by Jill Zuckman
LADY LAKE, Fla. – Every so often, a voter confronts Sen. John McCain about his age, questioning whether a 71-year-old is too old to be president.
The reverse happened at the Scarlet O'Hara Theater in the Villages retirement community this afternoon. About 1,500 people packed the room and spilled outside into the parking lot where golf carts filled the spaces.
When McCain opened the town hall meeting up to questions, the first person to speak told him she didn't actually have a question for him.
"I just want to say for everyone who thinks you're too old, you look great, you sound great and you will last another eight years," said Maryanne Lane, 65.
McCain thanked her, and told the audience about his 95-year-old mother, Roberta, who tried to rent a car in Paris, but was turned down because of her age. "So she bought one," McCain said to loud applause.
Sen. Joseph Lieberman chimed in as well.
"Maybe it's not so bad that he doesn’t have as much hair as some of the other candidates," Lieberman said in what could be interpreted as a dig at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. "He's got experience. He's been through a lot. He's been tested…he wants to get things done and he's learned how to get things done."
In an interview, Lane said she was initially planning on supporting her fellow New Yorker, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. But somewhere along the way she changed her mind and decided to vote for McCain on Tuesday.
"He's just won me over," she said.







Comments
See McCain and Romney fight. Fight McCain and Romney, fight!!!
See the republican party implode. Implode republican party implode!!!
Rotten old republican party. Rotten to the core.
Posted by: SAM | January 27, 2008 8:33 PM
McCain's knowlege on the economy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu-tg1kQ8dk
Posted by: Larry | January 27, 2008 8:35 PM
Compared to the Hillarbama fight, Mittens and Senator McCain's little tiff is a tea party.
Anyone with half a brain knows that Maryanne is right. He's in amazingly good shape for a 71-year-old and his 95-year-old mother is still alert and active at her age.
As Romney's attacks get more ludicrous and shameful it'll turn off more older voters. It's amusing to me that they're now attacking the former chair of the Senate Commerce Committee for being soft on the economy, whereas Mittens has never managed anything bigger than the tiny state of Massachusetts.
Mittens might have an MBA but he's not the job saver and economic wunderkind that his supporters make him out to be. Romney stood idly by while his company slashed jobs and raided formerly healthy companies when he was Bain CEO. See the Boston Globe's report: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/01/27/as_bain_slashed_jobs_romney_stayed_to_side/
Worse than all that, though, is he was for a pull-out in Iraq. We don't need a leader who doesn't understand the consequences of capitulating to Al Qaeda and as the Tribune's endorsement of McCain said, we can't go back to the careless days of the 1990s, that's what got us into this mess in the first place.
Posted by: Jeff | January 27, 2008 8:44 PM
Jeff
Did you actually read the article? About the company having to close because of the STRIKE? Did Mitt Romney start the strike? Didn't it say that while Bain's endeavors created THOUSANDS of jobs, (80,000 jobs created by Staples alone) they also, unfortunately, lost 100's at some of the companies that couldn't be saved.
As for a timetable, get your facts right and determine who the REAL liar is:
So what evidence does McCain have that Romney supported withdrawal? McCain points to this interview Romney gave to "Good Morning America," on April 3, 2007:
QUESTION: Iraq. John McCain is there in Baghdad right now. You have also been very vocal in supporting the president and the troop surge. Yet, the American public has lost faith in this war. Do you believe that there should be a timetable in withdrawing the troops?
MR. ROMNEY: Well, there's no question but that -- the president and Prime Minister al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You don't want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you're going to be gone. You want to have a series of things you want to see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police, and the leadership of the Iraqi government.
QUESTION: So, private. You wouldn't do it publicly? Because the president has said flat out that he will veto anything the Congress passes about a timetable for troop withdrawals. As president, would you do the same?
MR. ROMNEY: Well, of course. Can you imagine a setting where during the Second World War we said to the Germans, gee, if we haven't reached the Rhine by this date, why, we'll go home, or if we haven't gotten this accomplished we'll pull up and leave? You don't publish that to your enemy, or they just simply lie in wait until that time. So, of course, you have to work together to create timetables and milestones, but you don't do that with the opposition.
