Gov. Pat Quinn -Either ( Daley/Madigan Barbed Wire Mattress Guy) OR ( The Next Progressive Moses) - He Ain't Nuts.

"It's much better to level with the people in a straightforward manner," Quinn told reporters. "The citizens of Illinois want honest leadership, and they need straight talk." Illinois Governor Pat Quinn

Click my post title for more on the Quinn Budget from the News Gazette
1. Pat Quinn will tell Illinois that he is the guy who dives on the Barbed Wire for Speaker Madigan ( clearing the way for Lisa Madigan) and Mayor Daley in his bid for the Olympics -'Oh, Yeah, we can afford them . . .honest!'

2.Pat Quinn is the Fiesty Progressive Dingbat Warrior Who Will Program His Way into History Books and Lose Every Election in his Path. The Peoples Populist and Fighting Something Or Other! Jesus, I hope not. I like Pat Quinn.

The Quinn/Martire Budget will crash and burn and Illinois will face another long,long, long hot summer in Legislative Session - getting Meeks Threats/Coalition Protests/Purple T-Shirt Visitors/Media Keening and essentially nothing much else.

Speaker Madigan will be villifed by the Boiled Beets Progressives because he is smart, effective and professional.

Pat, as a decent man who was no doubt asked to take a dreary overly plumb, sour faced, neighbor girl to some dance by your Mom and Dad, you can not really believe what you said, "It's much better to level with the people in a straightforward manner," Quinn told reporters. "The citizens of Illinois want honest leadership, and they need straight talk."

Hey, didn't John McCain copyright that one?

Are you really going to tell Illinois that 'we don't sweat much for Fat Girls'?

John McCain - Say 'No' in Thunder! Vote No Bailout!

Senator McCain, Please Vote No on the Bailout Bill when you enter the Senate and Shout Out No - in Thunder!

This is a bad bargain with the Devil for America! I have no dog in this fight. I have no money. My salary goes to mortgage ( saved and locked), utilities, kids tuition, groceries, my Church and charities, gas, and tons of taxes. I am worried that my kids will suffer for decades if this bargain is sealed.

Consider what your native Arizonans say:

First, Congress should suspend the mark-to-market accounting rule for mortgage-backed securities. This requires MBSs to be booked for the highly discounted price at which they can currently be sold, not the much higher price they are likely to be worth if held to maturity.

The bill rejected by the House would have empowered the SEC to suspend the rule. Instead, Congress should mandate it. This would provide virtually as much balance sheet relief as Paulson's proposal that taxpayers buy the MBSs.

Second, enact the House Republicans' idea for the federal government to insure MBSs. Paulson says it won't work. But he would have a hard time explaining why companies pay trillions for such private insurance but won't purchase more secure insurance from the federal government.

Third, have the federal government guarantee the refinancing of homes based upon extending the life of the mortgage for as long as it takes, even if well beyond the conventional 30-year period, to reduce monthly payments to a certain percentage of income. With such a program, no one would have to lose their home, lenders wouldn't have to take a hair cut, and, given the income requirement, federal outlays would be minimal.

This program relieves the credit crunch caused by artificially depressed MBSs as much as the federal government is capable of doing. It doesn't fundamentally change the role of the federal government in the private economy, as House Republicans fear. It helps homeowners, as Democrats want.

And it doesn't put taxpayers at considerable risk to bail out imprudent big-boy investors, as a remarkable coalition of independent-minded Democrats and conservative Republicans commendably called a halt to on Monday.

Absolutely! Chicken Little Scam artists are all over this bailout.

There will be no Depression.

There will be no Collapse of the Economy

There will be no Bread Lines

There will be greater scrutiny placed upon the louses who cheated the tax-payers and Empty Suit Obama who wants to provide them cover.

Strike boldly McCain! Say No in Thunder!

This Just In! Air-Brushed Mo Dowd Banned from Straight-Talk Express!

Air-Brushed Mo, who looks like Dorian Gray's portrait in the 'For Real?' is reportedly banned from Plane McCain!
This from Ari at Firdoglake

Howard Kurtz drops this tidbit into his column:

The company may have been more pleasant than that of McCain aides, who have barred Dowd from the candidate's plane.

If the Obama campaign banned a FoxNews Reporter from the plane, I'm sure it would be the greatest crime against the first amendment ever committed. MoDo banned -- one sentence, no explanation.

Lacunae! as Mo would say!

John McCain: Chicago My Daily Observer Report & I got . . . got Boo-zed in Greendale, WI

I attended John McCain's Town Hall Meeting in Greendale, WI and asked a question about school choice to which Senator McCain articulated his Education agenda for his Presidency that embraces school choice,including vouchers and home schooling.

Click my post title for my report to Chicago Daily Observer - Chicago's Best Source for News and Commentary.

Strange. I mentioned that I was a Chicago Democrat and folks in the audience boo-ed me. It was noted today in the report by GREG J. BOROWSKI of Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

While the event was billed as an open forum, with no questions barred, the crowd Thursday was clearly in McCain's corner.

The only boos came when Pat Hickey stood up and identified himself as a Chicago resident and a Democrat. He quickly noted to applause: "There are a lot of us supporting Senator McCain."

Hickey, a teacher at a private school in Chicago, asked McCain about school choice, which McCain supports.

Other questions ranged from college affordability to the appointment of Supreme Court justices. All brought familiar responses.

One woman questioned McCain on the war and its cost to the economy.

"It's succeeding," McCain said of the war. "I can look you in the eye and tell you it's succeeding

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=756569

When I sat down I said, 'Hey, I'm for McCain.' The lady next to me offered with pitying eyes, 'It's not that you are a Democrat, Honey, but never wear a plaid sport coat when you're wearing striped britches.'

