IN JOHN McCAIN'S DARK WORLD THERE IS NO FUTURE-- WHICH IS WHY HE HAS THE SENATE'S WORST VOTING RECORD ON CHILDREN'S ISSUES

A few days ago the nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters ranked every member of Congress. There were seven members of the Senate that scored zeroes. Six are garden variety right-wing psychopaths who are expected to score zeroes on anything that is life affirming and rational: Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Kit Bond (R-MO), Thad Cochran (R-MS), John Cornyn (R-TX), David "Diapers" Vitter (R-LA), and Pat Roberts (R-KS). The seventh zero went to a senator who tries very hard to pass himself off as moderate and independent. He doesn't actually do anything moderate of independent-- except for show and tell at wide intervals-- but the media never seems to notice and they just persist in labeling him moderate and independent. That would be John McCain, anti-environmental extremist... just like Jim Inhofe.

Yesterday another nonpartisan organization, the Children's Defense Fund, released it's annual look at our congressmen and women and ranked them. McCain didn't get a zero-- but no senator had a zero; McCain managed to get the worst score in the U.S. Senate, even worse this time than psychopathic extremist Jim Inhofe. McCain rated a 10%, the only senator from either party with a score that low! Even far right fanatics Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Diapers (R-LA) each scored 20%. But if you've been listening to McCain ranting and raving recently, you already know he isn't thinking about anything to do with the future; he seems obsessed with gloom and death and misery.

In the House, on the other hand, McCain had some peers, radical right congressmen who ranked as miserably as he did (9 even did worse). The House's worst children haters-- almost all of whom, of course, are looking for re-election in November-- are Denny Hastert (retired), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Barbara Cubin (retiring), Tom Tancredo (retiring), Charlie Norwood (R-GA), Ron Paul (R-TX), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Howard Coble (R-NC), Paul Broun (R-GA), Todd Akin (R-MO), Gresham Barrett (R-SC), Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Sam Johnson (R-TX), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Mike Pence (R-IN), Tom Price (R-GA), Ed Royce (R-CA), Bill Sali (R-ID), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Lynn Westmoreland (R-NC), Randy Neugeauer (R-TX), Gary Miller (R-CA), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Connie Mack (R-FL), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Kenny Marchant (R-TX), James Jordan (R-OH), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Dan Burton (R-IN), Dave Weldon (retiring), John Campbell (R-CA), Charles Boustany (R-LA), John Doolittle (going to prison), Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and John Culberson (R-TX).

The rankings were based on 10 votes that strongly impacted American children:

1. Increase minimum wage (H.R. 2)
2. Increase funding for children with disabilities (S. Con. Res. 21)
3. Protect children from unsafe medications (S. 1082)
4. 2008 Budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 21)
5. SCHIP Reauthorization (H.R. 976)
6. College Cost Reduction and Access Act (H.R. 2669)
7. SCHIP (H.R. 976 - motion to concur)
8. DREAM Act (S. 2205)
9. Funding child health and education (H.R. 3043)
10. Improving Head Start programs (H.R. 1429)

GEORGE WILL ON McCAIN'S TOWERING MORAL VANITY

And it isn't only nonpartisan issue-oriented organizations warning us about the inapropriateness of a McCain presidency. George Will, the arch-conservative columnist, in today's Washington Post:

Although his campaign is run by lobbyists; and although his dealings with lobbyists have generated what he, when judging the behavior of others, calls corrupt appearances; and although he has profited from his manipulation of the taxpayer-funding system that is celebrated by reformers -- still, he probably is innocent of insincerity. Such is his towering moral vanity, he seems sincerely to consider it theoretically impossible for him to commit the offenses of appearances that he incessantly ascribes to others.

Such certitude is, however, not merely an unattractive trait. It is disturbing righteousness in someone grasping for presidential powers.