McCain says that he thinks this amounts to Romney supporting a drop-dead deadline for withdrawing troops. But that's not what happened. A more fair reading of the exchange shows that Romney was instead talking about private benchmarks that would allow Bush and Maliki to measure success or failure. In fact, Romney says flat out that he would veto any bill from Congress that contained such a timetable for withdrawal.
FURTHER, from your hero McCain:
There are plenty of examples floating around the blogosphere today about when McCain did wave the white flag, though. It all happened, I think, on Bill Clinton's watch though.
Courtesy Crooks and Liars:
1994 — “The right course of action is to make preparations as quickly as possible to bring our people home. It does not mean as soon as order is restored to Haiti, it doesn’t mean as soon as Democracy is flourishing in Haiti, it doesn’t mean as soon as we’ve established a viable nation in Haiti, as soon as possible means as soon as we can get out of Haiti without losing any American lives.”
1993 — “Date certain, Mr. President, are not the criteria here. What’s the criteria and what should be the criteria is our immediate, orderly withdrawal from Somalia. And if we don’t do that, and other Americans die, other Americans are wounded, other Americans are captured, because we stayed too long, longer than necessary, then I would say that the responsibilities for that lie with the Congress of the United States who did not exercise their authority under the Constitution of the United States and mandate that they be brought home as quickly and safely as possible.”
What does that tell ya? Saint McCain is Johnny-come-lately to the war-mongering gig?
I could list item after item about McCain's flip flops, betrayal to his party, outright lying, tainted personal life (hero or not) etc. etc. McCain's temper and ego alone make him unfit for the presidency. I'm one Republican, along with my husband, a retired veteran, who will NOT vote for McCain. PERIOD!
Posted by: Cindy | January 27, 2008 9:10 PM
Capitulating to Al Qaeda, Jeff? What a load of rot. Al Qaeda wasn't even in Iraq before Bush's excellent adventure. Iraq is Bill's fault now? That's rich. If Bush had kept his eye on the ball in Afghanistan, we'd have destroyed Al Qaeda and prevented them from spreading their influence into Pakistan (you know, the guys that have nukes?). Guess where the terrorist who were planning the latest Barcelona attack were trained? That's right, Pakistan, the country we gave $5 billion to do nothing. Al Qaeda loves that we're bogged down in Iraq while they move on to bigger and better things. And make no mistake, Jeff. Iraq is BUSH's WAR!!, and we're not going to let you spineless Republicans (the buck doesn't stop anywhere) forget it.
Posted by: dt | January 27, 2008 9:10 PM
"Careless days of the nineties", what a laugh Jeff. You mean when we had peace and prosperity and didn't think nation-building was such a good idea. You mean the years where we were actually paying down the national debt and not starting wars and then paying for them on a credit card?
Where were those vigilant Republicans in the eighties when Rummy was playing bridge with Saddam while Hussein was gassing his own people? Oh, but we sure avenged those 300 Marines that were blown up in Lebanon, didn't we. And we made sure those Iranians didn't get any more arms, right?
And while the Bushes of Arabia were having group hugs with Saudi Rulers, Wasabbi fundamentalist were teaching Saudi children to go all Jihad on Americans (and the Saudi government was financing them).
Yeah, thanks for reminding me, Jeff, that the Republicans have always been about oil over security.
Posted by: dt | January 27, 2008 9:32 PM
Wow. Joe--lets bomb Iran-- Lieberman would be sitting pretty with his BFF McCain or his senate mentoree--Obama.
Posted by: Vivian | January 27, 2008 9:34 PM
"You look great, you sound great," voter tells McCain
You look old. You sound old! Old and out of touch.
Posted by: Aung San Suu Kyi | January 27, 2008 9:34 PM
It's not that I disagree with what Jeff says about the blood-sucking Venture Capitalist, Romney. It's just that I know from bill/Jeff's past comments on The Swamp that he never gave a crap about the Middle Class or workers who were outsourced, laid-off, had their pensions and benefits eliminated.
Now, as a talking-head for McCain, he's suddenly outraged by Romney's ruthless, unbridled capitalistic behavior? Please.
The math is very simple. A huge majority of the population was left behind in the Bush Economy. McCain was complicit in those policies that disaffected the average American. Only a fool, or the fortunate 5% would vote Republican in '08.
Posted by: dt | January 27, 2008 9:44 PM
The fact is that some guy like McCain has no business saying that he's well versed in economics when Ron Paul made him look like a fool the other night.
