Posted on 09/22/2005 5:11:53 PM PDT by RWR8189
I attended an American Spectator dinner last night featuring John McCain. McCain spent much of the evening casting votes in the Senate, but returned and spoke with impressive energy and at considerable length. He said it was fine if everything was on the record. Those who think that McCain is still smoldering with anger at George W. Bush over the 2000 campaign should think again: McCain spoke fervently and with obvious sincerity about how much he admires Bush and the job he has been doing as president.
McCain addressed two issues that have the potential to divide the Republican base: spending and immigration.
On spending, he said that to offset the spending of Hurricane Katrina and to prevent what "may be the largest deficit in history," Congress should revisit the highway bill—the big transportation bill passed earlier this year—and should consider delaying or repealing the Medicare prescription drug bill. On both of these issues his positions are to the right of the Bush administration's: After all, Bush signed both bills.
McCain's position on the highway bill is consistent with his longstanding and mostly futile attacks on pork barrel spending, but he has more allies this time: Members of Congress like Sen. Richard Shelby and (!) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have said they'd delay spending on projects in their state or district. The pork-busters movement of which I have written may be gathering momentum.
As for the Medicare prescription-drug bill, Democrats have been trashing this legislation persistently, and it isn't very popular in the polls. The prescription-drug benefit is scheduled to go into effect next year. Republicans passed this bill because Bush and House Republicans didn't want to go into the 2004 election cycle as opponents of a prescription-drug benefit. But now they don't see it as much of a political plus. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
The other issue that threatens to divide the Republican base is immigration. On this issue McCain stands to the left of the administration. He is the cosponsor, with Edward Kennedy, of one of the two major legislative vehicles on the issue; the other is cosponsored by his Arizona colleague Jon Kyl and Texas Republican John Cornyn. A major difference between the bills is that Kyl-Cornyn would require illegal immigrants wishing to legalize their status to return to their countries of origin and McCain-Kennedy would not.
Arizona is the state through which thousands of illegal immigrants have been coming across the border, and McCain speaks with visible anger at the spectacle of illegals roaming across the desert and dying of thirst. "The borders are broken." To those who favor the Kyl-Cornyn return provision, he says, "We have 11 million illegals. Are we going to send them back? I don't think so." Allowing people to legalize their status and then take their place in line is "not my definition of amnesty."
In response to my question, McCain suggested he was flexible on the issue and willing to compromise on various provisions. He even said he was willing to address first the status of agriculture workers, on which a bipartisan compromise has already been worked out by California Democratic Rep. Howard Berman. White House sources believe it is inevitable that Congress will have to address the issue. McCain will be a major player, and the White House could have no stronger advocate of whatever Congress works out than John McCain.
McCain of course was asked whether he would run for president in 2008, and he of course said that he hadn't made any decision. He spoke evidently sincere words of praise for other possible candidates: Bill Frist, George Allen, Rudolph Giuliani. But if his demeanor Wednesday night was a fair indication, he's running. Polls currently show him and Giuliani leading among Republican primary voters. His comments on spending and immigration were in line with the animating spirit of Republican primary electorates, even if some of the measures he continues to support (McCain-Kennedy, the McCain-Lieberman bill on global warming, campaign-finance regulation) are not.
That's right he had nose cancer!
That fits.
McCain is known for cutting off his nose to spite his face.
The mere mention of this jerk's name makes my blood boil. I can say in all honesty I will never, ever vote for this ego-maniac. I'm a big Barone fan, but he lost me on this one.
McCain will run with Hillary
You will have to drive nails through my feet to fasten me to the floor to keep me from going to the primary voting machine to cast my vote against John McCain.
Dear oceanview,
"if the current SCOTUS tosses the defense of marriage act - can Bush do anything about that? what powers do you think he has?"
He has previously resisted a constitutional amendment pertaining to the question. I would expect him to lead the charge for one, should the Supreme Tyrants do such a thing.
"don't confuse positions Rudy had to take as mayor of liberal NYC - with what he might do as president."
Well, I left open the possibility of a dramatic conversion on Mr. Giuliani's part. Should he become a pro-life, anti-homosexual marriage, pro-gun Republican, I'd reconsider my refusal to support him.
Short of that, I wouldn't vote for him for president.
As to what sort of nominees he would appoint, there are plenty of Souters and Kennedys out there. No need to appoint a Ginsburg.
sitetest
Well, I respectfully disagree with you regarding Michael Barone. He is a good man and a voice to be listened to. I just hope he is wrong regarding mccain. Mccain meeting with cindy sheehan? Disgraceful.
I liked George Will's prediction better that George Allen would win the nomination and beat Hillary in the general election. That is a result that not only could I live with but would really like to see.
Rudy is for civil unions actually - at the state level - same position that Cheney has.
From our lips to God's ears! :-)
Dear oceanview,
Should the Black-Robed Usurpers overthrow the Defense of Marriage Act, would Mr. Giuliani vigorously support a Defense of Marriage Amendment?
Will Mr. Giuliani back away from this full-throated support of legal abortion on demand, including partial birth abortion?
Will Mr. Giuliani endorse Second Amendment rights, foreswearing his previous pro-gun control views?
sitetest
Barone needs to get out more; the base will NEVER accept McLame!
I thought he had skin cancer? Every time I see him he looks more and more sickly, too.
McQueeg won't win the GOP primary, so none of us will have to worry about McCrazy V the Hildabeast.
NEVER EVER would I vote for him (or Hillary) so I may have to stay home.
The primaries, if they aren't bunched together too closely, allow previously-obscure candidates to become well-known. In the last 30 years several of the eventual nominees were almost unknown to the public at large a year or two before the election (admittedly, this has happened more often with the 'Rats, but no one knew in 1987 that George H. W. Bush would be the 1988 nominee of the Republicans, or in 1999 that George W. Bush would win the nomination in 2000). A candidate with a good message and a suitable personality, who is able to assemble a competent team to win the primaries, can get nominated even if his name recognition is below 5% 18 months before the general election.
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