It is a shame that McCain won instead of Romney in Florida. I believe that voting for McCain is like voting for another democrat. His past record shows that he is a tax and spend republican who gives lip service about securing our nation, but wants to maintain open borders and give judicial rights to terrorists. McCain-Feingold was a direct assault on the first ammendment. It looks like it will come down to McCain vs Clinton for the presidential race. Either way that is a disaster waiting to happen for our nation. Although I am not a democrat, I would vote for Obama instead of McCain or the pathological liar Hillary Clinton. At least he has charisma, is a fresh face and is not embedded with the Washington (Beltway) politicians as the others are. Our troubles stem from the liars for hire that we have in washington representing us. From the looks of it, this great nation of ours will begin to spiral into an abyss and we the people will contribute to that decline by our choices to lead this country. God help us all.

My heart breaks for all the racist anti-immigration groups such as FAIR, CIS, Numbers USA and American Patrol and for folks like Tom Tancredo. My heart also breaks for racist anti-immigrant individuals such as Heather MacDonald and Steven Malinga of the Manhattan Institute.

McCains platform. No jobs and endless war. Inspiring.

Wow. Very close, not to mention interesting. I'm not sure whom I should root for. McCain has moments where he actually makes sense, like on immigration and global warming. However, he is virtually broke. Romney has plenty of money and once campaigned to the left of Ted Kennedy as Gov. of MA. They're both flip/floppers extraordinaire.

For once, I guess it means that we here in Illinois are going to be involved in picking the nominee for a change. Yay!

McCain should seriously thank Huckabee for this. Without so many evangelicals going for Huck, Romney would have carried this one. Huck was denied in S.C. by GOP establishment stooge Thompson. Now he's poked the GOP establishment in the eye for a bit of revenge. The next move belongs to Romney and his backers in the right-wing media.

I just heard Hillary C say that the differences between those in her party are small, but the difference between the dems and republicans is huge. See that IMO is the BIG problem with our country today. How in the world can a two party system ever hope to get a darn thing accomplished when they severely alienate the millions of people that belong to the "other" party. How utterly stupid. McCain may hold many conservative values, or not in some cases, but has a history of working with the other party to get issues resolved. It is all about compromise. We simply cannot continue to have this mentality of "us" against "them". Clinton promotes that sort of divide and hopefully the public is getting sick of it.

Ahh, the attack machine continues even in the wake of Senator McCain's big victory. Jerry White, Bruce, I expect all you dittoheads to fall in line this Fall when John McCain captures the White House.

Virtually broke? Weinerdog, you've been sniffing your own parts for too long. McCain raised $1 million last week alone and will draw even more at his pre-super Tuesday fundraisers. He's the uncontested front runner now and he won't have to write himself personal checks to go on like Romney will.

This is the catapult folks. McCain leads in California, New York, New Jersey, and ILLINOIS! Rudy Giuliani's endorsement tomorrow will give McCain even more steam heading into Super Tuesday.

Your Mormon pseudo-conservative might as well drop out, too. McCain won among people who identify themselves as "conservative" in Florida.

McCain will be this party's nominee in less than a month. Americans realize this is the man who will win the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, fix the immigration problem and mend our economy.

Mainstream media, thank you for abandoning Senator McCain last summer. We couldn't've done it with you.

I wish anonymous would be a little less dramatic.

Is John McCain the most conservative man ever? No.

Is he a solid conservative that believes in small government, free markets, a strict interpretation of the constitution and a sound foreign policy? Yes.

It's time for the Republican base to unite behind this guy. For too long the conservative coalition has refused to listen to it's more moderate members. Let's listen this time around and win in November.

I also see this as a call for sympathy for the racist anti-immigrant candidates from tom tancredo to duncan hunter.
All that debt that Romney paid off for Tancredo didn't do him much good.
When Huckabee veered hard right on anti-immigration, his ride flipped over.
It appears that the few loud hateful xenophobes are not as devoted to their cause as the family and friends of hispanic immigrants (and naturalized immigrants themselves) are devoted to their own.
McCain won in part thanks to hispanic americans in florida.
If guiliani had not staked his toughest fight in Florida, the Latino vote would have been so dominant in favor of McCain that there would have been more press coverage.

If McCain gets the nomination I'm leaving the Republican Party for good. I'll vote for Hillary before I would ever vote for him.

