by James Oliphant
Conservative pundits are smoldering over a column today by Wall Street Journal writer John Fund in which Fund says that Sen. John McCain, if elected, would support Supreme Court nominees such as John Roberts but not Samuel Alito.
Fund wrote that “Mr. McCain has told conservatives he would be happy to appoint the likes of Chief Justice John Roberts to the Supreme Court. But he indicated he might draw the line on a Samuel Alito, because 'he wore his conservatism on his sleeve.'"
Commenters at conservative blogs such as the The Corner on National Review Online have been churning all morning:
McCain has got to explain himself to conservatives now, on Alito for sure, and on much else as well. While I’m unquestionably concerned about what a McCain nomination might mean for the Republican coalition, I’m not one of those who feels it would necessarily be disastrous. On the contrary, I can see scenarios where McCain and conservatives could patch things up rather well. But this Alito thing is serious. It bugs me, and I need to know more, quickly. McCain needs to forthrightly address conservatives concerns on this and other issues, and he needs to do it before Super Tuesday
Of course, the report has been seized upon by the Mitt Romney campaign as more proof that McCain’s conservatism runs only skin-deep. For what it's worth, McCain voted to confirm Alito in 2005, when Alito was approved by a 58-42 tally.
Meanwhile, McCain has secured the endorsement of former Attorney General Bill Barr, now general counsel at Verizon. Barr served as attorney general to President George H.W. Bush. Barr had supported ex-candidate Fred Thompson. Barr, in a statement released by the McCain campaign, seemed to directly address the Fund allegation, saying:
He has been a consistent conservative and he will bring to the White House a firm vision for the judiciary. I believe, as he does, that judges should honor, and not reinterpret the Constitution. As president, I know John McCain will nominate judges who follow in the traditions of strict constructionists. John McCain has been a leader national security, fiscal discipline and conservative values, and I am proud to support him."
Stay tuned. Judicial nominations are of extreme importance to the conservative intelligencia, who obviously don't plan to let McCain off easy.
• 
• 
• 
Comments
An absolute BS campaign allegation that, I'm sure, we'll soon discover was generated by the Romney campaign.
McCain has long supported conservative justices and voted to confirm Justice Alito. In 2000 he said he would never nominate a pro-abortion justice, which was further than President Bush was willing to go on the campaign trail.
The fact is McCain is even more conservative than Bush when it comes to judicial nominations.
Posted by: Jeff | January 28, 2008 1:54 PM
If he voted to confirm Alito, isn't that the most important thing?
Posted by: Tom | January 28, 2008 2:25 PM
McCain has shown himself over and over again as a liberal. He co-authored campaign finance, amnesty for 15 million illegal immigrants, and restrictions on air quality that would put us at a competitive disadvantage around the world. It shouldn't be any surprise that he secretly doesn't like Alito because he is too conservative. McCain is secretly too liberal.
Posted by: Larry | January 28, 2008 2:28 PM
Jeff,
Who on this planet is pro-abortion? Thats like calling the Republican party the Pro-blood and destruction party
Posted by: janet | January 28, 2008 3:08 PM
I rather think the burden is on Fund to show where he got this quote.
Looking over the internet for this quote, no post seems to address the original quote other then the initial article by Fund. He doesn't say in the article where or when this was said.
He needs to, quickly.
Posted by: BT | January 28, 2008 3:20 PM
McCain is so much like Clinton that if he was the nominee I would vote for Clinton. His record of amnesty is what really gets me. McCain is a left of middle moderate.
Posted by: JW Morrison | January 28, 2008 3:24 PM
Yes, Tom, it is. I wonder if Ronald Reagan-who authored REAL amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants, not the fine and path to citizenship McCain wanted- is "secretly too liberal" for Larry, too?
Today's conservatives are living in a fantasy world if they think Pat Buchanen or Newt Gingrich can ride over the hill and save us from the "eeevil" liberals.
There's a reason Teddy Roosevelt is on Mount Rushmore. McCain will bring this party back to the progressive policies that Roosevelt followed and give us a government that works, not one that just engages in partisan bickering all day.
Posted by: Jeff | January 28, 2008 3:30 PM
"Never surrender” really doesn’t mean much when you're the attacker and all you're defending is your own illegal occupation of another nation and your own arse.
Old man McCain promises more wars:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/01/28/mccain-promises-voters-more-wars/
I actually think it would be great if the Rethuglicans nominated John McSurge, after about two months of a general election campaign he's sure to lose all of his Independent support when they realize that the "Straight-talker" is really an insane old man who is still fighting the Vietnam war.
