Thursday, October 23, 2008

McCain Blames Bush For His Campaign's Collapse But Is He Being Honest With Himself?

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Almost daily we're hearing how McCain "blames" Palin for his death march to political oblivion. I doubt it. Blaming Palin means buying in to what every serious McCain detractor from both sides of the aisle has been saying: McCain's poor judgment and cynicism-- for selecting her in the first place-- make him unfit for the presidency. So who does he blame for his sinking poll numbers and what is shaping up to be the biggest disaster for the Republican Party since the last time a senator from Arizona headed the national ticket? Bush, of course, his old nemesis.

Yesterday on the Double Talk Express, he granted an interview to a couple of friendly reporters from the Moonie Times. He "lashed out at a litany of Bush policies and issues that he said he would have handled differently as president," neglecting to mention he supported almost every single one of them in the Senate. Consistently refusing to take any responsibility for his own rejection by the voters, McCain "blasted President Bush for building a mountain of debt for future generations, failing to pay for expanding Medicare and abusing executive powers, leveling his strongest criticism to date of an administration whose unpopularity may be dragging the Republican Party to the brink of a massive electoral defeat." None of the crowing about how he voted for 90% of Bush's agenda.



No, McCain wasn't talking about how he turned himself into a virtual rubber stamp for Bush-Cheney, especially in the most recent years, when he racked up a disgraceful and shockingly extremist voting record to the right of lunatic fringe senators like Larry Craig (R-ID), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC). The handful of senators to the right of McCain are the bizarre extremists and neo-Confederate obstructionists like David Vitter (R-LA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Miss McConnell (R-KY), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), John Cornyn (R-TX), James Inhofe (R-OK)... mostly the worst trash in Congress several of whom are in jeopardy of losing their seats in two weeks. Instead, it was all Bush's fault.
"Spending, the conduct of the war in Iraq for years, growth in the size of government, larger than any time since the Great Society, laying a $10 trillion debt on future generations of America, owing $500 billion to China, obviously, failure to both enforce and modernize the [financial] regulatory agencies that were designed for the 1930s and certainly not for the 21st century, failure to address the issue of climate change seriously."

Were the lobbyists who run the campaign not certain that the Moonies would let it all pass without reminding the brittle and nasty senator that he voted for every one of these things he's now blaming on his political demise, they would never have been granted the interview. He also took the opportunity to blame the GOP in general for his woes and to lash out on the one person in America who is even less liked than Bush: Cheney. "I don't agree with Dick Cheney's allegation that he's part of both the legislative and the executive branch." (Perhaps he should explain that to ignorant and unqualified his running mate.)
"I think, frankly, the problem was, with a Republican Congress, that the president was told by the speaker and majority leaders and others, 'Don't veto these bills, we need this pork, we need this excess spending, we need to grow these bureaucracies.' They all sponsor certain ones. And he didn't do what Ronald Reagan used to and say, 'No'; say, 'No. We're not going to do this.'"

Presumably he had a little memory thing about what he's been doing for the last few decades. Most voters, on the other hand, know full well that the problems caused by the corporately-dominated Republican Congress can all be blamed on McCain as easily as on Bush and any other Republican in Congress. And this morning's CongressDaily has some of the worst news about voter retribution for Republicans so far. Even Inside the Beltway, an awareness is building that a political tsunami is headed right towards the Capitol. Looking two and a half weeks into the future, one Republican strategist declared flatly that "It's going to be a bad night." How bad?

Republicans are desperately trying to cling to red districts where Republican incumbents are resigning but almost every single one of them is trending towards Democratic challengers. Worse yet, Republican incumbents trying to stay in Congress-- a toxic mixture of extremists and rubber stamps like Marilyn Musgrave, Ric Keller, Robin Hayes, Sam Graves, Tim Walberg, Steve Chabot, the Diaz-Balart Brothers, Joe Knollenberg, Dave Reichert, Randy Kuhl, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Mean Jean Schmidt, Dana Rohrabacher, Michele Bachmann-- are polling poorly and sinking rapidly.
"It's hard to change the dynamic of a race in the last 14 days," said one Republican strategist, who criticized the NRCC for not moving earlier to funnel more money to less expensive media markets where Republican incumbents are in unexpectedly difficult races. "It's just baffling the way they're spending this," the strategist said last week.

As evidence of the souring GOP fortunes, The Cook Political Report recently changed ratings for 25 districts, all indicating Democratic momentum. Republicans have suffered a toxic combination of a financial market meltdown, a referendum on the unpopular Bush, anemic fundraising and an increasing number of candidates enduring self-inflicted wounds.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee plans to spend $1 million against Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who said on MSNBC's "Hardball" late last week that the Democratic presidential candidate, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, "may have anti-American views" and suggested that "the news media should do a penetrating exposé" to determine whether some members of Congress are "anti-America."

