The Republican Thread

[NorthSideSox72]

i'd be nice if McCain could figure out the facts about Iraq. i tend to find that a little more important.

What does that have to do with this discussion?

 

[southsider2k5]

What does that have to do with this discussion?

 

Maybe if his followers were trying to blame Obama it would be relevant?

[lostfan]

It's definitely a blunder by the Obama campaign that could've been prevented but it's really not that big of a deal. If that somehow influences someone's vote, I will lower my head in shame for them.

[bmags]

Well, if it was really important to Obama to see injured troops, he should've just landed his plane in a field somewhere and coaxed some local boy with a cocacola to rickshaw him to the military base. What's his deal?

[Texsox]

Sidebar:

 

How many rules and regulations do Presidential campaigns have to keep straight? The logistics of a Presidential campaign is mond boggling to me. Just getting all the bills paid takes a huge organization.

[Balta1701]

I forgot 50% +1 only should apply to the Presidential election...

And of course...aside from that one simple question that will be on the ballot in November...the results you get always depend on how you ask the question.

The American public is not buying the arguments of President Bush and the oil industry that new drilling will lower gas prices, a new poll finds. Despite a well-funded campaign to convince lawmakers to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and the offshore waters of the Outer Continental Shelf to drilling, and to allow new oil shale projects in the Rocky Mountain West, a majority (54%) of Americans do not see more drilling as a solution to high gas prices. Instead, the public overwhelmingly believes (76% to 19%) that policymakers should focus on investing in new energy technologies including renewable fuels and more efficient vehicles rather than expanding exploration and drilling for more oil. These findings were reported in a national poll conducted over the past week by Belden Russonello and Stewart, and released today.

 

A significant majority of Americans (63%) said that the Presidents proposal to open up public lands to oil and gas drilling is more likely to enrich oil companies than to lower gas prices for American consumers. A substantial majority (66%) said that the small percentage of public lands still protected from oil drilling should remain off limits because they are valuable natural resources that cannot be replaced.

 

When asked the question, Do you think that allowing oil companies to drill in public lands and offshore areas that are currently off limits to drilling will result in lower gas prices for American consumers or not?, 54% of poll respondents said they did not believe more drilling would lower gas prices. Although Americans were initially divided on a general question of opening protected public lands and offshore areas to drilling, with a slight majority (53%) in favor, and 41% opposed, the poll found that support for drilling weakened significantly when those polled were presented with other energy policy options. When asked the question: Looking to the future, which one of the following do you think should be a more important priority for government: Investing in new energy technology including renewable fuels and more efficient automobiles, or expanding exploration and drilling for more oil?, more than three-quarters (76%) of respondents favored new technology and renewables, and only a small number (19%) favored expanded oil drilling.

[Cknolls]

you are absurd, they make the trips for weeks than the day before, on a trip planned to the hour, they weren't even sure if his plane could land on the base. Grow up.

 

 

They weren't sure his plane could land there? Meaning? 1.) They didn't have permission. NOOOOOOO! 2.) It was too big to land there. UMMM. NOOO, seeing as the military can land C-17 Globemasters and C-5 Galaxies. So I'm cornfused.

[Cknolls]

*** UPDATE *** From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube

A U.S. military official tells NBC News they were making preparations for Sen. Barack Obama to visit wounded troops at the Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein, Germany on Friday, but "for some reason the visit was called off."

 

One military official who was working on the Obama visit said because political candidates are prohibited from using military installations as campaign backdrops, Obama's representatives were told, "he could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers." In addition, "Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama's visit."

 

The official said "We didn't know why" the request to visit the wounded troops was withdrawn. "He (Obama) was more than welcome. We were all ready for him."

 

 

[NorthSideSox72]

And of course...aside from that one simple question that will be on the ballot in November...the results you get always depend on how you ask the question.

The American people want new, alternative, renewable energy. Seems pretty clear, and I agree.

 

Going that direction is so obviously where we need to go, I just am amazed at people resisting it. Its the right move for every reason, other than supporting the oil industry.

 

[lostfan]

*** UPDATE *** From NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube

A U.S. military official tells NBC News they were making preparations for Sen. Barack Obama to visit wounded troops at the Landstuhl Medical Center at Ramstein, Germany on Friday, but "for some reason the visit was called off."

