McCain gives Cameron a big credibility boost

The Financial Times and Times are reporting that one of the favourites to succeed George W Bush as US President has agreed "in principle" to address the Conservative Party Conference in October.  Senator John McCain's agreement gives David Cameron a big boost on the international stage and is, the FT reports, the result of sustained wooing by Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.  Senator McCain is a hawk in the war on terror - and with Joe Lieberman has argued that the US has failed to deploy adequate troops in Iraq.  More in tune with David Cameron's thinking is Senator McCain's sympathy for Kyoto environmentalism and his caution on tax cuts.

The FT's report coincides with the publication of a paper on Tory-US relations by the Heritage Foundation's highly-respected Nile Gardiner.  Noting that the Conservative Party "has returned as a major force in British politics," Dr Gardiner is worried about the vagueness of Tory foreign policy in general...

"The newly released party manifesto, “Built to Last,” makes no mention at all of the United States and fails to outline a coherent vision or strategy for fighting the global war against Islamic terrorism or confronting the growing threat posed by Iran and other rogue regimes. Nor does it address the future of Britain’s relationship with the European Union."

...but also at the leadership's specific criticisms of Israel:

"Even a Democrat-run White House would balk at the kind of language being used to describe Israeli action against Hezbollah."

Dr Gardiner calls for "greater dialogue and exchange of ideas between British and American conservatives, as well as high-level contacts between shadow cabinet ministers and officials in the executive branch of the U.S. government."  Such contact has been minimal since the infamous falling out between the White House and Michael Howard.  William Hague led a bridge-building visit to Washington in February but Sir Malcolm Rifkind is leading an internal party rebellion against American 'neoconservatism'.

Comments

[John G]

Senator McCain is a hawk in the war on terror

Just what we (don't) need!!

David would do well to tell this dangerous warmonger to stay the far side of the pond.

His ilk are not welcome here and his presence at the conference will create a bad image for our party.

[Antony Calvert]

John G is talking utter nonsense. McCain is an internationally respected politician and a leading American senator admired even by Democrats!

He is the sort of American we should be wooing and his appearance at the conference makes me half-wish I was going

[Solon]

McCain is a RINO who has no chance of winning the GOP nomination for 2008, simply because he is despised within the GOP.

Why are we bothering having this lame duck? He's not a right-winger on our spectrum, never mind that of the US!

[Afleitch]

Actually he is right-wing by our standards if you look at the man on an issue by issue basis. Other Republicans are so right-wing by British standards they are probably off the scale! (like Rick Santorum) A good chunk of the Democratic Party is also to our right. It's just the nature of politics.

[Editor]

RINO for the unitiated = Republican In Name Only.

[Umbrella Man]

If he is a RINO then he'll bein good company with Dave (Tory In Name Only) Cameron.

[Solon]

So does that make the modernisers TINOs?

[Solon]

Afleitch, just to recap on McCain's recent activities:

1) Claims to be "pro-life" "pro Roe v. Wade" at the same time;

2) Is rabidly pro-Kyoto;

3) Voted against GWB's tax cuts (before flip-flopping and half-heartedly supporting them);

4) Infringed constitutional rights with his appalling campaign finance bill (co sponsored with uber-lefty Donk Diane Feinstein); and

5) Voted to handcuff the US's military interrogators by making sure they can't so much as look at captured terrorists askance.

Thats just for starters.

[Disillusioned]

Since Rifkind will be furious this is excellent news. :o)

McCain is outstanding, he deservedly commands enormous respect domestically and internationally. Depending on how the Republicans do in the November mid-terms they may be forced to give the Rep nomination to a ‘moderate’ like McCain. Indeed with Hillary looking a likely candidate for the Democrats, the Republicans main goal will be to stop Hillary – and McCain could do just that.

The special relationship has been damaged by the unfortunate hostility of many Brits towards President Bush. John McCain would be a fantastic president for the special relationship, his brand of conservatism and persona could win back friends of America in Britain and reaffirm and strengthen the special relationship. The importance of that cannot be underestimated. The special relationship is not only vital economically but it is also key to future security and stability. In these troubled times Islamofascists pose a global and grave threat not only to innocent life but also our values; the US chiefly has not forgotten the lessons of failed appeasement – with Israel, Australia and Canada we need to stand with America. This will hopefully be the first of many instances of Cameron and McCain standing together, future instances perhaps involving Prime Minister Cameron visiting President McCain at Camp David.

[changetowin]

Fantastic news about McCain if true. This man is a great American hero. He spent years in captivity for his principles in Hanoi. He is a moderate conservative who unites independents, some Democrats and many Republicans. He has a good chance of winning the nomination for 2008 and then the election. He is thus a fantastic figure for us to have a close relationship with.

Another of DC's big emerging successes as leader is to really become a player on the world stage. It seems that more and more international figures are taking him seriously as a future PM.

[Solon]

"He has a good chance of winning the nomination for 2008 and then the election."

This is fantasyland stuff.

He is going to come in third at most in the Republican primaries. Frist and Allen are better candidates, and far more popular with the Republican base.

[Matt Davis]

An interesting choice of invitee and I look forward to seeing and hearing him at conference which will at least give us a break from the never ending queue of candidates list members trying to make an impression without actually making a point.

However the choice of McCain does cast into even greater obscurity just where it is we as a party are heading foreign policy wise.

[Donal Blaney]

I would rather hear from Newt Gingrich, Gov Schwarzenegger or Rudy Giuliani...!

[Tim Aker]

McCain won't get it. Latest news from the GOP blogosphere is that it'll either be a Romney/Gingrich run against Giuliani as the latter's social liberalism comes out. My money is on Romney as he brings Michigan into play, owing to that as the state of his birth and that, given the Democrats liberalism, the social evangelicals will overlook his mormonism.

[Andrew]

Money talks, and McCain is still the favourite. Betting exchanges have a much better record of predicting these things than tipsters.

For the record, McCain is a big favourite, Romney a fair bit behind, then Giulani and Allen slightly behind. Others like Frist and Rice are well behind that.

[TomTom]

My money is on Romney as he brings Michigan into play, owing to that as the state of his birth ..........and his father was Governor of Michigan

Labour had Bill Clinton speak - so the Tories need McCain.........didn't do them a lot of good

[Ben]

Excellent news... the one republican whose prospects in '08 are as strong as they ever where, indeed as things stand he got the best chance of winning a national election of any candidate in either party, however his big test will come in the GOP primaries but important sections of the Republican establishment are lining up behind him and the desire to win could well be all consuming by '08... overall an excellent mood, brings international gravitas and credibility to the conference with a true world leader, indeed i'd agrue he'd be a far better catch than Clinton at the Labour conference as his best years may well still be ahead of him.

[Dave J]

"4) Infringed constitutional rights with his appalling campaign finance bill (co sponsored with uber-lefty Donk Diane Feinstein);"

Actually with uber-lefty Donk Russ Feingold, but otherwise correct. McCain has his good points, but his fanatical obsession with campaign finance "reform" is unconscionable. He either truly does not understand, or worse, does not care about, the Constitution he swore to uphold both as a Senator and before that as a naval officer.

[James Maskell]

So Cameon makes all the foreign policy speeches then invites McCain to do a speech. Being a hawk, he'll make a tough foreign policy speech. Hague has spoken more about foreign policy than Rifkind. Damn it Cameron, wont you let Rifkind speak?

[Graham D'Amiral]

Whether or not John McCain is going to get the republican nomination or not, it is good news that we are able to attract to our conference such a senior figure in American politics.

[John G]

Since Rifkind will be furious this is excellent news. :o)

Rifkind has spoken more truth on the Neocon warmongers than any other Tory and in this he has rightly been echoed by Hague and Cameron.

Neocons and their policies are electoral poison. This Americn has-been (or rather never-was) should be told to stay in Washington.

Interesting to see that one or two of our resident anonymous Wets have suddenly decided to move to the far-right on this issue.

Seems the key motivation of these "loyalists" is to back unpopular policies, left right or centre.

Hmmmm...

[changetowin]

Whether or not John McCain is going to get the republican nomination or not, it is good news that we are able to attract to our conference such a senior figure in American politics.

Absolutely right. Of course we should be a candid friend of America's and realise that we have a different political culture. And we should not buy everything they do in foreign policy terms. But when the chips are down America is our greatest ally. Thanks goodness the leadership of our party has decided not to go down the road of appeasing a very nasty and worrying strain of anti-Americanism that is infecting our country at the moment. (btw there is a difference in being anti-American and being anti-Bush and I certainly don't think that the eloquent and decent Malcolm Rifkind is anti-American).

[malcolm]

McCain is not a bad bloke.He has as good a chance as anyone of winning the Republican nomination (polling is all over the place)and we as a party should have strong links with the US whether we agree with their politics or not so in that sense I think it is a good idea to invite him to speak.
Mc Cain is no identikit neo con as far as I can tell and his constant pleas to commit significantly more troops to the Iraq theatre is just a military man talking military sense.It is interesting that his pleas have largely been ignored and the situation there despite the words of our ludicrous defence secretary continues to detetoriate. Pretty soon the hardline neocons on both sides of the pond are going to have to face reality and recognise the utter failure of their policies.Whether McCain speaks or not at our conference is irrlevant to that.