Duly noted, Ma'am.



McCain Photo by Marie T. Sullivan: Chicago Daily Observer Arts and Culture Editor

John McCain: More Americans Getting On The Straight Talk Express & May Once Belonged to Mary the Mother of God

Happy May Day! This is the Month of Mary Mother of God in my faith. Back in the day, Catholic Churches in Chicago glutted the streets with processions of school children, the faithful, Knights of Columbus, politicians who wanted Catholic votes, and our friends and neighbors. The Church Militant became too self-conscious for socially sensitive Jocist priests trained to be more social worker than pastor. Such displays of faith were shelved. Priests now marched in International May Day Celebrations and the Catholic faithful at Visitation, Sacred Heart, St. Leo, St. Sabina, St. Cajetan, St. Brendan's, St. Justin Martyr, Little Flower, and the people of rest of Chicago's parishes could go scratch themselves. Father Guitar Mass, Knew Best. It was an Ecumenical Imperative!

Now, in their seventies, some of these same Jocist priests trained by Monsignor Hillenbrand in 1940's and '50's might be scratching theirs - feeling kind of forgotten.

Stanley Fish says 'ideas have no consequences,' boys. I wonder if you still might agree with the social Left these day. Billy Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn are doing splendidly. Give them a call this May Day.


Most Americans respect and admire activities in every Faith that bring people together. Americans of all Faiths are putting aside the 'childish things' of the 1960's and moving forward. The stupidities and arrogance that marked the social engineering fascism of the 1960's radicals are nothing if not childish.

Look at Ayers. A spoiled child of privilege who knew that he could always depend upon the power of his family's wealth and influence to get him out of any crime, Ayers planted bombs and orgainized armed robberies. Like any spoiled child, his tyranny over family affection won out. His violent tantrums were crimes against America including bombing and armed robbery. The Childish Thought Tyranny of the 1960's gave him a get-out- of-jail- free card with no expiration date.

The Democratic Party, my Party, like my Church, got itself all mired and muddied with 1960's nonsense and is paying the price in this election cycle. Obama and Clinton are as much a part of the 1960's nonsense as Billy Ayers and Pastor Wright, because they continue to pay lip-service to 1960's nonsense: Choice means Murder the Innocent; Government Payouts on Anything mean Progress; Anti-American Rhetoric Means Patriotism. Childish nonsense.

Service, Dignity, Commitment, Self-reliance, Responsiblity and Caring Stewardship are American Values - grown-up American Values.

America is growing up.

More Americans are turning to John McCain's values - those are our values. About time.

A relatively large minority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (40%) say they have come to feel more favorably toward GOP presidential nominee John McCain in recent days; in a new Pew survey, among all Americans, about as many say that their opinion of John McCain had grown more favorable as say it has recently become less favorable (18% vs. 15%). By contrast, Americans reporting more unfavorable views of both Democratic contenders, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, outnumber those reporting more favorable views in the survey. As is the case with Obama and Clinton, most Americans (61%) said their opinion of McCain had not changed recently.

Read More: Click my post title

John McCain: McCain is on the Green!

"In politics, nothing is contemptible." Benjamin Disraeli

Kevin Drum has a beef with the American People - they like, admire, trust and support John McCain. Click my post title for Kevin's Snit -'Why do people like McCain?' He is very much like most Americans, Kev. He actually has a record of accomplishment. McCain is good at his job. McCain does not suffer fools gladly; nor, is he a bully. John McCain's well documented temper is directed at 'equals' - there are no betters. He's a very kind man, though, not above giving a punk, bully, or loudmouth an Old School Tune-up.

Since St. Valentine's Day, The Democratic Party has engaged in fratricide. Progressive Siblings, Senators Clinton and Obama have crabbed and clawed at one another over the shiny toys - Delegates, Super-delegates, and the popular votes including the uncounted ones in Michigan and Florida.

Bosnia, Bat Guano Crazy Uncle Jeremiah Wright, Domestic Terrorist Neighborhood Buds, Billy Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn and Senator Obama's closeted remarks about 'bitter clinging' Americans have put a Democratic Victory in the hazard.

The DNC patina of Unity has been chipped away. A wedge is lodged in heart of Democratic Hopes. John McCain is a Driver.

John McCain is on the Green and putting until November. Kevin Drum and other Soros operatives are howling ancient and toothless canards at John McCain and he is taking his time with these strokes.

The gallery Loves McCain. He can take the pressure. This game is beyond his opponents. Clearly, bowling does not fly with Dean's Dream Team. Tennis is a game for whiny brats. This is the Masters.

"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." Alexander Hamilton

John McCain: Honor and Redemption

JOHN MCCAIN 2008 LAUNCHES NEW WEB AD: "AMERICAN HEROES"

For Immediate Release
Contact: Press Office

Tuesday, April 1, 2008
703-650-5550


ARLINGTON , VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new web ad. The ad, entitled "American Heroes," tells the story of John McCain's Episcopal High School teacher and football coach, William B. Ravenel, who had a profound impact on his life. The ad details the honor code John McCain has faithfully lived his life by, taught first by his parents and reinforced by Mr. Ravenal in high school.

"American Heroes" is scheduled to appear on national news and information websites.

VIEW THE AD HERE: Click my post titel for the immediate link!
Script For "American Heroes" (1:40-Web)

ANNCR: Our heroes help tell the story of America .

We know them well.

They've been inventors, athletes, rock-stars and presidents

They inspire us to dream.

Make the right choices.

Live up to their example.

But it's not always the famous who inspire us.

Sometimes the heroes we need are right in front of us.

For John McCain, one of his heroes was in the front of his high school classroom.

William B. Ravenel was that hero.

