The Respectfully Republican Conversation

Paulette531

Rosemary...I just read the article about Kay Bailey running for governer in 2010...but she also said with her name being tossed around as a running mate with McCain, she was not seeking, but would not turn it down!

Rosemary44

Paulette,

I'm sure she has a wonderful record to run on, but she is soooo sweet, demure and proper.  She needs a little more uuummmph.  Did you know she has 2 kids, age 6?  So she can definately speak to  all problems working mother's face...child care and the lot.  Even though, I just think he will need a younger person to offset his age to attract all those wild and crazy 20 somethings.

saluki

Interesting article---Obama runs as the great uniter--that he can work with both sides-----If this is any indication its just the opposite.

It looks like McCain really dislikes this guy--and if McCain can't work with him --who can????   McCain has worked with Hillary successfully and may not agree with her policies but he respects her.

Obama & McCain’s Short Lived Alliance

March 31st, 2008

Washington Post has an insider story of the first and only time Senator’s Obama & McCain worked together. It was early on in the Illinois Senator’s career, McCain saw a potential reformer to join his cause but the relationship quickly fell appart.

I like him; he’s probably got a great future. We can do some work together,” McCain confided to his top staffer.

Instead, what began as a promising collaboration between two men bent on burnishing their reformist credentials collapsed after barely a week. The McCain-Obama relationship came undone amid charges and countercharges, all aired publicly two years ago in an exchange of stark and angry letters. Obama questioned whether McCain sided with GOP leaders rather than searching for a bipartisan solution; McCain accused Obama of “typical rhetorical gloss” and “self interested partisan posturing” by a newcomer seeking to ingratiate himself with party leaders.

“Please be assured I won’t make the same mistake again,” McCain wrote Obama on Feb. 6, 2006.

It is pretty clear how the McCain camp and the Republicans viewed the failure and their recollection of the event gives a wonderful insight into how the election will be framed:

McCain’s backers view it as emblematic of Obama’s ability to talk grand ideas and aspirations, but also of his ultimate failure to produce substantive results. Obama’s supporters contend that the moment was vintage Obama, with the newcomer defusing the feud with a cool demeanor that allowed him to claim the high ground while rolling up his sleeves to eventually help pass a broader ethics overhaul bill in August 2007.

 

Rosemary44

Susie,

That story goes on for 3 pages.  It can be found at the Washington Post, it's pretty juicy:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/30/AR2008033002401.html?hpid=topnews

saluki

I'm in Pa. and let me tell you---I can't wait for this month to be over.

You can't watch any news show without getting an Obama commercial with him standing in front of a big Exxon sign saying he's not beholden

to lobbyists. Not even Letterman is safe----I'm now renting movies to keep my blood pressure down.

If this is a preview of the Fall this guy has no end of money and this stuff is running non-stop. Very few Hillary commercials. Was it this bad in Texas?----They just said Obama raised 40 million in March alone to Hillary's 20 million.

This fund raising is going to be a big problem for McCain---In his years in the senate he has angered big business so they are pouring bucks that would normally go Republican to the Democrats instead.

And the normal Conservative money is sitting on the sidelines as well. ---

This is not good. ---A whole Fall with Democrats monopolizing the airways in addition to the media bias.

shokk

Susie all the Democrats live in Austin and since we all know where they are we just steer clear of them..........Shokk 

Rosemary44

Hillary isn't getting the big bucks either.  So they'll have to wait to reply to those commercials the week before the primary.  Since he's standing in front of an exxon station there goes the CEO of exxon's campaign donation.  Since big oil is making fortunes, it could have been sizable.  Maybe they'll wake up and ply McCain with money when the time comes.

FEB

I was watching Fox this week, and they said that Obama's ads are misleading in that no one is allowed to take money from corporations, thanks to McCain Feingold. We all know that the failure of this bill, and the decline in McCain's popularity at the time, was because it allowed all the special interest groups, mostly run by the likes of George Soros billionaires to take over. What was supposed to dispose of the influence of corporations buying political clout, simply went into the hands of a few of the filthy rich. That is why the campaigns are now so ridiculously expensive and votes can be bought.

