A lot to catch up on.

So, what have I learned from the past couple of weeks? I stink at predictions.

1. I predicted that the Pats would win the Super Bowl. Didn't happen. I have never seen Tom Brady eat so much dirt. Needless to say it was a disappointing loss but I am happy to say that I didn't hear of New England fans rioting and causing costly property damage? I wonder why not?
2. I predicted that Giuliani would take the Republican nomination. Unfortunately he followed an extremely risky strategy that based his chances on Florida which he lost which I also commented on here. So I am not doing so hot with my predictions.

Well to avoid any sort of prediction that includes the words "President Clinton" is a real challenge today as I see what is going on in the Republican Party. In separate occasions I heard Ann Coulter announce that she would campaign for Hillary if McCain is picked as the Republican nominee for President (see Slate blog post here or look on Youtube. It is all over the place). Ann went so far as to call Clinton more conservative than McCain. Then I have heard Rush Limbaugh since the McCain candidacy talk about how a McCain presidency will change the Republican Party forever (not in a good way) and that he feels McCain would be disastrous for the country and since there is little difference between Obama and McCain or Clinton and McCain, he would rather see ruinous policies laid at the door of the Dems (more on this you can check out Howard Kurtz' interview with Rush here). Rush is quoted in the Washington Post as saying:

"If I believe the country will suffer with either Hillary, Obama or McCain, I would just as soon the Democrats take the hit . . . rather than a Republican causing the debacle," he said. "And I would prefer not to have conservative Republicans in the Congress paralyzed by having to support, out of party loyalty, a Republican president who is not conservative."

Wow. Ann and Rush are not the only anti-McCain voices. Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin are also against the McCain Presidency. I am trying to grasp the logic that it is better to lose than get a candidate who is (in my opinion) better in so many ways than the Democratic choice whomever it may be. I came of age in the 90's and saw the Bob Dole candidacy and heard Rush and others say that we had to unite behind Dole (who was anything but a conservative) for the good of the party and the purist conservatives should their nose, put Dole in the White House and hope for the best. This same thinking brought us the current President who quite frankly is not the conservative stalwart we were lead to believe. I didn't buy it for Dole (whom only seemed to try and purchase votes with his promise of tax cuts) and I didn't really get the greatest message from Bush so I understand the conservative mind that is saying basically to vote their conscience and really try and push the Republican party back to its roots but the question is do we do it to get a Clinton or Obama president?

I know, there is always a reason to not stand on principle (and there will always be occasions like this) but consider (as Bill Bennett writes in National Review):

McCain voted to defund Planned Parenthood last year, Clinton didn’t and would likely expand Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer funding.

McCain voted to ban partial-birth abortion, Clinton didn’t and would likely reverse the partial-birth abortion ban.

McCain voted for Roberts and Alito and made the case for them in the media, Clinton didn’t.

McCain has never voted for a tax increase, Clinton will increase taxes.

McCain will continue the Bush tax cuts, Clinton will end them.

McCain will end pork-barrel spending, Clinton supports the endowment of projects like the Woodstock Museum with taxpayer funding.

McCain will not cut and run in Iraq, Clinton will work with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid to do just that.

McCain sponsored legislation to keep the Fairness Doctrine from rearing its head again, Clinton has not and has signaled moves to revive it.

McCain supports school choice, Clinton does not.

Clinton will mandate health insurance, McCain will not.

McCain voted to convict Bill Clinton on impeachment, Clinton was a witting accomplice in President Bill Clinton’s scandals.

McCain has an ACU (American Conservative Union) rating of 82.3; Clinton has a rating of 9.

McCain has 0-percent rating from NARAL; Clinton has 100 percent.

I would have liked to see Romney in there but that is not to be (maybe a VP choice)?). I did not think John McCain was the best choice put forth by the Republicans but if this is the choice that is given, I would think that we have to go with John McCain.

Outspoken Roman