Senator John McCain’s future in the U.S. Senate may be a little less assured than previously thought.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely 2010 Republican Primary voters in Arizona finds the longtime incumbent in a virtual tie with potential challenger J.D. Hayworth. McCain earns 45% of the vote, while Hayworth picks up 43%.

Former Minuteman leader Chris Simcox gets four percent (4%) support, while two percent (2%) prefer some other candidate and seven percent (7%) are undecided.

Hayworth, a conservative former U.S. congressman who now is a popular radio talk show host in Phoenix, is reportedly interested in the race but has not formally declared for it.

John McCain ran a disastrous campaign last year. He could have won and been President McCain — I truly believe this — were it not for his own bungling. The stars did not align perfectly for Obama. There were plenty of mistakes made by the Obama campaign, plenty of cards McCain could have played. But his Democrat-Lite reputation pissed off a lot of people in his own party, and he made tons of mistakes. It no doubt left a sour taste in many voters’ mouths. And with amnesty about to rear its ugly head again, I’m not surprised that Arizona voters are considering kicking him to the curb.

Bill Kristol and AllahPundit are floating the possibility of Sarah Palin coming to bail him out. Allah goes over the reasons that this would be politically advantageous for Palin, but frankly, I hope she doesn’t. First, in my opinion, it’s high time we get rid of John McCain. He’s a giant squish who has made a career out of pissing off Republicans as much as possible. We need to be weeding out the RINOs right now, not doing everything we can to help them retain their seats. Second, Palin was treated abysmally by the McCain campaign staff. They handcuffed her, gagged her, and then once the campaign was over, abandoned her and then stabbed her in the back. McCain may himself have not said or done anything, but he looked the other way while it happened and certainly didn’t come to her defense. He is a brave, courageous man in many aspects, but in this one, he was a coward. Sarah Palin was a risky choice for him. He’s the maverick, the one who relishes being the media darling. I don’t think he enjoyed being hammered in the media, and she certainly didn’t lighten that load for him. He plucked her out of relative obscurity, and then left her to be fed to the wolves. Yet now, she’s supposed to come and bail him out? She’s a rising star; he’s an old has-been. He’ll probably need her help, and if I was Sarah Palin, I wouldn’t give it. The only downfall is it makes her look petty and vindictive. I would think the best move for her would be to endorse neither candidate and make some kind of non-committal statement about how McCain is a great person and not say much more.

Of course, Allah’s predicting that McCain will be too stubborn and prideful to go begging for her help. If he won’t, then it eliminates the burden off of her shoulders. Hopefully, that’s exactly what happens, and McCain fades into obscurity after this election cycle. His career’s frankly gone on way too long.

Cross-posted from Cassy’s blog. Stop by for more original commentary, or follow her on Twitter!

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In today’s breaking news, Dede Scozzafava has endorsed Democrat Bill Owens in the NY-23 race.

After bowing out of the 23rd Congressional race Saturday, Republican Scozzafava released the following statement at 2 :06 p.m.:

I want to thank you for your support and friendship. Over the past 24 hours, I have had encouraging words sent to my family and me. Many of you have asked me whom you should support on Tuesday.

Since announcing the suspension of my campaign, I have thought long and hard about what is best for the people of this District, and how to answer your questions. This is not a decision that I have made lightly.

You know me, and throughout my career, I have been always been an independent voice for the people I represent. I have stood for our honest principles, and a truthful discussion of the issues, even when it cost me personally and politically. Since beginning my campaign, I have told you that this election is not about me; it’s about the people of this District.

It is in this spirit that I am writing to let you know I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same.

It’s not in the cards for me to be your representative, but I strongly believe Bill is the only candidate who can build upon John McHugh’s lasting legacy in the U.S. Congress. John and I worked together on the expansion of Fort Drum and I know how important that base is to the economy of this region. I am confident that Bill will be able to provide the leadership and continuity of support to Drum Country just as John did during his tenure in Congress.

In Bill Owens, I see a sense of duty and integrity that will guide him beyond political partisanship. He will be an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York. Bill understands this district and its people, and when he represents us in Congress he will put our interests first.

Please join me in voting for Bill Owens on Tuesday. To address the tough challenges ahead, we must rise above partisanship and politics and work together. There’s too much at stake in this election to do otherwise.