McCain is such a freaking lier. He's not running on his record and he looked like an idiot again this morning on Meet the Press when he lied again about his reason for not supporting the Bush tax cuts, twice.
Here's McCains voting record:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjUzOGY0ODA1YzBmNjFhOWE5NWU0OTY5NTZiOGNhOGQ=
He can say what ever he wants but these are facts that can't be spun into political rederick.
Posted by: Orlando Guy | January 27, 2008 9:51 PM
I love how Bill/Jeff and his flunky puppet pal, "MJ", are always on here hyperventilating over Rezko, which has already proved to be nothing to everyone but the fringe rightwingers like them, yet they choose to ignore Senator Straightalker's crimes.
----------------
McCain Loan Could Violate Donor Privacy
http://www.politico.com:80/news/stories/0108/7837.html
McLame's Immigration Insanity
http://www.borderfirereport.net:80/letters-from-readers/mclames-immigration-insanity.html
Video: Liebs says McCain did not support amnesty for illegal aliens
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/01/05/video-liebs-says-mccain-did-not-support-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens
McCain: "We Are Not Going To Build Fences And Barriers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5G3kH1PvvU
Tom DeLay Disses McCain, Calls New Hampshire Win ‘A Blip’
http://youdecide08.foxnews.com:80/2008/01/09/tom-delay-disses-mccain-calls-new-hampshire-win-a-blip/
John McCain and Our Second Amendment
http://www.gunowners.org/pres08/mccain.htm
John McCain's Skeleton Closet
http://www.realchange.org/mccain.htm#keating
The Conservative Case Against McCain
http://thenextprez.blogspot.com/2005/12/conservative-case-against-mccain.html
A Vote For McCain Is A Vote For Amnesty, Open Borders and Never Building A Fence
http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2008/01/a_vote_for_john_mccain_is_a_vo.php
#%&@# You McCain's Unstable Temper Raises More Doubt from Arizona News ( This site will not post actual title. Search Arizona News for John McCain. It's worth the effort to find it. )
Conservative Group Campaigns Against McCain: He's No Ronald Reagan
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Conservative_group_campaigns_again_McCain_Hes_0301.html
Former Senator Rick Santorum sees a lot of problems with John McCain's credentials
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/talkradio/transcripts/Transcript.aspx?ContentGuid=e96c3803-c542-4a57-98bd-68635a744540&comments=true
John McCain's Temper Preceded Vietnam
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/8/30/123006.shtml
John McCain's Record of Economic Issues
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/03/arizona_senator_john_mccains_t.php
McCain Would Vote Against The Bush Tax Cuts All Over Again
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/301ccb6c-32b0-4ba7-8330-68d560f67dd8
McCains Stand On Detainees May Pose Risk For 2008 Bid
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/18/AR2006091801353.html
Democrats Contributed Heavily To McCain's Effort in District 11 Election
http://www.azconservative.org/McCain_Discord.htm
The Conservative Case Against Huckabee And McCain
http://www.townhall.com/blog/g/019929f6-5799-479e-a86b-e2e2601330ab
McCain Walks Into Conservative Clothesline
http://www.baltimoregroupblog.com/2007/03/19/mccain-walks-into-conservative-clothes-line/
John McCain Is No Hero
http://www.usvetdsp.com/bengmcan.htm
U.S. Senator John McCain Is No War Hero
http://www.namvets.com/Reading/john_mccain_is_no_war_hero.htm
Flashback: The Real John McCain
http://www.townhall.com/blog/g/43aba933-6972-4a36-a25f-a2973e69e4ee
Wife of POW Navy Pilot, Who Had Husband's Remains Sent Home By North Vietnamese in 1989, Was Lied to by U.S. Officials For Years About His Whereabouts And POW Status
http://www.arcticbeacon.com/articles/31-oct-2005.html
Defending America by David Hackworth
http://www.hackworth.com/25jan00.html
IT'S TIME TO GIVE THE U.S. ARMY A GOOD SHAKE
http://www.hackworth.com/19nov01.html
Why Vietnam Vets Split on McCain
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_12_16/ai_61487324
Luck Of The Admiral's Son Not For "Grunts"
http://www.usvetdsp.com/smith_mc.htm
ARIZONA'S JOHN McCAIN: A Fraud, "Rhinestone Hero," and National Security Risk
http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/mccain.html
MSNBC questions McCain's temper; Reporter says McCain vexes Senate colleagues
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/MSNBC_Does_McCains_temper_hurt_presidential_0707.html
Posted by: John E | January 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Could we possibly find two worst candidates who will lead to the eventual ascension of Hillary Obama? We have one (Romney) who wants to hand out taxpayer money to whatever he thinks will help his campaign on a scale that would make Lyndon Johnson blush. McCain wants amnesty for illegals, supports the current tax rate, and said that he's ready to fight another war (as if this one's done so much for our security). I guess he's planning on invadin Iran when he gets in office. Or will it be Pakistan by then? -- Vote for the only candidate who wants to restore conservative principles to the Republican party--Ron Paul. Eliminate the income tax, remove the incentives for illegals (free education, free health care, and free public assistance), end the costly and dangerous nation-building in the middle east, promote private enterprise and individual liberty, and stop the Federal Reserve's devaluation of the dollar. Save the G.O.P. from itself, vote for Ron Paul on Tuesday -- the only candidate who can win in November.
