Wonder no more about McCain.

[ProSense]

He is a sleaze.

James Boyce

03.03.2006

Vice President John McCain

Snip...

Through a remarkable orchestration of behind-the-scenes politicking, John McCain's advisors thrust him in the middle of the John Kerry Vice Presidential selection process - the McCain as VP rumors started not in the Kerry camp but in the McCain camp.

By elevating his status among Independents and Democrats, John McCain dramatically increased his appeal and political power. In fact, McCain currently outpolls some potential Democratic 2008 candidates among DEMOCRATS.

The possibility of McCain running as John Kerry's Vice President forced Rove to deal with McCain. Because with the pending launch of the Swift Boat veterans teed up, Rove simply couldn't let Kerry pick McCain. Two veterans, running together, unifying the country in a time of war would have been virtually unbeatable.

But would McCain have really switched and joined Kerry? The White House couldn't afford to wait to find out. Was a true deal struck? Was McCain promised the power of running as an incumbent Vice President in 2008? Few know for sure and I certainly am not one of them.

But when I saw John McCain embrace George Bush 2004, not just support him, but passionately embrace him, I wondered how he could do it.

Snip...

And if Dick Cheney leaves, and John McCain becomes Vice President, wonder no more.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyce/vice-president-john-mccai_b_16678.html

[npincus]

1. McCain has said he wants to increase troop levels in Iraq

he is a "stay the course" guy all the way... I CAN'T see America voitng for him.

[still_one]

4. It depends doesn't it

WILL THE DEMOCRATS call him on his iraq position?

I have my doubts

They should also call him on voting against making Martin Luther King a public holiday, and his involvement with keating in the S&L crisis

Also mccain wants to have mandatory government service. It is a backdoor way of instituting a draft

[motocicleta]

49. look at pollingreport.com/2008.htm

then tell me you can't see america voting for him.

As far as I'm concerned, he is our next president. It's up to us to make sure he doesn't get a republican congress.

[aquart]

60. Just show the picture with the cake.

Show every skeevy shot of hugging George.

[motocicleta]

65. I hope you are right.

My faith in my fellow americans is at an all time low right now.

[BigYawn]

54. "America" will vote for anyone who shows how he/she will

end the Iraq war in a SHORT TIME. If that means increasing
the troop levels to finish it quickly, the voters will vote
that person in. The key is SHORT TIME end of war.

[w13rd0]

2. McCain would be a horrible President...

...he's stupid, right-wing and his "principles" are questionable at best. How he manages to snow so many independents and democrats has a lot to do with the "libural media" that just loves to give him positive coverage.

[land of the free]

20. Agreed. He knows how to play politics well...

and has morphed his image pretty well in front of the cameras in order to appear like a charming, independent-minded darling. If you ever watched his actions closely for long periods of time, you realize what a con job he's doing.

He's very conservative, much moreso than Bush.

He's very rude and condescending as long as cameras aren't rolling to catch it (though many times they have without his awareness).

He *can* stick to his principles at times. However, he'll toss 'em out the window to get his way at times.

He definitely was the one who created and popularized the Kerry/McCain ticket myth. And he only did it for one reason - to get more power from Bush, who he truly cannot stand.

EDIT: and yes, never forget the Keating Five scandal.

[central scrutinizer]

32. "I hate gooks"

It is hard to believe that someone who said an openly racist comment like that could ever be considered for public office.

[laugle]

47. I can't stand McCain, but when did he say that?

Was it during the Vietnam war? I'm old enough to remember that war and every soldier I knew was calling them "gooks".

And the Vietnamese people love the Americans now, so I doubt it would make much difference......

[central scrutinizer]

62. It was 2000 during the prez campaign

When called on it, he later qualified his remarks to mean that he only hated the guards at the "Hanoi Hilton".

http://www.asianweek.com/2000_02_24/feature_mccainapology.html

http://www.commondreams.org/views/022400-105.htm

excerpt:

Over and over, MSNBC pays homage to McCain's life and legend with specials that gloss over McCain's less-than-heroic moments. No mention, for example, of the 1993 fund-raiser he headlined for a fervidly anti-gay group in Oregon--an event that began with a speaker praising an Oregon woman who had shot a doctor who performed abortions. (McCain justified his presence by speaking vaguely about tolerance.)

