WRT to Bit’s post about John Hawkins of the morning.
We have seen eight years of presidential leaahrship without a moral compass, the Clinton adminstration. I do not, and will not agree, with John McCain on all issues. However McCain does have a moral compass and is willing to take leadership positions.
Two recent examples, McCain was one of the few senators who opposed the bloated farm bill. With farm profits up, food prices soaring, and BO campaigning a promise of national hunger, he still supported the farm bill. BO put pandering to Iowa ahead of the national interst.
McCain also was one fo the few senators to oppose Jim Webb’s new G.I bill. This is what BO had to say about the bill on the floor of the Senate:
I respect sen. John McCain’s service to our country. He is one of those heroes of which I speak. But I can’t understand why he would line up behind the President in his opposition to this GI bill.
I can’t believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans. I could not disagree with him and the President more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them.
McCain in part:
“I know that my friend and fellow veteran, Senator Jim Webb, an honorable man who takes his responsibility to veterans very seriously, has offered legislation with very generous benefits. I respect and admire his position, and I would never suggest that he has anything other than the best of intentions to honor the service of deserving veterans. Both Senator Webb and I are united in our deep appreciation for the men and women who risk their lives so that the rest of us may be secure in our freedom. And I take a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans. And I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did.
“The most important difference between our two approaches is that Senator Webb offers veterans who served one enlistment the same benefits as those offered veterans who have re-enlisted several times. Our bill has a sliding scale that offers generous benefits to all veterans, but increases those benefits according to the veteran’s length of service. I think it is important to do that because, otherwise, we will encourage more people to leave the military after they have completed one enlistment. At a time when the United States military is fighting in two wars, and as we finally are beginning the long overdue and very urgent necessity of increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps, one study estimates that Senator Webb’s bill will reduce retention rates by 16%.
Courtesy, Marc Ambinder, Atlantic.
McCain clearly demonstrates that he understands the issue of the. G.I. Bill in the context of military personnel policy, which is twofold: to prepare for war and to prevail in war. BO only see the G.I. in context of political pandering.
McCain has some clues and the political courage to take a stand. BO has neither clues nor courage. Show but one issue where McCain is wrong but BO right. We need a leader as president. McCain is a leader, albeit imperfect. BO is not.
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Tags: Atlantic, BO, G.I, Iowa, Marc Ambinder, Senator Jim Webb, Senator Obama, Senator Webb, United States
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May 23rd, 2008 at 10:39
I can’t argue against any of what you’ve said here, David. All of those points and a few more are the only reasons McCain even remains in my vote consideration, at all. Do not, however, mistake such consideration as blanket support on my part. The items Hawkins lays out for us, and so much more, some of the items we’ve discussed here previously, obligate us, I think, to some serious examination of the man, and our vote for him.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:30
I’d feel a lot better about McCain if if picks Mitt Romney as Veep. McCain does have the ability to be weong. However I am not yet conviunced that hs is immune to evidence.
Doctor Krauthammer has great column today about BO converting a campaign gaffe into dcctrine. McCain ain’t no rocket scientist. He however does not build doctrine out of gaffes.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:17
Well, I’m not one who gives a great deal of consideration to the VP choice. Granted, we’ve had VP’s like Cheney, who ahve actually taken an active role in policy. But historically, and absent anything happening to disable the President, the VP really doesn’t make all that much difference.
May 23rd, 2008 at 22:09
I agree that the VP makes little impact in the job, but he can make a huge impact in the campaign. In the last 20 years, VP debates and speeches have gotten a lot more attention than prior to that, and even Cheney as Bush’s running mate created a lot of spin because of his age and health. It is entirely possible that if Ross Perot had a less ridiculous running mate than Stockdale he might have had a chance to win the 1992 election.