McCain campaign manager: His stance on immigration’s pretty sweet for a general campaign
posted at 4:40 pm on June 6, 2008 by Allahpundit
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I.e. if you’re holding your breath waiting for him to run that background check on Juan Hernandez that he’s been promising for months, it might be time to exhale. Geraldo 1, conservatives 0:
Perhaps most ominously to those who would prefer a Republican presidential candidate who echoed talk radio on the issue, illegal immigration, Davis noted that McCain’s history of stands on immigration that caused him such grief in the GOP primaries “may suit to fit him in a general election.”
They’re expecting a 10-point bounce for Obama this month, although it’s dead even right now.
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The reason McCain won the primary is simple: he had too many opponents. Since the Republican primaries were mostly winner-take-all, he only needed a plurality of the votes to win. If it had been McCain against Romney, Fred!, or Rudy individually, I have no doubt in my mind that McCain would have lost big.
Jeff_McAwesome on June 6, 2008 at 5:53 PM
Welcome to McCains Immigration policy
Squid Shark on June 6, 2008 at 5:55 PM
misterpea:
I am not going to go through the tedious and ridiculous effort of digging up the Gallup and the Pew polls {just to mention a few} that support the position. I am sure you would just find some poll that you thought supported something else. But you are wrong. And it is obvious, because if most people were as rigid and rabid about this as you are, you guys could actually win elections.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 5:55 PM
THIS is what people want:
Read it all.
fred5678 on June 6, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Well, if I recall correctly, McCain was taking the largest share of support from the guys that were dropping out.
Mark V. on June 6, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Sorry I was bobbing in the Arabian Gulf staring at a POS Oil Terminal for 7 months at the time…
Squid Shark on June 6, 2008 at 5:58 PM
Here is an example of polls saying all sorts of things, and it was just one of many.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 5:58 PM
Yep,
Brownback, Thompson, Guliani all while there were still others in the race.
Squid Shark on June 6, 2008 at 5:59 PM
This is the point, you can find all kinds of polls, from Pew to Gallup to Rasmussen…but the fact is if there is a good chance that the majority of Americans are willing to vote for a moderate like McCain or a liberal like Obama, then obviously the majority of Americans are not that far right on this. That is just a fact. Right now, it is rarely even a topic of discussion, except among the usual suspects who are trying to find an excuse to sit home and let the Socialist win.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:02 PM
I know, I know! It’s the Ron Paul strategy!
(Eh, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Hot Air seems to have devolved into the Ron Paul Day Camp. Look at me, I can whine endlessly and pretend I’m superior to all the regular, non-speshul Republicans too!!! When do we get to make a model of the Gold Standard out of popsicle sticks, Mommy?)
Gilda on June 6, 2008 at 6:05 PM
I think the truth is that you can’t. Granted, McCain probably supports some military spending programs while apposing others but in general I’ve not heard any evidence that he fought Clinton’s shrinking of our military or argued for increasing our military after 9/11.
As for my nitpicking, that wasn’t my intention… I’m talking about decreasing or increasing the overall scope of our military.
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 6:05 PM
Oh for God’s sake IRA, how will sitting home and letting the Democrats get a super majority in the House and the White House improve the situation?
Ok, and having McCain in the White House helps, how, exactly? he’ll have to deal with sizable Democrat majorities, too. Unless I’m mistaken, the man will have miniscule coat tails and won’t pull in many Repub’s in House races.
Do you seriously believe he’ll get any palatable judges thru the Senate? no, he’ll have to compromise. So we’ll see another couple of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s on the high court, and several dozen more on the lower courts.
The current Lieberman-Warner bill will sail thru, and Johnny Mac will cheerfully sign it. That’ll be a huge anchor attached to our economy. And when Bush’s tax cuts sunshine, we’ll effectively have our taxes raised. Between the two, I predict that tax revenues will decrease dramatically, raising the debt equally dramatically, and causing the Dems to go to the only play book they know to raise revenues: increasing taxes.
Which will only reduce revenues further. Rinse. Lather. Repeat. At some point, the Chinese will refuse to lend us any more money, and no one else will, either. I shudder to think of what that’ll look like.