Maybe it's true after all, that Romney is too perfect for the race and hence politics. McCain has used LIES to gain advantage. It's SHAMEFUL! Now Rudy is going to endorse McCain; it's all politics and politicians' club. Too bad Romney cannot do the same thing McCain has done - concocting LIES! I hope America will come around to electing a STATESMAN in Romney not a corrupt politician!

A couple of observations:
1. Jesse: Credit the 'hispanic americans in Florida' vote to the Cuban-Americans who knew that McCain flew planes off of the USS Enterprise during the Cuban missile crisis. That action can't be underestimated.
2. It still amazes me why some people believe that Romney is the conservative. Maybe I'm showing my gray beard --- but there isn't any difference between Romney - now - and the Nelson Rockefeller/Henry Cabot Lodge wing of the GOP back in the 60's. Those guys did everything they could to derail Goldwater's efforts.

There's no question that McCain's win in Florida was a major loss for the Republican party. There are many republicans who would'nt vote for McCain because of his liberal views and I'm proud to say that I and my family and friends are some of those people who refuse to back a liberal republican. If We'r gonna get a liberal in office we'd rather have a democratic liberal so that we'd atleast know what we'r getting.

Just remember America, if I want a liberal I'm going to vote for a Democrat not a Republican. So if I had a choice between a liberal McCain or a liberal Hillary I'd have to take Hillary just because she's not pretending to be somewhat conservative as McCain would. And I'm sure I'm not the only republican with these feelings.

I want a conservative President so I'm voting for Romney.

Anonymous, please provide examples of McCain being a tax-and-spend Democrat. McCain has never voted for a tax increase and he has been a vocal opponent of earmarked and wasteful spending. Get a clue (and I am someone who had several Republicans ahead of McCain on my who would I support list).

Republicans,

Listen to Bill/Jeff, he's telling you all to shut up and get in line with dopey old man McCain.

I can't wait for the Wingnuts to run this dumb old man (McCain) in a general election where voters are going to have a chance to take apart his lack of any basic knowledge on the economy and the fact that he see's America being in Iraq for 100 more years as a good thing.

Hear, hear, BT and Jesse. The Florida exit polls show that the republican electorate is making a turn toward the middle. Expect to see Mittens, who changes his opinion like we change clothes, to tout his policies as Massachusetts governor now.

McCain says what he believes is right, whether it's politically expedient or not. Mittens has already spent $30 million of his own money. With McCain poised to romp through Super Tuesday with big leads in California, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Mittens will be an also ran by this time next week.

Let me be the first to show you the door, Tim. We REAL republicans don't want you around, anyway. Have fun with the democrats and Mittens. You three deserve each other.

I am relieved now of the big news of his win of Florida. I believe in Sen. McCain that anyone else. First because I am a Vietnam Veterean as he is. We are of the same age. Experience goes with age. Quite so many years in the Senate has made him an excellent President to sove our internal problems and the world complexities. I think that he will be nominated by the GOP and my vote will go to him to the best of the bests to the White House. William Lee of San Jose.

Congratulations GOPers,

You're now on the road to nominating Bob Dole 2.0 aka Angry Old Man McCain

BwaHAHHAHAhahahahahahaha!!!

The self proclaimed arbiters of conservatism (Rush, Sean, Glenn Beck. et al.), having effectively yielded any hope of a Giuliani Presidency, put their collective muscle this past week into destroying John McCain in an effort to turn voters against him in Tuesday’s Florida Primary. Their hopes were that by propping up the nutra-sweet of candidates, Mitt Romney (no nutritional value), they could pull the plug on what is has become a phoenix like resurrection of the once dead McCain candidacy. No one should be shocked by McCain’s win tonight. Mitt Romney, the candidate, is a mirage of a man.

Romney is skilled at appearing to be the very picture of whatever ideology will get him elected: As a U.S. Senatorial Candidate in 1994 running against Ted Kennedy, Romney was a champion of gay rights; as a Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate he was pro-choice and pro gun control; and today he is the very echo of the man he thinks everyone else thinks Ronald Reagan was in 1980.

It is astonishing how truly empty the conservative ideal has become for some. At a time when conservatives like Peggy Noonan recognize the weary look in the eyes of a lost and fractured GOP constituency, there are still who refuse to turn the page and admit that these last seven years have been a mistake. For them, a nostalgic look back and course toward more of the same seems like sanity. It is not. Whether they like it or not, the bitter medicine of a McCain nomination is in order. It is rumored that as the week progresses, more and more members of the Washington Republican Establishment will throw their weight behind a McCain candidacy. The time has come for the Talk Radio Set to do as Roberta McCain, John’s ninety-five year old mother suggests: hold their noses and support her son as the party nominee. Mac is back and it is time to send Romney on his way back to central casting.

