Interesting Patty. Of course I think Michael Bolton has about as much real political pull as John Bolton. However, this might give some angry conservatives the cover that they needed. Any indepedent thoughts (from Powerline) on why you'll pull the switch for the man from Arizona?

Mahons: thoughts independent from Powerline? Not many, really.

National defense is the reason I'll vote MCCain. I don't have much confidence in McCain but I do have confidence in John Bolton. So, Bolton's endorsement means alot to me.

I think McCain is a "Country Club Republican" old-school insider. Clueless on the the economy. And determined to always poke a stick in the Conservative eye. That said, I think he will keep me, my family and the rest of America safer than Hillary or Obama ever would.

Thanks for sharing. I understand Fred Thompson is in line to endorse him now as well.

Patty,

Interesting endorsement. Bolton is a good guy, solid instincts. Have you read his recent book?

David: No. Do you recommend it? Do you know the title?

I know very little about US politics but have just spotted this

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/my-kind-of-guy-when-it-comes-to-fighting-terrorism-1286280.html

Never thought there would be circumstances where I would vote republican.
(not something I expect to say) ;o)

Of course I still think you would do better with a monarchy!!!

Aileen: Our King died in Graceland.

Great article, Aileen. Here’s the untruncated link:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/my-kind-of-guy-when-it-comes
-to-fighting-terrorism-1286280.html

And here’s McCain on the IRA quoted in the article:

"Nobody can honestly claim today that the IRA are any better than an organised crime syndicate that steals and murders for its own members' personal interests. There is nothing republican about the Irish Republican Army."

Patty - you may have just convinced David.

Mahons

..................... or did he?

;o)

Aileen: I have it on good authority he died on the throne, so to speak.

Incidently Patty - I am not ruling out voting for McCain in the general election at this stage.

Mahons: I'm actually not surprised to hear that.

McCain's domestic policies are pretty close to old-fashion Democrat policies. Why, McCain even supports hobbling the economy with carbon caps and taxes for the weather hoax known as manmade global warming.

But...there's alot to be said for someone who doesn't want to let America be beaten up by her enemies. So, I'll be compromising and voting for him - I'm certainly not sitting out the election as others have suggested.

I wish John Bolton was standing for nomination himself. I'd vote for him, if I was an American.
- On second thoughts, if only Ann Coulter was a nominee...! Oh yes.

Patty - He supports hobbling the economy or the things he supports will hobble the economy - kinda important how you claim things. Anywho, I haven't ruled out voting for the Democratic candidate either.

Tom -Bolton would make a perfect Republican candidate since he was a big supporter of the Vietnam War and served in the Maryland National Guard, protecting Maryland's delicious crab cakes from the Viet Cong.

He actually is related to Michael Bolton which in and of itself should disqualify him from elective office or a recording contract.

Bolton is, of course, another Project for a New American Century nutjob. I suggest anyone not familiar with this particular bunch of wackos wait until daybreak before doing any research. You won't sleep, trust me.

>>He actually is related to Michael Bolton which in and of itself should disqualify him from elective office or a recording contract.<<

Smirk. Had to check wikipedia for Michael, but now it's clear why Bolton was the chosen political HOME of Johnny Adair!

>>I wish John Bolton was standing for nomination himself. I'd vote for him, if I was an American<<

Tom, I'm sure there are also a lot of Democrats who wish he was standing for nomination, and won it.

Ho hum, just when McCain was singing "Everything's going my way" along comes a jerk like Bolton with his endorsement.

"President Bush said he will visit Vietnam next year. ... He told the prime minister that he is anxious to stay at that Hanoi Hilton that John McCain is always talking about." --Jay Leno

Noel: LOL at Hanoi Hilton.

"Clueless on the the economy."

which is exactly why he will get the nomination. its Obamas Whitehouse though.

Why do Republicans hate McCain?

Why do UK Drive-By Media articles omit Republican
Presidential candidate Ron Paul?

I agree with you, Patty. I will vote for McCain in the general election. If the Hildebeast gets the democrat nomination - McCain will probably win. If Obama gets it, Obama will probably win. There are plenty of democrats who love McCain. (Wonder why????????????????????????????????????)

Lots of conservatives are threatening to sit this one out. McCain's strength on national defense should be enough to vote for him over the democrat. Perhaps after we've had time to come to terms with the horrifying fact that McCain is our guy, we'll be able to enter the voting booth using logic as our guide. For now - lots of conservatives are shocked and unhappy about how things are working out. McCain's better than Huckabee or Paul....

Personally I have problems with McCain....he is a RINO [Republican in Name Only] but he is the best of a bad bunch, considering Clinton will most likely be his opponent in November. Here is what one of the UK's leading political commentators had to say in last Sunday's Irish Independent newspaper.

_______________________________

My kind of guy when it comes to fighting terrorism
He has his faults but his courage makes John McCain stand out, writes Ruth Dudley Edwards

Sunday February 10 2008 - IRISH INDEPENDENT

Now that Senator John McCain seems certain to become the Republican presidential candidate, it's time to brag that I once met him.

It was 1997 and I was in the US with Sean O'Callaghan, the IRA terrorist and murderer who turned unpaid garda informer; among his many good works was having his IRA colleague, Martin Ferris, sent to jail for 10 years for gun-running. Sean had later given himself up for his teenage crimes, was not long out of jail, and was on a speaking tour.

We were both fans of McCain, not least because of his extraordinary heroism when he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, but also because he is so much his own man he is prepared to stand up for what is right, rather than what is popular. At lunch one day in Washington we were introduced to one of McCain's staffers, who in that wonderfully accessible American way said, "Hey, come right up. If the senator's there, he'd be glad to meet you."

