- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
McCain: Romney not a real Republican
October 13, 2007 4:27 PM
ABC News' Bret Hovell reports: In what may be the harshest attack yet in the race for the 2008 Republican nomination, Sen. John McCain insinuated that rival Gov. Mitt Romney is conning New Hampshire voters when he implies that he is the "real Republican" in the race.
"I don’t usually do this," McCain began, citing comments Romney had made yesterday at a stop in Sparks, Nevada, that he spoke for the Republican wing of the Republican party. McCain went on to list several facets of Romney's record that he said indicated Romney's more liberal tendencies.
"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," McCain told a meeting of the New Hampshire GOP.
"You might not agree with me on every issue, but I think you know, I won't 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 anybody's vote for any office."
Romney's campaign fired back, arguing that Romney's record does speak to Republican voters.
"It's truly unfortunate that at an event designed to bring the Republican party together, Senator McCain chose, instead, to break Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment in an attempt to divide us," said Craig Stevens, Romney's press secretary in New Hampshire.
The campaign of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani entered the fray on Romney's comments as well, calling them "one of those moments where you sit back and just say 'huh?'"
"We already know Mitt will say anything but at some point all the millions in the world won't help his latest attempt at re-branding," Giuliani communications director Katie Levinson said.
Speaking with reporters after the GOP meeting, McCain was asked directly if he thought Romney was trying to con New Hampshire voters.
"No, but it’s very clear he's changed his positions on almost every major issue in his various campaigns," McCain said.
"I've been a person who has tried to follow in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan," he said. "It makes one a bit frustrated to hear someone of his record say that he's the only real Republican."
That frustration may have been building for some time. Top McCain aides say that Romney's comments yesterday rubbed the Senator the wrong way, that he was anxious to respond, and that there will be more to come.
John Berman, Jake Tapper and Matt Stuart contributed to this report.
October 13, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (20)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
McCain is not the real republican.
Posted by: Jorge | Oct 13, 2007 6:28:23 PM
...the Republican wing of the Republican party ???
Aren't all in the Republican party "Republicans"?
Posted by: Kevin | Oct 13, 2007 6:31:56 PM
There are no real Republicans. Just guys who say they are whenever it is expedient to do so. Romney may have been right when he said he was the only Republican. At the time of the remark, he was the only one in the men's room.
Posted by: germanized | Oct 13, 2007 6:53:21 PM
McCain's a joke. He knows he's finished. The only reason he's staying in the race is to get the matching funds to pay off his debt....It's so obvious he's doing Guliani's dirty work. At the debates they give each other compliments and googly eyes. It's sickening....Mitt Romney is the true conservative. McCain is old and a joke.
Posted by: Jared | Oct 13, 2007 8:28:52 PM
This is great: "Romney may have been right when he said he was the only Republican.
Posted by: Jackson | Oct 13, 2007 8:39:57 PM
McCain doesn't worry about paying off debts, he's the 11th richest congressman in Washington D.C.!!
Posted by: kenny | Oct 13, 2007 9:38:51 PM
John McCain is the Republican that should win this race. He's trustworthy - says what he means - and has some great common sense.
But most importantly McCains character and experience is unmatched. No other canidate can come even close to knowledge and wisdom McCain can offer for our nation - Republican or Democrat.
Posted by: ray | Oct 13, 2007 10:24:07 PM
McCain is in trouble. Rasmussen is reporting that he is behind in the 2008 Senate race poll in his home state. He blew it when he supported amnesty for illegals. I just with there was a candidate for prez that had a real immigration plan instead of amnesty.
Posted by: ragebot | Oct 13, 2007 11:04:48 PM
Definition of Flip-Flop: To change from one position (flip) then change back to the original position (flop.)
FLIP-FLOP CRITICS - GET IT THROUGH YOUR THINK LITTLE HEADS - ROMNEY HAS NOT FLIP-FLOPPED AT ALL!!!!!!!! He had always been pro-choice. He had a one-time conversion from pro-choice to pro-life during his time as governor (one flip) - THAT IS ALL!!!! He has always supported gay rights (and still does) yet he has always stopped short of supporting gay marriage - He hasn't changed either of those positions on gay rights, ever.
If Mitt were to change his mind on abortion and once again become pro-choice, that would be a flip-flop. This hasn't happened...it won't happen. Flip-Flop arguments against Mitt are VERY VERY WEAK and show a tremendous amount of stupidity on behalf of those who keep calling Mitt a flip-flopper.
Unfortunately since America is so full of uninformed parrots, Mitt continues to be falsely labled a flip-flopper by the uninformed. The stupidity of Americans never ceases to amaze me.
Posted by: Ryan | Oct 13, 2007 11:13:33 PM
The bottom line is Romney is completely unelectable for one very simple reason: Americans will never vote for a member of a cult religion. It's as absolutely simple as that. Period.
