Good news for John McCain: He is favored overwhelmingly by Americans who think our country is headed on the right track. The bad news: That’s only 16 percent of the country, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. Among the 82 percent of the public who said the country is headed in the wrong direction, Barack Obama leads McCain by more than 20 points.
So how is McCain staying close to Obama (Obama led 51 to 44 percent)? One big reason is that the country is divided on what issues are the most important. Obama holds a double-digit lead over McCain on health care, gas prices and the economy, while McCain has a 21-point lead on handling the war on terrorism.
The poll also shoots some holes in Hillary Clinton’s argument that she is the most electable. Democratic-leaning voters said that Obama had a better chance than Clinton to be elected president (62 to 26 percent). And while McCain leads Obama among lower-income white voters, McCain leads Clinton among this group by about the same amount.
No longer the elusive kingpin of the Bush administration, Karl Rove is free to roam about the media and country, offering advice and, as he will in Wichita on Thursday, helping the Republican Party raise money. A New York Times article explored Rove’s new pundit role on Fox News, in Newsweek and elsewhere. Jon Meacham, the editor of Newsweek, revealed that when he hired Rove last fall as a contributor intended in part to “responsibly provoke,” it provoked several hundred readers to cancel their subscriptions. Many people especially are greeting Rove’s thoughts on the Democratic primary battle with skepticism. “Wouldn’t taking his advice be a little like getting health tips from a funeral home director?” said Bill Burton, Barack Obama’s press secretary.
John McCain gave a major speech Monday in Oregon highlighting what he would do to fight climate change. It’s not a popular issue with the GOP base, but McCain is courting crossover Democrats and independents, a key swing vote that could help him win in November.
He’s clearly more proactive on global warming than President Bush — and he alone among GOP primary candidates backed specific targets for reducing greenhouse gases.
That took some political courage.
But as the Washington Post notes, McCain’s overall record on the environment is more complicated and mixed, with votes against greater fuel efficiency for autos and higher renewable energy standards for utilities.
The list of members of Congress in ethical messes gets longer, yet nothing seems to happen to these guys. The latest addition is Rep. Vito Fossella (in photo), R-N.Y., whose drunken driving arrest led to revelations last week that he fathered a daughter, now 3, outside his marriage. So far, he plans to stay in Congress. And why not? Congress is where you’ll still find Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who learned last week that his link to the late “D.C. Madam†won’t even be investigated by the so-called Senate Ethics Committee; Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, despite pleading guilty related to a Minneapolis airport restroom sex sting (though he’s retiring after this term); and Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., despite being indicted in a bribery investigation (he’s even been re-elected since).
It’s been inspiring to read recent Eagle articles about Wichita’s outstanding graduating seniors, such as Ngoc Trang Nguyen, who four years ago didn’t speak English and today is among Wichita East High School’s 14 class valedictorians.
The prescription for her success: “I work hard,†she told The Eagle. One teacher described her as “inquisitive, deliberate, persistent.â€
Her favorite saying: “Impossible is nothing.â€
She plans to major in biochemistry and dreams of finding a cure for hemophilia.
Or consider Claudia Nieuwoudt of the Independent School, who also spoke little English when she came to Wichita as an eighth-grader. Three years later, she received the highest possible score on the Advanced Placement English test. She loves to volunteer, from helping rebuild hurricane-shattered homes in Louisiana to working as a translator in a hospital emergency room.
Fluent in four languages, she hopes after attending medical school to work with Doctors Without Borders.
What great role models for anyone, not just our young people. Wichita has reason to be proud of its academic stars. They’re clearly going places.
The following satirical headlines come from borowitzreport.com:
BILL CLINTON SWITCHES TO OBAMA; Latest Superdelegate Defection for Hillary
OBAMA PROPOSES GASBAG HOLIDAY; Prominent Gasbags Oppose Plan
OBAMA DE-FRIENDS WRIGHT ON FACEBOOK; Signals Complete Break With Former Pastor
DEMOCRATIC RACE ‘TOO MEAN,’ SAY SWIFT-BOAT VETERANS; Giving Swift-boating a Bad Name, Group Fears
Good news for John McCain: He is favored overwhelmingly by Americans who think our country is headed on the right track. The bad news: That’s only 16 percent of the country, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. Among the 82 percent of the public who said the country is headed in the wrong direction, Barack Obama leads McCain by more than 20 points.
