McCain Comes to Kerry's Defense on National Security

[zimv20]

link (http://nytimes.com/2004/03/18/politics/trail/18TRAIL-MCCAIN.html?hp)


Senator John McCain added a rare bit of restraint to the escalating tone of the presidential campaign today, rejecting assertions by other Republicans that his colleague, Senator John Kerry, would endanger national security if elected.

``I don't think that,'' Mr. McCain said on CBS this morning. ``I think that John Kerry is a good and decent man. I think he has served his country. I think he has different points of view on different issues and he will have to explain his voting record. But this kind of rhetoric, I think, is not helpful in educating and helping the American people make a choice.''

Mr. McCain also defended Mr. Kerry in an appearance on NBC's "Today," saying in response to a question that he did not believe Mr. Kerry was "weak on defense."

what a thoroughly decent thing to do

also of interest

But Mr. McCain made it clear he supported the president and said he had no intention of joining his fellow Vietnam veteran on the ticket after he recently left the door slightly open to that possibility, much to the distress of the White House.

``I don't want to be vice president of the United States,'' Mr. McCain said on CBS, adding that he enjoyed his work in the Senate. ``I do not want to leave the Republican Party. I would not be vice president of the United States on either ticket.''

[jelloshotsrule]

mccain is a very respectable man, with whom i disagree on some issues...

but him vs many dems and i'd vote for him so that we'd get some good campaign finance reform... ideally opening up future elections to more "voices and choices". :)

[DavisBAnimal]

mccain is a very respectable man, with whom i disagree on some issues...

but him vs many dems and i'd vote for him so that we'd get some good campaign finance reform... ideally opening up future elections to more "voices and choices". :)

Anyone else ever have the feeling that, of all the people to recently run for president with potential of winning (sorry, Dennis), McCain is the guy MOST like Ralph Nader?

I always knew he was an upright politician, and would really give anything to have a guy like that in office right now.

Davis

[DavisBAnimal]

http://www.recallmccain.org/

Just came across this - it's a site run by conservatives wishing to drive McCain out of office because of his liberal position on many issues from gun control, to campaign finance, to health care, etc.

From the site:

“John McCain has become increasingly obsessed with advancing his own personal agenda contrary to President Bush, party leaders and rank and file Republicans.* In his insatiable desire for massive national media attention, he has all but forgotten the people of Arizona who elected him.* The last straw was his vote against final passage of President Bush’s tax cut plan, the very centerpiece of George W. Bush’s successful presidential campaign. John McCain’s legislative judgment is no longer acceptable.* He is continually sponsoring or cosponsoring legislation that will weaken the civil liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.”


Their biggest concern with McCain is his co-sponsorship with Kennedy (the poster-child liberal) on the Patient's Bill of Rights, his co-sponsorship with Lieberman on the Gun-Show loophole and Global Warming legislation, and his co-sponsorship with Fiegngold on Campaign Finance Reform.

Just thought it was interesting relative to the debate that was going on in that other thread about McCain being "ulta-conservative".

Davis

[IJ Reilly]

Just thought it was interesting relative to the debate that was going on in that other thread about McCain being "ulta-conservative".

And as I noted back in that thread, McCain is relatively moderate, which places him out of step with his own party. If he's been made out to be a bad guy, it's because his party-mates dislike him, not the media.

[jelloshotsrule]

Anyone else ever have the feeling that, of all the people to recently run for president with potential of winning (sorry, Dennis), McCain is the guy MOST like Ralph Nader?


maybe that's why i would vote mccain almost before i'd vote kerry... (would need to do more research)... i think that the single issue that i could come closest to being a single issue voter on (in general i think single issue voting is fairly ignorant) is campaign finance reform... why? because it opens up the future elections, where i could see getting more voices and choices and therefore, better elected officials.....

dare to dream