Posted on 08/29/2006 3:14:51 AM PDT by Livin_large
Republican Sen. John McCain says he would consider speaking at Bob Jones University, a school he criticized during the 2000 presidential campaign for its ban on interracial dating and anti-Catholic views. "I can't remember when I've turned down a speaking invitation. I think I'd have to look at it," McCain told The State newspaper in South Carolina.
The potential 2008 presidential candidate and Arizona senator said he would have to look at Bob Jones University's latest policy statements. "I understand they have made considerable progress," he said.
In 2000, McCain assailed the Christian fundamentalist school for its policies and rival George W. Bush for speaking there. During a debate, McCain said that if he were invited, he would have gone to the school and said, "Look, what your doing in this ban on interracial dating is stupid, it's idiotic, and it is incredibly cruel to many people."
Bush defended his speech there but later wrote Cardinal John O'Connor of New York and said he deeply regretted "causing needless offense" by not more clearly "disassociating myself from anti-Catholic sentiments and racial prejudice."
Mike Dennehy, senior strategist for McCain's political action committee Straight Talk America, said McCain has not asked to speak at the school and has no immediate plans to do so.
Bob Jones spokesman Jonathan Pait said no invitations have been made at this stage in the presidential campaign. McCain and other Republicans have traveled to South Carolina to campaign for 2006 candidates and meet GOP officials, building support for potential White House bids.
Since 2000, Bob Jones has lifted its interracial dating ban and has a new leader. School president Stephen Jones is the youngest son of Bob Jones III, who retired last year after running the school since 1971.
Some say the school has muted its Catholic sentiment, but Pait said, "We haven't changed our position at all" on the ideological merits of Catholicism versus Protestantism.
"We don't hate Catholics," he said. "We certainly disagree with Catholicism, but I think it's going a bit far to say it's anti- Catholic."
McCain has reached out to conservatives he once crossed. In May, he spoke at Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Virginia. In 2000, Falwell opposed McCain's campaign for the GOP nomination and supported Bush. At the time, McCain labeled Falwell and others on the right and the left as "agents of intolerance."
Please do not alter titles. The title you created is not the title at the link and has to be changed.
The problem with making up your own title is that others use the correct published title and search to see if the story has been posted. When your made-up title doesn't show up in search, others post their thread only to have it pulled as a duplicate.
Who cares where McPain speak, He can speak at Pharook You if he wants to. The only people who want McPain to run are the media.
You're forgetting he's the democrat's Great White Hope. If by some insane confluence of events he won the Republican nomination the MSM would turn on him with such glee his head would do the Exorcist Spin. He has so much baggage that would receive a lovely airing.
Failing that, they are hoping to pump his ego for a third party spoiler bid.
McCain is about the only man who could get Hilary into the Oval Office in '08.
I think that the more people start seriously looking at McCain for '08, the less attractive a candidate they will find him.
Republicans need to field a STRONG candidate and, Rudy Giuliani aside, there is no one else on the horizon. We need to get busy.
Again trying VERY HARD to suck up to Evangelical Christians after trashing them and showing his TRUE thoughts and feelings. McCain is such a slug. Why doesn't he PANDER to the real people who want him to run... the liberal media elites. Oh I forgot, he is already doing that!
Guliani will not appeal to most of the GOP base but he has not pissed off religious conservatives or strong supporters of the President the way McCain has. Nor has he appeared to pander while supporting Republicans of all kinds, including conservatives. McCain has. How many times have you heard Rudi disparage another Republican? If I had to be stuck with one of these two, I would pick Rudi for his loyalty and his calm disposition under fire, despite his annoying liberalism.
I certainly could not vote for McCain, and I honestly don't think he can win the GOP primary. As for Giuliani, well I'm not sure I would vote for him in the primaries, it depends on who else is running. If he were to win the primary, I guess I would have to hold my nose, swallow hard, and punch the button for him. I hope that someone who is both morally and fiscally conservative will come to the surface well before the primaries are held. We need more choices than these two.
Especially on Sunday mornings.
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