Reagan Library Republican Presidential Debate: January 30, 2008 (Official Thread)

Stop, you make too much sense around here...It’s refreshing, plus, I am so sick of barfing up popcorn!

I disagree...they both have legitimate voices that need to be heard....social conservatism and libertatianism re not irrrational at their core...they are about what is and has been the best of this nation...a belief in God as our creator and through whom ALL of our rights are founded, and a belief in our Constitution whereby our government is restricted and dirtected to serve the people and not the people serving government.

I don't disagree with hearing legitimate voices but the bottom line is neither Paul or Huckabee have a snowballs chance at this point. Let's narrow it down to the top two. I am sorry if that is one of your candidates but they are not helping at this time.

Most don’t realize his voting record is pretty conservative except on Amnesty...which I think he finally gets it now...and campaign finance...

McCain's voting record used to be conservative. Don't forget that he also voted against both of the Bush tax cuts. And then there's that little thing about stabbing the President in the back on his judicial appointments with that Gang of 14 nonsense. It was that alone that cost the GOP Congress in 2006. It showed the country that even when Republicans held the majority in both houses, they couldn't get done something as simple as an up-or-down vote on a judge.

Captain Queeg in the “Caine Mutiny”.

Well that’s comforting but it’s a big state and his campaigning with Rudy and Arnold may sway people.

Just to remind you...when McCain was shot down over Vietnam, he broke both arms and a leg..a mob then beat him, crushed his shoulder and bayoneted his left foot and abdomen....when he was thrown in prison he received no medical treatment until nearly a month later when the North Vietnamese learned his father was a Rear Admiral in the Pacific Fleet..

Think you would have a slight limp too...

Source: Wikipedia; John McCain

Isn’t Arnold a brave soul? Wonder how Maria feels about it? She is a Democrat anyway!

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/01/mccain_attacks_romney_on_iraq.html

I have an eery feeling that McCain may not make it four years.

I have had that thought too.

Just got finished watching (gotta love Tivo).

Two comments:

1) McCain tried and tried to justify his dishonesty about claiming Romney supported a timetable for withdrawal but it just didn’t pan out and made him look worse for it.

2) Huckabee had the best answer to the last question about if Reagan would endorse any of them.

Okay three comments...third being I thought my brain was going to melt with all the economy talk.

If The Terminator is pimping for McCain, that just shows you that Arnold knows that McCain will never be tough on illegal immigration.

And if Rudy is for him, how can he be for "strict constructionist" Judges who actually think "shall not be infringed" means "shall not be *infringed*". Or for that matter judges who do not think "Congress shall make no law" means "Congress shall make any law it wants to protect incumbents."

Surprised lightening didn't strike when McCain said he wanted to appoint strict constructionists like Scalia and Alito. He sort of forgot about Thomas.

Not necessarily true.

Huck has been consistently been getting double digit results and delegates and may even win in two or three Super Tuseday states.

Don’t get me wrong. I hate him nearly as much as McCain. He is taking nearly all his votes from Romney.

I agree with you, Paul is a fruitcake to be sure, but his arguments that are grounded in the constitution are fairly solid...it;s when he ventures out into the great void of internatinal issues that he really does seem to be smoking something really interesting in hips pipe.

I became pro-life, after GOD reached out, and told me that everything that I had believed was wrong...

This is more and more of a trend throughout the whole country. Mitt's change of heart--if his professions are sincere--tracks with a lot of people's on this issue. He hasn't so much "flip-flopped" as "flipped." Nothing wrong with changing your mind if it's in the direction of the truth.

The problem is, appearance is reality in politics. If he appears to be an opportunist, then he is an opportunist in the political sense.

Here's to hoping he can somehow stop McCain's momentum. McCain was awful tonight--i.e., he showed his true colors!

Romney talked about setting timetables.

Wouldn't both be needed in a military campaign? Obviously the timing of events is not 100% predictable, but I would expect effective logistics to require timetables even if they're not perfect and need to be continuously adjusted.

IMO, it's cancer, or something similar.

Does anybody ever wonder why NOBODY is talking about this? The man had pretty serious skin cancer a few years back, now he suddenly has this massive growth on his face that wasn't there before?

Dick Cheney's heart was a major issue when he was the running mate for a 54 year old President. Why isn't this?