In view of claims that the political press corps is leftist and ideology-driven, it's telling that journalists have shown such sympathy for a candidate who is conservative on almost every issue of social, economic or foreign policy except campaign finance and tobacco. He votes consistently anti-choice on abortion and against gun control measures like the Brady Bill and the assault-weapons ban. He opposes a minimum-wage hike. Last year, the League of Conservation Voters ranked McCain's environmental voting record at 11%, up from zero in 1998. The liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave his overall voting record last year a 5% ranking.

google <"John McCain" gooks> for more documentation

[bigscott]

3. i hate that two-faced bitch

*'s bitch at that

[Mabus]

11. took the words out of my mouth

I've hated that little toad since the Keating Five days.

[whometense]

5. What a BASTARD.

Spread the love:

[ClayZ]

15. With thought bubble....

[DinahMoeHum]

36. That picture is what will do him in. Bush is becoming radioactive.

Too many big wet sloppies there.

:evilfrown:

[karynnj]

6. This is beyond sick - He is an absolute creep

The idea never made sense and it made no sense when Kerry was publicly saying that he would not publise anything about a VP until it was a done deal and announced. (to avoid embarrassing anyone) Even one of his daughters when asked on TV, said she had no idea and that he really wasn't going to leak anything. I had always thought it was the press, but that McVain encouraged it. (That he made it even worse in the Newsweek summary of the election - where he described Kerry screaming at him when he refused is beyond the pale.)

What is particularly galling is that in McCain's second book, he spoke of the POW/MIA committee and how Kerry supported him and would place a hand on McCain's arm to calm him down whne he was on the verge of exploding. When Bush smeared McCain, it was Kerry who by the next day had organized all the Senate vets to help McCain with a public letter defending him and condemning the attacks. Kerry also contacted friends he had in VVA to get more vets out in support of McCain.

That McCain would turn around and undermine a person who had given him friendship is absolutely appalling. He is no better than the SBVT.

It's too better that are ridiculous excuse for media loves this creep, while ridiculing a genuinely honorable, good man.

[karynnj]

7. Recommended this - because people need to see it

[quiet.american]

8. McCain to Bush: Let them eat cake

Aside from all else, McCain is forever branded in my mind as the guy who served Bush cake while New Orleans drowned. So, McCain is a guy who wants to be a national leader, and yet, even as the rest of the country was horrified as to what was happening in New Orleans, he remained blissfully unaware, content in the knowledge that his bud, Georgie, was there on his birthday -- never thought to say one word to Bush about what was going on in New Orleans?

After having a monstrous doofus in the WH, destroying the country and the world, the last thing we need is a Stockholm Syndrome Manchurian Candidate to replace him.

[aquart]

10. if mccain is appointed, this is the picture we run with.

john, george, and the cake. except we run the one that was photoshopped with drowning new orleans.

[quiet.american]

12. Works for me --

-- I'll never forget where Bush was while our fellow citizens lived and died through the horror of Katrina.

[thereismore]

9. The consolation is that rightwingers hate McCain as a RINO - that

is the 11th mortal sin among repugs.

On edit: they would, however, unite behind a leader... sigh

[madfloridian]

13. Which magazine started this? The blogger does not say.

I am not a McCain fan by any means, but should we accept this so readily as truth?

[blm]

14. Alot of people blamed Kerry at the time when Kerry NEVER spoke about

McCain for VP.

Two surces brought it up - First McCain's camp and then Biden in response to the original rumor.

[madfloridian]

22. But it worries me you are treating it as fact. It is rumor.

I am not fond of McCain at all really, but this is a rumor that is being treated as fact.

[Dr Ron]

23. More than a rumor

There are two aspects to this story--that the Kerry running mate story came from the McCain camp and that this was part of a scheme o make McCain VP. The second part is speculative, but the first part sounds credible even if not proven.

The author of did have connections to the Kerry campaign. On a talk show several years back (I'm trying to dig up an old link I had to a transcript) McCain did claim that he was also Bush's first choice but turned him down. It sure sounds like McCain to build himself up by floating the story that Kerry wanted him as running mate.

[worldgonekrazy]

29. Yes, but it does make a lot of sense

We know McCain wants to be President, and we know he will run in 2008. We also know that Guiliani will run if he can win. So McCain needs to do something to make sure he is seen as the natural successor rather than Guiliani.

[radio4progressives]

26. Why didn't Kerry Denounce the Media Rumor Outright?

He never really did that. And Kerry DID admit to meeting with McCain on a few occasions - so, i'm stunned that if this were all ruse, then why the hell didn't Kerry STAND UP AND SAY SO???

one thing we absolutely must insist in the next presidential elections from candidates is CLEAR, CONCISE, NO BULLSHIT, messaging, responses, etc.

