McCain's Debate Moments--Taking Romney to Task

Some bloggers have come to the erroneous conclusion that John McCain’s purpose in this campaign is to clobber Romney enough so his pal Rudy Giuliani can win the nomination. Some say McCain’s bipartisanship with guys like Ted Kennedy is too uncomfortable for their meat and potatoes conservative stomachs. McCain is a consensus builder. That is what we want in a president. McCain is also seasoned enough that he does not need on the job training for his convictions, like Slick Flip Romney of Massachusetts (who, recall, agreed to defend abortion in his Senate campaign debates with Ted Kennedy).

McCain again demonstrates his ability to lead the party and the nation at Sunday’s debate. When addressing Romney, McCain explains his readiness in detail:
“Governor Romney, you've been spending the last year trying to fool people about your record. I don't want you to start fooling them about mine," McCain responded before launching an explanation of why he is best prepared for the White House.--FOXnews
"I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time. For 20-some years, including leading the largest squadron in the United States Navy, I led. I didn't manage for profit, I led for patriotism," he said.—FOXnews.

Add in McCain’s terms in the Senate, and his has been in the public service of the United States for nearly 50 years. Or better put, when John McCain was graduating from Annapolis at the Naval Academy, Mitt Romney was beginning puberty. When McCain was an involuntary guest at the Hanoi Hilton (“I was all tied up”), Romney was partying at Stanford before he “discovered” his Mormon self. (Romney explains that only by leaving Stanford for Brigham Young did he come of age…thanks to Mormonism, which we are not supposed to ask about). When Romney was serving himself as a venture capitalist, McCain was serving the nation in the Senate. Romney’s great public triumph is saving the Salt Lake Olympics, which apparently would have collapsed if not for him. John McCain has over thirty years of service in Congress.
But the most telling moment from the debate for me was McCain’s candid assessment of Russia and China. No other candidate touched it, nor understood the long term meaning of our foreign relations with these countries.

On international issues, McCain said he was concerned about Russia's recent moves. He said unlike President Bush, when he looked into Vladimir Putin's eyes, he didn't see his soul, he only saw three letters: "a K, a G and a B."--FOXNews

"He bullies his neighbors and he wants to get a control of the energy supply of Western Europe. This is a dangerous person. And he has to understand that there's a cost to some of his actions. And the first thing I would do is make sure that we have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia [sic] and Poland, and I don't care what his objections are to it," McCain said, suggesting that tough times lie ahead because Russia and China are "blocking meaningful action to keep us in a peaceful world in the United Nations."—FOXnews.