I've Decided (Michael Smerconish)

[NYCGirl]

Another Obamacan.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-smerconish/ive-decided_b_135916.html

My conclusion comes after reading the candidates' memoirs and campaign platforms, attending both party conventions, interviewing both men multiple times, and watching all primary and general-election debates.

John McCain is an honorable man who has served his country well. But he will not get my vote. For the first time since registering as a Republican 28 years ago, I'm voting for a Democrat for president. I may have been an appointee in the George H.W. Bush administration, and master of ceremonies for George W. Bush in 2004, but last Saturday I stood amid the crowd at an Obama event in North Philadelphia.

Five considerations have moved me:

Terrorism. The candidates disagree as to where to prosecute the war against Islamic fundamentalists. Barack Obama is correct in saying the front line in that battle is not Iraq, it's the Afghan-Pakistan border. Osama bin Laden crossed that border from Tora Bora in December 2001, and we stopped pursuit. The Bush administration outsourced the hunt for bin Laden and instead invaded Iraq.

No one in Iraq caused the death of 3,000 Americans on 9/11. Our invasion was based on a false predicate, so we have no business being there, regardless of whether the surge is working. Our focus must be the tribal-ruled FATA region in Pakistan. Only recently has our military engaged al-Qaeda there in operations that mirror those Obama was ridiculed for recommending in August 2007.

Last spring, Obama told me: "It's not that I was opposed to war . It's that I felt we had a war that we had not finished." Even Sen. Joe Lieberman conceded to me last Friday that "the headquarters of our opposition, our enemies today" is the FATA.

MORE AT LINK

[ThatsMyBarack]

1. Thanks, Michael Smerconish!

:patriot:

[Thrill]

2. He can forget getting his spot back on Road to the WH

David Gregory must be pissed

[endthewar]

4. He actually sat in as a guest host on O'Reilly's radio show

and proceeded to blast McCain on the war on terror. I'm sure that he wasn't invited back in. :rofl:

[endthewar]

3. I think his interviews with Obama and McCain on terrorism were very revealing

They happened right before the PA primaries. Obama and Smerconish sounded like to guys sitting down in a diner talking about how it's our government's responsibility to take out Osama bin Laden and keep our nation safe. McCain, on the other hand, seemed to have some real senior moments. He even said that we can depend on our allies like Mexico to help us in the war on terror and that we don't need to withdraw our focus from Iraq. :rofl:

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. Mexico?!

[endthewar]

7. I kid you not

I'll try to find a link for you. Smerconish had a pretty hilarious remark about how he doesn't think that Osama bin Laden has a vacation home in Mexico City, or something like that. :rofl:

My guess is that McCain was tired and just had a senior moment.

[endthewar]

8. Link to Smerconish interview with McCain:

From politico, has the transcript: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/The_Smerconish_vote.html

"
"We have had some success working with the Pakistanis in a low visible fashion," McCain said. "Should they be more helpful? Of couse they shoud be. Should the Saudis be more helpful? Should the Jordanians be more helpful? Should the Egyptians? We are giving billions of dollars a year to the Egytians, as you know, and they should be more helpful. Should the Mexicans be more helpful? Everybody should be more helpful."

"But senator, respectfully, this is where those guys are hiding," Smerconish said. "They are not in hiding in Egypt. They are not in Mexico City. Everybody says they are in northern Waziristan. It just pains me, it really pains me.""

[tblue37]

16. But not Spain, apparently. He says he won't sit down at the table with Spain,

but he figures Mexico will help us in the war on terror. I suppose we only need one Spanish-speaking country on our side--or something like that.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. He is obviously an opportunist.

Maybe he will leave Philadelphia talk radio now for other pastures. :eyes:

[endthewar]

9. He's clearly been leaning toward Obama since April

I knew that he would endorse Obama. His interviews with Obama and McCain on the war on terror were very stark in their difference. McCain came across as truly out of touch on foreign policy matters whereas Obama sounded like a guy you talk to in the neighborhood saying that the government has a responsibility to go after Osama bin Laden.

[Fluffdaddy]

12. Bull Shit. He's been leaning O from almost day one

[Fluffdaddy]

10. I tune in 5 days a week. Believe me he will get HOLY HELL from his core listeners

BRAVE MAN...He is

[kwolf68]

11. So everything the Liberals have been saying...

was correct?

[Fluffdaddy]

13. Glenn Beck has cut him off from his inner circle once he started leaning O

[NYCGirl]

14. Smerconish has done the right thing then. He's much better off. NT

[bluedawg12]

15. You would think by now the ass hats would listen

>>No one in Iraq caused the death of 3,000 Americans on 9/11.<<

Yet, they send wolf killer out there to defend the Iraq war.