Posted by: John E | January 28, 2008 3:33 PM
Note this follow up by the NRO:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Yjc5NmYxZWZkZjY0NzQxNGNhYWFiOTVkMzhiNjA0YTg=
Posted by: BT | January 28, 2008 3:43 PM
This gruesome twosome scares the crap out of me and it should scare everyone else too:
http://mikk2.wordpress.com/2007/12/19/lieberman-endorses-mccain-the-world-yawns/
Posted by: Joshua | January 28, 2008 3:46 PM
Fund wrote that “Mr. McCain has told conservatives he would be happy to appoint the likes of Chief Justice John Roberts to the Supreme Court. But he indicated he might draw the line on a Samuel Alito, because 'he wore his conservatism on his sleeve.'"
Point taken. Alito is on the cusp of extremism. That said McCain voted to approve him and that's what counts. Spurious attacks like this are a sign of desperation on the part of those who would derail Mr McCains bid to win the republican nomination.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | January 28, 2008 4:36 PM
Yeah, we should really stay the course in Iraq for another 100 years, don't you think so, dumb old man McCain?
"Roadside bomb kills 5 more U.S. soldiers in Iraq"
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A roadside bomb struck a U.S. military patrol in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Monday, killing five U.S. soldiers, the U.S. military said.
Fighters opposing al Qaeda in Iraq guard the entrance to a village Monday in Diyala province.
The military recently described Mosul as the only major Iraqi city that has a considerable presence of al Qaeda in Iraq fighters.
After the soldiers' vehicle was hit by the bomb, gunmen fired on the patrol from a nearby mosque, a military statement said.
Iraqi and coalition forces secured the area and returned fire on the insurgents, the statement said. Iraqi soldiers entered the mosque, but the gunmen had fled.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/28/iraq.main/index.html
Posted by: John E | January 28, 2008 5:11 PM
McCain has shown himself over and over again as a liberal.
But Romney more so.... Romney lacks the integrity to hold high office. He's a liberal in disguise
Posted by: Thomas | January 28, 2008 5:30 PM
"Meanwhile, McCain has secured the endorsement of former Attorney General Bill Barr, now general counsel at Verizon."
Just more proof that John McCain is in bed with the telecom companies.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/20/AR2007122001356_pf.html
http://www.drudgereport.com/flashnyt.htm
http://pwtenny.newsvine.com/_news/2007/12/20/1177286-mccain-embroiled-in-telecom-lobbying-scandal
Posted by: Michael | January 28, 2008 6:37 PM
Larry: so campaign finance reform is a "liberal" issue? You think all is well in that arena? "Restrictions on air quality"? Are you in favor of dumping all we can in to the air we breath so we can gain "competitive" advantage? What planet do you live on?
Posted by: Scott | January 28, 2008 6:58 PM
Fox News Campaign Embeds (not exactly a bastion of liberal thought).
Romney has proven that he will say anything to anyone at any time if he thinks it will help him politically. His stunning capacity to reverse his position on virtually every issue casts serious doubt on his ability to lead.
Remember, Romney was for caps on greenhouse gases before he was against them.
Posted by: Jeff | January 28, 2008 7:12 PM
John Mccain has proven what a desperate scumbag he is again on the campaign trail.
I look forward to him losing tomorrow in Florida.
Posted by: Phil | January 28, 2008 8:49 PM
"conservative intelligencia"
Ha ha ha, that's a good one. Tell me another!
Posted by: tekel | January 28, 2008 11:03 PM
Jeff,
Are you saying McCain has never changed his position on any issues for political advantage? I have a list that shows he's as bad as Romney only McCain talks tougher so its harder to call him a liar when you are a pansy journalist.
Posted by: jethro | January 29, 2008 10:40 AM
Senator McCain has strongly refuted this claim that he opposed Alito in any way. He probably said what he did about Justice Alito because he would prefer a stealth nominee like Chief Justice Roberts (who's still very conservative) because there's a Democratic Senate! Alito got confirmed in a 55-45 GOP Senate, though not by much, but would he make it through a 51-49 Dem Senate? The question deserves an answer and Mr. McCain was probably alluding to that.
Mitt Romney's supporters are desperate and in many cases sleazy. Vote for John McCain and end this foolishness once and for all!
Posted by: Steve | January 29, 2008 10:45 AM