I Am Very Disappointed That I'm Not Cool (or Big) Enough to be Spammed!

Via Ezra:

The Washington Post reports
that the McCain campaign is offering
its supporters "points" -- redeemable for awesome McCain-themed prizes! -- if
they go and spread the campaign's message on message boards, blog comment
sections, web sites, and anywhere else that free expression is tolerated.

Oy! I better prepare myself for an influx of trolls. Except ...

... if you'd like to become part of the McCain action team, go here
for some suggested blogs to spam and today's talking points. Did you know, for
instance, that "John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan that will create
millions of good American jobs, ensure our nation's energy security, get the
government's budget and spending practices in order, and bring relief to
American consumers?" And be careful! "The web, blog and news sites listed here
are a sample of political sites that you may post comments on.

I'm not one of the kewl kidz on the list of wacked out librulz. Sigh ...

The Disgrace That Is the GOP

Jesus! Are you kiding me? Are you fucking kidding me?



This pathetic piece of trash would be the laughingstock of Youtube. What a disgrace the GOP has become. An utter disgrace.

McCain and His Elitist Supporters Think You are Stupid

The Fiscal Conservative flip-flops:

He went a step farther Sunday with his reponse on a nationally televised talk show to a question about payroll tax increases.

"There is nothing that's off the table. I have my positions, and I'll articulate them. But nothing's off the table," McCain said. "I don't want tax increases. But that doesn't mean that anything is off the table."

That comment drew a strong response Monday from the Club for Growth, a Washington anti-tax group. McCain's comments, the group said in a letter to the Arizona senator, are "shocking because you have been adamant in your opposition to raising taxes under any circumstances."

Indeed, McCain frequently has promised not to raise taxes.

At a July 7 town-hall meeting in Denver, he said voters faced a stark choice between him and Democrat Barack Obama.

"Sen. Obama will raise your taxes," McCain said. "I won't."

In a March 16 interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, McCain said he would cut taxes where possible, and not raise them.

"Do you mean none?" Hannity asked.

"None," McCain replied.

In other words, when its convenient he will tell you he won't raise your taxes. When he's pressed he admits it may be a possibility. Beware the Republican tax raiser. His rich friends and supporters won't feel it the way you feel it. For his elitist wealthy friends its one less new Mercedes. For the rest of us it could make the difference in whether or not you can make that mortgage payment. Better hope the price of dog food doesn't go through the roof.

Obama is honest and forthright. It doesn't bother him in the least to tell McCain's wealthy elitist supporters and friends that they may have to put off buying that new vacation home in Aruba.

McCain's "Gay Darkie" Problem

This McCain misstep may not be such a little deal. At least not to anyone who gives a shit about race relations in this country.

Meanwhile, the McCain campaign has just named Hamilton County prosecutor Joe Deters as its local chair, a move which has already caused Ohio Democratic State Chair Chris Redfern to issue a denunciation.

Evidently McCain can’t remember why Deters might be the wrong guy for any position in his campaign.

McCain’s appearance in Cincinnati, shopping for Black votes, finds him steeped in controversy through the company kept by his local representative.

Back in February, McCain distanced himself from comments made by local radio personality Willie Cunningham. Cunningham kept referring to “Barack Hussein Obama,” which made national headlines. He later stated he was encouraged “to throw some red meat to the crowd… To get the crowd on their feet and get them happy.” Guess who made that suggestion? Joe Deters.

Read the entire post and the linked articles. Is this what we want from our President? I do not believe for one second that McCain is a racist. But his campaign (and by extension himself) don’t seem to be able to avoid people of questionable backgrounds. Is it just bad luck? Is it coincidence, or has McCain turned a blind eye to these sorts of things? Didn’t he just go through a few other SNAFU’s with Gramm, and then prior to that with other surrogates and staffers saying stupid things and/or having questionable ties to outfits that would contradict McCains stated policy positions?

Taken as a whole these lapses in judgment by McCain and his campaign should start taking a toll on his prospects for winning in November. But, alas, the press will have to remove their lips from his dick long enough to take notice.

My friends, the liberal media indeed. Well, I’m off the plaster the neighborhood with Che Guevara posters.

The Real McCain, Ctd

As has been previously reported (by others) and linked to here at TGP we know John McCain is a champion of the Right Wings version of Family Values. Now the LA Times reports that McCain has been less than forthcoming about how his first marriage ended and when his relationship with the current Mrs. McCain began.

