McCain makes nice with Falwell, angers gays

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.azcentral.com/blogs/index.php?blog=85&title=mccain_makes_nice_with_falwell_angers_ga&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1&blogtype=Pluggedin

"I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass."
-- The late Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., in 1981, responding to Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell's complaints about the nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court.


The revelation that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will speak at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in May has sparked outrage in the national gay press. snip

Of course, there's a lot of irony in McCain's pandering to Falwell. As part of a disastrous Southern strategy during the 2000 Republican primaries, McCain famously dissed Falwell as an "agent of intolerance."


From a CNN.com transcript that includes McCain's Feb. 28, 2000, remarks:

I am a pro-life, pro-family fiscal conservative, an advocate of a strong defense, and yet Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and a few Washington leaders of the pro-life movement call me an unacceptable presidential candidate. They distort my pro- life positions and smear the reputations of my supporters.

Why? Because I don't pander to them, because I don't ascribe to their failed philosophy that money is our message.

. . . The political tactics of division and slander are not our values. They are corrupting influences on religion and politics, and those who practice them in the name of religion or in the name of the Republican Party or in the name of America shame our faith, our party and our country.

Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right.

[NanceGreggs]

1. Why? Because I don't pander to them!

Boy, those were the days, eh, Mr. McCain?

[Erika]

2. Yep. I gave him $50

Won't happen again.

[NanceGreggs]

3. I'd demand a refund ...

... wasn't he advertising his 'wares' under false pretenses?

[Erika]

5. I love his prepaid postage envelopes

I return them fully loaded with anti-Gop literature. McCain was a total sell out. He hugged and endorsed the man (W) who put hit pieces thru the Arizona Republic on McCain's family.

McCain is just another GOP sick s.o.b.

[NanceGreggs]

12. Hey, the 'stuffing the envelopes' idea is great!

And I hear ya! McCain is worse than a sell-out. He's become the Judas Goat of his party, leading the sheeple to the GOP slaughterhouse.

[rpannier]

4. Just out of curiosity

How is Farrakhan on the left? He's anti-gay and as far as I know anti-choice. He promotes many ultra-conservative Islamist ideals. How is that far left?

[Erika]

6. He's closer to Falwell and W than he is any democrat

in his intolerance and rigidity.

[w13rd0]

7. Actually...

...within the past two years, Farrakhan has dramatically "softened" his stance on social issues...

[JohnnyJ]

8. I guess McCain's planning on running for prez.....

you have to pander to the far-right if you want to have any hope of winning in that party.

[fishwax]

10. exactly right--problem for him being

that the reason he was such a popular bipartisan figure in 2000 was because he was talking shit about falwell back then ... when he gets done kissing the sacred asses of the religious right, moderate voters won't be nearly so enthusiastic.

[newyawker99]

11. Hi JohnnyJ!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[JohnnyJ]

13. Thank you for the warm welcome new yawker :) n/t

[Hubert Flottz]

9. What's green and slimy and slick on the trigger?

Mucous McCain and he's seeking Jerry Foulwill out because he's worried about his political soul. Hugger of BushCo, kisser of asses from coast to coast and spineless, flip flopping, neocon at heart. Maybe he thinks that Jerry can heal that jellyfish like backbone of his and resurrect his now flabby asskisser political image. I don't think McCain would make a good pResident of the county dog pound, but the republican majority on the Supreme Court and Jerry Foulwill, may not see McCain the way I see him. A shadow of his former political self and a still greenish, drying, discarded, political booger on the republi-con wall of shame.

Bush was the best the republicans had to offer America in 2000 and McCain was a far distant second. That should tell America a hell of a lot!

[geniph]

14. I have lost the last lingering vestiges of respect for this man

he will do anything, pander to anyone, bend over for Bu$h and his evil cabal anytime, just in the desperate hopes of getting the repuke nomination in '08.

[central scrutinizer]

15. John "I will always hate gooks" McCain knows a thing or two

about intolerance. Sounds perfect.