Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

MCCAIN RELEASES LETTER TO OBAMA
Red State ^

Posted on 02/06/2006 3:55:52 PM PST by hipaatwo

From the Office of Senator John McCain comes this heroic smackdown of the other media darling in the Senate. The letter speaks for itself and it is brilliantly done.

The Honorable Barack Obama
United States Senate
SH-713
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Obama:

I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere. When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership’s preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your letter to me dated February 2, 2006, which explained your decision to withdraw from our bipartisan discussions. I’m embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won’t make the same mistake again.

As you know, the Majority Leader has asked Chairman Collins to hold hearings and mark up a bill for floor consideration in early March. I fully support such timely action and I am confident that, together with Senator Lieberman, the Committee on Governmental Affairs will report out a meaningful, bipartisan bill.

You commented in your letter about my “interest in creating a task force to further study” this issue, as if to suggest I support delaying the consideration of much-needed reforms rather than allowing the committees of jurisdiction to hold hearings on the matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. The timely findings of a bipartisan working group could be very helpful to the committee in formulating legislation that will be reported to the full Senate. Since you are new to the Senate, you may not be aware of the fact that I have always supported fully the regular committee and legislative process in the Senate, and routinely urge Committee Chairmen to hold hearings on important issues. In fact, I urged Senator Collins to schedule a hearing upon the Senate’s return in January.

Furthermore, I have consistently maintained that any lobbying reform proposal be bipartisan. The bill Senators Joe Lieberman and Bill Nelson and I have introduced is evidence of that commitment as is my insistence that members of both parties be included in meetings to develop the legislation that will ultimately be considered on the Senate floor. As I explained in a recent letter to Senator Reid, and have publicly said many times, the American people do not see this as just a Republican problem or just a Democratic problem. They see it as yet another run-of-the-mill Washington scandal, and they expect it will generate just another round of partisan gamesmanship and posturing. Senator Lieberman and I, and many other members of this body, hope to exceed the public’s low expectations. We view this as an opportunity to bring transparency and accountability to the Congress, and, most importantly, to show the public that both parties will work together to address our failings.

As I noted, I initially believed you shared that goal. But I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party’s effort to exploit this issue must seem to a freshman Senator, and I hold no hard feelings over your earlier disingenuousness. Again, I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics the public interest isn’t always a priority for every one of us. Good luck to you, Senator.

Sincerely,

John McCain



TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; lobbying; lobbyreform; mccain; obama; obamamuslim
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-139 next last
To: hipaatwo

Get em Mccain... Damn straight!!


81 posted on 02/06/2006 4:57:49 PM PST by GoCocks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jazusamo
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Obama is a lightweight. He was a second-rate backbencher who won a crapshoot primary and was faced with nonexistant Republican opposition.

He's slimy and two-faced and the only thing that will save him is that he looks smooth on TV.

82 posted on 02/06/2006 4:58:53 PM PST by AmishDude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: hellinahandcart

Here it is.


83 posted on 02/06/2006 4:59:23 PM PST by sauropod ("Here Lies Joe Biden, Buried Under His Own Words.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
I hold no hard feelings over your earlier disingenuousness.

"You lied to me once, and I believed you. I'm not angry, but I won't make that mistake again."

84 posted on 02/06/2006 5:00:15 PM PST by JCEccles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: xrp

That last pph will leave a mark.


85 posted on 02/06/2006 5:05:48 PM PST by freedumb2003 (American troops cannot be defeated. American Politicians can.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Anti-Bubba182

Well then. That's a serious biatch-slap, even if it is from McCain. I guess even a blind squirrel gets a nut on occasion.


86 posted on 02/06/2006 5:10:16 PM PST by farlander
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: JCEccles
The main problem I have with all these Senators is that they think they're part of this "special" club. It's as if they have secret rules like it's okay to lie in public, that just politics, but lie in private and they're offended. That's just bull.

Even this so-called flame is so dressed up that MCain is trying to look proper, when in reality the subject he's talking about is the lack of integrity among the entire Senate. It's as if they don't mind being crooks, they just don't want people to know it.

That group will never reform as long as there is tax money to spend.

87 posted on 02/06/2006 5:13:32 PM PST by TravisBickle (The War on Terror: Win It There or Fight It Here)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: GeorgefromGeorgia

I suspect Mr. McLame is just making this issue bleed enough so that come 2008 he can go for the artery against Hildabeasts running mate.


88 posted on 02/06/2006 5:15:49 PM PST by DAC22
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: wouldntbprudent
Please: from now on, let's refer to her only as MRS. BILL CLINTON. :)

Absolutely. Actually, I slipped up there. I will have to use the Mrs. Bill Clinton Urinal Target TWICE as much tonight as I usually would.

It's the least I can do to get myself conditioned properly.
89 posted on 02/06/2006 5:16:17 PM PST by mkjessup (The Shah doesn't look so bad now, eh? But nooo, Jimmah said the Ayatollah was a 'godly' man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: Chena
I think the dems win in that category by a landslide


Maybe, but McWhore is right up there with his "Al Qaida bill of rights"


McCain just sucks any way you shake it!
90 posted on 02/06/2006 5:19:15 PM PST by dagoofyfoot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

What did he expect? A democrat swine to keep his word?

Honor and integrity are not found in the democrats lexicon.


91 posted on 02/06/2006 5:24:44 PM PST by Bullish (Proudly and consistently hating the Clinton's since 1992)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

HA ha...
and the RATS take another one in the...

92 posted on 02/06/2006 5:25:03 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
Whatever McCain does, I always have this nagging sensation that he is pandering to some of us, because deep down he's starting to worry that he might have burned too many bridges.

I hate to be such a cynic, but I just don't trust the guy.

93 posted on 02/06/2006 5:28:29 PM PST by lawnguy (Give me some of your tots!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mkjessup

McCain's electability is based entirely on the public perception that he is still a rational and sane person. I laughed out loud when I was reading the letter, but at the end of the day, he's making it look like there's some legitimacy to Rove's (successful) attempt to make him look loony in the 2000 primary.


94 posted on 02/06/2006 5:32:05 PM PST by gooper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

It's stuff like this that may make me reconsider the pledge to never vote for McCain.

Nice job Senator.


95 posted on 02/06/2006 5:32:29 PM PST by Diplomat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

From one self-aggrandizing bozo to another. They are both preening for the media.


96 posted on 02/06/2006 5:35:13 PM PST by Another Thought
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lawnguy
likewise on the trust............yo, cain got milk prissy, dog........
97 posted on 02/06/2006 5:39:20 PM PST by AwesomePossum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 93 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo
Again, I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics the public interest isn’t always a priority for every one of us.

Just like your immigration/amnesty bill co-sponsored with Ted Kennedy, Senator?

Nice shot at Obama, though.

98 posted on 02/06/2006 5:44:35 PM PST by DTogo (I haven't left the GOP, the GOP left me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wouldntbprudent

Any time!


99 posted on 02/06/2006 5:45:46 PM PST by Not A Snowbird (Official RKBA Landscaper and Arborist, Duchess of Green Leafy Things)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: hipaatwo

While John "Keating Five" McCain isn't on my guest list, he does deserve credit for putting Osama Oboma in his place.


100 posted on 02/06/2006 5:51:52 PM PST by hgro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-139 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson