McCain's Speech To CPAC

Did he bring you home?

He did mention the FISA bill and challenged Hillary and Barack to get on board.  Ramesh has instant reax.  [Speech here.]

McCain was also adamant on the war in Iraq and did note, probably not for the last time, that of the current crop of candidates he has the most knowledge of the horror of war, yet still thinks the war in Iraq is worth the heartbreak.

MORE:  Cheney's speech.  Cheney noted FISA but did not name names:

One of the ways we prevented attacks and saved lives is by monitoring terrorist-related communications. Last year, Congress passed major revisions to the FISA law -- that's the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- but those revisions are set to expire next week.  We're asking Congress to make those revisions permanent, and to provide liability protection for companies that are believed to have helped protect America since 9/11. (Applause.) Those who act in good faith to defend this country should not be punished with lawsuits, or hassled by trial lawyers. (Applause.)

OTOH, the RNC was not so coy:

RNC Attacks Clinton, Obama Over Electronic Surveillance Bill

Politics officially entered the Senate debate over a rewrite of electronic surveillance rules Thursday when the Republican National Committee released a web video attacking the leading Democratic presidential candidates for “undermining” an overhaul.

The video was posted on YouTube and the RNC Web site and distributed to grassroots organizers, according to an RNC official. It criticizes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., as well as Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and  Barack Obama, D-Ill., for opposing retroactive legal immunity for telecommunications companies being sued over their alleged cooperation in the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance activities following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

It also urges them to enact permanent changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would update a temporary law set to expire Feb. 16.

“If Senators Reid, Clinton, Obama and their Democrat colleagues do not make the FISA updates permanent, they’ll deny intelligence and law enforcement communities the tools they need to protect Americans from foreign terrorists,” the video states. “After all, the terrorist threat to America never expires.”

And a plaintive plea:

At a House Judiciary Committee hearing, the panel’s top Republican,  Lamar Smith of Texas, pleaded for politics to be left out of the FISA debate. “The [temporary law] expires next week. The Senate must pass a strong bipartisan bill. And when they do, the House must act quickly to pass the bill and send it to the president,” he said. “This is not the time for partisanship. This is the time for responsible action.”

Too late.

Comments

[SteveMG]

Good speech, a solid first step - more needs to be done - to prove to his conservative critics that he is with them.

A President McCain will have listen to those on the Right; a President Clinton or Obama not only won't listen to them, they don't need to.

If you can't see that, I can't help you out.

[Red white 'n blue1]

McCain's credentials in the Iraq war are substantial but until his credentials on the Illegal's Invasion of the U.S. are shown to be substantial as well - he will be in trouble in Nov. The majority of legal Americans insist that the border be closed down to further invasion FIRST, then we can talk about who we should let in and what to do with those criminal illegals already here.

[centralcal]

Well, he gave a speech, said most of the things he knew he needed to and all is forgiven?

If wishes were fishes . . . this IS John McCain, after all. I will have to see how long his good intentions last, how he maintains his temperment - both angry-wise, and maverick-wise. Also, he has to say more than "secure the borders," which he really hasn't to date.

[clarice]

I think FISA is exactly the place to draw the first line in the sand--and we owe this to the Dems who set this expiration date. With geniuses like Pelosi and Reid at the helm, the Dems could improve their stable only if the Archbishop of Canterbury joined the team.

[Sue]

I'll be voting for McCain in November, barring a Huckabee on the ticket. Romney convinced me. Not McCain.

[SteveMG]

Here's an interesting report that I've heard nothing about. Did Limbaugh discuss this today?:

"Rush Limbaugh's private jet touched down at Dulles yesterday [2/6], as the titanic righty radio talker was limoed into DC to meet with bigtime righties who are in town for the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. There are rumblings that Limbaugh had a private meeting with presidential candidate John McCain, who is slated to address the confab."

Anything to the "rumblings"?

Link

[Rick Ballard]

The 2008 Vote Purchase Plan passed and the Senate only larded it up by $15 billion. We got off lucky.

[clarice]

Steve, Drudge is carrying a headline which says Rush has said he'll support whoever the Reps nominate.

[MayBee]

People who paid no income taxes but earned at least $3,000 -- including through Social Security or veterans' disability benefits -- would get a $300 rebate.

The word "rebate" has been re-purposed.

