Bradley in DC
10-15-2007, 06:49 AM
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1007/McCain_unloads_on_Romney.html
McCain unloads on Romney
In the toughest language used yet by any GOP candidate about another, John McCain today launched a frontal assault on Mitt Romney, using the start of a speech to New Hampshire Republicans to describe the former governor as a political fraud. For the Arizona senator, the remarks amount to an unburdening of months of pent-up contempt for a candidate that he, and his staff, view as illegitimate.
Noting that he had to win the respect of Granite Staters before he could win their votes, McCain told the Republicans gathered in Manchester that "you expect me to be honest with you about what I believe."
"You might not always agree with me on every issue, but I hope you know I'm not going to con you,” McCain said. “The most important thing we have in this life is our self-respect. And I'm not going to trade mine for anyone's vote or for any office. I'm going to tell you what I believe and let the chips fall where they will."
McCain's decision to go public with his barely concealed disdain was prompted by a speech Romney gave yesterday to Nevada Republicans. Seeking to set himself apart from the social moderation of Rudy Giuliani, Romney borrowed a turn of phrase from Howard Dean, saying that "he speaks for the Republican wing of the Republican Party."
Unwilling to let a candidate who once portrayed himself as an apolitical moderate to now cast himself as a holier-than-thou Republican, McCain struck back hard.
"As we all know, when he ran for office in Massachusetts, being a Republican wasn't much of a priority for him,' McCain said of Romney. "In fact, when he ran against Ted Kennedy, he said he didn't want to return to the days of Reagan-Bush."
"I always thought Ronald Reagan was a real Republican."
But McCain wasn't done. Dipping into his campaign's trove of opposition research, the maverick senator alluded to Romney's contribution of $250 to former New Hampshire Democratic Rep. Dick Swett in 1992 and the former governor's backing of Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Paul Tsongas in the Bay State's 1992 primary. Additionally, McCain cited Romney's refusal to support the Contract for America in his 1994 Senate bid and his "embracing the Democratic position on many major issues of the day."
"I don't think he was speaking for Republicans," McCain said of Romney after each of his digs.
"So you'll understand why I'm a little perplexed when Mitt Romney now suggests that he's a better Republican than me, or that he speaks for the Republican wing of the Republican Party."
But, of course, Romney didn't have McCain have in mind when he made his comments. Which is exactly why, in addition to his contempt for Romney, McCain went on the offensive today. Romney's assertion provided McCain an opportunity to break up the mano-a-mano matchup developing between the two GOP front-runners.
Asked to respond to McCain's broadside, Romney's camp seemed to indicate that it knew what McCain was trying to do and, in a tough counterpunch, said it wouldn't work.
"Angry attacks from flailing campaigns won’t stop Gov. Romney from moving forward with his optimistic agenda designed to bring sorely needed change to Washington," said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden.
Further, Madden said, McCain had also deviated from GOP orthodoxy.
"Sen. McCain's signature legislative accomplishment, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, is a legislative abomination that we, along with many other conservatives, happen to strongly disagree with. The McCain-Kennedy immigration legislation the senator championed was exactly the wrong approach and only encouraged law-breaking and borders that are less secure. Lastly, Sen. McCain's vote against the Bush tax cuts that helped grow our national economy showed conservatives that he is not a friend of the pro-growth economic policies that put more money back into the taxpayer's pocket."
And, as if to make the case that it isn't just his candidate who is talking in markedly different tones now, Madden sent a video from a 2002 fundraiser where McCain lavished praise on gubernatorial candidate Romney.
But, return volleys at McCain aside, Madden made clear that the campaign would rather keep its focus on battling Giuliani, pointing to the former mayor's lawsuit to block the line-item veto and citing his candidate's backing of military strength and both economic and social conservatism.
"We can't have a nominee who only wants to talk about two issue platforms instead of all three."
For its part, Giuliani's camp was content to stay out of the brawl, no doubt pleased to see Romney dragged into a tit-for-tat with another Republican.
