NYT: McCain Emphasizing His Conservative Bona Fides

[DeepModem Mom]

McCain Emphasizing His Conservative Bona Fides
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: April 9, 2006

KEENE, N.H., April 8 — Senator John McCain began his week by embracing the Rev. Jerry Falwell, the conservative religious leader he once denounced as polarizing. He ended it by joining Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal Massachusetts icon, in a fight for an immigration bill opposed by many conservatives.

Mr. McCain has long sought to present himself as a singular sort of American politician — straight-talking, iconoclastic and hard to quantify. But as he began a campaign-style trip here that will take him through Florida, Ohio and Iowa, he faced an extraordinarily complex political challenge as he sought to reconcile his appeals to an unusually diverse audience and cement his early standing in the emerging Republican presidential field.

Mr. McCain's alliance with Mr. Kennedy comes as he has embarked on a campaign to repair strains with conservatives and a once-wary Bush White House. He is portraying himself as a lifelong conservative and a steadfast supporter of President Bush, once a political rival, courting his senior staff members and fund-raisers.

He has endorsed Bush tax cuts he once criticized as fiscally ruinous, and he agreed to appear at a commencement at Liberty University, headed by Mr. Falwell, whom Mr. McCain once called an agent of "intolerance."

But a strategy designed to muscle him through the 2008 Republican primaries — should he ultimately run, which aides says is likely but not definite — risks diluting the independent image that has been central to his political appeal. Already, Mr. McCain is facing stiff questions from supporters and critics about how far he will go to win support from conservative leaders who have long been wary of him....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/washington/09mccain.html?hp&ex=1144555200&en=24f8c15e0cc722ed&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[DanCa]

1. Anyway the wind blows.. so bends Mccain. (nt)

[madaboutharry]

2. I want to see McCain exposed for

ass kissing little fake that he has always been. Do you all remember how he pandered to the neo-confederates down in SC during the confederate flag flap? He is a panderer and an opportunist and I for one am sick and tired of the media treating him like he is somehow above the dirty politics. I can't stand him. His presidential aspirations deserve to flop big time.

[gumby]

3. Michael Feldman (Whad'Ya Know?) joke

(paraphrase)
It seems that John McCain was born again .... and Jerry Falwell is the proud father.
****
McCain has always been hard right -- without the religious-right aspect. Look at his voting record. His "Maverick" image is solely a media creation.

[gizmo1979]

4. Jon stewart called him on the Falwell

thing on his show last week.To his credit McCain kept his composure and lied through his teeth the whole time,but he was good natured about it.

[leesa]

5. What a fool this man is! Fiscal conservative?? Not if you had anything

to do with ANYTHING proposed by the Republicans during this reign of economic terror. Loyal Bush supporter? Well....see you at the Hague.

[Zorra]

6. Bu*h's ho? We don't need 4 more years of the same crap. n/t