tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post697158477552417366..comments2023-11-03T09:36:22.100-04:00Comments on In From the Cold: McCain’s Political "Courage"George Smileyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07049707648660651119noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-85284881819126783972008-03-01T00:38:00.000-05:002008-03-01T00:38:00.000-05:00Hey Spook86, do you think there might be a connect...Hey Spook86, do you think there might be a connection between Boeing losing the tanker contract to EADS today and McCain's attack on Boeing & Speedy a few years ago? Could it be that the AF acquisition community is a little pissed at McCain and is setting him up? I've already heard Obama & Clinton repeadedly blame the Republicans for all the jobs that've been "shipped" overseas during the last 7 1/2 years, and I'm just waiting to hear them jump on McCain for the fact that a $40 billion contract (& a ton of the jobs that go with it) is being handed over to Airbus. They could easily argue that, if it wasn't for McCain, the AF would already be flying domestic 767s instead of having to wait a few more years to fly imported Airbuses. With Speedy's strong roots in the AF acquisition community (having been the Principal Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and later the Commander of Air Force Materiel Command), I'm sure he still carries a lot of pull. Also, my understanding is that he's currently an adviser to John Edwards. Kind of an interesting circle, wouldn't you say?mannakahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05458160124690891310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-46016675940472342492008-02-29T12:35:00.000-05:002008-02-29T12:35:00.000-05:00The conservatism of the past 20 years was the ideo...The conservatism of the past 20 years was the ideological result of the state of the nation during the 1970's. It was formed as a counter to the Cold War, massive social changes, misguided economic policies, etc. <BR/><BR/>The stimuli that created that conservative movement are not factors today. As a result, the movement that it spawned is also losing relevance among the electorate because it doesn't address modern problems.<BR/><BR/>None of this is to say that conservatism won't rise again in another form as response to future conditions, but for the time being it is dead as a movement because it isn't relevant to the current state of affairs.<BR/><BR/>In short, you guys are whining about how dare McCain actually show *Moderate* tendencies! Oh no!<BR/><BR/>Perhaps it is the conservative movement that is out of touch.nonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05008251328655246645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-4849542796149695852008-02-29T12:29:00.000-05:002008-02-29T12:29:00.000-05:00Situational outrage is a term which comes to mind ...Situational outrage is a term which comes to mind when thinking of McCain and politeness. <BR/><BR/>McCain is only taking the high road where Democrats are concerned. If we looked hard enough I bet you could find his paws all over some of the hit pieces on his Republican opponents.<BR/><BR/>And while we are at it, McCain's gentlemanly approach didn't get extended to opponents of the immigraton bill.<BR/><BR/>As far as Obama and murky ties are concerned, don't forget, the foreign financeier has links to Sadaam's regime (I would include his last name, but then I might get accused of trying to tie his eminence to Sadaam).<BR/><BR/>A pity some resourcefull reporter hasn't looked at the timing of Obama's initial repudiation of the Iraq War and any funds recieved or favors bestowed.davodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09272330967156237637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-78638160700942769962008-02-28T15:25:00.000-05:002008-02-28T15:25:00.000-05:00Section 9--Mentioning Obama's middle name three ti...Section 9--Mentioning Obama's middle name three times (over the course of a 20-minute warm-up) does not constitute a "constant reiteration." Some of Cunningham's comments could have been phrased better, but it marks one of the few times that Obama has been criticized on anything approaching substance. <BR/><BR/>An adult campaign is fine, but McCain is running a tremendous risk of letting his opponents--and the news media--define what he (and his surrogates) can/can't say on the campaign trail. The Senator's pledge to take the high road is fine, but I don't recall Mrs. Clinton, Senator Obama, or Moreon.org making a similar promise.