[Tim Aker]

McCain has flip flopped on a whole series of issues leading up to the primary season. He slated Jerry Falwell in 2000, yet has spoken at his university recently. He's attacked the Religious Right, yet he's campaigned for Rick Santorum and is now considering speaking at Bob Jones university - you know, the one that doesn't allow inter-racial relationships.

http://race42008.com/ - go to this blog and see for yourself, McCain isn't polling well and he's desperately clinging onto support by flip flopping and running to the Right he so attacked in 2000.

[Flippant the Dolphin]

Another negative, trouble-making headline from the Editor. By suggesting that McCain is boosting Cameron's credibility CH is suggesting that he doesn't have credibility already. Headbangers....save the pound...change to win.....get behind the leadership....

[Disillusioned]

[i]I certainly don't think that the eloquent and decent Malcolm Rifkind is anti-American[/i]

Would this be the same Rifkind who remarked to American senators that, "you Americans don't know the horrors of war"? He was addressing Bob Dole, who was permanently disabled and nearly killed in WWII. Senator John McCain, a POW in the Vietnam War came close to hitting Rifkind in the meeting.

Rifkind is a disgrace to the Conservative Party, one only needs to consider his terrible record in govt.

[Old Hack]

I'd prefer to hear from Stephen Harper. He would be inspirational.

[Ted]

Flippant

it's not a negative headline. DC hasn't great international credibility as until recetly most foreign governments wouldn't have seen past Blair and if they did looked to Brown as next leader.

I actually read it as a supportive article and lead - its celebrating the return of the Tory party to international recognition after nearly a decade as also rans.

[Kristian Shanks]

I like McCain and I think its a good PR coup for the Tories, but I'd be surprised if he won the GOP nomination at this point. By 2008 I'm pretty confident Americans are going to want someone to take them out of Iraq 'with dignity', not someone who wants to commit more troops. Staunch support for the Bush Admin Iraq policy is why I think Rice is unlikely to figure strongly as a candidate in '08 either. I think Giuliani would be an interesting nominee but how will he do with the Republican base? His image as the symbol of New York City during 9/11 and being such an inspirational leader will clash with his lack of social conservatism. Romney, as a Governor of a Blue State in Massachusetts also looks interesting although again, he is quite liberal when you compare him to the GOP base, although he is trying to beef up his conservative credentials. You've got to figure a staunch social conservative is going to figure, and with George Allen fading fast after the 'macaca' controversy (and thank god, he would have been an awful nominee), I reckon Newt Gingrich is going to figure very strongly, as could a dark horse like Sam Brownback, Senator from Kansas.

For what it's worth, Hillary is not going to be the Democratic nominee unless the Democrats are quite insane. Sure she's got the money and some high profile people working for her, but if the Dems actually want to win, then they need to look for someone else. Mark Warner and Al Gore look like they've got good chances to me.

Anyway, this is now and 2008 is two years away, so for now, it's good to get a respected big name from the States taking an interest in renewing links between the GOP and the Tories.

[Michael McGowan]

Isn't it interesting how the comments all indicate that in different ways the contenders for the Republican nomination are doing their bit to appeal to ALL the main constituencies in the Republican big tent? This is of course what all smart politicians do rather than following the Tory Moderniser doctrine of going out of your way to alienate 20% of your supporters. It is only the rather dim and parochial wing of the Tory Party which believes that the Republican Party's many successes since the late 1970's have been built on the votes of white supremacist religious zealots.

[Renny]

I like McCain particularly his pro Kyoto stance but do the Tories want to be seen with a pro-war type? Not in my opinion.

[Jack Stone]

It is right and proper that the party leadership talks to people like Senator McCain as he could very well be President in a couple of years but I think the party needs to make it clear tht a Cameron lead British government would not give such unquestioning support to a new Republican administration of the like Blair as done with Bush and that we want to see a policy that will lead to our troops withdrawal from Iraq and Afganistan not greater involvement in those countries which present policies seem to be leading to

[Geoff]

I like McCain particularly his pro Kyoto stance

That's one of the main reasons I especially dislike him. Ah well..

[Jon Gale]

This is good news, McCain is a major figure to have speak at the conference, and a probable future president.

He may support the Iraq war but he does not blindly follow the Neocon line.

[Matt Davis]

Hey Flippant, how about the "headbangers" get behind the Leadership in the same way as all the change to win lot got behind our last 3 leaders.What's sauce for the Goose is also sauce for the Gander and mindless support for any leadership simply makes us all sheep.Hopefully that's enough animal allegories for you all.

[Malvolio]

To true Matt. When I was in FCS we reckoned that the wets were more evil and treacherous than the far left.

Has anything changed?

[Daniel Vince-Archer]

McCain is one of the more reasonable Republicans I guess.