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George Will: Self-evident truths, whenever declared Washington Post – George Will writes of Americans’ reverence for July 4th as Independence Day, but in reality, we’re not sure which would constitute ‘the day’ that Americans began a nation – and that it doesn’t matter, since we all believe it anyway. Read more. 07/03 Will Ron Paul supporters go from GOP to Bob Barr? Kansas City Star – One of the biggest questions leftover from the primary season is the ultimate voting destination of Ron Paul’s supporters – will they reluctantly support Paul’s own party ticket, or go for Libertarian Bob Barr, whose views are closer to Paul’s? Read more. 07/03 GOP candidates to visit ANWR to promote drilling The Hill – Five Republican House challengers have decided to travel to the end of the earth to prove a point – they’re heading to ANWR to see for themselves what the situation is near the arctic circle, and then make the case to their voters back home. Read more. 07/03 Bay Buchanan: As McCain panders, our borders crumble Human Events – The situation on America’s borders is deteriorating, with Mexican drug cartels becoming more and more violent – yet John McCain keeps up his pandering ploy to Hispanic groups, which gains him nothing. Bay Buchanan has seen enough. Read more. 07/03 RINO Don Young pays aide’s lawyers with campaign money Associated Press – It’s not enough for RINO Alaska Rep. Don Young to fund pork projects with taxpayer money or pay his own legal bills with campaign donations – now he’s covering an aide’s legal bills from those campaign funds as well. Read more. 07/03 Conservative Evangelicals discuss backing McCain Associated Press – They’re still driven more by their opposition to Barack Obama’s liberal views, but Christian conservative leaders are now discussing a pragmatic backing of John McCain. They also suggested Mike Huckabee as VP. Read more. 07/03 Jindal showed this week why he needs more seasoning American Spectator – Bobby Jindal’s run-in with the legislature and people of Louisiana this week showed why it’s too early to introduce him to the national stage. Jindal’s got solid conservative credentials, but he needs time and a beefier resume to compete at the top level. Read more. 07/03 McCain shakes up staff for campaign stability Washington Times – GOP insiders have worried for months that John McCain’s campaign lacked direction – so changes were made at campaign headquarters to try and right the ship. GOP veteran Steve Schmidt takes over day-to-day operations. Read more. 07/03 Obama vs. McCain: The wisdom factor American Thinker – Kyle-Anne Shiver is John McCain’s biggest fan – she even calls him ‘my man’ – so there’s no shock in Shiver’s claiming that John McCain (aka old bull) is more ready to be president than Barack Obama (aka young bull). Read more. 07/03 McCain: Pump this! Human Events – Ann Coulter holds little back in ‘critiquing’ John McCain’s position on drilling in ANWR, and then launches a full-scale attack on McCain’s years-long wooing of ‘moderate’ Republicans. Coulter says conservatives will need to be drunk to vote for McCain. Read more. 07/03 Republicans demoralized, but presidential race still close Human Events – This week’s Evans-Novak political report shows Republicans are still demoralized and unenthused by John McCain – but Obama’s opposition to the gay marriage amendment in California and Nancy Pelosi’s support for the ‘Fairness Doctrine’ may finally wake-up social conservatives. Read more. 07/03 McCain and Obama differ over CA same-sex marriage initiative New York Times – Demonstrating that same-sex marriage will be an issue in 2008, John McCain and Barack Obama have come out on opposite sides of a California ballot initiative that would overturn the state Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the matter. Read more. 07/03 McCain works the country, one town hall at a time Los Angeles Times – It’s no surprise that people believe John McCain’s campaign is somewhat uneven, because that’s the impression the candidate himself gives off with his preference for informal, question-and-answer ‘town hall’ meetings. Read more. 07/03 The ‘mushy middle’ is hard to reach for McCain, Obama Associated Press – Liberals and conservatives are comparatively easy to ‘define,’ but those in the center are hard to pin down. Both major parties court these ‘mushy moderates,’ but it’s unknown what exactly will motivate them to act. Read more. 07/03 Is McCain’s war record sacrosanct? Time – Democrats are trying desperately to separate John McCain’s heroic war record from his foreign policy proposals – but every time they try to draw a distinction, they only highlight McCain’s strongest suit. Odds are they’ll keep trying. Read more. 07/03 The case against Mitt Romney Washington Post (blogs) – For every good reason to pick