Posted on 10/17/2008 5:41:40 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
ABOARD “Straight Talk Air” (between New York and Miami)—Sen. John McCain would “absolutely” not compromise on Supreme Court nominations if elected and would continue to nominate strict constructionist judges if any of his Supreme Court nominations were defeated by a hostile Senate.
McCain said that and much more to HUMAN EVENTS chief political correspondent John Gizzi in an exclusive interview Friday morning.
The Republican presidential nominee also said, if elected, he would gladly join running mate Sarah Palin on a trip to Alaska to view the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge but has not yet changed his mind on oil drilling in ANWR.
McCain said he would consider former rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney for his Cabinet and backed away from earlier talk of Democrats Al Gore and Andrew Cuomo in his prospective Administration.
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
Q: On the Supreme Court, you have said you will make nominations of strict constructionists in the mold of Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts. If such nominees are “borked,” defeated for confirmation in the Senate, will you promise to continue to send similar constructionist nominees to the Senate for confirmation?
A: Absolutely. I will send [judicial nominees] to the Senate with a record of strictly interpreting the Constitution of the United States. That’s what the founding fathers said they should do. It’s not an idea of mine. That’s what the founding fathers said when they called for the separation of branches [of government] -- executive, legislative, and judicial. I mean to somehow think this is a departure of what our fathers have clearly stated is really a continuing puzzlement to me. My point is that judges who legislate from the bench are not within their line of responsibility as clearly cited by the Founding Fathers.
Q: Now the four justices you cite as models for nomination -- Roberts, Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Antonin Scalia -- have all at different times voted to overturn parts of the McCain-Feingold campaign legislation you co-authored. Would you appoint justices who would do that?
A: Well, obviously, I wouldn’t impose any litmus tests. No justice that I would nominate would I expect to agree with me on every single issue. The majority of justices just made a ruling on detainees I didn’t agree with. That was very disturbing to me. And so, I can’t say I would agree with every decision. But if I can count on every justice that I name to share my view of the judiciary, then in the long run, things should come out OK.
. . . . .
Q: So will you send the Senate a “border security only” package?
A: I’m still open to a comprehensive package. But I understand we have to sit down on this. We must secure the borders, we have to have a temporary worker program, we must round up and deport 2 million people who are here illegally and have committed crimes. But people who have gotten here illegally, obeyed the laws, learned English, lived here all their lives and have lived decent lives -- they have to go through the naturalization process. They are God’s children.
. . . . .
Q: My colleague Allan Ryskind, who worked with you to defeat Morton Halperin’s nomination to a Pentagon position in the Clinton years, said he wouldn’t mind Joe Lieberman as secretary of defense or state, but would very much mind Al Gore or [Democratic New York Attorney General] Andrew Cuomo in your Cabinet. Are you seriously considering Gore and Cuomo for a McCain-Administration?
A: Not necessarily those two. But you’ve got to reach out. You’ve got to work together and you’ve got to be inclusive. Look, I know that I disagree with HUMAN EVENTS on the issue of climate change. But there are Democrats who have areas of expertise that all of us agree on. For example, Warren Buffett is a Democrat, pro-choice, a lot of things. But I think a lot of Americans would approve it if Warren Buffett were to come in and offer his expertise and help clean up this mess. Do you see what I mean? I wouldn’t appoint Warren Buffett, say, secretary of defense. But I would say, ‘Warren, hey come in and sit down with us. Help us clean up this financial mess. Help us on what to do. But I don’t know what the specific job would be, so it depends on the job you’re talking about.
There are conservatives that can get through a Dem senate. McCain knows that.
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For a moment there, I was tempted to send in my absentee ballot with a vote for McCain, but then he mouthed off about "God's children" and climate change, praised Warren Buffett, and evidenced that he is still "stuck on stupid" when it comes to bending over for the Democrats. |
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Screw Romney and Giuliani. Bring in Sowell and Bolton.
Interesting.
Sounds like McCain decided not to irritate conservatives today. Smart move. He spent the last few weeks supporting liberal economic policy and praising people such as Gore and Cuomo and his polling fell out beneath him.
I don't trust McCain...but at least consideration to ANWR and the appropriate judges won't give others trying to elect him heartburn.
Now he’s taking my language.
GO McCAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slick Willard... Andrew Cuomo... Slick Willard... Al Gore...
Like deciding if I want to put my testicles in a meat grinder or in a wood chipper.
see this is what sucks for McCain.
Obama can say whatever the hell he wants and MoveOn and Kos and all the far left groups won’t call him on it.
McCain can say something out of the mainstream conservative arena and he is tarred, feathered, stuck to the wall, etc (and that’s probably what should happen when you talk about having Al Gore in your cabinet)
But I make this request, as an American and a proud member of the military who doesn’t want our country to fall under socialism. Can we please give McCain some type of pass for the next 18 days to do what he thinks he needs to do to win? WE know what WE need to do on the ground to keep him running. McCain is much more easier to deal with than the socialist.
My absentee ballot has McCain/Palin bubbled in.
I stupidly filled it out on the morning of the bailout vote but kept it on my desk after his treachery on live TV.
But hey, go right on ahead and assume that just because I have major issues with the RINO infestation in the GOP and here on Free Republic...that I must somehow be an Obama lover.
OOOOOOH.... powerful person! Like you have the ability to make a difference.
If you are still undecided at this point, you have bigger life issues.
He has a knack for touting "bipartisanship," amnesty, and climate change at the worst of times, doesn't he?
Can we please give McCain some type of pass for the next 18 days...
The ends do not justify the means.
And, seriously, McCain should be old enough to realize that his job is to represent the GOP's predominantly conservative constituency rather than advancing his own personal agenda.
Call John McCain. He’ll tell you exactly where to stuff your absentee ballot!
I have just a bit of power, as an individual voter. But, if others see things the same way I do, it can make a difference.
Do you not remember the 2006 Virginia Senate election? The difference was a few thousand votes...about a third of a percent.
John McBarnum: You can’t fool all the people all the time, but you sure can sucker a whole bunch of ‘em for while.
Sorry, I don't waste my time on Democrats.
By the way, I like how you've been here for less than a month, and now you're insulting me instead of defending your candidate.
The GOP’s predominantly conservative constituency failed to nominate a candidate this election. Where were you and the rest of the conservatives during the primaries?
We got: another Arkansas bubba, a slick haired guy from three states who ran a leftist athletic show and the most Democratic state in the union; Ruddy and McCain. Where was the REAL conservative candidate?
Hey, I will admit Willard is good at running things. Like a business.
I think he would be good as Sec. of Commerce.
Au contraire. Just firing people and implementing Socialism doesn’t demonstrate good business acumen.
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