Dede

Whenever someone releases a statement saying that something isn’t about them, they never mean it. It’s always about them. Endorsing Bill Owens is a slap in the face to Doug Hoffman, to Sarah Palin, and to all of the right wing bloggers who didn’t want her. I personally think she endorsed Bill Owens primarily out of spite. She isn’t very big on Republican principles anyway. Endorsing Owens lets her keep her name in the spotlight a little bit longer and it makes her a Democrat media darling. I can’t say that I’m all that surprised.

What will be interesting will be Newt Gingrich’s response to this. He got himself into a big mess by endorsing her, and after she dropped out of the race it put him in a sticky situation. It’s now even worse for him. How will he handle it? How can he save face now?

Cross-posted from Cassy’s blog. Stop by for more original commentary or follow her on !

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This poll reflects a slight shift in ideology among American adults where in 2005 the number of moderates was even with Conservatives.

Gallup also suggested that a series of 16 polls conducted since January has identified some key issues upon which the American people are taking a greater Conservative position. Such as, 45% of Americans now believe that “there is too much government regulation of business and industry.” This is a 7 point jump from September.

Also notable is the number of Americans who now say that labor unions should have less influence over government – 42%. This reflects a 10 point leap since August.

America is getting fed up with the liberal power grab. As it continues, you will see it reflected in the polls. As damaging as it is, perhaps the Obama Infestation, the SanFran Nan House, and the Reid Senate are actually doing more to turn the tide of the GOP more Conservative than ever. The blue blood socially liberal RINOs who wish to control the Republican Party are losing support as many on the right see them as being no different than Democrats.

The 2008 Presidential elections were a no win for Republicans as the two choices presented to the American people were both liberal. Conservative America only had 2 reasons to vote for McCain – Sarah Palin and to keep Barack Hussein Obama out of the White House. The media’s portrayal of Palin and their championing of Obama was the difference. Hence the reason why I called Obama the President the media picked.

[Content Restricted]

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I’ll adjust the headline quote to bring it up to date: “Ignoring The Need To Finish The Fight In Afghanistan”….

ZIP

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I know, who gives a [expletive deleted] about Meghan McCain, but I can’t pass up this opportunity to mock her….

Republican firebrand Meghan McCain’s skimpy pajamas have her conservative followers all atwitter, forcing the daughter of failed 2008 presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to apologize for posting a racy photo of her décolletage.

The trouble started around 8 p.m. Wednesday when The Daily Beast columnist uploaded a photo of herself in a low-cut tank-top reading a biography of Andy Warhol.

“[My] ’spontaneous’ night in is my Andy Warhol biography and takeout. … I’m getting old,” she writes.

Her relaxing evening turned into a wild night when some of her over 60,000 followers started to taunt the political scion.

Initially, McCain tried to straight-talk her way out:

“So I took a fun picture not thinking anything about what I was wearing, but apparently anything other than a pantsuit, I am a slut,” she Twittered.

Then she threatened to abandon her Twitter account altogether. “[Why] I have been considering deleting my twitter account, what once was fun now just seems like a vessel for harassment.” (Nooooo, we’re sorry, just don’t delete your Twitter account, our lives will cease to have meaning!)

Finally, she chose to just apologize.

“I do want to apologize to anyone that was offended by my twitpic,” McCain wrote Wednesday about the photo that has been viewed 103,911 and counting. “I have clearly made a huge mistake and am sorry 2 those that are offended.”

Rest here>>>

Cross-posted on Weasel Zippers

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Former GOP candidate for president and highest profile Republican Senator, John McCain (R, AZ), appeared in town this weekend to stump for Mark Kirk’s Senatorial campaign.

McCain appeared side-by-side with Representative Kirk in Glenview on Sunday.

Now, I suppose that if you want to make a wild guess, you can feel sanguine that the national party has decided who it is going to endorse in this upcoming GOP primary here in the Land of Lincoln. This, of course, is a boon for Mark Kirk, but not very good for the Illinois GOP that should have been given more space to feel out its own candidates for its own representation in the fight to fill Senator Roland Burris’ ill-gotten seat.

There is a plethora of candidates coming forward to face the Democrats in 2010. Kirk is not the only one. But, if the bigwigs in Washington have their way, it seems that the others aren’t even going to be given a chance to make a dent before the national folks stampede for Kirk.