The Cook Political Report changed Bachmann's race from leaning in her favor to being a toss-up and now rates six Democratic seats and 25 Republican seats in the toss-up category. Cook now projects Democrats will gain 20 to 25 seats in the House.

Cook is the most notorious lagging indicator of all the out-of-touch Inside-the-Beltway prognosticators. If they're saying the Democrats will gain 20-25 seats, it means that with a strong effort the DCCC could confidently expect over 30, possibly 40 seats. As of September 30 the NRCC had $17.4 million in the bank to the DCCC's $41.3 million. If the DCCC doesn't waste it chasing nominal Democrats from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- as Emanuel did in 2006 and is demanding they do again-- they will win close races for real Democrats who will support Obama's agenda for change, instead of supporting GOP-Blue Dog agenda for obstruction (of which Emanuel is expected to be an integral component).

I was glad to read in today's Miami Herald that instead of wasting her time and energy trying to save Republican-in-Democrat's-clothing Tim Mahoney from certain defeat, Nancy Pelosi is working to elect progressives Annette Taddeo, Alan Grayson and Joe Garcia and some moderates.

Congressional Republicans are blaming McCain for their impending doom and McCain is blaming congressional Republicans. It's funny because there is no difference between any of them. And appalled Republicans from across the country are experiencing unparalleled waves of disgust for McCain, Palin and the whole party. Just this morning Arne Carlson a much-respected former governor of Minnesota-- and a lifelong Republican and a real maverick-- endorsed Obama.
Carlson said Thursday that the Illinois senator's stances on the Iraq war, the economy and green energy goals won him over. Carlson, who served from 1991 to 1998, also cited recent comments by GOP Congresswoman Michele Bachmann questioning whether politicians have "pro-America or anti-America views."

"Regardless of our party, regardless of our partisan inclinations, there is no interest more compelling than the interest in the well-being of the United States," Carlson said at a gathering of Obama supporters at the state Capitol.

And, of course, it isn't just the rantings and ravings of far right lunatic extremists Michele Bachmann and Robin Hayes who are turning independents and moderate Republicans off. All across the country right-wing extremists and bigots are being forced to step down from the McCain campaign and from the Republican Party apparatus for... well, for basically following Palin crackpot themes, but just going a step or two over the line. One maniac GOP leader in California's Inland Empire, Diane Fedele, was forced to resign today after the viciously racist campaign she was leading against Obama was exposed to the public.

Earlier this week, Barbara Lorman, the first woman ever elected to the Wisconsin state Senate and another lifelong Republican, said that McCain's negative campaign had so disgusted her that she has decided to vote for Obama. No, she isn't eshewing McCain because of George Bush; she's endorsing Obama because he is clearly a better candidate and because McCain is running a disgraceful and dishonest campaign. Like all serious-minded Republicans, she is also horrified at the prospect of Sarah Palin becoming president. "I certainly would not put my trust in Sarah Palin. She is a terrible choice because she is not qualified, and the vice president is a heartbeat away. She may be a fast learner, but that is not enough to be president of the United States."

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10 Comments:

At 3:41 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

To all;

I urge you to set aside all petty and frivolous discussions about parties and representation in the Congress and Senate. The legislature has betrayed all of us on both sides of the Isle. They prey on your sensitivities and go the lowest common denominator. They treat us like infants in common parlour games. Not one of the leaders today has spoken to America as adults and the economic c & social consequences of their actions.

PLEASE VOTE. Urge your friends and family to vote. Vote for anyone who is not an incumbent. No Exceptions! Throw all the bums out and then perhaps we will get people who will serve the interests of the country and return to the fundamentals of our constitution. There is much on the knifes edge. Our childrens’ future and generational financial security is in play. Throw the incumbents all out. God will know his own.

Charles L. Nunu
US Citizen

Pass this to the next 100 million voters.

 
At 5:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting, well-written piece. Thanks for bringing the Washington Times interview to my attention. I don't read that right-wing rag and hadn't seen any mention of the article on the Web.

I have one small bone to pick: I cringed at your use of the word "trash" to describe ultra-conservative members of congress. While I find their positions on many issues despicable, I believe using personally demeaning terms like that only contributes to the poionsous atmosphere that permeates political discourse right now. If Rep. Bachmann--or even a Washington Times columnist--used that word to describe, say, Ted Kennedy, I think we'd all be up in arms. I think your post would have been as effective--actually more effective--if you had kept the tone civil. Isn't that one of the things we all like about Barack Obama, that he doesn't get down in the mud with McCain?

