McCain Mines Bush Faithful for 2008 Team

[swag]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/21/washington/21mccain.html?hp&ex=1156132800&en=f3bd67759f4abd02&ei=5094&partner=homepage

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 — Senator John McCain is locking up a cast of top-shelf Republican strategists, policy experts, fund-raisers and donors, in a methodical effort to build a 2008 presidential campaign machine that is drawing supporters of President Bush despite the sometimes rocky history between the two men.

Mr. McCain’s effort to woo a diverse lineup of backers and scare off rivals has augmented his travel schedule on behalf of Republicans — which this week and next includes trips to Iowa, Louisiana, Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio and Florida.

The effort is fueling a fund-raising operation that has helped him build loyalty throughout the party by doling out more than $800,000 to candidates since the start of last year through his political action committee.

Other Republican presidential hopefuls are doing likewise, but Mr. McCain is widely judged to be farther along in assembling the kind of national network necessary to sustain a long, expensive campaign for his party’s nomination to succeed President Bush.

At a point in the election cycle when policy positions may be less important than general impressions, the signal Mr. McCain is seeking to send to the Republican Party is that anyone who wants a place on his bandwagon should jump on now.

[Demeter]

1. Another Good Reason NOT to Vote McCain

It's nice to get the heads-up early in the game....

[msongs]

2. where's the pic of McCain kissing bush/sucking up? hope to see it

quite often if he runs in 2008.

Msongs
www.myspace.com/msongs

[rocktivity]

3. Go, Johnny, go, go!

Embrace the the man who trashed you! Destroy your only asset--your image as a free-thinking super-moderate! You're doing the right thing--RAH RAH RAH!


rocknation

[I_Make_Mistakes]

4. He is way too old. Today he did the Sunday talk shows and his

age showed so apparently. He could be a VP in circa Cheney, but not a Pres.!

[iamjoy]

7. Older Than Reagan

If John McCain runs, he will be older than Reagan was when Reagan ran.

[badgervan]

5. Sorry, John

I used to like and admire you. I just do not trust you anymore, sir.

[leesa]

6. How could anyone respect John McCain?

Of course, if they are stupid enough to actually respect Dubya, as amazing as that seems...

[eleny]

8. McCain has to do something about that whistle in his speech

I'm watching him on Meet the Press and the whistle is piercing on occasion. It's also frequent.

I realize this is petty. But elections are a lot about appearance and communication. He doesn't sound or look presidential to me at all.

[maseman]

10. I never understood McCain

Like a mention above, I used to admire McCain on some of his issues and also purely for the reason he endured the MIA years. Anyone who survives that is a true hero.

However, when he was trashed by GW and then basically did a 180 and embraced him (literally) I lost all respect. That is like your neighbor calling you and asshole in front of your neigborhood BBQ gathering and then you invite him over for dinner the next day.

My surmise is that he is so power hungry he'll do anything to win. I don't trust him.

[ShockediSay]

9. I think if they run McCain, we can't afford some chicken hawk & need real

military experience.

Best bet in my book: Wes Clark &/or Murtha

then they can't hammer away at "soft on defense."

Kerry? if he could talk in sound bites, he'd be President today

[Human Torch]

11. The punch line from the article:

"Many McCain advisers and money people say it is easy to make the switch from Mr. Bush to Mr. McCain because they have always admired Mr. McCain, or because Mr. McCain and Mr. Bush agree on the things that really matter."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/21/washington/21mccain.html

[Acadia Blue]

12. Barf. He has gone over the the religious right. yuck.

[kskiska]

13. The height of hypocrisy would be McCain taking on Karl Rove

to do to other candidates what was done to him in South Carolina.