Sen. John McCain, a likely presidential candidate in 2008, gave a speech over the weekend at Liberty University that deserves a wider hearing, because it seeks to form a basis for Americans — so bitterly divided on many issues — to come together with civility and mutual respect on common ideals. An excerpt:
“Americans deserve more than tolerance from one another, we deserve each other’s respect, whether we think each other right or wrong in our views, as long as our character and our sincerity merit respect, and as long as we share, for all our differences, for all the noisy debates that enliven our politics, a mutual devotion to the sublime idea that this nation was conceived in — that freedom is the inalienable right of mankind, and in accord with the laws of nature and nature’s Creator.
“We have so much more that unites us than divides us. We need only to look to the enemy who now confronts us, and the benighted ideals to which Islamic extremists pledge allegiance — their disdain for the rights of Man, their contempt for innocent human life — to appreciate how much unites us.”
See the full text of McCain’s speech here.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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34 Comments
I think I would rather have Bill Richardson (D, Governor, New Mexico) as President, with Christine Gregoire (D, Governor, Washington) as his running mate. Or the converse.
At any rate, howzabout the Eagle championing a move to get Kansas an early primary date, so Kansans can play a role in selecting presidential candidates, instead of being told, “Sorry, things have already been decided, and you’re just a bunch of stupid hinterland peasants, so you deserve disenfranchisement.” ?
I second that Heartland! Though what do I know…After all I did not truly expect the Gay marriage ban Amendment to pass! I guess I had more faith in the Kansas voters then that, now I wonder if Dick Cheney might still have a shot at the big chair? He might if these voters have a say.
““Americans deserve more than tolerance from one another, we deserve each other’s respect, whether we think each other right or wrong in our views,”
Many writers on these pages – on both sides of the political divide – need to take these words to heart.
Many writers on these pages – on both sides of the political divide – need to take these words to heart.GMC
The ones I met at the picnic Saturday sure do, I did have some reservations as the day neared. With as heated as it get here, no offense but actually Hank and Nathan in a way concerned me. It is like judging a larger picture from a quick snapshot though. There are really passionate people here, they believe in this country and have their own ideas as to what is right and what is wrong. I seem to remember reading something like you are a D.A.? I know from your opinions that you are a lawyer or at least well familiar with the law.
How often has the phrase “I going to kill you!”, been used as evidence in court? How often it is said with no intent to actually kill the person? (No I have not read that either Hank or Nathan have said it. It is just an example of how what one may say is used to judge a person) The point being that I had some concerns about their intents. Nathan was a real pleasure to talk to, he was not what I expected (Hank if you read this, from one dad to another…Great job!) Being a former L.E.O. I do understand where you are coming from in most of your posts. Often there are two separate concepts in the system, the law and justice, sometimes there are one in the same. Sometimes they are a million miles apart, it maybe legal but not justice.A good case in point is the NSA phone number mining, if marketing does this why would it be illegal for the Government to do it too. But I find both morally reprehensible, LoL the same for telemarketing!
There are trolls here, or at least those I find to be less then honest in their opinions and positions.I tend to ignore them as they should be. I think for them it is a game and they more like to rattle someone’s cage then add anything to the topic. I look forward to your posts, you point out the valid points of the law.And it may not always be your own personal opinion. I am sure you agree, there are laws that need to be changed and some that are abused.
Writerdog,
Thanks for the kind words.
The thing I have always tried to convey to people here is that this is a blog. A place to debate, argue, and discuss things.
That is what you see here. People assume that because I argue very adamently for what I believe here that I must be some evil person eating babies in my basement or something.
I have made that bad assumption too about many of you.
The one thing I will say is that there is nothing I say here that I am not willing to say to someones face. I try to keep it as civil as I can.
thanks writerdog -
I know some post just to get a rise out of others. I try not to do that, but at times it is hard, or the target is just so &%^# obvious . . .!
Don’t get me started on the laws I would change (you probably have a good idea of some), or the difference between law and justice. If we had the time, or it that was the relevent topic . . .
