Free Republic

Here is an interview (see video)former Sen. Fred Thompson did with Fox & Friends on May 16, 2008. Fred talks about Barack Obama, saying "we don't need a babe in the woods" on foreign policy in these dangerous times. Thompson said we need John McCain, whom he describes as being "right on the major issues" that are vital to America - National Security, Judicial Appointments, and Taxes/Trade. . .

Israelinsider.com reviews a quote from Jeffrey Goldberg's interview with Barry H. Obama. This interview was spun earlier in the week as an example of how Obama is really a good friend of Israel and in this way is no different than his competitors for the Presidency. Taken out of context, some of the quotes aren't bad. Taken in context, that is, with respect to Obama's associations, one can begin to see a picture of someone not fully prepared to be Commander in Chief. Sure, most of the words are pleasing, albeit reflective of leftist and conventional wisdom dogma, but is...

SAN JOSE, Calif. - After running one of Silicon Valley's powerhouse companies for six years, Carly Fiorina now has her sights set on the White House. Not for her — not yet, at least. But for John McCain. Fiorina, 53, joined the Republican senator's presidential campaign this spring. She brings with her a long list of wealthy friends and supporters and intimate insight into how some of the largest corporations work, having been at the helm of Hewlett-Packard Co. and before that, senior management at AT&T Inc. and its spinoff Lucent Technologies. While the new gig is her first in...

May 15, 2008 Berkeley, California OK, Scooter's psychotic empathizing with John McCain has gotten totally out of hand. It's one thing to adopt the hairstyle or even mild mannerisms of somebody one admires, but Scooter's total metamorphosis into McCain by way of elaborate theatrical makeup, wardrobe, acting, and vocal inflections is beyond weird. Yesterday we went shopping at the mall, and while there Scooter probably signed over a hundred autographs as Senator McCain. Later at the urging of onlookers he even gave an impromptu speech from atop a table at the food court. After flashing some very realistic Vietnam...

Speaking in Israel, President George Bush today slammed the policy of appeasement that led to World War II and the extermination of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, the same policy approach he said some today favor in dealing with terrorist states such as Iran. President Bush never mentioned the name "Barack Obama" in his remarks, but the Obama campaign has stepped right in the subtle trap by decrying Bush's attack on him. He obviously recognized himself in Bush's remarks! The liberal media is going crazy, as are the Democrats. Listen to what Bush actually said . . . (Video)...

[snip] ....The sales job is a myth. In reality, a McCain presidency would promise an entirely conventional, center-left, multilateralism. If you liked the second Bush term, if you liked Clintonian foreign policy, you will find much to admire in a Commander-in-Chief McCain. There would be the same agonizing over European and Islamic perceptions of America; the same doctrinaire commitment to the alchemy of democracy promotion; and the same fondness for heaping more unaccountable bureaucratic sprawl atop the already counter-productive agencies and multinational institutions that frustrate the United States at every turn. Don’t take my word for it. Read McCain’s own...

South Carolina's Lindsey Graham is a flop. He pretends to be a conservative, but sells out conservatives and insults them while doing so. He pretends to be effective at reaching across party lines, but the only thing he effectively does is help the other party. He inhabits the Senate seat of Strom Thurmond, legendary for great attention to his South Carolina constituents, but Graham spends most of his time trailing behind John McCain like a valet as McCain criss-crosses the country in pursuit of the presidency. He called Ted Kennedy "one of the most principled men I've ever met." In...

It’s not quite Birkenstocks and tie-dyed T-shirts, but presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has shown he’s willing to go the extra mile to embrace the global warming movement. The latest sign of that is the recently introduced “eco-friendly” campaign merchandise the McCain campaign has showcased on its Web site. Included are his and hers “Go Green” McCain embroidered polo shirts, T-shirts, hats and visors with or without the recycle logo. Organic cotton onesies for the babies. You can also find “Go Green” McCain tote bags, notebooks and travel mugs (with up to 100 percent recycled material and...

"Me? I'm just hangin' out, listening for McCain's phone call and waiting for reporters..." Mike "The Huckster" Huckabee, is at the top of the short list of John McCain's vice presidential candidates. At least according to a top McCain fundraiser. Economic conservatives are likely to oppose the choice of Huckabee as McCain’s vice presidential candidate, given the populist tone of his campaign and his tax record as governor of Arkansas. But in his “Capital Commerce” column for U.S. News & World Report, James Pethokoukis points to the fundraiser’s disclosure and cites several factors that could make Huckabee a strong asset...