With an Obama presidency, there is a strong chance that Reid and Pelosi will be arrogant enough to ignore Obama’s agenda, and move forward with their own. Much like Jimmy Carter didn’t get anything done for the first two years of his administration.
And at least the Republican minority would fight them. How is it going to look if they fight the presumptive leader of the party, their own President?
This is what killed Republicans right here. The my way or the highway, everyone is out to screw me, the Mexicans are invading, agree with me or you are traitor, over the top hysterical stuff costs us the Congress and it crippled a Republican president and now there are people out there saying it is an excuse to let the liberals win.
I’m going to call bullshit right here. That’s not what got the Republicans in trouble. What got them in trouble was they went away from the Contract with America. The last couple of Repub controlled Congresses spent like drunken sailors, several got caught with their hands in the cookie jar (Duke Cunningham, how could you?) or got caught with their dick stuck in a zipper. Or was that their idea of family values?
They got their asses kicked by Blue Dog Dems, who run on a fiscally conservative, family-friendly platform.
And the Mexicans are invading. There’s no malicious intent on their part. We don’t have to be mean to them, but we also don’t have to give them citizenship. I just wish we had a government that enforced the existing immigration laws with the zeal the Mexican government does.
Fine, sit home, pout.
I didn’t say I’d do that. Please pay attention. I’m going to vote for the stongest conservatives I can. What I will not do is vote for a man who has more in common politically with Teddy Kennedy than me.
John McCain prides himself on being able to reach across the aisle to Democrats and Independents. That’s great. But maybe he should also reach across the aisle to conservatives?
Is that too much to ask?
I R A Darth Aggie on June 6, 2008 at 6:06 PM
I want to make it clear that I AM voting for McCain. However, I still have the right to voice my opinion on the issues that he is completely wrong on i.e. Immigration, global warming, etc, etc.
mrsmwp on June 6, 2008 at 6:06 PM
fred:
That is just fine, for that state. But there are lots of states. BTW, it turns out the bill in Oklahoma had some unintended consequences that people were not too happy about. Such as labor shortages and a diminished population.
However, the state that has the largest illegal immigrant population in the country is California and they are anything but tough on the issue. The opposite in fact.
But this is not about states, I am not sure what it is about.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:07 PM
Quit using your service as a shield to criticism. You sound just like McCain. How many mortar, rocket and small arms attacks did you suffer while sunning yourself in the Gulf…see two can play the my service is more valuable/dangerous than yours game.
jwp1964 on June 6, 2008 at 6:07 PM
IRA:
I read your first sentence after you quoted me and said to hell with it. Fine, sit home, I don’t care. If you really do not care if Obama wins then talking to you is a waste of time.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:09 PM
So what did you do then?
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Addendum: it’s Friday night, I’m going to go and party like it’s 1999. And I hold no ill-will towards any of y’all, even if it sounds like I’m bitterly clinging to my guns and religion.
;-)
But I also won’t be around to continue the discussion, or receive your words of wisdom.
I R A Darth Aggie on June 6, 2008 at 6:11 PM
jwp:
Quit using your service as a shield to criticism. You sound just like McCain. How many mortar, rocket and small arms attacks did you suffer while sunning yourself in the Gulf…see two can play the my service is more valuable/dangerous than yours game.
That was a crappy thing to say to Squid. It is no wonder that more and more people do not want to call themselves Republicans if that is the kind of remark that passes for debate from the fringes.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:11 PM
Boo Hoo. I’m sure there were “labor shortages” after slavery ended too. Some business owners have been living a fantasy life of cheap labor for too long. (And if you are wondering, I am a business owner that has had to stop doing business with people I have found to be illegal.)
mrsmwp on June 6, 2008 at 6:12 PM
Let him answer my question.
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:12 PM
I knew one of you McCainiacs would ask…missing the point entirely. I think my year all over Iraq and several dead friends qualifies me to comment when another service member tries to use their so called service as a shield or belittle those who haven’t.
jwp1964 on June 6, 2008 at 6:14 PM
No I am asking as a prior and re-joined.
I was with the 1-501st here in Alaska where I was a 88M. I rejoined and now am a 15W, and have NO clue as to where I am going.
It is a legit question….
can you answer it?
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:16 PM
mrsmwp:
Boo hoo yourself, the supporters of the bill swore that there were people there who would do that work. They were wrong.
