Whither McCain?
Chad at Fraters Libertas posted about how McCain's defense of the Iraq War has at least opened him up to a possible McCain Administration, though it's safe to say that he's far from endorsing him. Here's Chad in his own words:
That brings us to other issues, the top of which are judges and the BCRA. Frankly, I'm afraid to think of the types of judges that a President McCain would appoint. I suspect that he'd pick judges along the lines of Sandra Day O'Connor. Movement conservatives should be wary about a presidential candidate who would nominate that type of circuit court judges and Supreme Court justices.
Something else worth considering is that McCain would likely be drawn towards nominating judges that would reinforce BCRA. While all conservatives were disappointed when President Bush signed BCRA into law, he's at least made up for that by appointing Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, who, I suspect, will strike down a number of the provisions of that horrible legislation the first chance they get.
There's another side to this 'BCRA equation', namely, what type of FEC regulators would a McCain administration support? You can bet that a McCain administration wouldn't let another Bradley Smith type serve as commissioner. Free speech advocates across the blogosphere remember the flack McCain gave towards Smith. Here's what McCain said in a newsmaker interview with USA Today:
Another thing that bothers me about McCain is that he's too prone to doing the popular thing rather than the right thing. I've seen no hint that he's the least bit principled on issues like immigration. I've seen plenty of things that suggest that he's more worried about comity than with principle. That's essentially what led to the Gang of Fourteen agreement.
In summation, John McCain is the greatest legislative threat to the Constitution in the past half century. That won't fly with conservatives.
Posted Monday, August 21, 2006 11:45 PM
July 2006 Posts
No comments.
In the past, I've expressed my misgivings about Senator John McCain, especially on the issues of campaign finance reform, judicial nominees, and federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. But when you listen to McCain discuss the war in Iraq and the broader struggle against the radical Islamists (as he did on Meet the Press yesterday), it's easy to find yourself drawn toward him. His opinions on these matters are clear-headed, straight-forward, and resolute. He displays the conviction, resolve, and commitment that we desperately need and usually find lacking in our leaders at this critical juncture.Chad makes a couple good points worth considering:
By no means am I yet ready to support McCain for President in 2008. But I am willing (more than before) to at least entertain the notion.
- McCain gives a passionate, clear explanation of why we must win in Iraq.
- The Bush administration's defense of Iraq hasn't been particularly compelling, mostly because they haven't put down the violence in Baghdad.
That brings us to other issues, the top of which are judges and the BCRA. Frankly, I'm afraid to think of the types of judges that a President McCain would appoint. I suspect that he'd pick judges along the lines of Sandra Day O'Connor. Movement conservatives should be wary about a presidential candidate who would nominate that type of circuit court judges and Supreme Court justices.
Something else worth considering is that McCain would likely be drawn towards nominating judges that would reinforce BCRA. While all conservatives were disappointed when President Bush signed BCRA into law, he's at least made up for that by appointing Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, who, I suspect, will strike down a number of the provisions of that horrible legislation the first chance they get.
There's another side to this 'BCRA equation', namely, what type of FEC regulators would a McCain administration support? You can bet that a McCain administration wouldn't let another Bradley Smith type serve as commissioner. Free speech advocates across the blogosphere remember the flack McCain gave towards Smith. Here's what McCain said in a newsmaker interview with USA Today:
Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY: So you think all these groups are operating outside the existing law?McCain's contempt for people who actually believe in the First Amendment is reprehensible at minimum. McCain's blind spot is that he doesn't see BCRA as an infringement on our First Amendment rights. Therein lies the problem with McCain. We can't afford to have a President McCain ruining the court system in an attempt to keep his greatest legislative accomplishment intact.
McCain: With the aided and abetted by a corrupt Federal Election Commission. The leaders of which are Ellen Weintraub and Bradley Smith. I say that because people think that well oh it's a bureaucracy. This bureaucracy is made up of individuals who are consciously subverting the intent and letter of the law. Everybody should know their names.
Another thing that bothers me about McCain is that he's too prone to doing the popular thing rather than the right thing. I've seen no hint that he's the least bit principled on issues like immigration. I've seen plenty of things that suggest that he's more worried about comity than with principle. That's essentially what led to the Gang of Fourteen agreement.
In summation, John McCain is the greatest legislative threat to the Constitution in the past half century. That won't fly with conservatives.
Posted Monday, August 21, 2006 11:45 PM
July 2006 Posts
No comments.
