SPECTER SAYS PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE A MANDATE

Face The Nation | Jus'now | Specter

[VaBthang4]

Specter was asked twice if the President had a mandate. Specter hemmed and hawed with the first answer...then when pressed said the President does not have a mandate.

THIS GUY HAS GOT TO GO!!!!

[Melas]

Hmmm, I don't agree with your criteria for mandate. What you say makes sense if you accept your parameters, but I don't.

[Fatalis]

If you only go with an arithmetic calculation, 51% and 286 Electoral Votes alone won't get you a mandate. The standard has to be a campaign with ideological clarity. That is what Bush had, and that is what gives his victory a mandate.

[Melas]

I strongly disagree. Reagan's stances were more than well known, so ideological clarity was there in spades.

[narses]

Hey lawyer, how about this one?

[A CA Guy]

This guy needs to retire for the good of the party.

[Fatalis]

Reagan's theme was "Morning in America." It was an affirmation of the policies of the first term. His reelection was not a mandate to do something new, and he didn't.

Again, your arithmetic calculus is insufficient to give President Bush a mandate, because then it becomes a question of whether or not there was a landslide. President Bush had a solid victory, but not a landslide. What earns him a mandate was the ideological choice his campaign put before the electorate. Deny the ideological standard and you deny the basis for the mandate.

[Doctor Don]

The enemy must be moved outside of the walls.

[Melas]

Nope, that idealogical standard is your baby. I don't deny the mandate at all when I dismiss the imagined ideological standard as having no relevance or bearing on the issue.

[Cincincinati Spiritus]

I'm not comfortable with blanket castigation of RINOs.

Fine, but this is one post that the RINO's shouldn't be trusted with, especially one with a track record like Specter.

[Hotdog]

"(At least that pansy Frist had better not allow that to happen)"

If he does...this is on person from TN that will vote against him!

[Cincincinati Spiritus]

Half a loaf is better than none, and the RINOs have been helpful in many situations. This blanket castigation is unwarrented.

Fine, but don't let this RHINO get the judiciary chairmanship.

[Cincincinati Spiritus]

He has assured the Whitehouse, every nonimee will get a committee vote, and Every nominee approved by the Committee will go to the Floor. Can't hope for more than that.

You can hope for someone who also hasn't assured others that he would obstruct "extremists" Bush might nominate.

I'll take that assurance from someone honest. Specter has assured it both ways. Therefore, his assurance is worthless.