I am saying that illegal immigration is ok. I am saying that there have always been some people who came up here and worked on farms and ranches throughout the country. Suddenly cutting that off without a guest worker program or something to fill in the gap will create problems.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:16 PM
upinak:
He can answer the question if he wants to.It was just stupid question.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Did I hurt youe feelings? Tough!
jwp1964 on June 6, 2008 at 6:17 PM
I have got to slow down and proof read, I meant to say that I am not saying illegal immigration is OK. It is not. Now have fun with that. Freudian slip.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Davis must be unaware of how US citizens think about this. There was bipartisan opposition to amnesty.
From a poll reported in Center for Immigration Studies in March of this year. I think it was mentioned here. We have far too many uninformed voters.
Poll: Voters Unaware of Candidates’ Immigration Positions
McCain Supporters Farthest Off the Mark
Some of the findings:
INC on June 6, 2008 at 6:19 PM
No it did not hurt my feelings,like I said I thought it was stupid.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:20 PM
you’ve refused to look for it or pay attention when others have listed several examples.
and no, I’m not gonna bash my head against the wall just to list them again.
McCain’s bad on immigration. But Obama is worse.
Like Thomas Sowell says, no brainer.
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 6:20 PM
No what you did was show you are a complete ass. Anyone, who has gone through what you have shouldn’t put others down for what they did or haven’t done depending on when they were in.
It is just wrong… period.
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:20 PM
Bingo. I may vote for him, but unless he changes his position on global warming and drilling in the U.S.A., he will get no money or assistance from me.
Indeed, if he doesn’t reverse course on this issue we will lose the election anyway because it will be all about the economy based on the cost of gas, and blaming it on Big Oil or saving the caribou just won’t cut it.
Buy Danish on June 6, 2008 at 6:21 PM
I think there is a lot of confusion about the issue. People hear the rancor and the screaming on talk radio. The papers say one thing. pundits something else.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:16 PM
Was that a typo?
I have no problem with special visas to bring people to this country to do jobs. What I have a problem with are line jumpers. What you don’t seem to understand is that many of the people that ignore our immigration laws go on to ignore most of our OTHER laws.
mrsmwp on June 6, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Danish we are drilling… just not on certain Federal Lands.. like ANWR.
Don’t take me wrong.. drill that damn thing already!
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:22 PM
jwp1964 on June 6, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Heh. This is indeed a tough election.
Don’t vote for McCain and the collapse of the United States is my fault.
Don’t vote for Obama and I’m guilty of every -ism in the book, thereby being unfit to live.
Spirit of 1776 on June 6, 2008 at 6:23 PM
Choices! Oh the Choices!
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:24 PM
Buy Danish:
I think McCAin has changed his position on drilling in parts of the US.
But the global warming issue is here to stay, at least for the for time being. I got a lecture on cutting down trees the other day, from a five year old. He learned all about it in kindergarten.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:24 PM
You’re assuming I’m in the Army with your little MOS brain teaser. If you don’t believe I am a service member and spent a year in Iraq be a man and say it? Don’t ask riddles about Army MOSs. You do realize members of other services are stationed in Iraq and perform duty all over Iraq don’t you?
jwp1964 on June 6, 2008 at 6:25 PM
The market always adjusts. Besides, if workplace employment laws were enforced illegals would self-deport and the vast majority of American’s would probably support a guest worker program. I would, although I would prefer it to be phased out over time. A guest worker program is a sign of social decay. If we hadn’t been aborting so many children over the decades we’d have plenty of workers, and if those on welfare were working on our farms they wouldn’t need welfare anymore, assuming they don’t have to compete with illegal aliens.
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 6:26 PM
Terrye,
I live in Oklahoma, and an idiot lefty judge just put enforcement of the new law on hold. Said there “might…um, maybe be some…er, unconstitutional…uh, stuff…er, as a result of actually…um,ya know” ENFORCING the law.
Our unemployment rate is 2.9% and whole families of ILLEGALS are moving home to Mexico, or to other states whose taxpayers don’t mind supporting them.
Our teenagers can now get starter jobs, baling hay, mowing lawns, etc. that they couldn’t get before.
