Levin On McCain

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Mark Levin lays into the McCain record today, lest you forget and actually start believing the man is a real conservative legislator:

The McCain domestic record is a disaster. To say he fought spending, most particularly earmarks, is to nibble around the edges and miss the heart of the matter. For starters, consider:

McCain-Feingold — the most brazen frontal assault on political speech since Buckley v. Valeo.

McCain-Kennedy — the most far-reaching amnesty program in American history.

McCain-Lieberman — the most onerous and intrusive attack on American industry — through reporting, regulating, and taxing authority of greenhouse gases — in American history.

McCain-Kennedy-Edwards — the biggest boon to the trial bar since the tobacco settlement, under the rubric of a patients’ bill of rights.

McCain-Reimportantion of Drugs — a significant blow to pharmaceutical research and development, not to mention consumer safety (hey Rudy, pay attention, see link).

And McCain’s stated opposition to the Bush 2001 and 2003 tax cuts was largely based on socialist, class-warfare rhetoric — tax cuts for the rich, not for the middle class. The public record is full of these statements. Today, he recalls only his insistence on accompanying spending cuts.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, McCain was consistently hostile to American enterprise, from media and pharmaceutical companies to technology and energy companies.

McCain also led the Gang of 14, which prevented the Republican leadership in the Senate from mounting a rule change that would have ended the systematic use (actual and threatened) of the filibuster to prevent majority approval of judicial nominees.

Mark also lays into his record on the global war on terror, which includes the continental United States, where McCain helped the ACLU fight for due-process rights of unlawful enemy combatants. He’s called for the closing of Gitmo and bringing those terrorists inside our borders which would, as Fred has pointed out many times, grant them rights they should never have.

But hey, he was indeed a war hero. But he is a war hero we don’t need in the White House.

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Do you actually become a war hero simply by becoming a POW? Doesn’t make sense to this old retired soldier. I wouldn’t vote for him for dog catcher (yes they still have them) and I am mostly a republican voter who splits the ticket when the republican is a piece of garbage and the democrat (all) smells like garbage.

Scrapiron, I’ve been reluctant to voice my view on McCains “heroic” time as a prisoner. I’m still timid about voicing the same sentiments that you have raised. There comes a time when we must say, how heroic is it to be held against your will. Please let no one say I don’t sympathize with his plight, and that he didn’t honorably serve his country. We seem to throw the title of Hero around so easily. Damn this is very hard to voice without seeming to be hateful. McCain is not a very nice man, which makes it that much harder.

I also wonder how McCain gets reverence with the Hero status. He crashed jets and got captured. He isn’t alone.

I am glad that I was not the only one to see this great article by Mr. Levin. I found it over at Mark Levin Fan, where he also has links to Mark Levin’s interview with Fred Thompson, where he gives Fred some advice on attacking McCain on his pitiful record.

Here were my thoughts on John McCain:
*****
Here is the bottom line. Stop judging this politician’s qualifications for the Presidency based on what he did 30 years ago while a member of the United States military and start looking at his career as a United States politician. You can simultaneously admire him for his career in the military and despise him for his career as a politician… and not support him for President.

I know that is my stance on Senator John McCain. He has my utmost respect as a military veteran and my utmost contempt for his career as a politician and constant betrayal of conservative values.
*****

George McGovern was also a genuine war hero, and like McCain had no business being president.

In general liberals have blurred the distinction between a victim and a hero. It irks me greatly. Whether that is happening here to McCain’s POW status, I don’t know. He did serve and gets some credit for that.

However we REALLY REALLY REALLY shouldn’t care.

I think McCain would welcome a discussion of his “war hero” status even a negative discussion. Such a discussion is a dead end and media will spin it into sympathy for McCain.

Most importantly it takes away from the discussion of his record which should be sufficiently damaging.

This is a well written piece backed up with a lot of personal opinions by a good writer with a clear purpose in mind.