An example is one of our local incumbents running for the house last year was outspent by over a million$$ to a dem who did not even live in the district. But because she was able to buy so much air time, she almost won. Interestingly, her ads never stated that she was a dem, so people voted for her because she ran a good commercial.The dem party was throwing money at her left and right. Even the Hollywood types were bragging about sending money to get her elected. It was maddening. They were trying to buy their way into electing my representative! I thought we were supposed to choose our own reps. I wonder how they would like it if a conservative got elected in Malibu!!

I still think business will be friendlier to MCCain than the dems because he does not believe in taxing  business as the solution to everything. Both Obama and Clinton have said they will raise the taxes on business.

Hopefully, the longer the dems continue to duke it out, the less they will have to spend in the end against McCain. Also, don't you think that the reason money is not pouring in for him right now is because people feel he doesn't need it yet?

 I guess the advantage for us living in Obama's state, is that we saw very few ads for anyone. They all decided "Why bother?" I guess. But Illinois did vote for Reagan, so there is hope. Okay, I am a dreamer, but out of 106 counties in Illinois, I think 102 voted for Bush. Unfortunately, the population is overwhelming in the other 4.

So Susie, which way do you think Pa. will vote?

Rosemary44

What is happening instead of corp. donations, the individuals from those very same corporations are plying them with riches for their campaigns.  There's a way around everything.

I was just thinking Obama should have stood in front of a Shell station, instead of exxon.  Ahhh, inexperience.. sure get an American company pissed off at you.  Good work.

saluki

I think if McCain can get the exposure he has a chance in Pa---There is talk that former head of homeland security and former Gov of Pa Ridge is on the short VP consideration list.  The City of Philadelphia will certainly go Democratic but the surburbs and towards Pittsburgh have a large Republican lean.---I think the state is a toss up.

A quasi endorsement for Obama today---enough by itself to make me vote Republican. LOL---

As a former Democratic president, Mr. Carter is a superdelegate. Speaking on behalf of himself and his wife, Rosalynn, who accompanied him to Nigeria, he said:

We are very interested in the primaries. Don’t forget that Obama won in my state of Georgia. My town, which is home to 625 people, is for Obama, my children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama. As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for but I leave you to make that guess.

Also, it seems as though Jane Fonda’s an Obama fan. The actress/workout maven made her informal endorsement to paparazzi outside a Los Angeles restaurant, reports the Los Angeles Times’s Andrew Malcolm.

Fonda was eating out last night and exited the restaurant, ignoring as celebrities often do the assembled press contingent.

But a video camera was rolling as she approached the street and someone, perhaps just trying to get her to turn around for a picture, shouted out at her back, “Who are you going to vote for?”

There was a moment of silence. Then, the actress did turn around toward the cameras, paused and with a smile said simply, “Obama!” Then she got into a car and drove away.

Anonymous

The republicans are trying to figure this one out.  Who do you think was be the easiest dem candidate for McCain to beat?  Or, has that question already been asked and I forgot?  LOL

Shirley

saluki

Here is a name I haven't heard before today regarding VP---Gov Bobby Jindel.  It would be a very interesting choice.

Rosemary--sounds like someone who could deal with Healthcare very well.

How McCain Can Win the Base
By James P. Lucier
Published 3/14/2008 12:08:15 AM Even as the Democratic presidential contest seems to be morphing into Dr. Doolittle's mythical beast with a head at each end, the pushmi-pullyu, John McCain has the chance to make a leisurely choice of potential running mates. But he had better not wait too long.

The spectacle of a third of voters in the Republican primaries in Texas and Ohio voting for the doomed candidacy of Mike Huckabee suggests strongly that McCain still hasn't won over the base of the Republican Party. It's a question of trust, but verify. As Hillary Clinton says of Barack Obama, one speech does not make up for her experience as a housewife at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Nor can one speech by McCain at CPAC win over a disgruntled base of folks who may very well stay home, as they did for G.H.W. Bush the second time and for Bob Dole. The base is looking for action, not words.