He was the English teacher and football coach who inspired students to live the honor code.

"I shall not lie

I shall not cheat

I shall not steal

And I shall turn in the student who does."

The teacher who believed in exoneration and redemption.

When one of John McCain's classmates violated the rules and admitted to the infraction.

It was John McCain who declared that forgiveness was the best remedy.

Mr. Ravenel was the teacher who helped John McCain understand honor and redemption.

In his days of learning, John McCain realized that teaching is among the most honorable professions.

The honor code in high school was much the same as the honor code John McCain's life taught him.

For John Sidney McCain, the honor code taught by his parents and reinforced by Mr. Ravenal in high school was just the beginning. ...

John McCain: Steve Huntley Lays Out The Democrats Problem Facing a Uniting Leader in John McCain

Click my post title for Chicago Sun Times Steve Huntley who presents the catalogue of the Victimology ( they like them 'ologies')of the National Democratic Party.

A position that touts victimization is pretty weak argument for support. Voters, like Regular Democrats in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and elsewhere, vote for effective programs and candidates, but the Democratic National Committee has been handcuffed to an ideology of want and despair for decades.

Jackie Gleason's recurring charcter, 'The Poor Soul,' seems a pretty good example of the DNC's opinion of most Americans: a hunch shouldered, sad-eyed, pouty victim awaiting his next shower of torment. The American Mope.

Steve Huntley writes today:

Democrats might well remember something else: That you reap what you sow. And four decades of identity politics and grievance culture are, to borrow a phrase from the pastor, coming home to roost.

Read Steve Huntley. The candidate who can unite our country is in Iraq doing what a President should do and the Democratic Candidates are talking - still.

John McCain against the Mopes. I'll take McCain.

John McCain: Palm Sunday in Iraq - Service and Straight Talk

I just got back from Palm Sunday early morning Mass at Sacred Heart, an Old French built mission chapel on the far south side attended by folks from many parishes who find the earlier services to their the liking and schedules.

While I was at Mass, John McCain was landing in Iraq for his eighth visit to that unhappy nation, where American kids are fighting terror and bringing peace to neighborhoods for the first time in decades.

John McCain's opponents, Senator Barack Obama who hit an unassailable wall in his campaign bricked and mortared by the the outlandish and hateful rhetoric of his Pastor and the burgeoning bundles of evidence leaping out of the Rezko Corruption Trial and Senator Hillary Clinton working to get pace with Obama's meteoric start in the collection of votes and delegates, while stamping out the flaming little brown bags of offensive hip-shots from her husband and surrogates.

What was it that Senator Clinton told her angry crowd last week about the 'The Man in the Arena?' John McCain is squarely in the Arena.

John McCain goes to Iraq and his opponents orchestrate damage control to cracks and holes in their 'America Needs Change' flats and scenery.


Click my post title for more on John McCain's Service and Straight talk in the Arena.

John McCain: McCain's Creedence Clear on the Issues Revival -Giving Us the Unscripted Straight Talk

I never liked paying for a performer who had a cut-and paste show. I remember being dragged to a Neil Diamond concert in the late 1970's at the old Auditorium Theatre here in Chicago.

Neil had a formula 'Hot August Night' or some such nonsense - very loud, tinsel-ly, important and bone-crushingly boring show. I slowed down to sixty MPH and let my date out of my 1967 Rambler American, immediately after Neil's sweat-stained 'Thank You!' never to see the young lady again -'I thought we were going to the Italian Village After?' What we want and what we get are two very different things.

Shortly, there after I took a lovely red-head to Creedance Clearwater Revival fronted by the Straight-as- Calvert's in a Cheap Saloon John Fogerty! Magnificent.
'Born on the Bayou' indeed. I married that delightful young woman.

The DNC performers, Senator Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are giving scripted and pre-packaged Pop Concerts. Huge productions, great expectations - so-what finish.

Now, John McCain has been shouting out 'Stuck in Lodi' again! He is the real agent for change because he gives straight talk the venue it deserves up close and personal.

Granite State Giant and Venture Capitalist Patrick Hynes offered to me:

There is a lot of talk these days about “a different kind of campaign.” And yet very little being offered by our friends on the left seems substantively different from everything they have offered for decades.

Sen. McCain truly is offering a different kind of campaign—one that will take direct voter engagement to an unheard of level.

While some candidates rarely even take questions from the media, Sen. McCain will continue to take question from the people. From today’s New Hampshire Union Leader:

Speak on it, my Fortunate Son!

Yesterday, Sen. McCain held the first town hall meeting in what is to be an unprecedented presidential campaign centered around coast-to-coast town hall meetings.



Sen. McCain said yesterday that his experience listening to and speaking directly with voters in New Hampshire led him to adopt that format for his national campaign. He wants an unscripted dialog with the American people, including those who disagree with him.



"If you don't have that, I don't think it's legitimate to say you're listening to the people," he told us.



And so New Hampshire has done more than breathe life into McCain's once condition-critical campaign. It has transformed that campaign, and with it the way national presidential politics will be conducted this year (and perhaps thereafter?).





http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=McCain+reborn:+Taking+NH+nationwide&articleId=c8b84c62-9e62-4975-9834-fe87d6aa858c



Union Leader: McCain Reborn: Taking NH Nationwide



Editorial

SEN. JOHN McCain's presidential campaign was reborn in New Hampshire . So it is fitting that his general election campaign be launched here, and in true New Hampshire fashion.



Yesterday, Sen. McCain held the first town hall meeting in what is to be an unprecedented presidential campaign centered around coast-to-coast town hall meetings.



Sen. McCain said yesterday that his experience listening to and speaking directly with voters in New Hampshire led him to adopt that format for his national campaign. He wants an unscripted dialog with the American people, including those who disagree with him.



