McCain: I'll appoint Democrats

CNN Political Ticker ^ | 9/2/08 | CNN Poltical Ticker

[God Dem American]

WASHINGTON (AP) – John McCain pledges that if elected president, he'd appoint Democrats to his Cabinet.

He says there's nothing partisan about tackling the nation's toughest problems.

In an interview taped today for airing tomorrow, McCain tells CBS's "Face the Nation" he intends to have the best people in America in Cabinet.

It's believed that McCain closely considered Senator Joe Lieberman as a running mate. The Connecticut independent is a former Democrat.

[God Dem American]

I assume that's democrat--- not Democrat.

[forYourChildrenVote4Bush]

Lieberman for secretary of state
Powell or Petraeus for Secretary of Defense

[Perdogg]

There is on going thread about this. “Welcome to Party” - John McClain “Die Hard”

[sinanju]

Hey, if he wants to make Joe Lieberman Sec’y of State or SedDef, I’m down with that.

Otherwise, however, he’d better watch himself.

As for his “reaching across the aisle” pledge is... (deja vu, yawn!) I sincerely hope his learning curve is quicker than dubya’s.

[sasafras]

Thats it John way to screw over your base. Stupid is what stupid does....McLame is an entreched politician who claims he will shake things up, yet every time he attacks, its always at conservatives. Palin is his redemption, lets see if he allows her to share her views once she is VP.

[13Sisters76]

yeah yeah yeah. we know Lieberman’s gonna be in there somewhere...

Just PLEASE don’t make it Defense or State.

Put him in Education- more damage THERE might not even be noticed.

[LibLieSlayer]

Joe deserves a spot... as does Zell.

LLS

[FlingWingFlyer]

I agree.

[Lib-Lickers 2]

I’d have no problem with Lieberman at Defense or State..... just NO POWELL

[Finalapproach29er]

A democrat Congress @ 9 % in the polls isn’t enough, now we have to put em in the friggin cabinet.

Really inspiring John.

[Dante3]

No surprise. McCain is a liberal Democrat. Even though there are plenty of decent, conservative Republicans, he is seeking out Democrats - and I'm sure it will not be Zell Miller.

[cotton1706]

Lieberman in the McCain Cabinet means another Republican in the Senate. And Lieberman has no loyalty to the democrats now so he won’t care.

[Hildy]

THere are some good Dems out there. Don’t start again with screwing the base. He has some very good advisors out there...they seem to know what they’re doing. Sit back and enjoy, will ya?

[Leto]

Lieberman for State or Def is fine, Zell Miller would work for me also.

[dr_who]

Stop trying to screw up your own campaign, Johnnie.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I see that you are new here, with a sign-up date of August 29, 2008---welcome to Free Republic!

And if McCain picks Lieberman to be Secretary of Homeland Security or Secretary of State, SO WHAT?

I can live with that, if Governor Palin is on the ticket and is positioned to become McCain's successor in 2012 or 2016.

[raybbr]

McCain Pledges to appoint Democrats to Cabinet

Thread already under way.

[TexasCajun]

MeCain/Palin 2008

[Jim 0216]

democrat--- not Democrat

I'm afraid its more like DEMOniC-RAT. McCain is interested in politics whether partisan or bipartisan, while the rest of us are concerned about AMERICA!

[montag813]

Lieberman for anything = +1 Republicans in the Senate.

[Jim 0216]

I'll take...

***********Palin/McCain**************

[theBuckwheat]

I appreciate the desire to be inclusive, except! Except, if we will recall that Bush kept a lot of Dems in the CIA and they worked to destroy his presidency. I would STRONGLY suggest caution and only appoint Dems if they can put country above liberal ideology.

But of those few who can do that, look how the Dems treat them. We only have to look at Zell Miller or Joe Lieberman as examples. The Dems have repudiated these two, thus demonstrating that when Dems complain that Republicans don't “reach across the aisle”, they are really only doing so in an effort to put party over country.

[Alter Kaker]

Powell or Petraeus for Secretary of Defense

Generals don't become SecDef. There's a reason for that.

[ElkGroveDan]

Arnold Schwarzenegger redux

[HarleyD]

Lieberman showed real guts to go to the Republican convention when a number of Republicans (where was Arnold) wouldn’t go. He’s ruined with the Democrats for good. I think this is very honorable of McCain.

[Lancey Howard]

I assume that's democrat--- not Democrat.

Ha!
My first thought exactly!

