Still Hating America. - Page 58

SlaveNoMore · 02-13-2007, 07:36 PM

Run Rudy, run...

Another top conservative gets on the Rudy train:

Quote:

Theodore Olson, the stalwart conservative lawyer and former solicitor general for the Bush administration, told the Spectator he will be supporting Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid.

"I admire his character, his capacity for leadership, his instincts, and his principles," Olson said over the phone this afternoon. He said he will help Giuliani raise money as well as offer advice on legal issues and domestic policy matters that involve constitutional questions.

Olson and Giuliani have been longtime friends since serving in the Reagan Justice Department from 1981-1983, when Olson was assistant attorney general in charge of the office of legal counsel and Giuliani was associate attorney general. Olson said they met with Attorney General William French Smith every morning and worked closely on a number of issues.

The support of Olson should help Giuliani in his quest to win over social conservatives who remain skeptical of his pledge to appoint strict constructionist judges.

"I've known him for 26 years and we've talked about this many times," Olson said. "He feels very strongly that people like Justice Scalia, Chief Justice Roberts, Sam Alito, Clarence Thomas, are the type of people that he would put on the court…I'm quite convinced that this is a genuine viewpoint that he has."

When asked about differences conservatives have with Giuliani on issues such as abortion and gay rights, Olson said: "Rudy's views on many, many issues are going to be very compatible with people in the conservative political community and the political legal community. Nobody's going to be able to find a candidate with whom they agree with 100 percent on every issue. Overall, Rudy's strength of character, his capacity for leadership in a time when a strong executive is important, his energy level, his ability to provide the kind of leadership that Ronald Reagan did -- I think that is going to be very persuasive with conservatives."

Tyrone Slothrop · 02-13-2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Sheesh - Obama merely announces he is running, and lookee - Gatti runs right out and converts.

What does "Moktada" have to do with the United Church of Christ?

SlaveNoMore · 02-13-2007, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Tyrone Slothrop
What does "Moktada" have to do with the United Church of Christ?

He'll probably be taking it over, just as soon as Obama stops "wasting" the lives of troops over there, and the Sadr brigade starts taking it to us over here.

SlaveNoMore · 02-13-2007, 09:21 PM

Quote:

SlaveNoMore
He'll probably be taking it over, just as soon as Obama stops "wasting" the lives of troops over there, and the Sadr brigade starts taking it to us over here.

Just as I make this joke, it appears Sadr is indeed actually on the move - to the guys we're supposed to be "talking to"

Quote:

From ABC News:

Feb. 13, 2007 — The story tonight in Iraq is not the arrival of more U.S. troops, but the departure of one of the country's most powerful men, Moqtada al Sadr and members of his army.

According to senior military officials al Sadr left Baghdad two to three weeks ago, and fled to Tehran, Iran, where he has family.

Al Sadr commands the Mahdi Army, one of the most formidable insurgent militias in Iraq, and his move coincides with the announced U.S. troop surge in Baghdad.

Sources believe al Sadr is worried about an increase of 20,000 U.S. troops in the Iraqi capital. One official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz, "He is scared he will get a JDAM [bomb] dropped on his house."

Sources say some of the Mahdi army leadership went with al Sadr.

Though he is gone for now, many think al Sadr is not gone for good. In Tehran he is trying to keep the Madhi militia together.

Say what you will - surge, new leadership, whatever - the news out of Iraq has been better and better in the last few weeks.

Adder · 02-13-2007, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gattigap
Moktada! Moktada! Moktada!

btw.. i missed this in the news cycle, but I know someone who we really would prefer not to chant this was chanting it. who was it?

Sidd Finch · 02-13-2007, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Sheesh - Obama merely announces he is running, and lookee - Gatti runs right out and converts.

Funny Slave is back? Where's the outrage?

Sidd Finch · 02-13-2007, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
When asked about differences conservatives have with Giuliani on issues such as abortion and gay rights, Olson said: "Rudy's views on many, many issues are going to be very compatible with people in the conservative political community and the political legal community. Nobody's going to be able to find a candidate with whom they agree with 100 percent on every issue. Overall, Rudy's strength of character, his capacity for leadership in a time when a strong executive is important, his energy level, his ability to provide the kind of leadership that Ronald Reagan did -- I think that is going to be very persuasive with conservatives."

