GraniteGrok

Doug and I were both pleased to be invited to Senator John McCain's

Pat is speaking.....part of the announcement
McCain

WIll try to be doing this every two weeks.

He is in Sioux City

Notes that bloggers would rather question than listen

He is happy with audiences, notes that healthcare is one of the top issues.....war in Iraq.
He enjoys the Town Hall venues the best

Jennifer Reuban - Romney - not worth capturing OBL.  Agree or disagree.
John - usually don't comment....this is national security...he has some operational and figurehead.  He agrees with Israelis ....follow to the end of the world  so he disagrees absolutely

Klien - war funding - when will the effects start to take effect. 
John - drop dead is early in June.  Problem is that they have to make plans...like MRAP - have to plan the factories and the committments....short, med, and long range plans.  We have to allow the tropops to do the max that they can do.  Any day that the troops don't know is not good.  If he was Pres, he'd veto it and play up the port money and the sponsors.  It is obscene and corrupt

Ryan Sager - romney and guil.  agaistnt civil union.  His stance?  He is opposed to the it...but it is up to the States.  He believes that agreements are fine...but is against anything that is aginst the sanctimony of marriagne

Soren dayton - Michael ware who heckled you....is there a shift i n the press in how it is being reported and is he seeing a change. 
J - Suicide bombers are still focus , there is progress in baghdad...dayala province is getting the isnurgencies.  He is hearing rumors thaty Maliki govt wants to take 2 months off.  They have to work on security and oil sharing.  Patreus is concerned about bombers and quipment from Syria and Iran.  measured and small progress is being made, but Maliki govt has to step up to the plate....

Mike Goldfarb - deadline to the Sec Air Force on CSAR has passed - did you get a resonse? 
J hasn't been in the office will send an email

Patrick Bell - Saudi's disrupted an attack.....how hi a priority is hybrid / plug ins and where do you stand.
j - his speech prev day of VT....saudis already stopped an attack on a oil.  He would not subsidize ethanol, but get it from lots of places.  Need nuclear badly....streamline the process and fix the reporccessing / storage of waste.  Hybrid - electric could be important as most cars < 25 mi /day.  Govetn should not intervene.  What happens in the middle east is important to us.

Lori Bird - Pres Bush shortcoming - communications.  "Lighten up and get a life".  Have you seen the change from the press in how they treat you? 
J - Bush need to provide better updates and more often.  Politicians blame peress / bloggers.....he takes his own blame...if he cannot manage the press now, he shouldn't be pres.  He will continue to be him, maintain sense of humor....shouldn't blame media

Doug - issue of prok - you'd do a veto.  Gilford  wash and excercise - upset that under Homeland.  How can they get it - all over it.   How would you manage it?
J - laden with pork, states does not target hi priority areas.  Pork breeds corruption.  Te process is broken by putting lots of stuff into bills that should not have them. 

Ann Althouse - who would you appoint to Supreme?  Put a conserv or work with liberals with moders
J - no litmus tests.wants strict interpretations.  He feels founding fathers should not legistlate but decide.  He wants people with judicial experience AND other life experiences other than lwyer and judge - like military, small business, corportion. = knowledge of the real world.  Strict is the most improtant.

John Hinderacker - strong language on SS and Medicare
J - supported Bush.  It is going broke.  Reach out to Dems...and the folks to tell them to reach back. It has to be bipartisan, a quick commission study

Jim Gauraty - WaPo editorial Broder - Mc is the Anti Bush
j


Pat Curley - inside baseball question - electoral map.....those states that were blue - are thre any you can change to red?
j - CA.  Oregan, WA, PA, NY  cannot write off states automatically even considering money. 

Robert Bluey - Defense - Mitt.  Speanding wants 4% of GDP. 
J - what we do vs how much is more important.  Increased spending is vital - like missle defence.  Are we buying the right stuff to fight radical Islamofacists and spending on stuff we don't.  Have to cap spending.  Get the smartest like Fred Smith, those that have made billions, and put them in DoD and make it work right.  Heads of services need to be involved more in acuisitions.

I asked Fair Tax
Supprotive of redoing the tax code.  very complicated has to be revised.  Had dinner with head of Estonia (grew up in Brooklyn), they can dial up, flick and get it donw with 98.8% compliance.

Kinda equivocated in that he was not quite ready to sing onto anything specific just yet. but it does need to be studied and fixed.

He hesited