"If you don't have that, I don't think it's legitimate to say you're listening to the people," he told us.



And so New Hampshire has done more than breathe life into McCain's once condition-critical campaign. It has transformed that campaign, and with it the way national presidential politics will be conducted this year (and perhaps thereafter?).



How is it that so small a state (only 1.3 million people) could have such a large impact on presidential politics? It is not simply our place in the presidential nomination calendar. After all, Iowa has had a smaller effect.



It is that the political process in New Hampshire is different -- and better -- than the process anywhere else.



Nowhere in America is government more closely controlled by the people. Nowhere in America are the people more widely and directly involved in politics generally and governing specifically.



Consider: At 2.9 million people, Mississippi has more than twice New Hampshire 's population. And yet only 29,700 more people voted in Tuesday's Mississippi presidential primary than voted in January's New Hampshire primary -- 559,242 to 529,542.



Sixty-one percent of New Hampshire 's registered voters -- and more than half the entire adult population -- turned out. Mississippi has more registered voters, 1.78 million, than New Hampshire has residents. But only 31 percent of them voted on Tuesday in an election of real importance.



Sen. McCain does well in New Hampshire because our political process is designed to cut through the fog produced by spin machines and image consultants and put voters in direct contact with the human beings running for the highest office in the land -- and when the voters size up Sen. McCain in person, they see a man they can trust and admire, even if they disagree with him on important issues.



Sen. McCain takes a risk in bringing New Hampshire-style campaigning nationwide. But that is the kind of politician he is. He won't hide behind a phalanx of staffers and consultants. If he can show the American people that strength of character directly, he can win them over, just as he won over New Hampshire .

John McCain wears flannel shirts. McCain and Fogerty know how to please an audience!

John McCain: Vote for John McCain Illinois!

John McCain ran the table - with the three major Chicago area newspaper endorsements.

John McCain is the only candidate of any Party to articulate his own clear leadership on America's struggle against Islamist extremism.

John McCain is a coalition builder and a uniting voice for leading America out of a sliding economy, easing the tax burdens on America's shrinking middle class through common sense tax-cuts and sharp elimation of run-away spending.

John McCain will speak to the issues, listen to his critics, welcome further critcisms, seek wise counsel from the leading American experts on health, Social Security, Defense, Infrastructure, Port and Border Security, Foreign Policy, and Veterans Rights.

John McCain will make the tough decisions and courageously stand by them.

John McCain is the template of the American President.

Vote!

click my post title for John McCain on all theabove issues and more!

John McCain: God Speed, John McCain!

REMARKS BY JOHN MCCAIN ON FLORIDA PRIMARY VICTORY


ARLINGTON , VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following remarks by John McCain as prepared for delivery:

Thank you. Thank you, Florida Republicans, for bringing a former Florida resident across the finish line first in -- as I have been repeatedly reminded lately -- an all Republican primary. I have always loved this beautiful state, from the time I was a young naval aviator learning my trade in Pensacola to the time I commanded the largest air squadron in the United States Navy at Cecil Field. Most of all, I have always been indebted to Florida friends and neighbors in Orange Park for taking such good care of my family while I was away on a longer than expected tour of duty. Florida has always been a special place to me, and it is all the more so tonight. Our victory might not have reached landslide proportions, but it is sweet nonetheless. And I am deeply grateful to everyone who worked so hard to make it happen.

Time will only allow me to thank a few of our Florida supporters by name, but to everyone who, in good times and bad, devoted so much time, energy and hope to keeping our candidacy competitive, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you, of course, to the great governor of Florida, Charlie Crist; to my dear friend, Senator Mel Martinez; to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen; Congressmen Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart; Representative Marcelo Llorente; Commissioner Mildred Fernandez; Representative Adam Hasner; Senator Durell Peaden; Representative Bogdanoff and Council President Durell Davis. And thank you so much to our tremendous statewide volunteer leadership who stuck with us for eighteen long, very long months.

And as always, I want to thank my family for their extraordinary support and encouragement: my wife Cindy, daughter Meghan and son, Doug, who are here, and my children who are not here. It is obvious to me, as it should be to everyone, that I could not have done this without you.

This was a hard fought election, and worth fighting hard for, but I've been on the other side of such contests before, and experienced the disappointment. I offer my best wishes to Governor Romney and his supporters. You fought hard for your candidate, and the margin that separated us tonight surely isn't big enough for me to brag about or for you to despair. Governor Huckabee and his supporters, as always, brought to this campaign conviction and passion and something we don't always have enough of in these contests, good humor and grace. And I want to thank, my dear friend, Rudy Giuliani, who invested his heart and soul in this primary, and who conducted himself with all the qualities of the exceptional American leader he truly is. Thank you, for all you have added to this race, and for being an inspiration to me and millions of Americans.

My friends, in one week we will have as close to a national primary as we have ever had in this country. I intend to win it, and be the nominee of our party. And I intend to do that by making it clear what I stand for. I stand for the principles and policies that first attracted me to the Republican Party when I heard, in whispered conversations and tap codes, about the then Governor of California, who stood by me and my comrades, and who was making quite a reputation for standing by his convictions no matter the changing winds of political thought and popular culture. When I left the Navy and entered public life, I enlisted as a foot soldier in the political revolution he began. And I am as proud to be a Reagan conservative today, as I was then. I trust in the courage, good sense, resourcefulness and decency of the American people, who deserve a government that trusts in their qualities as well, and doesn't abrogate to its elf the responsibilities to do for the people what the people can and want to do for themselves.