That's why McCain's choice of vice presidential running mate can make or break his candidacy. The party's professional trunk-waving pachyderms and the beltway bozos who think that pragmatism will win the new day are already offering up a list of business-as-usual candidates. But pragmatism is not practical in the long run. There's Governor Whatshisname from one of those Ice Belt states that always seem to be ready to fall over the border into Canada. Then there's that other governor in Florida who, seizing the opportunity, endorsed McCain four days before the primary. Some are getting excited about Condoleezza Rice, who puts forward a pretty face even as she has done nothing but act as a front for the Foreign Service Corps establishment ever since she got the job.

No, this is the time for change, real change. This is a time for someone whom everybody knows to be the rising star of the GOP, the new governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal.

And what a governor! Sworn as Governor in January, after winning 54 percent of the vote in the open-field primary, Jindal immediately called a special session of the legislature and persuaded them to pass his 64-point agenda for ethics reform. They said ethics reform couldn't be done in Louisiana -- a state whose reputation as a cesspool is legendary -- but he did it in a two-week session. Now he's calling a second special session to pass the tax cuts necessary to jump-start the post-Katrina economy in his state.


DO SOME PEOPLE THINK that McCain is too old at 71? The Constitution does require a back-up, no matter how old the President. Jindal can balance the ticket. At 36, he has the accomplishments you would expect at 47. Obama, at 47, has the accomplishments you would expect at 36. Jindal more than meets the Constitutional age requirements if he were to succeed to the Presidency, and has more executive and legislative experience than the two Democrats combined. His nomination would convince the rising generation that there's hope for the young.

Do some think this is an election about experience? Jindal, who was elected to Rep. David Vitter's seat when Vitter ran for U.S. Senate in 2003, was re-elected for a second term with 88 percent of the vote. That's not enough experience? It's as much experience in Congress as Barack Obama has to show for his three years. Oh, and by the way, Jindal, in his last term, had an ACU rating of 100, with 96 for both terms. In addition he has consistently taken the No New Taxes pledge proposed by Americans for Tax Reform.

Maybe some think that this is going to be an election about health care? Jindal's the man. In 1991 he was a young Hill staffer working for U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery. One day McCrery asked him to look over some Medicare plans being proposed in committee. A couple of days later, he brought back to the boss a totally revised system that was so impressive McCrery introduced him to Louisiana Governor Murphy J. Foster Jr. A few years later, Jindal, at the age of 24, was appointed Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. He took hold of the state's Medicare program, which was running at a loss of $400 million, and in three years produced a surplus of $200 million. He later became chairman of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. In 2001, he was nominated by President George W. Bush and approved by the U.S. Senate to be Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation of Health and Human Services. If Jindal gets a chance to debate Hillary Clinton, Hillary will be fumbling for her cue cards.

Is this going to be an election about education? Jindal is an expert at that too. Jindal graduated from high school at age 16, took a bachelor's degree at Brown University, and then got a Masters degree at New College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. After he cleaned up the Medicare mess in Louisiana, he was appointed in 1999 as President of the University of Louisiana System.

Maybe you think the central question in this election is going to be about immigration. Jindal knows all about that first hand. Jindal was born in Baton Rouge, La., of hard-working parents who emigrated from India. His father was one of nine children from a poor family in a small village in the Punjab. He could give a lot of advice to McCain. Jindal favors immigration -- legal immigration. He is strongly opposed to illegal immigration. As an addition to the white-bread McCain ticket, he would reach out to all people of color. It would be interesting to see him go head-to-head with Barack Obama in an immigration debate.

