McCain's Republican problem

By GottaLaff

"It's been nice talkin' to you," said Thomas Gerard Tancredo when asked if he'd endorse John Sidney McCain. I guess T Ger isn't concerned about being on the receiving end of one of J Sid's angry backlashes.


It looks like Thomas Gerard's not alone:

The Hill reports this morning that “at least 14 Republican members of Congress have refused to endorse or publicly support Sen. John McCain for president,” adding that “more than a dozen others declined to answer whether they back the Arizona senator.” Though some lawmakers “declined to detail” why they wouldn’t support McCain, others cited “major concerns” about McCain’s policies on energy and Iraq.

Ouch! Whatsamatta them? They no longer have man-crushes on their feisty little maverick? The Hill’s list of GOP lawmakers “who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain":

Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.).

That's some spiffy list, is it not? And here they go, getting all parsey again. "I'll endorse, but I won't support", "I'll vote, but I won't vote with gusto", "I'd rather not discuss voting for Sid", "I hate the guy."

Additionally, a “handful” of other GOP lawmakers have made a distinction between “endorsing” and “supporting,” saying that while they won’t endorse McCain, they will vote for him in November.

Thomas Gerard Tancredo: “I’m probably going to vote for John McCain, that’s as far as I’m going to go,” allowed Tancredo.

"Probably"?