McCain: Is the fun over?
Posted: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 9:27 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Conservative writer Jennifer Rubin makes this point: “[B]efore Republicans get excited about the possibilty of vicious infighting that will torment Democrats, those Republicans should keep in mind two things. First, eventually there will be a nominee (whether May or June or August) and a final night of the convention where everyone will raise hands together and declare undying loyalty. Most of those Clinton supporters, especially ones committed enough to vote in a primary, will vote Democratic in November. And there are a lot more registered Democrats than there used to be.”
“Second, Obama is a fast learner. His speech last night included a heavy dose of heartfelt appreciation for America, reverence for the land of opportunity and lots of empathy for working class voters. Like a vacuum cleaner, he is sucking up the Clintonian message to blue collar voters and absorbing the rhetoric which has successfully lured a coalition of working class whites, seniors and women. Don’t expect any more Snobgate slip-ups. In short, the fun for conservatives is at an end.”
The New York Times on McCain’s speech on the judiciary yesterday: “Senator John McCain reached out to conservatives on Tuesday by vowing to appoint judges he characterized as strictly faithful to the Constitution and who did not engage in what Mr. McCain condemned as ‘the common and systemic abuse of our federal courts.’” More: “Mr. McCain’s speech was a clear embrace of the judicial philosophy of President Bush and other recent Republican presidents who sought judges who generally construed laws as narrowly as possible, who for the most part favored government authority in criminal matters and who were opposed to the expansion of abortion rights.”
Per the Washington Post, McCain said “that Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. ‘would serve as the model for my own nominees, if that responsibility falls to me,’ highlighting the gap between Republicans and Democrats on the question of who should sit on the Supreme Court. Both justices have established strong conservative records since Bush appointed them, and the appointment of one more conservative to the nation's highest court could tip the balance on issues such as abortion, discrimination, civil liberties and private property.”
