The Hotline's Sunday Snapshot: Vote For Me!

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) appeared on "This Week":

Asked why people should support him instead of Rudy Giuliani: "My record. My record of being a conservative Republican, of knowledge on national security and defense issues. My advocacy for less government is the best government, and I think people should be judged on their record, but also their vision for the future of the country."

Asked if the pro-choice/pro-gay rights Giuliani can get the GOP nod: "I don't know. I know that he's an American hero. I know that Americans will never forget the magnificent job he did following 9/11, and I think he would be very favorably looked on by a lot of Americans."

Asked if he's pro-gay rights: "In the respect that I believe that the don't ask, don't tell policy is working in the military. I don't know how you view that. I do not believe that marriage between -- I believe in the sanctity and unique role of marriage between man and woman, but I certainly don't believe in discriminating against any American."

More: "I do not believe gay marriage should be legal, but I do believe that people ought to be able to enter into contracts, exchange powers of attorney, other ways that people who have relationship can enter into."

ABC's Stephanopoulos: "You threw your support behind Trent Lott to be Republican whip. He has said that homosexuality is a sin. Is that what you think?"

McCain: "I've never heard Trent Lott state that, but, no, that's not what I..."

Stephanopoulos: "That's not your position?"

McCain: "No."

Stephanopoulos: "You're for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, with some exceptions for life and rape and incest."

McCain: "Rape, incest and the life of the mother. Yes."

Stephanopoulos: "So is President Bush, yet that hasn't advanced in the six years he's been in office. What are you going to do to advance a constitutional amendment that President Bush hasn't done?"

McCain: "I don't think a constitutional amendment is probably going to take place, but I do believe that it's very likely or possible that the Supreme Court should -- could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these decisions to the states, which I support."

Asked if in his WH run he'll stay within the public finance system: "It depends, one, on what other candidates might do. But the problem is that we haven't updated the public financing on presidential campaigns -- you can go back to '74 laws, and that puts one at a very significant disadvantage. What we need to do is update the presidential financing system so that it's more in keeping with today's reality, where people raise $50, $100, $150 million."

On his age: "I say that I'm older than dirt and I have more scars than Frankenstein, but I've learned a few things on the way. And I'd like them to meet my 94-year-old mother who just returned from traveling in France" (ABC, 11/19).

NO LAUGHING MATTER

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) appeared on "Fox News Sunday." Most of the interview focused on his botched joke. Out of the 13 questions asked, 11 were on that subject.

On the joke: "Obviously, it was a bad joke, and I apologized for it. And we moved on, and we should move on. You know, we had an historic election, absolutely historic. The American people spoke. And I worked very, very hard for those two years to help us elect a Democratic majority. It was clear to me that if people wanted to make that joke a distraction, I didn't want it to be. I wanted to win -- results. You know, campaigns are about winning and losing. We won. Now we move on."

After getting asked about it again by FNC's Wallace, Kerry said: "They don't want to talk about a joke that's old news. Only you do."

Wallace: "No, it's not just me."

Kerry: "I think the measure of an individual in public life and the measure of what I have done is much bigger than missing one word in a bad joke. And, you know, that's a game everybody plays here in Washington. What people want to know is, what are we going to do about these major issues? America has lost its moral authority in the world. Does that matter, as we sit here today? Does that matter to people who play this parlor game in Washington?"

Asked how it will effect him in '08: "The voters will decide that in the future. I believe the voters want to see leadership. And I'm proud of the leadership that I've offered."

Asked if he's not "given up the thought" of running in '08: "Not in the least. I'm looking at it in the same way. The people that I have talked to across the country are -- my team is confident and strong. I don't know what I'll do" (11/19).

MORE VIETNAM COMPARISONS TO COME?

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), asked about Iraq: "If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft. Lastly, a draft doesn't necessarily mean that everyone drafted will have to serve in the military. I think at a time where national security is so important, having our young people commit themselves to a couple of years in service to this great republic, whether it's our seaports, our airports, in schools, in hospitals. And at the end of that to provide some educational benefits, it's the best thing for our young people and the best thing for our country. I will be introducing that bill as soon as we start the new session."

