Club for Growth Disappointed with GOP Convention Lineup

Club for Growrth ^ | 8/21/08

[NormsRevenge]

Washington – With the recent publication of the GOP Convention lineup, the Club for Growth was disappointed to see the absence of the party’s most steadfast elected economic conservatives.

With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles, it is important for the Party to showcase those leaders who are currently in office fighting to preserve the limited-government, free-market principles the GOP used to stand for.

In the Senate, Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint have waged a two-man war on wasteful spending. In the House of Representatives, conservative leaders like Jeff Flake (AZ-06), John Shadegg (AZ-03), Jeb Hensarling (TX-05), Mike Pence (IN-06), and Paul Ryan (WI-01) have never wavered in their commitment to free-market principles and have been major players in the Republican Study Committee. And of all the Republican governors in the country, Mark Sanford of South Carolina has the strongest record of fighting for limited government and economic freedom.

So why are these Republican leaders absent from the GOP’s convention lineup?

“Many of the slotted speakers are impressive leaders in their own right,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey, “but it is hard not to notice the absence of the Party’s most pro-growth elected officials. We hope Senator McCain will broaden the list of speakers and demonstrate his commitment to reclaiming the mantle of fiscal conservatism for the GOP.”

[NormsRevenge]

So why are these Republican leaders absent from the GOP’s convention lineup?

—

Enquiring minds want to know.

[Huck]

With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles, it is important for the Party to showcase those leaders who are currently in office

Or not.

[American Quilter]

McCain is not a conservative, nor are most of the Republican leaders. It would surprise me if they wanted conservatives to speak at the convention.

[MplsSteve]

Excellent Question!

I can only assume that McCain (or his staff) had a significant amount of input as to who the speakers would be - and those speakers would be (more or less) ideological mirror images of McCain.

There’s no good reason why Tom Coburn or Mike Pence couldn’t be slotted for a prime-time speaking spot. It cetainly doesn’t encourage conservative voters to see a line-up like that.

[MBB1984]

Hey, what's not to love about Schwarzenegger, Guliani, Lieberman, Romney and the nominee, McCain?

Some of you just need to get behind the leftist program and shut up. /s.

[Mamzelle]

Silly boy. The GOP isn't about Republicans. This is the Post Modern GOP.

Just how much disrespect will the base endure?

[yantis]

with the *fear* of Barry Obambi as POTUS...apparently a lot

[Linden1209]

I can only assume that McCain (or his staff) had a significant amount of input as to who the speakers would be - and those speakers would be (more or less) ideological mirror images of McCain.
______________________________
If McCain wants speakers who are ideological mirror images of himself, Russ Feingold and any number of liberal Democrats will be on the dias.
This election is between the left and the super left.

[AuntB]

The ‘Club’ has no problem with all the strong illegal immigration representatives being left out, do they?

[NormsRevenge]

The GOP isn't about Republicans. This is the Post Modern Partisan GOP. Slight mod, :-)

[Mamzelle]

Look at the razor-thin margin in 2004. I don't even know that I'll vote for McCain at this point. There may be enough alienated Republicans that'll stay home to hand him a defeat.

If this is a RINO convention, it'll get lousy ratings. If Repubs don't watch, who will?

[Alter Kaker]

If Repubs don't watch, who will?

The moderate Democrats who constitute John McCain's base. No conservative would ever actively support McCain. Oppose Obama, sure, but support a liberal scoundrel like McCain? Absolutely not.

[Iron Munro]

I can't stand the growing misuse of the word "BRAND" when discussing political parties and other organizations.

As in:

With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles...

What ever happened to words like REPUTATION, CREDIBILITY, ACCEPTANCE?

/end daily rant/

[MNJohnnie]

Go listen to the Saddleback forum

[yantis]

I agree wholeheartedly. How did McCain rise to the top? Last thing I remember his candidacy was nearly dead...next thing ya know *POOF* he’s the front runner. He’s said he doesn’t need conservatives & he’s authored such wonderful legislation as McCain Lieberman, McCain Feingold, McCain Kennedy.

