Spotlight: Good & Pawlenty
Today's Hotline Spotlight:
John McCain is rolling out a souped-up Straight Talk Express, fully equipped with hi-tech gadgets and stainless-steel appliances. But the most notable accessory on board 3/15 in IA was someone he invited along for the ride: Tim Pawlenty.
-- As McCain struggles to recapture the magic of '00, the Straight Talk might ultimately travel a starkly different road in '08. Visibly older and facing a lukewarm reception from corners of a disillusioned GOP, he's showering attention on the MN gov in what could be an intriguing ploy: Limiting himself to one pres. term and offering up "VP Pawlenty," not himself, as the GOP's salvation.
-- National Review floated the one-term notion 3/15, noting it would separate him from the GOP pack and fit the "narrative arc" of his career, acting above self-interest. It would defuse the age issue and Pawlenty would lend much-needed, outside-the-Beltway cred. McCain fueled speculation 3/15 in IA, calling him the "leader of the new generation of the Republican Party."
-- Weighed down in '08 by his '00 arch-nemesis, against whom he once ran as the outsider, McCain needs to make himself, and the GOP, feel good again. Pawlenty might be his much-needed shot-in-the-arm.
I think some people floated this idea for Bob Dole in 1996, but of course he selected Jack Kemp and it never happened.
Sadly, interesting VP gambits haven't happend since 1976 when Reagan announced Senator Richard Schwieker (R-PA) as his running mate. Had Reagan won the 1976 primary, running as a ticket before the general election might have become standard practice. Dean and Clark almost tried it in 2004, but no deal was in the offing.
So, the *thinking* here is that somehow Pawlenty is going to make voters forget that McCain has not been attached at the hip to the most egregious military failure since the one that got him put in the Hanoi Hilton? That McCain has not been an integral part of the Do-Nothing Rubberstamp GOP Congress for the past how many years? That McCain has been nakedly pandering to the very same people he railed against and who stabbed him in the back in 2000? Are you high? McCain has no credibility left and no "fresh blood" VP candidate can unmake the pathetic figure that he has made himself.
I will repeat the same comment that I wrote this morning about John McCain.
John McCain version 2.0 is as phony as version 1.0.
Last night on CNN's AC 360 Anderson Copper and Candy Crowley were discussing his first day on so-called straight talk express. According to Candy Crowley when she asked THREE times to McCain about what he thinks about Peter Pace's comment about homosexuality is sin McCain refused to comment on it. And guess what McCain told her.. I am quoting Crowley here.. "We do not answer questions like that".
McCain has become a laughing stock. He tried very very hard to "please" Jerry Falwell in every possible way for months and when he realized that its not working McCain decided to wash his old bus that was kept in garage for years and ride it again. But on very first day he proved that his bus is "Phony Talk Express". So no Pawlenty of this world is going to save him.
Oh yes, Tim Griffin has the best resume in town. He ran the RNC sending do not forward letters to black soldiers serving in Iraq. Then he went on to challange the votes of these soldiers. I am looking forward to adding such a distinguished thinker to our field of attorney generals. Do you think he thought of this scheme on his own or had help from Rove? Maybe the phone jamming scheme took too much time to set up? Dump this guy!!!
McCain lost the primary due to 2 egregious and horrible bills - McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy (amnesty). Working with liberals on liberal legislation that stamps out our liberties and sells out our country is a great way to lost the primary.
McCain won't be the nominee; this man will be:
http://www.freerepublic.com/~unmarkedpackage/
Here is a press release from Senator Chris Dodd. In it he endorses the climate change resolution being debated in towns across the Granite State.
"Senator Chris Dodd today responded to New Hampshire citizens who are asking for national leadership to address the climate change crisis. Dodd strongly endorsed the terms of a climate change resolution that is being considered in 180 town meetings across the Granite State .
“Global climate change is one of the most pressing issue of our time,” said Dodd. “Sadly, the current administration has squandered six years by denying scientific evidence at the behest of the oil and gas industry. The next president has to make up for lost time. When I am elected president in 2008, I will make global warming a top priority by asking the American people to join me in setting an ambitious timetable for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that threaten both our natural environment and our economic well being.”
In town meetings across the Granite State during the month of March, New Hampshire citizens are considering resolutions asking for local, state and national leadership to fight global warming. Thus far, 86 towns have passed climate change resolutions.
The resolution urges the President and Congress to establish “a national program requiring reductions of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions while protecting the U.S. economy” and to create “a major national research initiative to foster rapid development of sustainable energy technologies thereby stimulating new jobs and investment.”
Dodd says those are commitments he will make today. “I hope that I will be joined by other Democratic and Republican candidates,” said Dodd. “Protecting our environment for future generations should be a bi-partisan issue.”
McCain hasn't a snowball's chance in hell with any conservative Republican I know. In fact, if the Republican Party doesn't come up with a candidate who historically holds fast to established Republican principles, its chance of capturing the White House in 08 are exactly the same.
Good gravy. Both McCain and Giuliani -- who the cons flock to now -- are as Bush-backingly conservative as they come. But no con is going to come out and admit that they don't back McCain because he was foolish enough to openly back Bush on Iraq a few weeks ago. That's because no con is going to openly admit that they want us out of Iraq just as much as everyone else.