Lou Dobbs must be thrilled with this outcome. McCain getting the Republican nomination paves the way perfectly for him to run as an independant, demogoging illegal immigration all the way. He'll sepnd all his time ranting about McCain and amnesty.

Let me be the first to show you the door, Tim. We REAL republicans don't want you around, anyway.
Posted by: Jeff
-
So what are you going to tell Jerry White? I consider him a REAL republican and he thinks McCain is a liberal. As a liberal myself, I don't see it, but Jerry is not alone.

The big news here is the loss of power of the Bush Machine. Even Jeb couldn't deliver Mitt. Maybe this election will be honest.
I'm a dreamer (not the only one)

I garauntee all these Republicans that dislike McCain will suck it up and vote for him if the alternative is Hillary and especially if it is Obama. McCain has nothing to worry about. If you look at his distinguished life next to Obamas there is no comparison. Its like comparing the CFO of McDonalds to the fry cook. Hillary would be tougher but I think John could hold his own against her.

"We REAL republicans don't want you around, anyway."

Great thinking there Jeffy. It was people like you that drove me from the Republic party many years ago. Congratulations on being the party of choice for intolerant, fossilized, bigots. If McCain is the nominee, you can fully expect we'll be posting that hug between him and Shrub till Nov. 08.

Any of you notice that Romney told our military that their's wasn't work in the "real" economy? This dig against McCain's Navy career and time in the Hanoi Hilton such a sleaze attack, I'm going to have trouble watching this guy, let alone vote for him.

This, on top of his very scary claim that his Mormon mission was "serving his country" and equating his sons' working on his campaign to our men and women on the ground in the Middle East gives us some real insight into how this man would carry out his duties as Commander in Chief.

And since when is "earning" millions as a Wall Street shark who brokered buy-outs of both the friendly and un-friendly variety the same as working in the real economy? This Mormon embyo-god had a lot of practice shuffling lives and careers around for the bottom line, which is hardly the same as working for a living or relating to the average, honest, working stiff.

I don't know what Reagan would have thought of Romney (I can guess though), but I knew Goldwater and there was nothing he despised more than a liar and fair-weather manipulator.

Jerry White can be shown the door, too, Bruce Y. Everyone knows that Rush, Hannity, Coulter and the rest of the ultra-right pundit crowd that he takes his marching orders from did everything they could to try to destroy McCain in Florida (shameful claims that McCain gave up secrets in Vietnam, unsourced whisper campaign that he was against Alito). They failed.

Their backing of a man with the most questionable of conservative credentials (pro-abortion, tax and spend pseudo-conservative Romney) shows how wishy-washy they really are when it comes to "conservatism." They would rather have a pretty, empty suit than the true article.

McCain has fought earmarks, deficit spending and the corrupting influence of money in campaigns for the past 20 years. Even Bush is coming around to the idea that fighting earmarks is true conservatism. More than that McCain has the experience and the military knowlege to deliver a stable democracy in Iraq and Osama Bin Laden dead or alive.

It's time for Romney and his lies to become the relic of campaign trivia that they were always meant to be.

Let us look at McCain’s conservative credentials:

-IMMIGRATION: he wrote the bill granting amnesty to illegal immigrants (co-sponsored by Ted Kennedy)
-SOCIAL SECURITY: he voted to give your social security money to illegal immigrants
-TAXES: he voted against the Bush tax cuts multiple times (he has since flip-flopped and has campaigned as a lifelong tax-cutter)
-RHETORIC: he routinely engages in Democratic class warfare against big companies in America, particularly the “evil” drug companies who research cures to debilitating diseases for a profit
-ECONOMY: as recently as December 2007 he admitted “he does not know the economy very well” and needed to get better at it
-1ST AMENDMENT: he wrote the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill that was declared to be an unconstitutional infringement of the 1st Amendment (co-sponsored by ultra-liberal Democrat Russ Feingold)
-2ND AMENDMENT: he was called the “worst 2nd amendment candidate” by the president of the NRA
-ENERGY TAX: wrote a bill (co-sponsored by his buddy Lieberman) imposing a massive tax on energy which, according to the Department of Energy, would drastically raise the price of gasoline and put 300,000 Americans out of work
-GLOBAL WARMING: supports radical global warming legislation which involved him voting with every Democrat; think only America is responsible to take action, not other superpowers
-JUDGES: he joined forces with Democrats (Gang of 14) to block the Senate Republican’s attempt to confirm conservative, strict constructionist judges
-WAR ON TERROR: fought with Hillary Clinton to demand that terrorists be given a full American trial
-GAY MARRIAGE: he joined liberals to fight against a federal marriage amendment supporting the institution of traditional marriage
-CHRISTIANS: campaigning in 2000, he famously described Christian leaders as “agents of intolerance”
-PRO-LIFE: he filed an amicus brief against pro-life advocates in Wisconsin
-BI-PARTISANSHIP: he met with leading Democrats in 2004 to discuss the possibility of being John Kerry’s Vice-President
-PROFESSIONAL ETHICS: ringleader of the infamous Keating 5 ethical scandal which cost US tax payers $160 billion (Google it)
-PERSONAL ETHICS: McCain cheated on his first wife after she had a severe accident that left her partially disabled. He then divorced her and married his multi-millionaire mistress, whose daddy bought McCain a spot in the Congress

