establishment – mackaycartoons

Thursday June 9, 2016

June 8, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 9, 2016

Paul Ryan stresses party unity in GOP meeting

House Speaker Paul Ryan reiterated his support Wednesday for Donald Trump at a closed door meeting with House Republicans and asked his colleagues to unite behind the presumptive Republican nominee, according to several members who attended the session.

Ryan’s backing of Trump comes a day after he blasted the businessman’s remarks about a federal judge as a “textbook definition of a racist comment.”

June 4, 2016

Trumps comments have sparked a fury on Capitol Hill where many Republicans worry that Trump’s racially tinged criticism of Judge Gonzalo Curiel could ultimately hurt down-ballot GOP candidates competing in congressional races this year.

Though Ryan didn’t back away from his endorsement, he said he would continue to speak out when he believed the billionaire businessman makes inappropriate statements.

Ryan spokesman said the speaker did not “urge” the party to fall in line behind Trump but stressed the importance of unity.

Ryan “just reaffirmed his disagreement with the comment, respecting that the people have elected Donald Trump as our Republican nominee and what we’re going to do is we’re going to use our position in a positive way to help America out,” said Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y.

Trump tried to quell some of the outrage on Tuesday, releasing a statement saying his past remarks had been misconstrued, and Trump avoided the topic all together during a speech he gave later that evening.

Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative group in Congress, said Trump needs to “quit spending time bashing judges.” He will vote for Trump, he said, but, “I don’t endorse people that bash judges — based on his ethnic heritage.” (Source: CNN)

Wednesday October 10, 2012

October 10, 2012 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday October 10, 2012

Will Trudeaumania strike twice?

Hamilton and the federal Liberal party once had a healthy romance going. The Steel City could be counted on to send a few Liberal MPs to Ottawa come election time and counted among them powerhouses John Munro and Sheila Copps.

This was especially true during the heady days of Trudeaumania, in the late 1960s.

Today, Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps and see if he can make history’s magic repeat itself.

He’s visiting Hamilton Wednesday night as part of a mini-tour of the region.

Trudeau, 40, will be at the downtown Sheraton Hotel from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. His staff says he will be joined by Liberal supporters and local community members. Admission is free and members of the public are welcome.

“His old man galvanized Canadians and brought them together like never before,” said well-known local Liberal Bert Allen. “I think this guy can do what his old man did in 1968.”

Trudeau also wants to “meet with Hamilton residents” at the event and speak to them about his “vision for Canada and the Liberal party.”

Justin Trudeau paid a visit to the city on Nov. 19, 2007 to help out Hamilton Mountain Liberal candidate Tyler Banham (now part of Trudeau’s Ontario leadership team). The newly-minted Quebec MP was greeted by more than 100 diehard Liberals at two events. There was a palpable excitement in the air. People pulled him this way and that way to get their picture taken with him and two people proclaimed he would be prime minister one day. He said it was a challenge growing up in his father’s shadow. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Thursday February 24, 2000

February 24, 2000 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 24, 2000

Like his namesake, McCain fights back

Say what you will about the American primaries — and there is a lot not to like — no one can dispute that the all-out brawl for the Republican nomination is the most fascinating political contest in years, probably since the 1952 Republican nomination battle between Dwight Eisenhower and Robert Taft.

Like the Hollywood legend whose name he bears, Senator John Wayne McCain proved again this week that Governor George W. Bush can beat him up with the political equivalent of bar room stools and gun butts, but McCain will get back up and throw another punch.

McCain’s most recent blow landed solidly. His success in Michigan and Arizona confirm that the fight for the Republican nomination is far from over. As importantly, it is further evidence that McCain’s anti-establishment rhetoric and promises to cleanse politics reson ate clearly with a cynical American electorate. McCain’s candidacy can never again be considered a fluke, especially considering that in Michigan he had the entire state Republican machine working against him. State Governor John Engler endorsed George W. Bush, as had other state officials, and Bush also had the continuing support of pro-life and Christian conservative organizations. That all this armament couldn’t even buy him a draw is terrible news for his campaign.

The challenge for the Bush campaign is formidable. The Bush strategy of portraying McCain as an unacceptable centrist is backfiring in that, by default, it portrays Bush as an inflexible conservative. Bush must also demonstrate, quickly, that he can win a battle on his own, without the support of local Republican bosses.

McCain’s challenge is much different, but no less daunting. He has succeeded so far due to his his disarming sincerity, but the closer he gets to all important Super Tuesday on March 7, the more his affable lack of certainty may hurt rather than help. If he evolves too much into a more traditional political model, he risks losing the appeal that has fired his success among moderate Republicans and disaffected Democrats. But unless he moves some distance, McCain will remain anathema to traditional Republicans, and probably won’t last much beyond Super Tuesday. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial, A12, 2/24/2000)