an $87 billion aid package for Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) last year. On Thursday, the campaign put out yet another ad accusing Kerry of waffling on military issues.
Enter McCain.
Asked on two morning TV shows Thursday whether he thought Kerry was weak on defense, the Arizona senator was quick to bat down the suggestion. Furthermore, he chided both parties for waging such a "bitter and partisan" campaign.
"This kind of rhetoric, I think, is not helpful in educating and helping the American people make a choice," he said on "The Early Show" on CBS.
As for Kerry, McCain said the senator would have to explain his voting record but he also told NBC's "Today" show: "No, I do not believe that he is necessarily weak on defense. I don't agree with him on some issues clearly. But I decry this negativism that's going on on both sides."
It's not first time the independent-minded McCain has strayed from the Republican line.
"He doesn't usually pick up the president's talking points and amplify them," said James Thurber, a political scientist at American University. "He speaks his mind."
That's just the quality that Democrats find so endearing.
In fact, when the Democratic presidential contenders were asked earlier this year to name their favorite Republican, four of the nine — including Kerry — selected McCain. He was the only one to be named more than once.
For McCain, talking about Kerry is not just business, it's also personal.
The two are good friends, a somewhat unlikely destination given their histories.
McCain, a Navy bomber pilot, spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Kerry, who also served in the Navy during Vietnam, came home with three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star and became a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. At one protest in 1971, he threw away war medals belonging to other veterans and cast his own military ribbons over a fence. McCain heard about it while he was still being held captive in the Hanoi Hilton.
After McCain was elected to the U.S. House, he campaigned against Kerry in his first Senate race, faulting him for tossing away those medals and ribbons. But the two came to terms after they got to the Senate, and began working together. It was McCain and Kerry, for example, who pushed to end the trade embargo on Vietnam and to establish diplomatic relations with the country.
McCain has described their current relationship as "easy."
"I think it's still possible to have a friend if they're in another party," he said Thursday.
The Kerry campaign welcomed McCain's comments, noting that the Arizona senator has been a leader on defense issues for decades.
"It's helpful to our campaign, but it's also helpful because it speaks the truth," said Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter.
Bush campaign spokesman Terry Holt said McCain was right — at least when he said Kerry would have to explain his voting record.
"As John McCain indicated, the record is appropriate to discuss and the record clearly suggests that John Kerry is weak on national defense," Holt said.
McCain has campaigned for Bush this year, but the two are not considered close, especially since the 2000 presidential race, when McCain and Bush competed for the GOP nomination. Bush's supporters waged a particularly negative campaign against the senator.
McCain "hasn't forgotten that," said Thurber. "But I don't think he's out to get him. He's just an independent-thinking Republican."
McCain said last week he would consider an offer from Kerry to be his running mate, but his office later issued a statement reversing course.
On Thursday, McCain said he didn't want to be vice president on either party's ticket.
"N-O," he said.
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I would have voted for McCain... and I still want to see Fred Thompson run.
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McCain is an independent in republican clothing only because he's be a minor league'er if he went independent or "Green". I wanted McCain to win the primary 4 years ago, but his true colors have really shined thru the last 4 years.
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
McCain is an independent in republican clothing only because he's be a minor league'er if he went independent or "Green". I wanted McCain to win the primary 4 years ago, but his true colors have really shined thru the last 4 years.
Wow now your bashing McCain. One of the best people in washington this country has.
Yes he sure showed you his true colors. The way he questioned ideas and stayed true to being a conservitive. He should just shut his mouth and pass what bush tells him to pass no questions. :rolleyes:
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"Zell Miller appeared on the Don Imus show a couple of days ago and shared his thoughts on Jon Kerry. "Senator Kerry," he said, "has been in the Senate for a long time. And during his tenure, he's introduced 500 pieces of legislation, seven of which have been adopted. Two or three of those concerned renaming bridges. A couple involved research grants. And a couple were giveaway programs, small loans, etc. But, he has voted against virtually every defense weapons system bill that's come down the pike. Now in Georgia, we have a saying that pretty well sums up his record: All vines and no taters." ZELL MILLER (D-GA) ON KERRY........"
from 25thaviation.com
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I would have voted for him and felt happy about it. I would vote for him this election if it was an option.
Charon
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~inconsistencies in his votes on gun legislation
~inconsistencies in public financing of congressional campaigns.
