McCain blasts Gingrich on earmarks

One thing about Senator John McCain is his ability to tell it like it is and the reason his bus was called the Straight Talk Express in 2008.  Don't always agree with him especially when it comes to the Air Force but I admire him for taking on earmarks and pork over the years.  If anyone is an expert, it is John McCain.  When he talks about someone being a porker or earmarker, listen, because he tells it like it is.  He doesn't mince words either.

Another item is the Super PACs and 527's.  Been hearing for sometime that there will be scandals coming out when this election is over if not before.  There is way too much money propping up candidates and have to believe there is coordination going on between the Super PAC and the candidates.  Super PACs don't seem to follow any rules and neither do the 527's.  Any time you cannot discover who is donating and how the money is being spent, then you have a real problem on your hands.  Candidates don't care if it comes out after as long as they get elected.

Ethics is not a word that can be used with this election, but then ethics has not be a strong suit of some of the candidates for a long time.  All you have to do is watch the ads and cringe.  Lies mean nothing as long as it gets a candidate a couple of points jump in the polls or votes in the primary.

The bold in the article is mine.  McCain's words match those of others serving in the House during the time Gingrich was Speaker.  McCain is right there is a reason they won't support Gingrich and time the American people woke up to why.

McCain blasts Gingrich on earmarks
By Cameron Joseph - 01/25/12 12:41 PM ET 

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) slammed Newt Gingrich on earmarks in a Wednesday afternoon conference call hosted by Mitt Romney’s campaign. 

“Speaker Gingrich set into motion the largest explosion of earmarks in the history of Congress,” McCain said. “I was there, I saw the earmarks explode, I saw the corruption that it bred, and I saw the incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.” 

McCain, long a foe of earmarks, endorsed Romney before New Hampshire’s primary. The attack line on Gingrich was the same one he used on Rick Santorum shortly after he endorsed Romney. 

He also said there were two reasons why many House Republicans who served with Gingrich had come out for Romney in recent weeks. “One is because of his electability issue, which is substantiated by the polls,” McCain said. “Also, the fact is he was a failed Speaker: He could not have been reelected as Speaker of the House. His leadership style was a major factor.” 

McCain also downplayed the importance of immigration in the GOP primary but warned that Republicans had to do a better job at reaching out to Hispanic voters. 

“Quite honestly, the issue of the Hispanic vote is an issue for Republicans in the upcoming election and something we need to address,” he said, pointing out that he’d done poorly with Hispanics in 2008. 

The Arizona senator beat Romney in the 2008 GOP presidential primary, and the two were known to have had a testy relationship on the campaign trail. 

They still disagree on campaign finance. Just days after McCain endorsed Romney, the former Massachusetts governor harshly criticized by name the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reforms. 

McCain said he was “ashamed” of the Supreme Court’s ruling that allowed unlimited donations from people and corporations to outside groups, calling the super-PACs that have emerged “disgraceful.” 

He said that there would likely be a “major scandal” to come from the super-PAC spending and blasted a super-PAC supporting Gingrich, arguing that a “casino owner” giving $10 million to help the candidate was not “what our Founding Fathers had in mind.” 

But when asked about why he was backing Romney, who disagreed with him strongly on the issue, he said it was not the most important thing. “We’ve never agreed on every issue. I think the important issues right now are jobs, the economy and national security,” McCain said.

“I’m pleased to support him,” he said, adding that he looked forward to discussing campaign finance reform further with Romney.   

Source:  The Hill

NOTE:  I don't have a candidate left in the race so I will call it like I see it in the days ahead.  When you start reading about an 'open convention' as the only way to save this election for Republicans on various sites and Twitter, there is a real problem brewing and people like McCain know just how bad it could get.  I believe that Senator McCain should have called a press conference on his own not been hosted by Romney.  He has plenty to say without involving Romney.  Someone in the Romney camp frankly doesn't have a clue about how to run a campaign.