McCain tangles with conservatives

(CNN) -- GOP front-runner John McCain is cruising into Super Tuesday with a hefty lead in the polls, but he's drawing a backlash from some top conservatives who say he is too liberal to carry the Republican nomination.

Radio hosts Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Hugh Hewitt and Lars Larson are among the conservative voices speaking out against the Arizona senator.

The attacks have gotten so heated that former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole Monday wrote Limbaugh defending McCain.

CNN obtained the letter from a Republican source close to Dole.

In the letter, Dole says McCain is a "mainstream conservative" who supported the party on critical votes during Dole's time as the Senate Republican leader.

Dole says he remains neutral in the GOP contest and speaks kindly of all three remaining leading GOP candidates.

But the letter comes at a time Limbaugh is trying to rally grassroots conservative support against McCain.

"Whoever wins the Republican nomination will need your enthusiastic support," Dole says in the letter. "Two terms for the Clintons are enough."

Limbaugh has called McCain's rise the product of a "fractured" conservative base and an "uninspiring" GOP presidential field.

"McCain will kill conservatism as a dominant force in the Republican Party," Limbaugh said on his radio show Monday.

Meanwhile, conservative commentator Ann Coulter last week said she would support Democratic contender Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York over McCain.

McCain tangles with conservatives - CNN.com

Holy smokies,Ann Coulter said she would support Sen.Hillary Clinton over McCain???..What did Juan McCain ever do to be treated by his own party this way? I mean you know,McCain is a hero and all..how could they reward him by turning against this paragon of conservatism? McCain has become far more conservative ever since he announced his candidacy.The way I see it,most Independents will get what they want this November. They will either get McCain or Hillary,in a way..they can't lose,it's a win win for Independents and the village people! McCain is not as conservative as some people would desire but Hillary is not as liberal as some would want...

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

As I always said, there are some people that believe you MUST be in lockstep with their political affiliation 100% or else you are considered 'the enemy"...

...as if there's some pamphlet that must be adhered to...

When Cindy Sheehan battles Nancy Pelosi for not being liberal enough and Ann Coulter won't vote for McCain because he's not conservative enough, it shows their concern is in their own interests more than the country's...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Personally, I think the partied political system is unconstitutional and flawed. Regardless of campaign promises, or "party allegiances" I believe that our candidates are best acknowledged in their own record of service to our country.

I refuse to address Billary as a candidate, and I had never heard a peep about Obama prior to him running for president, many of the real candidates have already been removed (as usual) - and we are left with a few real choices. We need to make our votes heard, and we need to make sure our votes matter - this is no time to put Clintons back in the White House, and certainly no safe time to vote on an unknown.

Senator McCain is a war veteran, former POW, and owes the longevity of his own life to the country that freed him - ours. He is outspoken, he has guts, and he is far more than just harsh talk. On more than a few occasions, he has stood on an issue alone, and fought for what he believes in - this record indicates he is a LEADER and a STATESMAN.

Our country can't afford any more politicians - look at where we are today.

He's definitelay a stateman, but not a leader...

He's been in government for 25 years, yet never held an executive position...

Romney has experience as an executive in both the public sector(Governor) and the private sector(Olympics, former CEO of companies)...He's less of a statesman than McCain, but as far as leadership goes, Romney does laps around him...

This is not an endorsement of Romney...I'm still undecided, and won't vote until May ()...

I find it confusing that you've said "Our country can't afford any more politicians" right after touting a guy who's been a politician for decades...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

I think you've hit the nail on the head.


I think that's exactly McCain's strategy.
And I say that not to mean he is picking a political platform as a strategy, but that is one of the aspects of who he is and what he stands for and one specific and significant audience that finds appeal in that.

On another level, I heard one pundit recently talk about a "message to Washington" in electing somebody significantly different that was not "born of" the "political machine".
That's another way in which McCain has appeal for some, and probably frustration for others.

I am one of the many Independent and frustrated voters. I lean Romney but I cannot get energized by "any" of the candidates. I do have respect for McCain but I also have concerns with his candidacy. His support of Amnesty and his opposition to the tax cuts are troubling. I could also include a long "list" of what I believe to be liberal positions that McCain has taken over the years but that's not necessary as many of you "know" what I am referring to. I have similar concerns with Hillary and Romney,both candidates are classic politicians who are willing to change positions to acquire additional votes.

It's the classic selection of one evil over another perhaps,lesser evil.I've been hearing many Independents and partisans alike state that they will stay home in November. I doubt that they will stay home but some will,others may gamble on a relatively unknown quantity and vote for a drastic change.I never really worry about the partizans,they will vote for their party no matter who gets the nomination. Politics as usual may well survive but this has been a most interesting election cycle. In 2004 I was still debating my choice when I was pulling into the parking lot to cast my vote. Fortunately..this has not always been the case. Voting solely on political philosophy is not a bad thing if you can find a candidate that you can trust to uphold that philosophy and that is the dilemma some of us find ourselves in.Moderates may come out ok in this election,it's the true partisans that will have sleepless nights from now until November.

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

That's the way I see it...

Many are under the impression that no one with THEIR beliefs is in the running, so they lose nomatter what...

But the election isn't about THEM...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Rarely do we find the "perfect" candidate,this becomes even more difficult when your political philosophy is as complex as mine is. No,it's not about me,it's about my one vote and how I decide to use that singular vote.As you well know,I'm very strong on defense and shaping destiny and that attracts me to McCain. However,national sovernty is also a part of national defense and McCain now says he understands the situation! Does he? does he really understand it? Time will tell...I also believe we have to cut spending. Cutting taxes without following up and cutting spending does not make sense.

We need changes in healthcare but I do not want to see yet another entitlement program. Hillary and Obama go too far in their plans and Romney's plan is a better compromise.Changes in healthcare will come no matter who gets elected. What makes a good POTUS? Integrity but equally important are the "people" the president selects to carry out his or her agenda.

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins

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Salty

THANKSGIVING MENUS AND TIPS

A GREAT PLACE TO SHOP

Republican In Name Only, or RINO

Republican In Name Only, or RINO, is a neologism created by Los Angeles conservative activist, Celeste Greig. It is considered a disparaging term for a member of the Republican Party of the United States (the GOP) whose political views or actions are perceived as insufficiently conservative or otherwise outside the party mainstream.

The term implies that, despite party affiliation, RINO politicians are not "authentic" Republicans. The label is usually acquired because a politician's political actions, policies, position on certain issues or voting records are considered to be at variance with core Republican beliefs. The term is only used by conservatives. They believe the party's core beliefs are conservative and therefore politicians are not true Republicans unless they adhere to conservative beliefs. The targets of the term argue that there is no litmus test for being a Republican, but rather a commitment to the party organization, especially support for party candidates. The targets argue that conservatives from outside the party who use the term are not true Republicans because they do not support the whole ticket.[1] The term does not imply that the Republicans in question are Democrats, Libertarians or independents; they are still recognized GOP members. Note that Senator Jim Jeffords (VT) was called a RINO until he left the party in 2001 and became an independent. The term is often used to describe politicians at the congressional level, but can be applied to members of any governmental branch or electoral constituency.

Republican In Name Only - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What does Rush Limbaugh,Ann Coulter and Glenn Beck know about "real" republicans? They all say they would vote for Hillary before they would vote for John McCain.Such animosity,they can't be serious can they? ..

Hell,if these people are "against" John McCain,I just might jump on the McCain bandwagon,it's never too late....

Like John McCain my Republican friends often say that I'm a RINO.Perhaps they have been right all along...

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"Destiny must be shaped and not left to mere chance."..Spencer Collins