(Not that Londo would necessarily be in agreement...)
Just damn.
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Posted on 07/09/2004 6:37:05 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Former Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato is giving "aid and comfort" to the enemy by suggesting Vice President Dick Cheney be dumped from this year's GOP ticket, an outspoken former congressman said Thursday.
"It is difficult for me to understand why Senator D'Amato would issue his press release coming just days before the start of the Democratic convention," said former Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari. "Surely, the Democrats will be using his statement to attack the credibility of the Bush-Cheney ticket."
The four-day Democratic National Convention opens in Boston on July 26.
"It is sad that a man of his background would make comments that are inflammatory and silly," said D'Amato when asked about Molinari's statement.
On Wednesday, D'Amato issued a statement saying President Bush should drop Cheney from the Republican ticket in favor of either Secretary of State Colin Powell or Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
The advice from the former senator from New York was not warmly received by the Bush campaign.
"I think the fact our campaign is called `Bush-Cheney '04' says it all," said campaign spokesman Kevin Madden.
Noting that he and D'Amato were once roommates in Washington, Republican Molinari said, "I think Al D'Amato's political judgment is not very good."
"Seeking to remove him at this point would surely place the president's campaign in turmoil and imperil the re-election of George W. Bush," said Molinari, the father of former U.S. Rep. Susan Molinari.
While Molinari took D'Amato to task, a veteran GOP political strategist said the former senator was not alone in his misgivings about Cheney staying on the ticket.
"There's a lot of feeling in the party that Dick Cheney is damaged goods," said Roger Stone, who has worked on numerous GOP presidential campaigns. "On top of that is Cheney's, shall we say, perfunctory campaigning style when he clearly looks like a guy who's not enjoying himself."
Nonetheless, Stone said it was "unlikely" that Bush would heed D'Amato's advice.
D'Amato first suggested Bush drop Cheney during a Tuesday night interview on the NY1 cable news channel in New York City where the former senator is a commentator. It was earlier in the day that Bush's Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, had announced Sen. John Edwards would be his running mate.
"Let me note that Vice President Cheney is a decent, honorable, and patriotic American, a man of great intellect, who has served the president and the nation with dedication," D'Amato said in a follow-up statement released Wednesday by his office. "But we should make no mistake, we are a nation at war with a vicious terrorist foe, and in war hard decisions must be made."
"As an observer of politics, I believe the president can guarantee his essential re-election by looking to several other notable individuals who would add a great dimension to his ticket as a running mate," the New York Republican added.
D'Amato, now a highly successful lobbyist and consultant and a political mentor to New York Gov. George Pataki, lost his Senate seat in 1998 to Democrat Charles Schumer.
Alfonse is just sayin' what's on a lot of people's minds.
meh
He should keep it to himself though. Republicans are such whimps and so scared all of the time you would think they were in the minority in DC. Forever over reacting!
It looks so desperate and weak to get all shakey in the boots about Cheney right after Edwards is picked.
Besides, every month the media is asking about some Bush appointee being replaced. First it was Condi, because she would not publically appear before the 9-11 commission at first, then it was Rumsfeld because of the prison abuse scandal, now it is Cheney because Edwards was picked.
pfft!
The only ones who don't like Cheney are RINO's. He's the closest one to a conservative that Bush knows.
It's only "on people's minds" because the people whose minds it is on are too dense to realize that this "groundswell" to replace Cheney is entirely manufactured by the left. And the ones who fall for it on the right are the ones whose hearts are closer to the left.
Why should I listen to D'Amato? I have a senator named Chuck Schumer, thanks to him. Who's done more for the GOP in the last six years, the Fonz or Dick Cheney?
(Not that Londo would necessarily be in agreement...)
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
Alfonse was wrong. Cheney is an excellent VP and will be great in his 2nd term. LET'S MOVE ON.
Somebody has something on old Alfonse, pulling his strings just like a puppet. Just where are those FBI files? Who cares what Alfonse has to say anyway? No one cared when he was a senator, so why care now?
"Why should I listen to D'Amato? I have a senator named Chuck Schumer, thanks to him. Who's done more for the GOP in the last six years, the Fonz or Dick Cheney?"
Target, fire for effect.....(grin)
D'Amato is a loser, due to his own inability to control his own mouth. This is just a reminder of why he isn't in office, why he isn't a "player" within the GOP.
No rational Republican thinks replacing Dick Cheney at this time is a viable option. It would not gain the President a single point in the polls, it would cost him ten to fifteen points in the first 24 hours.
And how quickly some forget Cheney's performance last time around, where he wiped the floor with Joe Lieberman. Given the close election, who do you think would be President right now if Cheney had blown his one and only "debate"?
Personally, I can't wait to see Cheney against the "Breck Girl".
I wish I had listened more carefully to D'Amato (as a former newyawker, I know he just spouts stuff to hear himself talk), but I don't think he was criticizing Cheney.
I think he was concerned that Bush should put someone on the ticket to give Republicans a 'leg up" in 2008 - that Cheney wouldn't be able to run for president and perhaps we should be pushing some "rising stars".
LOL. "My good and dear friend, Senator D'Amato...."
Dan
Yep.
It is obvious that every embedden Moby Troll on Free Republic got the same email that Alphonse got.
Nice try!
Liberals are so transparent. So are stupid RINOs like ex-Senator Pothole.
Nah. Too lethal.
Personally I would just let the Techno Mages loose on D'Amato. Let's see how much he likes Narn opera and Spoo farming!
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