The likely line up for 2008 will be:

Hillary/Richardson vs. McCain/Giuliani with the HillBillies taking it hands down.

See my blog at www.usprez2008.blogspot.com

The likely line up for 2008 will be:

Hillary/Richardson vs. McCain/Giuliani with the HillBillies taking it hands down.

See my blog at www.usprez2008.blogspot.com

The Manchurian Candidate knows no bounds of depravity as he borrows the evil talents that helped placed the sulphur smelling one into the White House. I see McCain jumping up and down shouting for all that he is worth (two cents) me too! Me too! I can be President. I know a lot of stuff about torture! McCain, you revealed yourself when you compromised with the evil one on the Torture Bill. You deserve nothing that is decent. I hope that your cup runneth over with the rest.

At some point, the Clinton campaign advisors determined that it was beneficial for Senator Clinton to wait on a 2008 presidential race announcement until the beginning of 2007. Everything hinges on timing and media coverage. Perhaps, my guess is, Clinton will announce some time before or shortly after President Bush's State of the Union address. In this way, her announcement can be packaged as the needed remedy to the "continued failure of leadership in the White House."

Either way, Clinton is running, as her hiring moves indicate, and she must be convinced that she gains nothing by an early announcement. Instead, she gains by remaining quiet, because it keeps the media churning out stories and rumors about the announcement. Her un-announcement gives her continued coverage, without the nasty prying that comes from real reporting. Once she announces, the "will she run?" glow will diminish, and she will begin getting the harsh treatment all candidates eventually get.

Sergio Benavides
shb@benavideslawfirm.com

I am a vet, have two children who are vets, two more who are military age and a whole bunch of nephews, one of whom is currently serving in Iraq.

After three and half years of futile warfare in Iraq and twice as long since the 9/11 attacks and subsequent invasion of Afghanistan, we are losing not one, but two wars and al Qaada remains a significant danger to our security.

I still cannot understand how anyone can support men like Bush and McCain who go around looking for fights while bin Laden remains free to continue his war on us without fear of retalitation or effective response from us.

Bush, McCain and the GOP should be ashamed for turning our kids into targets just to juice up their political appeal.

Robert Chapman
Lansing, NY

For anywhere between .89 to 1.79 I can buy the prop necessary to make my point about blow-hard McCain.. McCain the sell-out on principles.. McCain the one that said on Meet the Press that we all should have two check-ups each year to proactively address medical concerns/events.. oh, I did write him and told him that about 45 million could not check-in to Bethesda like he did and that we paid for his trip. I never heard a word which brings me back to my two dollar helper--a head of lettuce. Let us just say that I felt very small when he would not get back with me about that 50 dollar per hour lettuce picking job.. and YES, I agreed to full summer work just like was required. As a matter of fact, two of us did. My son and I looked forward to the bonding and life in some trailer park to re-kindle our appreciation for one another, but McCain let us down. He never got back with me about his nationally promoted promise and words. That is my straight talk for now..very straight I promise. McCain, I'm mad! You're a loser, I know it and they do too!

You folks type as if though b/c McCain is "purchasing" Bush's old campaign team that it's a sign they control his views. It simply means he will have the best (most crooked, slimy and partisan) campaign team money can buy. McCain is going to have to demonize Guiliani quickly in Iowa, which will be easily done. The man has had a few nasty divorces, even dumping his wife at a press conference before telling her in person. At one time living with a gay couple-says alot about where he stands on gay rights. Well, that and statements he's made in the past.. Having crooked connections with the police cheif. Supporting abortion and gun control. The Conservatives will fall over when they realize Guiliani's idea of gun control isn't hitting where your aiming! Not only will Guiliani be labeled a liberal, but he's gonna be labeled a very unethical and immoral liberal. McCain will have to demonize Romney for being Mormon. This is where he will really need the crooked campaign team. Sure, Romney has made some statements in the past that aren't in line with conservative thinking, and they can certainly use that. But, to demonize him, they will propably have to make some things up. With Guiliani, they can just tell the truth and show who he really is.

Point being, these people are for hire. They go with who they think can be a winner, not necessarily who best represents their point of view.

going back to what that person said about Rudy Giuliani, the reason he has to do that is because he knows that his Democrat opponents will use that against him, when they run out of ways to attack him. It's ok if you don't like him (I'm not so sure I do myself), but you don't have to go scavanging through his online "Bio" to attack him.

The last thing in the world we need is another Bush. There was a time when McCain seemed like his own person, but that has changed. He is now a Bush look-a-like and speaks at Bob Jones University. Pee-uew.

Ahh McCain...you've done it again...

