reaching across denial
by Sean Mallory
Published: March 11, 2008
The primaries are coming to a close and the only question that remains is which Democrat will win in November?
Now before the Republicans rush to defend McCain’s electability against either Democratic candidate, allow me to clarify. I’m not prematurely discrediting McCain as a viable candidate in the general election; all I’m saying is that John McCain is a Democrat.
Some will argue that McCain is a war-hawk who is in favor of making the Bush tax cuts permanent, thus proving his conservative credentials. However, that same John McCain voted against those tax cuts; and not just once, but twice. Putting aside McCain’s war-loving ways, so far he’s a flip-flopper at best. So what about the other issues?
Conservatives have always been steadfast in protecting the second amendment of the United States Constitution, earning themselves the unwavering support of the NRA. McCain, going against this longstanding trend, has voted for more restrictions on gun ownership.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.” If those words came from a Republican President who was eventually shot in the head, where does John McCain get off calling for gun restriction?
Secondly, McCain does not follow his party’s core beliefs on the issue of immigration either. In 2005, he teamed up with Ted Kennedy to co-sponsor a bill, which granted amnesty to illegal immigrants. More recently, he has attempted to silence his critics. In September of last year, during a GOP debate held at UNH, McCain claimed that his policy includes “fines” and “long waits” to American citizenship. Again, he missed the point. The Republican Party supports quick and easy steps to becoming an American citizen. However, they also expect the government to competently secure the borders and to deport those who have come here illegally. McCain has failed to support his party’s position on both counts.
As if teaming up with a Liberal Kingpin like Ted Kennedy isn’t enough, McCain was also mentioned during John Kerry’s 2004 Presidential bid, as a possible running mate. Of course, McCain will write this criticism off by claiming that he’s simply, “reaching across the aisle.” Perhaps that was his initial intent. But somewhere along the way, he reached across and they pulled him over. Maybe it was Russ Feingold, maybe it was Joe Lieberman, but someone mustered up the strength to yank McCain to the Left. How is that the same man who, as a prominent member of the Gang of Fourteen, attempted to prevent the confirmation of conservative judges to the Supreme Court, now is entrusted with the responsibility of nominating conservative judges to the Supreme Court? It doesn’t make sense.
It’s been said many times during the course of these primaries that the Republican Party has strayed from its core beliefs - but that isn’t something that just happened in the past year. The party has been broken for a very long time. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly have become the figureheads of the new conservative movement, which hardly resembles the Republican Party of old. But even they have been vocal about their disapproval of McCain representing the party. Ann Coulter went as far as saying that Hilary Clinton is more conservative. She is quoted as saying; “I’ll campaign for Hillary if McCain is the nominee.”
Well Coulter, given the current crop of candidates it really doesn’t matter who you support. A Democrat will sit in the oval office come January 2009.
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