McCain Says Kerry Not Weak on Defense (AP/Yahoo)

[markus]

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Thursday he did not believe Democratic candidate John Kerry (news - web sites), a friend and Senate colleague, was weak on defense or would compromise national security if elected president.

"This kind of rhetoric, I think, is not helpful in educating and helping the American people make a choice," McCain said on "The Early Show" on CBS.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040318/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_kerry

Ouch! That has to hurt. I fell *so* sorry for the Bushistas.

But these are the same "lying, crooked" bunch that went after McCain in 2000, and you know he has to remember that and harbor some desire to get even with them.

How much longer can Bush survive this sort of snipping from people like McCain plus the Exporting America campaign of a good, old-fashioned, rich guy Republican like Lou Dobbs?

[MidwestTransplant]

1. The straight talk express!

[ithacan]

28. expect the right wingers to start attacking McCain again

as a traitor, as mentally unstable, as fathering a black child, you remember, the entire Rove repertoire from the 2000 South Carolina primary...

[BeyondGeography]

2. McCain is a loyal friend

He won't suck-up to Kerry, but he'll stand up for him when he deems it appropriate.

Plus, it probably doesn't hurt that he despises Bush.

[joeunderdog]

10. He'll be needing a job soon after Shrub sabotages him somehow.

Shrub doesn't like when people don't suck his little dick, much less criticize him from within the ranks of his own Nazi Army.

McCain prefers Kerry and it's obvious. What remains to be seen is how they will silence him.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

37. McCain remembers the 2000 South Carolina primary.

When the Bush chicken hawk political attack machine was trying to discredit McCain's Vietnam service record Kerry was one of the few that came to his defense.

[THUNDER HANDS]

3. the enemy of my enemy is my friend

I bet Kerry has a lot of friends these days...

[Gman]

7. A lot more friends than we'll ever really know

because they can't go public.

[BR_Parkway]

4. McCain 2008 ?

[leesa]

34. Why on earth would you want someone who has betrayed

his country in so many ways in office????? He is one of the Bush clan...if he is pointing out that Kerry is not soft on terrorism, it is only to keep the phrase "soft on terrorism" linked to Kerry. McCain is a GOP partisan at the expense of his country and he has proved it over and over again. He is garbage.

[Ryan10]

5. Keeping his options open?

I bet that McCain voodoo doll in the Oval office is getting a work out right now!

[newyawker99]

31. Hi Ryan10!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[arcane1]

6. I think I'll rate this a nice 5

:bounce:

[slinkerwink]

8. wow---that's a really honest answer from a republican

[GoddessOfGuinness]

17. While I don't always agree with McCain,

I've always felt he was a man of decent principles. He's had to (unwillingly, in my opinion)occasionally bend to the far right in recent years in order to stay in the game; but I suspect he deeply regrets Congress moving away from and separation of Church & State and centrist politics.

[David__77]

9. If he could change on abortion rights...

I think that there would be a place for him among leading Democrats. Even if he doesn't, he should follow Jeffords into an independent caucus. It's clear that the right hates McCain. And his instincts, aside from international affairs, are relatively good.

[metisnation]

36. acute are your instincts

after spending 5 years in a Prison Camp in Vietnam. You can't bet your cookies that he is BIG TIME PISSED ABOUT BUSH'S LIES Of course your not going to like McCains record, because he leans right, But McCain is a Republican, A True Republican, not the fascist pigs office squatting.

[calimary]

11. Stunning though, some of the Yahoo comments.

It's just stunning to me that anybody can find ANYTHING to like about The First Dog-Dropper.

[Dogmudgeon]

12. Republicans and Republi-neo-cons

I agree with John McCain's basic ideas about once a year, but the guy's fearlessly honest, and he's all right in my book.

He's living proof of the enormous chasm between the modern Neo-Con weenie and the Conservative who took the time to learn a thing or two about political philosophy, not to mention critical thinking.

I wouldn't vote for him under most circumstances, but I wouldn't feel as though the Republic was in danger with him in the White house. His type is an endangered species, and I'd hate to see it pass from the Earth.

--bkl

[trogdor]

13. He's from the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

Not the party of George Bush (either of them). That makes him a dying breed nowadays.

[tedoll78]

14. This is huge..

McCain, whether he deserves it or not, has the image of being a moderate. When we have an election where people thing they have to choose between safety (Bush) or prosperity (Kerry), McCain is a weapon we can use to show voters that they can have both in one candidate.

This is tremendous. I can hardly wait to see the commercials using this, hehe!

[lumpy]

15. McCain knows which way

the wind is blowing.

[Just Me]

16. Everytime I get angry at the guy, he does something like this!!!

*LOL*. I may not respect all his opinions or positions but I cannot help but respect the man. I do not believe he is a corrupt neocon.

[wndycty]

18. Jeez, whose side is he on?

:kick: LOL

[Chicago Democrat]

19. This is very good news!!! McCain continues to Impress!

McCain is hard to hate.

[havocmom]

24. He was my senator for years and I felt well represented

Now that I am back in MT, I cannot get a response from my Dem senator beyond a form letter which may or may not be vaguely related to my topic. When I get really frustrated, I still write to McCain. And I still get thoughtful responses!

Nobody is gonna be 100% of what one wants in politics, but I do think he is an honorable man and other honorable people respect him. He would not play the lock step game of the Gingrich school of neocons and they have done much to attempt to discredit him. He is still standing. His opinions will carry some weight with a lot of people who operate beyond knee jerk reactions.

Hope he stays safe in the coming months. The nation needs people who know there can be win-win situations instead of the derisive politics the uniter and the neocon junta.

[damnraddem]

20. It's good to have a Republican speak out.

But I hope this doesn't mean that there's anything to the rumors that Kerry might choose McCain as VP running mate.

[trapper914]

25. He stated unequivocally this week

...that he would not be a VP candidate in 2004.

[Jackpine Radical]

21. Two guys who actually fought and suffered in Vietnam

versus a TANG deserter.

[Chicago Democrat]

22. That's right! They are both National Heros

Both of them.

[DeepModem Mom]

23. Thanks, John --

[MurrayDelph]

26. Maybe he's getting ready to pull a Ford

(not that I believe it will actually happen for a minute, but) if
the truth gets out and becomes too strong for even the Repubs in Congress to ignore, maybe they will have to replace Cheney with someone, who will then ascend to the presidency.

[TXDemGal]

27. Gotta love the way McCain

keeps yanking BushCo's chain these days! JM may be a rethug, but that's OK if he's willing to keep getting in the Regime's collective face. :thumbsup:

[0007]

30. 'Ya gotta love it! I remember a few weeks ago when he slammed junior

real hard, and the next day he was kissing up to junior.

[TOhioLiberal]

29. John McCain

is a man of honor, the only republican I would say that about.

[Rebellious Republican]

32. I been tellin' you guys, McCain's not bad for a Pub and Lou .....

Dobbs has his exceptional moments as well. Unfortunately their are not enough of them, the party has been perverted by Corporatist, neocons. Thats why I left(no pun intended)the republican party, all I can say to those arrogant SOB's, is that they can kiss my Democratic :kick:

[Piperay]

33. HURRAY for McCain

a truly COURAGEOUS American. :loveya:

[lancdem]

35. Here's an updated version of that article

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=5&u=/ap/20040319/ap_on_el_pr/mccain

[Tellurian]

38. If polling was an accurate reflection...

Bush wouldn't be using the results!