Posted by: LAguy | Oct 14, 2007 3:15:03 AM
John McCain is such a loser. Wow! he was in a POW camp and hasn't shut up about it for 40 years...I'm sick of him trying to screw everything up for the legitimate candidates....Hey McCain get out of the race before you get your campaign into even more debt.
Posted by: john | Oct 14, 2007 3:54:21 AM
And all these personal attacks on Governor Romney while his sons are serving our country with honor...in Iowa. The shame of it all.
Posted by: Richard | Oct 14, 2007 4:03:01 AM
John McCain thinks the presidency is owed to him. He's just upset because this attractive, articulate, intelligent, energetic man named Mitt came onto the scene and is taking with ease what he believes is rightfully his and all he can do is pout about it. Boo hoo!
Posted by: asdfjkl; | Oct 14, 2007 4:15:53 AM
I want a president who will talk with lawyers before protecting our nation. Thats the type of decision maker we need, a real man of action.
Posted by: Gary | Oct 14, 2007 4:47:58 AM
The only real republican is RON PAUL! McCain had the truth and integrity beat out of him in POW camp
Posted by: a.copley | Oct 14, 2007 5:30:31 AM
Ron Paul is the last 'real' Republican!
JMcC is a phony. He voted for the illegal invasion/occupation of Iraq. He supports it still. He voted to strip Americans of privacy and civil liberties. He has increased the tax burden on the poor and middle class by voting tax cuts for the rich. He backed away from attacking George Bush's and the GOP culture of corruption lead by the corporate elite. He has kissed and made up with the American far-right Christian who smeared him in 2000. John McCain has sold his soul for power.
Posted by: Mark Maxwell | Oct 14, 2007 8:44:53 AM
The RNC says they are putting together a whole new thinking. New guidelines for the next Ten Years. Personally, I am so sad they want to throw out the old and bring in the new. In Texas, Perry, Dewhurst, Hill, and some others that say they are republicans. need to join a new Party. Nationally, George W, Cheney, Romney, and a few more need to start their own party. They are not into the values of the Republican Party. They simply state they are. So back to the values. Do we forget them?
The Church is right when you stand on the scriptures and not on the current opinion. A political party should be the same way. If you don't agree with the values, then you need to be in a new party. Eroding the values will not make us strong.
Democrats are people too! They have certain values as well. I just think they have conflicting views what they should be. Let's take abortion. What value do you place on life. How does a sonagram (sic)change the right to choose between an abortion or not? It only gives another point of view.
Religious education ... vs Imprisonment ... a mislead person, a confused person, an angry individual? They need to voice their opinion, they need to have justice. We all need justice ... but sometimes that means capital punishment is the only justice available for now. Without trust, there can not be a first step to healing. Without admission, there can not be healing.
So what value do put on Life, property, and pursuit of Happiness. Do you have joy? Do you get your cookies on someone else's pain. Saddam did! Ghandi didn't, Hitler did! Jesus didn't!
Ghangis Khan did! W.C. Chriswell didn't! Who taught you about justice? GOD told us we did not need a King, but we said we did. What we wanted was justice in Life, Property, and the pursuit of Happiness. What we needed to do is return Home to the Garden of Eden. Now we need to look to Heaven ...
Posted by: Charles | Oct 14, 2007 8:47:52 AM
How dare McCain question anyone being a real republican. He has been so liberal on some issues--most notably his open borders policy! He cannot possibly win the race for the White House and should save us all the embarrassment for a true war hero(sorry John but your Amigo status ruined you along with too many visits to "Hardball"
Posted by: rockychance | Oct 14, 2007 9:23:21 AM
McCain made Faustian deals with the Devil to try and win the job he's been after since he was born. He's sucking up to the religious right to try and win their votes while trying to appease business and Hispanics by pushing Amnesty. Forget it--you're too old for one thing. Why not retire with some dignity and get out of the way.
Posted by: April Campbell | Oct 14, 2007 11:11:39 AM
Mitt will be president. Watch the conservative christian movement begin to rally behind Romney over the next three months to defeat Rudy, and ultimately...Hillary. It is already happening - Watch Fred (who was originally thought to be the conservative saviour of this election) drop below 10% in the polls over the next 6 weeks. McCain too.
Ron Paul is Ron Paul (and purely un-electable.) His ideas aren't realistic. He has no concept of the War on Terror. He is a whacko conspiracy theorist.
I'll admit Americans as a whole are a pretty stupid bunch when it comes to elections. (I guess it will prove me wrong if Americans see through the idiotic "cult" and "flip-flop" labels being applied to Romney and actually vote him in.) In any case, I assure you that Americans (dumb as they may be) are not stupid enough to vote for someone like Ron Paul.
Posted by: Ryan | Oct 14, 2007 4:05:38 PM
Post a comment