[SteveMG]

Clarice:
Steve, Drudge is carrying a headline which says Rush has said he'll support whoever the Reps nominate.

Did Limbaugh meet with McCain yesterday? I catch a bit of him during lunch time; but we were swamped at work today and I didn't get out.

I don't see a story on it anywhere - his website doesn't mention it - so I assume it's not true.

[PeterUK]

Hillary

[PeterUK]

"the Dems could improve their stable only if the Archbishop of Canterbury joined the team."

The way things are going,he could be free quite soon.

[Rick Ballard]

MayBee,

By my calculation the $161 billion Vote Purchase Plan would buy 805 bridges to nowhere. The main difference is that the bridges to nowhere would still be there after the elections.

Let's hear it for all the tough Porkbusters.

Easy on the repurposing of "rebate". People will think that you don't feel that veteran's and senior's votes are worth buying. That's another doubleplusungood.

[PaulL]

Rush said on the air today that he didn't meet with anyone.

McCain's speech was excellent. If he continues to direct his fire at Democrats instead of Republicans, he'll do just fine.

Romney did the right thing by stepping aside. The Huck looks even stupider than usual.

[jim lloyd]

Michelle: I just got on your wb site today for first time and I have a question you may have answered before. Why are you not on O'reilly and/or Fox anymore? I have E-Mailed them many times for an answer. I've asked, is it because you steal to much of his thunder wth your passion on the issues and he can't handle it? I think I am correct due to his bloated ego...please answer. thank you...

[Sue]

Speaking of bridges to nowhere, Ace has come up with a perfect candidate for McCain's VP. I don't know that much about her. Anyone here have any objections to her?

[Sue]

I'm sorry. I gave credit to Ace when it was one of his bloggers, Slublog, that came up with her.

[qrstuv]

Steve MG: "A President McCain will have listen to those on the Right; a President Clinton or Obama not only won't listen to them, they don't need to.

If you can't see that, I can't help you out."

Explain to me why McCain would "have" to listen to those on the right.

Make it convincing.

His history strongly suggests that he values the opinion and respect of the NYT far more than he values mine.

[Rick Ballard]

Headscratcher - McCain at CPAC:

I intend to nominate judges who have proven themselves worthy of our trust that they take as their sole responsibility the enforcement of laws made by the people's elected representatives, judges of the character and quality of Justices Roberts and Alito, judges who can be relied upon to respect the values of the people whose rights, laws and property they are sworn to defend.

I've heard that there are attorneys who hang around here. As an attorney, how do you intepret "enforce" regarding a judge? Second, is it a judge's duty to "respect values of the people"? Does such a duty extend to, oh say, cannibals who value the taste of liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti?

Or is this just a heaping serving of specious twaddle without meaning?

[SteveMG]

Explain to me why McCain would "have" to listen to those on the right

Because those are, in part, the people who elected him; it would be part of his base. Presidents just don't desert their bases if they want to have any chance of success.

If you think he will, then obviously you shouldn't vote for him. If I thought he would, I wouldn't support him either.

TM just quotes him above supporting the changes in the FISA law to protect the telecoms from lawsuits and to enable us to listen to calls between al-Qaeda operatives without getting warrants.

None of this is supported by the NY Times.

Sorry, I think it just absurd - there's no other word I can use to soften it - that anyone thinks that the NY Times editorial board is in any way comparable ideologically to McCain.

[Rick Ballard]

SMG,

Beldar has a very decent rationale for McCain up. Best I've seen to date from someone who doesn't care for him.

I sure hope McCain finds some speechwriters who speak English soon.

[Semanticleo]

“This is not the time for partisanship. This is the time for responsible action.”

IOW; "Let's all keep a lid on this TelcomCulpability thing, otherwise Dems and
Publicans both will swing from the yardarm.

[Jane]

Rick, I think the "enforce" word is incorrect altho I don't attribute it to doublespeak. McCain is not a lawyer. I assume, maybe incorrectly, he meant to say "uphold".

[Rick Ballard]

Jane,

I don't think it's doublespeak. It's a very sloppy throwaway that deserves enough ridicule to make the dimwitted speechwriter think before typing away. I really don't care to see enforcers on the bench nor do I give one whit about finding judicial candidates who "respect the values of the people" when I am absolutley certain that the vast majority of "the people" don't have any values that amount to more than momentary preference.