Just my opinion, but I’d rather American citizens have those jobs
Janna on June 6, 2008 at 6:28 PM
Heh. Well those are the cards on the table. Just ironic that the rhetoric we mock on the left is used on the right. Everything from the chickenhawk argument to the “Why do you hate the (children/military/whatever personal identity) so much?!”
I’m kind of looking forward to after the election when things go back to semi-normal and we use legit arguments on policy again ;)
Spirit of 1776 on June 6, 2008 at 6:28 PM
First off I am female.
Second.. I asked WHAT you did. Anyone who has BEEN IN can at least say it. Are you Air Force, Navy, a Marine?!?!
I have friends who are Marines there now, some Air Force. My cousin was there for a while, and he is Navy.
All you have to say is what your “job” was. Good Lord…
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:28 PM
I care about judges, I care about culture of life issues. I am really kind of freaked out by the whole Obama phenom. I think that if he wins, he will not only raise taxes, he will create a whole new batch of government programs that will not go away. I also think that he is another Jimmy Carter, only scarier.
I do not agree with McCain on every issue, but I respect the man. Now maybe other people do not care about judges, or national security, or any of those issues. Maybe they really think that if they do not get just what they want, then to hell with what anyone and everyone else wants. That is fine, but you can not build a party on that.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:29 PM
All the money I make from my “MCCAIN ‘08: HE SUCKS LESS” merchandise will go straight to the McCain campaign.
I don’t anticipate any windfall profit taxes.
sulla on June 6, 2008 at 6:29 PM
I read your first sentence after you quoted me and said to hell with it.
Ok, let me rephrase it: with a Democrat majority in both houses, how is Johnny Mac going to get anything done?
* They’ll cut funding to Iraq, and we’ll have no choice but to withdraw
* They won’t confirm any palatable judges, they’ll hold out for Ruth Bader Ginsberg clones
* They’ll institute their own version of Comprehensive Immigration Reform that will be favorable to their agenda: get more Democrat voters
* At best, Johnny will become “Veto Man”, and at worst he’ll go along to get along with his colleagues
* And he’ll cheerfully tell the tin horn dictators around the world where they can go. Hooray!
Fine, sit home, I don’t care. If you really do not care if Obama wins then talking to you is a waste of time.
Ok, now I have some ill-will. Essentially, you’re telling me to get to the back of McCain’s “Straight Talk Express”, to sit down, and shut up. You have some nerve talking about my way or they highway being the downfall of the Republicans. Physican, heal thyself!
Yes, Obama would be worse than McCain. I’ll give you that. But McCain isn’t so superior to Obama that he’s much of an improvement, especially given the likely make up of Congress.
I R A Darth Aggie on June 6, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Spirit, I am going to be back in BCT (Basic) since I have been out so long. I will be told by my Drill Sgt who has won the election…
Then I may have to go use the latrine and throw up.
This is not going to be fun at all and I am looking forward to the end.. sort of.
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:30 PM
If McCain has changed his mind on drilling it’s the biggest secret on the planet.
Buy Danish on June 6, 2008 at 6:32 PM
INC on June 6, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Yes, it’s very frustrating. One reason I didn’t vote for Bush in 2000 was that he spent his whole campaign talking about how important Mexico was, and how it was our best friend, and how he and Vicente Fox were just BFF
I didn’t vote that year at all. Had I known that Gore was clinically insane, I’d have voted for Bush happily. I did wait hours in line to vote for Bush in 2004, knowing full well that he was as wrong on immigration as McCain.
I’ll vote McCain this year. And I’ll write my reps and senators and the WH to let them know how POd I am if and when they propose amnesty….
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 6:32 PM
damned idiots
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Janna:
I grew up in Oklahoma, a lot of my family still lives there. I know the Mexicans were coming in and it was really scaring people. My brother was really upset about it.
But when he built a new house, I was down there visiting and the carpet layers showed up. They were Mexicans. I thought he would throw them off the place, but he didn’t. He needed the carpet down.
The labor shortages I heard about tended to be in particular industries. Like I said, a guest worker program could have taken care of that. That is the problem with the state doing it, they can control their neighboring states and they are not supposed to sit up their own worker programs. I am trying to remember what state it was that tried to do that, maybe Colorado.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:35 PM
Thanks for your service. Good luck.