[worldgonekrazy]

31. It helped Kerry a lot too, I think

Just the mere possibility that McCain would cross the aisle to run with Kerry had to help him out with a lot of independents and perhaps even a few moderate Repubs (the few that are left, anyway).

[blm]

33. Kerry DID denounce it right away - media acted like he was backtracking

instead of telling the truth, because they have been praising McCain as such an honest person for years, when he's pretty damn manipulative.

[KoKo]

71. I don't know if that's correct, blm. Some folks were pushing McCain as

Kerry's running mate here on DU pretty hard for a month before Kerry Ops said that he wasn't pursuing him. Even then it seemed to me that Kerry was playing coy in his statement. He said he hadn't talked to McCain but some of his staff might have (at least that's what I remember of his comments) And...he had to be tracked down to address it.

I remember this because it made me so angry that DU'ers seemed to be pushing this as an "alliance made in heaven" and there were many threads over weeks about how great McCain would be on the ticket. I posted on everyone that I saw saying it would be a DISASTER.

I wonder if someone in the Kerry campaign thought the "speculation" would do Kerry good and he either never knew about it...or went along with it until it backfired with many Dems being furious. :shrug:

Whatever...it's good to see than the McCain lovers around here are finally seeing his "true Repug stripes."

[sendero]

37. Don't you think..

... he should have called them out about it? Letting it stand made most folks believe it.

[karynnj]

41. Think about what would happen

There were McCain quotes in the paper. Would McCain be honest and admit that Kerry was telling the truth.

I know that Kerry is an extremely honest person. I know there are cases of McCain playing with the truth. But, if Kerry called McCain out on it, would the press:

A. Side with the straight talking McCain :puke:

B. Believe Kerry, who they didn't like, but who hadn't lied to them

[blm]

45. He DID say it never happened - media acted like he was covering up.

You think media would admit that McCain was playing them for suckers?

[EVDebs]

53. huffingtonpost online I believe eom

[soleft]

16. Isn't he too associated with Bush and bad poll numbers now?

[ProSense]

17. More McCain sleaze

McCain: I trust the president of the United States
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2476246&mesg_id=2476246

The law's sponsor, Senator John McCain, promised that Congress would establish oversight over Guantánamo and other US prisons abroad to assure enforcement. But where's Senator McCain now? If he really wants to stop torture, why doesn't he fly to Guantánamo immediately and make sure no one is being abused? Isn't that what McCain would have wanted US senators to do when he was being tortured in a prison cell in Vietnam?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2485999&mesg_id=2489598

[mom cat]

18. I have been expecting the same scenario. Bushie brings the cake to McCain

little birthday party, McCain gets to "distance himself" from Bush with the anti-torture legislation that Bush then nullified with his signing statement. Did McCain raise a fuss? Hell no! Now he is back playing the lapdog role again. I fully expect him to "become" the VP after the 06 elections, if not before if Dickey's scores go below 12%. McCain will be passed off as a "real" compassionate conservative, and will portray the nice guy image, the grandfatherly type. He will be so beholden to the power brokers that he will not resist their race to steal this countyr. He will probably gift wrap it for them.

[CoffeeCat]

19. Wow, that makes total and complete sense...

I wondered too--how McCain could hug Bush--after Bush verbally assaulted McCain's family.

That's what happened. McCain was promised a seat at the high table, in exchange for openly embracing (literally) Junior.

That's it.

I can see this being the Rep strategy, anyway. Cheney was only needed to usher in the PNAC agenda. Those first few dominoes have fallen. Everyone knows that the Republicans need something huge to help them win in 06 and 08. This is it. McCain in as veep now, then McCain running as Pres in 08.

I think the Reps ultimately knew that Junior would be incredibly unpopular--eventually. This move could jump start the Rep party. If they prop up McCain and put Junior in the background more--they help to keep their agenda going for years to come.

Will it work? Let's hope not.

[emulatorloo]

21. kick n/t

[Dr Ron]

24. Typical of McCain

McCain also claimed to have been George Bush's first choice in interviews in the past, in what sounded like an attempt to build himself up. I'm trying to track down links to some of these intervies. So far I found this:

Storm: "I know that you two are friends. Have you talked about it. Have you talked about this with Senator Kerry?"

