John McCain Leads 'Economy Bloc' Against Runaway Spending

The National Ledger ^ | 9-29-05 | Robert Novak

[Coastal]

WASHINGTON -- The Senate was up to its old tricks Monday evening. It prepared to pass, without debate and under a procedure requiring unanimous consent, a federal infusion of $9 billion into state Medicaid programs under the pretext of Katrina relief. The bill, drafted in secret under bipartisan auspices, was stopped cold when Republican Sen. John Ensign voiced his objection.

The bill's Democratic sponsors railed in outrage against Ensign, a 47-year-old first-termer from Las Vegas, Nev., who usually keeps a low profile. But he was not acting alone. Ensign belongs to, and, indeed, originated, a small group of Republicans who intend to stand guard on the Senate floor against such raids on the Treasury as Monday night's failure. The group includes Sen. John McCain, who long has tried to wean Republicans from ever greater federal spending but attracted little support from GOP colleagues until recently.

Fear has enveloped Republicans who see themselves handing the banner of fiscal integrity to the Democrats. The GOP is losing the rhetoric war, even though Democrats mostly push for higher domestic spending, because Republicans, while standing firm against tax hikes, have also declined to cut spending. Fearing the worst in the 2006 and 2008 elections, Republican senators who would not be expected to do so are looking to McCain to lead the party back to fiscal responsibility.

[Ostlandr]

It's about time. Between the Feds and NY, I'm making a middle class salary but sliding towards a working poor lifestyle.
Knowing that at least fifty cents of every tax dollar is either stolen or wasted makes it even harder to take.

[KeepArizonaFree]

McStain can't protect himself from the bonehead manuaver of supporting the traitor sheehan.

Can't decide whether his new name is McHillary or Cindy McShame.

[KeepArizonaFree]

McStain can now change his name to Cindy McShame

McHillary might be more accurate, since we all realize now that McLame is going to jump ship to run with her in 2008.

[glorgau]

McStain can't protect himself from the bonehead manuaver of supporting the traitor sheehan.

Well, if he keeps 7 billion here and 10 billion there, etc. from being pissed away, pretty soon it might start to make a real difference.

[LegendHasIt]

I wouldn't trust McCain any frurther than I could throw a Rhino...

But Good for Senator Ensign.

[KeepArizonaFree]

and campaign finaince reform kept the money out of politics.....

[VictoryGal]

As long as he works for the angels, I'll support his efforts.

At this point I only support actions, not politicians. McCain's doing the right thing here.

[bethtopaz]

Has anyone wondered if McCain would run as VP to hillary if she were to make it as far as the dem nomination? IMHO, I don't think she will, but what if? I remember Kerry asking him to run as his VP and he declined.

[KeepArizonaFree]

About spending money...

I've been waiting since 1984 for a chance for a Republican President and Republican Congress to stop spending so much of our money.

I've waited since Bush got elected for a balanced budget.... I'm still waiting....

The last highway bill was the last straw, there is no difference in congress between democrats and republicans once they get in the beltway.

My only mission now is to put spoke in McStains wagon for 2008

Politics is not about America anymore, and we let it happen.

[KeepArizonaFree]

If you actually believe McStain means what he says about the spending, they you believe everything that Sheehan said about America nuking Iraq.

Cindy McCain meet privately and personally with Sheehan to make sure she continue's to attack President Bush on the war.

I have to believe that McStain agrees with everything that the moonbats are doing when they bad mouth America, since he met with the queen of the alan colmes left.

(double joke there for you true freepers)

McStain will start having reservations about the war early next year, just you wait.....

[KeepArizonaFree]

Oh yeah, forgot about the new reality show they could do...

Show a top surgeon removing McStain's lips from hillary's backside when he BEGS her to allow him to run as VP.

[KeepArizonaFree]

and your forgeting about McStain-Fiengold....

If any company ran like the goverment did under the laws & regs in that piece of crap legislation......

They would be doing 10 years in a federal pen!!!!

Wake up America....

[Politicalities]

I'm not at all a fan of John McCain, but if he can manage to rein in federal spending, he'll get my vote in 2008.

Accusing him of "supporting Cindy Sheehan" is just plain silly. McCain met with a group including her, he didn't support her, and he was falsely told that the group contained constituents of his. And after the meeting, they hardly saw eye-to-eye:

A 20-minute meeting Tuesday afternoon left peace activist Cindy Sheehan and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., still at odds over the Iraq war.

"He is a warmonger, and I'm not," said Sheehan, a Californian whose son's death in Iraq prompted her to hold a 26-day vigil outside President Bush's Texas ranch this summer. "I believe this war is not keeping America safer."

"She's entitled to her opinion," said McCain, who also disapproves of Sheehan's anti-war campaign. "We just have fundamental disagreements."

It's difficult to forgive McCain for the odious BCRA... but if he somehow manages to get the federal beast under control, I'll follow him to the ends of the Earth.

[Politicalities]

You sure like posting to yourself, don't you?

I'll bet you one thousand dollars that McCain does not run as Hillary Clinton's VP. Do we have a wager?

[tortoise]

Good for Ensign. He is a credit to the State of Nevada (which can barely wait until that ancient hold-over named Reid gets ousted). Most of the small-government conservatives left are in the West, but unfortunately the government is controlled by Republicans from east of the Rockies.

The Mountain West Republicans, barring a few exceptions, represent what conservatism was supposed to be about. In the South and in the East, most Republicans sadly do not believe in minimalist government. The Mountain West has been used badly enough by government in recent memory that they still retain their knee-jerk small-government roots.

[dollar_dog]

You sure like posting to yourself, don't you?

Odd, isn't it. And also note he just signed up 6 days ago and is making remarks for the "true freepers."

hmmm

[Bommer]

I'm not at all a fan of John McCain, but if he can manage to rein in federal spending, he'll get my vote in 2008.

Yeah just as he supports Campaign Finance Reform by braking his own rules! How you can support someone who is not only traitor to his party, butt kisser of Ted Kennedy and enemy of the 1st admendment, I don't know!

[OldFriend]

Seems like McCain gets the headline while Ensign does the heavy lifting.

[Roccus]

I was waiting for someone to pick that up.
McCain is the Rep. version of Chuckie-boy when it comes to face time and headlines. BTW, can anyone tell me what pork that was earmarked for AZ in the highway bill was rejected by McCain?