John McCain gives President Bush one last nod

Republican John McCain, accepting his party's presidential nomination last night, might have been expected to put as much distance as possible between his campaign and the unpopular Republican now in the White House.

But the Arizona senator surprised the pundits by not only mentioning George W. Bush but crediting him for his handling of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. At the top of his speech, McCain even found time to praise the first lady and the president's parents, George and Barbara Bush.

I’m grateful to the president for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the first lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I’m grateful to the 41st president and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.

This concludes Countdown to Crawford's tally of how many times President Bush was mentioned from the podiums of the Democratic convention in Denver and the Republican one in St. Paul, Minn. The bottom line: Denver, at least 140 (on Thursday, we only counted Barack Obama's speech), St. Paul, 6.

Perhaps the president is more important to Democrats than to Republicans.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Larry W. Smith  EPA

Comments

[COl. A.M.Khajawall [Ret]]

Dear concerned citizens of America and mass media of the U.S.A.

As a concerned disabled American Veteran and American citizen, I consider it my duty and responsibility to address the following critical issues facing the voters of our Greatgrand nation, the United States of America [USA].

The citizens of the United States of America [USA] have the ultimate power and responsibility to elect the Right Ticket with the right joint "temperament, judgment, and statesmanship" to lead our nation as well as change our nation's present and future moral, political, economic, educational, health care, energy, military, and foundational soul.
In my firm professional, personal, and political opinion, the media should help the common voter to explore and discuss the following attributes of the present Republican and Democratic presidential slates:
1. Does the joint ticket have a calm, cool, and collected " temper and impulse" [Presidential Temperament]?
2. Does each ticket have sound and sustained "Judgment and Caliber"?
3. Does each ticket have a "presidential depth and degree" in regard to their purpose, policies, and positions?
4. Does each ticket have adequate, "understanding and knowledge" of workings around Washington"?
5. Does each ticket have enough "vigor, wisdom and Vision" for the future of our beloved Great-grand Nation?
6. Does each ticket possess enough joint foreign policy experience and ex-poser based on "American Values, Virtues, Vastness, and strong soul"?
7. Are their campaign talk, slogans, ads, plans, and programs based on facts and are they free of fear, fiction, frivolous labels, unfair attacks, negativity, and impulsivity? [Danger to country and countries mission[s].
8. Ultimate irony is he stool change message and uses Palin to kill the messenger. Maverick McCain not good for USA and White House.

As a Independent registered voter I have decided to vote for Obama-Biden ticket. I am sure they will protect our national security, Strong's, stamina and strong soul. Rebuild our nation from bottom up in all areas of need, OBAMA-BIDEN ticket will once again restore and rebuild our global standing with the use of maximum international firm diplomacy and minimal force if and when indicated.

Yours sincerely,

COL. A.M. Khajawall [Ret] MD., Forensic psychiatrist, Colonel, US-AR / MC Combat Stress Control[Ret], Disabled American Veteran and Iraq Freedom team.

PS: This nation will not buy into kitchen sink strategy. We are getting deeper into internal and external holes thru these attacks and world is laughing on us and enjoying our partisan Pitt Bull wounds. I am sure GOP.RC, FOX, RUSH, ROVE.And McCain's his surrogates will fail to dupe, deceive, and deprive USA its deserved leadership.

[Bob]

WORD ON THE STREET, COMING OUT OF THE KWAME MAYOR OF DETROIT SCANDAL. THAT THE MESSIAH HAS SOME HOE'S ON THE LOOSE AT ONE OF KWAME'S HOEDOWN HIPHOP JAMBOREE'S AND THERE'S GRAINY FOOTAGE OF THE MESSIAH IN THE PEWS OF JERMEIAHS RACISTS SERMON. MY CONTACTS SAY THAT REPUBLICAN ACTIVISTS HAVE THIS CLOSE HOLD AND ARE GONNA LET THIS EEK OUT VIA HILLARY SUPPORTER'S ONE WEEK APART ABOUT OCTOBER TIME FRAME..THE MEDIA IS GONNA PLAY THIS NON-STOP FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS UP UNTIL THE ELECTION!!

LOOKS LIKE THE WHEELS ARE COMMIN OFF BARACK'S ESCALADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Eric]

He never mentions George W. Bush by name! Referring to him only as "the 41st President." He does say "Obama" 6 times! He mentions Iraq twice. Iran once. But he never mentions Osama Bin Laden, Afghanistan, or Pakistan!

[Tom]

After watching a few hours of this year's GOP convention, I finally realized that the GOP could give us a ticket that makes Bush/Cheney look like a "Godsend". Just when you thought the GOP could not get any worse, this is what you learn.

[CW]

Of course the president is more important to the Democrats than the Republicans. With such a weak candidate whose greatest gift is his silver tougue, the Demorats have to rely on their anti-Bush platform to win. They're frantically instilling fear into the voters that McCain is the same as Bush.

[Rodney Lamprey]

McCain was actually saying that thinks George Bush 41 was the President during the 9/11 attack.

McCain is also confused because Bush allowed the country to be attacked when he ignored and shut down the anti-terrorist efforts before 9/11.

[James Padgett]

How I wish there was a third term available to President Bush. No president has done more to try to stem the horrific murder of the unborn that his man. The forces of Satan have perpetrated 3 great murderings of the unborn....Egypt at the time of the birth of Moses; the murdering of many male infants by King Herod at the birth of Christ, and the present debacke of murder of the unborn via abortion...which has taken the lives of 48 million in the U.S. alone. Rriase to this dear man who has valiantly done all he can to stop further murders of the helpless unborn.