McCain: "No. We are friends. Joe Lieberman is a friend of mine, also, as is John Edwards. You know, in America I think it's still possible to have a friend if they're in another party, at least I hope so. Look, I don't want to be Vice President of the United States, I do not want to leave the Republican party, I would not be Vice President of the United States on either ticket. I told President Bush when he asked me in 2000 if, when he asked me if I was interested, I said I was not interested. I love being in the United States Senate and I am of the party of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. I can not categorically more state, answer no."

McCain from interview on CBS’s The Early Show with Hannah Storm
http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2004/cyb20040322.asp#2

[Catchawave]

25. 2000 ?

"What Bush did to McCain in the 2000 S. C. primary"


FACT SHEET:

Bush Waged Nasty Smear Campaign Against McCain in 2000
Bush Supporters Called McCain “The Fag Candidate.” In South Carolina, Bush supporters circulated church fliers that labeled McCain “the fag candidate.” Columnist Frank Rich noted that the fliers were distributed “even as Bush subtly reinforced that message by indicating he wouldn’t hire openly gay people for his administration.”

McCain Slurs Included Illegitimate Children, Homosexuality And A Drug-Addict Wife.
Among the rumors circulated against McCain in 2000 in South Carolina was that his adopted Bangladeshi daughter was actually black, that McCain was both gay and cheated on his wife, and that his wife Cindy was a drug addict.”

Bush Campaign Used Code Words to Question McCain’s Temper.
“A smear campaign of the ugliest sort is now coursing through the contest for the presidency in 2000. Using the code word "temper," a group of Senate Republicans, and at least some outriders of the George W. Bush campaign, are spreading the word that John McCain is unstable. The subtext, also suggested in this whispering campaign, is that he returned from 5 1/2 years as a POW in North Vietnam with a loose screw. And it is bruited about that he shouldn't be entrusted with nuclear weapons.”

Bush Supporters Questioned McCain’s Sanity.
“Some of George W. Bush's supporters have questioned Republican presidential candidate John McCain's fitness for the White House, suggesting that his five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam drove him insane at the time.”

Bush Supporters Spread Racist Rumors About McCain’s Daughter.
Bush supporters in South Carolina made race-baiting phone calls saying that McCain had a “black child.” The McCains’ daughter, Bridget, was adopted from Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh. In August 2000, columnist Maureen Dowd wrote that the McCains “are still seething about Bush supporters in South Carolina spreading word of their dark-skinned adopted daughter.”

Rove Suggests Former POW McCain Committed Treason and Fathered Child With Black Prostitute.
In 2000, McCain operatives in SC accused Rove of spreading rumors against McCain, such as “suggestions that McCain had committed treason while a prisoner of war, and had fathered a child by a black prostitute,” according to the New Yorker.

After Rove Denied Role In McCain Whisper Campaign, Reporters Concluded He Was Behind It.
A December 1999 Dallas Morning News linked Rove to a series of campaign dirty tricks, including his College Republican efforts, allegedly starting a whisper campaign about Ann Richard being too gay-friendly, spreading stories about Jim Hightower’s involvement in a kickback scheme and leaking the educational history of Lena Guerrero. The article also outlined current dirty tricks and whisper campaigns against McCain in South Carolina, including that “McCain may be unstable as a result of being tortured while a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.” (DMN, 12/2/99) After the article was published, Rove blasted Slater in the Manchester, NH airport, “nose to nose” according to one witness, with Rove claiming Slater had “harmed his reputation,” Slater later noted. But according to one witness, “What was interesting then is that everyone on the campaign charter concluded that Rove was responsible for rumors about McCain.”

Rove Was In Close Touch With McConnell, McCain-Feingold’s Chief Opponent.
Senior White House adviser Karl Rove was in close contact with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during McConnell’s effort to fight the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Bill in the U.S. Senate. According to Newsweek, though Rove and Bush have publicly kept their distance from McConnell on the issue, “sources tell Newsweek that Rove is, in fact, in close touch with McConnell as GOP experts study the bill for hidden land mines.”

Bush Campaign Accused of Using Push Polls Against McCain.
College of Charleston student Suzette Latsko said she received a telephone call from a woman who identified herself as an employee of Voter/Consumer Research, and that the caller misrepresented McCain’s positions and asked if Latsko knew McCain had been reprimanded for interfering with federal regulators in the savings and loan scandal. Voter/Consumer Research is listed as a polling contractor on Bush’s Federal Election Commission filings; the Bush campaign has paid Voter/Consumer Research $93,000 through December 31, 1999. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer denied the call was a push poll, but said it was important that the Republican Party remember McCain’s role in the S&L crisis.

