When the NY Times Speaks, I Listen
Posted by Bobby Eberle
January 29, 2008 at 7:35 am

Conservatives have a special relationship with the New York Times, the newspaper that has been caught in scandal after scandal and which is the epitome of extreme liberalism. Remember the full page ad by MoveOn.org against Gen. David Petraeus that appeared in the New York Times? We later learned that the paper "accidentally" gave MoveOn.org a discounted rate.

Time and time again, the New York Times has attacked conservatives and their beliefs. The paper went full-out in its support for the amnesty bill in the U.S. Senate, saying it would be a "legislative achievement for the new Democratic leaders in Congress." Now, the Times has come out with its recommendations for president of the United States. The Times is talking.... and I'm listening...


In a recent editorial, the New York Times chose Sen. John McCain as its pick for the GOP presidential nomination. The Times, that beacon of liberalism, says of McCain, "He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate."

Fundamental American values? Are they serious? Fundamental American values are notions such as respecting the rule of law and believing that a primary role of the federal government is to protect U.S. borders.

The Times notes, "With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field." Just exactly what "sound bipartisan legislation" is the Times referring to? Two pieces of legislation which come to mind and which bear McCain's name are McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform and McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform.

McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy. With McCain-Feingold, America was given legislation that was a direct assault on First Amendment rights. It was not conservative at all. And for this legislation, McCain chose to team up with Sen. Russ Feingold -- a senator who has a lifetime ACU Rating of 11.8.

With McCain-Kennedy, the Senate tried, not once, but multiple times to defy the will of the American people by turning a blind eye to America's laws and American sovereignty by attempting to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. McCain teamed up with Sen. Ted Kennedy who has a lifetime ACU rating of 2.5.

Now, on the one hand, Sen. McCain is bashing Gov. Mitt Romney for "flip-flopping," while on the other hand he's saying that he "learned his lesson" and has changed his position on immigration reform and supports border security first. Do you believe him? Sorry, I don't.

Sen. McCain has a lifetime ACU rating of 82.3. What's more problematic than just his score, as compared to his Arizona counterpart Sen. Kyl (96.6), is that McCain's rating continues to go down. His 2005 rating was 80, and his 2006 rating was 65.

Then, there is the issue of judges and Sen. McCain's involvement in the so-called "Gang of 14." The deals organized by this group meant the jettisoning of qualified conservatives so that other "more acceptable" candidates could get a vote. As John Fund of the Wall Street Journal recently noted, "Mr. McCain has told conservatives he would be happy to appoint the likes of Chief Justice John Roberts to the Supreme Court. But he indicated he might draw the line on a Samuel Alito, because 'he wore his conservatism on his sleeve.' Therein lies the problem that many conservatives have with John McCain."

Conservatives might not have the next Ronald Reagan in the current line-up of candidates, but we haven't had a Ronald Reagan since.... Ronald Reagan. We didn't have a Reagan in 1988, 1992, or 1996. We certainly didn't have a Reagan in 2000 or 2004. But we do have a choice.

The election looks more and more like it is coming down to McCain and Romney. The Florida primary battle shows just how close things are. Reps. Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo are out, so is former Sen. Fred Thompson. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's "strong" stand he was to make in Florida is fading, and so is the campaign of former Gov. Mike Huckabee. Also, despite being the "people's choice" as I hear from angry supporters of Rep. Ron Paul, he has yet to win any contest, and he won't. This leaves McCain and Romney.

What we've seen over the past 7 years is what the establishment will do to the conservative movement, and it has been tragic. McCain has been a part of that establishment for decades, and if someone believes that he will actually "change Washington," that person is clearly misinformed. Out of Romney and McCain, the clear problem-solver is Romney. With the economy on shaky ground, we need someone who has proven himself to meet a payroll, build a business, and lead. I believe Romney is that person.

But, if you don't believe me, that's OK. Just look at the endorsements that have been coming from the McCain campaign in recent days. Endorsements like pro-amnesty Sen. Mel Martinez and a host of establishment Republicans. Oh, and of course, there's that New York Times endorsement. Enough said.

http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=654