It's a very important point for conservatives and this language does nothing to assuage doubts concerning McCain's accuity or competence.

[qrstuv]

I didn't say he was as far left as the NYT, just that he cares much more for their approval than he does for mine.

And talk is cheap. He can *say* anything he likes, but he is on the record as follows:

* Opposing the First Amendment.
* Trying to ram through an amnesty bill that makes a mockery of rule of law, as well as of the wishes of the majority of this country.
* Expressing disdain and contempt for people who support that law.
* Assisting the Democrats in preventing the judicial nominees from even receiving votes, thus providing Democrats with a way to get their way without being directly accountable to voters.
* Siding with Hanoi Kerry and calling the SBVT "dishonorable."

Need I go on?

Like I said, based on past form, I do not trust the man an inch.

He will do what he needs to do in order to receive the approval of the media -- who, last I checked -- vote overwhelmingly for Democrats.

[Sue]

He will do what he needs to do in order to receive the approval of the media

Except on the most important issue of the day. The war. And I read this elsewhere today but it stuck. Do we really want our military having to salute Hillary or Obama? I don't. McCain it is. Like it or not. Mostly not, but I'll do it.

[qrstuv]

Really, Sue? How sure are you of that?

He wants to shut down Gitmo and forbid any interrogation that might tell us anything. It's like he doesn't understand what's going on.

And as far as the troops are concerned, I'd say yeah, he gets it--he won't backstab them. But does he understand what the war is even about? I haven't heard him articulate what we're up against, why we're fighting.

The Democrats don't, for sure, but neither would they want to piss off the country by announcing "victory/defeat/peace/whatever." I don't think they have the pull to do that.

And I fear very, very much that McCain will simply lend a Republican face to a lot of progressive nonsense. The damage there could last for a long, long time--long after The Maverick's time.

[Topsecretk9]

Those who act in good faith to defend this country should not be punished with lawsuits, or hassled by trial lawyers.

Amen.

[Semanticleo]

"The damage there could last for a long, long time--long after The Maverick's time."

That doesn't matter because he's tuff on terrorism.

http://realtruthonline.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-official-john-mccain-is-insane.html

[Semanticleo]

"act in good faith"

A presumption yet to be determined.

[Jane]

I dunno Rick. I can't argue with you because given what we are left with I don't know if I am hearing what I want to hear or not. Time will tell.

[Sue]

Really, Sue? How sure are you of that?

I'm not going to try and talk you into voting for McCain. I had to be brought there kicking and screaming and still hold a caveat with Huckabee. Do what you think is right. But I'll be voting for him because of the war issue. Whatever his stand on certain issues with the war, they are better than the stand of the other 2. For me anyway.

[Ann]

Dobson endorsed Huckabee today. What if Huckabee starts a third party and Soros backs it. Just thinking. That's a Hillary win for sure.

[narciso]

I guess I'll vote for him in the end, is there a realistic choice. The truth is the
whole terrorist detention and trial network was undermined by the Kuwaiti and Quatari
(Al Sabah & Al Thani) funding of the Gitmo
detainees defense, mostly through the public
relations campaign and the carbon paper stenography of reporter's like the Herald's
Carol Rosenberg. The German govt wasn't hiring BBDO for instance to represent Dasch & Co; before the US Supreme Court in Qurin,
or the other prisoners in Eisentrager. I guess we'll just have to kill all the AQ militants now; starting with Gadahn and al
Libi

[SteveMG]

We've lost over 3,000 guys (men and women) in Iraq over the past 5+ years. Because of their heroic sacrifice and the brilliance of General Petraeus along with the rejection of al-Qaeda by the Sunnis, we're now winning.

It's been a terribly bloody war. But we are clearly having success in driving al-Qaeda out of the region and preventing them from using Iraq, as they did Afghanistan, as a failed state for their purposes.

McCain will continue with this approach.

Clinton and Obama will not. Their election will be described by the press as a repudiation of Bush's war policies. And the left will demand a withdrawal.

That in of itself is sufficient reason to support McCain.

Forget about everything else, it seems to me.

We simply cannot leave Iraq to the terrorists.