Bush Campaign Acknowledged Making Phone Calls.
Tucker Eskew, Bush’s South Carolina spokesman, acknowledged the Bush campaign made such calls, but claimed they were not “push polls.” Eskew added, “Show me a baseless comment in those questions.”

Bush Used Fringe Veterans Group to Attack McCain as “Manchurian Candidate.”
“In the case of Ted Sampley, the same guy who did Bush's dirty work in going after Sen. John McCain in the 2000 Republican primaries is doing the job against Kerry this year. Sampley dared compare McCain, who spent five years as a Vietnam POW, with ‘the Manchurian Candidate.’”

Sampley Called McCain a “Coward” and a Traitor.
“Sampley… accused McCain of being a weak-minded coward who had escaped death by collaborating with the enemy. Sampley claimed that McCain had first been compromised by the Vietnamese, then recruited by the Soviets.”

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0821c.html

Of course, the Freepers will deny that any of this actually took place, the poor saps.

[Domitan]

27. Ah ha, not so far fetched!

Pls see my thread from a couple or so days ago:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2488670&mesg_id=2488670

[David Zephyr]

28. Of course, I predicted this back on September 21, 2005

I've held this belief for a long time and have posted so here at the DU in several posts (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2105864). However, there will be voices within Bush's inner circle that will counsel him that McCain is as a wild card to their agenda as Lieberman is to the Democrats. I don't think that old man Bush, James Baker and Karl Rove trust him at all.

The other scenario is the one that Dick Morris keeps floating: Condi Rice. Rice is a trusted member of Bush's inner circle, is waist deep in the many crimes committed by Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld and Gonzales. So they may opt to pick Condi, which would have the nod of Cheney, old man Bush and Baker and which would please Rove with it helping crack the Democrats hold on women and black voters.

If the decision is weighted for pure politics then it will be McCain.

If the decision is weighted to protect their legal asses, then it will be Condi.

I think that Cheney will be indicted by Fitzpatrick.

Here's what I wrote back in September:

---------------------


"Going Out On a Limb: Cheney Will Resign & McCain Becomes VP"

Dick Cheney is probably going to resign shortly "due to health issues", but more than likely because of the Plame Criminal Investigation thereby allowing George W. Bush and Karl Rove to:

1.) Quickly issue a blanket pardon to Cheney for any "potential" charges that he might be subjected to because 'after all, he has served our nation after the terrorist attacks against us on September 11th in 2001'.

2.) Senator John McCain --- who has been brown-nosing the President with such ass-kissing verve of late that he has taken the practice into a whole new art form --- will be appointed as Cheney's replacement. Quid Pro Quo? McCain can pardon Bush should it become necessary and McCain gets to be the immediate inside favorite for the GOP Primaries in 2008...and McCain agrees to select Governor Jeb Bush as his running mate to secure Florida's valuable electoral votes.

3.) The American Public get a "fresh" face in the Executive Branch.

October is the deadline for the Plame Grand Jury and I think that this is in the works already.

Call me crazy, but I was the lone voice here at the DU to call the 2002 Congressional Elections as a big GOP win.

I have nothing on earth to base this on, but a real hard gut feeling. I just can't get that photo of Bush celebrating with birthday cake and John McCain as the Katrina Hurricane was devastating New Orleans.

Is Cheney about to resign due to "health reasons" after his "loyal service to the American people"? I think it's likely.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2105864

[blm]

34. They can also be working to trade their asses to McCain for covering and

that is why so many Bush loyalists like McKinnon and Mehlman are siding with McCain early.

If McCain is surrounded by Bush loyalists, he will be more inclined to close the books or pardon the Bushies when needed.

[David Zephyr]

40. We agree completely.

John McCain has been given the "opportunity" the last six months to "prove himself loyal" to the Bush Family and to the Bush/Baker/Saudi Mafia. He's certainly been trying to earn that coveted VP position, hasn't he? His approval of the UAE takeover of the ports was immediate.

Still, even though I called it for McCain way back, I still read tea leaves pretty well, and I don't think that George W. Bush likes the idea of John McCain as his VP. And he is very stubborn as we all know. I think he would like to have Condi and she would love to be VP.

Whoever replaces Dick will have the immediate head-start on any challenger for the GOP nomination.

I think that in the end, Bush may be made to swallow a McCain VP position over his first choice of Rice.

