Perhaps this is an endorsement on his part that AE-level service is not a "boondoggle". OK, then if we vote for you, let's turn all the LD trains into Acelas too, eh?
SPRINGFIELD, Pa. (AP) — John McCain traveled like a man of the people Friday morning, riding an Amtrak train to Philadelphia after a late night of voting in Washington.
"Nice to see you, nice to see you," McCain said to workers and passengers who greeted him on the 8 a.m. high-speed Acela Express train.
McCain, accompanied by a campaign aide, was left alone by the public as he sat in the first-class car for much of the 1½-hour trip.
He drank coffee and read several newspapers — The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. And he talked on his cell phone with a campaign adviser for several minutes.
The night before, the Arizona senator had flown from Philadelphia to the nation's capital for votes on the federal budget.
As Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, McCain had a campaign charter plane at his disposal.
But he took a commercial flight so that he could fly into Washington Reagan National Airport, nearer the Capitol, and he returned to Philadelphia by train.
In Washington, McCain tried but failed to attract support for a halt to pork-barrel spending, a moratorium on so-called "earmarks" sought by GOP conservatives to restore the party's credibility with voters.
His effort lost on a 71-29 vote, but McCain attracted support from the two Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
McCain told reporters Friday morning the process was a "charade" that deserved more deliberation.
Later in Springfield, Penn., McCain told voters: "We were voting on major issues of profound consequences with no discussion, no debate and 10 minutes to vote.
"Anyone who had the misfortune of watching it will know how hard it is to do the Lord's work in the city of Satan," said McCain, who has served four-terms in the Senate.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
They all ride ACELA; it doesn't mean anything. It is not the NE corridor that is endangered.
McCain has "railed" against Amtrak in the past, and his upcoming presidency makes me very nervous in that regard, among others. (Not that the other candidates don't make me nervous too, though not for Amtrak. But they have slim chance of winning, so it's a moot point.)
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Ms. Sojourner, lest we forget that only one Administration has made a full frontal no holds barred attack with the intent of "kill Amtrak" - and that was the Reagan administration.
I would say that you can still take your many sojourns is testament to the "success' of that initiative.
While some here may disagree, I do not hold that the Bush administration was ever out to "kill Amtrak'. The LD's maybe, but not any services that provide meaningful transportation within their regions.
But that initiative also succumbed in that it became evident not too long into the second term that President Bush had not filled his reservoir of "political capital' to the extent he perceived.
Somehow, I believe Sen McCain knows the system, and I guess as President McCain, he would be quite prepared to accept regarding the LD's, "oh well, I guess my former colleagues still want their rolling pork barrels - at least they're cheap'.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
I hope you're right, Mr Norman. McCain is a Reaganite, which is where he heard that he is supposed to hate Amtrak. But times change. I don't think he is for kiling the Department of Education any more either; that was another pillar of wisdom during Reagan's presidential campaign, wasn't it? And McCain, like Reagan, will have a Democratic Congress to contend with. So there will be checks and balances in some of these matters.
Still, when the excessive spending of the Bush years hits whoever is the next president, and especially McCain, I think there will be a lot of budget cutting. And too many of the Republican supporters of Amtrak seem to be gone or leaving: Trent Lott, La Tourette, Rick Sanctorum, Pete Domenici, and soon-to-be Kay Bailey Hutchinson, to name a few.
I only hope (assuming they keep long-distance Amtrak at all) that they keep the Lott-Lautenberg idea of funding Amtrak in longer chunks than annually. These yearly fights for money and threats of not getting it are ridiculous, and have to be very time consuming for some Amtrak personnel.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
quote:Originally posted by sojourner: I only hope (assuming they keep long-distance Amtrak at all) that they keep the Lott-Lautenberg idea of funding Amtrak in longer chunks than annually. These yearly fights for money and threats of not getting it are ridiculous, and have to be very time consuming for some Amtrak personnel.
They are ridiculuos, Ms. Sojourner, but it is a "way of Washington". After all, there has to be something, such as a cheap, visible, and popular program, that is easy for the "critter" to "show the folks back home I'm fighting for them".
To avoid this ever-playing "perils of Pauline' soap opera, local jurisdictions, and in this case I am referencing within Florida, find that there is overriding law that requires them to have a permanent funding base, such as a dedicated Use Tax, in order to have a rail initiative move forth. That is why the development of passenger rail within Florida appears to be regional (commuter) systems. Tri-Rail (West Palm-Miami) has proven to be effective in garnering public funding for infrastructure, and even though I have to say "in spite of itself", seems to have some measure of public acceptance.
There may yet be a chance for the Orlando initiative which apparently has moved beyond the level of "just talk'. This one would serve "smack downtown' Orlando as well as come reasonably close to "The Rodent and his Court Jesters" - at least to such extent that "the Serfs' would consider using such to get to their daily toils.
But none of this spells hope for intrastate intercity rail. In fact, an initiative once enacted into law, was later repealed. And Amtrak??? well all I can say to that is for anyone such as Mr. Resor or myself, who had the privilege to know what NE-Fla service once was, that is simply HOHO-HAHA land.
Posted by Amtrak207 (Member # 1307) on :
Look at me! I really am one of you! I can ride a-- what's this called again? --train, just like you people. I am one of you!
Sorry, it may be just politics, but any administration that tries to give Amtrak so little funding that they will have no choice but to stop running trains is out to kill them. Just like discontinuing the Pioneer, which was "we'll put that back, we promise" and it hasn't happened yet.
I tend to hate all the silly faceless brouhaha associated with election years, and this one is no different. These people are saying and doing anything to attract support. With enough support, they figure, they'll get the job. Just like a lot of speeches and sound bites we were fed in 2000 (and other years) the candidate is often very different from the actual executive. I can only judge these people from their track records (bad pun, sorry) and Senator McCain is fairly anti-Amtrak as far as votes cast and ammendments offered. So where are we? Right. First, the candidates will say anything to get the job. Next, most major media outlets will not reproduce the full text, they will (important, emphasized word next) paraphrase it. (Does the last name Boardman ring a bell?) And finally, the people who listen to it will tend to hear what they want to hear, especially if they are blissful/misled/ignorant/uninformed about the political process. Based on this logic, I trust and assume nothing until I see actions to support it. Otherwise, "uniter, not a divider" during elections turns into (rip mask off) "we can't rule out bombing Iran." While this may be a far-flung extension, it uses well-known events.
"Accept certain inalienable truths- prices will rise, politicians will filander, you too will get old, and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders."
Next time, let's see him try to ride Boston-Albany or Buffalo-Cleveland. Yes sir, that is correct, there is only one train in each direction each day, it is often late, the bathrooms rarely work, and you have to *sit with other people.*
This little stunt doesn't convince me of anything. To me, it is analogous to an alcoholic skipping a few drinks. You can appear to change, but the ideology is still in there, bound to take over again very soon.