The man is dreaming. Either Rudy will explain how he really has been against abortion and treating gays like human beings all along, or the Christian Right will reject him.

SlaveNoMore · 02-14-2007, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Sidd Finch
The man is dreaming. Either Rudy will explain how he really has been against abortion and treating gays like human beings all along, or the Christian Right will reject him.

If Rudy plays his cards right, he won't need to sweep the Pat Dobson types.

He's got 3 things in his favor:

1) He's already got some top-tier "conservatives" propping him up

2) Who else are those guys gonna vote for? They hate McCain and as Ty has said before, its doubtful they'll consider M(M)MM a/k/a My (Mormon) Man Mitt. If they stay home, doesn't hurt Rudy in the Primaries either

3) Rudy sweeps the middle-third voters of the country (i.e, the blue dog Dems and"Rockefeller"(gag) GOPers) over any other candidate out there.

What'll be interesting to me is watching how the MSM plays this - they'll demonize him for quite a while - publishing incessant and unnecessary stories about his three wives (yawn), how his abortion stance pissed everyone on the right off (it actually doesn't), how the NRA hates him (BTW, when has anyone seen that acronym in print in the last 20 years? Yet, dollars to donuts they're back "in the news"), etc. And then they'll typically come around to his side if a more "right" candidate emerges.

SlaveNoMore · 02-14-2007, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Sidd Finch
The man is dreaming. Either Rudy will explain how he really has been against abortion and treating gays like human beings all along, or the Christian Right will reject him.

His got the correct thinking man's position on abortion - personally pro-choice, but takes a federalist stance and would appoint Roberts/Alito type judges.

Anyone with 1/3 of a brain -which excludes 2/3s of the country - realizes that - if you are pro-life - this is the only position that actually matters for the POTUS.

And you are taking the uber-left position that gay marriage = treating gays like human beings. The majority of Democrats, for that matter, don't approve of gay marriage, as evidenced by national referendums across the country.

Secret_Agent_Man · 02-14-2007, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
we were attacked 3 or 4 times. he was president. What the fuck does congress have to do with that?

Whiff!

[Think back to some of Slave's recent posts re the Iraq War.]

S_A_M

Secret_Agent_Man · 02-14-2007, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy
"I think your perspective . . . is just pure mimetic ideological regurgitation uninformed by even a passing familiarity with reality.

NEW BOARD MOTTO!

S_A_M

Secret_Agent_Man · 02-14-2007, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Run Rudy, run...

Another top conservative gets on the Rudy train:

They REALLY don't want HRC as president.

(And are probably sick of the religious conservatives too.)

S_A_M

Adder · 02-14-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
His got the correct thinking man's position on abortion - personally pro-choice, but takes a federalist stance and would appoint Roberts/Alito type judges.

Anyone with 1/3 of a brain -which excludes 2/3s of the country - realizes that - if you are pro-life - this is the only position that actually matters for the POTUS.

Except that the Christian right also have fantasies about constitutional amendments to ban abortion, and, I'm sure, federal legislation to do the same if it were to suddenly become unprotected by the constitution.

Gattigap · 02-14-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore

Say what you will - surge, new leadership, whatever - the news out of Iraq has been better and better in the last few weeks.

I agree, this is good news. Certainly Sadr=out of town is better than Sadr=in town, but it's hard to tell from this article what the overall practical effect will be. Does it mean that the Mahdi Army gets disbanded? That it's no longer a force in Iraqi politics? Or that they're simply laying low until the US leaves, and that Sadr skipping town is a reflection of that?

Sidd Finch · 02-14-2007, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
His got the correct thinking man's position on abortion - personally pro-choice, but takes a federalist stance and would appoint Roberts/Alito type judges.

Anyone with 1/3 of a brain -which excludes 2/3s of the country - realizes that - if you are pro-life - this is the only position that actually matters for the POTUS.

And you are taking the uber-left position that gay marriage = treating gays like human beings. The majority of Democrats, for that matter, don't approve of gay marriage, as evidenced by national referendums across the country.

That's not my position on gay rights. Has Rudy actually come out in support of gay marriage -- rather than civil unions? If so, I didn't realize.