Conservative Pulse » Talk Radio

Posted on 02.27.08 by Stephen Covington @ 8:23 am

During a recent McCain stop in Cincinnati, pre-show speaker Bill Cunningham, a nationally syndicated talkshow host, repeatedly pointed out that “Hussein” is Illinois Senator Barack Obama’s middle name. McCain later denounced Cunningham’s statements, saying that he wanted to keep the discourse focused on the issues.

“A comment disparaging of Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate. I have never done that in any of my campaigns,” the Arizona senator told reporters after the rally.

“And I absolutely repudiate such comments and, again, I will take responsibility,” he said, describing the two Democrats as “honorable Americans.”

One would think that Cunningham would have learned his lesson. But no…

“He just threw me under the bus to the national media. I’ve had it with McCain,” he said. “I want Hillary Clinton to become the next president of the United States.”

It seems that Cunningham is less hurt by having been “thrown under the bus,” and more stung by the fact that he was taken to task for his childish and irrelevant comments, which too often go overlooked by candidates. McCain himself has had experience with such mistakes, such as his 1998 public comment about Chelsea Clinton, which he quickly found himself apologizing for.

It’s refreshing to see a candidate who, so far at least, has shown a commitment to keeping an issues-focused public debate, and not wandering off onto underhanded detours. Hopefully Bill “Clever Pig” Cunningham will eventually see the light, as well.

McCain is consistently against abortion

Posted on 02.07.08 by Stephen Covington @ 4:52 am

There seems to be a great deal of misinformation spread recently concerning Arizona Senator John McCain’s voting record with regard to abortion. I didn’t realize the full extent of this until talking to several friends, who insisted that McCain’s voting record betrays his actual pro-choice stance. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth - since at least 1995, McCain has voted against bills that would advance abortion, and for bills that would hinder it. There is little to no ambiguity here - the man is solidly against abortion. Any information to the contrary is either from a parallel universe, or an outright lie.

From Project Vote Smart - a description of the bill with Senator McCain’s vote.

Some of the votes, from OnTheIssues.org:

Supports repealing Roe v. Wade. (May 2007)

Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)

Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)

Voted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)

Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)

Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)

Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)

Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)

Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)

Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)

Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)

Expand embryonic stem cell research. (Jun 2004)

Rated 75% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion. (Dec 2006)

Where are people getting the bizarre idea that John McCain is a “liberal” on abortion? Don’t believe anything you hear from the weird, distorted land of talk radio - it’s probably a good idea to check your facts before repeating anything.

Filed under: Abortion and Campaign 2008 and John McCain and Media and Talk Radio
Comments: 13 Comments

Hugh Hewitt Can Live With McCain

Posted on 02.06.08 by Austin Cassidy @ 9:40 pm

Conservative pundit Hugh Hewitt appears to be the first of the talk radio Romney-believers to rally behind John McCain as the likely Republican nominee. Hewitt gives seven reasons why Republicans have to support the Republican nominee, no matter who it is.

Hewitt posted on his Townhall blog today that…

Senator McCain has a clear path to the nomination, Romney a very uphill battle, and Huck is fighting for 2012 at this point and for a win in a major vote outside of the south. Certainly they should all stay in through the primaries ahead because it isn’t over and because our side needs the excitement of a campaign in such key falls states as Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania to keep the MSM from turning 100% of its attention on to growing the Obama phenomenon. They ought to be scheduling three man debates in every state, making their points and taking every opportunity to look ahead to the fall.

At the same time, Romney and Huckabee ought to begin to note Senator McCain’s lead and urge their followers to recognize that if they cannot come back they and their followers will have to come in and join the party’s eventual nominee. Senator McCain would do well to make a similar statement though his lead is significant and his collapse unlikely. Putting Humpty Dumpty together again cannot wait for St. Paul. Each of the three need to strike some common chords again and again, beginning with why the GOP needs to retain the White House, regardless of who its nominee is.

There are seven reasons for anyone to support the eventual nominee no matter who it is: The war and six Supreme Court justices over the age of 68.

Can Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter be far behind?

Filed under: Campaign 2008 and John McCain and Super Tuesday and Talk Radio
Comments: 3 Comments

What Next for Limbaugh, Hannity, and Others?

Posted on 01.30.08 by Austin Cassidy @ 11:26 pm

With John McCain on the verge of capturing the Republican Presidential nomination, many conservative talk radio hosts are digging in. For some reason, people like Rush Limbaugh have as much of a hatred for Senator McCain as they do for liberal Democrats.

They charge that McCain is somehow a phony conservative who doesn’t represent family values or conservative beliefs. Indeed, many of McCain’s harshest critics claim that he lacks the “conservative credentials” that they posses. Some people see that logic as particularly odd coming from Limbaugh, himself a childless, thrice-divorced, former prescription drug abuser.

If the election comes down to a McCain vs. Obama or McCain vs. Hillary race… what will happen then? Will Sean Hannity actually advocate that people don’t vote or that they support a spoiler third party candidate? It seems unlikely, but it’s hard to image how these personalities will reverse course.

As Republican voters continue to embrace Senator McCain as their choice for President, these radio talk show hosts are in danger of being left behind. No longer the voice of the conservative movement, they become merely an amusing sideshow.

What is the alternative? Will Limbaugh ever fully embrace McCain’s candidacy? Sound off in the comments!

Filed under: Campaign 2008 and John McCain and Opinion and Talk Radio
Comments: 13 Comments