Mitt Romney as John McCain’s running mate there’s a ‘bad’ reason to go against it. Romney is perhaps the most beneficial potential VP choice, and the most risky and controversial at the same time. Read more. 07/03 Conservatives expose Pawlenty’s fiscal record Real Clear Politics (blog) – On the surface, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty appears to be an attractive potential VP candidate for John McCain – but once you start looking at the hard numbers, his fondness for Big Government looks Huckabee-ish. Read more. 07/03 How Bush ratings complicate McCain’s presidential fight Wall Street Journal – As George W. Bush continues his run of historic unpopularity, experts debate how it might affect John McCain’s candidacy. The key will be whether voters don’t like Bush’s policies or just are dead tired of the man himself. Read more. 07/03 McCain not fundraising down-ballot The Hill – As if it’s not bad enough that John McCain’s having a difficult time raising money for his own campaign – he’s not helping congressional Republicans, either. Barack Obama’s already sent out emails in favor of Democrats, but from McCain, only silence. Read more. 07/03 McCain’s Iraq paradox Real Clear Politics – Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of Iraq – that it was a mistake to invade, and that we need to leave. Polls also show that a majority of Americans trust John McCain more in handling the war – so he should make it a centerpiece of his campaign. Read more. 07/03 Pat Buchanan: In defense of Dobson World Net Daily – Pat Buchanan writes of the recent dispute between Barack Obama and conservative Christian James Dobson over religious ‘tolerance.’ Buchanan says there can be no peaceful coexistence between the two sides, because their religious views are just too different. Read more. 07/02 The conservative welfare state American Spectator – Most conservatives agree that the Republican Party needs to offer better solutions to the working class, but disagree on what those solutions should be. A recent book is generating discussion on government’s role in promoting upward mobility, or whether there should be any role at all. Read more. 07/02 Reports of the economy’s death are greatly exaggerated Townhall – John Stossel sees the major media’s coverage of the economy and wonders how it got so bad. Consumer confidence is down due to inflation, but the economic real numbers aren’t nearly as dire as the grim rhetoric that’s flowing from our TV sets. Read more. 07/02 McCain: “I’m the underdog” who needs small town America CNS News – It appears that John McCain’s latest strategy is to label himself an underdog – clearly a role he relishes. In meeting with rural voters (translation: the conservative grassroots), he said he needs their support to win – and he’s right. Read more. 07/02 Liberals are putting heat on Lieberman for supporting McCain The Hill – Joe Lieberman is taking heat from liberal groups for his support of John McCain’s candidacy. Grassroots liberals are gathering signatures to try and force Harry Reid to punish Lieberman in next year’s Congress. Read more. 07/02 Why Romney would be an important Veep pick US News & World Report – James Pethokoukis says there currently isn’t a passionate small government free-market voice in the campaign, and speculates that Mitt Romney could fill the void. Romney’s business record works, but what about his political history? Read more. 07/02 Cindy’s fortune: An asset and a liability Politico – Proving that no aspect of your private life is safe when running for president, the media’s now delving into the private spending habits of the McCain’s – which happens to read like something from lifestyles of the rich and famous. Read more. 07/02 Three big reasons to elect John McCain World Net Daily – The pro and con see-saw continues with John McCain, as conservatives grapple with whether to support him in November. Here are three reasons to vote for McCain, advanced by a man who’s already made his choice. Read more. 07/02 Lay off McCain’s age National Review Online – If elected, John McCain will be the oldest first-term president ever – but here’s one view that says it doesn’t matter. McCain’s age has nothing to do with his capacity to govern, and disqualifying him because of age is ageism. Read more. 07/02 McCain and Obama’s ‘speculator’ fallacy Washington Post – Both John McCain and Barack Obama are blaming ‘speculators’ for high oil prices (and promising more regulation), but a much simpler and more accurate explanation involves basic economic principles of demand and scarcity. Read more. 07/02 Obama’s the one running for Bush’s 3rd term Wall Street Journal – Barack Obama repeatedly claims John McCain is running for George W. Bush’s ‘3rd term,’ but it’s Obama who will probably end up adopting much of Bush’s agenda (on surveillance, Iraq and domestic