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Via the Standard. This is what they’re going to do to pass the time in Congress between bailouts? Jerk around with a hot-button issue guaranteed to enrage all sides and exacerbate Democratic infighting while the economy’s melting down and the Iran nuclear clock ticks on? Why not toss social security onto the table too, just to really get the juices flowing?

WASHINGTON — John McCain’s close friend and ally from South Carolina, fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, will be on hand in Chicago Monday as McCain meets with his former rival, President-elect Barack Obama. Also attending will be Obama’s new chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill. In an interview Friday, Graham said Emanuel asked for the meeting about a week ago. “We were talking about some things that we could work together on,” Graham said.

Palin addresses issues on television interview Republican Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska governor Sarah Palin addressed issues yesterday relating to Latin America, including Hugo Chavez and illegal immigration, in her first interview with a Spanish-language network. The interview began with Univision anchor, Jorge Ramos asking Palin to clarify recent statements she and Republican Presidential candidate John McCain have made, characterising Senator Barack Obama’s tax proposals as “socialist”. Palin denied ever having called Obama a socialist directly. The interview quickly turned to US nemesis, leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has repeatedly claimed the US is planning to attack Venezuela. However,...

Yeah, crazy Joe and his crazy ideas. Here’s the source for his “dysfunctional” comment. Try to contain your outrage. Joe Biden shared his views on illegal immigration with an Iowa crowd, saying that the solution starts with big changes in the Mexican economy. “They’re being irresponsible. This is the second-wealthiest nation in the hemisphere - we’re not talking about Sierra Leone,” the Democratic presidential candidate said. “This is a dysfunctional society.” The full translated script follows below. Exit question one: Who exactly is supposed to take exception to what Biden said? If Mexican immigrants turned U.S. citizens didn’t (fundamentally) agree...

As Senator John McCain slips further and further into the grips of age-realted dementia, his arguments in favor of legalizing 38 million illegal aliens become more and more specious. In 2007, for instance, McCain issued a very bizarre challenge to American patriots who oppose the amnesty travesty that McCain favors. Speaking at a fund-raiser in Houston, the senator said: "I think it’s (immigration reform) a matter of national security,” McCain said, “and to do nothing - to leave the status quo - would be an abrogation of our responsibilities to the American people.” The addled senator added, “If they’ve got...

Arizona Sen. John McCain, who blamed illegal immigration Monday for Republican losses in major congressional races, has rejected Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta’s invitation to discuss the issue. “Sen. McCain truly appreciates your invitation and the valuable opportunity it represents,” Jo Black, a scheduling official in the presumptive Republican nominee’s presidential campaign, wrote in a letter to Barletta’s congressional campaign Wednesday. The letter cited “tremendous demands” on McCain’s time and a “large volume of similar requests.” Efforts to reach McCain’s campaign were unsuccessful. Last week, Barletta invited McCain and the Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, to come...

Arizona Sen. John McCain has rejected Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta's invitation to come to the southern Luzerne County city and discuss illegal immigration. "Senator McCain truly appreciates your invitation and the valuable opportunity it represents," a scheduling official, Jo Black, in the presumptive Republican nominee's presidential campaign wrote in a letter. Barletta's congressional campaign released the letter today. "Unfortunately, I must pass along his regrets as I do not foresee an opportunity to add this event to the calendar." Black said McCain has "tremendous demands on his time" and because of "the large volume of similar requests, events such as...

(The Politico) "The hot-button issue of immigration doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon – at least not in Republican circles. On NPR’s “Morning Edition” today, John McCain suggested that strong anti-immigrant rhetoric contributed to two recent, high-profile GOP Congressional losses – of former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who badly lost to Sen. Bob Casey in 2006, and Jim Oberweis, who lost the heavily Republican seat of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert this month in a special election.

Aside the most obvious case -- his own -- John McCain cited two recent examples of GOP candidates taking a hard-line on immigration to no avail (And note the elbow thrown at a certain former colleague who came after McCain in the primary). My colleague Josh Kraushaar writes up McCain's comments: On NPR’s “Morning Edition” today, John McCain suggested that strong anti-immigrant rhetoric contributed to two recent, high-profile GOP Congressional losses – of former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, who badly lost to Sen. Bob Casey in 2006, and Jim Oberweis, who lost the heavily Republican seat of former House Speaker...

