From Around The Web

CNN-

"Listening to the irrational and hysterical response of conservatives to the presidential candidacy of Sen. John McCain would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.

During a debate Tuesday on CNN's "The Situation Room," conservative radio talk show host Glenn Beck said that the Republican Party has lost its soul, and McCain is indicative of that problem. He even said that if Sen. Hillary Clinton is the nominee, he will ignore McCain and cast a ballot for her.

Now, how silly is that?"

"This, folks, is bordering on the irrational."

"...vowed to destroy McCain because he doesn't carry their water on every issue. Most issues? Yes. But they require their politicians to assume a fetal position, not to have a backbone and stand up to them when needed."

"McCain is a guy who is fiercely pro-life."

"The guy is a fiscal conservative..."

"He is strong on the military and being a former Vietnam prisoner of war..."

"Folks, McCain is a pragmatic leader trying to solve a difficult situation."

Guardian Unlimited-

"Romney has consistently moved right on issues that matter to conservative activists and McCain, who prides himself on being a "maverick", has moved the other way. In 2005, his ACU score was 80%. In 2006, the last year for which ratings are available, it fell to 65%. Moreover, his McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill makes it difficult for interested non-profits to advertise such inconvenient facts during the primary or general elections.

A look at a politician's supporters can also be instructive. In California, the high-spending, socially liberal, environmentally-friendly governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed McCain. In Virginia, state delegate David Albo, author of the hated "abuser fees" that tacked thousands of dollars onto routine speeding tickets, serves on the McCain steering committee. In Florida, he was endorsed by governor Charlie Crist, whose heavy-handed approach to regulating the insurance industry has led some observers to label him a "socialist".

"...opposition to McCain makes good philosophical sense."

"McCain's conservatism is much closer to an imperialistic Toryism than Reaganism. He opposes congressman-earmarked spending because he thinks it's unseemly and undermines trust in government. More populist and libertarian-minded conservatives tend to believe trust in government is the problem."

Forbes

"Social conservatives, traditionally those voters who are pro-life and opposed to same-sex marriage, should be able to rest easy with McCain. The Arizona senator is a strict constructionist, and has promised he would appoint like-minded judges to the Supreme Court and other benches.

We’ll find out in the next few hours whether Romney’s Last Stand will work. Although many conservatives may subscribe to his rhetoric by day’s end, they may not be able to do anything about it. A McCain win could mean trouble for rallying the base, which may struggle with the choice of supporting him or of staying at home in November. I suspect, however, that by November, McCain’s team will have a number of prominent Republicans talking up his conservative record, and that--rather than open the door to the Democratic challenger--the conservatives will back McCain."

Coulter

"On the litmus test issues of our time, only partially excluding Iraq, McCain is a liberal.

-- He excoriated Samuel Alito as too "conservative."

-- He promoted amnesty for 20 million illegal immigrants.

-- He abridged citizens' free speech (in favor of the media) with McCain-Feingold.

-- He hysterically opposes waterboarding terrorists and wants to shut down Guantanamo.

Can I take a breath now?

-- He denounced the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

-- He opposes ANWR and supports the global warming cult, even posturing with fellow mountebank Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of solar panels."

McCain uses the boilerplate language of all Republicans in saying he will appoint "strict constructionists." This is supposed to end all discussion of the courts. But if he's picking strict constructionists, he will have to appoint judges who will commit to overturning McCain-Feingold.

That could be our litmus test: Will you hold President McCain's signature legislation restricting speech unconstitutional?"

"I'm not a lawyer -- oh wait, yes, I am -- but Republicans were proposing to amend the Constitution, a process the Constitution specifically describes.

It's like saying it's antithetical to the core philosophy of Republicans to require presidents to be at least 35 years old. It's in the Constitution! And Republicans -- other than the ones who voted for McCain-Feingold -- support the Constitution. You might say it's part of our core philosophy."

CNSNews.com -

European interest in the U.S. presidential election campaign may be at unprecedented levels as Super Tuesday arrives, and Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama is the evident favorite among media and political commentators.

Across the continent, major foreign-language newspapers are carrying special sections and Web sites dedicated to the campaign.

"There has never been a presidential race quite like this in the history of the United States," declared Michael Tomasky in Britain's liberal Guardian. "It has genuinely impressive candidates. It has a grand theme. It's really, meaningfully, about something." [emphasis mine]