So we did, and he was. He and Sean formed an immediate bond as they talked about what it was like being in solitary confinement for long periods. McCain has always been my kind of guy when it comes to terrorism. He doesn't do mealy-mouthing or fret about hurting feelings. On St Patrick's Day, 2005, as a recipient of their Distinguished Leadership Award, he gave an address to the American Ireland Fund gala dinner. With Gerry Adams and his minions squirming, McCain spoke for the five sisters and the girl- friend of Robert McCartney, who were also present: "Stealing from banks and slaying men on the streets to settle personal grievances are not the acts of freedom fighters, they are the work of a small minority trying to hold back the forces of history and democracy and they hurt the very people for whom they claim to fight," he said.

"Nobody can honestly claim today that the IRA are any better than an organised crime syndicate that steals and murders for its own members' personal interests. There is nothing republican about the Irish Republican Army."

McCain described Martin McGuinness's warning to the McCartneys "not to step over the line into party politics" as a "veiled threat" and told Sinn Fein that it was not enough for the Sinn Fein leadership to cut its ties to the IRA: "The political leadership should call for the IRA to disarm, demobilise and disband once and for all." The applause was deafening, except from Sinn Fein.

Well, the Provos disarmed and sort of demobilised -- even if they can still get the lads out to smuggle and counterfeit and beat people to death -- but they haven't disbanded, and the Real IRA and other assorted psychopaths are on the offensive again, so that's a good reason for patriotic Irish people to vote McCain if they have the chance.

The fact that he understands the importance of standing up to Islamist lunatics is a reason for every other sane person to do so.

However, I try to be objective, and I know the guy has failings. He has a short temper (well, wouldn't you, if you'd been tortured for the best part of five years?) and at 71 he really needs to find a running-mate who would also be a credible president. But just for now, as he looks at a landscape littered with the bodies of his opponents, and a Democratic party split almost 50/50, he can afford to be jubilant.

Hillary is still likely to win her party's nomination. Her natural constituency is bigger than Obama's -- women, Hispanics, white working-class, the poorly educated and the old, rather than blacks, the well-educated, the affluent and the young. And while Obama's a fabulous orator, his rhetoric doesn't bear much scrutiny. For how long can you get away with vacuous lines like 'We are the people we have been waiting for'? He has much to do in adding substance to his style.

Still, he's young and a quick learner, especially with the mean Clinton machine ready to pounce on any weakness.

So even if McCain's let us voyeurs down by knocking Romney out of the ring there's plenty of fun left in the Democratic slugfest.

People like Ruth Dudley Edwards would probably even turn to the Pope if they thought he could deliver them from Sinn Fein.

(BTW, isn't it telling that the "Irish Independent" has joined the anybody-but-Clinton brigade?)

Is that the same Sean O'Callaghan who brought two young men home from a gay bar to Ruth's London flat after she'd been good enough to let him stay there? I don't know what Sean expected to happen, but they tied him up and ransacked the place. Ruth later wrote that Sean wasn't gay, but had visited that particular pub because it was pleasant and local. He brought the two men back to Ruth's place because he found them excellent conversationalists. Don't snigger. Personally, I visit gay bars all the time and I regularly bring people home on the understanding that we're only going to talk about the economy and global warming.

Aoife, John McCain shows his tough stance on terrorists by rubbing shoulders with the likes of O'Callaghan.

With the neo-cons now falling in behind McCain, I expect to see a conservative head of steam building in his favour in the next few weeks. The opinion polls suggest he can beat Hillary and my hunch is he can beat Obama as well, whatever the polls say.

Then in 2012 he'll hand over to Jeb Bush...

I agree, Peter. Dem's fault for not choosing stronger candidates.

William,

Don't you realise you lose all credibility when you quote Oddball Dudley Edwards?

"(BTW, isn't it telling that the "Irish Independent" has joined the anybody-but-Clinton brigade?)"

If the Sindo have turned against her then she's gone up in my estimation!

I think the neo-cons were at most agnostic on McCain. I'm pretty sure that Kristol, Bennett, Krauthammer and others have been saying a lot of positive things about McCain all along. It's the more traditional Republican/conservative who has a problem with McCain. The social and economic conservatives, not those who are mostly tuned to the foreign policy issues.

If Sean O'Callaghan wanted to be tied up he could just come back to Tralee.

What has been overlooked in the last week is the remarkable resurgence in the McCain campaign. A few months ago he had sacked a lot of staff, was struggling in the polls way behind front-runner Guilani (remember him?) and was gleefully being written off by the conservatives - one reason why they find it hard to eat humble pie and get behind him now he's won the nomination, but they'll get over it.

Peter: McCain's political surge (to borrow a phrase) is working, but will it prove real enough?

Mahons

I think if McCain gets the VP pick right he has a great chance. The Democrats should be able to win the White House after eight years of Dubya and with a failing economy, but let's face it, they've blown it before.

McCain's VP will be critical. I agree.

NO REG....I HAVE THE GREATEST RESPECT FOR RUTH....SHE IS ONE PERSON WHO HAS THE MEASURE OF SINN FEIN AND ISN'T AFRAID TO SPEAK HER MIND. FURTHERMORE SHE WROTE AN EXCELLENT BOOK ON THE ORANGE ORDER....YOU SHOULD READ IT SOMETIME....IT MIGHT EDUCATE YOU AND SOME OF THE OTHERS ON THIS SITE TO BE TOLERANT AND ABOVE ALL HONEST