Un-Hillary: I am glad to have someone like you that continues to make my point over and over and over again. Hillary WILL be the next POTUS if she chooses to run. That is my belief and has been for a long time now and I have repeated several times the many, but not all, reasons why I believe this so strongly. As of today there are several pundit types that think she will indeed make the 08 run. President Clinton has a nice ring to it dont you think ??.

Well, the old girl was on The View today, and said there needs to be a MOM in the White House. More or less her statement.
Yes, we all know the Dems are called the Mommy Party-the party of do-gooders, tree huggers, and even the anti-wind energy people like Kerry and Kennedy from their rich Nantucket haven protecting their precious view.
So if the GOP is the Daddy party, who are the tough guys? They will duke it out, and it will be funny to watch McCain and Rudy fall on their faces. SURPRISE!!!
Gilmore, nope.
Hillary is the new face for Democrats? YIKES
Please, Obama is at least fresh, not stale like old Hildebeast.
It is going to be a long long 2007 when we continue to see over 24 politicans being polled, prodded, and poked by the media and the newsgawkers.
But if the Dems think Hillary is going to win the White House, you ain't see nothing yet.

never

At what point will McCain realize that sucking up to Karl Rove and George Bush will NOT win him the Presidency?

Who ever: The thing that Zouk understands is that he doesnt understand anything a'tall. McCain cannot win in 08 and Rudy cannot win in 08. Now the repubs are looking for someone that will at least give Clinton/Warner a little bit of a race, though anyone they pick will go down by a pretty good margin as recent polls are now beginning to show what I have been saying for such a long time now "There is a hidden vote for Hillary that is not talked about in private much less in public forums". I came across this a long time ago and have stated so many times but most will not admit or even think their reasons are truely envy, jeously, admiration, afraid of a strong woman. The list goes on but those that oppose her do not even know themselves these are the reasons. Phy 101.

Dems to themselves - "We can't fault the Bush economy, can't get any real traction on the phony corruption issues since all the crooked pols are Dems, can't complain too loudly about large budgets since all we know is how to bust them, I know, I know, let's pretend we know something about security and national defense. the actual ideas will have to wait until we can steal them somewhere. Using this, we can attack the Bush admin for foolishly allowing us to be attacked on 9/11 (ignore that clinton had been in charge for 8 years and did nothing) and for trying to do something proactive about it.

you see this is brilliant because we don't have to do anything but hope for america's defeat and we can roll to victory at the same time the rest of the country goes down in defeat. After we finish surrenduring to Iraq, Iran and syria, we can look into grovelling to France and Germany and try to replicate their socialist economies so we bureaucrats can be fully employed while the rest can suck off the G dole."

that pretty much covers it.

Hillary to herself - "How do I flip-flop without being called one? If I wait long enough maybe I can just change my mind. It is, after all, a woman's perogotive."

Nice to know that those partially responsible for the on-going immense stupidity known as the Bush Administration will be spending their time and talents supporting the upcoming failed candidacy of John McCain.

rock on KOZ

Hillary distances herself from her pro-Iraq war Senate vote. http://polibuzz.blogspot.com/2006/12/2008-quick-hits_20.html
Guess the yes-voting Dems are still antsy about that.

"Former national security adviser Sandy Berger removed classified documents from the National Archives in 2003 and hid them under a construction trailer, the Archives inspector general reported Wednesday."

- Dems idea of keeping a secret. Look for more to come in the new year.

simply to annoy you.

if you think the bloggers here are so stupid, zouk, why do you keep coming back?

today is the 8th anniversary of clinton's shameful impeachment. Not a word from the miasmic stream media. curious.

I wouldn't bring up the geneva convention if I didn't know what I was talking about. Our enemies have never paid any attention to that. and we have foolishly considered offering these "rights" to non-uniformed, unorganized enemy combatants. these used to be called spies and they were summarily shot or hanged. what has happened to us? Are we really as wimpy as jimmy carter now?

All the wet fingers that are rushing to join McCain will be sorry they did a year from now.
McCain will be the Ed Muskie of 2008. But he may not even make it to New Hampshire.

colin, it is always nice to have a back-up plan. Just as Lieberman, or Kerry.

Is Gilmore still going to run for Senate and Governor of Virginia as well? Judging by his former stint in office, I feel confident that he's capable of losing badly in all three races and would hate to see someone of his talents self himself short.

you are right lylepink. there is one aspect of Mccain that is a good one, his view on winning the war.