EagleandLiberty will label me a cry baby conservative...RightWingTeen will tell me I’m voting for Obama.... but my vote is my vote to give to the candidate that I most agree with. If McCain doesn’t earn my vote that is his problem. I voted for the party with George W Bush and what did we get? Open borders, prescription drug plan, Kennedy’s education bill.... DHS... a politically correctly fought war.

Sorry. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. In the years down the road, I will be able tell my children and grandchildren that I did not support these clowns.

I am, however, voting FOR people down-ticket that I think deserve my vote. I’m done voting against people. That’s as sane as the bush derangement syndrome people that vote against Bush.

[SoConPubbie]

Message to conservatives:

Put some ice on that!

[SoConPubbie]

Go listen to the Saddleback forum

How about you look at his record vs. his words:

Military and Related Foreign Policy Issues

1. Agrees with Democrats that our Foreign Policy has been arrogant and we need to be more humble.
2. Voted against bill that would impose sanctions against foreign governments and companies that invest more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector until the president certified to Congress that Iran had dismantled its weapons of mass destruction Here and Here
3. McCain graduates from Annapolis, 894th out of a class of 898.  McCain had conflicts with higher-ups, and he was disinclined to obey every rule.
4. McCain loses the first of five aircraft he will lose over the period of his career as a Naval Pilot, contributing to him becoming a reverse Ace.  Poore states circa 1960.  Article here states 1958.  Ace McCain 
5. McCain graduates from flight training.  He is required to do six arrested landings aboard the Training Aircraft Carrier, the USS Antietam, in the Gulf of Mexico to be certified.  He completes two.
6. McCain joins 26 other Republicans to vote with the Majority Party Congressional Democrats to demand U.S. Troops exit Lebanon, winds up on the losing side.
7. McCain co-sponsors an unsuccessful bill to cut off funding of United States troops in Somalia
8. McCain and John Kerry release the Select Committee report urging the MIA issue be put to rest so that Vietnam could be granted normalized relations with the U.S., over objections by MIA family and veterans groups. 
8. McCain announces he deplores the Swift Boat adds against Senator John Kerry, and asks the White House to refute them.
9. McCain declares, "I want us in the ICC (International Criminal Court)", but I would like to see more safeguards first
10. McCain joins Dole to write op-ed for the Washington Post, states in part, "We should publicly remind Khartoum that the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction to prosecute war crimes...
11. McCain states he will close Guantanamo Bay terrorist detainment center on his first day in office
12. McCain's Gitmo problem, close the base, grant Geneva Convention status, stop water boarding...
13. McCains speech to the World Affairs Council, Europe may get veto power over some of our foreign policy...
14. McCain announces support for severe cutbacks on our nuclear weapons, withdrawing battlefield nukes from Europe and giving our nuclear waste to an international body
15. McCain states, "I disagreed strongly with the Bush administration's mismanagement of the war in Iraq.
16. McCain still wants us to sign the L.O.S.T. treaty in time, but does have concerns over sovereignty issues.
17. McCain Defends John Kerry on Defense matters
18. Wants to close Guantanamo and give Terrorists modified military trials with some of the same rights as our civil court system.



 Moral and Social Issues and Positions

1. Support for embryonic stem cell research (Murder of unborn babies).
2. Wants to moderate or soften the Pro-Life plank of the GOP Platform. See Here and Here and Here.
3. Voted for Pro-Abortion Bill and Here.
4. Has flip-flopped on overturning Roe vs. Wade.
5. Divorced his wife after he got back from Vietnam. The same woman who remained true to him and raised his kids while he was imprisoned.
6. Strongly against Same Sex Marriage Ban Constitutional Amendment
7. McCain leads the opposition to the Coats Amendment, preventing government funded fetal tissue research ( derived from "a legal act" [abortion] )  Amendment defeated!
8. 1999/08/19 - McCain stated, ""Certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe vs. Wade,"
9. 2007/06/00 - McCain joins Baldwin, Shays and Meehan to file an amicus brief against the Wisconsin Right to Life organization  brief  The wrong side of a pro-life issue, helping pro-abort Feingold
10. 2004/06/04 - McCain signs letter with 58 Senators, "We write to urge you (President Bush) to expand the current federal policy concerning embryonic stem cell research