McCain Economic Plan Across America, families are facing economic challenges. Gas prices are rising, mortgages are threatened, and thousands have lost their jobs. Now is the time to act and John McCain has outlined several near-term, tangible plans to address some of the challenges confronting Americans today Helping Americans Confront Higher Living Costs: John McCain Will Help Americans Hurting From High Gasoline And Food Costs. Americans need relief right now from high gas prices. John McCain will act immediately to reduce the pain of high gas prices. John McCain Believes We Should Institute A Summer Gas Tax Holiday. Hard-working American...

The problem with Bush is that Americans became unhappy with his style of management. I never liked the “Big Tent” idea since I believed it really had less to do with being Big anything and more about having to wear check pants or you don’t belong in the tent. In fact, it wasn’t even a tent. It was a “club”. But whatever the case, Bush was suppose to lead the “Big Tent” in the Republican Party in the first decade of this Century, but almost everyone, and not just conservatives, became alarmed at the way big walls between his Administration...

Just when the dust was beginning to settle following President Bush's latest assault on common sense, in which he accused conservatives of "spreading fear" by being honest about amnesty, Senator John McCain decided that fear mongering was not such a bad tactic after all. In fact, McCain decided that fear mongering was essential in trying to sell his amnesty snake oil to a skeptical and increasingly suspicious public. On June 2, McCain rolled out his fear-based defense of amnesty on the campaign trail in Le Mars, Iowa. Responding to a question about deportation of illegal aliens, McCain delivered the following...

My friends and I have cried in our beer long enough about the awful choices we face in the upcoming Presidential election next fall, and we have made it clear how much we regret having to vote for Senator McCain. What I decided to do was to list the 10 most important issues I have, in order of their importance to me, and see how the three present candidates would stack up with respect to these issues.

Dear John, I'm writing because these are crucial times for my country – our country. I don't take political campaign shenanigans lightly, even though I know the whole business costs too much money, takes too much time, avoids critical issues and ultimately gets too dirty. But it leads to the White House and the presidency and "President John McCain" sounds awfully good to you. Yes, yes, I know. Both you and Cindy have said that you want to keep it all on the high road until Election Day – that you don't want to run a negative campaign. I think...

Republicans in the U.S. Congress are petrified about a November debacle, a fear stoked on May 3, when they lost their second straight special election in a district held by Republicans. The party's fundamental situation is terrible: Republicans are saddled with an enormously unpopular president, a war, a troubled economy and a Democratic opposition that's being energized by important constituent groups. "The generics are as bad as anytime since I have been here," said Representative Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican and one of the most politically astute members of Congress in either party. Davis, a 14-year veteran, is retiring this...

Don’t call me a racist because I point out inconvenient facts about Senator Obama. Almost before Obama was born, I was the Campaign Coordinator in Bristol County, Massachusetts for Senator Edward Brooke, the first elected African-American senator in the United States after Reconstruction. Don’t call me a racist when 91% of the black vote is going for Senator Obama. Now that is racist!

BEND, Ore. (AP) — Barack Obama began sketching the outlines of his expected presidential contest against Republican John McCain on Saturday, saying the fall election will be more about specific plans and priorities than about questions of political ideology or who is more patriotic. Barely mentioning Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama said he was open to campaigning with McCain in "town hall" events. But he also warned that controversial issues such as McCain's ties to the Keating Five savings and loan scandal are fair game, and he called McCain's proposal for a temporary halt in the federal gasoline tax...

Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director, RFFM.org Houston, we have a problem! Or perhaps I should say, Republicans have a problem. Even though GOP crybabies--including Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity--now seem to be rallying around the candidacy of Sen. John McCain, the message has yet to filter down to the Party's base. Though McCain is the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee, in Pennsylvania Rep. Ron Paul finished second with over 15% of the Republican votes cast. Gov. Mike Huckabee snatched up nearly 12% of those who voted on the GOP's side of the ballot. Both men tallied a...

John McCain gave a speech recently on the need to appoint judges that interpret laws rather than legislate from the bench. He also took issue with "Senate obstructionism" practiced by liberals who are blocking judicial nominees. The Speech seems designed to to help McCain firm up his conservative base. But here's the problem. McCain has made it harder to confirm judicial conservatives to the bench. While McCain's speech properly chastised liberals for blocking nominees, what did he do when he had the chance to help stop them cold? Well, here he is, in his own words: "...when there were threats...