Gotta write a brief this am – have a good day.
Once again McCain SAID the right thing but DID the wrong thing. He’s having his cake and eating it too.
He goes to the very core of the intolerant American Taliban–Liberty University–with Jerry Falwall as Mullah Omar and preaches . . . “tolerance.”
When Jesus went to the Temple, he didn’t preach “tolerance,” he drove the hypocrites out with a leather scourge.
This way McCain gets to sound reasonable to the moderates and gets to sound uber-conservative to the uber-conservatives (by speaking at that horrible place).
Nice politicking as usual, Old Suckup McCain.
I think we might actually agree Lefthook… :/?
Thanks, Nathan. I think today’s “liberals” and traditional “conservatives” have a lot of common ground.
We don’t like gov’t interference in people’s personal lives. Liberals do want “interference” or involvement in corporate behavior to protect the social good however; conservatives tend to want less.
Traditional conservatives are “America first-ers,” like who was it Taft and Hoover? They don’t believe in “entangling alliances” overseas.
I’m surprised that so many conservatives are going along with ideas like national ID cards and NSA wiretapping. It used to be the conservatives who hated this kind of gov’t intrusion.
And if you really think about it, one of the best ways to “fight terrorism” would be for the gov’t to impose more controls on GUNS, such as powder taggants, rifle and pistol ballistics ID’s, and massive centralized data base of ownership records.
How’s that sound to you?
Another area of common ground is deficit spending. Liberals used to accept it as a necessary evil to fund social programs, but not anymore.
We understand that the long-term viability of social programs has to be pay-as-you go, and we’ve seen the neo-cons USING deficit spending to try to starve social program spending.
Traditional conservatives also believe in pay-as-you go, but not for social programs.
You have gone too far now… we must part ways from our small bit of agreement.
Consider the 2004 Democratic primaries. Maybe if Kansas dems could have voted early, Wesley Clark’s candidacy might have gained greater momentum. Or John Edwards. Did we really need two Yalie Skull and Bones buddies as our final choice?
People must have forgot that Mcainn is a conservative
LH
to protect the social good. To many conservatives that is why abortion, curtailing the sexuality of our culture, saying no to gay marriage, etc are important to them. They fear for the social fabric of the country.
I don’t want to debate these right now and I agree much of what you said. It comes down to finding a balance, which we don’t do very well.:)
McCain is on my radar on the oft chance that he might actually mean what he said at Liberty.
However, the last presidential candidate to preach unification was lying out his ass when he said it, and he stole my vote in 2000.
I won’t be fooled again.
I can say from personal experience McCain can only be trusted half as far as I can throw him.Sad to say, I haven’t been working out lately.
Dingus,
Look at his voting record. He is hardly a conservative.
Jungle Jim,
How did he steal your vote? I am curious as to how a crime like that works…
He told you Nathan. Stolen by being a liar.
McCain will only get the Republican nomination if there’s no one else they believe can win. They seem to think liberals will vote for him. This liberal won’t.
Me neither RD.
The exception would be if Mc Cain went independent to run. A Dem has no chance in Kansas. If Mc Cain was third party, I could vote for him on the outside chance that he would beat the Republican and swing the state outta the red and to …….whatever a third color would be.
I have been posting here for a while now.
I have asked and yet to see what “lie” it is that Bush told.
Well Nathan, that’s some troll bait if I ever seen it.
Any takers?
I’m not sure I have time to list all the lies.
How about all those WMDs? Or the direct connection with alQuada?
Oh yea, I forgot. He didn’t LIE – he simply MIS-SPOKE!
There aren’t enough bites in this blog to list them all.
But let’s take the latest one:
“We are a nation of laws and we should enforce those laws.”
I’m still laughing about that one.
But in the interest of the most glaring and pertinent lie in the past couple of years, let’s try this one.
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001215.php
When Bush’s lips move, he’s lying.
Politicians only lie so they can steal most of your money.Someone suggested that politicians should be held accountable.
I think we need to eliminate the congressional retirement system so they too have to live on social security. Then we can see how fast they can fix it.
