Posted on 01/20/2008 4:25:45 AM PST by Aristotelian
In 2004, one of John McCain's closest associates, John Weaver, spoke to John Kerry about the possibility of McCain running as Kerry's vice presidential running mate. In "No Excuses," Bob Shrum's memoir of his role in numerous presidential campaigns, including Kerry's, Shrum writes that Weaver assured Kerry that "McCain was serious about the possibility of teaming up with him," and Kerry approached McCain. He, however, was more serious about seeking the 2008 Republican nomination.
But was it unreasonable for Kerry to think McCain might be comfortable on a Democratic ticket? Not really.
In ABC's New Hampshire debate, McCain said: "Why shouldn't we be able to reimport drugs from Canada?" A conservative's answer is:
That amounts to importing Canada's price controls, a large step toward a system in which some medicines would be inexpensive but many others -- new pain-relieving, life-extending pharmaceuticals -- would be unavailable. Setting drug prices by government fiat rather than market forces results in huge reductions of funding for research and development of new drugs. McCain's evident aim is to reduce pharmaceutical companies' profits.
But if all those profits were subtracted from the nation's health care bill, the pharmaceutical component of that bill would be reduced only from 10 percent to 8 percent -- and innovation would stop, taking a terrible toll in unnecessary suffering and premature death. When McCain explains that trade-off to voters, he will actually have engaged in straight talk.
There are decent, intelligent people who believe that equity or efficiency or both are often served by government setting prices. In America, such people are called Democrats.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
McCain is part Republican, part Democrat. But last night, in his victory speech, he tried to recast himself as some sort of GOP ideal candidate. Give me a break!
Setting drug prices by government fiat rather than market forces results in huge reductions of funding for research and development of new drugs. McCain's evident aim is to reduce pharmaceutical companies' profits. But if all those profits were subtracted from the nation's health care bill, the pharmaceutical component of that bill would be reduced only from 10 percent to 8 percent -- and innovation would stop, taking a terrible toll in unnecessary suffering and premature death. When McCain explains that trade-off to voters, he will actually have engaged in straight talk.Socialism everywhere. It surrounds us. And now it threatens to come down on our heads in an avalanche.
McKennedy is the GOP version of Hillary. Both of them will do or say anything to get elected president. Both would be a disaster in the White House.
Who in the world are these “SC low country voters” and how do we get rid of them, now that SC has assumed mythic importance as conjured up by the msm?
John McCain taking credit for the troop surge is like Algore taking credit for inventing the internet.
I McCain’s I think the following applies
We are what we repeatedly do.
Aristotle
And the Clintons are taking credit for Ronald Reagan’s economy, when Billy Jeff’s achievements were the Silicon Valley bubble and the end of “red-lining” by lenders, which planted the seeds of the sub-prime lending disaster we are in today.
If only some GOP candidate would talk about that, but that would really be “straight talk” and would require some courage. I certainly don’t see McKennedy ever doing it.
How can someone who is supposed to champion the GOP positions say something like this? He is a RINO in socialist's clothing and a chameleon to boot. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him and his state.
Maybe he should have jumped ship and switched parties years ago. Today McCain could have been a strong contender for the Demo nomination.
I will not be voting for the Democrats on the ballot in November running for President. Both of them!!
If you are so unhappy with the current choice of candidates, then break away and form a far right party like the Green Party did to the Democrats and nominate Dick Cheney or Rush Limbaugh.
In the meantime step aside while the rest of the Republican party tries to put end end to the Clinton era.
McDole could pick Jon Carry to be his VP, though it would Break Mn. Gov. Pawlenty’s Heart. Pawlenty put a lot of effort into promoting the Democrat Majority Press darling McDole.
Well, of course for there to be a Ronald Reagan, there had to be a Jimmy Carter.
Alot of people think...oh well...what’s the difference...6 of one and half a dozen of another.
However, I do not think McKennedy is the answer and yes, many Repubs would sit this one out.
Mitt is the only hope for conservatisem in this election.
Why is it a “far-right” position to hate that McCain dumped on the first amendment with his campaign finance debacle?
Why is it a “far-right” position to hate that he dumps on Republicans every chance he gets?
Santorum said that McCain would not work with the Republicans at all, instead he teamed up with the most liberal of the lefties for crap bills like shamnesty.
Far-right? Hardly. Just not nearly left as you and your McCain loving friends in NH.
This has got to be one of the dumbest reasons to oppose McCain I've ever heard. How does removing a government fiat ("you can't buy drugs from Canada") equate to "setting drug prices by government fiat"? McCain's stance that pharmaceutical companies are the "bad guys" is dumb, but Will's argument here is so weak that I don't agree with him either. If Canada is dumb enough to have price controls on some drugs, why not take advantage of them?
I dislike McCain - in fact, I find him creepy - but this article makes just about the weakest case against him that I've ever seen.
Well Sensible, and I think you already know this, many around here feel this way: “If my guy loses it’s because the media is against him. If my guy loses it’s because of voter fraud. If my guy loses it’s because the voters are stupid. If my guy loses it’s because the “system” is rigged.”
But it’s never because the kind of guy I like is not popular with America. It’s never because I and my buddies are on the fringe outside mainstream American thought. And it’s never, never,never because I am wrong.
I agree with your position. However, if I am left with McCain as my candidate I will likely be as enthusiastic for him as I was for Dole. Which means I was enthusiastic about not helping Clinton, not a strong base to build excitement.
Senators are ill equipped to be President. I gave Fred a pass on this. The Governors will continue to shine through the noise of this primary (and to a lesser extent, Rudy). After Fred, I’m a Mitt supporter because of the remaining candidates McCain has made me too angry too many times in the past and Huck is like Carter.
Way to go Romney. What did Fred Thompson say to defend our companies against a liberal attack?
He’s the best candidate they have. He and Lieberman would probably win the election.
By allowing the import of drugs at Canada’s prices you are setting the price in the United States at the Canadian’s government mandated ceiling. You are importing their price controls. Does Canada make a lot of drugs? Or do they rely upon the enterprise and creativity of Americans to create and produce the drugs they enjoy?
I think it is a glimpse into the mind of a man that has been in the Senate too long and has not had to make executive (government or private) decisions in a long time. McCain can say crap like that in that Senate when he is 1 of 100. But as President if he wishes to remove the motive for the development of new drugs he is a fool. And in the Senate, especially among the long serving senators, you find lots of fools.
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