Posts filed under 'CPAC 2008'
As can be plainly seen on the sidebar of my blog, I am not by any stretch of the imagination a fan of John McCain. While he is right with regard to most of the major issues of defense and the prosecution of the war on radical Islam (save for wanting to close down Club Gitmo), he has been wrong on so many domestic issues, from his “Gang of 14″ megalomaniacal episode; to his penchant for amnesty for illegals a-la McCain-Kennedy, to his full frontal assault on the First Amendment with the advent of McCain-Feingold.
While his overtures at CPAC may be considered a start to healing the rift with movement conservatives, much is yet required in the way of action before movement conservatives will trust that he will indeed carry the conservative mantle to the White House on January 20, 2009.
Yet, credit must be given where credit is due. For instance, McCain’s opposition to the big government behemoth created by the Bush administration (one of my few areas of disagreement with the President), otherwise known as the prescription drug benefit for seniors.
Today, Tom DeLay, whom I at one time defended to the hilt, attacked McCain for not being liberal enough:
Washington (CNSNews.com) - Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay criticized likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain - and by extension some of the more conservative members of Congress - by calling McCain’s 2003 vote against the Medicare prescription drug plan a non-conservative vote.
DeLay made his remarks in an interview with Cybercast News Service at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
While in Congress, DeLay had helped quashed a rebellion by House conservatives, who tried to defeat the prescription plan then being promoted by President Bush.
“I’m very proud of the Medicare bill,” DeLay told Cybercast News Service. “… We took a welfare state program and applied conservative principles to it.” Listen to Audio
Asked if McCain’s vote against the Medicare expansion bill was un-conservative, DeLay responded, “Yes, it was, as a matter of fact. It was taking the easy way out.”
Mr. DeLay, just which conservative principles were applied to the Medicare Prescription Drug bill? You can’t take the greatest expansion of a government program in the recent history of these United States and call it “conservative” any more than you can take a pig, apply lipstick on it, and call it Bo Derek. Calling the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit “conservative” is not only balls-on intellectually dishonest, but in fact requires a suspension of disbelief so enormous as to make it an exercise in futility.
There are plenty of issues for conservatives to disagree with John McCain.
This isn’t one of them.
Tags: President Bush, Tom DeLay
February 11th, 2008
I have made it back to Boston safely. Mark should be back in Vegas soon as well, but he was pretty tired so I imagine you won’t hear from him for a while.
I am quite tired myself, and waiting to take the train back to my apartment. If any of you are planning to watch the Celtics game tomorrow, I will be there.
Anyway, it was a fun CPAC, despite some disappointing news. Aside from meeting Tom DeLay, we met some folks from the RNC, including Chairman Duncan, at a blogger & talk radio reception. I’ll talk more about everything after I get home and catch on some sleep. Must reserve the iPhone’s battery power.
February 9th, 2008
We’ve had quite a day today. It started with President George W. Bush’s speech, dark and early at 7:15 a.m. It was a great speech, one that ought to be called his Conservative State of the Union. I have no doubt that history will look back on Bush’s presidency and acknowledge all the good he did for our country and the world.
Later in the morning Mark and I had a breakfast chat with Robert Stacy McCain, co-author of Donkey Cons, who blogs over at The Other McCain. He endorsed our book, Caucus of Corruption.
In the afternoon we had a meeting with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a great American and conservative leader. Mark and I were very grateful he was able to take some time out of his schedule to meet with us. As you know, Tom DeLay also endorsed our book. It was a nice meeting, we talked politics and about the presidential race. It was a very nice meeting, and we are both glad we finally got to meet him in person. It is a shame how the Democrats smeared him.
It was a busy day, and it’s still not over yet. We’ll be heading out in a little while, but I did want to give everyone an update.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention that I was interviewed yesterday by MarketWatch…
Tags: blogs, President Bush, Tom DeLay
February 8th, 2008
Watching President Bush deliver his speech at CPAC. People were lining up at 5 am to get in line to see him. The crowd is loving him, shouting “We love you, George!” and “Four more years!” Great speech so far, gonna continue watching.
Tags: President Bush
February 8th, 2008
Well, we are at Morton’s Steakhouse. As I lost the Superbowl bet, I am paying for Mark’s New York Strip. I am getting the filet mignon.
Cheers.
February 7th, 2008
Well, after a rough start (eg, flight delays, screwed up car rental, accidentally switching my laptop for someone else’s, etc…), we ended up having a great day here at CPAC.
Obviously, the big news is Romney dropping out and McCain de-facto becoming the GOP nominee for President. We’re still in the whirl of events, so I’ll only briefly comment for now:
Romney’s speech was excellent - a clear, concise explanation of what America faces and why it is time for all to unite behind the man who is our chance to keep Obama/Hillary - and their destructive and divisive policies - out of the White House. Romney has shown himself a good patriot, and made himself the most logical pick for McCain’s Vice President.
McCain’s speech was well-received except by a few, scattered Paul supporters. The McCain supporters were, naturally, on fire for their man, while the Romney supporters were in a “we’ve got to win” mood, and thus seemed willing to give McCain his chance. In the substance of McCain’s speech was two main things: a litany of conservative principles he’ll adhere to (low taxes, spending reform, winning the war, etc) as well as a re-affirmation that he does, indeed, have people who disagree with him and with whom he disagrees, but that disagreements should not lead us to shoot ourselves in the foot in November. To these sentiments I offer my heartfelt agreement.
As to the general tenor of the gathered conservatives - optimistic, determined, brimming with ideas and a passion for seeing them put into practice. The only slight hiccup in an otherwise perfect day at CPAC was Matt at the CPAC straw poll - he was stuck for a moment with a hanging chad in his ballot; we consider this, actually, to be a good omen about just how badly the Democrats are going to start ripping themselves to shreds over the nomination (this was also a well-expressed opinion at CPAC - we’re all “go, Obama, go” and “fight, Hillary, fight”; we enthusiastically back a long, drawn out battle for the Democratic nomination.
More later…
Tags: 2008 Campaign, conservative truth
February 7th, 2008
I’m at JFK Airport right now, blogging from my iPhone. I have some time before my connecting flight to Dulles, so I thought I would drop a note here. Mark and I were scheduled to arrive in DC within ten minutes of eachother, but his flight was delayed a half hour, so who knows?
Tomorrow begins CPAC!
UPDATE, 12:31 AM: I landed at Dulles a little while ago. Mark just texted me that he has landed.
UPDATE, 2:30 AM: To make a long story short, we just got to our hotel.
February 6th, 2008