Carol McCain later told friends, including Reynolds and Fitzwater, that she did not know he was seeing anyone else.

John McCain sued for divorce in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., where his friend and fellow former POW, George E. "Bud" Day, practiced law and could represent him.

We now know that one of the chief instigators and funders of the Swift Boat Veterans cabal is willing to represent liars and cheats as long as their name happens to be John McCain. Whole lot of them are a fucking disgrace.



(h/t HuffPo)

Oy! McCain's moving target for withdrawal from Iraq

What McCain and Dukakis have in common

John McCain and the diminutive Mike Dukakis are both 5'6". The NY Times mentioned it the other day in a report about his challenges with the teleprompter.

He is ill-suited to lecterns, which often dwarf his small stature, and he tends to sound as if he is reading his lines, not speaking them. His shortcomings have been accentuated in a two-man race, particularly because the other man — Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee — can often dazzle on stage.

Oy! Dwarf? Shortcomings? Comedy lives! But I'm a little "short" on breath after laughing so hard. Can Randy Newman be too far away?

Meet the Real John McCain

Whoa.

Ted Sampley, who fought with US Special Forces in Vietnam and is now a leading campaigner for veterans’ rights, said: ‘I have been following John McCain’s career for nearly 20 years. I know him personally. There is something wrong with this guy and let me tell you what it is – deceit.

Equal parts womanizing opportunist and war hero.

But Ross Perot, who paid her medical bills all those years ago, now believes that both Carol McCain and the American people have been taken in by a man who is unusually slick and cruel – even by the standards of modern politics.

‘McCain is the classic opportunist. He’s always reaching for attention and glory,’ he said.

‘After he came home, Carol walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history.’

McCain Flip Flop Alert

John Amato points out that McCain admitted he would probably be to old to run for President in 2008. Of course, that was in 2000 so it doesn't count.

Maverick McCain

He still doesn't understand the internets, does he?

All Kinds of Awesome!

Is John McCain trying to capture some Huckmentum?

Bush's Third Term

Looks like its going to be a tough year for the Republicans if Charlie Black thinks this is even remotely true:

The McCain camp thinks so — but only if he sands down the “R” next to his name. “Nobody ever gets elected president by running on their party label,” said Charlie Black, a senior McCain adviser. “The character, the qualities, the independence — that certainly allows him to rise over the party label. It is more important than usual to rise above the party label.”

If Republicans think that they need to avoid running on their brand then they know how much trouble they are in. They sound like the Democrats in '00, '02, and '04. Tought times for the supporters of the Bush dynasty.

McCain and Hagee

John McCain sought out this man's endorsement. He got it.

Clinton-McCain Axis of Likemindedness

The Clinton-McCain Tax Holiday Scam is the first time Senator Clinton has jumped on the McCain bandwagon. She agreed with his first Stay-In-Iraq-Forever plan back in 2005. Parisgnome has the story at GOS.

Sen. CLINTON: If I could just add to what Senator Graham said, because I think it's really important we underscore this.

Senator McCain made the point earlier today, which I agree with, and that is, it's not so much a question of time when it comes to American military presence for the average American; I include myself in this.

But it is a question of casualties. We don't want to see our young men and women dying and suffering these grievous injuries that so many of them have.

We've been in South Korea for 50-plus years. We've been in Europe for 50-plus. We're still in Okinawa with respect to protection there coming out of World War II. You know, we have been in places for very long periods of time.

Obama's Trifecta

In a speech before an Indiana crowd responding to the phony gas tax pander:

Meanwhile, Obama once again stated his opposition to such a holiday while also campaigning in Indiana. “This isn’t a real solution. This is a gimmick,” he said. “And this is what Washington does whenever there’s a big problem. They pretend that they’re solving it to try to get though a political season but they don’t really solve it. And unfortunately, after John McCain made the proposal ,I guess Sen. Clinton thought it was gonna poll well, so she said, ‘Me too, I’ll do the same thing.’ and so now it’s the McCain-Clinton proposal to suspend the gas tax.

Ouch! Thats going to leave a mark.

He then said, “You know people are more concerned about looking good for the cameras and for politics than they are at actually solving problems. You remember when George Bush five years ago put up a big sign in front of an aircraft carrier saying ‘Mission accomplished’ in Iraq. I’m sure they thought that was good politics. Except five years later we’re still in this war in Iraq.”