Spirit of 1776 on June 6, 2008 at 6:35 PM
To those who say McCain says it’s okay to drill -
Is this what you’re talking about? Did he not get the memo that Alaskans want us to drill in ANWR? Or did he just become a “federalist” this year?
This is inexcusable ignorance with a large dose of stupidity.
Buy Danish on June 6, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Once again, miss speedy’s fingers outpace her brains. I meant to say they can NOT control what other states do.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:37 PM
jwp1964 on June 6, 2008 at 6:38 PM
No, it was an honest question. What percentage has McCain advocated expanding the military? How hard did he fight Clinton’s shrinking of our military? My understanding is that he hasn’t done much of either. He’s supported spending on Iraq, but that’s operational. He supports certain military spending programs and apposes others, but what I’m talking about is expanding the overall military… You don’t have to provide specific examples of his supporting one program or apposing another, I’m only asking how much and how hard he’s fought to expand spending on our military. Does he want to increase it 20%, 50%? What?
And if you McCainiacs are going to say, yet again, “I’m not even going to bother to answer that question.” I think for the purposes of this conversation that the real answer is that you can’t. Because if you could somebody would.
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 6:39 PM
I don’t know Buy Danish. I will look it up. The other day some environmentalist was complaining that McCain had changed his position on drilling.
But you know, I do think that we need to build some nuclear power plants. Oil is just getting too political and too volatile. We need more diversity in the energy market.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Did I freaking SAY ANWR!
Get it right… Hold on let me copy what I said on here!
BTW I am a Alaskan… DRILL THE DAMN THING!
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:40 PM
Floating Rock:
What do you care anyway? If you Obamamites win the military will be taking a back seat to social programs anyway.
Terrye on June 6, 2008 at 6:40 PM
You are like a rock. I asked what your job was.
Please stop being upset and re-read what I wrote after you take a breath.
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:42 PM
We actually agree on something…don’t forget the Gulf of Mexico off Florida…drill it too.
jwp1964 on June 6, 2008 at 6:43 PM
I have other things to deal with then a “lips-around-the-butt-of-obama” supporter.
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:43 PM
Buy Danish, I hope he will respect the wishes of the people of AK on ANWR. One problem with the ANWR oil is that it will require a huge pipeline. It makes the stuff in the shale/sand/whatever in the western CONUS states pretty attractive by comparison even though the extraction would be much more difficult.
shrug There is no world wide oil supply problem that could explain the ridiculous price spike in our gasoline, and I’m sure our “Big Oil” companies are scared to put a lot of money into developing the domestic oil sources because the Sauds can just up their output to super high levels and hurt them a lot.
Of course, I think I’d be happy to pay $3 a gallon for gas if I knew it all came from Montana or Wyoming rather than Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, or Russia.
But what do I know? :-)
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 6:44 PM
I have no problem with nuclear power, but that is only part of the solution and oil is still going to be our primary energy source for decades.
In any case, the enviro lobby will launch lawsuit after lawsuit preventing them from being built so don’t plan on seeing any new plants any time soon.
If we announced we were going to drill in ANWR and offshore tomorrow the cost of oil would go down immediately as it would hold off a lot of the speculators.
Moreover, isn’t it time we took the money we are giving to the Saudis and to Hugo and put it into our economy?
Buy Danish on June 6, 2008 at 6:45 PM
Word.
Spirit of 1776 on June 6, 2008 at 6:46 PM
The environmentalists will pound McCain on that because he is a big advocate of building nuke power plants.
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 6:48 PM
This is exactly the wrong sentiment so many of you have. That McCain has “abandoned” conservatives. And that is just not so.
It is so many of the self-described conservatives that are abandoning McCain. Based on some mislead views on issues like immigration. And the fact that some ultra-con isn’t the nominee.
But as I’ve said, many conservatives…like myself…wholeheartedly endorse McCain. If you want to keep holding grudges, and pout and whine, and have your broken dreams of a far-right savior, go ahead.
But when a McCain presidency becomes a reality, you’ll come around. The upcoming GOP convention should actually get you behind McCain.
JetBoy on June 6, 2008 at 6:48 PM
The thing that drives me crazy is that the oil companies act like they don’t believe that. They aren’t doing what it takes to make sure they remain the cheapest, most available form of energy for the economy for the next 80 years. It’s like they drank the Sierra Club kool aide….it makes me just, well, crazy.
