For Possible '08 Run, McCain Is Courting Bush Loyalists

Washington Post ^ | February 12, 2006 | Dan Balz

[mdittmar]

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a man in perpetual motion, flew to South Carolina on Jan. 16. His stops included a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. and speeches to local Republican groups. But one of his most important events was not on the public schedule -- a 5 p.m. meeting at a Spartanburg hotel with loyalists to President Bush.

A dozen or so people were in attendance. At least two were among Bush's major national fundraisers. Virtually all had been on Bush's side in the bitter 2000 South Carolina primary that badly damaged McCain's chances of winning the presidential nomination and scarred the relationship between the two men and their rival political camps. McCain was there to woo them.

[BillyBoy]

"I will never EVER vote for McCain because the marxist prick enact McCain-Feingold. I'LL VOTE FOR HILLARY OVER MCCAIN!!!! How DARE he DESTROY freedom of speech with MCCAIN-FEINGOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT'S ALL SOLELY THE FAULT OF JOHN MCCAIN WE HAVE THAT LAW ON THE BOOKS!!!! (It's definitely NOT President Bush's fault for SIGNING that law or my hero Zig Zag Zell Miller and other "conservative" Senators who VOTED for the bill!!!) I'd much rather than an abortion loving gay marriage toutin' Dem in office than an asshole like McCain!!! Give me universal health care, give me higher taxes, take away my guns -- just as long as I don't get McCain!!!"

< /McCain hating freepers>

[MNJohnnie]

OK, after betraying us for 6 years, McCain thinks he can "woo" us? Cannot figure if he or Hagel is stupider.

[rhombus]

I will do everything I can to prevent him from getting the nomination.
And I will do everything I can to help him win the Presidency if nominated.

I'm afraid that's what it may come to.

[Itzlzha]

And I'm sure that the FR contingent of knee-pad wearing pultroons will be here soon...to tell us how great the Bush "Strategery" is here, and how good McStain will be...yadda-yadda-yadda.

They'd be here already, but it's hard to hold the dribble chalice full of Kool-Aid in one hand...the latest RNC/La Hacienda Blanco talking points in the other, and still manage to don their kneepads!

[Faraday]

Just say NO, to the Senior Senator from the Media.

Imagine Chris Matthews as press secretary. Rain coats for all the reporters in the first three rows.

[shelterguy]

3 years away and all they can babble about is which loser will be the nominee. Journalists; Get a life and find something new to ramble on about. This isn't the Greta show where you can ramble on about the same story for a year with only speculation to go on. And by the way....IT'S MAVERICK JOHN MCCAIN TO YOU!!!!!!

[tomahawk]

I trust Hillary Clinton more than I do John McCain.

He is nuts.

[Richard Kimball]

Exactly my thoughts. Campaign Finance Reform allowed George Soros to take over the Rats, and seriously trampled the 1st Amendment.

As Scooby Doo would say, "Rotsa Ruck, Ron RaCain".

[MNJohnnie]

Democrats are going to have their own hotly contested race to vote in 2008. The idea that Democrats will be "Crossing over" in 2008 is nuts

[OkiMusashi]

Rotsa Ruck there, John. You are waaaay too scatterbrained to be POTUS.

[SIDENET]

McCain vs. Gore?

I wouldn't be able to vote (dead of heart attack).

[Freee-dame]

Washington Post. Say no more.

[rhombus]

I wasn't suggesting a cross over. Just a possible gen election scenario.

[mdittmar]

He's hoping he can draw enough democrats in open primaries to make up for the "nope, never vote for him" conservatives.

That's his problem,conservatives,President Reagan had 'em,McCain never will,he's no Ronald Reagan.

[RedBeaconNY]

...I'm not loyal to Bush, nor am I voting for McCain. A true conservative, or I vote libertarian.

[RicocheT]

McCain is no Republican and not fit to run our USA. He is a nutter and media hog.

Who the heck do we have to run in 2008? The present list of John McCaine, Tennessee Sen. Bill Frist, Virginia Sen. George Allen, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani...does not inspire most conservative Republicans.

[SAMS]

So, McCampaign is on the road again? When does he have time to do the work that the good people of Arizona sent him to DC to do? Is he becoming our version of John eFin Kerry??

[Perdogg]

So, if it came down to McCain V Hillary, you will stay at home?

[BillyBoy]

>> This Bush-bot has a VERY long memory. McCain can go to hell. <<

I've come to observe that most of you guys have a very SHORT memory. Half the freepers on this board who vowed to "NEVER FORGET" all the politicians who saved Clinton's butt during Monicagate are now heaping praise on Congressman Peter King, Senator Joe Lieberman, etc., etc.

Go figure.

[Just A Nobody]

No way I could vote for a man who says our troops are torturing people
George Allen looks real good to me

I am confused...you won't vote for McInsane because of his torture bill, aka the al-Queda bill of rights, but you will support Allen, who voted for said bill?