 
At 8:08 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Republican Party is just a bunch of white racists. It is filled with a bunch of Angry White Guys (and Gals) who think the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration Act ruined America because it made it a lot harder for whites from Ireland, England, France, Germany, Italy, etc. to immigrate to the U.S. and made it a lot easier for the Chinese, Indians, Jamaicans, Mexicans, Egyptians, etc. to immigrate to the U.S. What these racists don't GET is that the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration Act (Thank You Senator Ted Kennedy) greatly increased Diversity in the U.S. which has made OUR Nation stronger and a much more multicultural place to live. Before 1965 Whites of European descent made up 88% of the U.S. population. Now whites only make up 65% of the U.S. population and by 2042 they will only make up 49% of the population. By 2100 Whites of European descent will only make up about 30% of the U.S. population and also by the year 2100 only 3% of the World Population will be White. The 2008 Election is just a turning point in American History though. By the end of this century white Europeans will be out of power in the United States(FINALLY!) and then we can get REAL Affirmative Action and REAL Reparations. The World is Flat. The white racist Republicans just don't seem to get it!

 
At 8:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

He voted with Bush 90% of the time.
McCain also wants to tax our Health and Welfare that is provided by employers.
He also wants to keep giving the tax breaks that Bush has given the wealthy.
His campaign needs to collapse, the public has been out to lunch twice, this is enough.
McCain is just more of the same.

 
At 3:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I cringed at your use of the word "trash" to describe ultra-conservative members of congress.

I disagree. It is time to start noting that the emperor has no clothes. Those people are trash-and they need to be taken to the curb and hauled away.

I stood with Cindy in Crawford and was called far far worse. Lately me and my kind have been described as UN-American by these nut bags.

Yeah, Obama has convinced me that the worst of these duesch-bags shouldn't be shot in the head and their families billed for the bullet. But there is no need for civility towards those who put party over country.

Truth and reconciliation hearings at a minimum. I respect your propensity for restraint. It an admirable trait. But the other side went way to far. There will be no forgetting and no forgiving from this quarter.

 
At 6:19 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who is the real McCain?

His treatment of Veterans is unbelievable and inhuman. One soldier this month was on The Rachael Maddow Show explained how he treats soldiers, they gave him a “D” rating.

His very close friend is also a friend of Bill Ayers and it appears he is also a member of Palin’s radical groups.

http://www.usvetdsp.com/feb08/mccain_trust.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27062761/
http://www.usvetdsp.com/oct08/mccain_kiet.htm
http://www.usvetdsp.com/nov07/mccain_deceit.htm
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan08/mccain_military_record.htm

Who are these American haters Palin has close ties with? She said “keep up the good work”. She uses her same phase when she is told to fire someone (“budget cut”). Here is some interesting information that may explain Michelle Bachmans’ question and promised political climb behind the scene.

All of the following information was found on salon.com.

Great reading!!!

This will answer the question regarding American haters and more:

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index.html
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/07/palins_unamerican/index.html
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/10/alaska_secession/index.html

 
At 7:36 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

THE PERFECT STORM FOR A DEPRESSION ...
A far left Media ...
A far left President ...
A far left Congress ...
A far left Senate ...
A far left Supreme Court ...
This would eliminate all the checks and
balances that our democracy is based upon.
Barack Obama formed his political and economic
ideology, and his radical associations, during the
TWENTY YEARS ... yes, that's TWENTY YEARS ... when
he followed Marxist Black Liberation Theology, in
Jeremiah Wright's anti-American, racist church.
And, now, with our country on the brink of depression,
Obama wants to impose new laws which would change
America into a third world country.
You may be upset with George Bush, but in spite
of Obama's slogans, John McCain is NOT George Bush ...
so don't over react to Obama's 600 million dollar
Propaganda campaign designed to highjack America !!!
A vote for Obama is a vote for changing America beyond
recognition ... and, it would be a vote for voter fraud,
a corrupt media, socialism, and the end to America as we know it.
Keep America free, strong, safe, and American ...
Elect McCain/Palin on November 4th.

 
At 10:26 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

can somebody let me know which wealth is mccain talking about when the whole world is rocking wit this monster of an economic crises.We are in a global village mccain !!
jerry.

 
At 6:38 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whom to Vote?
Yes, we are very close to the presidential election. The politician are distributing the golden dreams and saying that they are fighting for you and me. We have seen enough ideologies, and political slogan for many years. Yes, we must not make a mistake choosing the wrong leadership. With a few good leaders, we have where we are now today.

We talk so much about one party and another party. I am not sure if being in one party or another party really shapes anybody's inner quality. If we can identify a candidate who has the better inner quality, I think that person will land us in better place under his or her leadership. If we could identify more hardworking, sincere, and positive attitude in these candidates, it will be much easier to decide whom to vote. Maybe we should judge these candidates based on what kind of leadership tools they poses. Which one is most hardworking? Which one has positive attitude? Which one can learn instantly? Most probably least appreciated but most valuable tool can be the instinct, the gut, the inner strength in them

How to find it?

One way is to review their past: How hard did they work? How willing were they to learn more? What have they done ? How nicely did they manage their team? How sincere were they?

Good luck in your attempt to find your best candidate to vote, I am still questioning myself,I am not sure yet.
http://www.ordinaryway.com/view.htm

 
At 8:16 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Honesty? They do not speak that language.

 

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