McCain's love of amnesty will be a key issue. He supported amnesty in 2003 by name, proposed it in 2006 and 2007 without calling it amnesty, and says that anyone who says that he ever supported amnesty is a liar. He has insulted Americans who advocate border security and has cursed at the thought of building a border fence. The presence of Juan Hernandez in the background of the McCain campaign tells us that John McCain is as weak on border security now as he ever was. Dr. Juan Hernandez, a dual citizen of the US and Mexico, and past...

Relentlessly, angry American voices are asking, “Why is our government deliberately refusing to secure our borders?” We now understand. The truth is indeed ugly. While Congress talks the good talk on border security and immigration enforcement, they are actually in the business of aiding and abetting the invasion by Illegal Aliens and their offspring while pillaging our tax coffers for illegitimate purposes. We have been and continue to be betrayed by what can only be described as an intentional dereliction of duty and responsibility to the American people. It’s lunacy……it’s reality………it’s a giant magnet and it’s the largest Underground Welfare...

House Republican leaders will introduce a petition drive today to force Democrats to debate immigration this year, using a Democrat-sponsored bill to box them into taking a stand on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Republican leaders reached the decision yesterday evening to initiate a "discharge petition," a parliamentary move minority parties can use to force issues onto the House floor over objections of the majority. The last successful use was on campaign finance in 2002. But Republicans' move also puts Sen. John McCain, their party's presumed presidential nominee, in a tough spot. He has consistently opposed enhanced security efforts that...

ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain criticized his Democratic rivals on Tuesday for pledging to renegotiate a hemispheric trade treaty that Democrats blame for U.S. manufacturing job losses. At a town-hall meeting in St. Louis, the Arizona senator also called for the Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress to approve a free-trade treaty with Colombia that is being stymied on Capitol Hill. "On trade, I'm a free trader," McCain told employees at Savvis Internet company, a session dominated by questions about the ailing U.S. economy. McCain, the likely Republican nominee to run in the November election, is spending the week...

Geraldo Rivera and Juan Hernandez, two of the most flagrant supporters of illegal immigration and amnesty in the media, have both announced their support for McCain. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) also known as the Council of the (Hispanic) Race has announced their positive feelings for McCain while labeling any group or personality opposed to amnesty as an ally of the KKK. Even Ruben Navarrette, a CNN columnist who constantly rants in support of illegal immigration, while slinging mud at anyone who stands up for immigration enforcement, loves John McCain. Every illegal immigration supporter is signalling they want...

While John McCain was being coronated as the heir apparent at a highly publicized White House meeting with President Bush, his colleagues on Capitol Hill couldn't resist rolling out what could be described as a Lou Dobbs dream package of immigration bills. It was one of those moments where one had to wonder if the right hand of the Republican Party was talking to the left, er, moderate hand. Immigration is the preeminent issue that has divided McCain from his party, as he has supported an ill-fated comprehensive immigration overhaul, including a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Since that...

The Say-Town Lowdown MATT.org, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, is based in the Alamo City where Tejanos and Mexicanos once fought against each other. The non-profit describes its mission in the following manner: “To encourage Mexicans and Americans to come together to bridge the gaps in understanding and quality of life so that we may truly prosper together.” Legendary marketer and advisor to GOP presidents Lionel Sosa enthusiastically leads the organization. The group is passionate about immigration reform; the issue is at the center of everything it does. The organization launched a massive billboard and PR blitz during the 2006...

DeMint Introduces “Complete the Fence Act"Sets 2010 Deadline for Completion of 700 Miles of Physical, Pedestrian Fencing on Southern Border   March 5th, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) introduced the “Complete the Fence Act” that will require the completion of 700 miles of reinforced pedestrian fencing along the nation’s southern border by December 31, 2010. The bill also requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress by June 2009 on fence construction progress and how it plans to complete the full fence by the 2010 deadline. “Americans demand...

Senator McCain Thanks Democrats March 5, 2008 BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Listen to this, Snerdley. Listen to this, all of you. A portion of Senator McCain's victory speech. MCCAIN: I want to thank all of you here, all the Republicans, independents, and independent-thinking Democrats in all parts of the country who supported our campaign for the nomination and have brought us across the finish line first, an accomplishment that once seemed to more than a few doubters, unlikely. RUSH: All right. So apparently McCain can thank the Democrats for making him the Republican nominee, can thank independents for making him...

... If there's a single thread that runs through the e-mails I receive from peevish Republicans, it's that none of the current candidates possesses the conservative purity of Ronald Reagan. One could almost get the idea that Dutch was betrayed by Pontius Pilate and crucified on Calvary. But that wasn't exactly the case. The fact of the matter is that Gov. Reagan gave Gov. Jerry Brown a run for his money – or should I say our money? – when it came to raising taxes here in California. But, in spite of the additional revenue, he was responsible in large...

