Bad day for McCain
First there was this in the Washington Times: (slamming Bush)
"spending, the conduct of the war in Iraq for years, growth in the size of government, larger than any time since the Great Society, laying a $10 trillion debt on future generations of America, owing $500 billion to China, obviously, failure to both enforce and modernize the [financial] regulatory agencies that were designed for the 1930s and certainly not for the 21st century, failure to address the issue of climate change seriously."
and...
"They put a trillion-dollar debt on future generations of Americans, then allowed the liberals to expand it so they're paying my — they're paying for my prescription drugs. Why should the taxpayers pay for my prescription drugs?"
and...
He also rebuked Bush’s use of signing statements and his administration’s efforts to expand the power of the executive branch.
"I don't agree with that either," McCain said. "I don't agree with Dick Cheney's allegation that he's part of both the legislative and the executive branch."
that part in bold is kinda strange, because Palin has exactly the same idea !!!
All of this prompted this incredible response from an RNC bigwig (according to Politico)
"Lashing out at past Republican Congresses instead of Pelosi and Reid, and echoing your opponent's attacks on you instead of attacking your opponent, and spending 150,000 hard dollars on designer clothes when congressional Republicans are struggling for money, and when your senior campaign staff are blaming each other for the loss in The New York Times [Magazine] 10 days before the election, you’re not doing much to energize your supporters. The fact is, when you’re the party standard-bearer, you have an obligation to fight to the finish. I think they can still win. But if they don’t think that, they need to look at how Bob Dole finished out his campaign in 1996 and not try to take down as many Republicans with them as they can. Instead of campaigning in Electoral College states, Dole was campaigning in places he knew he didn’t have a chance to beat Clinton, but where he could energize key House and Senate races. I think you’ll find these sentiments shared by MANY of my fellow Republican strategists."
and then Dana Perino defends Bush against McCain
"the president stands by his policies. The president believes that Republican Congresses got a lot more done than the current Democrat-led Congress. He supports John McCain, and he still believes that he can and should win. And he'll continue to support him until Election Day."
hmmm... what happens after election day?
And then these questions from the press reported by AP
Presidential candidate John McCain isn't happy about having to explain why the Republican Party has had to buy running mate Sarah Palin $150,000 in clothes, hair styling and accessories.
McCain was asked several questions on Thursday about the shopping spree — and he answered each one more or less the same way: Palin needed clothes and they'll be donated to charity.
"She needed clothes at the time. They'll be donated at end of this campaign. They'll be donated to charity," McCain told reporters on his campaign bus between Florida rallies.
and in the same press conference this
At one point in the interview, McCain grew frustrated with a Tampa television reporter during her questions on immigration issues. McCain twice said illegal immigrants who have committed crimes would be rounded up. Katie Coronado of WFLA-TV asked if that meant using raids to round up immigrants.
"What did I just say that had any connotation of raids?" McCain said, raising his voice with impatience. "Let me try one more time."
He again explained the idea of forcing illegal immigrants out of the country by issuing ID cards and fining employers who hire illegals. He then softened his tone.
"I apologize," he said to Coronado. "I understand how important an issue it is. I didn't mean to be flip."
All in all - not a good day to be McCain.