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 6:51 PM
I don’t think I’ve seen a comment of yours on McCain that doesn’t start with calling those opposed to some/all of his policies “deranged,” or “McCain Derangement Syndrome.”
What’s up with that? All criticism of McCain is deranged?
To be honest, you’re not a great advocate for McCain, imo, because you resort to this annoying tactic, one copied from the left.
JiangxiDad on June 6, 2008 at 6:51 PM
The only thing the GOP learns from losing to democrats is that they have to move left to try to get more votes.
If that’s your goal, by all means, help elect Obama.
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 6:53 PM
Don’t entirely blame them.
Also blame these guys: IOGCC which is a Governmental envrionmental conservation element.
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 6:54 PM
Schwarzenegger’s latest approval rating is 41%. How can Davis say he is “very popular”?
Mark1971 on June 6, 2008 at 6:54 PM
I’m not the one that brought the subject up, you McCain supporters did. I was merely asking for the barest amount of evidence to back up your claims and three times now various McCain supporters have refused to do so and have attacked me personally in the process.
You know, you wouldn’t have this problem if your advocacy of McCain was based on actual facts instead of the other kind.
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Why am I not surprised to hear such vitriol emanating from the mouths of McCain supporters? What is it about the guy, is he the cause or a symptom?
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 6:59 PM
It amazes me that we never see why we got stuck with the RINO Juan McCain.
In the early primary states especially NH Left leaning independents crossed over to vote against Romney and revive McCain since he was down and out and harmless to them.
The nail for us was in Florida where the elder mislead voters and the gov Christ endorsed McCain sealing the bid then and there ousting Romney.
Until those brave enough to register as a Republicans tell the GOP to CLOSE the primaries that nominate a Republican party leader to only Republicans we will be stuck with RINO’s and Liberals in GOP clothing. The GOP had better fix this immediately or they will not exist by 2010. God save America!
Doc
Doc on June 6, 2008 at 7:01 PM
C’mon…you know I don’t mean that. I find a few things mself to criticize McCain on. When I say “McCain-deranged”, as I’ve previously explained, I don’t mean it like the left is “Bush-deranged”…I mean it in the sense that so many of you are falsely accusing McCain of things he doesn’t stand for.
Especially the illegal immigration issue and this whole overblown amnesty thing.
JetBoy on June 6, 2008 at 7:02 PM
Sorry.
I only vote for Republicans.
I’ll vote for the Republicans on the ballot, but not that senile scumbag.
TexasJew on June 6, 2008 at 7:03 PM
Just to update an old parable:
One day, a scorpion, named Johnny, looked around at the Arizona desert in which he lived, and decided that he wanted a change. He said ; “I’d like to live in a fine, big, white house, with lots of servants, rather than in this desert with nothing but dirty, annoying peasants around me. So, he set out on a journey to find this white house that he so desired.
After years of journeying; across deserts, mountains and plains, he came finally to a river; The Potomac. The river was wide and swift, and Johnny the Scorpion stopped to consider the situation. He couldn’t see any way across. And as he searched, he saw in the distance, an Obamanation.
An Obamanation is a kind of a winged monster: they have only one wing (the left one), so they are unable to actually fly, despite the myths that say they can. This particular one also had very long legs and its body was an empty shell, so it could run fairly well. It also has a slight magical power to cast a a glamour on the weak minded that made them think that they had hope and their lives would change, if only they would give the Obamination power over them.
Now these monsters have no REAL powers; nonetheless, they are greatly feared by many creatures who are not weak minded enough to fall for the glamour, but not strong minded enough to figure out how to protect themselves.
(What few people realize, though, is that Obamanations and scorpions are really members of the same species: senatorius. Johnny was a Senatorius Seni and the Obamanation was a Senatorius Novius; Johnny and the Obamanation are actually fraternity brothers, and not very much different other than age and coloration.)
The scorpion, knew that the Obamanation also wanted to live in that fine white house with many servants, and knew that he had to get across the river first. He ran upriver looking for a bridge, then ran downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to give up his dream of the white house, and spend the rest of his life living in the frat house…. or maybe even hiding under a rock, like most scorpions do, rather than the big white one with many servants.
