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Reagan's Solicitor General/McCain Adviser Charles Fried Voted for Obama

October 24, 2008 11:00 PM

Charles Fried, the Solicitor General for President Ronald Reagan, announced today that he has already voted for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Chief among his reasons: "the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis."

In addition to losing the support of a highly-respected conservative, what must especially smart for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is that Fried actually served as an adviser to his campaign.

As Talking Points Memo points out, Fried served on McCain's Honest and Open Election Committee and his Justice Advisory Committee.

Fried writes to Cass Sunstein in an e-mail:

"I admire Senator McCain and was glad to help in his campaign, and to be listed as doing so; but when I concluded that I must vote for Obama for the reason stated in my letter, I felt it wrong to appear to be recommending to others a vote that I was not prepared to cast myself. So it was more of an erasure than a public affirmation--although obviously my vote meant that I thought that Obama was preferable to McCain-Palin. I do not consider abstention a proper option."

- jpt

October 24, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (143)

User Comments

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Thanks for coming aboard Mr. Fried

Posted by: Tim | Oct 26, 2008 9:20:08 PM

Glad to see another person endorsing the better candidate

Posted by: WeSupportObama | Oct 26, 2008 2:36:19 PM

Hey Jake,
This article is a prime example of the "MEDIA BIAS" article you wrote on Oct.25.....................but like I said it seems to make absolutely no difference to the liberal media is they are viewed as biased......they could'nt give a flip if mainstream Americans have lost all confidence in them........
this is sad............

Posted by: equalityrpt | Oct 25, 2008 6:34:17 PM

"Thank God she won't need to be ready on Day One."

Joe Lieberman on Sarah Palin

Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | Oct 25, 2008 5:18:17 PM

VietNam Vet: Nice chatting with you. I wish the best for you.

Posted by: Old Republican | Oct 25, 2008 2:38:38 PM

VietNam Vet: When John McCain did'nt come back to the USS Oriskany in September 1967, I was standing in the blood donor line for those that did. It did'nt change anything. A lot of guys came back shot to pieces.

When you were there, it was'nt a very popular thing to do. I think we felt better for it though. We did our part. It was hard at the time. No one can take that away from us.

I don't care if you are an independant, Democrat or Republican. If you don't vote, all the stuff we fought for and others died for is wasted.

Posted by: Old Republican | Oct 25, 2008 2:15:57 PM

Old Republican: Thanks. I volunteered believing I was going to defend my country against communism and helping to spread democracy. Didn't take more than a few days over there to figure out that wasn't the case. Anyway, I learned to pay attention to reality, which is why I have great difficulty with McCain/Palin. Not that I am any fan of Obama, but at least he's not smearing his opponents and avoiding the issues.

Posted by: Vietnam Vet | Oct 25, 2008 1:57:10 PM

VietNam Vet: 100% agreement on this end.
I applaud your service to your country.

Posted by: Old Republican | Oct 25, 2008 1:47:35 PM

Old Republican: I try to stay away from sides. I'm an independent. In my opinion, both the Democrats and the Republicans have ruined this country, although on balance I'd have to say Republicans have been worse. I think it is unAmerican to tear down other people just because they belong to a different political party or disagree with you.

Posted by: Vietnam Vet | Oct 25, 2008 1:39:51 PM

VietNam Vet: I think we are on the same side. I believe that abortion is a horrific thing. But I also believe that rape, incest and the life of the mother is an important consideration. As a man, how can I tell a woman what she can or cannot do.

Posted by: Old Republican | Oct 25, 2008 1:07:25 PM

Sara Palin's associations include the Alaska Independence Party. AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler, AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation." Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad.

While retaining her Republican registration, Palin attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention.

Posted by: Vietnam Vet | Oct 25, 2008 1:00:48 PM

Woman for VP: as Colin Powell said, judgement is more important than experience. And McCain has demonstrated very poor judgement in picking Sara Palin as his running mate. McCain also demonstrated poor judgement in the so-called "suspension" of his campaign. His endorsement of robo-calls by the same people who attacked him is also a sign of poor judgement.

Posted by: Vietnam Vet | Oct 25, 2008 12:54:34 PM

Doreen said :The bottom line is that Governor Palin has more experience than Barack Obama. Obama has only been in the US Senate 3 years and he has spent most of that time running for President or voting "present." The pro-Obama media and their cohorts keep smearing Governor Palin on a daily basis like they did to Hillary. Moreover, as Joe Biden and Hillary said, Obama is not ready to be President. Therefore, Obama and his cronies keep smearing Governor Palin to distract the American people from the fact that Obama is the one who lacks experience.

--------------------------------------
well said, Doreen. All the media are bias and also sexists. They don't want to see a woman rise above this high.

Posted by: Woman for VP | Oct 25, 2008 12:49:42 PM

Old Republican: Sara Palin won't condemn American murderers and arsonists as being domestic terrorists. These anti-abortion domestic terrorists openly proclaim their objectives as murder.

Posted by: Vietnam Vet | Oct 25, 2008 12:47:49 PM

bardon 88: I hope so. As a lifelong Republican, it bothers me to vote Democrat for the good of the country.

Posted by: Old Republican | Oct 25, 2008 12:31:45 PM

VietNam Vet: I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm not sure what you said.

Posted by: Old Republican | Oct 25, 2008 12:25:25 PM

Wow Another Republican on Board the Obama Express to the White House!

Posted by: Angie | Oct 25, 2008 12:24:01 PM

@Today - you just don't get it! SPREAD THE WEALTH is about more people having less. Be happy with your $500. Next year it'll be less --

Posted by: Voter2Be | Oct 25, 2008 12:23:36 PM

There is no comparing the campaigns these to candidates have run!!

Posted by: Charity begins at home | Oct 25, 2008 12:21:50 PM

This is the biggest defection of conservative stalwarts from the Republican ticket in history. How I admire them. They see the clear and preset danger McCain/Palin represents and have acted accordingly. THESE are the people who will resurrect the GOP after the election and restore it to the great party it once was.

Posted by: bardon88 | Oct 25, 2008 12:19:17 PM

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