[narciso]

In other news, the Tabligh News Service (Newsweek) has another dispatch from
Northern Pushtunistan; by Yousafsai, about
the 'draconian' prison network run by the
Afghan National Security Directorate. Obviously, they don't read 'draconian' in the same sense we do, because such a prison wouldn't allow Taliban to buy their way out of prison. I guess that's what Archbishop
Williams thinks it meaN, honestly what a
#$%#$^$%&

[clarice]

narciso I think we just did kill al-Libi.

[Anon]

qrstuv-

Oh for shit's sake if you think for one minute that the troops would not be thoroughly dejected by having Hillary as their Commander in Chief and if you are so scrupulous as to do that to them then -

Cripes you might actually be a Limbaugh/Levin/Beck fan.

Let me get this straight-you sat by the radio for years while they told you that Hillary and Bill were pure evil and now hey!

Hunky dorey! Let's have Hillary in Chief.

And that turnabout somehow doesn't insult your intelligence?

Well hell Rush might know his audience is beyond that....

Wow what a bunch of bastards.

Go start your own party and hurl shit at each other and then sit around and conduct purity tests afterwards on each other.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

Gadahn too. At least one report I read suggested that he was probably with al Lidi when the Predator sent him out for raisins.

[SteveMG]

Just imagine how the press would report a Obama or Clinton victory.

As a complete repudiation of Bush's war policies, especially in Iraq.

Look, I've tossed lots of things at the screen over the years when McCain was pulling one of his "maverick" stunts. He appears to enjoy going after conservatives or conservatives policies he opposes more than he enjoys criticizing liberals or liberal policies. And the press loved encouraging him too.

But our choice is not between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. It's between John McCain and a 100% ADA liberal.

It's not even a close call for me.

To be sure, if McCain wins I'll probably knock out a few TV screens or monitors during his terms.

[qrstuv]

Anon, SteveMG --

I will ignore the personal elements of your responses.

I waver, I really do, even if you don't believe it.

And I do know what the stakes are. The war on terrorism is the reason I became a Republican after 20 years. And I think it would be truly wicked to abandon the Iraqis.

But my gut tells me that McCain will hurt us much much more than we can predict.

As I said, I also do not think that the Democrats could actually do that. After all, they've been *trying* to surrender for two years. They have failed because their constituents become angry when they try it.

[clarice]

Really,Rick? I missed that.
That would be delicious news if true.

[SteveMG]

qrstuv:
I will ignore the personal elements of your responses.

What "personal" elements were in my response?

Second, how can I engage - even if I did, which I didn't - in personal remarks to a poster who's named: "qrstuv"?

There's no "person" there to get "personal" with.

[Other Tom]

The fellow is transparently a front man for Joe Bfstplk.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

Jawa has the rumor. The Pak source hints that we're trying to get him to 'phone home' if we did miss him.

I sure like those Predators. Cheap, quiet and deadly.

[SteveMG]

a front man for Joe Bfstplk.

Very good.

You don't want to mess with Mr. Bftslpk. Or Btfsplk? Or.....??

Boy, Al Capp would have some fun were he alive today. Lots of material.

[clarice]

Guess will have to wait until the snapshots of the pieces are examined.

[Other Tom]

I saw that Pak report on that American asshole getting waxed. My immediate thought, after a solemn prayer that the report was true, was to hope that he lived long enough to know what had happened to him, and that he died only after some lengthy and excruciating pain.

I hope Fox News or somebody will air a nice retrospective of some of his more fulsome videotaped messages, which I will happily record and forward to his next of kin.

[Ann]

Townhall has video of Mark Steyn at CPAC today if you missed his great performance. I could watch him forever. :)

[Pofarmer]

He wants to shut down Gitmo and forbid any interrogation that might tell us anything. It's like he doesn't understand what's going on.

And as far as the troops are concerned, I'd say yeah, he gets it--he won't backstab them. But does he understand what the war is even about? I haven't heard him articulate what we're up against, why we're fighting.

Actually, he want's to bring them to Ft Leavenworth and put them in the Federal Prison system, which is just foolish.

He's also adopted the Left Shiboleth of "Get Osama" even though there may be no Osama to get. McCain is just tilting at windmills. I too, see no evidence that he understands what is at stake in the larger pictures. Other countries are going to need help, other figures are going to need whacked, hard decisions are going to have to be made. I don't trust any of the top three to make them. Does it count if I distrust McCain less?