RFFM.org Commentary I was watching Bill O'Reilly's interview (O'Reilly Factor--FOX News Channel) with the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, on Thursday and the host asked his guest about the problem of illegal immigration. Remember, McCain came under considerable fire from many Americans on both sides of the political aisle for his stance on the problem and O'Reilly was trying to clarify the position of the senior Senator from Arizona on the subject of illegal immigration. Of course, McCain began with his usual spiel that he gets it, as far as Americans wanting our border with Mexico secured....

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler says he believes Republican presidential candidate John McCain blocked his immigration bill from getting a vote on the U.S. House floor. McCain's staff denies it. The Waynesville Democrat spoke to the Rotary Club of Hendersonville on Tuesday. He said the Republican leadership tried to bring the Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act to the House floor. They used a provision of House rules called a discharge petition, in which a simple majority can bring to the floor a bill that is stuck in committee. The petition had 181 of the 217 signatures needed to force...

Let's say you're a young person working for a large, well respected corporation with a very pronounced global presence and an acute need for an increased workforce. Your job is difficult, but also very personally fulfilling. Despite the fact that you love your job, you find yourself thinking about moving on. Sensing this, your boss comes to you and says: "I hear you're thinking about quitting. We really value your work and we need you to stay. It's hard to find qualified employees like yourself so we'd definitely like it if you stayed on. But, just so you're aware, if...

John McCain rarely speaks about his experiences as a POW in Vietnam, but one of his cell mates at the Hanoi Hilton on Thursday described some of the conditions and character traits that earned McCain the commendations he received for his war service. Col. George “Bud” Day, 83, is the most decorated service man since Gen. Douglas MacArthur, with more than 70 medals. A living legend, Day was blown out of the sky two months to the day before the North Vietnamese shot down a propaganda prize, whose father and grandfather were renowned American admirals. “They told me we were...

Like John McCain, Col. George E. "Bud" Day spent over 5 yrs in Vietnamese POW camps. Day and John McCain were cell-mates for about 2 and a half years. Day is a legendary military hero with more medals and ribbons than anyone since General Douglas MacArthur.

John McCain is getting catcalls for his speech on Tuesday declaring his preference for Supreme Court Justices in the mold of John Roberts and Samuel Alito.

Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Tuesday strongly spoke out against judicial activism and sought to appease social conservatives by saying that John Roberts and Samuel Alito are the type of justices he would nominate for the Supreme Court. “I will look for people in the cast of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, and my friend the late William Rehnquist — jurists of the highest caliber who know their own minds, and know the law, and know the difference,” McCain said. “My nominees will understand that there are clear limits to the scope of judicial power, and clear limits...

McCain MirageThe senator is not ready-for-prime-time commander-in-chief.By Andrew C. McCarthySenator John McCain’s ascendancy in the Republican presidential race has been truly remarkable. Yet, it’s no groundswell. To this point, about two out of every three primary and caucus participants have voted against him. If the Democrats and independents some states permit to crash the Grand Old Party were factored out, his standing in the Republican base would be even less impressive. Still, you have to hand it to his admirers: They have parlayed his thin support into an aura of inevitability. The glow could intensify this week, when McCain is...

McCain, Senate Republicans Want EPA To Review Ethanol Mandates May 5, 2008(The Politico) Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined 23 other Senate Republicans in sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency asking the agency to consider waiving ethanol mandates. Congressional debate over the use of ethanol has intensified in recent weeks, as rising food prices have caused some lawmakers to finger the increased growing of corn for fuel as a potential cause. In the letter sent on Friday, Senate Republicans argue that the EPA has the power to waive or restructure an Energy Bill passed last December requiring a large...

The John McCain campaign celebrated Cinco de Mayo today by launching a Spanish-language version of its website–and announcing that McCain will speak at the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza (that’s “The Race”). The campaign justifies his appearance by framing it as a gesture of inclusiveness and outreach that is “part of his commitment to talking with all Americans.” Yes, they see it as an act of tolerance to legitimize the militantly open-borders, anti-immigration enforcement, ethnic nationalists who call themselves “The Race.”

Barack Obama said Friday, “We’ve had a rough couple of weeks.” Actually, he’s had a rough couple of months. He’s lost three big primaries to Hillary Clinton. And, should he hold on to win the nomination, he can no longer be considered a clear favorite over John McCain in the general election. In a New York Times/CBS News poll in late February, Obama was defeating John McCain 50 to 38. Two months later, the Times/CBS poll had McCain and Obama tied. The poll that came out yesterday showed Obama reopening a lead over McCain — but clearly over this period...