 

One military official who was working on the Obama visit said because political candidates are prohibited from using military installations as campaign backdrops, Obama's representatives were told, "he could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers." In addition, "Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama's visit."

 

The official said "We didn't know why" the request to visit the wounded troops was withdrawn. "He (Obama) was more than welcome. We were all ready for him."

Sorry. Just had to.

Edited July 25, 2008 by lostfan

[HuskyCaucasian]

McCain's Double Standard on Campaign Visits to Military Bases

 

The problem here is that the McCain campaign was denied a visit to a military base under the same policy back in April. Of course, there was no outcry or false outrage from Brian Rogers at that time.

 

From CNN:

 

With Department of Defense rules prohibiting political campaigning on military bases, it was determined that in some cases McCain could visit the installations as a senator but could not engage in any political activity or have news media present.

 

 

McCain campaign officials said Thursday they intentionally did not campaign on military property.

 

"We follow the rules," said senior McCain adviser Steve Schmidt.

 

Because all three presidential candidates are sitting senators, DoD officials have privately noted for some weeks that the whole matter of drawing the line between Senate business and campaigning is sensitive.

[kapkomet]

i'd be nice if McCain could figure out the facts about Iraq. i tend to find that a little more important.

Nice deflection. Wow. It just pains me to see the lengths that the Obamatrons are going to "defend" their messiah walking on water, so to speak.

 

[southsider2k5]

McCain's Double Standard on Campaign Visits to Military Bases

 

Good for McCain. I am glad he decided that it was OK to follow the rules and not to blame someone else for not being able to comprehend that. Then again if the media paid any attention at all to McCain and his campaign, this could have been news too. I guess that double standard works both ways too.

[kapkomet]

Good for McCain. I am glad he decided that it was OK to follow the rules and not to blame someone else for not being able to comprehend that. Then again if the media paid any attention at all to McCain and his campaign, this could have been news too. I guess that double standard works both ways too.

Nah, Obama is squeaky clean, McCain is a double talking asshole.

 

[BigSqwert]

Nah, Obama is squeaky clean, McCain is a double talking asshole.

You're finally catching on.

[kapkomet]

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashnym.htm

As a by the way, you know, I figured it out on the rejection of the editorial letter. All John McCain would have had to do was put his letter in an envelope, put "TOP SECRET GOVERNMENT BUSINESS" on the outside, drop it in the mailbox, and it would have been ran on the front page with big ass headlines.

[lostfan]

What is the point of harping on doubletalk, as shady as it might sound? Is it to prove the superiority of one candidate over another? If so that is the fail, because both candidates are doing it, and I can't think of a past election where the same thing didn't happen. Especially nowadays, with the Internet, and instant access to pretty much everything they say.

[kapkomet]

You're finally catching on.

Nice one.

 

In all seriousness, BS, if the guy weren't made out to be so perfect, I could maybe respect him but not want to vote for him because of his ideas. There's a big difference. But, the "front" (yes, an opinion) is what has me worn out on Obama.

[Cknolls]

Why can't Team Obama answer this most simple of questions? From ABC News:

 

The campaign would not answer if Obama was denied outright from visiting the base.

 

The Pentagon is calling them out on it:

 

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman denied they tried to discourage Obama's visit and denied the Pentagon rebuked the campaign about the appropriateness of the planned visit.

 

"We learned a few days ago of the interest in Sen. Obama going to Landsthul and all we did was simply remind people just to remember our longstanding guidance with respect to policital campaigns in an election year," Whitman said, "And remind them that Sen. Obama is a sitting senator or has an interest and is welcome to visit an installation, to include something like Landstuhl, but his visit would need to be done consistent with a visit as a sitting senator."

 

However Whitman noted that officials at Landstuhl were aware of DOD's long-standing guidelines to distinguish between the visit of a sitting senator and a visit under the auspices of a political campaign.

 

 

[southsider2k5]

As a by the way, you know, I figured it out on the rejection of the editorial letter. All John McCain would have had to do was put his letter in an envelope, put "TOP SECRET GOVERNMENT BUSINESS" on the outside, drop it in the mailbox, and it would have been ran on the front page with big ass headlines.

 

We know the NYT would publish that!

[bmags]

tpm:

 

Pentagon Confirms That It Told Obama He Couldn't Visit Army Base With Campaign Staff

By Greg Sargent - July 25, 2008, 11:13AM

I've just gotten clarification from the Pentagon on what really happened with regard to Barack Obama's canceled visit to an Army base in Germany, something the McCain campaign has been using to hit Obama since yesterday.