We Republicans have always known that the first responsibility of government is to keep this country safe from all enemies foreign and domestic, and the American people unburdened by the heavy hand of government that spends too much of their money on things they neither want nor need, while failing to do as well as we should the things none of us can do individually. Government must defend our nation's security wisely and effectively, because the cost of our defense is so dear to us, measured in losses so hard to bear, and in the heartbreak of so many families. Government must respect our values because they are the true source of our strength; and enforce the rule, which distinguishes successful democracies from failed societies, and is the first defense of freedom. And the judges we appoint to federal benches must understand that is their only responsibility, and leave to elected officials their responsibility to make the laws that they enforce. We believe government should do only those things we cannot do individually, to tax us no more than necessary, and spend no more than necessary, and then get out of the way of the most industrious, ingenious and optimistic people in the history of the world so that they can build an even greater country than the one they inherited.

My friends, as I said the other week in South Carolina , there is nothing in our country that is inevitable. We can overcome any challenge as long as we keep our courage, and stand by the principles that have made our party and our country great. Our party has always been successful when we have, like Ronald Reagan, stood fast by our convictions. And we have only suffered when our allegiance to our principles has not been as steadfast as it should. I intend to make my stand on those principles, and I am confident we will succeed in this contest and in the bigger one in November against anyone the Democratic Party nominates.

Most importantly, I promise you again, I will always put America -- her strength, her ideals, her future -- before every other consideration.

Tonight, my friends, we celebrate. Tomorrow it's back to work. We have a ways to go, but we are getting close, and for that you all have my profound thanks. Goodnight and God bless you.

###

John McCain: Chicago's Great Reporter - Dennis Byrne - McCain Most Competent

Chicago's talented and insightful Dennis Byrne has this to say about Senator John McCain in the Chicago Tribune:

For all of McCain's alleged faults, he holds an American Conservative Union lifetime rating of 82.3. True, that's the lowest among the leading GOP candidates. But, RealClearPolitics.com's consolidated polls of various head-to-head races show that McCain is the only Republican candidate who is, at this moment, ahead of the Democratic front-runners, Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. Are die-hard conservatives so dead set against a slightly less than pure conservative president that they would prefer either Clinton or Obama (with American Conservative Union ratings of 9 and 8, respectively) in the White House?

McCain's conservative credentials can be verified by a close examination of Project Vote Smart's Web site (www.vote smart.org), where the voting records, issue positions and interest group ratings of the candidates are detailed. Spend time there, and you'll find that McCain isn't the ogre that custodians of the conservative flame would have us believe.

For me, the two most important issues in the election are national security (i.e. the war on terror, the war in Iraq and the nuclear threat posed by lunatic tyrants) and the quality and philosophical grounding of the new president's appointments to the Supreme Court and other federal courts. (The latter should be most critical to pro-lifers. Whether the high court will return the question of abortion to voters depends on the quality of those appointments.) McCain is on the right side of both issues, and that's what counts for me. Everything else -- the economy, free trade, balanced budget and so forth -- comes in second. McCain's remarkable comeback in the polls means something. Perhaps its significance coincides with the success of the Iraq "surge" -- something he courageously had urged for years while former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was still carrying out his lame war strategy.

Or perhaps voters are getting tired of the mind-clanging, headache-inducing demands for "outsiders" who are the "agents of change." Right. Tossing a puppy into a ring of snarling pit bulls also will bring about change. Reformers often fail because they don't know the territory. For all the glory heaped on Obama, I'd put my money on the less illustrious and consummate insider Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) to be an effective agent of change. Not that he is, or that his change is the kind I'd like.

This election, any election, comes down to a single question: Who can govern the best? Not who can orate the best. Or which candidate is the correct race or color. Who can govern the best ... it's not a conversation you often, if ever, hear in the endless jabber about the presidential elections. I suspect voters are getting tired of all the strategizing by creepy political advisers and just want someone to govern, someone who, as one shoe commercial says, can "just do it." If so, that's why McCain will get the Republican nomination.

John McCain: How I Can Help - My Phone Chat with America's Next President

I spoke with Senator John McCain on a Press/Blogger Call just a few seconds ago.

Senator McCain articulated his position on this issue lately convoluted by political shills:

I'm so proud of Justice Alito. I'm so proud of playing a role in getting his nomination through the United States Senate, he and Justice Roberts. And I've said many times that my nominees as President will be people like Roberts and Alito. They're the role model for what we're going to do when I am President of the United States because I have the greatest admiration for him and Chief Justice Roberts.

My daughter Clare, 13 now. was doing her homework and we talked about one of our neighbors who is battling cancer. "It is really Him, He's sounds like Mr. Cullen or Mr. Rubey. He sounds like all the Dads. '

Clare was thrilled hearing Senator McCain's voice coming through my cell phone and I explained that he was answering questions from all over the country.

My name was called:

I asked Senator McCain how I, a traditionally Democratic voter, could help to reach out to Independents and other Democrats. Once Senator McCain cinches the GOP nomination this election becomes defining moment: Deeds over Rhetoric in America.

Senator McCain emphasized that I help to strengthen the national security issues and vital role we at home play in support of the young men and women directly involved in the War on Islamist Terror. I'll fill in the balance of Senator McCain's words to me with an excerpt from his campaign site ( click my post title for more). I was thrilled to speak with this wonderful man.

If efforts in Iraq do not retain the support of the American people, the war will be lost as soundly as if our forces were defeated in battle. A renewed effort at home starts with explaining precisely what is at stake in this war to ensure that Americans fully understand the high cost of a military defeat. The war in Iraq is at a crossroads and the future of the entire region is at stake - a region that produced the terrorists who attacked America on 9/11 and where much of the world's energy supplies are located. Success is essential to creating peace in the region, and failure would expose the United States to national security threats for generations. Defeat in the war would lead to much more violence in Iraq, greatly embolden Iran, undermine U.S. allies such as Israel, likely lead to wider conflict, result in a terrorist safe haven in the heart of the Middle East, and gravely damage U.S. credibility throughout the world.