Nationally, Americans are beginning to again trust Republicans over Democrats on taxes and the economy. The overreach in spending and the constant Democratic drum beat of wanting to raise taxes on “the rich” to pay for a massive enlargement — and engorgement, really — of big government has dug into the high approval rates that Democrats had enjoyed for well over a year. So, what do the kindly folks in the national Republican Party want to do in Illinois? They want to quickly run to support a man that voted for Cap and Tax.

In a time when the GOP could be seeing a turn of the electorate for conservative ideas, the national party wants to support a mushy moderate that saw no reason not to vote for one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation for a generation!

Good going, Senator McCain. But, I’d ask you to stay out of our party business until WE have decided who will be our candidate.

(Cross posted at RedCounty.com.)

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She should have said no.

If Sarah Palin’s political career ended last Friday, 10 tumultuous months after she was introduced as the Republican Party’s vice-presidential nominee, those five words will be its epitaph.

Had she refused John McCain, Palin would still be a popular female governor in a Republican Party starved for future stars. Her scandals would be the stuff of local politics, her daughter’s pregnancy a minor story in the Lower 48, her son Trig’s parentage a nonissue even for conspiracy theorists. There would still be plenty of time to ease into the national spotlight, to bone up on the issues, and to craft a persona more appealing than the Mrs. Spiro Agnew role the McCain campaign assigned to her.

The last part is what happened when she said yes. Sure, she electrified the base, bringing in crowds as big, if not bigger, than Obama did. She turned the ticket in mccain/PALIN. I maintain that if it was not for her, McCain would have been lucky to get 46 million votes, particularly after blowing it with his “I’m going to suspend my campaign” and then vote for TARP foolishness. Be that as it may, Palin and her family learned just how personally cruel the people in national politics are.

Either way though, her 10 months on the national stage have been a dispiriting period for American democracy.

To be honest, what happened to Palin was nothing new. This had been going on since George W. Bush was elected, and certainly before then. But, with the continuing innovation and spread of Internet reporting, and the continuing de-evolution of the national media and the American Left, the disgusting attacks reached beyond a fever pitch. Politics from the Left have more in common with Jihadis Muslims, ie, if you aren’t one of us and toe the line, we’ll kill you, metaphorically speaking.

Ross goes on to describe how Palin is very popular with the Average American. The working Joe. The people who didn’t go to exclusive up-scale schools.

That last statistic is a crucial one. Palin’s popularity has as much to do with class as it does with ideology. In this sense, she really is the perfect foil for Barack Obama. Our president represents the meritocratic ideal — that anyone, from any background, can grow up to attend Columbia and Harvard Law School and become a great American success story. But Sarah Palin represents the democratic ideal — that anyone can grow up to be a great success story without graduating from Columbia and Harvard.

There-in lies much of the problem with national politics. Most of these folks are those meritocratics like Obama. They think they are special, entitled, and above the rest of us. They believe we are there for them. Palin was different. I won’t say she is perfect or completely honest, but, she was a breath of fresh air in what has become a pig sty of national politics.

Will she stick around? Will she run in 2012? Will she work in the background to get Conservatives elected? We’ll find out. Ross ends with

But her unhappy sojourn on the national stage has had a different moral: Don’t even think about it.

And that is why we end up with people like Reid, Pelosi, McCain, Ensign, and so many other terrible national politicians, who, if we did invite to dinner, we’d hide all the silverware and use paper plates and plastic knives and forks.

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Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi has called for a mass rally to protest the country’s hotly-disputed election results and violence against his supporters.

The call, which appeared on his Web site Thursday, presents a direct challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said Tuesday evening that Mousavi should pursue his demands through the country’s electoral system.

But Mousavi appears to have no intention of backing down. His announcement came shortly after the country’s most powerful military force said that Iranian Web sites and bloggers must remove any materials that “create tension” or face legal action.

This could be one of those times when a reckless risk comes out spectacularly. Or goes down in flames, and there is no middle option in sight. We shall have to wait and see.

The nation got a glimpse Tuesday morning of exactly what President John McCain would be up to if last November’s election had gone differently.

“We lead,”McCain told NBC’s David Gregory on the “Today” show when asked about a different vote altogether — the one in Iran on Friday. “We condemn the sham, corrupt election. We do what we have done throughout the Cold War and afterwards … We speak out forcefully, and we make sure that the world knows that America leads.”