Every day I read some new connection between 2000's "maverick" and Bush campaign staffers. These same staffers slandered McCain's mental stability and had the audacity to question his patriotism. Even worse, McCain french kissed the ring of one of America's "agents of intolerence" (Jerry Falwell as described by McCain) in an effort to blatantly pander to the religious right. Intolerance is the last thing we need in Bush's War on Terra (oops, Terror) and the exact opposite of what we will need in 2008 when, God willing, the war smolders to a close and the world draws together to learn from this mess.

It's so disappointing, so disheartening. I am a Democrat who found McCain to be such a refreshing voice in 2000. Sure, I didn't know about his ultra-conservative views on just about everything, but that didn't matter as much as his candor and apparent honesty. McCain made me FEEL something, and I believed in him. John McCain is an absolute hero, and nothing will diminish that.

So why the political change? I am hoping that all this pandering is simply to win the primary, at which point, the REAL John McCain will be able to rise once more. Sadly, I do not think this is the case. McCain didn't survive 5 years in a POW camp by being a rabble-rouser. He got waterboarded politically during 2000 when he was loud and assertive, and I think he's decided that perhaps the tactics he learned as a POW will keep him from getting politically tortured again this time.

This, of course, adds a level of psychological uncertainty that is beyond my analytical abilities as a voter.

What I do know is I used to believe in him and he made me feel something (in the Dark Ages, they referred to it as "hope"). Now I have to think about him and mentally justify/defend/explain his strategies. He still makes me feel something, but it's the same kind of slimy feeling I get when I think about Bush-Cheney-Rove. With all his machinations and posturing, his campaign seems like the same sort of unprincipled, all-bets-covered-in-the-vaccuum that defined the Kerry campaign.

((And for God's sake McCain, what happened with the torture bill? Where's your courage? The Geneva Conventions are all that probably saved your ass 35 years ago, and you let Bush put the GC in the same trash bin he put as the Kyoto Treaty and balanced budgets. At this point, I'm not sure McCain could stand up to my mom, much less Iran.

Which is to say, John McCain would have gotten my vote in 2000; 2008's McCain absolutely will not, so he might as well hire Rove and ask Cheney to be VP. Hell ask Bush to Secretary of Defense, McCain, because it doesn't matter: you have lost all relevance with this voter.))

I am still puzzled as to why so many folks think McCain is "a straight talker" when just the opposite is so apparent to anyone that has paid any attention to politics for the past 20 to 30 years. Granted the media likes him and will promote him as much as possible but as to what I think most of us that comment in this forum are for the benefit of our country, although it may sound "corny", and the better things in life we are able to pass on to not only our children but the rest of the world as well. This war in Iraq and his strong support for it should at least give some of you an idea of what this man is really about.

Rago certainly has your all's number in todays WSJ- regarding bloggers:
"A tone of careless informality prevails; posts oscillate between the uselessly brief and the uselessly logorrheic; complexity and complication are eschewed; the humor is cringe-making, with irony present only in its conspicuous absence; arguments are solipsistic; writers traffic more in pronouncement than persuasion . . .

and quoting another --"written by fools to be read by imbeciles"--

that describes almost all of the postings here today. don't you moonbats ever get tired of posting the same old insults, lies, chantings and musings about all the hitler's out there and the march toward doom by our elected government. seriously, get a grip already.

Terry Mitchell,

I am doubting James Gilmore will actually run for the nomination. Come on, the man's legacy is cutting the auto tax in Va.. He's going to need alot more than that to be a credible candidate for President of the USA. Maybe a run for Va. Governor in 09' would be more viable for him. That and a primary against his old enemy, George Allen and then maybe a general against Mark Warner.

Terry, Jim Gilmore is a formidable candidate, you are absolutety right, but I doubt he has as much crossover appeal as McCain. Gilmore will definitely fill the void for conservatives without having to resort to un-nominatables like Gingrich, and he was a great Governor.

Maybe the Shrub should just go ahead and adopt McCain....

I used to think the quagmire in Iraq would help McCain especially with Democrats lacky foreign policy experience but no more not with a postion that advocates increased troops and no exit strategy
This plus toadying up to GWB
Not surprised at all that HRC now beats McCain in some polls nationwide
She's not my first choice but McCain has lost my vote

In case everyone hasn't heard yet, McCain now has a new surprise opponent for the GOP nomination -- former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, who is also a former head of the Republican National Committee. Let the games begin!!

I'll be providing some coverage of him in my blog in the very near future, and I'm sure Chris will too.

http://commenterry.blogs.com

On Rudy Giuliani's new exploratory committee website you can find a bio of the former Mayor and current frontrunner for the GOP Presidential nomination. The bio describes his current marriage as follows: "In May of 2003, Rudy married Judith S. Nathan. Mrs. Giuliani is a registered nurse with an extensive medical and scientific background." Yet intriguingly, Rudy's bio makes no mention of the two children he had from his second marriage to Donna Hanover, who similarly goes unmentioned.

