[rightwing2]

So it doesn't bother you that Smith crawled on his ample belly back to the Republican party to get John Chafee's committee chairmanship before his body was cold?

Not in the slightest. It was in the best interests of the conservative cause that the foremost conservative in the Senate be a full committee chairman. You forget that the only reason that he defected from the GOP was because the Republican Party had become too liberal for him. I am glad he came back to the GOP because America needs principled leadership in the Senate that only he and a couple other incumbent conservative GOP senators can provide.

I don't know what "Conservative Index" you're referencing, but John Sununu is rated at 94% on the American Conservative Union website. That's a higher lifetime rating than Bob Smith has.

The ACU is a much discredited party hack barometer that does nothing more than measure party loyalty and how many times a Congressman voted with his party's leadership, regardless of whether the leadership voted for the Clinton budget or other liberal pet projects. It does not really measure conservatism. The New American magazine's Conservative Index is by far the most reliable measure of conservatism and it rated Sununu at a pathetic 40% which means he voted the liberal line 60% of the time--a record well to the left of the average House Republican. Smith on the other hand has regularly scored in the 90-100% conservative range for almost every session although on the last session he was only rated in the top three conservatives for the Senate. Plus, Sununu is pro-Palestinian, has accepted money from Islamic terrorists whom he supports, and supports amensty for millions more illegal immigrants. In short, his record on national security and border control is damn near scandalous whereas Smith's record is 100% pro-national security/pro-border control, pro-America!

[HalfIrish]

I'm shocked. You cited New American and sinkspur didn't go into a foam-at-the-mouth lying diatribe against the JBS. Maybe he's growing up some?

[sinkspur]

You forget that the only reason that he defected from the GOP was because the Republican Party had become too liberal for him.

No. The only reason he defected is because his defective radar sensed some groundswell for Bob Smith for President as an Independent. That, of course, fell flat on its ass, but he didn't have the honesty to say so. No, he blamed his flameout on some illness suddenly contracted by his wife.

The New American magazine's Conservative Index is by far the most reliable measure of conservatism and it rated Sununu at a pathetic 40% which means he voted the liberal line 60% of the time--a record well to the left of the average House Republican.

According to THE NEW AMERICAN, Jesse Helms is a liberal because he voted to free up money for AIDS!

The John Birch Society is not a serious player in mainstream conservative politics, and hasn't been for over a generation.

[sinkspur]

In short, his record on national security and border control is damn near scandalous whereas Smith's record is 100% pro-national security/pro-border control, pro-America!

How is Smith's vehement opposition to drilling in ANWAR pro-America?

I just returned from Alaska, and, while I didn't see the ANWAR property, the state is a beautiful wasteland.