The big question for me is how is Mrs. Cheney, the most ambitious woman in Washington, D.C. handling the Judas kiss by the Bush family? Not well. She may make them all pay like hell as did Martha Mitchell back in the 1970's.

It's going to be fun watching these crooks (and that's all that they really are) turn on each other.

[blm]

44. You're absolutely right. Bush is probably focusgrouping right now to get

to who will be the VP that gets his numbers up. The more unpopular his polls, the more he has to choose McCain. I don't think alot of the recent polls about McCain's acrosstheboard popularity just came up from a vacuum. They are INTENDED to back Bush into a corner, imo.

[Julius Civitatus]

30. McCain is NOT A MODERATE! -- The media call him a "moderate"

but it is NOT TRUE, just part of their GOP-approved script. McCain has never been a moderate, and his voting record in the senate is VERY CONSERVATIVE. And he has constantly positioned himself with his mouth up Dubya's butcheeks.

Please don't buy into the media myth that McCain is "moderate," he's not even consistent or reliable. Don't forget this beautiful love story:























These two need to get a room, for crissakes!!!!

Enough images to make "Brokeback Mountain 2: Passion at Rancho Pendejo"

[sendero]

38. LOL...

..."Brokeback Mountain 2: Passion at Rancho Pendejo" :) :) :)

[paineinthearse]

35. Thanks, W!

[aquart]

61. Where is McCain's hand?

[xkenx]

39. McCain is Bush's HO. No Dem. should give him a moment's consideration

This is from a post of a few months ago by Matt Stoller

More fun from liberal star John McCain:

Today, Senator John McCain is heading to Alabama to host a fundraiser for George Wallace Jr., who is running for Lieutenant Governor in a contested primary. Wallace has given four speeches in front of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a white supremacist group that was created from the mailing list of the old White Citizens Councils and has been identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as growing more openly "radical and racist" in recent years. However, Wallace claims he sees "nothing hateful" in the group which opposes interracial marriage, hate crime legislation, and "Afrocentric" education in schools. In 2000, McCain took George Bush to task for speaking at Bob Jones University without condemning their policy against interracial dating.
This is just like McCain backing Intelligent Design or his near perfect extreme record on abortion. No one really gets that he's cutting deals with crypto-racists and right-wing nuts, so he can present himself as a moderate reformer. He's not. He's two-faced. He'll cut deals with extremists, and then cut deals with moderates, telling everyone what they want to hear.

It IS past time for Democrats to stop thinking McCain is as close to being a Democrat as any Republican can ever be. Realize this: John McCain is a situational maverick -- that's precisely what has attracted so many Dems for so long. Very from being a moderate, this senator has a pretty solid conservative voting record -- and he has said all along: "The Republican Party is My Home." With distasteful-looking events such as his hugging Bush with both arms close around Bush's waist beside a podium, and supporting Arnold's recently-failed election propositions in TV ads in California, it's wise to remove those "rose-colored glasses" which gave you a pleasing political image of McCain when he did something with which you agreed. Consider gazing at the feisty GOP senator from these viewpoints: 1. He is now doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve the GOP presidential nomination against a whole raft of contenders. 2. If a Democrat helps support McCain in ANY way, he or she is already working against our own 2008 candidate and promoting the continuation of Republican-controlled government.

To add my own comments, McCain, the campaign finance reformer, campaigned with Arnold SchwarzeRENEGER for Arnold's misguided California state referenda, paid for with gobs of money from Arnold's big business backers. McCain! What a HO! PTUI

Just because the man says something reasonable once in a while does not make him a moderate. McCain make Richard Nixon look like a flaming "Librul." McCain would make Barry Goldwater look like a "Librul" too.

[Independent_Liberal]

42. Holy shit! I think my prediction is coming true!

And what about those rumors that Lieberman was going to replace Rumsfeld? I know Bush says he has no intentions of replacing Rumsfeld, but, as usual, we can't take everything he says for gospel. Ha! :)

[Norrin Radd]

43. He would probably get the squirrel and chimpmunk vote...

...unless he is for deforestation.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

46. McCain is an ass. He pretends to have a conscience and has none. nt

[NastyRiffraff]

48. We've got to start planning NOW...

How we're going to counter him when he runs in 2008, whether or not he's VP at the time.

We're preaching to the choir here on DU. The people we need to convince are the real moderates in the American electorate, who will probably be relieved that a "moderate" is running. Because that's what they've been fed, and McCain IS very good at playing a moderate on TV.