In my view if you are still complaining about Mc-Fien then it is time to put on your big boy pants and shut the frick up. I agree with George W Bush when he signed it and said that this bill will go a long way to improve Federal Campaign financing. If you are still crying about being heard then send your money to MoveOn or the NRA or whatever Swiftboater will carry your water. The bill passed, the President Signed it and the Supreme Court acted on it.

Mc-Kennedy – I again hear a great deal of griping about McCain’s role in this and none about your hero W who is the real author of this bill. This is not about growing votes for the Democrats, it is about treating people humanely. The immigrants are here now. What is important at this point are the things that this president never had the courage to do – secure the borders that are still wide open seven years after 9/11; assimilate the legal immigrants and make the illegals unable to get a job by simply enforcing the rules on the books now.

Rather than bore you with the details of why you are on the wrong side on all of the other topics I want to address the Leadership in an actual bipartisanship manner that McCain showed in enlisting the help of six other Republicans, one Independant and six Democrats during a presidency of political animosity unlike any other of my lifetime. He single handedly secured the confirmation of Judge Alito by ending the filibuster attempts against his nomination. Overall the efforts of these men and women rose above the partisan bickering of the most do-nothing congressional term of all time (the 109th) and actually worked on doing the right things instead of doing the bidding of a few glad handers filled with self interest.

For five and 1/2 years while in solitary confinement a Viet Cong guard would come into his cell and demand that McCain bow. For five 1/2 years he refused to bow down to his oppressors and was knocked to the ground for it over 2,000 times. Why should any of us be surprised that he will not bow down to the wishes of others now?

For all who applauded W’s stubborness for doing what he thought was the right thing even through all of his mistakes you owe John McCain at least consideration.
Or you can vote for a guy who was a lobbyist for over 20 years, or the thrice married cross dresser who married his cousin and is pro-abortion, or the guy who believes that the New Testement is a lie and claimed to be to the left of Ted Kennedy, or yet another a kook from Texas.

I’m sure the fact that Democrat 527’s, which McCain-Feingold spawned, outspent the Republicans by more that 10:1 in the last election and that those 527’s found guilty of violating their rules got a joke of a fine, has nothing to do with CentFla defending MF.

you obviously do not know me jpm. I have been a McCain supporter for a long, long time. The Republican party has a much larger tent that you would like apparently.

And are you complaining both that McC-Fein limited speech and that the speech that you don’t want to hear raised more money? What exactly are you complaining about?

It is my personal belief that the Party will move back to where Reagan had us in the 80s under leadership that distances itself from the Bush regime. When Reagan ran against the incumbant GOP President in 1976 all of this was said about him too. McCain wants to return the tax rates to the Reagan era, do you hate him for that too? Who are you voting for j? The cross-dresser, the lobbyist or the guy who hates Paul, James John and Luke?

Bush and McCain are far more alike than apart. Your attempt to bring Bush into this is sad. Some Bush cheerleaders here might paralyzed because they couldn’t support Bush with the WoT and oppose his other policies. McCain’s record mentioned was mostly possible under Bush. Compared to the field of Candidates Bush is most interchangeable with McCain.

The only problem is that McCain is worse. So if you want to move away from the Republicans of the 80’s, vote McCain.

And as a note, when McCain did criticize or oppose Bush, who’s side did you happen to be aligned with most often?

err… should be

“..who’s side did he happen…’

McCain = Amnesty. Cannot be emphasized enough.

Curt I am just surprised that John McCain is receiving this kind of wrath and as I have said many times I believe that on blogs he is generally most vilified for not falling in lock step with this president – which of course I am great with.

He is a conservative Senator whether anyone wants to believe it or not.
on taxes
http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3526
on Abortion
http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3599
on Business Interests
http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3686

john Birch gives him a 90%
http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=2967
NEA a 0%
http://votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3546

It is just wrong to pick these silly issues being banded about like Campaign Finance or McC-Leiberman for crying out loud (real Pelosiesque ring to that colalition).