Posted by: William Blake | January 27, 2008 10:13 PM
McCain is an angry old man who is happy to leave our troops in Iraq for 50 more years. He has vowed to chase Osama to hell regardless of the death and destruction it takes.
Romney is a Leader and a man of Action who stands for a strong military and defense, but will bring our troops home as soon as it is safe and Iraq is secure
Romney is a TRUE REPUBLICAN who will strictly uphold our constitution.
A vote for McCain send America down the drain.
A vote for Romney is a vote for a stronger more prosperous America.
Posted by: NFAye | January 27, 2008 10:16 PM
I don't care if an audience plant says "Hanoi John" McCain looks young. I only care about his record--his trumped-up military service that jeopardized the lives of hundreds of soldiers (preferential treatment because he is son of a famous admiral), his betrayal of the troops in Iraq (calling them "torturers" like his friend, John Kerry (who he almost became the running mate of in 04), his close personal friendship with Teddy Kennedy, his fierce opposition to all tax cuts, and, worst of all, his plan to legalize all illegal immigrants in America AND allow their families to immigrate and become citizens as well, no questions asked. John McAmnesty would be a disaster for America.
Posted by: moderaterep | January 27, 2008 10:20 PM
Willard AKA Mitt’s statement about the timetable is doublespeak. We need a timetable but keep is secret. That way he can say he supported a timetable and didn’t. Who in their right mind would think it’s possible to have that secret? Even considering a timetable is a losing war strategy that will lead to surrender.
This is just another Mittism like his answer in the debate about catastrophic insurance. He said he supported a national program but not if someone in Iowa pays for a loss in FL. Is he serious? This is another one where he flips mid-sentence so he supports it and doesn’t at the same time.
Americans are tired of this dishonesty. This is not a conservative or republican value. Mitt is loose with the truth, wants to be on every side of every issue, and says whatever he needs to get elected. This is his track record all the way back to 1994. If he is the nominee he will be torn to shreds with his own words and record.
Oh, and for those swayed by fake testimonials… I used to support Mitt, I really like his hair, he looks so Presidential, and he says things that make me feel good, maybe he will tell us all how to make money like he did. But this last reminder (Timetable) that he wants to surrender really has me switching to McCain. He is the only one who can lead us from day one as Commander is Chief.
Go Johnny Go…
Posted by: Peter from NH | January 27, 2008 10:26 PM
"McCain, you look great, sound great"
Huh? who is she looking at and listening to? Sleepy McSurge looks and sounds like he's on deaths doorstep:
http://photobucket.com/mediadetail/?media=http%3A%2F%2Fi180.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx73%2Fdoubleplusundeadmeenu%2FJohn-McCain.jpg&searchTerm=john%20mccain&pageOffset=3
Posted by: John E | January 27, 2008 11:25 PM
This is what passes as "intelligence" by the Loons on the Left:
See McCain and Romney fight. Fight McCain and Romney, fight!!!
See the republican party implode. Implode republican party implode!!!
Rotten old republican party. Rotten to the core.
