McCAIN'S CANDIDACY WHEEZING AND LIFELESS-- NOT UNLIKE HIS POLITICAL PARTY

McCain should never have been the front-runner. He was always too old, too Manchurian, too corrupt, too right-wing, too confused, and, without the kind of support inside the GOP that would allow him to exploit his undeserved reputation as a moderate and an independent among low-information voters. Will he be the first of the 10 (or 11) elderly, white dwarves to pull out of the GOP presidential race? Well, donors certainly aren't giving him any money, despite the fact that he's spending more time chasing dough and promising the world than all the other candidates combined.

Someone trying to win a general election, by appealing to independent voters and moderates, is up against an almost impossible task in winning the extremist-dominated GOP nomination process-- unless, of course, they have no bedrock values or scruples whatsoever like, for example, a certain Mormon candidate whose name usually follows the word "flop." McCain was just overwhelmed by the balancing act and most observers think he'll be out of the race before the end of the year. Of course, being generally perceived as the "Bush candidate" isn't exactly helpful at this moment either.

I bet McCain wishes he had switched parties when he had a chance in 2004. Here is how he's being treated by his party after all those years and years of service:



And that doesn't even get into the fact that he's running for the nomination of a party seen by more and more Americans that not only governed abymally when they had the chance but is now nothing but the Grand Obstructionist Party.

• Senate Republicans have obstructed almost every bill in the Senate-- even ones with wide bipartisan support.
• So far, in the first half of the first session of the 110th Congress, there have been THIRTEEN cloture votes on motions to proceed - each one wasting days of Senate time.  (110th Congress, Roll Call Votes #44, 51, 53, 74, 129, 132, 133, 162, 173, 207, 208, 227, and 228)
• In comparison, in the first sessions of the 108th and 109th Congresses combined, there were a total of FOUR cloture votes on motions to proceed.


EIGHT times Republican obstruction tactics slowed critical legislation

• Fulfilling the 9/11 Commission Recommendations (Passed 97-0, Roll Call Vote #53)
• Improving security at our courts ( Passed 93-3, Roll Call Vote #133)
• Water Resources Development Act (Passed 89-7, Roll Call Vote #162)
• A joint resolution to revise U.S. policy in Iraq (Passed 89-9, Roll Call Vote, #74)
• Comprehensive Immigration Reform (Passed 69-23, Roll Call Vote #173)
• Comprehensive Immigration Reform (Passed 64-35, Roll Call Vote #228)
• CLEAN Energy Act ( Passed 91-0, Roll Call Vote #208)
• Funding for the Intelligence Community (Passed 94-3, Roll Call Vote #129) 


FOUR times Republicans blocked legislation from being debated

• Senate Republicans blocked raising the minimum wage. (54-43, Roll Call Vote #23)
• Senate Republicans blocked ethics reforms (Rejected 51-46, Roll Call Vote #16)
• Senate Republicans blocked comprehensive immigration reform (Rejected 45-50, Roll Call Vote #206)
• Senate Republicans blocked funding for renewable energy (Rejected 57-36, Roll Call Vote #223)


FOUR times Republicans stopped bills from reaching a vote

• Senate Republicans blocked funding for the intelligence community.  ( Rejected 41-40, Roll Call Vote #130)
• Senate Republicans blocked raising the minimum wage. (54-43, Roll Call Vote #23)
• Senate Republicans blocked ethics reforms (Rejected 51-46, Roll Call Vote #16)
• Senate Republicans blocked funding for renewable energy (Rejected 57-36, Roll Call Vote #223)


TWICE Republicans blocked bills from going to conference

• Senate Republicans blocked appointing conferees on the 9/11 Commission Recommendations (6/26/07)
• Senate Republicans blocked appointing conferees on ethics reform ( 6/26/07)