The American people also deserve to know that the path ahead will be long and difficult. They have heard many times that the violence in Iraq will subside soon - when a transitional government is in place, when Saddam is captured, when elections are held, when a constitution is in place. John McCain believes it is far better to describe the situation just as it is - difficult right now, but not without hope. The stakes for America could not be higher.

John McCain on Leadership

"Increasing U.S. troop levels will expose more brave Americans to danger and increase the number of American casualties. When Congress authorized this war, we committed America to a mission that entails the greatest sacrifice a country can make, one that falls disproportionately on those Americans who love their country so much that they volunteer to risk their lives to accomplish that mission. And when we authorized this war, we accepted the responsibility to make sure those men and women could prevail. Extending combat tours and accelerating the deployment of additional troops is a terrible sacrifice to impose on the best patriots among us, and they will understandably be disappointed when they are given that order. Then they will shoulder their weapons and do everything they can to protect our country's vital interests in Iraq."



This much I pledge, Senator. God Bless you in your work.

John McCain: McCain Leads in Florida: Seminoles - Let's Lead with a Leader

Straight talk appeals to all Americans. Long considered, a maverick and a wild card, John McCain's intrinsic qualities of Honor, Honesty, Commitment and Courage struck a chord in voters that was lost on the pundits and pollsters.

John McCain has now taken a slim lead in the polls concerning the Florida GOP Primary and has edged ahead.

Florida voters - let's seal the deal. Tomorrow's Primary Vote may very well be the most historic and nation-changing in our times.

Vote McCain! Vote for America!


Click my post title for the poll news

John McCain: If Romney Loves McCain, All Americans Can Do the Same! McCain Helped Mitt Turn-Around the Olympics

Hey read it here - From Mitt Romney's brag-book on his Turn-Around of the Olympics.

Click my post title for Mitt's Mad-Love for Senator John McCain - the Next President of the United States.

John McCain: The DNC's Worst Nightmare! I'm a Democrat and I love John McCain!

Here is the script for a new John McCain ad - 'The Democrats Worst Nightmare.'

Hey, Democrats love John McCain - all the Democrat's I talk to in my part of Chicago, anyway. Now, the balloon-heads running the Democratic National Committee - Deano and his Lefty crew - Yes, McCain gives them the Night Terrors.

But, good folks who have long voted the Party of Al Smith, FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, Pat Moynihan, Scoop Jackson and Joe Liberman love John McCain.

Here's the script:

Script For "Democrats' Worst Nightmare" (:30-Web)

CHYRON: What keeps Democrats up at night?

JOHN EDWARDS: John McCain

JOHN EDWARDS: John McCain

HILLARY CLINTON: Senator McCain

JOHN EDWARDS: John McCain

BARACK OBAMA: John McCain

BARACK OBAMA: John McCain

HILLARY CLINTON: John McCain

BARACK OBAMA: John McCain

JOHN EDWARDS: John McCain

DEMOCRAT STRATEGIST BOB BECKEL: The Democrats do not want to run against John McCain.

CHYRON: They don't want to face him

THE WASHINGTON POST'S BOB WOODWARD: If you ask Democrats privately, what do you fear most? The answer is John McCain.

BOB BECKEL: We'd much prefer to run against Romney.

SYNDICATED COLUMNIST ROBERT NOVAK: The Democrats I talk to are really worried about a McCain versus Clinton race.

CHYRON: The only Republican who can beat Clinton or Obama

TALK SHOW HOST LARRY ELDER: When you match McCain up against Barack Obama or against Clinton, he is the only one of the prominent Republican candidates that wins.

BECKEL: It's a nightmare from my standpoint.

CHYRON: John McCain: The Democrats' worst nightmare

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

AD FACTS: JOHN MCCAIN 2008 WEB AD, "THE DEMOCRATS' WORST NIGHTMARE"

John McCain Was "The Real Star" Of Democrat Debate This Week, As His Name Came Up 15 Times During Course Of Night. "The Real Star? The three Democrats were on stage and President Bush was the primary focus of their complaints last night but Republican John McCain took center stage for part of the debate when Edwards predicted that the Arizona Senator will likely become the Republican nominee. Bush's name was mentioned 27 times while McCain's name came up 15 times during the course of the night." (Vaughn Ververs, "Starting Gate: Mud Wrestling Leaves Nobody Looking Clean," CBS News, 1/22/08)

Democrat Strategist Bob Beckel: "The Democrats Do Not Want To Run Against John McCain." "We rooted for Huckabee tonight and we didn't get there. The Democrats do not want to run against John McCain." (Fox News' South Carolina Primary Coverage, 1/19/08)

The Washington Post's Bob Woodward: "If You Ask Democrats Privately, What Do You Fear Most? The Answer Is John McCain." "Let me just point out this: If you ask Democrats privately, what do you fear most? The answer is John McCain. That McCain -- we were talking earlier about transparency and openness, "straight talk," Chris was talking about the important notion, personal characteristic of authenticity. McCain has even something more, and that is -- and this is Democrats talking privately -- moral authority. And with the moral authority of his background, his kind of unflinching backing in the Iraq War, not just of the surge, but at the beginning when McCain diagnosed the problem in the war. We didn't have enough troops from the beginning. And he kept hammering on that. So there's a certain consistency, moral authority, carries a lot of weight." (CNN's "Larry King Live," 1/8/08)

