Ex-President Bush says attacks on McCain "unfair"

Reuters (via Drudge) ^ | 2/18/08 | By Jason Szep

[meandog]

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Former President George H.W. Bush urged disgruntled conservatives on Monday to rally around John McCain, calling their criticism of the Republican presidential front-runner "grossly unfair."

The father of President George W. Bush said he was annoyed by attacks within the conservative wing of the Republican Party against the Arizona senator, the all-but-certain Republican nominee to face Democrats in November election.

Many conservatives distrust McCain because of his moderate views on illegal immigration and campaign finance reform and for having originally voted against President Bush's tax cuts. Persuading them all to vote for McCain in November will be a central challenge.

"His character was forged in the crucible of war. His commitment to America is beyond any doubt," the 41st U.S. president, flanked by his wife Barbara, told a joint news conference with McCain in a Houston airport hanger.

"You know, if you've been around the track you hear these criticisms and I think they are grossly unfair. He's got a ... sound conservative record but he's not above reaching out to the other side," he said.

"So I hear these criticisms and Barbara knows I get a little bit annoyed about them frankly," he said, calling them "absurd."

The elder Bush said even former President Ronald Reagan, an icon of the conservative movement, faced attacks from the right wing of the party, citing several quotations from diaries written by Reagan in his early years in office.

[Burr5]

McCain actively sought the V.P, slot from Hanoi John Kerry in 2004. He was either willing to lie for four years about Kerry’s policies being great, or he was willing to honestly support Kerry’s policies for four years. Either way, he’s a POS.

That being said, two supreme court nominations will be coming up in the next five years, and I don’t want another Democrat act of treason that loses the country a war it has already won. That didn’t work out too well in 1975.

Vote McCain. But stop bitching about conservatives’ disgust with him being “unfair”.

[Dixie Yooper]

I never called him a RINO. Thanks for correcting me on his votes.

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>I never called him a RINO.

For your edification, reference post #52. Your inference is crystal clear.

[No Dems 2004]

“McCain actively sought the V.P, slot from Hanoi John Kerry in 2004. He was either willing to lie for four years about Kerry’s policies being great, or he was willing to honestly support Kerry’s policies for four years. Either way, he’s a POS.”

This is really hearsay, to be honest. Don’t forget that Senator McCain also campaigned hard for President Bush in Arizona and New Hampshire (in 2000) which helped him win the presidency.

But like you say, let’s not dispute that he’s done and said some stupid things in his time. But what Republican hasn’t?