And Obama wins the trifecta smackdown!

Defining John McCain: He's more conservative than his image

Mike Lux has a very fine post at Open Left about the necessity for Democrats to begin the process of defining John McCain.

This is an absolutely critical period of time in the Presidential - the spring of a Presidential election year, when a nominee is already picked, is always the moment when the dynamics of voters feelings about the candidate get defined, and the frame of the race is cast in - if not in stone, then a highly solid metal. We need to pound away at McCain's vulnerabilities, and he has many.

If we are to end the era of torture, unnecessary war, abrogation of the 4th Amendment, rampant disregard for basic constitutional oversight responsibilities, and an Imperial Presidency, it is imperative that the grassroots take the bull by the horns to begin defining McCain as he is, and not allow the established media elites to continue to publicly fellate him, thereby reaffirming the false notion that he is a centrist. Anyone who believes McCain is a centrist please leave your contact information in the comments -- some well meaning Nigerian diplomats want to make you rich.

The likely Republican presidential nominee is much more conservative than voters appear to realize. McCain leans to the right on issue after issue, not just on the Iraq war but also on abortion, gay rights, gun control and other issues that matter to his party's social conservatives.

A coordinated effort from the blogosphere, diarists at your favorite blogs, and other grassroots organizations will be required in order for the real McCain portrait to make it into the mainstream perception.

"People see him as a centrist. They don't see him as a conservative," said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

"In fact, they put him pretty close to themselves, in terms of ideology, and put President Bush way to the right of themselves," Kohut said.

In a national Pew survey earlier this year, voters placed McCain in the middle, where they placed themselves, when asked to judge the ideology of Bush and the presidential candidates. They placed Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama far to the left.

McCain strays from the conservative farm infrequently, but enough to convince a large number of Independents that he's a centrist. Bullshit!

This is the real John McCain:

1. 100 more years in Iraq

2. Anti-choice

3. Opposes marriage equality (He actively supported efforts in Arizona to deny marriage equality for all Arizonans.)

4. Arch-conservative and former Senator Phil Gramm is part of his economic policy group.

5. Supports making permanent the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% of Americans

With every sign pointing toward a Democratic victory for the White House and expanding control over the Congress now is the time to shape the narrative for the General Election.

Spread the word. McCombover ain't no stinkin' centrist. He's a conservative true believer. Had enough?

Barack Obama, John McCain and those "Bitter" Pennsylvanians (UPDATED, UPDATE II)

Greg Sargent put up a short post about the latest "outrage" over an Obama speech. The McCain campaign was quick with a response.

Asked to respond, McCain adviser Steve Schmidt called it a "remarkable statement and extremely revealing."

"It shows an elitism and condescension towards hardworking Americans that is nothing short of breathtaking," Schmidt said. "It is hard to imagine someone running for president who is more out of touch with average Americans."

But wait, wait my friends. Wasn't John McCain just quoted saying something very similar in the New Yorker back in December 2007? Why ...

Anti-immigrant passion also owes much to the disproportionate influence of a few small states in the nominating process. National polls show that, as an issue, immigration is far behind the Iraq war, terrorism, the economy, and health care as a concern to most Americans; a recent Pew poll shows that, nationally, only six per cent of voters offer immigration as the most important issue facing the country. But in Iowa and South Carolina, two of the three most important early states, it is a top concern for the Republicans who are most likely to vote. “It’s the influx of illegals into places where they’ve never seen a Hispanic influence before,” McCain told me. “You probably see more emotion in Iowa than you do in Arizona on this issue. I was in a town in Iowa, and twenty years ago there were no Hispanics in the town. Then a meatpacking facility was opened up. Now twenty per cent of their population is Hispanic. There were senior citizens there who were—‘concerned’ is not the word. They see this as an assault on their culture, what they view as an impact on what have been their traditions in Iowa, in the small towns in Iowa. So you get questions like ‘Why do I have to punch 1 for English?’ ‘Why can’t they speak English?’ It’s become larger than just the fact that we need to enforce our borders.”

Whoa! Johnny. Johnny. Johnny. I realize they didn't have the intertubes during the Civil War, but talk to your grandchildren more and they'll get you up to speed. Oh, and Google is your friend.

UPDATE: David Sirota, blogging at Open Left, beat me to the punch and caught the McCain connection earlier. Here's his take on it.

