Quotes From Around Yon Blogosphere

Recent events involving Republican candidates for president as well as the cumulative effect of hypocrisy, corruption, intolerance, and the stupidity over immigration have led me to the only logical conclusion possible.

At the moment, I am a man without a party.

I sure as hell am not a Republican – not after the last fortnight’s disgraceful exhibition by GOP presidential hopefuls who first, pissed off Hispanics by ditching the Univision debate, then made it a twofer by having the top tier candidates blowing off Tavis Smiley and the so-called "All American Presidential Forum." The fact that this "all american" debate forgot to put an American flag someplace where it might be visible doesn’t obviate the insult done to the organizers of the debates much less the viewers.

And then to top off GOP idiocy for September, you have war hero John McCain saying first that he couldn’t support a Muslim for President and then clarifying that remark a little later by basically saying, "Well, I can support a Muslim as long as we can be sure of their loyalty to the United States."

How big of you, John. All you have to do is substitute "Catholic" for "Muslim" and you have exactly the right attitude – for the election of 1928. That's when people wondered whether Catholic Al Smith would be more loyal to the Vatican or to the U.S. Constitution.

And don’t even get me started on Larry Craig.

-- RICK MORAN

Boy, I sure am glad that a sane normal person like Giuliani is representing the Mainstream of the GOP and not a contemptible nut like Ron Paul.

-- MARK SHEA

Even members of Mr. Giuliani’s own staff are appalled at how he handled the incident in which he answered a phone call from his wife, Judith, right in the middle of a nationally televised speech to the National Rifle Association.

. . . I’ve been told of many other incidents, from a California fund-raiser to a Florida speech to a gathering with top donors at Bear Stearns in New York. At the Bear Stearns meeting, Mr. Giuliani took a call from his wife and then noting the strained faces of his supporters, he sheepishly tried a joke. “I’ve been married three times,” he explained. “I can’t afford to lose another one. I’m sure you understand.”

-- JOHN FUND

The four leading Republican candidates for president can probably get away with snubbing a minority-issues debate in Baltimore as they did this week, since the quest for the GOP nomination is likely to be decided in states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, where black Republicans are few and far between.

But one of the four - Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson - is likely to win that nomination. And when they get to key states such as Ohio in the general election, they may find it is minority voters - blacks and Latinos - who are doing the snubbing.

-- HOWARD WILKINSON

No doubt there is a Republican spinner somewhere who will insist that this unusual fluidity [in the field of presidential candidates] is symptomatic of a vibrant and vigorous party (although I have yet to hear anyone say that). But to put Republican prospects into perspective, consider this:

Mitt Romney, the GOP's fundraising champ this year, is expected to report about $10 million in new donations for the third quarter. Whereas, on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is now reporting, for the third quarter, $27 million. As a snapshot of the national mood, that comparison says it all.

-- DICK POLMAN

Cartoon: Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Daily News