Vote all the lying incumbents out!
Uncle Sam
We always have a lot in common at election time. It’s like going to bed at erection time. You can never trust a politician. If they want our trust they need to give Americans their jobs back. Quit giving corporations tax breaks to make foriegn profits. A nation is only as strong as it can expand and provide jobs. We want our contry back!
“The exception would be if Mc Cain went independent to run.”
JR, even after they slimed him he remained true. I don’t see McCain going independent. I liked him for a while, and then he started kowtowing to the party line again, flipping and flopping like a fish out of water. I don’t think he’s a bad man and do think he’s an intelligent one, but his nose gets a little browner each time I hear him.
So much for “good” Republicans.
RD
Oh make no mistake I agree with everything you post.
My point was that Mc Cains ego might be used by him and us against the party he sucks up to so they can smack him in the mouth.
I’d only vote for Mc Cain if he was an independent and the Dem candidate had no chance to take Kansas. Like I said, better Kansas go white (Mc Cain independent) then GOP red.
Two subjects one post:One, as far as Mc Cain goes I liked him for what seemed like he was willing to buck the yoke of the R.R. and the Neo-cons. In fact I wanted him to head a break away from the extreme faction of the party and go with a sub party of Moderates or a third party of moderates from both sides of the political parties.But he throw me when he said that he supported a National Gay Marriage ban, in fact I fired off an e-mail to his office about it and express my desire that he stay focused on what really counted. FYI I know it may seem that I am focused myself on the subject of Gay marriage. I neither support nor oppose Gay marriage, but I see no reason why two people whom love each other should not be able to affirm that love. Nor is it a subject that warrants an amendment to the Constitution. Which should stand only for the freedom of this land and its people. (one step down from the soapbox)
I still look with favor at Mc Cain, but no longer see him as a possible savior for the party. As to who else I would want to see run? He pretty much was the lone horse in the race for me and he is faltering.
Two, Nathan as to the “Lies”, I would call them that though it is more to me he only listen to what he want to hear and not what was real. He had a pre-set desire to go after Saddam and cherry pick through the intel to found only that which supported his mindset. WMDs, Al-Qaeda, plots then after all that fell out from under him the rescue of the Iraqis from tyranny. Every reason he has given is true of ninety percent of the world Governments. And could also be argued true of our own, yet he choose to take action against Iraq, why? When we had been attacked by an enemy that had sworn our destruction, that had expressed they desire to continue to their goal. There are still States that willfully support Al-Qaeda that are untouched.The argument being that we had to start somewhere. Going after Iraq in that argument is like facing the house that is throwing rocks at you while the house on the other side is shooting bullets.
Politics makes strange bedfellows, I see two distinct factions to the Anti-Bush crowd. I have not doubt that for some this is still the old partisan politics as usual. His greatest offense maybe the fact he is from the other party. And simply use the “Lies” as nothing more then a justification for their hatred. But in their reality it is just that, partisan politics and there is nothing else wrong. But there is a far darker side of which I am one. I see him and in a sense more important those that are standing behind him in the shadows as Traitors. They have used my Government, my country for their own means and care little for the outcome. Or what it is doing to my country…Our country! Not since the days of the upsurge in the Militias, of which you may be young enough to not fully understand just what that was about. Talk of strange bedfellows! Militias were supported by not only those that saw it as being Patriotic but those such as the White supremacy and the Black Panthers.
It somewhat boils down to this, he gathered facts and reports and only those that supported his views. No matter how few or weak they maybe choose them over the others that were contrary to what he held as the truth. Trough they maybe a stronger case against his beliefs, he then gave only the information that he wished to give and withheld that which would have shown that his believe was unfounded. When my kids did that I called it a lie of omission. They did not tell a lie as much as they did not tell the truth.
I have never truly express all I believe to be going on, it is as masterful as it is corrupted and deceitful.
I now exit the soapbox…Next?
The Eagle loves McCain, we know, we know…
Writerdog– Good post- I agree.
The great B.S. er is a better name for him