I use to support Huckabee, but a vote for him now means a vote for McCain AMNESTY. Vote Romney to save the conservative movement from the New York Time's favorite Republican, Juan McCain.

Weinerdog, please go back to sniffing your own parts. The only people who are "intolerant" are the Lou Dobbs' and Pseudo-conservatives like Mitt Romney who claimed McCain wasn't a real conservative because he wanted an immigration compromise that didn't uproot and tear apart millions of immigrant families already living here. Those are the voices of intolerance and one of them's a huge democrat (Dobbs).

What's your proof that McCain is intolerant or a bigot? Defend yourself, I want to hear this? Is it that he adopted a child from Bangladesh? Or that he wanted to help honest people working to better their lives to someday become American citizens?

Your "too old" argument worked real well for the Mormon Pseudo-Conservative in Florida, too. Yes, please alienate the largest and most active voting bloc (people over 60) in America. That's going to work out real well for you and Hillarbama.

Weinerbrain, please tell one instance in which John McCain was a bigot.

I love how you say "you were driven from the Republican party." Please indicate TWO beliefs of yours that were/are ever Republican?

More than that McCain has the experience and the military knowlege to deliver a stable democracy in Iraq and Osama Bin Laden dead or alive.

Posted by: Jeff | January 30, 2008 11:29 AM

Excuse me but McCain's experience in the military was largely spent in enemy hands. Prior to that wasn't he at the bottom of his class and didn't he crash 3 expensive fighter jets/bombers.

Excuse me but McCain's experience in the military was largely spent in enemy hands. Prior to that wasn't he at the bottom of his class and didn't he crash 3 expensive fighter jets/bombers.

Posted by: jackson | January 30, 2008 12:30 PM

jackson,

Crusty old man McCain set a Navy record by crashing 5 fighter jets during his training period, he only got into the Navel academy because of his fathers influence, he who was also a Navy veteran.
Once in the academy John McLame graduated 790th out of 795 in his class. The guy is dumber than a bag of rocks and his non-answers on anything relating to the economy prove that.

http://www.zazzle.com/mccain_is_bush_s_poodle_button-145560363583173418

"BLACKWATER FLORIDA SPEAKS"

SEE IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO VOTES, IT ONLY MATTER WHO COUNTS THE VOTES.

NEXT WEEK WE ALL KNOW THAT THREE PRECINCTS WILL LET US KNOW THAT KATHERINE HARRIS STOPPED BY TO CHECK ON HOW THE VOTE COUNT WAS GOING AND LEFT WITH THREE BAGS OF MITT VOTER FAN MAIL.

WE ALL KNOW IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

IT'S FLORIDA!

Dear "Conservatives":

Your "movement" is dead. Gone. Over. Have the brains to realize it. If Romney is your idea of a conservative I've got timeshares in a tropical resort in Fairbanks for you to look at.

Some good portion of you Romneyites are hardcore religionists (Xtians). In other words you're gullible. Group Exhibit A? Virgin birth; earth being created in six days; guys getting swallowed by whales and living to tell about it; etc. Believe that stuff and you'll buy anything.

So you should have no trouble believing that Romney actually did a 180 on fundamental issues like reproductive choice and gay rights. Couldn't be that he's just pandering to you for personal gain, could it? Naw. He just saw the light.

Back to the fringes of political discourse with you. We half-a-commie, liberal, atheist types welcome the company. Alas, we're both stuck with corporatists of either party running the show for the foreseeable future.