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DEL.ICIO.USMcCain, not Bush, on his way to Atlanta in mid-August
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Per U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ news conference this morning, Republican presidential candidate John McCain is headed to Atlanta the week of Aug. 18.
The Republican incumbent made the announcement after he’d been asked whether President Bush would be making an appearance in Georgia on his behalf.
Though Bush’s schedule has seemed fairly flexible, and should be relatively open in October, Chambliss spoke as if the issue were pretty much settled. “Unfortunately, we were never able to work out a schedule,” the senator said.
Comments
By Ga Values
August 6, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this
McCain opposes Saxby’s farm policies popular in Midwest.
MIKE GLOVER Associated Press Writer DES MOINES, Iowa — Republican presidential candidate John McCain opposes the $300 billion farm bill and subsidies for ethanol, positions that both supporters and opponents say might cost him votes he needs in the upper Midwest this November.
His Democratic rival, Barack Obama, is making a more traditional regional pitch: He favors the farm bill approved by Congress this year and subsidies for the Midwest-based ethanol industry. McCain instead has promised to open new markets abroad for farmers to export their commodities.
In his position papers, McCain opposes farm subsidies only for those with incomes of more than $250,000 and a net worth above $2 million. But he’s gone further on the stump.
“I don’t support agricultural subsidies no matter where they are,” McCain said at a recent appearance in Wisconsin. “The farm bill, $300 billion, is something America simply can’t afford.”
McCain later described the measure, which is very popular throughout the Midwest, as “a $300 billion, bloated, pork-barrel-laden bill” because of subsidies for industries like ethanol.
It’s not a stand that pleases Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa.
“I would not advise him to take that position,” Grassley said. “For sure, he can’t lose Missouri and that’s in the upper Midwest. Could he lose Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin and still be elected president? Yes, but I wouldn’t advise him to have that strategy.”
Grassley, a conservative Republican, and his Senate colleague from Iowa, liberal Democrat Tom Harkin, have achieved enduring success in this state largely by mastering the politics of farm issues. Harkin chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, which wrote the new farm legislation.
“I don’t see any scenario in which McCain can get to the White House without carrying some upper Midwestern states,” said Harkin, an Obama backer. “I’ve never really understood in all my years why Sen. McCain has gone out of his way to speak against and vote against policies that are important to the upper Midwest.”
There’s a history of close elections in the region. President Bush carried Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota in 2004, earning 35 electoral votes. But his Democratic opponent, John Kerry, prevailed in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, giving him 41 electoral votes.
Veteran GOP strategist Gentry Collins said McCain can defend his record on farm issues, including opposing “corporate welfare” for big operations, but he said there’s more at work.
“The upper Midwest is crucial in this election, and Midwestern voters value authenticity. They value experience,” Collins said. “I don’t think agricultural issues are the only issues Midwestern voters care about. There are some bigger-picture issues, broader issues where he’s strong.”
But on another important issue to Midwesterners, McCain opposed a tax break for developing wind power. Obama supported the tax break.
“We’re employing close to 2,000 people right now in Iowa in the wind energy industry,” Harkin said.
McCain has been most outspoken on ethanol subsidies, and that has Republicans worried in Iowa, the nation’s biggest producer of the fuel. Other top ethanol producers include Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Missouri.
“It does challenge him in states like Iowa, the No. 1 ethanol state,” said Bill Northey, Iowa’s Republican agriculture secretary. “It does make it tougher to make the case.”
Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford said McCain’s problem on farm issues reflects a deeper issue he faces as he’s courted conservative GOP activists, many of whom are deeply suspicious of him.
“He’s essentially reverting to standard Republican supply-side economics,” said Goldford. “That’s where he’s got a problem. He’s got to find his own voice and so far he hasn’t had a voice.”
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat who has campaigned for Obama, said he’s puzzled by McCain’s position. He points to other Republicans who have a different view.
“President Bush and I just had a good conversation about how critically important ethanol is, and how Iowa is positioned so well to lead the nation,” said Culver. “I have no idea why John McCain doesn’t support it. It hurts him in Indiana, and Missouri and Ohio, and it’s not the message right now that any of us want to hear.”