Save those Katrina/birthday cake pix, and the kissy-poos with Bush! But we'll need to fill in with the facts, like those listed above, and POUND it into the media EVERY TIME McCain's name comes up.

[Disturbed]

51. John McCain, Hypocrite

John McCain, Hypocrite
by Doug Ireland

John McCain, the media's darling, has found a clever way around his own campaign finance reform law to take big corporate bucks in furtherance of his political ambitions while carrying water for the corporate mammoth providing the dough. But the national press is ignoring the story.


The Associated Press first ran the story of John McCain's odorous but lucrative Senatorial service to the communications giant Cablevision on the afternoon of March 7. But, while some local papers in McCain's home state (like the East Valley Tribune) have run the story, nothing has as yet made it into the print editions of the New York Times, the L.A. Times, the Washington Post, or any of the half-dozen other big city dailies I checked (although, if one searches the hundreds of AP stories available on the Post's website on its Politics page by clicking on "Latest Wire Reports," one can find it there--but how many readers would bother to do that?) One notable exception: the Kansas City Star.


Here's what the AP's investigation found:


McCain repeatedly intervened on behalf of a policy Cablevision favored -- one which "congressional and private studies conclude could make cable more expensive" -- while his chief political adviser, Rick Davis (who's masterminding McCain's probable '08 presidential rerun) solicited $200,000 in contributions from Cablevision to an institute that promotes McCain and pays Davis a $110,000 annual salary.


The Reform Institute was set up to promote McCain and his issues--especially campaign finance reform, embodied in the famous McCain-Feingold law. This Institute is "a tax-exempt group that touts McCain's views and has showcased him at events since his unsuccessful 2000 presidential campaign," and it "often uses the senator's name in press releases and fund-raising letters and includes him at press conferences," the AP says. And, of course, it provides a cushy sinecure with no heavy lifting for McCain's main man, Davis, as he prepares the pontificating Senator's next presidential run. Cablevision's contributions account for a whopping 15% of the Institute's budget.


http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0309-35.htm

McCain hypocrisy:

The Bushification of John McCain

By Ari Melber, AlterNet. Posted November 15, 2005.

The bad blood between the two men has been infamous since 2000, when Bush's campaign lied about McCain's family and war service, and McCain told Bush to "get out of the gutter."

But during Bush's reelection in 2004, McCain strained to embrace his former rival -- literally. In their first joint appearance, they hugged dramatically before 6,000 soldiers at a Fort Lewis rally. Those events made for great campaign visuals. Yet while most Americans saw McCain's big heart, Republican leaders saw hungry ambition.

Rich Lowry, editor of the conservative magazine National Review, recently described that campaign bear hug as nothing but proof of "the senator's presidential ambitions." Lowry argues it's just part of McCain's scheme to get "the Right to stop loathing him." In targeted moves since the election, McCain has continued his Bushification by changing positions on conservative priorities like creationism, gay marriage and tax cuts.

As the costs of Hurricane Katrina mounted, McCain went on national television and told Chris Mathews the Bush tax cuts must be maintained. But McCain voted against those tax cuts.

In fact, he was one of only two Republicans to oppose Bush's signature 2001 tax cut. Given the surging costs of Katrina, Iraq and Medicare, there is no policy rationale for reversing his position now. The only rationale is political pandering. And that's exactly how some influential conservatives see it. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, recently said that although McCain has "flip-flopped on a number of issues," he is still "anti-taxpayer" because "he's voted against every tax cut."

Yet the mainstream media is so attached to McCain's maverick image, most journalists didn't cover the tax reversal.


http://www.alternet.org/story/28266 /

[burrowowl]

50. Never wondered about McCain

Always known he leans towards fascism.
I just can't believe all the posts on his being a 'good' candidate.

[TankLV]

52. McCain is the WORST kind of opportunist.

That anybody here could seriously consider supporting him would leave me to conclude that they are either repuke moles, idiots or worse.

[ChiciB1]

55. You Can See It All The Time... Even Though He Got Trashed

by the Bushies before, he sure knows how to kiss ass now!

[wiley]

56. Dooky McCain!

[Voltaire99]

57. "McCain outpolls some Democratic 2008 candidates among DEMOCRATS"!?

Not the kind of Democrats I know (or can stand).

They'd have nothing to do with this psychopathic war tart.

Which doesn't mean I can't envision Hillary and him on a ticket promising to invade Venezuela, reduce abortion, increase outsourcing, and give tax breaks to NASCAR drivers. With a whole lot of fools running behind them screaming that this means we're taking our country back.