 Fiscal Issues

1. Socialist Approach to Economics I.:  Supports Windfall Profit Tax
2. Socialist Approach to Economics II.:  Will Regulate CEO Pay
3. Socialist Approach to Economics III.:  Wants to bail out sub-prime losers (many of which are either illegal aliens or lied on thier applications) with US tax money.
4. Socialist Approach to Economics IV.:  Wants to implement a socialist Health Care proposal that includes providing tax-coffer monies (your tax dollars) to the states to provide Health Care Insurance for those who either refuse to pay for it, or are unable to afford it (mostly illegal aliens).
5. Socialist Approach to Economics V.:  Thinks and states that Pharmaceutical companies are evil
6. Voted against President Bush’s tax cuts (called them tax-cuts for the rich)
7. Voted against repealing the death tax.
8. John McCain's Top 10 Class-Warfare Arguments Against Tax Cuts
9. Total support for global warming scam, including the Carbon Cap-and-Trade system. See Here



 Judges

1. Gang of Fourteen (Kept some of President Bush’s best judges from being presented for a vote) See here and here
2. McCain tells Clinton supporters they should back him because he voted for Ginsberg and Breyer
3. 1988/02/11 - McCain votes to affirm Anthony Kennedy as a justice for the SCOTUS
4. 1990/10/02 - McCain votes to Confirm Justice David H. Souter from New Hampshire to be an Associate Justice on the SCOTUS Court
5. 1993/08/10 - McCain joins the Democrats and most Republicans voting to confirm Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the worst justice on the court today.  Three Republicans vote Nay.
6. 1994/07/24 - McCain joins with the Democrats to confirm nominee Stephen Breyer to be an Associate Justice on the SCOTUS.  Nine Senators voted Nay...



 Legislation Fathered by McCain

1. McCain-Fiengold (Assault on Free Speech, Gun Groups and Pro-Life Groups)
2. McCain-Kennedy (Amnesty for criminal Illegal Aliens)
3. McCain-Lieberman (50 cents a gallon tax)
4. McCain-Edwards-Kennedy    (Many Democrat inspired bad rules included in this monstrosity)



 Gun-Rights - 2nd Amendment Issues

1. F grade from Gun-Owners of America.
2. C grade from NRA.
3. 2000/11/20 - McCain participates in the production of a gun control spot for Oregon's Proposition Five.  (Circa this date, prior to the November election.)
4. 2001/05/15 - McCain introduces the Gun Show Loophole bill S890, with Carper, Lieberman, DeWine, Clinton, and Schumer co/sponsoring.



 General All-Around Unreliability on Conservative and GOP issues

1. 65% score from American Conservative Union in 2006
2. Flirted with the idea of crossing over to the Dems in 2004.
3. Refuses to drill in ANWR. See here and here
4. Has accepted funding from Soros and Teresa Heinz-Kerry for his institute
5. "I think the Democrat Party is a fine and I have no problems with it, in their views and philosophy"
6. Missed 60.8 % of all votes. Most of any Senate Member
7. The list of shame: John McCain's votes against the GOP and conservatism in general. Read them and weep Freepers!

[NTHockey]

Hear, hear! I wholeheartedly agree. This is NOT the party that Reagan built. Right after the 2002 election, when Republicans defied CW and GAINED seats in a mid-term election, Christie Todd Whitman penned an article crying about the GOP’s makeup and how important it was to retake the GOP and make it more “middle-of-the-road”. This has been an on-going attack by the Left and by the traitors in our own midst.

BTW, I have never understood why “middle-of-the-road” is so desirable. Everything I haver seen there is either dead, dying or gonna be.

[skully]

A lot of Conservatives aren't going to the GOP convention. Since the RINOS have pushed Conservatives to the side lines, why should we show up at their Convention?? I plan on watching more of the Dem's convention then the GOP’s. They'll be more action in Denver. A bunch of RINO’s gathering to pretend they are the strength of the GOP; while pushing aside the wing that has been carrying this sorry a$$ party for 30 years, just holds no interest for me.

That said I'll be voting for McCain, because Obama is worse, and the troops are deployed. But I could care less how many RINOs lose seats this fall.