Friends of Liberty

Sources: McCain May Declare VP Pick This Week

by FOXNews.com

Monday, July 21, 2008

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July 21: John McCain at the Maine Military Museum in South Portland, Maine. (AP Photo)

Very well-placed sources told FOX News late Monday that John McCain’s campaign has had discussions in the recent past about the merits of the expected Republican presidential nominee unveiling his choice of a running mate this week while rival Barack Obama is overseas.

One source with direct knowledge of the senator’s thinking and of the campaign’s machinations said no announcement will be made Tuesday morning but another top insider suggested the media not throw cold water on the idea that McCain could announce his vice presidential pick this week. Still a third source said unless McCain wakes up in the next two days with a decision, chances are “remote.”

Asked about the odds of announcing a vice presidential pick on Tuesday, McCain brushed off the question during a plane ride with reporters to New Hampshire, only giving a mischievous grin.

McCain did tell reporters that he wants to make a choice as early as possible and make sure that the person doesn’t detract from that ticket. He separately noted former rival and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s success in the battleground state of Michigan, in which he beat McCain by 9 points.

But traveling Press Secretary Brooke Buchanan said no announcements would be made late Monday. Senior adviser Mark Salter said he had “no comment and he is not authorized to say anything” regarding the number two pick.”...

Iraq Leader Maliki Supports Obama's Withdrawal Plans

June 19, 2008
Der Spiegel

'AS SOON AS POSSIBLE'

In an interview with SPIEGEL, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Barack Obama's 16 month timeframe for a withdrawal from Iraq is the right one.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki supports US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plan to withdraw US troops from Iraq within 16 months. When asked in and interview with SPIEGEL when he thinks US troops should leave Iraq, Maliki responded "as soon as possible, as far as we are concerned." He then continued: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

REUTERS

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says he agrees with US presidential candidate Barack Obama's plans for withdrawing US troops from Iraq.

Maliki was careful to back away from outright support for Obama. "Of course, this is by no means an election endorsement. Who they choose as their president is the Americans' business," he said. But then, apparently referring to Republican candidate John McCain's more open-ended Iraq policy, Maliki said: "Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of US troops in Iraq would cause problems."

Iraq, Maliki went on to say, "would like to see the establishment of a long-term strategic treaty with the United States, which would govern the basic aspects of our economic and cultural relations." He also emphasized though that the security agreement between the two countries should only "remain in effect in the short term."...

Seven years on, no answer from White House on anthrax attacks

by Eric Brewer
Published: Wednesday July 16, 2008

It's been almost seven years since — in the weeks immediately following 9/11 — anthrax powder sent through the mail killed five people, threatened the lives of two Democratic senators, terrorized the entire nation, and helped prod a panicky Congress into passing the so-called Patriot Act.

In the intervening years, not only has the killer remained free, but missteps in the investigation have had major negative consequences. Just last month, in fact, the Department of Justice agreed to pay $4.6 million to former bioweapons expert Stephen Hatfill to settle a lawsuit Hatfill brought against the Justice Department, the FBI, and former Attorney General John Ashcroft for destroying his reputation and career by publicly implicating him in the case. And Glenn Greenwald has pointed out that in 2001, ABC News was fed false information by several "well-placed sources" (presumably officials in the Bush administration) suggesting an Iraq-anthrax link. That imaginary link was widely cited by pro-war cheerleaders.

At Monday's White House briefing, I asked if President Bush was satisfied with the progress of the investigation into the attacks. Press Secretary Dana Perino told me that she didn't even "know if he has had an update on it."

Here is our exchange:...

Conservatives deeply depressed over McCain campaign

by Richard Viguerie
July 14, 2008

(Las Vegas, Nevada) Conservatives are so depressed over the state of the McCain campaign--particularly its failure to include and enthuse the Republican base--that they are preparing themselves for a monumental GOP defeat in November, Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, said in a speech to FreedomFest.

“You even have some conservatives who are considering voting for Barack Obama, because they fear McCain as president would destroy what’s left of the Republican brand and would finish off the conservative movement,” said Viguerie. “Their mood is that of the fatally ill patient who says ‘Let’s get this over with’.”