[JBarnes]

COl. A.M.Khajawall [Ret]'s post has appeared on several forums almost verbatim, sometimes from multiple individuals. Sometimes the candidate mentioned varies. It is an interesting post, but is obviously something being passed around the internet and may be falsely attributed.

[El Mugroso]

Not having a real leg to stand on, the Bush-McCain team resorts to the low tactic of bringing a willing "pitbull on lipstick" (as she described herself) and train her in 3 days to bark, attack, and lick on command against the opposition.
.
It is preposterous to see a presidential candidate (and potential Commander in Chief) be imposed with no real concern to what the job calls for. Proof: McCain did not know her, having seen her only once in his lifetime.
.
Most people still don't know who she is, and those who know, only for her fake, prepared speech on TV, where all she did is attack and bark as told.
.
Bush used the hurricane as an excuse in order not to be seen at the convention, and conveniently went to his ranch in Texas, for he can't do anything about hurricanes.
.
What a farce.

[Fredric]

The GOP is following the Mondale debacle; nominated a woman for the sake of nominating a woman.

It won't fly on election day.

[L BRUSCO]

We had one Pit Bull for for vice president do we need another one
for 4 years?

[Marcos El Malo]

Bush 41 was a decent President (not great, but not a total failure). Laura Bush is indeed a class act. And while Bush 43 did a good job of rallying America and the world immediately after the 9/11 attacks, he utterly failed afterwards thru a combination of incompetence, corruption, greed, and arrogance. Ordinary Republicans (such as yours truly) have been sold out by Bush 43 and the GOP. McCain has already been bought.

[JEB]

Actually McCain was thanking H.W. Bush the elder and his wife of 63 years Barbara in his speech. I'm pretty sure he knows who was in office for 9/11.

McPain has hit a new low, it is disgraceful to have to sink to nominating this right-wing fringe lunatic just to try to shake down more money from these fools that is making this country look so pathetically out-of-touch with reality.

[Hey]

He didn't even mention cats! Not even once! Also these topics weren't covered at all (trust me, I counted!):
- keyboards
- helicopters
- name tags
- cell phones

How can we have a president that doesn't even mention these important issues?!?!?!

[ACE]

Hey Eric and Rodney

Goerge H.W. was the 41st president and his bride of 63 years is Barbara. George W. has not been around long enough to have a bride of 63 years.

Goes to show all you Bush haters have no idea what you are talking about.

Try reading the paragraph again, or have somebody read it for you. Note the word "And". The paragraph clearly describes both men.

I’m grateful to the president for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the first lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I’m grateful to the 41st president and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country.

[larry]

>>I’m grateful to the president for leading us in those dark days following the worst attack on American soil in our history, and keeping us safe from another attack many thought was inevitable; and to the first lady, Laura Bush, a model of grace and kindness in public and in private. And I’m grateful to the 41st president and his bride of 63 years, and for their outstanding example of honorable service to our country. I WILL FIND THOSE WMD IN IRAQ FOR YOU!!!

[Guy Thompto]

I was at the Cedarburg, WI visit today. Just to clarify, the only "fringe lunatic"s there were the imported Obamamaniacs. Spiked haired unemployed , pretend war veterans, etc. handing out Obama pamphlets to the mostly middle class crowd.

We never actually got into the event after waiting nearly three hours in one of the several long-lines.

Obama -- you've got a tiger by the tail. Hold on tight and keep pretending to be one of us.

[TimL]

So you know for a fact they are unemployed?

How do you know they are pretend war veterans? Did you ask? Did you get a PI to track down their history

Sounds to me like your a republican plant who is spreading more lies. You know the traditional Republican platform of have nothing tangible to run on just lies, lies, and more lies.

[Michael Bednarz]

Bush haters will lose. It may have worked in 2006 your effort to lose the war for political gain, by smearing Bush/Cheney but this time it will fail. We have won in Iraq. For your unprecedented effort to undermine and attempt to lose a war for our troops, commanders, and Commander in Chief mean you will be rewarded with nothing. With no more Bush, you have to clone him to McCain to win again. Well America isn't stupid. The surge worked, and you were wrong. Though you will never admit it. History will judge McCain for advocating the Surge, and Bush for telling your Iraq study group and moron extraordinaire Joe Biden, "thanks but no thanks, we don't need 3 Iraq's" we have another way. Victory.

You won the House and Senate and promised change. What have you changed? You lied to your base about ending the war. Wait, lied isn't a really good way to necessarily put that, you lacked the courage and fortitude and conviction to live your principles like George Bush and McCain did for theirs. Oh yeah you raised the Federal Minimum wage. For your union lobby. Whooooopppppppddddddeeeeee Do. 80% of the States, possessions and territories in the U.S. already have higher state minimum wages. You put a big budget-buster farm bill through with subsidies for your new buddies, big Agri-Business; no better are they than Big-Oil, but your other Eco-Commie masters find them more palatable because though we will all starve with corn at $4 per ear, and Meat protein at $20 a pound due to feed cost, the carbon footprint will be smaller. Also, while we Americans endure the hardship and impact to our budgets of increased food costs. The third world poor will actually starve and die, by the millions, but dead they will emit no carbon, ensuring the survival of Mommy Earth.

I will go with McCain and Palin, thank you very much.

[Tom H]

Why did John McCain's fellow POW's give him the nickname "Canary?" It is not an insult coined by the likes of the draft-dodging Bill O'Reilly. It is the name given by those who shared his terrible ordeal as a Prisoner of War.

Not ready to lead? Maybe...