GOP Candidates Rip Clinton, Obama Vote on Iraq War Bill

Well, the Republican response to yesterday's Senatorial vote on the new Iraq War funding bill was all too predictable. John McCain - "I was very disappointed to see Senator Obama and Senator Clinton embrace the policy of surrender by voting against funds to support our brave men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan." Good one, John! But, there's more..."it's the equivalent of waving a white flag to al Qaeda." And from Mitt Romney, "Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama cast a vote that singularly defines their lack of leadership and serves as a glaring example of an unrealistic and inexperienced worldview on national security." Oooh - that stings, Mitt. And he added, "Voting against our troops during a time of war shows the American people that the leaders of the Democrat Party will abandon principle in favor of political positioning." Wow. These guys have their finger on the pulse of the nation. Don't they?

Is Giuliani Coming Back to the Pack?

The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting story suggesting that the wind is starting to come out of Giuliani's presidential sails. The reasons? Well, apparently, his pro-choice stance is really a sticking point with conservatives. Supporting gay marriage doesn't help either. Luckily for him, John McCain, the only other serious contender at this point, is not exactly beloved by those same conservatives. Either way, if the base of the Republican party isn't enthusiastic about their eventual candidate, it can't bode well for the general election, no matter which Democrat opposes him.

Music Tastes of the 2008 Presidential Candidates

What do John McCain and I have in common? Well, of course, we're both listening to The Beach Boys - Sounds of Summer - Greatest Hits. The AP wanted to find out what the candidates are listening to lately. Most cerebral? Rudy Giuliani is listening to Verdi's Macbeth. Most predictable? Sam Brownback is listening to Christian artist Michael W. Smith. Most "huh-wuh"? Mike Huckabee is listening to Evanescence.

McCain Makes Candidacy Official (Finally)

I don't know whether anyone was really eagerly awaiting McCain's announcement yesterday, but it certainly seemed like news. The question now is really whether McCain can still be considered the GOP frontrunner.

Candidates React to Virginia Tech Massacre

(Edit: Rudy Giuliani has now joined Obama and Edwards in displaying the "splash" screen before you enter the website.)

The various candidates are coming out to speak after the tragic events of this morning at Virginia Tech. I thought it would be interesting and, perhaps, informative to look into how each of the candidate websites are handling the situation. I have to say I find both Barack Obama's and John Edwards' sites to be very impressive. These are simply black (or white) text on a white (or black) background, and they are the first thing you see after typing the url. Very somber, but poignant. Hillary Clinton has a message on her site, but you must first get through a sign-up page! Not surprisingly, the McCain message is very terse and uninspired. In a similar style to Obama, Rudy Giuliani has a giant text white-on-black text message on the front page of his site, and some other live feeds about the tragedy. Nicely done.

Now, who have I left out? Mitt Romney, you say? So, what's on his website tonight. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Shameful.

McCain Cutting Back the Troops - On His Staff

John McCain is really feeling the pinch. His campaign is eliminating some "non-senior staff positions" and also cutting some consulting costs. Is it me, or is this a really bad sign?

Fred Thompson Leading McCain in Poll

Well, ain't this news? McCain, who likes to take long moonlit strolls in the Green Zone, is actually trailing Fred Thompson in a new Bloomberg/LA Times poll. The same poll shows Giuliani well ahead of both candidates, however.

Is Fred Thompson More "Law & Order" than Giuliani?

Rudy Giuliani as mayor of New York City was tough on crime. But so was Fred Thompson in his role of District Attorney Arthur Branch on the long running series Law & Order, oh, and during his stint in real life as Tennessee Senator. Maybe this is why Thompson appears to be polling so well, and actually peeling off conservative voters from Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain.

Romney Raises $23 Million in First Quarter - First Among Republican Candidates

Mit Romney raised $23 million in the first quarter of 2007, while Rudy Giuliani and John McCain raised $15 and $12.5 million, respectively. For comparison, Hillary Clinton, the leading Democrat fundraiser so far, raised $26 million (plus the $10 million from her 2006 Senatorial campaign). With that kind of money, Romney appears to be a significant player in the Republican race, and perhaps, he has been underestimated to this point. Although "some" may say his early fundraising success is directly attributable to the fact that he announced his candidacy so early.