spending) if elected. Read more. 07/02 VP watch: The case for Mitt Romney Washington Post (blogs) – Here’s a look at the positive attributes that Mitt Romney would add to John McCain’s ticket. It’s the first part of a pro-con comparison on Romney, so principled conservatives might disagree with some of the points. Read more. 07/02 Remembering what the Swift Boat Vets actually said National Review Online (Campaign spot) – After the 2004 election, liberals have accused anyone who dares to attack a Democrat of ‘Swift Boating’ – so we need to go back and see what the SBVFT actually said, and the truth is once again revealed. Read more. 07/02 Who’s really doing the smearing? Politico – The liberal media is ‘warning’ of the coming smear tactics of the Republicans, yet it’s Obama’s surrogates who have thus far done all the smearing. Highlighting John McCain’s time as a POW only serves to emphasize McCain’s strongest ‘issue’ – his character. Read more. 07/02 McCain told to ‘calm down’ over service Washington Times – Virginia Senator Jim Webb is the latest Barack Obama supporter to cast doubts on the merit of John McCain’s wartime service, claiming that McCain should ‘calm down’ over his past and not mix politics with military service. Read more. 07/02 Jindal dodges potential Veepstakes pitfall Washington Post (blogs) – Governor Bobby Jindal’s been in and out of conversations for John McCain’s running mate, but an in-state issue nearly derailed his chances before he was even asked. Jindal’s veto pen put his name back into the Veepstakes hat. Read more. 07/02 Dan Quayle says McCain has an uphill battle Associated Press – Former Vice President Dan Quayle says John McCain faces an uphill battle against Barack Obama, and gives Obama grudging respect for beating the Clintons. As for a VP choice, Quayle believes McCain should shore up the base. Read more. 07/02 McCain game plan worries GOP insiders Politico – It turns out that conservatives aren’t the only ones feeling ignored by the McCain campaign – state GOP operations are complaining that McCain’s operation just isn’t getting it done. Some say there’s still time, but McCain doesn’t show any signs of changing overnight. Read more. 07/02 Dennis Prager: Why I support McCain World Net Daily – Dennis Prager admits he didn’t support John McCain in the primaries, but says he wholeheartedly does for the general election. Prager says the gulf between Obama and conservatives is just too wide to simply turn the other way. Read more. 07/02 McCain warns of an ‘Obama Court’ The Hill – John McCain’s talking tough on the judiciary – claiming that a Barack Obama presidency would mean ‘soft’ judges. McCain knows it’s an issue that’s important to conservatives and is seeking to get all the mileage he can from talking about it. Read more. 07/02 Jindal admits ‘mistake,’ vetoes pay raise CNS News – Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal kept a promise he made when running for office – to veto any legislative pay raises. Jindal hesitated at first, took much heat from conservatives – and then finally did what was right in keeping his word. Read more. 07/01 Drill Now as the conservative MoveOn? Politico – Conservatives have lagged behind liberals in Web organization – but that may change with the ‘rightroots’ response to Newt Gingrich’s ‘Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less’ petition online. The energy issue might be the start of something big with conservatives. Read more. 07/01 Bush base yet to rush to donate to McCain Boston Globe – Disgruntled conservatives who raised money for George W. Bush aren’t falling in for McCain. Some cite McCain’s anti-conservative record, some are sitting it out – and some claim they haven’t even been asked by the McCain campaign. Read more. 07/01 Obama’s vs. McCain’s donors – the tale of two elites New York Times -- David Brooks has some interesting observations about who supports Obama vs. who supports McCain -- and why there will be no capital gains tax hike, trade protectionism, or serious measures to expand unionism during an Obama presidency. Read more. 07/01 Americans worry McCain’s too similar to Bush Gallup – John McCain insists that he’d depart from the policies of George W. Bush – but a recent poll revealed that most Americans worry that he’s too similar to the unpopular president. About half believe Obama would bring too much change. Read more. 07/01 Time to bury the ‘Fairness Doctrine’ once and for all Human Events – Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed support for the so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine,’ so it’s time to make sure the anti-speech measure is killed once and for all by passing the Broadcaster Freedom Act – but the Democrats aren’t going along. Read more. 07/01 Insiders: Romney tops McCain’s Veep list Politico – Mitt Romney and John McCain didn’t