GOP: Resurrecting It, Electing Candidates

Please visit the sites of the following outstanding candidates: They need your support, and they absolutely deserve it.

http://johnmccain.com/ (John McCain for President)
http://peoplewithhart.com/ (Melissa Hart, Western PA, 4th CD)
http://katsforcongress.com/ (Marina Kats, Montgomery County, PA, 13th CD)
http://livingstonforcongress.com/ (Michael Livingston, Philadelphia, PA, 2d CD)
http://votemanion.com/ (Tom Manion, Bucks County, PA, 8th CD)
http://gilhooleyforcongress.com/ (Toni Gilhooley, Dauphin County, PA, 17th CD)

The column preceding this one deals with an important concept: a unified, national effort to win the presidency and as many seats as possible in the House and Senate. If you're reading this piece, you're already a part of the national effort. You can advance this cause by going to http://mccainnow.com and joining hundreds of others (soon, thousands) dedicated to resurrecting the GOP.

Please tell your friends, family, and supporters about this web site -- and send them the link. Thanks. For Republican candidates, the people listed above in the opening sentence of this piece are willing to help you to the best of their abilities, which are considerable. If you're a Republican candidate or campaign manager and want such assistance, e-mail me at: TalkTop65@aol.com.

On Marina Kats Against Allyson Schwartz in the 13th District (from Keystone Politics):

13th-Kats could surprise the experts

If you look at it, Marina Kats will be the first real legitimate opponent who could knock Schwartz off in the general election. And remember, this district was created to be able to won by a Republican back in 2002.Allsyson Schwartz faced a Melissa Brown in 2004 who had spent all her money in a brusing primary and having lots of negative publicity from the media for using the Section 8 issue in 2002.And then last time, well the guy with the two DUI’s riding an elephant, that wasn’t much.Kats has the succssful American Dream story, the outsider label which will help this cycle and don’t forget her Russian community connections which will be real big in Phila.Might be much more interesting than most people think it will at the moment.

http://www.keystonepolitics.com/blog/mr-stuart/13thkats-could-surprise-experts

Note: I continue to believe that Republican congressional candidates should seek out the backing of those who supported Mrs. Clinton in the primary. As the following comments from my national blog indicates, the much discussed Obama-Clinton ticket is unworkable:

The pundits last night didn't really "interpret" Mrs. Clinton's "concession speech" (more properly, her "non-concession speech"). Instead, they mainly had a befuddled look on their faces. Some wondered if she was not perhaps launching the first shot in her 2012 campaign for the presidency. (I suggested that the next presidential election -- the one after this year's -- might end up pitting Senator Clinton on the Democratic side against Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for the Republicans. (In this scenario, President John McCain would have -- as we said in business -- "elected to take early retirement.")

Of course, the major question the Senator left is whether she wants (expects?) the vice presidential nod. CNN"s David Gergen suggested that Mrs. Clinton seemed to be indicating that she wanted Senator Obama to agree to some sort of "coalition" government -- or perhaps a co-presidency. On that point, what about a "troika," that would have three equal parts: Barack, Hillary, and -- of course -- Bill?


The problem with Hillary as a vice-presidential nominee is this: she has supplied the Republicans with all sorts of ammunition. Famously, she once said, "I have a lifetime of experience; Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience; Senator Obama has a speech [against the Iraq War] that he delivered in 2002." When Obama runs against McCain, he will hear those words used in ads -- again and again and again.

Mrs. Clinton's slogan in her campaign was "Ready on Day 1." She has implied that John McCain would also be ready to serve as President on Day 1. Of course, her words mean that Obama would NOT be ready. If she thought the Illinois Senator had the appropriate seasoning (and as Prince Hamlet said, "The readiness is all"), then her slogan would have made no sense.

Bill Clinton said on June 2 that the Obama campaign was "sliming" his wife. Again, if Hillary Clinton accepts (the proper word may be "seizes") the vice-presidential nod, Bill Clinton's words just might ring throughout the fall campaign. The former President indicated that Obama is relying on "surrogates" to hurl mud at his wife.


Are Hillary and Bill Clinton really ready to mend fences with Obama? Are they willing to say, in essence, "all is forgiven, Barack. We really didn't mean all those nasty things we said about you." Is this to be a ticket that contains a undertone of the following: "It's true that I said Barack wouldn't be ready on day 1; however, since he will have me with him (in the White House? perhaps the Lincoln Bedroom? the Oval Office couch?), he won't have to worry about not being quite ready for prime time."

And what would the presence of Mrs. Clinton on the ticket do to Obama's seminal message of change? In fact, the "Billary" triplex would be a continuing reminder of the ghosts of American politics past. Barack would learn that it's impossible to fire a vice-president (or a former President).For Senator McCain, campaigning against an Obama-Clinton team might not be the daunting task it appeared to be yesterday.

The Republican message -- one of them -- is going to highlight Obama's unsuitability for the highest office. And the main "spokesperson" for that position might not be John McCain, but rather Hillary Clinton -- with occasional assists from her husband.

Let the games begin!