Is John McCain Ronald Reagan or Bob Dole? Or, more to the point, will McCain be perceived as the vigorous, wood-chopping proclaimer of “Morning in America” or as a cranky senior senator prone to gaffes and the occasional stage tumble? The sensitive question of age — one of the trickiest and most unpredictable in the political playbook — has been touched upon only glancingly since McCain became the de facto GOP nominee. But it is certain to hover over a candidate who will be 72 by Election Day. For all the ink spilled on whether the country is ready for...

Election latest: David Cameron inflicts worst drubbing in 40 years The Conservatives made sweeping gains across the country early today as voters gave Gordon Brown a huge rebuff in his first electoral test as Prime Minister. David Cameron chalked up important successes in the North, the Midlands and the South, securing his top target of Bury in Greater Manchester and taking control of Nuneaton and Bedworth, and Southampton. The Conservatives also took seats in Labour strongholds of Sunderland and Wigan. Labour suffered one of its worst electoral humiliations, with its national share of the vote dropping to 24 or 25...

Americans' civil liberties as established in the Bill of Rights are seriously in danger, says Bob Barr. So much so, he says, that it prompted the Smyrna resident and former member of Congress to consider a bid for president as a Libertarian. "There is one set of issues that ought to be discussed during a presidential campaign - the Bill of Rights, what are our liberties, what are our freedoms and how can we protect these liberties," Barr said in an interview Monday at his office for his consulting firm, Liberty Strategies, near the Cobb Galleria. "I'm interested in working...

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com ***** By Jennifer Skalka The AFL-CIO is dropping a tough mailer in PA today noting that while John McCain's war service is admirable, his political views -- on the Bush tax cuts, NAFTA and overtime pay, in particular -- are out of sync with the needs and values of working Americans. "

It came to me while I was having dinner with Doris Day. No, not that Doris Day. The Doris Day who is married to Col. Bud Day, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, fighter pilot, Vietnam POW and roommate of John McCain at the Hanoi Hilton. As we ate near the Days' home in Florida recently, I heard things about Sen. McCain that were deeply moving and politically troubling. Moving because they told me things about him the American people need to know. And troubling because it is clear that Mr. McCain is one of the most private individuals to run...

The link to the video is reproduced in post #2.

How the mighty have fallen! A day ago, the leftwing loons were high-fivin' each other about how helpful Rev. Jeremiah's Detroit speech would be to Barack Obama. By yesterday evening, cold cruel reality has set in and now the loons are pronouncing DOA for Obama's candidacy. While watching this VIDEO clip of Wright doing impressions of JFK and LBJ as well as doing an imitation of the Florida A&M marching band, one thought kept going through my mind: this clown was Obama's mentor and spiritual guide. If Obama looked up to this whack job what does that say about...

It’s time for conservatives to understand the true nature of the threat we face. Yes, it’s terrible that we once again have to choose between the lesser of two evils in a Presidential election. Yes, John McCain has been “rebellious”, to put it politely, when it comes to his relationship with the GOP. Yes, McCain, like Bush, bears little political resemblance to Ronald Reagan. However, McCain is now the only man who can prevent an effort by the left to make radical ideas mainstream via the election of Barack Obama. Conservatives must see this election as every bit as important...

If Barack Obama loses to John McCain this November, black liberals will not be the ones most angered by such an outcome. If anything, white liberals will be the most outraged. Many, though not all, white liberals supporting Obama are doing so because of the color of his skin and the perceived content of his character. Racial guilt is the gasoline that powers the engine of the white liberal: it leads Caucasian “progressives” to support such foolish ideas as hate crimes legislation, racial quotas, speech codes in universities, and all manner and manifestation of madness. White liberals who want Obama...

April 25, 2008, 4:30 p.m. Not Everything Is About RaceA wrong and reckless approach. By Peter Wehner In his Friday column, E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post writes this: Republicans clearly know that they can find ways to play on racial feeling while fully denying they are doing so. On Wednesday, the North Carolina Republican Party released a television ad showing Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, giving his now-famous sermon in which he declared, "God damn America." Of course Wright's comments were offensive, but to pretend that the ad does not have racial undertones would be to...

