War Room

McCain's judicial philosophy

Here's this week's video for our partners at Current. In it, I talk about a big speech John McCain gave on Tuesday about his judicial philosophy.

As I mention in the video, it was an interesting speech, not for what McCain revealed about his thoughts on judges -- that wasn't a surprise -- but for what it said about the tightrope he'll have to walk as he starts his general election campaign in earnest. On the one hand, he has to keep up his image as a moderate and play to the center; on the other, he has to keep the Republican base happy and motivated. This time around, he played that game by using all the familiar dog whistles about activist judges and the template for justices he'd appoint to the Supreme Court, but I also noticed he never mentioned the word "abortion."

Posted in: 2008 Election, John McCain

The Obama ad MoveOn didn't pick
More than 1,000 videos were submitted to MoveOn's "Obama in 30 Seconds" contest, only one was rejected -- now it's surfaced on the Internet, and the group is apologizing.
"Hardball": Barack Obama is no Neville Chamberlain
Those who don't learn from history will be humiliated on live television by Chris Matthews.
The California decision and the presidential campaign
There are few signs of a major electoral backlash against the California Supreme Court's decision legalizing gay marriage, but the court's opinion leaves Democrats exposed.
What's next for gay marriage in California?
If conservative organizations get their way, voters will have an opportunity this fall to overturn the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay marriage.

Current Salon Politics Stories

’08 Update

06:00 EDT, May 16, 2008
The Obama ad MoveOn didn't pick More than 1,000 videos were submitted to MoveOn's "Obama in 30 Seconds" contest, only one was rejected -- now it's surfaced on the Internet, and the group is apologizing.
War Room
28
19:46 EDT, May 15, 2008
"Hardball": Barack Obama is no Neville Chamberlain Those who don't learn from history will be humiliated on live television by Chris Matthews.
War Room
40
19:28 EDT, May 15, 2008
The California decision and the presidential campaign There are few signs of a major electoral backlash against the California Supreme Court's decision legalizing gay marriage, but the court's opinion leaves Democrats exposed.
War Room
11
13:33 EDT, May 15, 2008
California Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage The court says a ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and civil unions are not an acceptable substitute; California becomes only the second state to permit gay marriage.
War Room
155
12:52 EDT, May 15, 2008
In new message, McCain tries on the hope mantle John McCain says that if he's elected president, by the end of his first term the Iraq war will be won and most U.S. troops will have left.
War Room
38

Salon Politics Blogs

Recent Posts

"Hardball": Barack Obama is no Neville Chamberlain
Those who don't learn from history will be humiliated on live television by Chris Matthews.
The California decision and the presidential campaign
There are few signs of a major electoral backlash against the California Supreme Court's decision legalizing gay marriage, but the court's opinion leaves Democrats exposed.
What's next for gay marriage in California?
If conservative organizations get their way, voters will have an opportunity this fall to overturn the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing gay marriage.
Previous Posts…

War Room RSS Feed

Posts by date

May 2008
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

About War Room

War Room is written and edited by Alex Koppelman, with contributions from Salon reporters around the country.

Daily Newsletter

Get Salon in your mailbox!