But what about the "values voters"? Will they cotton up to the son of immigrants? It doesn't seem to have prevented him from rolling up huge majorities in Louisiana. Born a Hindu, Jindal converted to Roman Catholicism in high school and has remained a devoted practitioner of his faith. He campaigns four-square in favor of the human rights of unborn children. He is opposed to embryonic stem-cell research, and same-sex marriage. In the gubernatorial election, he visited scores of pentecostal and evangelical churches and won them over with his testimony. As a result, he had majorities or pluralities in 60 of the 64 Louisiana districts. In the Louisiana open primary system, Republican and Democrat candidates all appear on the same ballot, and all compete with each other. If no one gets 50 percent, a run-off is held. That's why Jindal's 54 percent win on the first ballot was so significant.


THE FINAL QUESTION that remains is, what does he know about terrorism? Well, when he was a congressman from the first district of Louisiana he voted against a $6.5 billion aid bill for post-Katrina restoration because it included the Democrats' poison-pill for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Even beyond that, he surely could not be ignorant of his own ethnic heritage, even though he was born in the United States. India today is the largest Hindu state in the world; but in terms of population it is the second-largest Muslim state in the world (only Indonesia is larger). Despite continuing religious and demographic tensions, India has developed stable democratic institutions. But Pakistan is a different case. The Punjab is a vast region that stretches from Chandigarh in India on the east to the mountainous Northwest territories and Waziristan districts of Pakistan. When the British granted independence in 1947, the Punjab was partitioned with approximately one-third in India, and the other two-thirds in what was to have been the majority-Muslim state of Pakistan. Within weeks the Muslims began a genocidal jihad against the Hindus and Sikhs to drive them out of Pakistan. Thousands of non-Muslims were slaughtered, hundreds of villages burned. Millions of non-Muslims streamed out of Pakistan on foot, on trucks, on trains, and on the top of trains. Millions of Muslims streamed in. In all, 20 million people were dislocated. Pakistan was no longer Muslim majority; it was virtually all Muslim. This lasting scar has been the cause of three wars between India and Pakistan, and a nuclear arms race on each side.

It is not surprising that Pakistan became the incubator of the Taliban, nor that Waziristan now seems to be the home of Osama bin Laden and the remnant of al-Qaeda. Nor is it surprising that al-Qaeda forces, after basic training, were sent to Kashmir to get battle-hardened. Virtually all Indian Punjabis can recite these horrors chapter and verse. My guess is that, if Jindal were elected Vice President, he would not need to get any CIA briefings about Pakistan and Waziristan, or the nature of the terrorist threat.

If McCain is to win, he needs not just numbers but enthusiasm. The Democratic primaries consistently have brought out twice as many voters as the Republican primaries. Jindal has already demonstrated that he can get voters enthused. The old rules that chose vice presidents for sectional balance or the ability to win big states are out of date. Moreover, Jindal record on issues and accomplishment can easily satisfy the base of the Republican Party. He rises above provincialism. His ethnicity will appeal not only to minorities at home who feel that they have been ignored, but will reach out across oceans to project the American dream to the world. Jindal has crammed a lot of legislative and executive experience into a career that is just beginning. If McCain wants to prove to conservatives that he means business and not empty words, he could not do better than to chose Jindal. Soon.


James P. Lucier Sr. is a writer who lives in Leesburg, Virginia.

 

Rosemary44

Oh, am I happy to read that Susie, we might have found someone.

"At 36, he has the accomplishments you would expect at 47. Obama, at 47, has the accomplishments you would expect at 36".  Best quote of the day! McCain says he's working on his list right now.  A health care proponent is so important for a lot of us.

Shirley,

I think the recent polls are showing that Hillary supporters would vote for McCain more so then they would vote for Obama should she not get the nod.  I can attest to that!  Obama's supporters would vote for Hillary more so, then McCain. 

FEB

Susie

Thanks for all that info! I have never heard of Jindel before, but he sounds like a great candidate. Besides his wide range of experiences, he would really appeal to young voters and put an ethnic face on America that so many people would love to see. I just hope that McCain chooses soon. We need to have time to get to know the VP get him on the campaign trail.

Inna, where are you? I was wondering what you thought about the Nato summit. Can you believe the French are sending troops to Afganistan!

