Posted on 04/14/2008 6:53:16 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain announced his support Monday for legislation protecting the identity of confidential news sources.
The Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting coupled his announcement with a challenge to the media to acknowledge its errors "beyond the small print on a corrections page."
Appearing at the annual meeting of The Associated Press, McCain also said he believes the economy is in a recession, a statement that Bush administration officials have declined to make. "The important factor here is that Americans are hurting," he said.
In addition to a formal speech, McCain answered questions in a more relaxed setting designed to duplicate the atmosphere aboard his campaign's "Straight Talk Express," the bus where he fields questions from reporters.
He fenced with two questioners about his thoughts on a running mate, and responded with his trademark humor when asked about the impact of his age on his chances for winning the White House. "We outcampaign all of them," the 71-year-old senator said, adding that if anyone doubts his energy, they should "check with my 96-year-old mother."
McCain said his decision to support a reporters' shield law was a close call.
"It is, frankly, a license to do harm, perhaps serious harm. But it also is a license to do good; to disclose injustice and unlawfulness and inequities; and to encourage their swift correction," the Arizona senator said.
"I know that the press that disclosed security secrets that should have remained so also revealed the disgrace of Abu Ghraib, a disgrace that made it much harder to protect the American people from harm," he added.
At the same time, he said, "There will be times, I suspect, when I will wonder again if I should have supported this measure. But I trust in your integrity and patriotism that those occasions won't be so numerous that I will, in fact, deeply regret my decision."
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., holds up a box of Dunkin' Donuts presented to him by Associated Press political reporter Liz Sidoti before a question and answer session at the Associated Press Annual Meeting in Washington, Monday, April 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Go home, John
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., addresses
the Associated Press Annual meeting, Monday, April 14, 2008, in Washington.
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Just wait until (IF) he gets elected and someone leaks to the NY Slime something classified about his past or his administration and then we’ll see how he feels about his stupid position.
McCain-Feingold revisited. Special rights for the left-wing press, and screw everyone else.
If he keeps it up, he may get his wish. We'll see if he actually wins anything.
Wrong again, John.
If he keeps it up, he may get his wish. We'll see if he actually wins anything.
Well, I guess it might work for him. I mean, where else do we realistically have to go?
I swear, I just HATE this election year and the morons it's brought us.
Playing Devil’s advocate... shouldn’t confidential sources be protected as freedom of the press? Should Drudge have been threatened with jail time for blowing the lid off Monicagate? I’d rather corruption and such be exposed even when it hurts “our team.” But maybe I just don’t see the big picture.
“I swear, I just HATE this election year and the morons it’s brought us.”
In my estimation, we had two fine candidates in Romney and Thompson. I thought Romney in particular was something our economy has needed for a long-time given our nation’s less than friendly business climate and all the heat we’re getting from overseas.
But we’re stuck with ole John, and I guess he fully realizes the diehards will probably pull the lever for him anyway given the mess the left has left us.
There should be exceptions to this as in national security issues as one.
Agreed, as long as NS doesn’t get overused. Just because something is embarrasing or detrimental to an administration’s foreign policy doesn’t mean it should be classified (or heavily blacked out) with national security used as a blanket excuse.
I’d love to at least see Romney as running mate. Do have to say, though, that I thought McCain handled himself rather well tonight at the AP gathering. And he showed significant energy and passion, necessary against the Dems, particularly in light of the issue of his age. (Wish Fred Thompson had shown seemed that fired up, things might have turned out differently.)
“I’d love to at least see Romney as running mate.”
It’s a possibility. Romney has been making appearances with McCain and been assisting him quite a bit in fund-raising, pledging to raise at least 15-million for him.
We shall see.
I don’t think our other guys have been so active.
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