Eventually, he spotted a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
“Hellooo Mr. Frog!” called the scorpion across the water, “Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?”
“Well now, Mr. Scorpion! “You may just call me Connie”… (Connie used his nickname because his real name: Froggius Conservativious was a real mouthful)”….”but I have heard some stories about you, and I’m a bit afraid…. How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to stick your stinger in my back as soon as I come near?”
While Johnny wasn’t a bit afraid of his fraternity brother, he knew that many other species were very afraid of those left winged monsters, so he figured that he could use that fear in others to achieve his goal.
“Because,” Johnnie the Scorpion replied; “There is a monster, an Obamanation coming and he will kill us both if he catches us. We will both be safe if you will only get me across the Potomac, where there is a big white house with many servants waiting for me. You will be safe from the Obamanation, and I will even let you come to supper occasionally if you will just help me get there.
Now this seemed to make sense to Connie the Frog, who had heard other frogs talking of the terrible left winged monsters, and Connie was very fearful of such creatures.
“Alright then…how do I know you won’t just wait till we get to the other side and THEN stick your stinger in my back???” said the frog.
“Ahh…,” crooned the scorpion, “Because you see, once you’ve taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to stick my stinger into your back, now would it?!”
So Connie the Frog agreed to take Johnny the Scorpion across the river. He swam over to Johnny and settled himself in the mud near the bank to pick up his passenger. Johnny crawled onto the frog’s back, his sharp claws prickling into the soft skin on Connie’s back, but Connie was willing to endure that in hopes of having a friend in the fine white house with many servants, who would protect him from the Obamanation monster..
Connie the Frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the Connie stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly across the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.
As they reached the far side of the Potomac; Just in sight of the fine white house with many servants waiting for their new master, Connie the Frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from his back and start up the path to the fine white house.
A deadening numbness began to creep into Connie’s limbs.
Connie said” Why on earth did you do that?” “I saved you from the Obamanation and brought you to the gate of the house of your dreams.”
The scorpion shrugged, and said: “I could not help myself. It is my nature.”
As Johnny entered his fine white house, Connie died there on the banks of the Potomac; his last thoughts were: “Betrayed again! I wonder just how bad that Obamanation monster really would have been; At least I would have been smart and fast enough to hop and swim around him and keep him at a distance. Allowing a scorpion to ride right upon my back was really a bad choice after all.”
LegendHasIt on June 6, 2008 at 7:06 PM
Dude. 24 hr background checks.
Spirit of 1776 on June 6, 2008 at 7:06 PM
http://www.johnmccain.com/informing/issues/054184f4-6b51-40dd-8964-54fcf66a1e68.htm
I remember from the debates that Rudy was the most impassioned speaker on the need to build the size of the active duty force. But McCain has called to build the size of the military for at least 5 years, lots of times, and in a way that was critical of Bush and Rumsfeld for keeping the size small.
If you have an open mind, I’m happy to search for the years’ worth of examples….but I’m also sure it’s a waste of my time because you hate the guy, and I could post links, quotes, and Senate floor speeches until my face turned blue, and you would not care.
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:09 PM
From February, 2007:
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20071101faessay86602-p10/john-mccain/an-enduring-peace-built-on-freedom.html
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:14 PM
funky, you beat me to it. I heard McCain say this in person at an event in March, and of course, it’s on his website, too.
In contrast, we have the video of Obama in which he vows to slow down the development of weapons systems, stop missile defense programs, etc.
juliesa on June 6, 2008 at 7:14 PM
And the article you quote is much more specific than the stuff on McCain’s site.
juliesa on June 6, 2008 at 7:16 PM
Thanks, Funky Chicken.
I don’t hate McCain, I just don’t like his political philosophy, (if any), but with that alone I would still vote for him…. amnesty is why I don’t support him. I actually supported him in ‘99 and ‘00 and donated $200.00, just not anymore. You don’t have to spend any more time on this, of course, but one example of McCain sponsoring legislation to significantly increase the overall size of the military would be more convincing than a campaign statement alone.
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 7:19 PM
*sigh*
I don’t understand what you’re getting at…what does shortening the three-day wait for guns have to do with immigration?