Both kids would now be teenagers, so mentioning them would of course draw attention to his divorce from their mom. (And needless to say, the bio makes no mention of his first marriage to Regina Peruggi, which was annulled after he discovered she was actually his second cousin.)

Yep, Rudy omitted his kids from his life story apparently to improve his prospects in the GOP Primary.

--incest, serial adultery, divorce, disowning your children --family vaues?

'Edwards announces from the emergency room of a hospital in charlotte while simultaneously trying to sign up clients in case his presidential bid fails again. This will remind everyone of his charlatan snake charming roots - he is not a person of substance.'

I don't understand the hostility that cons have for lawyers who represent injured clients. Jealousy that they make more than you, perhaps?

If a faulty drain sucked out your child's entrails would you want the company that was directly responsible for it to just walk way, free to murder or harm another child?

A person of subsctance? You mean a fratboy cokehead drunk like your president? A serial adulterer like Newt? What constitutes 'substance' in your mind?

Yet more proof that all John McCain represents is recycled bush. An OLD recycled bush who panders to extremists and even has exqctly the same advisers -- including karl rove.

Tell me, is this REALLY what the country wants? Another divisive incoherent administration, with not a single idea or vision for the future, bleeding all our resourses into an unwinnable civil war, spying on our every move, letting american taliban theocrats and foreign corporations write the laws?

MCCAIN should had learned about charm as well not only is he plain spoken. But sadly but true American are caught up on looks as well. Why do you think Bush number are 36 percent when they should be 6 percent. McCain looks are a part of his charm and if he thinks putting on Bush hand me down (political) are going to work. Well - NOT

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/dec2005/tort-d17.shtml

McCain-Bush "anti-torture" measure gives legal cover for continued abuse

By Joe Kay and Barry Grey
17 December 2005

Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author

The agreement reached between the Bush White House and Senator John McCain on a measure ostensibly banning torture does nothing of the kind. The official disavowal of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" of alleged terrorists held by the US is a ploy to cover up Washington's past defiance of international laws banning torture and provide a pseudo-legal cover for the continuation of the same methods.

The very fact that the US government is obliged to make a public disavowal of torture is a damning indictment of Washington's lawless methods. The whole world knows that the US is employing torture and other illegal means, including abductions, secret prisons, imprisonment without charge or legal recourse, in the name of its global "war on terror."

The agreement reached between the White House and McCain--a right-wing Republican senator and fervent supporter of the war in Iraq--is in the form of an amendment to the appropriations bill for the Department of Defense. The amendment, as agreed on by the White House and the senator, requires that the US military treat those detained by it in accordance with the Army Field Manual. It adds that no prisoner "in the custody or under the physical control of the United States Government, regardless of nationality or physical location, shall be subject to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment."

The Bush administration, which had previously opposed any measure proscribing the use of torture on the grounds of "national security" and the "war on terrorism," was moved to work out a deal with McCain after the senator's original amendment was passed last month by a lopsided margin in the Senate, and a non-binding resolution supporting the amendment was adopted by a large margin on December 14 in the House of Representatives.

The crafting of the agreed-on amendment has been accompanied by proclamations from Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the United States does not condone or employ torture. These are brazen lies.

What was Abu Ghraib? What about the evidence showing that the sadistic methods employed there were the result of policy decisions made by top Bush administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and then-White House counsel, now attorney general, Alberto Gonzales?

There are further revelations of prisoner abuse, up to and including murder, in Afghanistan, Iraq and at the US concentration camp in Guantánamo Bay. And there are the CIA's secret prisons, to which the International Red Cross has, in violation of international law, been denied access.

Let us not omit the practice of "extraordinary rendition," a euphemism for the abduction of people outside the US by American agents and their transfer to the torture chambers of foreign governments in league with Washington. At least two cases of innocent men kidnapped by the US and handed over to be tortured have been exposed: that of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen picked up in New York and dispatched by the CIA to Syria, and Khalid al-Masri, a German who was "disappeared" from Macedonia and trundled off to be tortured in Afghanistan.

For the rest of this article please go to the link above.

I guess we can put to rest the "I'm still thinking about it" and "I'll have to talk it over with my family over Christmas" phrases the Senator keeps using.

I read "The Fix" everyday and there's always something on here about McCain hiring somebody from somewhere within President Bush's inner-circle.

The guy's definitely running. The same can be said about that senator from New York...