McCain Confident We're Starting To Turn It Around in Iraq

John McCain, taking a short break from the campaign trail, returned to the Senate floor, and voice confidently his opinion that the war is starting to turn around. Well, regardless of whether this would help McCain's chances, and doubtless it would, let's all hope he is right.

Of course, there are other very different opinions. Check out this video clip of a CNN Iraq War correspondent vociferously (and quite effectively) refuting some of McCain's claims on an earlier interview segment with Wolf Blitzer.

McCain MySpace Page Gets Punk'd by Angry Blogger

A blogger angry at Team McCain for using his MySpace template without giving credit has hacked into the page and replaced one of the pics with something, well, let's just say that will make cultural conservatives take note. It's pretty funny stuff, though, and should teach everyone a lesson: don't mess with blogosphere etiquette. The MySpace pic has already been taken down, of course, but you can see a copy of it at the above link, or at the hacker Mike D's Newsvine blog.

McCain Having Money Problems?

John McCain says he's "got a late start" with this fundraising thing that you need to do be president nowadays. Late start? It's hard to believe, but in the climate created by the presidential election fervor (fever?), maybe he's got a point. (Or maybe that's a better excuse than saying the campaign is actually having problems finding campaign donors.)

Top Conservative Candidate Brownback Makes His Case in Iowa

Kansas senator Sam Brownback represents the hearts of Conservatives everywhere, and indeed, may be the one true Conservative among the current crop of Republican candidates, but will this help him get the nomination, faced with a seemingly uphill battle against more popular, more recognized, and more liberal Republicans, most notably, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain?

McCain Back on the "Straight Talk Express"

Yours and my favorite former frontrunner, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), is on the road again for a two-day bus tour of Iowa, trying to regain momentum for his rather lackluster presidential run to this point.

McCain Will Announce Candidacy on Letterman

Republican Senator John McCain (AZ) will announce tonight his intention to run for the '08 presidential nomination. I'm not sure whether he has already filed the official paperwork, but that's only a formality these days.

Et tu, John McCain?

It's easy to bash Donald Rumsfeld these days, especially for Republican presidential hopefuls. Just take a look at Arizona Senator John McCain's (R) recent remarks at a rally in South Carolina, calling Rummy "one of the worst secretaries of defense in history." Ouch. Of course, this strategy allows much of the blame for the Administration's Iraq War policies to fall in the hands of Rumsfeld alone, while deftly separating and protecting President Bush from such harsh criticism. Surely, this strategy is a smart one for McCain who hopes to win over the hearts and minds of conservatives everywhere.

Tube Soon, Mitt?

Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, will be airing a television campaign ad in several states holding early primaries: Iowa, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida, and New Hampshire. Some might consider this to be too early; however, considering no other Republican has even officially announced their candidacy yet, Romney appears to be adopting a wise strategy. Why not strike while the others aren't even in the race yet? He may not be able to establish a lead over the likes of John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, but, at the very least, his name recognition is sure to soar. +1 Mitt.

McCain Right on Target

In a move that was sure to lighten the hearts of conservatives everywhere in America Sunday night, Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain of Arizona, campaigning in - wait for it - South Carolina, said in a speech that the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion should be overturned. A move in the Right direction for Mr. McCain?

Tom DeLay - Hillary "Will Be The Next President"

O.k., to be fair, now disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay prefaced his dire prediction with, "If the conservative movement and Republicans don't understand how massive the Clinton coalition is, she will..." Needless to say, it appears the GOP is deathly afraid of facing Hillary in the general election in '08. What can possibly prevent Hillary from winning? Well, of course, she could lose the Dem. nomination to another candidate, for example, Barack Obama or John Edwards. Short of this, the Republicans will have to find some candidate who can rally both the conservative base and rising tide of swing voters. That may be tough for the current frontrunners, including John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney.

Hillary Wins Ohio!

Well, not yet, of course. However, according to a Quinnipiac University poll, Hillary bests the two top Republican candidates, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, by 4 and 3 points, respectively.