Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) wipes his eye during a news conference on Capitol Hill today. McCain and Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota introduced legislation to establish a Senate select committee to investigate the causes of the current financial crisis and make recommendations to avert a repeat. (Photo by Alex Wong / Getty Images)
by Mark Silva
Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, says his party has lost two elections in a row - "big-time'' - and it's time to rally anew.
On the spat that radio's Rush Limbaugh has stirred with President Barack Obama, prompting the White House and Democratic Party alike to assert that radio's "Rush'' is the new voice of the GOP, McCain had this to say on the FOX News Channel today:
"I think there's a lot of voices in our party. Rush Limbaugh is one of them,'' McCain told Neil Cavuto on FOX's Your World with Cavuto. "(RNC Chairman) Michael Steele, I respect enormously, the governors, (Tim) Pawlenty (of Minnesota) and (Bobby) Jindal (of Louisiana) and (Sarah) Palin (of Alaska, McCain's running mate in '08) and others.
"I appreciate all of them, and, for us to get into some kind of contest, when we've just lost an election, about who does what, let's all work together as a party and get our party back on track,'' McCain said. "We just lost two elections in a row, big-time. Let's get together.
"I think Mr. Limbaugh speaks for a number of Republicans,'' McCain says of the conservative commentator with an estimated radio audience of 12 million. "I think I speak a little for the Republican Party...Let's all speak for the things we value and the things we believe in."
But it's important, he maintains, to hold the line against Obama on the principles, such as the many earmarks in the spending bill that the president is prepared to sign after vowing to avert earmarks - McCain calls these earmarks "a gateway drug'' in Washington's addiction to political corruption.
While, at the same time, working with the new president, in the hope that the nation succeeds, because, after all, Obama ran and won on "change.''
On the $410-billion spending bill moving through Congress with about 9,000 earmarks in it, McCain said: "I think it's disgraceful that the president is going to sign it... What is it here in Washington, business as usual?"
On the earmarks that Republicans have sponsored: "It's a bipartisan disease, and we don't seem to get it...40 percent of those earmarks were Republican earmarks.
"It is a habit, and it has become corruption...This is a gateway drug...this isn't just bad, this isn't just waste, this is corruption."
On working with Obama: "I'm the loyal opposition...The country is in too bad of shape not to work together...I'm committed to working with the president...Here we don't get the message from the people in this country...they voted for change..."
Comments
It looks like John "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" McBush, is crying in that picture.
Posted by: CS Nowik | March 3, 2009 5:22 PM
Quickly.......some tell
McCain that remember....only 54 million voted against you.
Posted by: bill r. | March 3, 2009 5:32 PM
It's makes me sick to think of how bad of a mess we would be in right now if Grampy McCain and Sarah the Pageant Queen had won the election. Heck, the mess that the BushCo Republicans left behind for us to clean up is bad enough as it is.
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http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/?p=55310
.
Posted by: Borat | March 3, 2009 6:02 PM
Yes, bill r, but more people voted for McCain than have ever voted for Rush Blimbaugh.
Posted by: Flo | March 3, 2009 6:04 PM
Grampy is a disaster and we should all be thankful that he and Caribou Barbie are far, far away from power.
Even so, what's with the unflattering picture? Much as I dislike the guy, I see this as a gratuitous shot.
Posted by: a blinkin | March 3, 2009 6:34 PM
Alt Caption;
1.
"My fellow prisoners,,,,, (breaks into uncontrolled tears.)
2.
"If only I could just talk with Col. Duyet....."
Posted by: C.Morris✈ | March 3, 2009 6:35 PM
If there would have been an economically conservative, not a Johnny come lately, as was McCain; the results would have been different. It would have been interesting to have seen an Obama-Romney race as the economy melted down last fall. But the republican have no one to blame for themselves for that.
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A better plan, that was poo-pooed by Dimwit Pelosi would have created millions of more jobs at a less cost to the taxpayers. That according to the CBO.
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http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109659
Posted by: Terry | March 3, 2009 7:47 PM
Avoid a repeat? We heard the same thing after the Savings and Loan fiasco. No more Silverdo Savings and Loan ripoffs, remember?
And now that Wall St. geniuses have taken the world economy to the brink, the Pug red-meat crowd can't even admit that unfettered capitalism had any role.. It's the minorities fault, it's Clinton's fault, it's Barney Frank's fault. Read up fools, and get a clue. Your capitalist heroes just worked you, raped and pillaged the country, destroyed the savings, pensions, and livelihoods of millions, in their shameless, reckless schemes to enrich themselves beyond their wildest imaginations.
http://www.slate.com/id/2212480/entry/2212532/
*
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/business/28nocera.html?
pagewanted=1&em
*
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/barone/2009/2/25/wall-street-became-over-dependent-on-numbers-lost-touch-with-reality.html
Posted by: dt☢ | March 3, 2009 8:13 PM
CS N,
Yeah. And what he is actually saying is, "I, John McCain, need a select committee to explain to ME the economic crisis."
Posted by: TheReamer | March 3, 2009 9:00 PM
And in today's poll that Bruce will refuse to admit even exists, the vast majority of Americans, 84%, think the current economic conditions were inherited and not caused by President Barack Obama, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll to be released today.
Further, the majority of respondents don’t believe Obama will be viewed as responsible for the economy’s state until much later in his term. Asked at what point Obama will be "mostly responsible for the country’s economic conditions," 25% said in one to two years, 18% said in two to three years, and 23% said in more than three years.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/03/03/wsjnbc-poll-democrats-better-to-get-country-out-of-recession/
Posted by: BC | March 3, 2009 10:30 PM
Everyone should read this story from Wired
Recipe for Disaster: The Formula that killed Wall Street
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-03/wp_quant
VJ Machiavelli
www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
NO MORE SCHUMER
NO MORE PELOSI
Posted by: VJ Machiavelli | March 4, 2009 12:35 AM
We don't need another select sub committee on anything. There is plenty of hot air blowing around in DC as it is. Makes me wonder how it ever got cold enough to snow ther.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | March 4, 2009 6:55 AM
McCain is of course right about Obama and earmarks. Signing the bill into law just shows the fiction of Obama's "high" ethical standards.
But McCain is otherwise ineffective and should do us all a favor and retire.
Posted by: Hazmet | March 4, 2009 7:09 AM
I wonder when the Obama honeymoon will be over and you come out of your dream sleep? Just because McCain/Palin would not have been a good decision, does that necessitate Obama is the bomb? "We the People" have a huge problem and it has nothing to do with republican or democrate, white, black, green, yellow or purple. Just like in a failing business, we attempt to deal with the symptons not the cure.
Posted by: Terry | March 4, 2009 11:59 AM
I am thankful every day that Senator McCain is fighting for me and every other taxpayer!
I only wish there was a 60-day trial period on newly elected Presidents where voters could decide to change their mind.
If the election were held today, McCain would win, and win big!
Posted by: Karen Bonadio | March 4, 2009 12:48 PM
McCain is right--Republicans should all work together and stand up for their basic principles, not get into infighting and competitions about who is the real voice of the party. Infighting is what the Democrats want us to do. We don't agree with each other on everything, and it's healthy that we don't. But we can stand up in a principled way for the ideas that matter to us, and work together to revitalize our party.
Posted by: Laurel F. | March 4, 2009 4:50 PM