For the most part, the Republican presidential candidates tried to play the "immigration" card — one that may backfire come November. Only John McCain was willing to take a gentler approach to immigration and thank God he’s the last man standing. CNN and the liberal media were all too willing to let the Republicans continue their suicidal plunge on immigration. Meanwhile, the New York Post recently featured a column by Geraldo Rivera decrying the impact of the immigration debate on the Republican Party: freefall in the polls among Latino voters. President Bush carried 45 percent of the Latino vote in...

WARNING TO CONSERVATIVES!!! When the AP quotes Open Borders moll Tamar Jacoby, Arlen Specter, RINO/Bushie/McCainite Charlie Black as saying McCain is "looking strong" or good on immigration" and no conservatives or anti-Invasion advocates or experts are quoted in the [following] story, you know the fix is in! McCain is on a major media effort to try to make conservatives like him enough to vote for him and he knows he's in deep trouble. So he's going to try to pull the wool over our eyes by saying he's going to get tough on the Border--if elected. What he WON'T discuss...

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez will endorse John McCain on Friday, The Associated Press has learned, a move likely to give the Republican presidential candidate a crucial boost with the state's Cuban-Americans just days before the primary. The decision is a blow to Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor in a close fight with McCain for support of voters in the Cuban-American community _ and to keep his candidacy alive. Two Republican officials disclosed the upcoming endorsement on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the announcement. As recently as Thursday night, Martinez indicated he would remain neutral in the...

MIAMI (AP) - Florida Sen. Mel Martinez will endorse John McCain on Friday, The Associated Press has learned, a move likely to give the Republican presidential candidate a crucial boost with the state's Cuban- Americans just days before the primary. The decision is a blow to Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor in a close fight with McCain for support of voters in the Cuban-American community—and to keep his candidacy alive. Two Republican officials disclosed the upcoming endorsement on the condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the announcement. As recently as Thursday night, Martinez indicated he would remain neutral...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush pledged Sunday to assist Sen. John McCain's campaign for the presidency assuming he wins the Republican Party nomination -- but acknowledged that the Arizona senator has "got some convincing to do" among the party's conservatives. In an interview with "Fox News Sunday" at his retreat at Camp David, Md., Bush was careful to note that two Republicans are still competing for the nomination, and he did not express a preference. But Bush made clear that he was willing to set aside the tensions he has had with McCain in the past, and he praised the front-runner...

Ted Nugent: McCain has two battles he must win Sunday, February 17, 2008 Now that Mitt Romney has thrown in the towel and endorsed him, the Republican nominee for president will almost certainly be Sen. John McCain. Attempting residency at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is surely tough enough without turning your friends into enemies. There are plenty of enemies on the other side who wear different political stripes altogether. McCain faces a distrustful, dissatisfied, frustrated, and in some cases, downright angry conservative base. Conservatives are not happy with McCain. He has not always carried the conservative torch on immigration, taxes, First...

Bush Signals Support for McCain By Peter Baker President Bush plans to give an implicit endorsement of onetime rival John McCain's conservative bona fides tomorrow as the Arizona senator seeks to consolidate the party behind his candidacy. In a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in the morning, Bush plans to say that the nominee of the party will be a strong conservative, according to excerpts released by the White House tonight.

Two years ago, Republicans fought over immigration and hemorrhaged Hispanic voters. Now they are poised to nominate the one man who can rebuild the Hispanic voter coalition that pushed President Bush twice to victory, the architects of that coalition say. "I think the only candidate that Republicans have running for president who could retain those votes is in fact Senator McCain," said the Rev. Luis Cortes Jr., president of Esperanza USA, founder of the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and a key player in helping Mr. Bush connect with Hispanic voters during his two runs for office. Democrats have traditionally enjoyed...

WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain faces a dilemma on immigration as he works to persuade conservatives he's tough enough on the issue without erasing his historic appeal to Hispanic voters. Once a crusader for offering the nation's roughly 12 million undocumented immigrants a way to get legal status, McCain now says his first priority is fortifying U.S. borders. The metamorphosis reflects McCain's intensifying effort to consolidate his support among conservatives, who deride the Arizona senator's past proposals on immigration as offering amnesty to lawbreakers, and bitterly resent his work with Democrats, including Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, on the issue....

