McCain: Americans 'Rejected Us'

Newsmax ^ | Nov. 16, 2006 4:38 p.m. EST | Newsmax.com Staff

[edpc]

On the heels of devastating GOP losses, Sen. John McCain said "no defeat is permanent" as he called for the Republican Party to return to its common-sense conservatism - and implicitly cast himself as the one who can lead the party's rebirth.

"," the Arizona Republican said Thursday in the first of two speeches that could set the tone for a potential presidential campaign.

On the same day he launched a presidential exploratory committee, McCain said voters felt that Republicans valued their incumbency over their beliefs on such conservative standards as limited and efficient government - and he urged a return to those tenets.

"Americans had elected us to change government, and they rejected us because they believed government had changed us," the four-term senator said. "We must spend the next two years reacquainting the public and ourselves with the reason we came to office in the first place: to serve a cause greater than our self-interest."

He spoke before members of the Federalist Society, the organization of more than 25,000 conservatives and libertarians including high-profile members of the Bush administration, the federal judiciary and Congress. Later Thursday, he was delivering a broader speech about the future of the Republican Party to another conservative pillar, GOPAC.

[edpc]

We lost our principles and our majority. And there is no way to recover our majority without recovering our principles first

This is about as genuine as Hillary's centrist image she's attempted to portray for the past 6 years.

[Crim]

Not "Us"...John...just you...

[Paloma_55]

When he says "rejected us" he is correct.

We don't need any RINOs.

[spacejunkie]

The guy isn't getting my vote.

He voted against Bush's tax cuts in June 01. Tut tut.

[edpc]

Oh, he had some company among the seven Republicans in the gang of fourteen. Two of them already got kicked to the curb.

[ThomasBurn]

When did McCain decide he was conservative?

[mewzilla]

[Paloma_55]

John McCain - Leading RINO

[gulfcoast6]

He for sure is not on MY list for prez and of course that means Lindsey Graham is not my choice for darn (being nice) sure.

[freespirited]

His speech to all of us about how to rebuild the GOP (read make him president) begins at 7:10 pm. I assume that is EST. It will be streamed live at his new website.

If you are so inclined, make some popcorn and watch.

http://www.exploremccain.com/

[digger48]

John stands to learn a lot about "rejection" in the coming months

[Popman]

Check out McCain record.

McCain Voter Rating

[shrinkermd]

No, we lost because the MSM and people like McCain wanted us to lose for their own benefit. McCain is not a team player and he is going to have a tough time filling out his roster.

[johnny7]

I despise this pr*ck...

[Sam Ketcham]

Good shot! Mac has lost his way, but so has Bush - deficits, trade imbalance, granting Vietnam WTO status, shipping jobs offshore, importing illegal cheap labor. I am still a CONSERVATIVE but a disappointed voter. I hope the Blue Dog Dems FORCE the GOP to go Conservative. I cannot think of a better way to say this than to remover Martinez, the non assimilated American removed from the RNC chair

[Paladin2]

McCain's turn to the "base" is base and WAY too late. McCain's true colors are well known and too embedded to be painted over at this late date. I don't plan to vote for any Senators for POTUS.

[gotribe]

devastating GOP losses

Devastating?

[edpc]

Despite what that site says about his voting record, my biggest problem with him is his willingness to compromise with Democrats and include them where they don't belong. I am not interested in "reaching out" to Democrats. I'm interested in defeating them. Trent Lott should have never allowed shared committees and McCain should have killed the nuclear option with the Gang of Fourteen. Neither of them will ever have my support again.

[word_warrior_bob]

If you really feel that way, don't run for President.

[edpc]

Correction...

McCain should not have killed the nuclear option.....