Former Michigan Governor Regretting McCain Endorsement

by Scout Finch
Fri Oct 10, 2008 at 01:45:02 PM PDT

Former Republican Governor William Milliken is having second thoughts about that McCain endorsement:

"He is not the McCain I endorsed," said Milliken, reached at his Traverse City home Thursday. "He keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me. "I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."

Milliken, a lifelong Republican, is among some past leaders from the party's moderate wing voicing reservations and, in some cases, opposition to McCain's candidacy. More evidence that the McCain VP pick of a creationist pushing, anti-choice advocate, and otherwise wholly unqualified candidate has scared the living daylights out of the moderate Republicans. Coupled with McCain's embrace of Bush's epic economic failures and there appears to be a full-on fracture occurring within the Republican party. Governor Milliken is hardly the only one:

"That's not my kind of Republicanism," said Chafee, who now calls himself an independent. "I saw what Bush and Cheney did. They came in with a (budget) surplus and a stable world, and look what's happened now. In eight short years they've taken one peaceful and prosperous world, and they've torn it into tatters." As for McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for his running mate, "there's no question she's totally unqualified," Chafee said. He had similar reservations about Obama's lack of experience, but said the Democrat's handling of the campaign convinced him he's ready to lead. Chafee said he has spoken with several other moderate Republican leaders, and "there are a whole lot of us deserting."

Thankfully, these moderates appear to be willing to truly put "Country First" by voting for the most qualified candidate to lead America into the future -- Barack Obama. As long as the McCain/Palin campaign continues down the self-destructive path of hate and divisiveness, while offering no real, progressive solutions for the future, look for more moderates to abandon the GOP ship next month and beyond.
Enough is enough -- moderates seem to be getting the message.

GOP Rep. LaHood to Palin: "Cut it Out"
by brownsox
Fri Oct 10, 2008 at 01:15:02 PM PDT

The proliferation of angry, unbalanced mobs at Republican rallies over the past few days has not gone unnoticed, even by Republicans. Illinois Republican Rep. Ray LaHood is the latest to call out the ticket for permitting this kind of behavior. LaHood supports the McCain ticket, but doesn't like what he sees at some of the McCain-Palin rallies: When Barack Obama's name has been mentioned by Sarah Palin, there are shouts of "terrorist," and LaHood says Palin should put a stop to it. "Look it," LaHood said. "This doesn't befit the office that she's running for. And frankly, people don't like it." LaHood says it could backfire on the Republican ticket. He says the names that Obama is being called, "Certainly don't reflect the character of the man." LaHood, generally perceived to be a fairly moderate Republican, is retiring this year, and he also hails from Obama's state. He certainly deserves praise for having the courage to call out the McCain-Palin ticket for enabling the politics of hate to dominate their campaign events.