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The Watercooler ~ In Case You Missed Senator McCain’s Apology…

By: westcoastpatriette (Diary)  |  March 16th, 2013 at 09:10 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

I was surprised to hear Senator McCain on the Neil Cavuto Show yesterday apologize for calling Senators Cruz and Paul “wacko birds.” In case you missed it:

Guess McCain is begrudgingly recognizing that publicly berating colleagues who represent the change the base is seeking was not a smart move. But then, life’s not fair.

The Watercooler is always an open thread.

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  • kipling

    He is definitely feeling some heat.

  • gmat

    I was encouraged by Sen Cruz’s assertion in his diary here last week that his top priority is economic growth, and it should be every other legislator’s top priority.

    The only thing I’ve heard on the subject since then is about defunding Obamacare via the CR. So I have some questions:

    1) How’s that going? The defunding Obamacare, I mean. Is it likely to succeed, unlikely, 50-50, what?

    2) If it succeeds, about how much economic growth can we expect as a result.

    3) If it doesn’t succeed, what’s next? What other legislation is in the works to improve economic growth, by whatever mechanisms?

    • Jim_Riggs

      Those are very good questions. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the answers are. My gut feeling though is that some factions in the party will be trying to get rid of Obamacare for as long as they’ve been trying to get rid of social security and medicare.

      • gmat

        I’m not in the business world anymore, and I have been trying to get a handle on what specifically are the regulatory, tax, and other government-imposed “conditions” which are inhibiting economic growth in the private sector.

        Cruz’s comments about Obamacare the other day were the first time I have heard a legiislator specifically identify something as inhibiting economic growth, and the proposing legislation to correct it.

        It occurs to me there must be other “conditions” or “restraints” to target as well.

        • Jim_Riggs

          Unfortunately, I am still in the business world and from my personal perspective there is nothing inhibiting economic growth. We just had a record year in 2012 and if the first quarter of 2013 is any indication we may have another one.

    • Finrod

      I was encouraged by Sen Cruz’s assertion in his diary here last week that his top priority is economic growth …

      Shhh, don’t let the SoCons hear about that, or they’ll rip Cruz a new one for ‘marginalizing’ their pet issues. After all, one has told me here that there’s no such thing as a fiscal conservative because all they believe in is money.

  • conservativecurmudgeon

    Who gives a rip about John McCain? I mean, really now…

    I hope that when the magnificent Ted Cruz hears about this “apology”, he smiles wistfully, and says something along the lines of “Our senior citizens are some of our most important cultural resource. They have a storehouse of wisdom that we ignore t our peril. Also, I understand that oftentimes those in their golden years tend to lose their built-in oratorical filter, and say things they may come to regret. Mr. McCain is reaching the end of his public life, and I wish him only the best in the sunset of his years”.

    McCain is a political loser. He is a menace. He is the worst of what is wrong with federal Washington: A political strip-teaser with no core beyond the constituency of one: John McCain. Good Riddance to this Foghorn Leghorn of the Senate.

  • westcoastpatriette

    Listening to Ted Cruz’s keynote speech at CPAC. He would make a fabulous president. He is the real deal conservative.

    • checkmate2012

      Standing O for Cruz! I agree he’d be a great president since upholding and abiding by the Constitution would solve so many of our country’s problems.
      .
      Cruz responded to McCain’s apology and said he won’t engage in name calling but will only stick to issues. Classy guy!

      • westcoastpatriette

        He’s just a great spokesman. So natural, normal and unashamed of our principles.

        • checkmate2012

          Exactly. He spoke in front of the lectern without notes or a tele-prompter! He’s a natural conservative because he knows the Constitution and loves it!

    • gmat

      I missed it, I’ll have to find a transcript somewhere. r maybe a youtube.

      • gmat

        Found a good youtube version. That was a good talk to wrap up the conference. I like it that he headlined economic growth and opportunity along with defending the Constitution.

        • westcoastpatriette

          I was really impressed with his speech — not just the content, but his demeanor and delivery revealed a man who is comfortable in his own skin.

    • edburke

      Just remember that Republican conservatives have been talking about abolishing departments for decades but when the chips are down they never do it. If some day someone does, fine, but: The best way to both weaken the Education lobby and shape up education would be to create a credible system of national competence exams in different college/graduate level fields. Anyone could take the exams for a nominal fee and prepare in whatever way they found most effective, which for many would involve local libraries, self-study, and online programs and not involve paying $50K a year to a university and thereby funding its Gay, Womens and Trans-gender Studies program.

  • plumely

    Memo to John McCain: Senator Paul and Cruz are the future of the party.

  • midwestconservative

    I notice that McCain mentioned the whole Taft vs Eisenhower in his apology, for those of you who know about GOP history, Senator Robert Taft, was the Republican Senate Majority leader who stood firm for Conservative values while battling Progressive Republican Thomas Dewey for the soul of the GOP, though Taft lost those battles he ultimately won the war, and laid the groundwork for victories under Goldwater and Reagan; John McCain represents the old Rino wing of the party which are slowly being hunted down and exterminated, Say goodbye to leadership and Hello to irrelevancy, give my regards to Lugar, Specter, and Dole for me

    • edburke

      I’d love to think you’re right but I’ll believe it when I see it. Somehow or other the RINOs always find a way to stifle the conservatives. Taft was a great man.

      • midwestconservative

        its sad his son and grandson couldn’t live up to the name

  • nickfondacaro

    Apology NOT accepted…

  • WmCraig

    Thanks WCP, but couldn’t care less. The bully smacks one of us in public for the benefit of liberal media, then goes to a safe house (FOX) to apologize. Sure, you will reach more of us on Fox, but the damage was done elsewhere and he isn’t doing anything to pull that back.

    John McCain has done enough for the Republicans. Smart people would make him an independent and let him caucus with the Democrats. Drive them nuts.

    • westcoastpatriette

      Agree on all points.

  • edburke

    McCain talks about the greatness of Reagan. But Reagan had a real enemy in the Soviet Union with its 10,000 nuclear warheads aimed down our throats and the largest army in the world. Part of his plan for defeating it involved spending the Soviets into oblivion. The plan helped whether or not it was decisive. Now consider that we are fighting a bunch of primitive third-world people with no state, no army worthy of the name, and no nukes, and we are spending MORE in real dollars than at any time during the Cold War. This is absurd and is going to lead to lots of little Republican grandmothers losing their savings when the spit hits the fan.
    And, by the way, when campus speech codes started up on Reagan’s watch, he did nothing about it. It would have been easy to use the Justice Dept. or legislation to punish schools that promulgated far left views and bullied conservatives but Reagan just ignored it. You can see where we are now: long-held beliefs are nearly considered hate crimes.

  • Jack_Savage

    It’s mind over matter, Senator McCain. We don’t mind because you no longer matter.

  • Viet71

    McCain is old news.

    As a Viet Nam vet, I respect him for his POW service.

    As a citizen, I disrespect him for his time as a senator. He’s daffy.

    Rand Paul and Ted Cruz are the face of the Republican Party. One a physician; one a Harvard-trained lawyer. Both razor-sharp.

  • Viet71

    wcp,

    You maintain an important forum.

    • westcoastpatriette

      Thank you, Viet71. nt

  • westcoastpatriette

    Here is another nauseating demonstration of establishment Repubs being publicly condescending toward Tea Party new blood. This is Chris Wallace interviewing Matt Kibbe and Steve La Tourette. Starts at 15:30 minutes into the program: http://www.hulu.com/watch/468346