A Progressive Republican?

That is what Jeanine Pirro described herself as on Fox News this morning. I wondered what she was talking about. Now I know:

The challenger, who faces three conservative rivals for the Republican nomination to face Mrs. Clinton next year, also noted in her speech that she disagreed with Mr. Bush on abortion rights, which she favors. She called the president's limits on stem-cell research "wrong," and applauded the Republican majority leader in the Senate, Bill Frist of Tennessee, for breaking with Mr. Bush over the restrictions.

She also said she favored renewing the assault weapons ban, promoting more immigration and working with a bipartisan group of senators to allow votes on some of Mr. Bush's judicial nominees - three positions with which some Republicans disagree.

"I'm Republican red on fiscal policy with conservative beliefs on making tax cuts permanent, but I've got broad blue stripes on the social issues that don't change based on the office I am running for," Ms. Pirro said.

Interesting. But, overall, still better for New York, and the country, then Hillary. A loss in the 2006 Senate race would put a serious crimp in Hillary's 2008 Presidential campaign. I am predicting a Pirro win by 2 percentage points.

But, the New York Times goes down a standard Leftist road, entitling the article "A Fierry But Rocky Start" on their homepage. They have subsequantly changed the article title on the article page within the last 1/2 hour, from when I first saw it. The first paragraph goes

Decrying Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's "empty promises," Jeanine F. Pirro got her 2006 Senate campaign off to a fiery but rocky start today, broadly attacking Mrs. Clinton in a speech but struggling with questions about abortion, taxes, Iraq and her husband.

First, they say this about her

Ms. Pirro appeared poised during her first interaction with reporters today, even during a 32-second pause, mid-speech, as she searched for a page of text. "Could I have Page 10?" she asked an aide, Michael McKeon, who provided the text and said later that she had been writing until the last minute and left that page in another room.

Gee, foul ups never happen, eh, Times? Jayson Blair. But the Grey Lady, who will certainly back Cankles, then takes shots at Ms. Pirro

But while Ms. Pirro kept her cool before reporters, she also seemed unprepared for some questions.

There was nary a word from Ms. Pirro, at least voluntarily, about her husband, who looms like a specter over the campaign, and she sidestepped some questions about his role in her political future.(that's a question?)

At the news conference this morning, Ms. Pirro ignored a question about whether she would take money from her husband, who is also a prominent Republican donor, or allow him to raise money for her. Some political candidates rebuff donors with criminal records. Instead, she repeated earlier comments that only her name, and not Mr. Pirro's, would be on the ballot, and that she only had to make the case for herself, and not him, to voters. (and politicians never ignore questions, eh? Ask John Kerry, who ignored many regarding what his actual plans were)

Mr. McKeon also shrugged off the news media's interest in the lack of photos of Mr. Pirro among the 103 pictures on Ms. Pirro's Web site or mention of him in her campaign biography. He said Ms. Pirro had nothing to do with the Web site.(boy, that's a deep issue, huh?)

On policy issues, Ms. Pirro could not respond with specifics when a reporter asked how much money eliminating the estate tax and continuing the tax cuts would add to the federal budget deficit. (could the reporters?)

On Iraq, Ms. Pirro would not answer a question about troop withdrawal, saying that she would "leave that up to the experts" and that she lacked the information to say whether she would support sending more troops to Iraq if American generals requested them. She also hailed the "new democracies" in Iraq and Lebanon and emerging in Afghanistan; still, Lebanon has had open elections for decades. (doesn't seem like she had issues with that)

And so on, etc. Expect this to get even nastier towards Pirro from the Times and other left leaning parts of teh Excempt Media. Though I may not fully agree with some of Pirro's political stances, you have to love her spunk, and willingness to attack.

Pam at Atlas Shrugs has a great article regarding Pirro from yesterday.

Posted by William Teach at August 10, 2005 06:27 PM | TrackBack