JetBoy on June 6, 2008 at 7:19 PM
If you have an open mind, I’m happy to search for the years’ worth of examples….but I’m also sure it’s a waste of my time because you hate the guy, and I could post links, quotes, and Senate floor speeches until my face turned blue, and you would not care.
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:09 PM
funky, I don’t care. Sorry.
I’ve been watching this bastard since the late 90’s and he just gets worse with time, like a bottle of Strawberry Hill.
Beyond all his earlier crappiness, dishonesty and backstabbing, the latest carbon credit scam speech and his wanting to vote for Lieberman’s latest horrific Globaloney-overthrow-of-our-free-society-bill (modeled after his very own Lieberman-McCain), and his insane refusal to push for ANWR and offshore drilling, that was all more than a few additional tons on the proverbial camel’s back.
I only vote for Republicans.
TexasJew on June 6, 2008 at 7:19 PM
I’m not really clear on what it is they’re supposed to do.
Buy Danish on June 6, 2008 at 7:20 PM
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:20 PM
I don’t understand what you’re getting at…what does shortening the three-day wait for guns have to do with immigration?
JetBoy on June 6, 2008 at 7:19 PM
WTF?
I assume that you’re serious. Or you are a tremendously talented satirist.
If not…
It would be nice if you knew your ass from your elbow on that issue. Where were you during the debate in 2006?
TexasJew on June 6, 2008 at 7:22 PM
From December 2006:
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:23 PM
Ummm… you do know that McCain was HEAD of the Armed Services commitee? WITH a Republican President and a Republican Congress for a couple of years?
Why didn’t he LEAD us on that issue then?
Congress sets the force levels, and McCain is on the correct comitee to do it NOW! So just where is the McCain/someone Expand the military bill?
Romeo13 on June 6, 2008 at 7:28 PM
From December 2005:
MR. RUSSERT: Should we send more American troops and do we have the troops to send?
SEN. McCAIN: I’ve wanted to send troops. I still think we should have more troops there. But it’s not going to happen. And that’s just reality. It’s not going to happen. But we really needed to expand the size of the Marine Corps and the Army so we didn’t have this terrific strain on our Guard and Reserve, particularly our Guard units.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10266650/
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:31 PM
It may not change my opinion of McCain overall but his statements about expanding the military are a plus, however has he sponsored any legislation to expand the military or was he too busy with more important things like amnesty? That’s the crux of my concern on this topic. Rhetoric is better than nothing, but it’s the effort that counts. He’s spent a lot of time on amnesty legislation and I’m trying to figure out how strong he was with military budget legislation, aside from the operational budget in Iraq.
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Exactly, he hasn’t been operating in a vacuum, he’s been in a position where he could use his political clout to get something done, or at least try.
FloatingRock on June 6, 2008 at 7:34 PM
Unfortunately McCain also wants to establish a new international body with whom he would have to consult, if not actually get permission, in order to deploy those troops.:
OOPS, there goes another little bit of American soverignty.
What good are an extra 150,000 troops if you have to go through another international body to use them?
IMHO, They will end up serving soup in Haiti and hauling trash in the Sahara more often than they will be directly engaging in hunting down terrorists.
LegendHasIt on June 6, 2008 at 7:35 PM
ABSOLUTELY!
maverick muse on June 6, 2008 at 7:43 PM
McCain and Lieberman in a hearing with the Army, dealt more with money for weapons, but it’s the closest thing I’ve found that wouldn’t require a subscription to read part of:
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-3925185_ITM
From a BS SF Chron article trying to scare people about a draft, note that congress went against the Bush admin to fund a temporary increase in size of the army for a year in 2005. McCain was chairman of the Senate committee that year:
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:44 PM
Rumsfeld’s biggest failing as Sec Def was his stubborn insistance on sticking with his “transformation” plan rather than building military size to deal with the present time.
McCain and others led the battle against the administration and Rumsfeld on this issue, and had some minor victories, like
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:46 PM
But, like I said, I found statements over the years, and a specific accomplishment, but it’s not enough.
It’s still But, But, But, But McCain sucks!
So, I just wasted a half hour of my time.
I won’t do it again, and wasn’t going to do it this time; this my first comment, and the comments of others that your mind is closed, you hate McCain and whatever facts somebody finds won’t change that.
funky chicken on June 6, 2008 at 7:49 PM
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