UPDATE: Al Giordano on Hillary's attack:

Clinton said she’d seen in the media that “my opponent said that the people of Pennsylvania who faced hard times are bitter.”

“Well, that’s not my experience,” she continued. “As I travel around Pennsylvania, I meet people who are resilient, who are optimistic, who are positive, who are rolling up their sleeves. They’re working hard every day for a better future for themseves and their children.”

“Pennsylvanians don’t need a president who looks down on them. They need a president who stands up for them, who fights for them, who works hard for your futures, your jobs, and your families,” she said, implicitly casting Obama as an elitist.

Telling rural Pennsylvanians they should feel victimized by those words is telling them they should become as insufferable and over-sensitive as the urban and suburban PC “offense junkies” that see themselves in, and are rallied by, Clinton’s professional victimhood.

How will all this play out? Advantage Obama. Watch his response to the attacks. The fact that he does so in front of a crowd in the Rust Belt (Indiana), and then receives a standing ovation is priceless.

McCain's Retirement Plan

Matt Yglesias:

To me, though, one primary issue in a McCain-Obama race is going to be how successful McCain can be at obscuring his enormous hostility to America's public sector retirement infrastructure. McCain's record, and that of his key economic advisors, is pretty clear -- these are people who want to gut Social Security and Medicare in order to clear budgetary space for an agenda of low taxes and many wars. The resulting situation will be fine for those senior citizens who, like McCain, had the foresight to divorce their first wife in order to marry an heiress and then secure a congressional pension, but others may not achieve such happy results. That could all be very damaging to McCain's old people strategy, but to be damaging Democrats will need to move on to the general election first.

Ouch! That sounds about right. McCain has a history of being a tough guy as long as the rules don't effect him.

McCain's Musharraf Problem

John McCain, so-called maverick of the Republican Party, supports Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and thinks he deserves "the benefit of the doubt."

Mr. McCain, speaking in New Hampshire, also sought to convey leader-to-leader chemistry when he called Mr. Musharraf a “personally scrupulously honest” man who deserved “the benefit of the doubt” on uniting Pakistan.

I like McCain, but what fucking planet is this guy on? Has he done any homework how the Pakistan government spends the money the U.S. gives to its military? Don't personal scruples include, not manipulating the Constitution of his country to maintain political power? If McCain says we should play ball with the powers that be in Pakistan (a position I understand) regardless of what their personal scruples might be, then so be it. That is a rational, and truthful reading of the situtation as it currently exists. But Musharraf and his government have been squandering the funds provided by the U.S. government. ... More to come ...

A Nod's as Good as a Wink ...

Andrew Sullivan opines sweetly about a John McCain candidacy. John Cole disagrees.

I believe anyone who voted for the Military Commissions Act should be closely scrutinized as to qualification to be President. An argument can be made that this legislation would allow the President to hold an American citizen—that he or she deems a terrorist, and taken into custody on American soil—without the right to challenge that detention in a court of law. In other words if the President says you are a terrorist you have NO Civil Rights. Habeas Corpus has effectively been suspended under certain circumstances. Period. None. Nada. This provision of the Act has not been tested in a court of law so we don’t know if it would withstand scrutiny in a court of law … And, as exciting as the thought of Tom Delay being frog marched in shackles—never to be heard from again—is to me, I wouldn’t want it to happen to people I like. So … I guess … I’ll just leave that possibility to my dark, fetid fantasy world.

The Gelding, formerly know as the Maverick,John McCain voted for that legislation. Since he decided he wanted to be President. Again. The Gelding chose the Rovian path of 50% + 1 vote path to the White House. That really broke my heart and he lost my respect when he began this ridiculous trek.

I don’t agree with McCain on many issues that are important to me, but I always thought he would be a good President. These flip-flop’s on war, prisoner treatment, and such, have convinced he would not be a President I could be proud of. The only way I can see myself voting for him is if HRC is the Democratic candidate. Other than that I can’t pull the lever for him.

Of course it could be worse. HRC on one side and Rudy on the other, could quite easily be the signal that the American Dream is on its death bed and life support is being removed from the now terminal patient. But, don’t call me paranoid! One of them could not tell the simple truth if waterboarded and the other would allow your local jack-booted thugs to waterboard you for a traffic ticket. Jesus! Is it really getting that bad? Not yet. Not yet.

But … a nod’s as good as a wink to a blind horse.