SPONSORED BY:

The Demublican

 

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

Separate multiple addresses with commas

SPONSORED BY
 

Now, as a lifelong Democrat, do you ever worry about the kind of judges a Republican--any Republican--might nominate during the next four to eight years, when liberal justices are likely to retire?
Sure I do. In fact, I was involved with McCain and others in the so-called Gang of 14, to try to preserve the 60-vote requirement on Supreme Court justice confirmations. But, look, your question raises a larger question: it's a fact that John McCain is more conservative on many issues than I am, so why am I supporting him? I'm supporting him because, one, I know him very well. This is not just somebody I am reading about. I have worked very closely with John on a host of issues, mainly national security … from stopping the genocide in the Balkans, to the Iraq War, to criticizing the post-Iraq War strategy, to creating the 9/11 Commission, to working on global warming, which is both an environmental and national-security issue in my opinion. I know his character and I trust his judgment. So even though I may disagree with him on some things, I have confidence that he will always do what he thinks is right and best for the country, and will always be looking for ways to work across party lines.

But the second, more specific reason is that the most important issue facing Americans is our security. And I think that John, not just because of his experience but because of his ability to make tough, principled decisions under pressure, is better prepared than any other candidate to be commander in chief in a time of war.

I'd like to ask you about a couple of issues on which you disagree with McCain. Abortion is an obvious one. He believes that Roe v. Wade must be overturned, and you don't. Are you concerned about that? Do you think he's willing to negotiate that or moderate his stance?
I don't know. But from his record I understand that he's been consistently pro-life and I've been consistently pro-choice. We just have a respectful disagreement on that. It's a very difficult issue. There's nobody I agree with on everything.

Let me ask about one more issue you disagree with him on, and that's gun control. He believes that gun control is "a proven failure in fighting crime," and you've been for gun control.
I believe that the Second Amendment says that gun ownership is in a specially protected category according to the Constitution. But that doesn't mean that it's not subject to regulation in the public interest, in just the way that even speech is subject to regulation. So I've supported a lot of gun-control measures. John and I actually worked together on one, which was to close the gun-show loophole [which allows unlicensed individuals to sell privately owned weapons at gun shows, avoiding criminal background checks. The proposed legislation died.]

So you think he might be willing to work with Democrats on measures to regulate gun use?
You'd have to ask him. But I don't disagree [with him] as much as he disagrees with some other Democrats, who are much more absolute about it than I am.

Going back to 2006, some of your critics are suggesting that you cannot forgive or forget what happened during that period, when the party and some of its leading lights backed Ned Lamont for your Senate seat. Some have used the word "vengeful." How do you address that?
Well, I'm not a vengeful person. And I don't feel vengeful about 2006. But I'll tell you, it was a year that had an effect on me. It's not that I learned lessons, it's that I was, in a very personal way, impacted by what I saw as the increasing partisanship of both parties, and the increasing tendency to want to apply litmus tests. So in this case, the litmus test was that I supported the Iraq War, because I obviously thought that in good conscience, consistent with my entire record on foreign and defense policy, it was the right thing to do. Like McCain, I criticized [Donald] Rumsfeld after Saddam was overthrown. But that apparently didn't matter … So I decided after the primary that the law of Connecticut gave me this right to run as an independent, and I simply felt too strongly that I could do a better job for the state than Mr. Lamont. In the end, of course, I was re-elected, and I have this very profound sense of gratitude to the people of Connecticut. So my overall feeling about 2006 is actually not one of vengeance, it's one of gratitude. And also that I'm going to do what I think is right, regardless of party. That's what led me to support John.

Label

Newsweek Top Stories
Visions of a Decade
Visions of a Decade

From 2000-2009, one photo per month.

The Failure of Copenhagen
The Failure of Copenhagen

Why there could be a silver lining in a failed climate treaty.

Sex Scandals of the 2000s
Sex Scandals of the 2000s

From John Edwards to Mark Sanford, the decade's memorable affairs.

118 Days in Hell
118 Days in Hell

A NEWSWEEK journalist recounts his captivity in Iran.

Discuss

Sponsored by

Member Comments

  • Posted By: fedupwithbullstuff @ 10/18/2009 2:40:54 PM

    I like 'ole Joe because he has taken a step that many career ploiticians are afraid to take. He has decided that to best represent his folks, he can't be tied up with party politics. If there were a party for COMMON SENSE, I would be happy to Joe take charge and run it. I think most americans would appreciate the change, and a real 3rd party might get rid of the left wing nuts and the right wing nuts that are driving us all into oblivion. I truly believe that the vast majority are in the middle.

  • Posted By: JJJJJ @ 03/17/2008 5:07:53 PM

    McCain was given the opportunity to leave the POW camp in Vietnam because he was the son of an admiral, but instead choose to remain in captivity unitl EVERYONE else was released. His loyalty to his countrymen led to 6 more years of TORTURE. McCain is to be admired for this, and yes, he IS A HERO.

    To MEREDITH_ROLLO, guardedlyoptimistic, Chaotician, and any other bleeding-heart, hate America, run and hide limousine liberals who CANNOT RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE TORMENT THAT MCCAIN ENDURED IN VIETNAM - SHAME ON YOU!!!!

    How dare you call into question this man's allegience to his country. And dumb a@@ guardedlyoptimistic, Bush did not get into "2 wars" - Afghanastan was because of 9/11 - to you remember 9/11? You know, where 3,000 Americans were murdered!

    Mrs Hate the Troops, MEREDITH_ROLLO , "Politicians will expend soldiers lives'.....and McCain should be familiar with that scenario!!! Just another 'Ivy League' appointed and supposed "War Hero"...." ----what the hell are you commenting about.? McCain was being tortured in a POW camp while the "ivy leages" were protesting the war from the comfort of their east coast mansion - so get your facts straight!!!!

    People like you line up to spit on the returning soldiers while looking down from your ivory towers. Your are pathetic and your pious attitudes towards the troops makes me sick.

  • Posted By: guardedlyoptimistic @ 03/15/2008 1:32:12 AM

    I don't think you'll see Lieberman on the ticket...if that were likely I imagine McCain would have accepted Kerry's offer to be his vice presidential candidate in 2004. While I personally respect Mr McCain, I KNOW for sure that a vote for McCain is a vote for war and it's a vote for a continuation of Bush policies that have made the people of this country sick (sometimes literally) and tired of feeling less free, less secure, less proud, and definitely, less safe! Name one "accomplishment" of the Bush years? There are none...he's gotten us into 2 wars and ruined the economy! The Republicans inheirted a huge surplus when Bush became President and turned it into a colassal deficit! The government procured more secrecy and deceit for themselves while we suffered the loss of our civil rights! We were duped...that makes it a no brainer....they fooled us, twice! We know for certain that they lied to us, they spent all our money, lost our jobs, failed to protect us...and just generally lost interest in us....if you're willing to bend over again... you're going to get kicked in the ass...again..Sooooo, to avoid that ,vote for a Democrat and with a Democratic congress, things will get done that will benefit the people of this country and not just the corporations!

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse

My Take

Customize the NEWSWEEK homepage
to feature your favorite columnists.

Customize Now