Pucker Up, John McCain

The Democrats and the liberal mainstream media have spent the bulk of last night and today planting big, sloppy, wet kisses on their darling John McCain.

MSNBC's Chris Matthews interviewed John McCain.

(Excerpts)

On preserving the filibuster:

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-Ariz.): We, I think, have an agreement that's good for the Senate and good for the country. And this will reduce the filibusters to almost—to—except under “extraordinary circumstances.” This will allow the nominations, three pending, Owen, Brown, and Pryor, to go through, because of their commitment. And we Republicans have committed that we wouldn't vote for the nuclear option.

CHRIS MATTHEWS, HARDBALL HOST: Will the president get an up-or-down vote on all his nominees, including Supreme Court nominee, to come down the road?

MCCAIN: This is a continuing commitment by all of us. And, obviously, the Democrats, each individual senator has the right to—if it's an extraordinary circumstance.

But what it has done, this agreement is based on trust, respect and reverence, and, if not reverence, certainly concern for the institution of the Senate. I think you're going to see may see filibusters in the future, but I think you're going to see them dramatically reduced and only in “extraordinary circumstances.”

NO. The Dems are not about to give ALL the President's nominees an up or down vote.

What McCain has done is put his personal interests ahead of those of his party and the millions of Americans, the majority of Americans, who voted for the Republicans and their agenda.

MATTHEWS: Somewhere down on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the president of the United States is thinking tonight, have I won or have I lost? What would you say?

MCCAIN: I don't think the president won or lost. I think the institution of the Senate won, because there would have been bitter partisanship for the foreseeable future if we would have passed that.

We also would have changed the rules of the Senate by 51 votes, which we've never done before. I'm sure you saw a poll today; 58 percent of the American people think we act like spoiled children. We can do better for the American people than what we've been doing now. And we've got to stop being tied to the dictates of the extremists.

The "dictates of the extremists"???

Who's an extremist?

Bill Frist?

Of course, this is a thinly veiled slap at the religious right. McCain is clinically delusional if he thinks he could be the 2008 Republican nominee for president when he uses the same inaccurate and derogatory characterizations that Democrats use to refer to Red staters.

On running for president:

MATTHEWS: You're in the news this weekend, you did a big interview with New Yorker magazine, and it just came out tonight. "I do believe that I have the qualifications to address what is now the transcendent issue of our time: terrorism." Do you believe you'd be a great President?

MCCAIN: I think I could be a great president. I have not decided whether I want to seek the presidency, and I will not for a couple years. But, do I believe that I have the qualities and experience to be a good president? I would hope so, otherwise I wouldn't even consider it.

For McCain, everything is about his potential candidacy. He will undermine and undercut anyone and anything standing in his way.

He's under the impression he could be a great president. McCain should really let that pipe dream go.

He sealed the deal on that yesterday.