<p>Manipulative. Shameful. Race-baiting. Those are the only words to describe a new television ad from the Republican Party running in North Carolina that attacks Senator Barack Obama as “too extreme” for the state.</p> <p>Senator John McCain was right to condemn the ad and demand that state Republican Party leaders pull it — a demand they refused. As of Friday, the state party’s Web site was soliciting contributions to “keep this ad on the air.” The country cannot afford such divisiveness.</p>

Republican U.S. presidential candidate John McCain accused North Carolina's Republican Party of being "out of touch with reality" over its refusal to pull an advertisement criticizing Democrat Barack Obama.The advertisement criticized Barack Obama for being too extreme. Well, he is. It's not just all of his associations that have come to light in recent months. He was described in the National Journal as the most liberal member of the Senate. The main stream media wouldn't hesitate to describe any conservative as extreme. There's no good reason to gratuitously bash the North Carolina GOP. That wasn't enough. He felt compelled to...

RUSH: In the first hour of the program -- and I want to go through some of this again, because it's crucially important. As you know, the North Carolina Republican Party has an ad. They are not going to pull the ad. It is an ad that is... Its intent is to cause doubt among North Carolina voters about the Democrat gubernatorial candidates. It uses sound bites from the Reverend Wright. Here is that ad. FEMALE ANNOUNCER: For 20 years, Barack Obama sat in his pew listening to his pastor. WRIGHT (screaming): And then wants us to sing God Bless...

RUSH: Here is the ad that will run -- by the way, Reuters had a story yesterday that the North Carolina Republican Party pulled this ad. They have not pulled the ad. I don't know who told Reuters this or if Reuters just made it up, but they have not pulled the ad. It is going to run Monday. We have seen to it, though, that even if they do pull it, it's going to air. They're not going to pull it, and McCain is fit to be tied. Here is the ad in question, the North Carolina Republican Party...

RUSH: Let's go to this ad, ladies and gentlemen, the North Carolina Republican Party TV ad. An unidentified female TV announcer you'll hear and then the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and the North Carolina Republican Party chairman Linda Daves. FEMALE ANNOUNCER: For 20 years, Barack Obama sat in his pew listening to his pastor. WRIGHT: And then wants us to sing God Bless America? No, no, no! Not God Bless America. God (bleep) America. FEMALE ANNOUNCER: Now, Bev Perdue and Richard Moore endorse Barack Obama. They should know better. He's just too extreme for North Carolina. DAVES: The North Carolina Republican...

It’s possible to love and hate John McCain at the same time. It is right to despise his unwillingness to draw a clear ideological line between conservatism and liberalism, his weakness for “compromise”, his admiration of amnesty and his comfort with campaign finance reform. It is also right to admire him for his personal courage, his history of honor, his tremendous intellect and his loyalty to the country. There are times when McCain can make a conservative sick, and there are times when McCain can make a conservative proud. Like President Bush, he is capable of infuriating and invigorating the...

Mike Reagan just said he wouldn't campaign for John McCain. Michael is disgusted that he would go to New Orleans and condemn the Federal Government for inaction. He also called the people in NOLA who wouldn't step up and accept responsibility losers. He was referring to Nagin and Co. He said McCain is an idiot.

TOLEDO, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican John McCain's presidential campaign is content to let Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton fight on. The prospect for an even longer Democratic battle resulted from Clinton's defeat of Obama in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, meaning the contest is likely to last at least another two weeks until May 6, when North Carolina and Indiana vote. As top McCain adviser Mark Salter said, Democrats should "take their time -- don't rush." Republican strategists believe McCain has benefited from having won his party's nomination in March, giving him time to raise much-needed cash and lay the groundwork...

My colleague Beth Frerking sends word that Miss South Carolina 2007 has come on board Team McCain. Ashley Zais, a recent Wofford grad, will serve as McCain's intern coordinator at the campaign's headquarters. She met McCain last year when the senator gave a speech at South Carolina's Newberry College, where her father is president. Mitchell Zais, a retired Army general, and McCain became friendly after Zais published a piece in 2006 critical of how Rumsfeld's Pentagon had handled the war. The younger Zais, it should be made clear, is NOT the same South Carolina beauty queen who has become a...

John McCain is abandoning any hope of catching the Democrats in fundraising.Based on new financial disclosure reports released Sunday, and interviews with his finance team, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee will instead accept taxpayer money to finance his general election and share other costs with the Republican National Committee. The strategy will allow McCain to stretch his campaign dollars by splitting the cost of television advertising and other campaign activity with the RNC. But the decision also puts the Arizona senator at risk of being badly outspent – even with RNC help – by a Democratic nominee who will be...