The Brian Lehrer Show

In a CUNY grad sch course on 20th c British history I learned about how they had to come to terms with their inability to govern and control much of the world. American political leaders and candidates use the concept of "allies" as the rationale behind foreign policy that leads us to covert operations or overt war. Countries are never really "friends". They are allies when they have, and only for as long as they have, common goals. The Republican Party has a strong point of view of American power in the world but I'd like to hear a good philosophical, historic, pragmatic and honest justification for their position.

Under reported:

Strange politics

2000: "Gooks"

http://urltea.com/2m3t

2006: Kissing Falwell's Ring

http://urltea.com/2m3u

Wisdom

Bitterly opposed Bush tax cuts in the face of deficit spending

Promoted peace with Vietnam during the 90s

Other than the tax cuts, isn't he among the worst of the Bush enablers? Doesn't he vote straight down the line for the stuff Bush wants?

is someone who spent 5 years in a vietnamese prison camp--largely in solitary confinement--the most "balanced" choice?

yes, aside from actually calling the vietnamese gooks in 2000, his truly terrifying ideas about staying in Iraq for 100 years (recently said) and "bomb bomb bomb iran" (as a little ditty, also recently)show he cannot be trusted to keep us from becoming even more of a warfare state.

what about his role in THE KEATING SEVEN (or was it five). HIs "campaign reform" stance was merely defensive, a result of trying to insulate himself from having been the heavy-duty recipient of Keating graft.

And could somebody please point out his repressive attitude toward freedom of reporductive choice (ie he's anti abortion).

McCain has the decency to denounce torture during Republican debates, and to look people in the eye and say, for example, the auto jobs aren't coming back. That is his virtue, that gives him some small claim of "straight talk" since he is more blunt than the average politician.

But it is true he is especially conservative, for several years he has been pandering to the religious right. But they still hate him because of campaign finance, torture and Guantanomo and global warming.

It's my understanding from a piece several months ago, I believe in the Atlantic, that Senator McCain opposes abortion even in the case of rape or incest. Is this true, and if so, doesn't that put him far to the right of the mainstream, and not at all moderate, on this issue?

After hearing Romney's salvo last night knocking McCain for being endorsed by the NYTimes, then the quaver in McCain's voice upon retort -- I honestly was imagining him pull out the shiv.

I guarantee you Romney is permanently shaken after that skull rattling.

And I kinda like the guy!

Brian,

McCain called Falwell and Robertson "Agents of Intolerance"

I think republicans dislike McCain because he thinks for himself, not "on (party) message" though he keeps repeating his few phrases like someone well media trained.

the McCain quote about Robertson and Falwell was that they were "agents of intolerance", not evil. did you get that from Morning Edition? the guy on there said the same thing this morning.

A sad day when denouncing torture actually qualifies you for something!

There's one question that matters above all else: Does he support unitary executive theory like Roberts and Alito do? If yes, throw the bum out.

So now it's "Justices like Alito and Roberts" as a more palatable and less divisive seeming (and yet the same) as saying "Justices like Scalia and Thomas."

Yeah, I agree with Brigit but I've decided not to vote since the person I wanted to vote for is now out of the race. As far as I'm concerned I'm not sure any Democrat is any better than any Republican or vice versa among the choices offered up this year.

McCain is a War Pig.

McCain said Farwell was evil then received his endorsement.

McCain wants to be in Iraq for 100 years.

McCain should not be president.

The problem with McCain is that his attraction is that he is perceived as a maverick and independent. But, when you listen to him argue how conservative he is, how he would nominate justices who oppose abortion, how he embodies Reagan, etc., you realize that he panders like the rest of the politicians. In 2000, McCain was more authentic and now he is doing whatever it takes to get elected by a conservative Republican base. How is that any different than other politicians? Even take his performance last night in the debate, he is not above lying and obfuscating - his position on immigration and his misleading comments about Romney's positions.

Go Bloomberg!!!!!!

Even if you like McCain, remember that he's not young and he's not healthy. The odds of him completing his 8 years are slim. He might not die in that time, but he may have to step aside. So consider VERY carefully who he chooses as VP in your decision because you're probably looking at the next President if McCain wins.

I'm sort of with Bridget on this one. I do not like McCain one bit. During debates all he does is name drops, speaks of his past records in SenateH, and laughs or makes snide comments at other candidates. I don't want that guy running my country.

On top of that, what makes this man so honorable and heroic? Other men and women have been captured during wartime and haven't had that said of them. And THEY were the ones actually tortured. Keating 5. He's not the only candidate to have served during a war. Naturalization of Vietnam?

Many of the comments above are silly smears of Mccain.

example:

"McCain wants to be in Iraq for 100 years."

silly lefties --- think the old commie misinformation tactics are going to con people into hating Mccain....

anti-American mongering is no better than "warmongering"

Yeah, I agree with Brigit but I've decided not to vote since the person I wanted to vote for is now out of the race. As far as I'm concerned I'm not sure any Democrat is any better than any Republican or vice versa among the choices offered up this year.

I grew up in AZ, and I went to school with a couple people who work at the Republic. I was back there to visit my parents for the holidays (Christmas, in AZ).

Nobody in my extended family was particularly excited about McCain, either from the left or right, and when Arizonans think about him, Vietnam, the Keating 5, and his wife's drug use come to mind. He's like the Grand Canyon. People from out of state are excited by him, most of the people in the state know his name, but many have never seen him and don't give him much thought. They aren't excited by his policies.

McCain has a consistent, far-right voting record, so his maverick, bipartisan reputation is almost entirely undeserved. His efforts at campaign finance reform came as a form of penance after the Keating 5 scandal. Remember, the 5 refers to the five senators who attempted to intercede on Keating's behalf during a House Banking Committee investigation. All were major Keating benficiaries. McCain was the only Republican in the 5, so I suppose that's the beginning of his reach across the aisle.

In AZ, people are more excited about (New York born) Governor Janet Napolitano.