McCain speech at VMI... MUST READ.. FINALLY SOMEONE CALLS THE DEMS OUT... NO PUNCHES PULLED.

USA TODAY | 4/12/2007 | John McCain

[longtermmemmory]

When will republicans learn, the time for truth is when your poll numbers are HIGH, not when they say you are irrelevant and you can be dismissed as desperate.

McCain is 7 years too late.

[jveritas]

Amen.

[ruschpa]

Bush is actually following McCain’s strategy in Iraq. McCain had been calling for a surge long ago, far before the current surge strategy. He had also been calling for Rumsfeld’s replacement as well, Bush eventually replaced him.

[pgkdan]

Until next week, when he recants almost everything, stating that he was influenced by the environment at VMI to say things that under any normal circumstance wouldn’t be true.

That's bull. McCain has been a supported of the Global War on Terror and the War in Iraq since day one. he has never waivered or equivocated.

[longtermmemmory]

this is too tainted with election desperation to do any good.

[ConservativeMind]

McCain’s mixture is 85% liberal and 15% conservative, while voting (only in the end such that he has cover both ways) slightly more often on the conservative side than the liberal side.

Unfortunately, he seeks to equivocate on every issue and in every context. He wants it both ways, so in the end, he is never really taking a stand.

He retreats from everything he says or does.

[rottndog]

McCain’s credibility is long gone for me too.

If McCain would drop out of the campaign and say these kinds of things outside the electoral process, I might take him seriesly.

[freeperfromnj]

If the terrorists are willing to do this terrible thing to Iraqi children, what are they willing to do to our children?

The DemocRATS need to think long and hard on that one.

[jveritas]

McCain is vastly more conservative than Rudy Giuliani.

[jveritas]

Show us the facts to support your lie that McCain is 85% liberal and 15% conservative.

[madconservative]

Thanks for posting. I have a hard time coming to a final opinion on McCain. I really didn’t like the grandstanding since 2000, but at the end of the day I do think the Republican elites screwed him before he ever screwed them (READ: SC Primary). I don’t agree with CFR, and I hated the gang of 14 crap with a PASSION, but nobody seems to call him disloyal here about breaking ranks with Bush when he started writing blank checks to dems on so many social programs...

The guy is pretty solidly anti-abortion, he has been advocating the surge for years, is in my opinion more conservative than Romney or Giuliani (not saying much), and if you look at voting records, he is neck and neck with Fred. When all of the other candidates (GOP or Dem) distance themselves from talking specifics on Iraq, McCain is pushing a specific plan, and has not wavered on the WOT. On top of everything else, we should not overlook the fact that independants love him. That’s not a bad thing if he is conservative on most things.

I intend to support Fred if he throws his hat in the ring, but I think we could do a lot worse than McCain, and think everybody should ease up on attacking him here. To tell the truth, I am not sure that Fred is as electable in the GE as McCain (though I would still go with Fred on principle over CFR).

[ConservativeMind]

What about his apology just in the past week or so about saying that Iraq was basically as bad as ever? He had gone to Iraq and said that things had really improved there, but afterwords, recanted his words with 60 Minutes saying he more recently realized that in his trips, he’d only been taken to heavily guarded, safe places that were not indicative of Baghdad or Iraq as a whole?

How many countless other items would you like to hear of his “recants”?

[MARTIAL MONK]

McCain has been consistant in has support of the war. This is no election year ploy. He said what the President should have been saying for the past four years.

McCain was eviscerated here for criticizing the troop level. When things went to Hell what was the answer? A troop surge. Who was wrong?

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Good speech but he’s still a RINO. IMO

[sageb1]

I didn’t see Reid’s response and have no idea why he would mention the Pope, but Pope Benedict understands the dangers of Islam more than John McCain does.

[Edit35]

It’s a shame it has to be McCain who does the “calling out” of the betrayal Democrats.

McCain might be right about this issue, but he is a vindictive “me” magnet, who I really have come to detest.

In fact, much of the hatred toward GWB and the conservatives stems directly from McCain who constantly supports wackadoodle liberal stances in order to curry favor with the public, and with the media.

When ever McCain does that, it just convinces the media US-haters that they are correct in all their antiGOP analysis and coverage.

[jveritas]

The Pope said that nothing good is coming from Iraq and traitor Reid is taking this statement as the gospel truth to further undermine the war. He asked McCain to debate the Pope on this statement.

[HamiltonJay]

McCain has supported the WOT, he as also criticized the execution of it... and history thus far has shown his criticisms to be legitimate... He argue for more troops long ago, called for Rumsfeld to leave, etc etc etc. Bush Loyalists don’t care for him because while supporting the war, has been critical of its execution, which of course the press pounce on and take a quote here or there out of context and play it as though McCain is with the dems or against the war or president.

McCain is definately one of the most ardent war supporters in congress. Even in this speech he openly admits to and repeats criticisms of the wars execution. Those cynics that think this speech is somehow contrived, haven’t been paying attention to what McCain has said or done on this topic in 4+ years.

I have my differences with McCain, but this speech is a MUST READ, and should be headlining every newscast.. but it won’t, because well it calls the dems to account and makes them look like complete fools.

Ried couldn’t even respond when asked about it, he stood there slack jawed for nearly a minute before saying he wouldn’t engage in a “word fight” with McCain... Then mumbled something about the Pope being against the war and McCain should take it up with the Pope or something...
Obama delivered a complete non answer when he was asked to respond etc etc etc..

This speech says what Bush should have been saying for a long time, BLUNTLY, not politely. BLUNTLY calling out the dems for their actions. Hell nearly all R’s should be saying these things just as bluntly for months if not years... and none of them are. They are still playing touchy feely whenever they respond to a D tomfoolery.

Say what you will about McCain, but this speech is a MUST READ for anyone serious about the issue of the WOT.

[ClaireSolt]

It is a good speech, but I don’t like his habit of blaming America. I dispute the idea that was can be planned and managed and when victory eludes us it is a matter of mistakes. I think General Casey is more correct to point to an intelligent and adaptable enemy. Underestimate the enemy at your great peril.

[madconservative]

No offense, but how the heck are Giuliani and McCain even close on social issues? Rudy is for publically funded abortions and gay rights. He is also seriously anti-gun. McCain is not absolutley perfect on any of those, but he is WAY better on each.