Free Republic

(snip) MR. GREGORY: You are in a, a primary battle for re-election against former Republican Congress J.D. Hayworth of Arizona. And on the issue of health care, this is what he says on his Web site, on the issues, "Nowhere is the Obama administration's socialist agenda more evident than in their attempts to grab control over 17 percent of our nation's economy." Socialist agenda, do you think that goes too far? SEN. McCAIN: Look, you'll have to have Mr. Hayworth on to explain the things he says. MR. GREGORY: All right. SEN. McCAIN: I'm, I'm not ready to do that....

Senator John McCain says he seeks to work closely with the Obama administration on economy, despite holding vastly different views on the issue. "These are terrible, perilous times, so I will seek ways to work with the president of the United States," the former Republican presidential nominee told Politico. "I don't want him to fail in his mission of restoring our economy." McCain, who was among leading opposition forces in the US Senate against President Barack Obama's hefty $787 billion stimulus plan, said he would not refuse to help Obama. McCain said he had already started collaborating with Obama and...

A desire by both men to secure their places in history might forge an unlikely pairing. BY RICK SANTORUM Obama also faces the reality of needing at least one Republican senator to join him to break filibusters. Many speculate that three moderate Republicans will provide the necessary Senate votes and the imprimatur of bipartisanship. . . . . . But I believe Obama has an ace in the hole among Senate Republicans. This unlikely ace can deliver not only the GOP moderates needed to break a filibuster, but also the stamp of bipartisanship: the 2008 GOP standard bearer, John McCain.....

One of the presidential nominating season's most unusual ideas was proposed again Tuesday, this time by one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress, when Sen. Joseph Biden advocated a "unity" ticket of Democratic Sen. John Kerry and Republican Sen. John McCain.

Maverick politicians of a feather may just fly together. John McCain is said to be looking at former Democratic vice-presidential nominee-turned-McCain supporter Joe Lieberman as a possible running mate this fall. The Financial Times, citing an unnamed adviser to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said McCain was considering the now-independent senator from Connecticut because of their shared positions on Iraq, Israel and other issues. McCain "loves Lieberman. And he is on the [short]list because Lieberman has never embarrassed anyone, never misspoken. The first rule is, don't take someone who costs you votes," the adviser said. The adviser acknowledged that it...