 

A Pentagon spokesperson confirms to me that because of longstanding Department of Defense regulations, Pentagon officials told Obama aides that he couldn't visit the base with campaign staff. This left Obama with little choice but to cancel the trip, since the plan to visit with campaign aides had been in the works for weeks.

 

The Obama campaign yesterday announced that it had decided to cancel the visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, saying that it would be "inappropriate" to make such a visit as part of a campaign trip.

 

The McCain camp has nonetheless been using Obama's canceled trip to insinuate that he's anti-troops. "Barack Obama is wrong," McCain spokesperson Brian Rogers said in a statement yesterday. "It is never 'inappropriate' to visit our men and women in the military."

 

But it turns out that the Pentagon did in fact tell Obama that in this case, it was not only "inappropriate," but against DOD rules, for him to conduct the visit with campaign staff.

 

"We have longstanding Department of Defense policy in regards to political campaigns and elections," Pentagon spokesperson Elizabeth Hibner told me. "We informed the Obama staff that he was more than welcome to visit as Senator Obama, with Senate staff. However, he could not conduct the visit with campaign staff."

 

After being told this, the Obama campaign announced yesterday that it had decided it was "inappropriate" to make the visit as part of a campaign trip.

 

It's unclear how Obama could have made the visit at all, given the Pentagon's directives. No Senate staff was on the trip, and the Obama camp says they received the Pentagon's directives on Wednesday, after they were already abroad.

 

[lostfan]

Just a thought, but shouldn't this whole stupid (IMO) argument be taking place in the Obama's Tour thread?

[BigSqwert]

Just a thought, but shouldn't this whole stupid (IMO) argument be taking place in the Obama's Tour thread?

I agree on both counts. That it's stupid and it should be in the other thread.

[kapkomet]

tpm:

 

Pentagon Confirms That It Told Obama He Couldn't Visit Army Base With Campaign Staff

By Greg Sargent - July 25, 2008, 11:13AM

I've just gotten clarification from the Pentagon on what really happened with regard to Barack Obama's canceled visit to an Army base in Germany, something the McCain campaign has been using to hit Obama since yesterday.

 

A Pentagon spokesperson confirms to me that because of longstanding Department of Defense regulations, Pentagon officials told Obama aides that he couldn't visit the base with campaign staff. This left Obama with little choice but to cancel the trip, since the plan to visit with campaign aides had been in the works for weeks.

 

The Obama campaign yesterday announced that it had decided to cancel the visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, saying that it would be "inappropriate" to make such a visit as part of a campaign trip.

 

The McCain camp has nonetheless been using Obama's canceled trip to insinuate that he's anti-troops. "Barack Obama is wrong," McCain spokesperson Brian Rogers said in a statement yesterday. "It is never 'inappropriate' to visit our men and women in the military."

 

But it turns out that the Pentagon did in fact tell Obama that in this case, it was not only "inappropriate," but against DOD rules, for him to conduct the visit with campaign staff.

 

"We have longstanding Department of Defense policy in regards to political campaigns and elections," Pentagon spokesperson Elizabeth Hibner told me. "We informed the Obama staff that he was more than welcome to visit as Senator Obama, with Senate staff. However, he could not conduct the visit with campaign staff."

 

After being told this, the Obama campaign announced yesterday that it had decided it was "inappropriate" to make the visit as part of a campaign trip.

 

It's unclear how Obama could have made the visit at all, given the Pentagon's directives. No Senate staff was on the trip, and the Obama camp says they received the Pentagon's directives on Wednesday, after they were already abroad.

 

 

I agree on both counts. That it's stupid and it should be in the other thread.

 

It is stupid, yet, it was clearly (IMO) Obama's choice. Campaign staff is not allowed. Okay. But he could have still gone and chose not to because he wouldn't get the mileage out of it. Yet, it's frivilous in a sense... people looking to manufacture news. At the same time, how many Obamatron posts would we have if McCain would have done the same thing? I guess that's what bothers me about this whole cycle.

 

[BigSqwert]

At the same time, how many Obamatron posts would we have if McCain would have done the same thing?

I think we should all do a better job of keeping perspective on these sorts of things. I've personally made a strong effort to ignore the frivolous b.s. that others bash McCain over. Am I perfect? No but I'm doing my best.