And, the pro-life plank?
Members of the GOP platform committee meeting in Minneapolis appear to be putting John McCain’s campaign priorities above some of their pet issues, including drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and denying citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants as reported by AP.
Sparks reportedly were flying as the committee members endeavored to iron out divisive wrinkles and put a unified face on a Republican party led by a moderate who has inflamed the conservative base of his party. McCain’s leadership role in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform debacle, from which he is, for the time being, attempting to distance himself, has driven a wedge through his home state. A border state, Arizona is ground zero in illegal immigration woes, as it struggles to deal with the skyrocketing costs of educating the estimated 140,000 non-English speaking students, the enormous impact on the criminal justice system and spiraling health care costs, encumbering the taxpaying citizens.
Although the debate was filled with words such as a “friendly debate” and “respectful disagreement” it was clear that behind the affable terminology there was real dispute among the members, especially when dealing with the thorny issue of illegal immigration, according to this FOX News report.
Some delegates wanted the words “We oppose amnesty” included in the party platform, while others targeted the phrase “Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” seeing it as code words for amnesty. This sparked a heated discussion between members who said that the Republican Party is a “not a xenophobic party, not an intolerant party. We are a compassionate party that insists on the rule of law and endorses federal law.”
Delegates debated embryonic stem cells – another area where many differ with McCain, who supports relaxing federal restrictions on the funding of such research. They voted to ban human cloning and “the creation of or experimentation on human embryos for research purposes.”
McCain has unequivocally stated that he “wants to go back to the platform of 1980 – 84,” which was prior to the Pro-Life plank inserted during the Reagan years.
The platform goes before the full Republican National Convention in St. Paul on Monday.
This platform will be compromised to align with the candidate. Sorry to have to say that, but that’s the way I see it.
Very relieved to hear some are arguing for border security. Unlike the AZ GOP slate of RINO national delegates that were crammed down our throat, some states apparently managed to elect Americans concerned with national security. Sounds like it won’t be a mccainiac cake walk platform after all.
Keep up the fight conservative national delegates—we’re with you all the way. Do us proud.
Ah, Andy…so you were at that debacle of a state convention. too. It was pathetic. My favorite part was when the announcement was made from the podium that there were anarchists in the large convention hall. Another personal favorite was when the state chairman announced that there were deputies through the area. What that was about still baffles me. I never saw anything that even mildly resembled a disturbance — and I never have in all the time I’ve been a state committeemen. Very bad form to stir that non-pot. There was no problem on any level.
How about the “Unity” slate that many referred to as the “Disunity” slate? It was notable in that it tool a sharp knife and surgically removed all but the blathering McLoyalists. Others of us earned the right to attend the national convention, and (I can only speak for myself, of course) would have supported the nominee and done the right thing regardless of wishing it were otherwise.
We were never given the opportunity.
Wrong! wrong!
The best part was when John McCain didn’t even bother to show up and speak before his homestate delegates.
The last District 6 meeting had its own phony-balogna police presence. Here’s the illegal profiteer’s talking points:
If you are for border security you’re a racist
At the first mention of border security throw Hitler in their face
Have a police presence for those roughneck bigots fighting for sovereignty
And now with all the backing of the AZ GOP. How pathetic.
Fooled twice-
You’ve got to remember that McCain was concerned about the embarrassment factor of being booed if he walked into that crowd. Having that play out on the national media could have tolled his death knell.
Many of the delegates were not in his camp after having felt the sting of his vindictiveness, put forth by his surrogates on the district level balloting, before the state convention ever took place.
McCain is not roundly adored by the conservatives who comprise a significant percentage of the state delegates. Others were replaced. I attended the state convention and was sitting behind two elderly women who kept turning around to talk to me. They were both “thrilled” at the prospect of being elected so they could come to Phoenix. After talking with them for a brief time, it was evident they had no idea of what the undercurrents were. They were newly recruited. One of them had recently been reregistered as a Republican by the person who recruited her. They were hoping the meeting wasn’t going to take too long because they wanted to visit friends and go shopping before returning home. They had a list of McCain people to vote for and they did so painstakingly, reading off the names to one another and then comparing their ballots for accuracy. So much for McCommitment.