More: "I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft. I think to do so is hypocritical" ("Face the Nation," CBS, 11/19).

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): "I agree with him we don't have enough people. But I think we can get enough people through a voluntary force" ("Face the Nation," CBS, 11/19).

WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE

Incoming House Maj. Leader Steny Hoyer appeared on "This Week":

On his relationship with incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "We've worked very closely together, created a very unified caucus, the most unified we've had in a half a century. And I am convinced that Nancy and I, who have been friends for over 40 years, are going to be able to do that. After all, the American public have just given us a big mandate for change and taken the country in a new direction. Nancy and I share that obligation together. We understand that. That's our objective and we're going to work very closely to accomplish that."

Asked if there's bad blood between them: "No bad blood."

On who should chair the House Intel Cmte: "I don't have a candidate. Nancy Pelosi is going to make that appointment. Nancy, as you know, served on the Intelligence Committee. She's very knowledgeable of the needs of the Intelligence Committee. It's a tough decision for her to make. Those are two alternatives you talk about. Jane Harman, I think, has done an excellent job. I've served with Alcee Hastings. Those who have served with him think he's a very able, credible candidate."

Asked about banning gifts/meals/travel from lobbyists: "I'm a co-sponsor of that legislation. The American public were very concerned about the culture of corruption. We talked a lot about it. We had Duke Cunningham convicted for taking the biggest bribes in our history; $2.4 million, I think, was the total. He's now serving time in jail. We need to give the American public the confidence that the business of the American people are being done in an honest, open, transparent fashion" (ABC, 11/19).

Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC): "I would not put too much into what may happen inside the party. These are personal relationships that people have, for whatever reason. Some, they go become a long way. Some develop out on the campaign trail. And that makes it a little bit different. And so I would not put too much in this if I were people looking in" ("Late Edition," CNN, 11/19).

ADVICE FROM NEWT

Newt Gingrich, asked what GOPers need to do between now and '08: "I think they have to recognize that the country sent them a message. I mean, the first thing Republicans have to do is realize they lost the election. I actually agree with John Kerry about this. Elections matter. The country sent a signal that, on performance, they were unhappy; that there were some scandals that made them even more unhappy; that the conservatives felt the Republicans were not controlling spending the way they wanted to. And I think that there's got to be some fairly serious soul-searching, not just on Capitol Hill, but in the White House."

Asked if there's a vacuum of conservative candidates in '08: "There's probably a vacuum, but you have to be fair. Governor Mitt Romney is working very hard to fill that vacuum, and may well succeed. Senator McCain would like to find a way to fill that vacuum and is working very hard at it."

Asked if he's starting an exploratory cmte for '08: "No. We have a program called American Solutions we're working on. And in September of next year, I'll be glad to come back and talk with you about running for president" ("Fox News Sunday," 11/19).

IRAQ STILL A MAJOR ISSUE

Lots of Iraq talk this weekend:

Sen.-elect Jon Tester (D-MT): "We need to work with our allies within the region. We also need to talk to our enemies and put diplomatic pressure on them. But we also need to visit with our allies around the world to develop a plan to make this war come to some sort of conclusion and get our troops home" ("Meet the Press," NBC, 11/19).

Sen.-elect Jim Webb (D-VA): "There are limits to what the United States military can do in that region. And, in fact, when the United States is operating unilaterally, it creates further potential for the kind of thing that you're talking about because of the resentments of having the United States there alone. So the key to me, for years has been getting these countries that are tangential and other countries that have long-term interests in the stability of Iraq to take some diplomatic ownership" ("Meet the Press," NBC, 11/19).

Sen. Carl Levin: "We must tell the Iraqis that we would begin, starting in four to six months, a phased reduction of our troops. Because if you don't do that, they're going to continue to have the false assumption that we are there in some kind of an open-ended way. And it is that assumption on their part which takes them off the hook" ("Late Edition," CNN, 11/19).

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX): "I think you have to put the solution first. You have to put the plan first before you start talking about our withdrawing troops" ("Late Edition," CNN, 11/19).