McCain Pushes His Immigration Plan At Local Campaign Event; Rock Stars Take Sides In Local Congressional Race
Ariz. Senator John McCain, a top contender for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, was in the Lower Hudson region tonight pushing his immigration plan and stumping for a fellow Republican.
McCain keynoted a $500-a-plate fundraiser for Rep. Sue Kelly, R-Katonah, who is seeking re-election in New York's 19th District.
MidHudsonNews.com reports McCain reiterated his support for allowing the 11 million illegal aliens currently in the U.S. to stay and earn their citizenship. McCain was equally clear that the U.S. needs to tighten its borders to stem the flow of undocumented workers into the country. The Web site reports McCain also said the U.S. needs to explore "clean nuclear energy" and that aging plants need to be shut down, but he was non-committal on the future of Indian Point.
Billboard magazine, meanwhile, reports some big names in rock music have thrown their support behind one of the many Democrats in the 19th District scrum. Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Brown and Graham Nash have all signed an e-mail soliticing financial support for John Hall, the former member of the band Orleans, which had a couple of big hits in the 70s.
It's hard to determine what, if anything, is happening in the race for the 19th. The district is on a few watch lists as deserving at least a glance now and then to see if the seat has a chance to change hands. Five Democrats are, or at one time declared that they are, interested in running for the seat. Only Judy Aydelott of Katonah showed any substantial fundraising activity when the last FEC reports came out just after the first of the year. With the first-quarter fundraising deadline now past, new numbers should be coming out soon and we will take a look to see if any of the Democrats were able to garner any significant financial support in the past three months. When the reports are in we'll let you know and maybe we'll have a better idea of whether this race can take off.
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Andrew Cuomo's campaign announced today yet another county-level endorsement for his bid for state attorney general. The Democratic Party of Jefferson County is now in the Cuomo column.
posted by Ron Vallo @ 11:22 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Anyone considering supporting John McCain because they think he is a moderate voice in the far-right Republican party should really take a look at his real-life voting record and his increasing far-right rhetoric.
McCain's voting record of late is in line with the Bush administration, and whether that is an honest representation of his views or just to curry favor with the most conservative elements of his party to get the 2008 presidential nod is really irrelevant. He's either just as conservative as the party leaders now or he is willing to sell out his convictions to get support.
Consider that in 2000, he condemned Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell for the hateful bile that they spewed. (He called them "agents of intolerance.") Now, McCain is going to speak next month at the commencement for Libery University, which was founded by Falwell.
McCain also said recently that there is a "major" place in the Republican party for the conservative Christian right, which implies that the "intolerant" views of Robertson and Falwell have a place in his political party. (More likely, McCain is just eager for those two to get their supporters to the polls.)
The myth that John McCain is a moderate is part of persona he has tried to create for himself. A quick look at reality shows a very different truth.
Sam:
We agree that McCain is more likely pandering than "born again."
Pandering is hardly new in politics and you might say the junior Senator from NY is guilty of the same thing (think flag burning for instance).
Which is not to say it makes it right or an admirable quality in anyone.
I think the first candidate who takes a stand and makes it clear he/she has the backbone to back it up is the next candidate who will capture America's imagination.
Voters are tired of plastic candidates, their parts fused together with residue from public opinion polls.
When (if) somebody rises up and stands for something we will only then be able to begin to fill the leadership chasm that big-money politics has created
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