Mon Dieu!! Yes, there really is a God!! Miracles can happen!

Shirley, I hope you will stay with us. It is better for your blood pressure!

FEB

Rosemary, If Obama was really as smart as he says he is, he would have stood in front of a Citco sign. But then again, maybe he didn't want to offend Chavez!

shokk

So how is Obama getting around.........just on the train?.......I don't believe that he is just walking.........hmmmmm.........certainly he is not using any old nasty gasoline to get around..............I mean that would be like shooting himself in the foot right?.........Maybe he just uses Citco.......that would make sense............Shokk

Rosemary44

Not that I know anything about big oil companies, but isn't citgo gone and valero is the south of the border company?   I still can't believe he stood in front of an American company.  Should we tell him? 

saluki

Well tonight his new commercial is pandering to Pittsburgh---He says he came to Chicago to work for the displaced steel workers and he'll do the same for Pittsburgh.---Instead of Exxon -now its a shuttered steel mill in the background.

FEB

View The Energy Intelligence Top 100: Ranking The World's Oil Companies Home Page

PIW's Top 50: How The Firms Stack Up

Rank 2005	Rank 2004	PIW Index	Company	Country	State Ownership (%)
1	1	30	Saudi Aramco	Saudi Arabia	100
2	2	36	Exxon Mobil	US
3	4	39	NIOC	Iran	100
4	3	44	PDV	Venezuela	100
5	5	48	BP	UK
6	6	59	Royal Dutch Shell	UK/Netherlands
7	9	68	PetroChina	China	90
8	8	78	Chevron	US
8	7	78	Total	France
10	9	83	Pemex	Mexico	100
11	11	94	ConocoPhillips	US
12	12	96	Sonatrach	Algeria	100
13	13	100	KPC	Kuwait	100
14	14	106	Petrobras	Brazil	32
15	24	108	Gazprom	Russia	50.002
16	19	130	Lukoil	Russia
17	16	132	Adnoc	UAE	100
18	17	134	Eni	Italy
19	18	137	Petronas	Malaysia	100
20	21	143	NNPC	Nigeria	100
21	20	152	Repsol YPF	Spain
22	25	156	LibyaNOC	Libya	100
23	22	168	INOC	Iraq	100
24	23	183	EGPC	Egypt	100
24	26	183	QP	Qatar	100
26	31	185	Rosneft	Russia	75
26	27	185	Surgutneftegas	Russia
28	28	189	Sinopec	China	55
29	30	191	Statoil	Norway	71
30	32	224	ONGC	India	74
31	33	241	Marathon	US
32	29	242	Yukos	Russia
33	15	253	Pertamina	Indonesia	100
34	37	277	SPC	Syria	100
35	34	283	PDO	Oman	60
36	50	292	OMV	Austria	32
36	36	292	Socar	Azerbaijan	100
38	41	298	TNK-BP	Russia
39	40	303	EnCana	Canada
40	35	310	Ecopetrol	Colombia	100
41	39	313	Petro-Canada	Canada
42	45	317	Hess	US
43	42	319	Devon Energy	US
44	43	322	Anadarko Petroleum	US
45	46	328	Apache	US
46	51	332	Occidental	US
47	44	336	Norsk Hydro	Norway	44
48	48	337	Burlington Resources	US
49	47	344	BG Group	UK
50	52	349	CNR	Canada

Methodology of PIW Ranks The World's Top Oil Companies

PIW's ranking of the world's 50 largest oil companies is based on operational data from over 130 firms. The focus on operations allows meaningful comparisons of all types of companies -- including state-owned firms -- and thus differs from more financially oriented corporate rankings. PIW's unique system uses as criteria oil reserves and production, natural gas reserves and output, refinery capacity, and product sales volumes.

These are the top oil companies. As you can see The US does not hold a majority in the top ten, so when everyone complains about BIG OIL, they need to think beyond the US. The price of oil has been going up lately due in part to a lot of people speculating in the commodity of oil. It's supply and demand, the more people buy, the more the price rises. It has nothing to do with the war or with Bush.

