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May 09, 2008

Sen. Richard Burr on McCain's Strategy

Hannity & Colmes

COLMES: Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is looking beyond the remaining Democratic primaries and beginning to focus attention on the presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. But what is the Arizona senator's strategy for the general election?

Joining us now, McCain supporter, North Carolina senator Richard Burr.

Senator, welcome to HANNITY & COLMES. We were talking last couple of segments.

SEN. RICHARD BURR (R-NC), MCCAIN SUPPORTER: Thank you, Alan.

COLMES: .about the flaws of the Democratic candidate, which must make you happy, but do you see any flaws in your own candidate?

BURR: Well, listen, Alan, John McCain is a known entity by the American people. They know his background as a war here hero, as a prisoner of war. He's got a solid foundation and more importantly, he's got a track record that the American people have endorsed over and over again.

COLMES: From an analyst's standpoint, do you see him as being vulnerable in any area?

BURR: Well, I think that we're all vulnerable in today's atmosphere of politics. But I believe as we move closer to November, I think the American people are going to tend to go towards people that they have a level of confidence and trust in. And John McCain certainly exemplifies that.

COLMES: Is he vulnerable of -- suggest one then, in that in 2000 he was a different kind of candidate, appealed to independents, different positions. It's 2008 he's now embracing the religious right, that he called agents of intolerance, he's changed on tax cuts, he's changed on immigration. That's got to be an issue that Democrats are going to capitalize on.

BURR: I think when you look at his record on tax cuts he's always been supportive, even though he would prefer Congress to have cut or controlled spending at the time. I'd prefer that today, too, but the reality is that Congress didn't do that and the American people understand that fiscal responsibility is absolutely essential from this point forward.

COLMES: But he was against the Bush tax cuts and now is for them. How does he explain that?

BURR: Well, because John McCain wanted the Congress to commit to control the growth of spending and because he didn't win that, you see how out of control it is today. I believe the American people understand that.

COLMES: But Congress, they did not control the spending and that this was back when it was a Republican Congress, and does John McCain have a problem in terms of how much he's going to distance himself from one of the most unpopular presidents in history since polling began, George W. Bush?

BURR: Well, John McCain has been a maverick. He talks about things that he's passionate about. He talks about things that he believes that the American people want to see action on. One of them is reaching across the aisle, not giving up on your principles but reaching across the aisle and getting something done. And many of us in Washington are frustrated and want to see that today, too.

HANNITY: Hey, Senator, welcome to the show. It's Sean Hannity.

BURR: Thanks, Sean.

HANNITY: And by the way, I'm particularly glad I -- Republicans need to grab the mantle of fiscal responsibility. I mean that was their mantra for a long time and then they got into power and they went along with all these earmarks and this reckless spending, so Senator McCain, on principle, although I disagree with him, opposed those tax cuts.

BURR: Well, absolutely. And Sean, I heard you earlier. This week, Republicans stood up and produced our own energy package.

HANNITY: Yes.

BURR: We're beginning to be bold again. And I think that's what America wants us. They want bold leadership.

HANNITY: Not bold enough. I've -- if I were offering my unsolicited advice as a humble radio host and television host, I would say Republicans need a new contract with America. They need to -- instill in people and inspire people and give them the confidence that they're going to cut spending, that they're going to eliminate earmarks, become energy independent, secure our borders, fight this war on terror.

And I don't see a united coalition of Republicans making promises to the American people. Do you think that's going to be a mistake?

BURR: Well, Sean, let me say this. I think you just described what the American people want. I don't limit it just to Republicans. And.

HANNITY: But why are they hearing it from me? I'm just a radio and TV guy?

BURR: Well, you know, I was with John earlier this week and I heard him say just about exactly that at a town meeting in Charlotte.

HANNITY: Yes.

BURR: He ticked down the issues that he thought were the most important and they were the list you just gave.

HANNITY: Well, I.

BURR: Unfortunately, we're not saying the same thing in Washington right now.

HANNITY: Well, I would agree with that. And I think if the leadership of the Republicans in both the House and the Senate, and I think the House had been better a little bit than the Senate, no offense to your fellow colleagues, but if they would unite around an agenda, a Newt Gingrich-style contract on issues, I think it would serve them well.

I want to ask you one question about Senator McCain and the Republicans in North Carolina. The ad that ran that used Jeremiah Wright, a lot of people, a lot of conservatives were furious at Senator McCain's criticisms. What are your thoughts there?

BURR: Well, I would only say that as the son of a Presbyterian minister, I don't think I could sit in a church for 20 years. It would be disingenuous to suggest that my dad didn't have an influence on me but I'm not sure that that's an element of my election or my re-election. And I think that's what John McCain's saying. It's not our associations. If this.

HANNITY: Well, that wasn't exactly what he said. He was pretty forceful in his criticism.

BURR: Yes, it's not helpful when you're trying to orchestrate a strategy behind a campaign. But if this election cycle comes down to taxes, and it comes down to education, and it comes down to energy, and it come down to judges, John McCain wins.

HANNITY: Well, but.

BURR: .because he's on the right side of those issues.

HANNITY: Yes, but judgment and decision making and veracity and honesty, they all matter, too, and I think Jeremiah Wright, I -- he cannot explain, because there was nothing that Jeremiah Wright said at the press club that was different than we had been playing.

And he said, "I can no longer," in this Philadelphia speech, "No longer disown my pastor than I can the black community," and then all of a sudden, Wright reiterates every point that had been brought up, and now all of a sudden that's not the same man I've known for 20 years. Isn't that a character issue?

BURR: Well, it is but I think it's -- that's an issue that the American people are going to have to sort out on their own.

HANNITY: Right.

BURR: I think that John McCain wants to keep it focused on the issues that really.

HANNITY: I put up my point.

BURR: .Congress can have an effect on.

HANNITY: My -- I think that is an issue, though, and if he thinks that Barack Obama is not going to use negative campaigns against him, I think he's being naive.

But Senator, good to you. Thank you for being with us.

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