I see you posted it.....out in Hollywood they can re-do their faces but their bodies get old like everyone else’s!

I feel your pain... but, still.. Paul is a waste of time at this point. He won’t even be allowed in these debates much longer.

Like it or not, the time has come to choose between Romney, or McCain. Neither is the guy I’d want... but, we now have to decide which of THESE two is more preferable. For me, that choice is EASY. I’ll take MITT.

I know where they were sitting. Right below the bannister on the 1st floor is Marine One and the motorcade cars. It’s a good shot there. That musaeum better have charged CNN for the cleanup. And announce CNN donated ~$ to the Reagan Library tomorrow.

March 01, 2007, 5:00 a.m.

Right on McCain
John McCainÂ’s conservative record is excellent.

By Senator Jon Kyl

I have had the distinct pleasure of serving with Senator John McCain for the last 12 years in the U.S. Senate. Yet just as important to me as our shared years of service is our common respect for the conservative principles that have guided us in representing our state. That is why the characterization of John McCain as something other than a common-sense conservative is disturbing to me. Senator McCain’s detractors overlook his actual voting record of supporting conservative values.

During my time in the Senate with John McCain, we have cast the same vote nearly nine times out of ten. Whether in our efforts against inefficiency and waste in the federal budget, confronting the threat we face from international terrorism, protecting the sanctity of human life, or some other issue, Senator McCain has been loyal to, and a leader for, conservative beliefs.

Senator McCain is well known for his long history of protecting the interests of the American taxpayer. He is without question the best choice for voters opposed to wasteful Washington spending and bloated budgets.

Last year, Senator McCain introduced the Pork-Barrel Reduction Act, a bill focused on transparency and fiscal restraint. In 2005, Senator McCain and I were two of the four senators to vote against the pork-laden highway bill. During the 109^th Congress, Citizens Against Government Waste gave McCain a 91 percent rating, and Pork Busters, a collaboration of fiscal-watchdog groups, labeled him as an “Anti-Pork Hero” in 2006.

Conservatives should be outraged about the wasteful spending in Washington, and they should be exacting in their demand for a culture of fiscal restraint. John McCain meets this demand.

On the ever-important issue of life, Senator McCain has a record of voting for pro-life legislation: He has voted for bans on partial birth abortion; he has supported the “Unborn Victims of Violence Act” and parental notification for minors; and he has voted against using federal money to distribute morning-after contraception in schools.

He has repeatedly co-sponsored the Child Custody Protection Act, which prohibits the transportation of minors across state lines in order to circumvent state laws, requiring instead the involvement of parents in abortion decisions.

What do pro-abortion groups think of Senator McCain? NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood have both given him zero percent, no-confidence ratings because he has stood up against them for decades. John McCain’s opposition to abortion has been consistent.

Senator McCain also strongly believes in the institution of marriage. He voted for and supported the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which banned federal recognition of gay marriage and same-sex partner benefits. Senator McCain endorsed and campaigned for an initiative to amend the Arizona constitution to define marriage as between one man and woman.

The defining issue for any candidate who seeks the presidency next year will be that person’s vision for conducting the war against terrorists and our mission in Iraq; there is no one stronger on this issue, or with more credibility, than John McCain.

His support for a safe and secure Middle East is well documented. And Senator McCain’s belief in the relationship between our eventual success in that region and our safety at home is one that I share.

Most conservatives believe in aggressive pursuit of terrorists and jihadists. But John McCain has been willing to put his political career on the line for the sake of his belief that these terrorists must be defeated. As the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, John McCain has long been an outspoken critic of the management of the war, and there is plenty to criticize on that score.

But Senator McCain has also been stronger than all others in his belief in the absolute importance of victory and in his own principled dedication to seeking peace and security over the political expediency of defeatism. Conservatives who believe deeply in the responsibility to defend our country know that no leadership trait is more vital to our next president.

More than any other reason, this is why conservatives should support John McCain. In matters of national security, he instinctively understands threats to the United States, and he knows what needs to be done about them. Even in the face of political adversity, he is unwavering in his commitment to America’s security.

— Jon Kyl is a Republican senator from Arizona.

National Review Online - http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YTA2ZmRjNDNlN2YzYjI0OWM5Mzc0MmJmOGU5YTg2ODg=