get along during the GOP primary season, but that’s apparently not preventing Romney from heading McCain’s list for VP candidates. Romney’s ability to raise money quickly is the reason given. Read more. 07/01 Conservative for the House: Tom McClintock National Review Online – Conservative Tom McClintock is running for Congress in California – but he’s not ready to join the Big Government culture in Washington. McClintock is one who believes in conservative principles over political favors. Read more. 07/01 McCain besieged by slander Boston Herald – Michael Graham notes the Left’s recent trashing of John McCain’s military record and offers a warning: do so at your own peril. Unlike John Kerry, McCain’s record is pretty much undisputed for its on-the-surface sacrifice. Read more. 07/01 McCain’s Missouri Break American Spectator – John McCain trails in national polls, but he should take heart that he’s leading in Missouri. The ‘Show Me’ state has voted for the winner in every election but one in the past hundred years, and its demographics are a good ‘average’ match of America. Read more. 07/01 McCain’s energy ‘policy’ is inconsistent at best Los Angeles Times – John McCain is promising a clear energy policy if he’s elected, but his record demonstrates that he’s anything but consistent on the issue. His aides say he’s ‘pragmatic’ on energy, but there’s no pinning down where he really stands. Read more. 07/01 McCain advisor has close ties to Columbia New York Times – John McCain’s having a hard time getting away from the persistent specter of lobbyists’ influence. McCain is visiting Columbia, and it turns out one of his closest advisors (Charlie Black) has lobbied Congress on behalf of Columbian interests. Read more. 07/01 John McCain’s JFK opportunity Wall Street Journal – As John McCain heads south to Columbia and Mexico, there’s an opportunity for him to make political points with Latin America as JFK did – encouraging free trade and good relations with our southern neighbors. Read more. 07/01 Can gay marriage save the GOP again? Politico – Conservative leader Gary Bauer says homosexual marriage could once again save the GOP in 2008. The California Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the will of the state’s voters pushed the issue to the forefront, and conservatives are motivated. Read more. 07/01 Report shows Americans blame Congress for gas prices CNS News – A Consumer Reports national survey found that Americans are being forced to alter their lifestyles due to the spike in gas prices. Americans place most of the blame on a Congress that’s done little to address the issue. Read more. 07/01 John McCain’s Veepstakes: John Thune Human Events – John Gizzi continues his look at potential McCain running mates by examining South Dakota Senator John Thune. Thune has some questionable votes in his past which would certainly be challenged by conservatives if McCain should pick him. Read more. 07/01 What Pawlenty can’t do for John McCain New York Observer – Few would dispute that John McCain has a tough task this fall, and his one chance to generate some buzz comes with choosing a running mate. Many see Governor Tim Pawlenty as a ‘safe’ choice, but ‘safe’ won’t get many excited. Read more. 07/01 McCain calls comprehensive immigration reform a ‘top priority’ CNS News – John McCain is perhaps confirming conservatives’ worst fears, as he’s promised to make ‘comprehensive’ immigration reform a ‘top priority’ if he’s elected. McCain’s past history on the issue makes him believable – and scary. Read more. 07/01 What happened to the ‘Conservative Court?’ National Review Online – The media would have you believe that the Roberts Supreme Court is ultra-conservative, yet Court observer Jonathan Adler says that’s far from reality. Adler says the Court is mildly conservative in orientation, and moving towards being more judicial than political – which is ideal. Read more. 07/01 The Founders and the choice they made New York Times – Bill Kristol takes the occasion of Independence Day to write on the great chance the Founding Fathers took – and to revisit their words. Kristol says the text of the Declaration never gets old no matter how familiar it becomes – truth tends to be that way. Read more. 07/01 Robert Novak: Obama’s dodge on handguns Washington Post – Robert Novak says Obama dodged a bullet with the conservative majority’s rejection of the DC handgun ban. Novak says the ruling allows Obama to continue to avoid taking a position on guns – at least until after the election. Read more. 06/30 Retiring Republicans would rather quit than fight Weekly Standard – Fred Barnes profiles four Republican House members who are retiring after this term. All have one thing in common – they don’t like being in the minority, and none of them believes the GOP will win back the House anytime soon. Read more. 06/30 