“John McCain has had the Republican nomination sewn up for five months and has done little to convince conservatives they should come off the sidelines and fight for him,” he said.

Viguerie said, “Personnel is policy and if Senator McCain won’t surround himself with conservatives during this campaign, when he desperately needs them, why should we think that he will have conservatives making critical decisions in his administration?”

“Senator McCain has never been a conservative, is not one now, and will not govern as one. From McCain-Feingold to cap-and-trade, he is a supporter of one Big Government scheme after another. History shows that, in the Oval Office, where almost all the political pressure comes from supporters of Big Government, he would only get worse.”

Viguerie has also called for the resignation of the Republican leadership in Congress.

“After this year’s expected blood bath in the November elections, the voters will bring about a massive housecleaning of GOP leaders in favor of principled conservatives,” he said.

Freedom Fest, at which Viguerie spoke, is a gathering of prominent advocates for free markets. Other speakers this year include Steve Forbes, George Gilder, Bob Barr, Dinesh D’Souza, Christopher Hitchens, and Congressman Ron Paul...

McCain Touts Free Trade, Defends Immigration Stance at La Raza

by Associated Press

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

SAN DIEGO — Republican presidential candidate John McCain, in one of his strongest endorsements of free trade, called himself “an unapologetic supporter of NAFTA,” an agreement that many Americans feel has cost them jobs.

“I reject the false virtues of economic isolationism,” McCain told the National Council of La Raza, a major Hispanic organization. “Any confident, competent country and its government should embrace competition,” he said. “It makes us stronger.”

The Arizona senator has often defended free trade, but Monday’s speech was among his most detailed and full-throated commentaries.

“Lowering barriers to trade creates more and better jobs, and higher wages,” he said. “It makes goods more affordable for low- and middle-income consumers.”

Citing his recent visit to Colombia and Mexico, McCain said he understands “how vitally important it is to the prosperity and security of our country to strengthen our trade, investment and diplomatic ties to other countries in our hemisphere.” He said he fully supports the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Central American Free Trade Agreement and the Colombian Free Trade Agreement.

Congress approved the NAFTA agreement with Mexico and Canada in 1993, and the agreement with six Central American nations in 2005, but has blocked the agreement with Colombia.

“I believe a hemispheric free trade agreement is a worthy and necessary goal whose time has come,” he said of a proposal he unveiled during the campaign.

Acknowledging that some Americans do lose jobs “to foreign competition,” McCain said he has proposed “a comprehensive reform of our unemployment insurance and worker retraining programs.”

“And for workers of a certain age who have lost a job that won’t come back,” he said, “if they move rapidly to a new job we’ll help make up the difference in wages between their old job and the new one.”...

McCain's broken marriage and fractured Reagan friendship

The nature and timing of his divorce from Carol Shepp alienated key friends -- and his version doesn't always match that in court documents.

By Richard A. Serrano and Ralph Vartabedian
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
July 11, 2008

Outside her Bel-Air home, Nancy Reagan stood arm in arm with John McCain and offered a significant -- but less than exuberant -- endorsement.

"Ronnie and I always waited until everything was decided, and then we endorsed," the Republican matriarch said in March. "Well, obviously this is the nominee of the party." They were the only words she would speak during the five-minute photo op...

Complete article here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-divorce11-2008jul11,0,5924926,full.story

McCain Taps Former Giuliani Staffer as Field Director

by FOXNews.com

Thursday, July 10, 2008

John McCain’s campaign has hired a former staffer for Rudy Giuliani to be its national field director, one of two positions created by a key adviser who took over operational control of the campaign last week.

Bill Stepien, who was a regional McCain campaign manager for New York and New Jersey and worked as Giuliani’s national field director before that, will join recently named political director, Mike DuHaime.

DuHaime also worked for Giuliani, as his campaign manager during the GOP primaries.

Adviser Steve Schmidt, who has been given new authority in the McCain campaign, announced last week that he was hiring both a political director and field director to “increase our capacity to reach out to voters, build coalitions, identify supporters and ultimately turn them out to the polls on Nov. 4.”

