Club for Growth says McCain off the hook for attack ads

azcentral ^ | Apr. 27, 2003 | Billy House

[Prerunner]

Sen. John McCain says he won't be surprised if an influential conservative group that supports President Bush's tax-cutting plan targets him in attack ads. But Club for Growth President Stephen Moore says the group has no such plans.

McCain remains among four Republican senators who have joined with Democrats in opposing Bush's $550 billion tax-cut plan. His appears to be a key swing vote with the president needing just two more to gain Senate approval.

But the Washington, D.C.-based Club for Growth, which has been running TV spots attacking two other Republican holdouts, Sens. George Voinovich of Ohio and Olympia Snowe of Maine, has ignored McCain. Voinovich and Snowe don't want tax cuts exceeding $350 billion over 10 years. McCain says he cannot support a tax cut of any size until the total cost of the war with Iraq is known, and suggests Bush's tax plan is too weighted toward the wealthy. Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island is the fourth Republican.

"I wouldn't be surprised," McCain told reporters in Arizona on Thursday about becoming a target of attack ads. "They've attacked me many times in the past. I can't worry about them."

McCain needn't worry, Moore said. The Club is launching a second wave of TV ads. McCain, who previously teamed with Chafee as the only Republicans to vote against Bush's tax cuts in 2001, won't be a target. Instead, Moore said, Democrats facing re-election next year in states President Bush carried in 2000, such as Arkansas' Blanche Lincoln and Indiana's Evan Bayh, are seen as more achievable swing votes.

Kyl taxpayer-friendly

Meanwhile, Arizona Republican Jon Kyl this month was named the Alexandria, Va.-based National Taxpayer's Union's highest-scoring "Taxpayer's Friend" in the 100-seat Senate for 2002.

And in the 435-seat House, Republican Jeff Flake was named the group's second-highest scoring taxpayer's friend, with fellow Republican John Shadegg tied for 10th.

The 335,000-member taxpayers group says its ratings are based on every roll-call vote that affected federal spending, taxes, debt and regulation (139 House and 115 Senate votes in 2002). The average scores among all Republicans and Democrats were 40 percent in the Senate, 41 percent in the House.

Kyl grabbed the group's highest Senate rating for 2002 with 82 percent, after coming in a close second for the year 2001. Flake finished second in the House with an 84 percent rating. Shadegg scored 67.

Other Arizona scores: McCain, 64 percent; and Republican Reps. J.D. Hayworth (61), now-retired Rep. Bob Stump (60) and Jim Kolbe (57). Rep. Ed Pastor, the only Arizona Democrat last year, scored 18 percent.

[Prerunner]

"McCain says he cannot support a tax cut of any size until the total cost of the war with Iraq is known, and suggests Bush's tax plan is too weighted toward the wealthy."

Thanks for nothing John.

[Paleo Conservative]

All those years spent in the Hanoi Hilton have affected McCain's rationality.

[cksharks]

This has nothing to do with the hilton. It is because he is a nasty ass mean ninny.

[gaspar]

Don't give the egomaniac the publicity. Besides, when it comes to economics the man is a maroon.

[OldFriend]

From the looks of McC, it is clear that his health condition is rapidly deteriorating. At times his face is swollen quite a bit on the side where the cancer was and other times he appears drawn and nearly unrecognizable.

Guess he wants his legacy to be one of betrayal of his party. That is his choice.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

McCrazy may be getting a primary challenge from an AZ rep - read it a few days ago online, but I can't remember the name. I know Club For Growth strongly supported the guy...