McCain unloads on Romney
In the toughest language used yet by any GOP candidate about another, John McCain today launched a frontal assault on Mitt Romney, using the start of a speech to New Hampshire Republicans to describe the former governor as a political fraud. For the Arizona senator, the remarks amount to an unburdening of months of pent-up contempt for a candidate that he, and his staff, view as illegitimate.
Noting that he had to win the respect of Granite Staters before he could win their votes, McCain told the Republicans gathered in Manchester that "you expect me to be honest with you about what I believe."
"You might not always agree with me on every issue, but I hope you know I'm not going to con you,” McCain said. “The most important thing we have in this life is our self-respect. And I'm not going to trade mine for anyone's vote or for any office. I'm going to tell you what I believe and let the chips fall where they will."
McCain's decision to go public with his barely concealed disdain was prompted by a speech Romney gave yesterday to Nevada Republicans. Seeking to set himself apart from the social moderation of Rudy Giuliani, Romney borrowed a turn of phrase from Howard Dean, saying that "he speaks for the Republican wing of the Republican Party."
Unwilling to let a candidate who once portrayed himself as an apolitical moderate to now cast himself as a holier-than-thou Republican, McCain struck back hard.
"As we all know, when he ran for office in Massachusetts, being a Republican wasn't much of a priority for him,' McCain said of Romney. "In fact, when he ran against Ted Kennedy, he said he didn't want to return to the days of Reagan-Bush."
"I always thought Ronald Reagan was a real Republican."
But McCain wasn't done. Dipping into his campaign's trove of opposition research, the maverick senator alluded to Romney's contribution of $250 to former New Hampshire Democratic Rep. Dick Swett in 1992 and the former governor's backing of Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Paul Tsongas in the Bay State's 1992 primary. Additionally, McCain cited Romney's refusal to support the Contract for America in his 1994 Senate bid and his "embracing the Democratic position on many major issues of the day."
"I don't think he was speaking for Republicans," McCain said of Romney after each of his digs.
"So you'll understand why I'm a little perplexed when Mitt Romney now suggests that he's a better Republican than me, or that he speaks for the Republican wing of the Republican Party."
But, of course, Romney didn't have McCain have in mind when he made his comments. Which is exactly why, in addition to his contempt for Romney, McCain went on the offensive today. Romney's assertion provided McCain an opportunity to break up the mano-a-mano matchup developing between the two GOP front-runners.
Asked to respond to McCain's broadside, Romney's camp seemed to indicate that it knew what McCain was trying to do and, in a tough counterpunch, said it wouldn't work.
"Angry attacks from flailing campaigns won’t stop Gov. Romney from moving forward with his optimistic agenda designed to bring sorely needed change to Washington," said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden.
Further, Madden said, McCain had also deviated from GOP orthodoxy.
"Sen. McCain's signature legislative accomplishment, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, is a legislative abomination that we, along with many other conservatives, happen to strongly disagree with. The McCain-Kennedy immigration legislation the senator championed was exactly the wrong approach and only encouraged law-breaking and borders that are less secure. Lastly, Sen. McCain's vote against the Bush tax cuts that helped grow our national economy showed conservatives that he is not a friend of the pro-growth economic policies that put more money back into the taxpayer's pocket."
And, as if to make the case that it isn't just his candidate who is talking in markedly different tones now, Madden sent a video from a 2002 fundraiser where McCain lavished praise on gubernatorial candidate Romney.
But, return volleys at McCain aside, Madden made clear that the campaign would rather keep its focus on battling Giuliani, pointing to the former mayor's lawsuit to block the line-item veto and citing his candidate's backing of military strength and both economic and social conservatism.
"We can't have a nominee who only wants to talk about two issue platforms instead of all three."
For its part, Giuliani's camp was content to stay out of the brawl, no doubt pleased to see Romney dragged into a tit-for-tat with another Republican.