Democrat Strategist Bob Beckel: "We'd Much Prefer To Run Against Romney." "We don't want him [McCain] to have the nomination. We'd much prefer to run against Romney. Certainly prefer to run against Huckabee. And probably our best shot we'd have against Giuliani." (Fox News' South Carolina Primary Coverage, 1/19/08)

Syndicated Columnist Bob Novak: "The Democrats I Talk To Are Really Worried About A McCain Versus Clinton Race." "The Democrats I talk to are really worried about a McCain versus Clinton race. They would love to have Romney in because they don't think he's electable." (Fox News' South Carolina Primary Coverage, 1/19/08)

Talk Show Host Larry Elder: "When You Match McCain Up Against Barack Obama Or Against Clinton , Is The Only One Of The Prominent Republicans That Wins." "It is certainly true that McCain -- when you match McCain up against Barack Obama or against Clinton , he is the only one of the prominent Republican candidates that wins. So he is probably going to be a more formidable candidate ..." (Fox News' South Carolina Primary Coverage, 1/19/08)

Democrat Strategist Bob Beckel: "It's A Nightmare From My Standpoint." (Fox News, 12/3/07)

John McCain: The Advent of Victory!

*EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY*
REMARKS BY JOHN MCCAIN ON SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY VICTORY

EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY
Contact: Press Office

Saturday, January 19, 2008
703-650-5550


ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released the following remarks by John McCain as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, my friends, and thank you, South Carolina , for bringing us across the finish line first in the first in the south primary. It took us a while, but what's eight years among friends. It just gave us the opportunity to spend more time in this beautiful state; to talk with you and listen to you; and to come to admire all the more the deep patriotism of South Carolinians , who have sacrificed so much to defend our country from its enemies. It is a great privilege to have come to know so many of you, and I am very grateful for and humbled by the support you have given our campaign. Thank you especially, for braving the very un-South Carolina like weather today to exercise the first responsibility of an American; not just those South Carolinians who voted for us, but all of you who voted today for the candidate you believe is best suited to lead the country you love. I think I can speak for all of the Republican candidat es, when I say, South Carolinians are never just fair weather friends.

And, of course, I am deeply grateful to our South Carolina team, and to the many dedicated volunteers who gave so generously of their time and labor and kept us competitive in some pretty challenging times. I hope you know how much your friendship means to me. The debt I owe you is a privilege and an obligation, which I promise you, I will faithfully discharge.

I want to thank my wife, Cindy, the best campaigner in the family, and my daughters Meghan and Sidney, who are with us tonight, as well as my son, Doug, and our children who could not be here, and of course, my dear mother, Roberta McCain. It is obvious to me, and to all who know me, that we would not be where we are tonight, but for your love, encouragement and faith in me.

In the course of this campaign, I have tried as best I could, to tell people the truth about the challenges facing our country, and how I intend to address them. As I have said before, I know that before I can win your vote, I must earn your respect. And the only way I know how to do that is by being honest with you. I have tried to do that throughout this campaign, and to put my trust in your willingness to give me your fair consideration. So far, it seems to be working out just fine.

I am aware that for the last 28 years, the winner of the South Carolina primary has been the nominee of our party. We have a ways to go, of course. There are some tough contests ahead, starting tomorrow in the state of Florida . But, my friends, we are well on our way tonight. And I feel very good about our chances.

As pleased as we are that we have a reason to celebrate tonight, I know that I must keep foremost in my mind that I am not running for President to be somebody, but to do something. I am running to keep America safe, prosperous and proud. I am running to restore the trust of the American people in their government. I am running so that our children and their children will have even greater opportunities than the ones we were blessed with. I am running so that every person in this country, now and in generations to come, will know the same, sublime honor that has been the treasure of my life: to be proud to be an American.

I seek the nomination of our Party, because I am as confident today as I was when I first entered public life as a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution that the principles of the Republican Party -- our confidence in the good sense and resourcefulness of free people -- are always in America 's best interests. In war and peace, in good times and challenging ones, we have always known that the first responsibility of government it to keep this country safe from its enemies, and the American people free of a heavy handed government that spends too much of their money, and tries to do for them what they are better able to do for themselves. We want government to do its job, not your job; to do it better and to do it with less of your money; to defend our nation's security wisely and effectively, because the cost of our defense is so dear to us; to respect our values because they are the true source of our strength; to enforce t he rule of law that is first defense of freedom; to keep the promises it makes to us and not make promises it will not keep. We believe government should do only those things we cannot do individually, and then get out of the way so that the most industrious, ingenious, and enterprising people in the world can do what they have always done, build an even greater country than the one they inherited.

My friends, I know we are facing challenging economic times, and we must be responsive to the concerns of Americans who fear they are being left behind in the global economy. But nothing is inevitable in our country. We are the captains of our fate. We can overcome any challenge as long as we keep our courage, and stand by our defense of free markets, low taxes, and small government that have made America the greatest land of opportunity in the world.

I have served our country all my adult life, and I am prepared for the high office I seek. I asked South Carolinians to help give me the opportunity to serve the country I love a little while longer. You have done that, and I will never forget it. I promise you I will always put America -- her strength, her ideals, her future -- before every other consideration. Thank you, South Carolina , for your trust. I will not let you down, so help me God. Good night and God bless you as you have blessed me.

John McCain: McCain Wins South Carolina - Kids Called It

Hours before the mopes of MSNBC and the tethered right-wing newsreaders of Fox will give the check mark to John McCain, I am calling John McCain the winner by between 5 and 6%

My highly unscientific projection is based upon the photo of the four year old girl and John McCain by Meghan McCain from earlier this week and the recent poll of children that declare John McCain the winner.

I will also predict that Fred Thompson will drop from the race by Sunday Night CST and endorse John McCain.

Hey, it's what I do.

