Key Republicans offering boost for Kerry over Bush Ex-administration official joins McCain, Hagel

trivalleyherald ^ | 03/23/04 | Jim VandeHei

[Pikamax]

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential campaign is getting an unexpected boost from an unlikely bunch: former Bush administration officials and congressional Republicans.

In the past week, GOP Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Chuck Hagel (Neb.) have broken ranks and defended Kerry against President Bush's assertion that the Massachusetts senator is weak on national defense.

[Texasforever]

The problem with some conservatives "holding Bush's feet to the fire" is that they don't stop with the hot foot, they use a flame thrower.

[Dan from Michigan]

Washington Post writer. Figures.

[GrandMoM]

BUMP

[COEXERJ145]

I wish the people of Arizona would give McLame the boot already...

[Dan from Michigan]

Jim VandeHei, Washington Post

Speaking of WP/LAT - this probably needs to be excerpted under the settlement even though it's at another paper too.(I did the same thing the other day)

[Eva]

All losers!

[Tempest]

This article reads like it's designed to incite firther infighting.

AKA - Bait.

[Cicero]

What's with Hagel? We all know about McManiac.

[Fiddlstix]

[smoothsailing]

Zell Miller.

The lone voice in a "National Party No More".

Zell gets it. Flip Flop Wishy Wash Republicans will fall from favor. The Democrats are the proof.

Here in PA Spechter is in trouble.He deserves to be.

I'm voting in the Republican Primary for Pat Toomey. He's conservative.

Conservative Republicans win.

[Starve The Beast]

Hagel, a maverick Republican with a reputation similar to McCain's for speaking his mind (Boldface mine)

Media Bias Alert!

McCain is terminally bitter about losing the 2000 nomination to Bush. He takes frequent, strategic jabs at Dubya, and liberals just love him. The word maverick is a secret code word the media uses for 'Defecting Republican'.

It's funny, I don't seem to remember Zell Miller being referred to as a maverick lately. Darnedest thing.

[Williams]

I'm used to McCain's act, but I find Hagel to be an especially worthless POS. It infuriates me to hear that bum criticize the president, again and again. On foreign policy, Hagel appears to be an out and out left wing idiot.

[longtermmemmory]

McCain is a backstabber. What a piece of..... He is being petty over 2000. He is also ramping for 2008.

With friends like McCain who needs enemies.

[adam_az]

LOL I doubt Jeff Flake of all people, one of the premier members of the RLC, is going to become a Kerry supporter any time soon. Sure Kerry is complaining about the cost too, but that's where their similarity ends. Kerry wanted to spend 2x as much - Flake wanted to spend ZERO!

[adam_az]

"He is also ramping for 2008."

He's too sick to run again. It'll never happen. That skin cancer keeps coming back on the side of his face.

[Eva]

Conservative Republicans can't win in PA if you don't do something about the voter fraud. I remember that Gore even won Montgomery County, the most heavily Republican Co. in the state, up until that day. Coincidently, Montgomery Co used the same touch screen voting programs as Philadelphia, which were designed by a man who had already served time for voter fraud in another state.

[N. Theknow]

Actually the word maverick fits in one regard.

The word "maverick" has bovine connotations.

And we all know what bovines are full of.

[truthandlife]

This is a pre-emptive strike against Zell Miller endorsing GW Bush for President. WP leftist reporter trying to say Republicans are split and not united.

I am one of those conservative Republicans who have ripped the President on the spending and CFR but this 9/11 Commission as well as the Dems and leftist attacks on Bush have made me want to go out and campaign for GW Bush again.

These attacks on Bush are only going to embolden his conservative base not make it weak.