Tag Archives: John McCain

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ATM Watch: John McCain Tells Donors “California Is In Play”

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(cross-posted from The Courage Campaign)

As we know, the presidential candidates like to swoop in to California for money and often swoop right out again without speaking to voters who can't afford the 4-figure price of admission. Well, now, thanks to the power of the Internet, we can all listen in on what goes on inside those fundraisers.

John McCain held a $1,000/plate event at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine, CA on Monday and who was there with videocamera in hand but right wing blogger Jon Fleischman (his You Tube channel.) Thanks to him for the insightful video.

In this first piece, McCain makes the case for his candidacy, not just as a candidate for president nationally, but as a candidate seeking California's support specifically. The most intriguing quote: 

California must be in play if any Republican wants to be elected president of the United States of America.

Video and more over the flip…

And he's not just talking about winning the Republican nomination, he wants California's electoral votes in the general (notice how shamelessly he kisses California's ass…)

I believe that I can convince a majority of the people of this great state, of this incredibly great state, this HUGE state, that I am the best qualified to be the president of the United States

It's clear that McCain thinks he'd be of particular interest to California voters because he is from the west, Arizona. And as he says, somewhat laughably, it seems to me:

I understand water, I understand land.

But his point is clear — he's making his case by appealing to California's issues, exactly what we'd like all candidates to do. There's one big problem for ole' Johnny though: a little thing called Iraq. 

In the next piece, McCain continues his war cheerleading and expresses frustration with having to return to Washington to, er, do his job (say it isn't so!) This line was particularly contempt-spewing:

I probably have to try to go back to the city of Satan in the next couple of days so we take up another resolution by the Democrats to somehow get us out of Iraq.

City of Satan, John, really? Well, he was among Orange County Republicans. The guy knows his audience.

But really, does anyone really think a Republican outside of the Arnold mold really has a shot in hell of winning California? After all, Schwarzenegger has made it abundantly clear where he stands on the war: diametrically opposed to John McCain.

I think a timeline is absolutely important because I think that the people in America don't want to see another Korean War or another Vietnam War where it's an open-ended thing. There should be a timeline.

Then again, McCain doesn't have to believe he can win California, he probably doesn't, he just has to make the money men in that room believe it, all the better to take their money and run. But I still can't help but smile at the premise of the case he's making, that to win the presidency any Republican is going to have to win California. To be true, that statement must presume that at the very least Ohio and Florida will go Dem next year. And while I'd like to believe that's true, it's sweet indeed to hear such desperation coming straight from the Republicans' mouths.

We here at ATM Watch will continue to track the candidates both in person and online as they come and go through our state in the coming year. ATDleft will be tracking Mitt Romney in Dana Point on Friday and I'm hoping to get up to Oakland on Saturday for Obama's rally. And if you have questions you'd like us to get to the candidates, feel free to submit them HERE.

It's our goal to make sure the candidates meet with every day California voters, not just the donors.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Environment

NEWS FLASH! McCain Now an “Environmental Extremist”

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Watch out, John McCain! Jon Fleischman, of the GOP consultant insider blog Flash Report, is now on the hunt. Yes, and he is ready to call out McCain for his “embrace of environmental extremism“.

The convention wisdom in modern American politics is that in a primary, a Republican should run to the “right” and a Democrat to the “left” — seeking to tie down core base voters of their party. Then, in a general election, the candidates who emphasize those issues that would appeal to voters in the other party.

Apparently no one has given John McCain the important memo — the one that has two parts. First, you’re in a GOP primary. And the second — you do not get the ‘internationally famous movie star turned politician’ exemption to this rule.

And what exactly is Fleischman deriding as “environmental extremism”? He appeared with Arnold to talk about climate change. More after the flip…

From the LA Times:

“I would assess this administration’s record on global warming as terrible,” McCain said, recalling that he got “no cooperation from the administration” at Senate hearings on the subject. He pronounced himself “very happy to see the president mention global warming and a renewed commitment from the administration to this issue.” But he added tartly: “It’s long overdue.”

Wow, so this is “environmental extremism“??!! But wait, it gets better! Fleischman calls out Arnold’s “lurch to the left“.

Last year, one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lurches to the ideological left that most infuriated GOP leaders and activists around California was his calling for the passage of Assembly Bill 32, dubbed by the environmental-extremist community as the “Global Warming Solutions Act” — legislation which has called for increasing regulations in California to fight an alleged nexus between human action and global climate change…

Apparently John McCain doesn’t know, or doesn’t care that this legislation that McCain heralded yesterday at an appearance with Governor Schwarzenegger was that only one Republican legislator, a moderate from San Diego, out nearly 50 in the State Capitol, voted for this ill-advised legislation.

Wow, so now Arnold’s signing of AB 32 into law is “environmental extremism”? Even though he is hardly even acting to ENFORCE THE NEW LAW? Even though Arnold talks about market trading schemes, but does nothing to enforce the new regulations?

Oh, and can we really call John McCain an “environmental extremist”? Look at the bill he is co-sponsoring with Lieberman. Though it is a good first step, the legislation still does not cut emissions as much as we need to. I guess that if this is “environmental extremism”, then Barbara Boxer and Bernard Sanders have really “fallen off of left cliff” with their legislation that calls for reductions in carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping emissions to 80 percent below their 1990 levels by 2050.

But hey, if Fleischman really wants to move his party to the extreme right with extreme denial of reality, then more power to him. : )

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CA-50: Bilbray shifts right, McCain shifts far, far away

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Apparently John McCain doesn’t want to hang with Brian Bilbray anymore.  He cancelled an appearance with the CA-50 candidate:

Arizona Sen. John McCain on Tuesday canceled an appearance for a Republican congressional candidate who has attacked his opponent for supporting McCain’s immigration bill.

McCain, R-Ariz., was scheduled to speak Wednesday at a breakfast fundraiser for Brian Bilbray, who is locked in a close runoff race with Democrat Francine Busby for the San Diego-area seat left vacant by disgraced former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham. The event was expected to raise at least $65,000.(AP 5/30/06)

Oh, so you mean I shouldn’t attack my opponent for supporting a bill sponsored by somebody who was coming to help me fundraise?  Oh, I didn’t know that.  I’ll get on that next time.  But at least Sen. McCain is still forking over some cash ($5K from his PAC).

The DCCC’s stakeholder has a nice little recap of the story with press releases from Busby and the DCCC.  You know one thing that I can say about Busby’s campaign- they are very good about staying on the lobbyist message.  I swear everytime they use the word “Bilbray” it is proceeded with “lobbyist”.  Now, that’s discipline.

Oh and by the way, who were some of Bilbray’s clients you might ask?  Oh well, some very friendly anti-immigration such as the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).  Yeah, good ol’ FAIR.  What a great bunch of nativists.  They don’t even attempt to hide it on their website.  They have flash stastics to scare the natives.  It’s all quite fun.

So go ahead Sen McCain.  Give Bilbray your five grand.  But is Brian Bilbray really who you want to work with?  I think we all know who the reasonable candidate in this race is.  Let’s help Francine out: ActBlue … her site.