Posted by: SAM | January 27, 2008 8:33 PM
Really, SAM? Obama and Rezko? Obama and Alexi Giannoulos? Obama and Boy Stroger? Hillary and Norman Hsu? The Clintoons and Gary Winnick? The Clintoons and Travelgate, Whitewater, FBI files, Monica, Lincoln Bedroom selling, White House coffee klatches, pardons, Marc Rich, etc, etc. etc.
Posted by: John D | January 27, 2008 11:42 PM
"I just want to say for everyone who thinks you're too old, you look great, you sound great and you will last another eighty years".
Meanwhile, just behind Maryanne....
"Maryanne, step away from the mirror"
"Maryanne, how many times have I told you, it's just your reflection"
"Maryanne, did you take your meds today?"
"Maryanne? Maryanne?...#$%^ get the straight jacket"
Posted by: Bubba | January 28, 2008 12:06 AM
oooh, bad news defeatists. I'd hate to be a namby-pamby, "McCain was wrong," "victory in Iraq is impossible" voter tomorrow. Read em and weep, losers: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/27/iraq.main/index.html?eref=rss_world
The attacks on McCain on this board mainly come from democrats who are running scared of the way he matches up against both Hillary and Obama. Expect that scared to the gills rhetoric to escalate after this.
Posted by: Jeff | January 28, 2008 12:47 AM
The new hope for the republican party. A old, delusional AARP poster child. Pathetic.
Posted by: Barry G | January 28, 2008 12:55 AM
Voter to McCain...'You look great, sound great'
Wait till all your neighbors speak spanish...
McClaim is for open borders.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 28, 2008 1:14 AM
Mitt, Mitt, full of cash. ( http://snipr.com/romneyoffshore )
Will you let me keep my stash? ( http://snipr.com/stephanopoulosdebate )
Savings, Yes, but paychecks, No! ( http://snipr.com/presidents4fairtax )
Just another politico. ( http://snipr.com/mittflip )
Hope for tax reform, I see, ( http://snipr.com/nextrung )
Will be voting HUCKABEE! ( http://snipr.com/flftanswer )
Posted by: Ian | January 28, 2008 1:15 AM
As far as I know, Dr. Ron Paul is still in the Republician and has beaten Rudy Giuliani in just about every event. Stop ignoring him, he is not going away. No one is going to vote for the rest of these losers
Posted by: James | January 28, 2008 11:17 AM
"MCCAIN MEDIA SPEAKS"
GEORGE BUSH SAID YOU CAN'T FOOL A FOOL TWICE BECAUSE A FOOL CAN'T BE FOOLED TWICE.
GEORGE BUSH GAVE YOU 965 WAYS TO LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY.
JOHN MCCAIN WILL GIVE 966 REASONS TO CHEAT, STEAL, LIE, FABRICATE AND EVEN BIOMETRIC EVERY PERSON CROSSING HIS SOUTHERN, BUT NOT NORTHERN BORDERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
JOHN MCCAIN IS WILLING TO GIVE SATAN A HAND AND GIVE OUT HIS PRESIDENTIAL BIOMETRIC STAMP OF AMERICAN JOB WORKER APPROVAL.
JOHN MCCAIN IS WILLING TO LET BY-GONES BE BY-GONES. ALL IS FORGOTTEN AND FORGIVEN. THANK YOU FOR A BROKE ECONOMY, THANK YOU FOR ELECTING A GOP LEADER OF SHAME. THANK YOU FOR ELECTING A STATESMEN WHO WAS NOT ONLY AN ABSENTEE SENATOR BUT AN ABSENTEE CONGRESSMAN.
71 YEARS OLD AND TICKING, AND TICKING, AND TICKING AND TICKING.
BUT NOT ABOUT WHO SENT HIS COLLEAGUES ANTHRAX.
THINK BIOMETRIC AMERICA, THINK FORENSIC DNA TATOOS, THINK JOHN MCCAIN AND CHERTOF AS VICE PRESIDENT.
OH NELLY!
Posted by: Roger Morris | January 28, 2008 12:03 PM
"Bring em on", Jeff. And remind me what "victory" in Iraq is, again. I see the Sunni's have taken us up on our offer to arm them against Al Qaeda, or is it against the Shia, or worse, against us?). No one ever said we knew what we were doing.
Posted by: dt | January 28, 2008 2:04 PM
Jeff,
Are you saying Mission Accomplished....again?
Posted by: jethro | January 28, 2008 3:33 PM