Imagine, having a president who has a moral compass, and understands the greatness and power of the U.S.A., rather then an ideologue who doesn’t want to “meddle” in foreign affairs. Unless it is about Israeli settlements, of course.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove

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Recently I have been messing around with Twitter, the social media site of the day (shameless plug: see me as warnerthuston on Twitter). So, checking out some of the Old Media to see what they were saying about Twitter, I ran across Time Magazine’s attempt to seem cool with the Twitterers, er Twitterists, er Twits, er whatever they are called. Time was following some “Tweets From a Washington Dinner” and I found something amusing there. Time, you see, added the Tweet from a guy claiming to be a John McCain adviser that was outed as a fraud months ago; Martin Eisenstadt.

You will recall that this fake Martin Eisenstadt was the same nonexistent fellow that fooled the media for weeks into thinking he was part of the McCain campaign for president. This Martin Eisenstadt even pretended to be a “Senior Fellow of the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy.” But it was finally revealed that this Martin Eisenstadt was really a liberal named Eitan Gorlin. But it didn’t come to light before he was quoted by several Old Media news outlets as a legitimate McCain adviser.

You might also recall that this fake McCain adviser made a splash in the Old Media because he claimed to know for a fact that Sarah Palin didn’t know that Africa was a continent. The Old Media was completely taken in by this fraud. By November of 2008, though, he was discovered as a hoaxer.

There is no Martin Eisenstadt and there is no such place as the Harding Institute for Freedom and Democracy. The Old Media got taken.

But, don’t tell that to Time Magazine. Let them continue in their little fantasy that Martin Eisenstadt still exists even though the rest of the world knew he was a hoax 6 months ago. Unfortunately for Time, even the mythical Eisenstadt is guffawing at their gullibility on his blog.

Ah, the Old Media establishment. Always so reliable.

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This morning I listened in on Eric Cantor’s conference call concerning the launch of the National Council for a New America (NCNA) hosted by Congressman Cantor and Senator John McCain.

One of the main points that the two men stressed is that this is “not a contract with America,” but a “conversation” with her. The GOP leaders also stressed that this is an “inclusive” effort with which they want to hear from all manner of Americans adhering to a variety opinions on today’s most pressing Issues. The two also said that this is not an attempt to “re-brand” the GOP.

The first townhall style meeting is to be held on May second in Northern Virginia and along with Cantor and McCain it is expected that Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush will be in attendance.

Additionally, several Governors past and present have joined this effort. Governor Haley Barbour, Governor, Jeb Bush, Governor Bobby Jindal, Senator John McCain, and Governor Mitt Romney.

Senator McCain also mentioned several times that they had contacted Governor Sarah Palin’s office and asked her to join them with future NCNA efforts. Senator McCain made sure to mention that fact several times.

The effort has thus far been broken down into five areas of discussion. The economy, healthcare, education, energy, and national security all will come into focus.

My impression is that it certainly is an attempt to refocus the GOP, maybe not necessarily “re-brand” it but certainly re-introduce Republican principles to the people.

It is sure that the “conversation” meme will be looked upon with skepticism, but let’s face it. They had little choice but to employ the terminology. The GOP is in a weakened state and something does have to be done to vivify the Party.

We shall have to wait and see where this goes, but I see no reason to unnecessarily scoff at the effort. Let’s give it a fair hearing, fellow Republicans, conservatives, Libertarians, Americans.

Here is the press release that has been put out by Representative Cantor’s office detailing the initial thoughts on the NCNA:

Dear Friends,

The United States is the greatest country in the world, a beacon of hope, strength, and prosperity that Democracies worldwide seek to emulate. Our nation and its people have persevered through past challenges with strength derived from our common belief in freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility. Like every American, we look to the future with optimism for the great possibilities of tomorrow. Although today we face some of the toughest times in recent history, together, like so many generations before, we march forward with a vision for an even brighter future for our children.

Today, we are launching the National Council for a New America (NCNA), a caucus of Congressional leaders gathering the expertise of national leaders and doers. We hope that will form the foundation of a concerted, policy-based forum to listen to, partner with, and empower the American people with ideas and solutions that speak directly to the needs of our great nation. This forum will engage in a conversation with America that seeks to remove ideological filters, addresses the realities we are confronting, and speaks to the challenges our citizens are facing.