[lillilbigone]

63. I don't think that's really true.

umm,,, who exactly are the 'Democratic 2008 candidates' referred to?

[Voltaire99]

67. Good question.

The Huffington Post didn't say. Curious after reading your post, I Googled and came up with nothing conclusive. There is, however, this from CBS News today:

"The George Washington University Battleground Poll conducted by Republican pollster Ed Goeas and Democratic pollster Celina Lake found that while the public is gloomy about almost every national politician — Democratic as well as Republican — John McCain has a 65 percent positive and an 18 percent negative rating."

It's possible Huffington is just going on approval ratings, not a great yardstick. But it doesn't seem terribly long of a stretch to believe that some Democrats are pro-McCain, does it? Not long ago, many Dems loved Colin Powell. Serious people would tell me, 'Oh, he's the only one I trust in that administration.' Pffft!

[ProSense]

58. The Useless McCain

Topics include:
McCain's impotent anti-torture bill
On McCain’s support of intelligent design being taught in schools
McCain’s slavish devotion to Dear Leader
McCain’s endorsement of the Protect Arizona Marriage Amendment
McCain’s endorsement of racist ninny George Wallace, Jr.
McCain’s batshit crazy attack on Senator Obama

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=571666&mesg_id=571666

[robbedvoter]

59. Anyone still wondering about McCain these days, needs to buy a clue

Some of my most frustrating moments on DU these past years where the mcCain/Powell threads. Every time these two committed a new attrocity/shilled again - DU'ers professed their "shock" - "I didn't expect this from him". Shows you what a powerful effect media can have on the impressionable.
How many facts does it take to map someone's character? (or lack of it). Geez, it's almost like the freepers attachment to W.

[blm]

64. That's what media does best - build up GOPs and tear down Dems

all based on lies, but convincing even some Dems by repeating the lie often enough.

[meowfire]

66. Has McCain always been this way?

Hi everyone. First post for me. Been lurking for a while... fascinating. Over the last few years my political views have changed dramatically as republicans have gotten an opportunity to display their leadership and show what they really stand for.

I always had a lot of respect for McCain... and Powell for that matter. I remember seeing McCain on the daily show quite some time ago... probably at least a year, and was incredibly impressed. But then I saw him on it again recently, and he seemed pompous and arrogant and one could just feel the bullshit emanating from his performance as he praised Bush for the war on terror and embraced current policies. I was left perplexed. Has McCain always been this way? Or has something changed? Powell seemed the same way as well... but then of all things the guy decides to stick his nose the wiretapping issue and support the president... /boggle.

I'm inclined to think supposed moderates such as these two have shifted or been corrupted by the current climate... but maybe I'm wrong?

[midnight]

68. Hi Meowfire

Very thoughtful first post. I too have been reading the posts at DU for some time before I posted. I also do not know what to think of McCain's embracing of Bush and eating cake why people are suffering. Especially since McCain was a prisoner of war.

[karynnj]

70. Interesting question - that I (and most people here)

might really have been too partisan to answer

I don't really understand the McCain phenomena. There have always been contradictions to the sainted image he was given by the press. He clearly was able to enchant the media. It might be the POW saga. How this morphed into the straight talking express is beyond me - because there are times where his actions haven't met his words.

I think "straight talking" has to be code for something other than honesty. You hear no one speaking of Kerry as straight talking - though he is intensely honest. It seems to be the willingness to be frank and apparently open with the press. His friendly relationship with them causes them to not call him on apparent discrepancies between what he says and reality.

One thing that is very hard to explain is the number of Democratic Senators who seem to have very positive relationships with him. This is still the case after he absolutely abused his friendship with Kerry. McCain is a Republican and it may sense that he campaigned for Bush. I actually think that McCain missed an opportunity to define his own character. If at the RNC he would have demanded that everyone take off the purple heart band aids because of the disrespect to servicemen. (No mention of Kerry,no tying it to Bush, just real values) If this were turned around and a prominent Democrat would have done some like this it would still be an issue.

The real question is whether the media will show any of McCain's flaws. Looking at recent times, I'm not optimistic. They took a spoiled, nasty, hot tempered, Bush who had a very obvious mean streak and turned him into the sunny Christian leader who would be a good guest at a bar-b-que. McCain is far easier to portray as a good guy.

[mdmc]

69. mccain for veep! a very smart move on the gop's part

THAT is how you play politics! That is off the chart SMART!