Quote:"I'm very proud that Libertarians or vegetarians or anybody would consider supporting me because I have a vision of reform for America that I think is taking hold, not only in South Carolina but all over the country,'' McCain said.
He's a vote potato.
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Originally posted by Ripsnort
[BHe's a vote potato. [/B]
Name one, just one, politician who isn't? :confused:
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Originally posted by Curval
Name one, just one, politician who isn't? :confused:
One politician willing to cross party lines to get votes?
McCain.
What do I win?
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That is what makes him a vote potato?
I would have thought hoarding 130 million for ad campaigns that anyone receiving US TV will be subjected to over the next six months qualifies as well.
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McCain can get the Republican nod in 2008. If he does I will vote for him.
Of course he would most likely be running against Hillary for President if Kerry doesn't win this year.
Strange year 2008 will be.
Originally posted by Frogm4n
I love it when john mccain speaks his mind.
I find that this is the very first time that I have agreed with Frogm4n. It looks like 2004 is very strange also.
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Ripsnort has hit it exactly on the nose. McCain is not a republican, nor will he ever be.
I'm surprised we haven't kicked him out or the democrats haven't taken him in.
Btw, Santorum would probably go out with McCain.
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the republican party would never support mccain for president. Its why they didnt support him in 2000, even though it would have been a easy win for him. He is to unpredictible, might to do what he was told.
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IMHO MCcain would've made a great president but a lousy republican why?
He's too independent thinking for the different lobbies in the party. Though too I do not see him as a Democrat since he is too hot headed to be with that group and to the looks of it Mr Mccain doesn't sing the Democrat's tune either :D
If I was living in the US mainland and had the oppurtunity to vote for a presidential election I would've voted for him if he ran.
Bummer he wasn't picked :(
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Originally posted by Frogm4n
the republican party would never support mccain for president. Its why they didnt support him in 2000, even though it would have been a easy win for him. He is to unpredictible, might to do what he was told.
I'm curious, are you implying that the Democratic party actually wants independant thinkers that "don't do what they are told" by the various intrests in the party?
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I would have voted McCain in the last election. I thought he had far more experience and character than Bush. I have heard there is an outside chance of a Kerry/McCain ticket. It's not unheard of to have a dual party ticket, altho it has been a long time since it happened.
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Originally posted by rpm371
I would have voted McCain in the last election. I thought he had far more experience and character than Bush. I have heard there is an outside chance of a Kerry/McCain ticket. It's not unheard of to have a dual party ticket, altho it has been a long time since it happened.
I just have a hard time seeing McCain play second fidlle as VP...
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Originally posted by rpm371
I would have voted McCain in the last election. I thought he had far more experience and character than Bush. I have heard there is an outside chance of a Kerry/McCain ticket. It's not unheard of to have a dual party ticket, altho it has been a long time since it happened.
Saw that myself....would be interesting if it happened.
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I would vote for ANY ticket Sen McCain
Would be on He Is the Man In my book.
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I was always impressed by McCain. I 'don't necessarily agree with all his opinions but he brings them with a thoughtfulness and realism that I miss in a lot of politicians nowadays.
I'm afraid he won't be eligible for the GOP ticket in 2008 due to his independent stances on some issues, I still think he is potentially a very good president. Maybe he'll run against Powell in the pre-2008 primaries?
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Fine, vote for McCain. Don't come back here pissing and moaning when you finally realize that he's a democrat.
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mccain is damaged goods like kerry... some people can deal with war and some can't... they go off the deep end.
mccain is anti gun rights in the extreme. that is enough to sink him for me.
lazs
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Still love John McCain, froggy? (or has frogman been banned?)
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newscenter.ViewSpeech&Content_id=1263
In Iraq our national security interests and our national values converge. Iraq is truly the test of a generation, for America and for our role in the world. Faced with similar challenges, previous generations of Americans have passed such tests with honor. It is now our turn to demonstrate that our power, ennobled by our principles, is the greatest force for good on earth today. Iraq’s transformation into a secure democracy and a force for freedom in the greater Middle East is the calling of our age. We can succeed. We must succeed.
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Originally posted by GScholz
So McCain isn't a "true" Republican because he thinks for himself? I guess that fits ... voting automatons is what Republicans want, one vote to rule them all. Dictatorship by proxy.
GS, you just summed up the current Republican ideology.
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Originally posted by rpm371
GS, you just summed up the current Republican ideology.
(http://www.ozarkfishing.com/New_Design/Peacockmuskiepike.jpg)
Need more color to land them big ones.