UPDATE @ 8:40 PM McCain 33% over Huckabee 30%

Off by Three Points; On to Florida - Illinois is already Cooking! Thanks Kids!

John McCain- Unite America Behind a Hero! Go Palmetto State!

Rush , Hannity, Colmes, and the powers they serve do not want John McCain; the entire Clown Opera that is MSNBC has been openly hostile to John McCain's surge with the American People; the diminutive jug-eared billionaire has tossed his Dixie Cup full of acid and missed by a mile; a group of politically funded Rambis ( Rambos without the resume) has attempted to smear McCain's Honor, but the American People recognize a tough, committed, honest and battle tested leader who will defeat America's Islamist terrorist enemies and shave the run-away spending of the self-interestes.
John McCain Stands for America. He is our neighbor. McCain is the leader most like us and will tell us the truth of plans and actions.

South Carolina back John McCain because:

America faces a dangerous, relentless enemy in the War against Islamic Extremists - We face an enemy that has repeatedly attacked us and remains committed to killing Americans and the destruction of our values. This election is about who is best prepared to lead and defend our nation and its global allies as Commander-in-Chief from day one. This election is about making sure we have the experienced leadership to guide us to victory in this war, protect the nation against future terrorist attacks, and support our troops and first responders who are on the frontlines of the war. This election will decide whether we choose to fight or announce surrender. It will decide whether we have a president who dangerously weakens U.S. security or strengthens it; whether we will flinch and retreat or fully engage the enemy on multiple fronts. We need decisive leadership with the vision and experience to guide our country and the world through this challenge. Having a courageous Commander-in-Chief who is willing to lead us in this war, rally our democratic allies and defeat our enemy to secure a broader peace is what's at stake in this election.

America is at an Economic Crossroads - Government spending is out-of-control. A Democrat elected President will join hands with a tax-and-spend Democratic Congress and subject Americans to enormous tax increases. Even now, the tax code is too complex and too burdensome. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid - the government's promises to seniors and those in need - must be modernized. Too many American workers are unprepared by non-performing schools and shackled by outdated government employment assistance programs. America needs experienced leadership to guide the U.S. economy to greater prosperity, control government spending, keep taxes low, save Social Security and protect the American worker. Americans want a leader willing to offer straight talk and make the hard calls necessary to ensure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren. The long-term strength of our economy and financial stability of American households are what's at stake in this election.

Americans have lost faith and trust in their government - Americans have lost trust that their government and its elected officials will serve the Nation's interest and not their own. Special interests have too much influence in Washington. Americans want a courageous leader who will stand up to the trial lawyers and labor bosses and other special interests, govern by principle rather than political expedience, keep their promises, and solve problems instead of leaving them for our children. Restoring Americans' confidence in their government is what's at stake in this election.

Americans want judges who will strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the bench - The next president will appoint many federal judges and perhaps even a Supreme Court justice. The recent victory on partial birth abortion is an example of how important the Supreme Court is in protecting our values and interpreting the law as it is written. America needs a president who will provide strong moral leadership. A Democrat president will appoint judges who make law with disregard for the will of the people, but to the cheers of those advancing a liberal social agenda. America needs a leader who recognizes that that the people and states should decide what's best, not the courts. The future of the U.S. Supreme Court is what's at stake in this election.

What are the Bold Solutions?

Winning the War Against Islamic Extremists. Radical Islamic extremists are a relentless threat to America, its citizens, and the values we share. In the words of the al Qaeda leadership, Iraq is the central battleground of this war. We face a fork in the road. John McCain will pursue our opportunity for victory in Iraq, strengthen our hand in the larger war against Islamic extremists, and make our nation more secure. Democrats will fold our tents, embolden our enemies, throw the region into instability, and increase the risks faced on our home soil. To concede defeat now would strengthen al Qaeda, empower Iran and other hostile powers in the Middle East, unleash a full scale civil war in Iraq that could lead to genocide, and destabilize the entire region as neighboring powers come to the aid of their favored factions. John McCain is best prepared to lead and defend our nation and its global allies as Commander-in-Chief from day one. He has the experience and leadership to defeat our enemy and secure a broader peace.

Reforming Health Care for All Americans. Real reform will put families in the driver's seat of our health care system. The road to reform does not lead through Washington and a hugely expensive, bureaucratic, government-controlled system. John McCain will harness competition to offer more affordable insurance options for as many Americans as possible, leveraging the innovation and cost-effectiveness of our nation's firms to put an end to existing rigid, unfriendly bureaucracies. He will build a national market where insurance is more available, portable, and accessible across state lines; in which patients' rights are respected and their information under their control; and one in which people may save more in tax-exempt Health Savings Accounts. He will assist those who need help in getting private insurance.

John McCain will provide incentives for a national market - including the reimportation of pharmaceuticals - that offer greater transparency about effective patient care, options for preventative care and therapies, and prices so that competition makes it easier for families to navigate toward quality and low cost. He will demand reform to medical malpractice laws to curb abusive lawsuits that squeeze doctors, prevent innovation, and drive up the cost of health care. We need more transparency of prices and quality measures so that patients can make informed choices.

Reforming Government. Americans have lost trust that their government and its elected officials will serve the Nation's interest and not their own. Special interests have too much influence in Washington. John McCain will bring spending under control, veto wasteful, pork-barrel spending bills every time, and keep taxes low. He will reform a tax code that is too complex and too burdensome. John McCain will modernize Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He will bring accountability, choice and competition to underperforming schools, so our children are equipped to take the best jobs of the 21st century. John McCain is the only leader willing to make the hard calls necessary to restore faith in our government and build a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.

John McCain...Courageous Service, Experienced Leadership, Bold Solutions.

This is your time South Carolina - Make it Our Time!