The I-Words

IRAQ

IRAN

IMMIGRATION


The I-Words are dominating American politics.

On Meet the Press this morning, John McCain addressed these I-Word issues.


John McCain


First, Iraq--

Russert threw out every stale anti-Iraq war talking point that the Dems have to offer.

McCain gave the usual responses. It's an old debate. McCain reiterated that the fact is we cannot fail in Iraq. We cannot cut and run.

On the subject of Iraq, everything that came out of Russert's mouth was negative.

Regarding Russia handing over the war plans to the Iraqis, Russert stuck on how wrong Bush was about Putin's character.

"He called Putin honest and straightforward," Russert said.

He tried to get McCain to criticize Bush for that.

Russert urged him to admit that at least Bush had made "a misjudgment."

McCain wouldn't bite. He defended the President's early efforts to build a good relationship with Russia.

On Iran--

McCain applauded how Bush is handling the Iran problem. McCain supports Bush's stance that we can't remove the military option from the table.

Russert pointed out that military action could unleash terrorism in the U.S.

In response to Russert's incessant whining, McCain said the President was taking the right approach with Iran, by involving the UN Security Council. He said that it would be a mistake to appease a nation that is calling for the annihilation of Israel.

On Immigration--

McCain again praised Bush and his support for the notion of a guest worker program. He said he was "very pleased with the President's comments in Mexico and about this issue."

McCain said, "I applaud his leadership and I applaud the work that he's done."

He also strongly put forth that we must secure the borders.


Russert than turned to the relationship that McCain has with the President.

He brought up a number of remarks from commentators that suggest McCain is cozying up to Bush out of political expediency and as a calculated effort to position himself for the 2008 presidential campaign.

He put up the following quote from James Pinkerton:

"Blunt truth never lasts long. John McCain, for example, has become a born-again Bushophile, and that was the end of him as an honest, independent voice."

McCain defended himself. He said that he has disagreements with Bush on a number of issues but overall, he supports him.

Then, Russert absolutely and embarrassingly obsessed on Jerry Falwell.

Russert was horrified that McCain will be giving the commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University.

Russert trotted out some of Falwell's most outrageous remarks and asked McCain if he embraced those words.

"What we saw on [September 11th], as terrible as it is could be miniscule if, in fact, God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve...I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle...I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"

McCain made Russert look like the idiot that he is.

McCain said that just because he's speaking at the university doesn't mean that he agrees with everything that Falwell has said, nor does he embrace all the tenets of the university.

McCain pointed out he doesn't agree with the positions of some of the liberal universities that he has addressed.

For example, he said that he doesn't agree with Ivy League schools that bar military recruiters from their campuses but he still speaks there.

The thrust of Russert's lengthy attack was that McCain had sold out his straight-talk, principled, maverick status to become a "conventional, typical politician" reaching out to people that he once called "agents of intolerance," and to appeal to the "hard core Republican base. "

McCain said he takes positions that he believes in and stands for.

He said, "[M]ost Americans will judge me by my entire record."

I'm not a McCain fan, but I do think he handled Russert's Falwell fetish and idiotic questioning very well.

This was predictable.

Lib Russert clearly feels betrayed by McCain. If this interview is any indication of things to come, the lib media that adored McCain in his role as a Republican challenger to Bush are turning their backs on him now.

When it comes to Russert and his cohorts, if you support Bush, you're toast.

Although immigration was a primary focus on a couple of the Sunday morning talk shows, with Barack Obama and George Allen duking it out on ABC's This Week, and Dick Durbin and Jim Sensenbrenner over on CBS with Face the Nation, President Bush's future was also a topic.


Barack Obama, George Allen

Face the Nation transcript

Russ Feingold continues to yap about censuring the President.

An AP story reports on his appearance on FOX News Sunday.

The Wisconsin Democrat told "Fox News Sunday" that Bush "does not have a legal leg to stand on" in regard to his secretive domestic spying program.

Feingold says he wants his resolution to be voted on because the president has broken the law.

Lindsey Graham, who also appeared on FOX, defended the President and called any comparisons of the TERRORIST SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM to Watergate were "really absurd."

In much of the talk this morning, when it wasn't front and center, there was a subtext being presented by the Dems and the lib hosts -- that Bush has screwed up royally.

Bush's failed presidency.

Bush the criminal.

Bush the incompetent.

The Dems are still a little timid at this point, but their sights are set and they are salivating over the ultimate I-Word:

IMPEACHMENT