The NCNA will bring together citizens from across the country to begin a dialogue with the American people through a series of forums, town halls, and an online effort that will engage people in a discussion to meet our common challenges and build a stronger country through common-sense ideas. The NCNA will be a dynamic, forward-looking organization that will amplify the common-sense and wisdom of our fellow citizens through a grassroots dialogue with Republican leaders.

However, this is not a Republican-only forum. While we will be guided by our principles of freedom and security, we will seek to include more than just our ideas. This forum will include a wide open policy debate that every American can feel free to participate in. We do this not just to offer an alternative point of view or to be disagreeable. Instead, we want to ask the American people what their hopes and dreams are. Since January, the President and the Democratic Majority in Congress have – rightfully so – put forward their plan for the future, now we must listen, learn and lead through an honest, open conversation with the American people that will result in building policy proposals that will yield the best results for our nation’s long-term success.

Ultimately, however, we are only launching this effort. The real drivers will have to be the American people. We invite Americans from all walks of life to speak with us as we begin anew rebuilding and reenergizing our nation. We do not pretend to have all the answers nor do we expect the NCNA to remain a static forum. Instead, this is going to be a living, breathing, expanding group that engages Americans from all walks of life. We hope to engage other national leaders, grassroots activists and citizens and invite them to work with us to solve problems with common-sense conservative solutions.

A Blueprint for our Conversation with America

Economy: Real Solutions for Economic Recovery

As the country battles through the worst economic crisis in a generation, we must remain focused on the foundations and institutions that have made us the most prosperous people in the world and the ideas that create jobs and grow our economy. At the same time, we must learn from the mistakes that led to the current crisis and to prevent similar situations from ever occurring again.

Healthcare: Building a 21st Century, Patient-Centered System

No one doubts that our nation’s health care system is in need of reform, but we must strike the right balance that builds on what works and fixes what is broken. All Americans deserve access to high-quality, affordable care. But such coverage cannot come at the expense of their ability to choose their own doctor and have access to the right care, at the right time, in the right setting without waiting in line while sick. In addition, we must continue to focus on the innovation and science that have resulted in thousands of treatments and cures for life-threatening or debilitating diseases while allowing America to remain the leader in research and development worldwide.

Education: Preparing Our Children to Succeed

A high-quality education should not be dependent upon a parent’s income or address. All of America’s children deserve an education that will prepare them for the opportunities and the challenges that await them in the global economy. Yet today, thousands of American children, especially in our inner cities, receive a substandard education or find post-secondary education unaffordable. We must return power from Washington to parents and well-paid teachers who know what’s best for our children.

Energy: Solutions for Energy Independence

American families and businesses cannot afford an energy policy where we are held hostage by foreign oil cartels and dictators. As a nation, we can no longer send billions of dollars overseas each year, often to countries that help fund our enemies. We must implement a comprehensive energy policy that includes traditional fuels, alternative energy, and conservation resulting in affordable, reliable domestic energy. Such a policy will stabilize costs for families and businesses while at the same time creating much-needed jobs here at home.

National Security: Defending American Liberty and Freedom

The threats posed to our nation are more varied and evolving more than perhaps at any other time in our history. Modern communications, technology and the proliferation of weapons of all types have empowered our enemies and those who support them. Our national security policy must reflect these realities while allowing us to maintain technological superiority, support the most well-trained and well-equipped military in the world and have the intelligence capabilities to uncover and prevent attacks before they occur.

Our National Panel of Experts:

Governor Haley Barbour
Governor Jeb Bush
Governor Bobby Jindal
Senator John McCain
Governor Mitt Romney

These are not the only issue areas where we will engage America, but they form a starting point in our revitalization effort. In the coming months, the NCNA will focus our attention outside of Washington where American families are living and raising their children, working toward the promise of a better tomorrow, and where common-sense ideals are valued over pundits and the political winds. We know America’s best days are ahead, but we need to work hard to ensure that promise. We also know that the American people want choices and alternatives – that there is no one right solution for what America and its people need. This is what our country was founded on, this is what we stand for, this is what we hope the National Council for a New America will provide and we ask our fellow citizens to join with us.

Sincerely,

John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, John Carter, Pete Sessions, David Dreier, Kevin McCarthy, Roy Blunt

Mitch McConnell, Jon Kyl, Lamar Alexander, John Cornyn, John Thune

Brad Dayspring
Press Secretary
Office of the Republican Whip
Congressman Eric Cantor
(202) 226-5249
AIM: BDDACE2

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