McCain Agrees With Cheney: GOP Shouldn't "Moderate" (VIDEO)

The soul-searching of the Republican Party has boiled down to a rather simplistic question: to moderate or not to moderate. On Sunday, the man who led the GOP in the 2008 election -- Sen. John McCain -- came down on the side of the latter, telling ABC's "This Week" that, like Dick Cheney, he did not "want to moderate."

"I think we're kind of in a word game here," said McCain, when played a segment of a recent interview in which the former vice president said moderation was not the best course for the GOP. "I don't want to moderate either. I think our policies, the principles of our party, are as viable today as they have been in the past. In all due respect, the previous administration, by letting loose spending get completely, out of control, by betraying some of those principles of our party, cost us a couple of elections. And maybe I didn't do good enough job communicating with the American people. But we have to improve our outreach and our communication, and that doesn't mean betray our principles. I think it means adjusting to the 21st century in communications, in values, in goals, in all the things that American people want."

Watch:

The remarks, certain to be trumpeted by Democratic opponents, come at a time when even members of McCain's campaign staff and family are calling for a modernized Republican Party. The senator, during Sunday's interview, acknowledged the sentiments held by his campaign manager Steve Schmidt and daughter Meghan -- mainly, that the GOP should be more open to gay rights. And he argued that Republicanism needed to get to a place where those who supported such socially moderate or progressive positions still felt comfortable in the party.

"I think we have to be an inclusive party," he said. "[But] that does not mean betrayal of the fundamental principles." As for the future, he insisted that electoral politics works "in cycles."

"For many years, we have seen parties down and parties up," he said. "That is the great thing about American politics. Having said that, do we have to do a better job of getting our message out? Do we have to do a better job recruiting candidates? Do we have to do a better job at outreach, outreach to many Americans that don't feel that they can be part of our party? Absolutely."

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Comments

[follow the money]

here is something on dick cheney

cheneys secrets and lies...

http://www.tvnewslies.org/html/cheney_s_secrets.html

[ThankGodhesgone]

Is this a lame attempt of satire? Sen McCain - most repubs blame you for for losing the election because you were too moderate.

[Foreground]

To be fair, he is right. The principles of the Republican Party are as viable now as they were in the past.

Just like the principles of alchemy, Social Darwinism and pinless-ha­nd-grenade­s-lit-on-f­ire juggling. All just as sound today as they were in the days of exploding leaden profiteers.

[dali partin]

Nothing terrifies these guys more than the concept of admitting fault, or openly modifying their stance on anything. It's all macho posing.

[Liberalforsure]

Pulease, I am getting even tired of slamming the gop, that's how pathetic you guys are.

[force fed up]

Obama doesn't have such high approval ratings because he's conservative. hint hint....

[Chi-townfool]

Modern what dose he know about modern? He can't even run a computer! Why are all these old farts trying to run a modern country with last century ideas?

[Angmorg]

Is this the new same old Republican party

[OMG1109]

What a surprise, he agrees with Cheney because RUSH cannot stand him. However, I Haven't heard McCain come out back talk RUSH either!

[Horus45]

Hasn't McCain always considered himself a moderate?
I guess that was until this past election when he turned into a neocon monster.

[Ariadne]

He non-moderated himself right out of the presidency. Keep it up, John.

[swan1]

Before the month is over McGrumpy will say the party needs to MODERATE.

[2bad]

It's unbelievable that these Republicans think the only thing wrong with their party is Bush spent too much! It's the Reagan ideology of making the rich richer and hoping some would then "trickle down" to us peasants.

Right before Reagan took office, this country was the largest exporter of finished goods, largest importer of raw materials, and held the debt most of the other countries. Since the "Reagan Revolution" all of those are the exact opposite.

That's the problem with the Reagan/Republican ideology.

[MNTom]

Thank you. So, true.

[Liberalforsure]

How bout stop pandering to the fanatics, stop lying on your opponents, caring about the middle class and environment for starters..­..

[MajorKong]

Interesting. Most conservatives seem to complain that McCain's too much of a moderate.