GOP Convention: From Rivals To Allies

September 3, 2008, 11:15pm

ST. PAUL — The three leading Republican rivals to John McCain during the GOP presidential primary all took the stage here tonight to publicly and eagerly throw their support behind the Arizona senator.

For much of the race, McCain was considered an underdog to two of those men, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The third, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, stayed in the race against McCain the longest after scoring a handful of surprise victories in the primary himself.

Here are excerpts and video clips of their speeches at the convention:

Giuliani

This is not a personal attack, it’s a statement of fact: Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada. The choice in this election comes down to substance over style. John has been tested. Barack Obama has not.

Tough times require strong leadership, and this is no time for on the job training. It’s about who can answer that crisis call — yes, Hillary, at 3:00 in the morning. Well, no one can look at John McCain and say that he is not ready to be commander-in-chief.

So, our opponents want to reframe the debate. They would have you believe that this election is about “change versus more of the same.” But that’s really a false choice. Because “change” is not a destination, just as “hope” is not a strategy.

Romney

Did you hear any Democrats talk last week about the threat from radical, violent jihad? Republicans believe that there is good and evil in the world. Ronald Reagan called out the Evil Empire. George Bush labeled the terror-sponsor states the Axis of Evil.

And at Saddleback, after Barak Obama dodged and ducked every direct question, John McCain hit the nail on the head: radical violent Islam is evil, and he will defeat it!

Republicans prefer straight talk to politically correct talk!

Huckabee

John McCain doesn’t want the kind of change that allows the government to reach deeper into your paycheck and pick your doctor, your child’s school, or even the kind of car you drive or how much you inflate the tires.

He doesn’t want to change the very definition of marriage from what it has always meant throughout recorded human history. It is not above John McCain’s pay grade to grasp the simple fact that human life begins at conception, and he is committed to protecting it.

Maybe the most dangerous threat of an Obama presidency is that he would continue to give madmen the benefit of the doubt. If he’s wrong just once, we will pay a heavy price. John McCain will follow the fanatics to their caves in Pakistan or to the gates of hell. What Obama wants to do is give them a place setting at the table.

Categories: New York, Arkansas, Massachusetts, Producer's Picks, Politics, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Republican Convention

35 Years Of Abortion Rights In America

January 22, 2008, 7:00am

Thirty-five years ago today, the Supreme Court legalized abortion with its Roe. v. Wade decision. Both opponents of abortion and proponents of abortion rights for women commemorate the occasion every year, and this year, the American Civil Liberties Union released a short online video that makes the case for decision.

ADDED: Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee made the case against legalized abortion today in an event marking the Roe v. Wade decision.

Categories: Producer's Picks, Abortion, Mike Huckabee, Courts

AdWatch: The 10,000-Year War In Iraq

January 18, 2008, 11:25am

The online activist group MoveOn.org wants Americans to be scared of a country run by another Republican president has produced a video that calls attention to what MoveOn sees as the outrageous positions of the current leading candidates, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

Talking metaphorically about the U.S. military presence in Iraq, McCain says Americans don’t care whether it lasts up to 10,000 years. The clip cuts away mid-thought to highlight that statement. Romney is featured defending the military base in Guantanamo, Cuba, that houses terrorism suspects and says it should be doubled. And Huckabee calls for amending the Constitution to fit “God’s standards.”

The video closes with a warning that “We can’t let them win” and an appeal for donations to MoveOn.

Categories: Politics, Lobbying, Mitt Romney, John McCain, AdWatch, Mike Huckabee

AdWatch: Mike Likes Mac

January 18, 2008, 11:08am

If you want the truth about John McCain, just ask Mike Huckabee.

That’s the message of an advertisement that McCain’s presidential team posted online today. It features Huckabee singing the praises of his top rival for the Republican nomination in tomorrow’s South Carolina primary. Here’s one Huckabee quote about McCain: “John McCain’s a hero in this country; he’s a hero to me.”

The ad is brilliant strategy, and the timing is perfect.

Here are two other recent online candidate ads, one by McCain and one by Rudy Giuliani, another of his GOP rivals:

Categories: South Carolina, Politics, Barack Obama, John McCain, AdWatch, Mike Huckabee

Friday Fun: How To Eat Fried Squirrel

January 18, 2008, 6:55am

We West Virginians fry it up on the old-fashioned way — in a pan — but Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said he and his college buddies cooked it in a popcorn popper. That oughta win him a few votes in South Carolina’s primary tomorrow.

That reminds me of the story of my brother and his friends crucifying roaches on toothpicks while they were in college in Tampa, Fla. I’ve seen photographic evidence of it, too, which probably dooms my brother’s chances of ever running for president.

Categories: South Carolina, Politics, Friday Fun, Mike Huckabee

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