On the Campaign Trail: An April Fools Week for the Starboard Side

The first week of April wasn’t the best of times for the Republican presidential candidates.

How are they going to get respect from a war-weary public when Vice President Dick Cheney tried to further his war propaganda on the Rush Limbaugh radio show. Cheney continued to promote his Neo-con war excuses that al-Qaida was connected to Saddam Hussein (just because he says so) despite the Defense Department’s recent report containing more evidence that Saddam never cooperated with the group. The Republican candidates certainly cannot say they will emulate the “hard working” President Bush, when the president has spent almost 20% of his presidency vacationing at his Texan ranch.Sen. John McCain was privileged with a section on 60 Minutes, which followed his tour of a Baghdad market. McCain wanted to show the American people how safe the market had become by walking around without a helmet.

All was good until the cameras turned around to show the couple dozen heavily armed soldiers accompanying McCain with two Apache helicopters overhead and fortified Humvees waiting in the wings.

Now that the jig is up, McCain has regretted his “all is good in Baghdad” remarks.

McCain’s first quarter fundraising has lagged behind several of his counterparts. At $12.5 million, he was overwhelmed by Republican Mitt Romney’s $20 million war chest and by former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, who raised more than $15 million. Rumors in Washington DC are whispering that McCain, who has tied his campaign to supporting the Iraq War, may not stay in the race.

Former Governor Mitt Romney may have money, but that hasn’t helped his memory. He said he had been a lifelong hunter-except he had never taken out a hunting license. That leaves only two options: he was a poacher or the truth was highly exaggerated. Now, Romney has backtracked and said he hunted varmints a lot, which he didn’t need a license to kill.

A quote from the story: “I think it was a major mistake,” said Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and campaign rival. “It would be like me saying I’ve been a lifelong golfer because I played putt-putt when I was 9 years old and I rode in a golf cart a couple of times.”

Ah, yes. The Republican presidential race will be very entertaining, to say the least.

Colorado Confidential will be following the Republican candidates on the way to the 2008 presidential election.

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