Posted on 11/10/2006 5:49:35 PM PST by freespirited
Sen. John McCain, considered the front-runner for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, intends to launch an exploratory committee next week, GOP officials said Friday....
McCain, the GOP maverick who unsuccessfully sought his party’s nomination in 2000, already has opened a bank account for the committee, one official said.
The senator has made no decision about running for president,” said Eileen McMenamin, a McCain spokeswoman.
Aides to McCain say the senator will discuss whether to seek the presidency with his family over the Christmas holiday, and make a final decision thereafter...
Since losing to Bush in 2000, McCain has alternately challenged and embraced the president, building an independent reputation who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
McCain has spent the past year padding his Straight Talk America political action committee with supporters in the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina...and 15 months before the first primary contest in Iowa, McCain is considered the one to beat in a crowded field of potential GOP candidates. They include Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
An Associated Press-AOL News poll conducted late last month found Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Giuliani and McCain were essentially tied for support. Rice has insisted that she will not run.
This year, McCain had taken steps to improve his relationship with conservatives, addressing a graduation class at Liberty University at the invitation of the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a former adversary...
He has alienated conservatives, however, for opposing a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and supporting federal expansion of embryonic stem-cell research...
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Oshkalaboomboom said it. This is a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Everyone's getting bent out of shape for no reason -- I'll bet he won't break 15% in ANY primary. And I mean that literally; I will happily risk my $ to take yours, if you really believe otherwise -- heck, I'll give odds.
(Though I do think people might be right to worry about what happens if he runs as an independent -- but the way he's been playing the last two years, it sure doen't seem as if that's his plan.)
I agree, he is kind of nuts and besides his mental health he just doesn't look that healthy to me.
Never will I support Mccain.
I WOULD rather see a Dem in the WH that THAT self-centered short-sighted back stabbing schmuck.
McCain has urged on the leftist media to attack GWB these last six years, and then cleverly pushed his 'strong support' for the Iraq war, all the while denigrating the Commander-in-Chief.
In fact McClame has helped demoralize the GOP with his gang of 14 baloney, his campaign finance "reform" fiasco, and his amnesty for illegals proposal.
And then he claims to be a strong conservative....NOT.
NEVER in my life will I support him.
McCain needs to stop being the Democrats' favorite Republican. They are not going to put him in office.
Dont you mean Dec. of 1999, and again in Dec. of 2000, and again in Dec. of 2004.
I don't know if the situation is one of remission or simply that the melanoma was found early and surgically removed.
Whatever, I think he has had two more lesions (on separate occasions) since the first one.
If you thought Republicans stayed home on Tuesday, put McCain and Lindsey "box of Chocolates" graham on the ticket and see what happens.
Take it to the house, John,,,give it up... for your own sake.
He gets that swollen cheek, which is not a good sign. I don't think his health, either physical or mental, is good enough to be Commander In Chief.
If McPain has any friends in the Republican Party, they should advise him now not to waste his time or money. He is pi$$ing in the wind.
Sugar, Hillary is never going to be president. Even the Dems are beginning to acknowledge that. No man will vote for her because, as one smart Freeper put it, she sounds like every man's first wife.
Realistically speaking, I am sure we'll never see Dr. Rice in the Oval Office. She doesn't have the drive, nor the desire to give up her private life. But Steele is a contender. So is Perdue.
You are correct about McCain. At least with a Democrat, you know where they stand and they are easy to keep an eye on. With McCain, you never know what he will do.
"no man will vote for Hillary".
I'm living in new york state - I can assure you that isn't true. plenty of men already are voting for her.
and she will blow the doors off the "single youg women" demographic - traditionally a low turnout segment, who will turnout in droves to help elect the first female president, because its "chic".
Ummm...yeah, the Gang of 14 had NOTHING to do with corruption or anything else. Cut it out.
Johnny McScream, RINO extreme, suffers from most like post stress syndrome from being a POW. He is sick. No doubt about it.
The hard left doesn't like him either click here which might mean he's got a chance with the majority of the country.
I was just saying today that I would change my voter registration just to vote against Hitlery in a primary in PA; but with all the voter fraud it probably wouldn't count!
I will not vote for McCain no matter what happens.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.