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12712369389411084085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-71654076357675764592008-02-28T15:21:00.000-05:002008-02-28T15:21:00.000-05:00Nitpicker--(Nice handle, BTW). My concerns about ...Nitpicker--(Nice handle, BTW). My concerns about Obama have nothing to do with his acumen in real estate. If he can swing a good deal on his mansion, more power to him.<BR/><BR/>Fact is, the relationship between Rezko and Obama dates back more than a decade, and no one has (yet) examined any legal work that the Senator (as a private attorney) may have performed for the developer's various projects. What we're beginning to learn is that Mr. Rezko was heavily in debt at the time of that real estate deal. <BR/><BR/>And who provided the financing that (apparently) allowed Mrs. Rezko, with an annual salary of less than 40K, to swing the loan for that lot--which just so happened to be next door to Mr. Obama's mansion. None other than that British finaicier, the same guy who already "owned" Rezko, to the tune of at least $27 million. <BR/><BR/>It's rather curious that the same financier would keep loaning Rezko money, and even offer to forgive those staggering, past-due loans, in exchange for a share of that 62-acre project that may prove as unsuccessful as Rezko's other ventures. <BR/><BR/>What did the financier have to gain? Well, in 2005, GWB had already been re-elected, and there are no indications that Rezko ever had any relationship with the president that rivaled his long-term dealings with Mr. Obama. We already known that the British-Iraqi billionaire collects politicians like stamps. And, in 2005, Obama was already a rising star in Democratic politics. As we observed in the post, was this a case of Rezko's friend hedging his bets, or investing in a future political superstar. We still don't know the answer to that one. <BR/><BR/>None of this leads back to Senator Obama (at least not yet). But, Rezko's political ties seemed to interest that British financier. Remember all the pols who showed up at that Chicago function in his honor, including Barack Obama? And Mr. Rezko was certainly well-connected in Illinois political circles, mostly on the Democratic side. <BR/><BR/>You can't compare Rezko's one-time fund-raiser for Bush to his long-term relationship with Obama. And, unless I'm mistaken, Rezko never bought any property in Crawford, Texas, and then sold it to Mr. BushAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12712369389411084085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-71758720638404859492008-02-28T10:46:00.000-05:002008-02-28T10:46:00.000-05:00What Cunningham said was dumb. You have a better c...What Cunningham said was dumb. You have a better case about McCain and the Air Force officer, but the Cunningham remarks had no place in an adult campaign. <BR/><BR/>Obama will be defeated by a relentless campaign on substance, not a constant reiteration of his middle name.section9https://www.blogger.com/profile/08956773307014115891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-66433273999558892862008-02-28T09:57:00.000-05:002008-02-28T09:57:00.000-05:00I should also add that in 2003 Rezko organized a f...I should also add that in 2003 Rezko organized a fundraiser for George W. Bush' re-election which brought in $3.5 million, as well as donating $6,000 to the president's campaign (compared to the<A HREF="http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?key=3UPMA&txtName=rezko&txtState=IL&txtAll=Y&Order=N&Cycles=A&page=2" REL="nofollow"> $2500</A> his <I>wife</I> donated to Obama's campaigns over the course of 8 years). This would seem to make him a much more "prominent supporter" of Bush than he ever was of Obama's.Nitpickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02712811846288172885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10820485.post-39234800824576520472008-02-28T09:45:00.000-05:002008-02-28T09:45:00.000-05:00I love that you accuse McCain of torpedoing an Air...I love that you accuse McCain of torpedoing an Air Force officer's career over innuendo, but then go on to suggest Obama did something wrong by getting a good deal on a house. <BR/><BR/>If you actually look at that deal, Obama made three offers on the property, moving up each time to the eventual price of $1.65 million. It's true that this was $300,000 less than the asking price, but, at that price range, which means he negotiated for a rate 15% lower than the asked price--a concept which one would think supposed free market conservatives would appreciate. Also, no one who ever flings this crap Obama's way ever bothers to point out that Obama <I>outbid another prospective buyer</I>, which would suggest the problem wasn't with Obama, but with an initially too-high asking price.Nitpickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02712811846288172885noreply@blogger.com