<p>For the second time in as many days, Sen. John McCain was forced to rebuke members of his own party for over-the-top attacks on Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama.</p>

Invading Mexicans Run Over, Kill BP Agent: Where Are the Marines Sunday, 20 January 2008 Invading Mexicans Run Over, Kill BP Agent: Where Are the Marines? By John W. Lillpop In one of the most blatant and outrageous acts in the undeclared war that Mexico is waging against America, Mexican invaders ran down and killed a brave Border Patrol agent who was simply doing his job at the Yuma Sector. Repeat: Mexican invaders ran down and killed a BP agent and then raced back across the border into Mexico. Under better times, American could count on the president to respond...

Senator John McRINO aka John McCain is seeking the conservative base to unite with him. Many of us haven't forgotten that he never united with us. Whether it be on his kneepads courting Ted Kennedy or spearheading the ramming of amnesty down our throats, we haven't forgotten. This election offers little or no choice. In the words of Billy Preston "Nothing from Nothing Leaves Nothing."

WASHINGTON - President Bush predicted Monday that voters will replace him with a Republican president who will "keep up the fight" in Iraq. "I'm confident we'll hold the White House in 2008," Bush told donors at the Republican Governors Association annual dinner, which raised a record $10.6 million for GOP gubernatorial candidates. "And I don't want the next Republican president to be lonely," Bush said. "And that is why we got to take the House, retake the Senate, and make sure our states are governed by Republican governors." The pep talk came in the midst of a presidential campaign that...

Feb 25 2008 MEMO TO CONSERVATIVES: THE FIGHT IS JUST BEGINNING by Richard A. Viguerie   The time has come for conservatives to move on, to shift priorities, and to work to elect conservatives at all levels now and in the years to come.     For too long, conservatives have done most of the work necessary to elect Republican candidates, but, once elected, most of those Republicans have ignored conservatives’ concerns or have opposed conservatives outright.   These Republicans have taunted us: “What are you going to do? Vote for the liberal Democrats? Calm down and grow up, and keep...

"Do you think he'd do it?" That was the first question Ronald Reagan asked when, 24 days before the 1976 Republican convention, his campaign manager suggested that Reagan immediately name Pennsylvania's Sen. Richard Schweiker as his running mate. Reagan was narrowly behind in the delegate count as he attempted to wrest the nomination from President Gerald Ford. Three days later Schweiker joined the ticket. This was designed to pry loose some Ford delegates, particularly among the 103 of Pennsylvania's delegation (Schweiker was one of them), and prevent Ford from clinching the nomination before the Kansas City convention. A callow young...

The young men who rule Drew Street have survived countless convictions, injunctions, evictions and deportations. Over the years, they have called themselves the Cypress Assassins, the Pee Wee Gangsters, the Brown Crowd Youngsters. They are as much clan as gang, deeply interconnected by family, with decades in their Glassell Park neighborhood. Police have tried to crush them for years, but for all the law enforcement rained upon the shabby two blocks of wrought-iron fences and stucco apartments, homeboys still command the street, as evidenced by the wild shootout Thursday in Northeast Los Angeles. The gun battle, which followed a drive-by...

Ever since Super Tuesday a super debate has been raging on FR concerning John McCain. I was never a McCain supporter, in fact I penned the post Super Tuesday post "Official FR Drinking Thread" so we could together drown our common disappointments into oblivion. FReepers seem to be moving into three distinct groups. The first are those that have always supported McCain, a lot or partially. There are those that don't like McCain but are willing to support him because they believe they will get some of what they want or to defeat what the see as the more critical...

Thirty-four percent (34%) of all voters say they will definitely vote for John McCain if he is on the ballot this November. Thirty-three percent (33%) will definitely vote against him. Barack Obama has the same number who will definitely vote for him--34%. But, more people are committed to voting against him than McCain. Forty-three percent (43%) say they will definitely reject him at the ballot box. For Hillary Clinton, 32% will definitely vote for her if she is on the ballot and 46% will definitely vote against.

There's a fascinating irony to John McCain's de facto victory in the race for the Republican nomination. While the self-styled independent maverick is arguably the best "change" candidate the Republicans could offer in the general election (itself ironic given that he has been in Washington longer than any other GOP contender), McCain wasn't the change candidate in the primaries. And GOP voters wanted change, too. There are lots of reasons, some good, some bad, for conservatives' angry dyspepsia toward McCain. I have bouts of it myself. From campaign-finance reform to his proposed amnesty for illegal immigrants to his general tendency...

About the only consolation Republicans can take from the presidential race right about now is that the Democrats are even more screwed up than they are. Some consolation. But that might be the only glint of optimism for Republicans, as the mutiny by conservatives against the party's all-but-crowned presidential nominee is far wider and far deeper than many would care to admit. Let's face it, John McCain has gone out of his way to poke conservatives in the eyes for years, and conservative leaders who are now in open revolt command an awful lot of influence over millions of grassroots...