 Also, Citco is owned by Venezuela thanks to the fact that Chavez basically through out the American companies when he took power, even though they had built the companies. Needless to say, I drive past the Citco stations. I realize that the stations may be owned by

Americans, but I figure it is their problem they choose to work for a dictator.

When the dems go after "big oil", they seem to forget that every time the price of gas goes up, they get more money from tax revenues to spend.

Corporations may not be perfect and they certainly have a lot of overpaid ceo's, but they also employ a lot of people and by bringing them to their knees, it hurts the guys down the line more than the execs, who have money to spare. Look what happened with Enron. Yeah , the big whigs went to jail, but a whole company dissolved, along with Arthur Anderson, a lot of people lost jobs, not just those at the top.

So please explain to me why big companies are the bad guys, yet all the liberals in Hollywood, think they deserve millions for spending a few weeks pretending to be someone else. Why isn't the movie "business" ever included when liberals go after those making windfall profits? Oh yeah, that's right, liberal Hollywood is the bread and butter of the party!!

FEB

OOPS!

I guess I goofed up posting the list. You'll have to go to the link to see it.

PuppyFive

Hey YOUZ...

I heared on "FOX" That Hillary tried to join the Marines once

But the poor thing was turned down, her eyes were too bad

Bill too the Vietnam War HMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

what next, her hair looks like that because her helmet never fit

Puppy

Anonymous

Yep, I'm here.  Grinning at some of the posts.

I think I like that guy, Susie.  Hmmm...will have to ask Mr. Google about him.

Well, as far as gas, I do my fair share of NOT driving.  But those trips to Charlotte to visit the kiddies costs over $100 round trip.  Our car does not get good gas mileage!  Shame on us!

Linda, I think the "other thread" is gonna fall apart.

Shirley

Anonymous

I've got to figure out what I am going to do as far as voting .... I just hate what's going on in the economy and in Iraq.

SheriH

I'm joining this discussion late.  I became a republican mainly because I grew up in a very conservative home.  When I was in college I worked at the republican headquarters in Tacoma, WA, during the 1980 campaign.  A very eye opening experience.

I am very socially, as well as politically conservative.  Personally, since McCain has become the Republican favorite I would like to see a socially conservative running mate such a Mike Huckabee. 

I will enjoy reading this thread, it's very refreshing. 

Paulette531

Hello Sheri...glad you joined us!

saluki

Classic moment from a very unexpected place---good for a chuckle especially considering the source.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGeu_4Ekx-o

FEB

Very interesting Susie. Could it be that Chris Matthews has finally gotten the message that he has to ask tough questions to both sides if he wants to get his ratings out of the basement?

I am sending it to my son. Like many of his generation, he likes the "nice guy who wants to change things". Maybe it will open his eyes. My son is a very smart guy, so I am hoping he will finally see the light before the election. Hopefully he will realize that he might want to keep some of the money he will make in the new job he worked so hard to get and not give it all to the government to waste.

ijl

Wow , I've been off for a while and this thread is really thriving. Thanks Linda for organizing this. My daugther is going through college decisions time and I tell you I learned the hard way that more choices is not always better

Susie I loved the link. That's exactly what Obama is about :

"Change is hope and hope is change "

I hope you don't mind but I have to post the link on the other thread I would just love to hear Amy Hussein response. Hey perhaps she can give us an answer to the question

Linda I agree the young people re enthralled with Obama , some of them are actually considering voting for the first time.

Rosemary44

That was a good laugh Susie.  When I ask people why they're voting for Obama, no clue, nothing to report.  Eyes glaze over and that's that.  Do you think it's something in the water?  Whatever it is, I'm immune to it.

SheriH

I remember when Clinton was president most of my friends were perplexed as to his popularity, too.  One of the teachers at the school I taught at had a friend who had the opportunity to meet him  and she was not a supporter, but said that he had such charisma that even she felt the pull.  Some people just seem to have that kind of personality.  They can say anything and no one even notices.