[T.L.Sink]

Powell is a great American but he doesn’t have a conservative political ideology. (supports affirmative action, etc.) He’s also out for himself. Earlier in the Iraq war when things were not going well he tried to separate himself from the policies he and Rumsfeld had created. He now tries to pretend that his speech at the UN about the WMD never happened and that he was somehow duped.

[Shooter 2.5]

We still have to win this election or didn’t you notice. He’s still trying to win over the Reagan democrats and the undecideds.

If we don’t win this election, obama picks the cabinet.

[LibLieSlayer]

Yes I agree... I have read in depth things about Powell that were written by his superior officers... he does not need to be anywhere near government... he is as empty as barry hussein.

LLS

[sinanju]

I agree, Powell is another grandee in love with himself, who wants to be loved by all the right people. For Secretary of State, to take on the permanent bureaucracy at Foggy Bottom requires someone with the courage of his convictions. If not John Bolton, then why not Joe?

[Man50D]

And Lieberman has no loyalty to the democrats now so he won’t care.

LIEberman has conned you like many others in order to play both ends against the middle.

A quote from his speech at the GOP convention Lieberman: America Needs a Leader, Not a Talker

"“What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this?” Lieberman said."

By his own admission, albeit a slip of the tongue, he still considers himself a Democrat.

[God luvs America]

agreed 100%....I’d love nothing more than an orthodox Jew representing America at the UN.....stick it to those anti-semites....

[Artemis Webb]

Welcome to Free Republic.

[chris_bdba]

Lieberman defiantely will have a place in his cabinet.

[LibLieSlayer]

Amen... PRAISE GOD and our friend Israel... now and forever... Amen.

LLS

[K-oneTexas]

Agree. Powell should not be in any Administration. I liked him as a general ... as a SECDEF he woefully under impressed me.

[olrtex]

You are crazy as a coon tick to to now use the tern “screw over” when talking about Senator McCain and the Republican base. Holy Moly, he just selected Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice President. Be satisfied, maybe even rejoice, at least for a day or two.

I have never been a great fan of Senator McCain, but I do believe that a great leader should do what he or she thinks is right. There will be times when many of us in the so called Republican base will need to work to persuade President McCain that he is wrong on an issue; but we should always understand (in fact, even appreciate him) when he does what he thinks is right, even if we think he is wrong.

[K-oneTexas]

Zell Miller of Duncan Hunter for SECDEF would work fine.

[Da Coyote]

Just at the time where I didn’t have to hold my nose to vote McCain (and changed my reference of him from McKennedy), this loon goes and says this. Gads, will someone get out there and switch Sarah to president so that I can vote?

[K-oneTexas]

Excuse me as SECSOS Powell woefully under impressed me. Sorry for the mis-typing.

[K-oneTexas]

True, however George S. Patton (Ret) would have been a fantastic SECDEF. Yes, I know ... it’s a fanciful dream.

[NTHockey]

>>Lieberman for secretary of state
Powell or Petraeus for Secretary of Defense<<

We need John Bolton as Secretary of State to clear that place out.
Lieberman can be Treasury, Homeland Security, H&HS where his soft-spoken nature won’t hurt our nation.

Powell cannot be trusted for ANYTHING. Remember, it was he who sat silent and never once did he apologize for the Plame affair. It was his deputy, Richard Armitage, who started the whole mess. Powell knew that was Armitage and did nothing. He left his President swinging in the wind.

[bmwcyle]

This is why I’m not sold yet smarta$$.

[bluebunny]

I don’t know who I disklike more Bush or Mccain.

[mom-7]

“If we don’t win this election, obama picks the cabinet”

And,isn’t this a scary thing?

[nmh]

McPain is an idiot. Then again on many issues McPain IS a Democrat. He doesn’t learn. Demoncrats screwed Bush. They will do the same for McPain. Demoncrats have no honor.

[Alter Kaker]

True, however George S. Patton (Ret) would have been a fantastic SECDEF. Yes, I know ... it’s a fanciful dream.

Patton would have been a terrible SECDEF. SECDEFs are, by definition, politicians. While a brilliant battlefield tactician, it's hard to think of anyone who would have fewer of the political skills required of a SECDEF than Patton.

[chimera]

I have always thought that John Breaux, the former LA Senator, was very knowledgeable about energy issues and so would be a good fit at the DOE.

[chimera]

Good post. Definitely worth a BTTT.

[nmh]

McPain is using Sarah for her gender and sassiness. When you look at who he was considering - RIDGE and Lieberman - GEESH, isn't it obvious how squishy McPain is?