Will the nomination of John McCain redefine conservatism, or is no such thing possible?

I read most of the responses to the original 'The McCain Conundrum' thread and am not surprised by the disbursement of opinion. A few saw it as an attack upon their beliefs, which is sad. It was an exercise in freedom, the expression of an opinion, the very same freedom I defended for those who have an opinion contrary to mine. It was not a post in defense of McCain, there are ‘many’ things this man has done that I have serious disagreements with. It WAS and anti-Hitlery and Obama post, because, undeniably, Hitlery and Obama are ten times worse....

Like it or not, it appears that John McCain will be the de facto Republican nominee for president. His claim of being a foot soldier in the Reagan revolution has fallen on many deaf ears, and he may never convince some conservatives that the two have anything in common. Based upon McCain’s legislative and voting record, who would Reagan vote for in the general election? Sen. McCain once denounced the Christian right. He doesn’t believe that domestic drilling for oil in Alaska’s ANWR is a good idea, and called Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito “too conservative” during his confirmation hearing....

Courageous leader: McCain is well equipped to be President.By Senator Tom CoburnThe American people have the opportunity to elect as president John McCain, a man who is uniquely equipped to tackle the two greatest challenges facing our country — radical Islamic extremism and a Congress that refuses to correct our unsustainable fiscal course. I'm confident in McCain's leadership because I know and trust his character. I have served with many professed reformers in Congress. John McCain stands out as one of a handful of true reformers who will stand up and be counted. He has demonstrated time and time again...

McCain as bad as Hillary on illegal immigration!

As Washington begins one of its favourite guessing games, the Arizona senator has refused to divulge any names. But aides have admitted that Tom Pawlenty's will be near the top of the shortlist. Aged 47, the Minnesota governor will provide a youthful contrast to the 71-year-old war veteran, and is only a year older than Barack Obama, the Illinois senator who is the narrow Democrat favourite. Other names in the mix include South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and Florida Governor Charlie Crist, whose support for Mr McCain helped secure early primary victories in their respective states. With the Democrats set...

I've run across my umteenth post that FReepers who don't support John McCain are now "haters". I've been on this forum for some 8 years now and I've never seen such a vast verbal assault in the form of Liberal filth on this forum in all my time here. To make matters worse, these folks are using age-old liberal tactics of declining to engage in debate on policy on conservative principles and choosing to resort to infantile name calling to intimidate model conservatives into changing their position on their most cherish values and principles. It disgusts me. I'd like to...

Our good friend "Hugin" posted "Five Reasons To Vote For McCain Over Obama or Hillary". I thought he deserved a measured response re: six reasons why conservatives SHOULD NOT to vote for McCain: 1) Amnesty (While Obama who is almost certainly going to win the Demo nomination supports amnesty, he doesn't have McCain's horrific, longtime anti-law and order track record on the subject, nor has Obama presided over what is known as "the Invasion State") Answer this question: Would "a true conservative" as McCain boasts that he is leave our Southern Border wide open to terrorists and 20 to 40...

I understand an respect the arguments made by people like Rush as to why they can't vote for McCain. Indeed, I have raised the point that the Pubs will more likely fight bad ideas coming from a Democrat president than from McCain. However after much consideration, I have come to the difficult conclusion that in the general election I have no choice but to vote for McCain over either Hillary or Obama. Here are five reasons why... 1. The Jhihadist Threat: McCain understands that Islamic fanaticism is a dire threat to the USA, and is determined to defeat it. Hillary...

I'm one of those conservatives who has no love for John McCain. I don't even have any like for the man. I can't stand his arrogant smirk. I recoil at the very sound of his voice. When he says, "my friends," as he does too often, I want to reach into the perceived dimension behind the flat screen of my TV set, grasp him tightly around his throat and shout, "I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!" I'm one of those conservatives who still feels his knife in my back. I have voiced my displeasure with the prospects of being forced to...

. . . MCCAIN AND HUCKABEE Insiders close to Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign have put out the word that there is absolutely no chance that his last remaining major opponent for the Republican presidential nomination, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, will become McCain’s vice presidential running mate. McCain personally likes Huckabee, and McCain’s campaign has not wanted to antagonize Huckabee’s evangelical supporters, whose backing will be needed in the general election. But McCain’s close advisers reject a place on the ticket for Huckabee, who is unacceptable to economic conservatives. The immediate problem that Huckabee poses for McCain strategists is...