Stepien also worked as the New Hampshire political director for President Bush’s 2004 campaign.

FOX News’ Mosheh Oinounou contributed to this report...

McCain tells Hispanic group of his commitment to immigration reform

By Michael Cooper
International Herald Tribune
July 8, 2008

WASHINGTON: Senator John McCain told a major Hispanic group here Tuesday that he remained committed to passing the kind of immigration legislation that angered many Republican voters last year, but he underscored that he intended to first secure U.S. borders.

Speaking to the convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens, McCain noted his efforts to pass comprehensive immigration legislation, which was supported by President George W. Bush and such Democrats as Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts but which fell apart last year after an angry grass-roots movement that viewed it as tantamount to amnesty rose up to oppose its passage.

"I and many other colleagues twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to fix our broken borders, ensure respect for the laws of this country, recognize the important economic necessity of immigrant laborers, apprehend those who came here illegally to commit crimes and deal practically and humanely with those who came here, as my distant ancestors did, to build a better, safer life for their families," McCain said, "without excusing the fact they came here illegally or granting them privileges before those who have been waiting their turn outside the country."

He added: "Many Americans, with good cause, didn't believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts. We must prove to them that we can and will secure our borders first, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States of America. But we must not make the mistake of thinking that our responsibility to meet this challenge will end with that accomplishment. We have economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well, and they require no less dedication from us in meeting them."

McCain's support of the failed immigration bill, which many Republican primary voters vigorously opposed, threatened to doom his candidacy last year. He was regularly attacked on the issue by Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and Republican contender, who spoke of it as the McCain-Kennedy bill. Voters opposed to the bill often brought it up to him in town hall-style meetings in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina...

Cindy McCain Scolds Husband for Iran Wisecrack

Associated Press
July 8, 2008

PITTSBURGH — Cindy McCain’s jab to her husband’s back came a second too late Tuesday to keep him from making a wisecrack about the health impact of Iran’s main import from the United States: cigarettes.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain was asked about an Associated Press report that $158 million in cigarettes have been shipped to Iran during George W. Bush’s presidency despite restrictions on U.S. exports to that country.

“Maybe that’s a way of killing them,” McCain told reporters, smiling as he waited for a cheesesteak sandwich at the Primanti Brothers restaurant. His wife, sitting next to him at the counter, poked his back without looking up.

“I meant that as a joke,” McCain quickly explained. “As a person who hasn’t had a cigarette in 28 years,” he began to say, when his wife corrected him: 29 years.

Taking a more serious tone, McCain said, “I’d like to look into” details of exports to Iran. “This is the first that I’ve heard about it,” he said...

Complete article here: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/08/cindy-mccain-scolds-husband-for-iran-wisecrack/

Zogby: Obama has electoral college majority; Barr has 6% support

Nick Juliano
Published: Monday July 7, 2008

A new nationwide poll shows Barack Obama securing a majority of electoral college votes over Republican opponent John McCain in a new state-by-state poll.

The Zogby Interactive online survey also shows Libertarian Candidate Bob Barr shaping up as a substantial factor in this year's election, pulling 6 percent of the vote. (He was substantially outperforming then-Green Party candidate Ralph Nader at a similar point in the 2000 campaign)

The poll was conducted June 11-30 among more than 46,000 likely voters.

If the election were held today, Obama would win 273 electoral votes, enough to hand him the presidency, according to Zogby's tally. McCain would receive 160 electoral votes, leaving 105 up for grabs. Obama is the choice of 44 percent of voters surveyed, compared to 38 percent who prefer McCain. Other projections, like the one being maintained at FiveThirtyEight.com, have Obama winning with as many as 308 electoral votes.

Pollster John Zogby said Barr "could really hurt McCain's chances," pointing to the former Georgia Republican's 7 percent support among conservative or very conservative voters, 43 percent support from libertarians and 11 percent showing with independents.

Liberal gadfly Nader, now running as an Independent, is polling at less than 2 percent in the latest survey.

Obama's campaign has been paying attention to Barr, saying he could help them in states like Alaska and Georgia...