Obama has a modest lead in national polls, but electoral votes will decide the election. Obama is poised to do well on both coasts, while McCain is favored in the South and some parts of the West. That leaves the upper Midwest as a swing battleground.
“The Midwest is crucial in this campaign,” said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat and an early backer of Obama. “Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and perhaps Indiana are very important states. McCain is behind, and he’s in danger of falling further behind.”
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By BillW
August 6, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
Just what we need, advice from Democrats on how to further blow the budget.
By Gene Talmadge
August 6, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this
Has anybody else noticed Martin’s hair looks like mine when he doesn’t have it slicked back? Thank God, we have another Democrat who’ll take on the big mules. I like Martin, an honest man and real live veteran, as opposed to the darling of the Washington lobbyists and illegal immigrants, Saxby Shameless.
By BillW
August 6, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this
With the name Gene Talmadge I imagine you never refused a cash-filled envelope.
By flip wilson
August 6, 2008 3:42 PM | Link to this
chambliss doesn’t want to be seen with bush? i thought those draft dodgers always stuck together …
By flip wilson
August 6, 2008 4:01 PM | Link to this
bill clinton doesn’t want to be seen with obama? i thought those liberal marxist stuck together…
By baracknroll
August 6, 2008 4:51 PM | Link to this
Yes, maybe it’s time to listen to the scary Dems on economic issues and the budget. It seems the “free spending Democrat” stereotype has migrated to the other side of the aisle. Take a look at the facts of the past 8 years. Dubya years= a trillion wasted in Iraq, housing meltdown, Bear Stearns eats it, our national renewable energy plan is MIA, and our economy is in the toilet. Oh, sorry, I forgot that we’re in a Mental Recession according to someone’s former top economic adviser. So…let’s hand the national checkbook to the white-haired financial whiz from Phoenix and his cronies. That seems super logical! ;-)
Love, Baracknroll P.S.- Dubya should shred his Harvard MBA and buy a more fitting one from a matchbook cover.
By Sam1234
August 6, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
Obama is a sleeper Muslim. I have the emails to prove. I got one from the Clinton camp back in Jan.
By Spence
August 6, 2008 6:21 PM | Link to this
Didn’t you get the memo baracknroll?
The war in Iraq will be paid for with Iraqi oil revenue! There is no cost to the American taxpayer. The billions we are spending there every week is just a figment of your imagination. Besides, it doesn’t count as spending, we’re just putting it on the tab. China is paying it.
Darn those free spending Democrats. Just darn. And to think they are going to get another landslide victory this fall picking up all those Congressional seats. How dare they, them big spending bullies.
By Frederick Douglass
August 6, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
Cindy doesn’t want to be seen with John, she’d rather tour the NASCAR circuit with hunky Keifer Sutherland, they’re both simply flawless you know.
By Beth Lunsford
August 8, 2008 4:44 AM | Link to this
Educated people know why he is doing this. He’s tryin to bring down the deficit.He may have to give a little, but I hope he doesn’t take the advice of the Dumbocrats.I applaud his stance on no more pork barrel spending.The money we have wasted on a lot of stupid s*. It’s ridiculous.This will have a big impact on our budget, & a good one.Think people, think!!Obama is not going to produce a fairytale America.He will spend us into the ground,& we will be a third world country.Because we will be broke.Period.
By Ga Values
August 8, 2008 5:59 AM | Link to this
Beth Lunsford- Saxby is the author of the farm bill which contained over $20,000,000,000 of pork. John McCain was opposed to it & President Bush Vetoes it but Saxby worked with Pelosi & Reid to over ride Bush’s Voto.. Being the chairman of the Ag committee Saxby is the KING OF PORK.
By Taxpayer
August 8, 2008 7:59 AM | Link to this
Saxby is more than happy to sacrifice a few million dollars that some poor families may need for health care or some other, in his little mind, equally worthless expenditure in order to make claims that he’s against pork barrel spending. All the while, he’s in Washington just laughing himself red in the face at how easy it is to “punk” those stupid voters into believing anything he wants them to believe. Saxby needs to go the way of that corrupt Republican Alaskan politician except maybe do it up the old-fashioned southern way with tar and feathers. Then again, tar is too expensive to waste on the likes of him.