Leftists beginning to go after McCain’s war record Politico – It seems the Left isn’t holding back on any aspects of John McCain’s personal history, even beginning to assail McCain’s war record and his ‘role’ in Vietnamese propaganda films. Their justification was the ‘Swift Boating’ in the 2004 campaign – but they fail to mention that the only true smears from that campaign were against the Swift Boat Veterans themselves, not upon John Kerry (who never answered any of the allegations from the Swift Boat Veterans). Read more. 06/30 GOP candidates bank on friends, out-of-state cash CQ Politics – Conservatives aren’t contributing to the Republican Party as they have in the past, forcing Republican candidates to look for new sources of campaign cash. As a result, GOP candidates are using the GOP ‘friend’ network and out-of-state fundraisers to make up the difference. Read more. 06/30 John McCain’s having it both ways on energy American Spectator – Conservative writer Larry Thornberry exposes John McCain’s blatantly contradictory positions on oil drilling – we can drill offshore, but only with states’ permission, and ANWR is still off limits despite the dire need for oil. Read more. 06/30 Veepstakes speculation: Now it’s ‘Tim Pawlenty Week’ Human Events – John Gizzi writes that Bobby Jindal had his ‘week’ as the inevitable VP candidate, and now it’s Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty’s turn. Gizzi says Pawlenty isn’t the first choice of many, though people seem impressed by his political skills. Read more. 06/30 McCain gets praise, not backing, from Grahams New York Times – John McCain’s trying to work out his problem with Christian conservatives, so he went to some length to arrange a meeting with Billy Graham and his son Franklin. Afterwards, there were no endorsements, but kind words. Read more. 06/30 What McCain’s POW experience means to voters American Thinker – John McCain isn’t the first war hero to run for president, but the tales of his individual suffering and sacrifice as a POW in Vietnam are compelling enough for some to overlook his ideological apostasies and vote for him. Read more. 06/30 Can McCain close the enthusiasm gap? Weekly Standard – John McCain’s running nearly even with Barack Obama in some polls, but the ‘enthusiasm gap’ between the two remains wide. Here’s one view on what McCain should do – focus on conservative issues that attract independents. Read more. 06/30 Candidates think flip-flopping is the only way to win Newsweek – Both McCain and Obama are being accused of flip-flopping on issues and policies, forcing both of them into a corner where candid talk is nearly impossible to find – and both of them think acting like a politician is the only way out. Read more. 06/30 McCain’s delicate immigration dance Time – There’s no doubt that John McCain would like to have it both ways on immigration – security to please conservatives, and amnesty to please Hispanic voters. He’s trying to walk a fine line on where he stands, which could cost him with both groups. Read more. 06/30 Clark says McCain lacks ‘command’ experience Washington Times – Retired General turned Democratic partisan Wesley Clark said John McCain isn’t qualified to be president because he doesn’t have the requisite executive experience. A fair argument, but couldn’t the same be said of Clark’s candidate? Read more. 06/30 McCain gets boost from Romney fans Detroit Free Press – Former Mitt Romney supporters in Michigan are starting to rally behind John McCain, though some are waiting to see who McCain chooses for vice president. McCain faces an enthusiasm gap with Romney’s voters as well. Read more. 06/30 Why Veeps now matter Townhall – Michael Barone discusses the evolution of the vice president’s role – from its obscure beginnings to assuming a very important position beside the president. This year’s VP selections will be watched closely – for they’re no longer purely irrelevant. Read more. 06/30 On many issues, Americans prefer McCain’s solutions Townhall – Donald Lambro sees Barack Obama’s lead on many issues and observes that the discrepancy doesn’t make sense given the candidates’ actual policy positions. Lambro believes that once people know the facts, they’ll change their minds. Read more. 06/30 Earmarks persist in spending bills for 2009 New York Times – Different party majority, different leadership, same situation – Congress is still addicted to pork, and there’s no end in sight. Big Government Democrats are following in the footsteps of Big Government Republicans in special interest money to try and buy votes. Read more. 06/30 GOP reps. advised to avoid party brand Politico – Republicans are still trying to figure out what’s wrong with them – and now an independent audit advises them to run as ‘independents’ on local issues |
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