I fully understand the opposition to his immigration stance; I just think you guys are wrong on that issue. But the rest of these issues in my mind are not as important as his positions on the economy, taxes, security, spending and most importantly the end of partisanship. That is why we can win with McCain and why I think we WILL win with McCain. I also thought until yesterday that Thompson might be his running mate but I guess that is out now.

As for whom I will vote if McCain is not the candidate I would not vote for Hillary Clinton for @$$ wiper in Folsom Prison. If the GOP Candidate is Thompson I could still vote for him despite his irration desperation lately. Guiliani and Romney will force me to hope for a 3d party candidate again. I did not vote for W (did for his dad twice) and I was right then. I believe I am right now.

Perhaps you have all noticed, I am slightly opinionated and often without the luxury of knowing what I am talking about. I am sure that my post comes off incredibly egomaniacally, I hear it from the wife all the time.

signed – Big Tent Cent

Michael in Mi. You said what I was trying to say thank you. I’m originally from Mich,born and raised, left when I saw the bottom falling out.

whelp dang…

I posted a long reply a couple of hours ago or so and do not see it here, I must have deleted it rather than “sending” it. I would try and redo it but I am whipped from cleaning out the garage today…

I posted several organizations that have McCain graded as a middle of the road Conservative Senator. He is my guy on Taxes, Spending, experience, security, foriegn policy, and so many other things. There is no one that can come close to his back ground and preparedness for this job and no one has his commitment to service for this country in either party running for President.

Frankly the complaints about his record are silly except for his views on Immigration. I get your frustration on that position. I agree with him on that issue as well. Anyone that votes against McCain because of McCain-Feingold or Mc/Lieberman are being (IMO) vindictive because of his votes against the GOP establishment.

The GOP has changed a lot in the last twenty years, John McCain has not and neither have I.

I love you guys, love this awesome site, I am a big Tent Guy.

And no, I would not vote for Hillary for butt wiper at Folsom Prison. I would vote for anyone on the Ticket but Guiliani and Mitt. They are both nothing but smoke and make-up again, in my opinion. Either of them could set our party back further than GWB.
Sorry for my verbousness. My wife gets on me about that too…

Centfla: Back to your first comment here. It sounds a lot like the “Moveon” defense…. All those things McCain did are in the past so MOVEON.

But they represent a clear record on issues where his judgement is called into question.

No WAY do I intend to overlook them.

And while I would vote for McCheese if he’s the nominee, the fact that you can’t make your pledge to support the nominee without qualification undermines any credibility you have.

Are you a Republican and a Conservative or just a McCainiac?

no Mike, am not saying MOVEON, I agree with McCain’s positions on Campaign Finance and taxes, spending, abortion, gay marriage etc. I am a conservative. I believe that Bush is not a conservative with his lip service and non support of abortion issues, his growth of the government, his unchecked spending and other issues. Is Bush as Conservative to you?

I believe that if you vote for whomever the party throws up there then you are not a Conservative but will change your views to match whomever the party wants you to vote for. If I do not change my beliefs to match the party and vote for a Mitt or Rudy how can you call me anything but consistant?

How can a conservative vote for either of those two with their records?

CentFla, I live in phoenix, would you like to bet, if he is not nominated, doesn’t get reelected to the Senate. I predict he retires because he knows he would lose.

McCain is arguably worse than Huckabee. No humane treatment for law breakers besides “polite” detention and expulsion. No support for the Global Warming insanity. Why does this country need McCain? There are plenty of people who understand the Islamic threat. We don’t need someone who lies about being the inventor of the surge. I’m sick of this guy and his supporters. At least the one-issue evangelicals who support the idiot Huck do so because that’s all they care about. And no bipartisanship. Nothing but political war with Nancy Peolosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Nobody need the Kennedy-loving McCain who also loves to co-sponsor bills with Barack Obama. These animals have the blood of American soldiers on their hands by giving the Islamic nuts encouragement and impeding the war. No real hero would cooperate with the traitors. He truly is a Manchurian Candidate with the Stockholm syndrome.