Friday, February 23, 2007

Fox News All Stars   [NRO Staff]

From last night’s Special Report with Brit Hume:

—On McCain and Global Warming—

HUME: So, what does McCain, at this stage of what he's been trying to do and get this nomination, think he gets out of trashing the president on global warming?

MORT KONDRACKE: Well, look, I think he has to maintain his authenticity to keep support of Independents. I mean, in the effort to woo Bushies and Conservatives going, declaring latest — that he's against Roe v. Wade, that he thinks it ought to be overturned, going to visit religious Conservatives, a lot of independents who had been in love with him are now beginning to doubt him and wonder whether he's still a straight shooter. . . . I think that he's playing to his Independent base.

FRED BARNES: Independents don't vote in the Republican primaries, but you know who does vote in the Republican primaries? The Bush base, that is the biggest group in the Republican Party. . . . I know Bush's polls are down, but among Republicans, and particularly among the base voters, they're not, they still approve. I don't know why he would go and alienate those people . . . he had been making great headway among Conservatives . . .

KONDRACKE: [T]here is an aspect to all of this of popping off. I mean, the idea that he would attack Cheney, for example, and then when he next saw Cheney, at least according to Cheney, apologized for having gone after Cheney, suggests that John McCain is not entirely in control of his mouth, which happens sometimes.

BARNES: Well, yeah, why can't he curb his tongue now, be authentic later? After you get the nomination, then go for that authenticity and then the Independents matter. They just don't matter right now.

—On the Geffen Gaffe—

HUME: David Geffen [an Obama supporter], the Hollywood mogul and one-time friend of Bill, and indeed, one-time overnight guest of the Lincoln bedroom during the Clintons years, described the Clintons as such great liars . . .

KONDRACKE: [Obama’s response] was not in the spirit of Obama, the great unifier, the great peacemaker, the great empathizer...

HUME: The man troubled by the narrowness of our politics?

BARNES: Who is keeping this fight going? . . . The Hillary campaign. . . . For the simple reason, they think they're winning, they think they are beginning to reduce Obama to the level of a mere mortal.

02/23 10:43 AMShare