John McCain (R-AZ) is defending his U.S. Senate seat against a challenge from ultra-conservative radio host J.D. Hayworth. (Yes, the same Hayworth who was a very large recipient of money and gifts—like sports skyboxes—from the shamed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to the New York Times)
While voters may find McCain’s name on the ballot, the man is utterly unrecognizable, switching positions daily to mollify the unruly Tea Party crowd. According to today’s Times:
….McCain now finds himself jammed, moving starkly—and often awkwardly—to the right, apparently in an attempt to gain favor among the same voters whom Hayworth, a consistent voice for the far right, could pull toward him like taffy come summer.
McCain now sharply criticizes the bailout bill he voted for, pivoted from his earlier position that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility should be closed, offered only a muted response to the Supreme Court’s decision undoing campaign finance laws and backed down from statements that gays in the military would be OK by him if the military brass were on board.
I never agreed with John McCain’s largely conservative voting record. There once was a time, however, that he had a small independent streak and could be counted on to occasionally buck the party line. Unfortunately, he threw his integrity out the window when he chose Sarah Palin for his running mate.
He knew she was incompetent and not qualified to be President. Yet, he sold out America and placed our national security at risk for a short uptick in the polls following the Republican convention.
Fortunately, after Palin hit New York’s ritzy 5th Avenue clothing stores using the Republican Party’s credit card and CBS News’ Katie Couric revealed that she did not read newspapers, her popularity nosedived.
Choosing Pa
lin was a crass, unforgivable and grossly irresponsible sin of the highest order. The monstrosity that is Sarah was put on full display last weekend when it was revealed that she scribbled notes on her hand, like a first grader, to answer questions at the Tea Party convention.
Even more disturbing, Palin told FOX News that she is now dedicated to boning up on issues and learning about policy.
“Now that my focus has been enlarged,” Palin said, “I sure as heck better be more astute on these current events, national issues.”
I don’t know about her focus, but it is clear that her ego has been enlarged for quite some time. This quote incontrovertibly proves the depravity of Palin, who accepted the job for Vice President knowing full-well she wasn’t ready.
What kind of reprobate places the health and well-being of her fellow citizens in grave danger so she can elevate her political career? A person of strong moral character surely would have turned down McCain’s offer and spent the time as Alaska’s governor to study issues.
Interestingly, while Palin was vividly aware that she had no awareness of public policy, she smeared Barack Obama as a “charismatic guy with a teleprompter.”
Back to McCain…the media has always overblown the reality of John McCain’s fleeting independent streak. Still, their were moments when the Arizona Senator fought for what we thought he believed in, such as campaign finance reform.
Even for those like myself who were never fans, it is painful to watch McCain cynically and unconvincingly morph into a Tea Party toady. The Senator’s brand has quickly gone from mythical maverick to mindless miscreant. His willingness to cash in his values and pawn his principles to stay in power proves that he is no longer fit to serve.
Here is what I will never understand.
Before he surrendered his reputation, McCain was a popular figure revered for his military and public service. Even political opponents admired how he had sacrificed for his country. On the personal sphere, his wife Cindy is incredibly wealthy (and cool, see picture on left) and he could have stepped down from his seat and sailed off with her into the sunset to enjoy life.
Instead, in political desperation he squandered his large stockpile of admiration. The one-time anti-politician has now come to personify the unscrupulous and unprincipled amoral insider McCain used to despise.
McCain’s presidential campaign was premised on him and Palin representing the “Real America” that lived beyond the Beltway. How ironic that McCain will now do whatever it takes – including the destruction of his reputation – to avoid the Real America and remain in Washington.
If one wants to know where John McCain stands on any given issue today, just look at Tea Party polling numbers. If there is one word to describe him, it is “predictable”. This would surely have upset the old John McCain, but he no longer exists.
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Ok, Wayne, lets be fair. If Sarah Palin is going to be criticized for scribbling six WORDS on her hand during a speech then lets criticize Barak “I can’t make a speech without a teleprompter” Obama. Fair is only fair. After all, I don’t know many people who don’t make a speech without notes. That includes politicians, celebs, even pastors. Mostly we all do.
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 2:01 pm
Well, except that every politician in the history of everything has used teleprompters since they were invented, and when Obama had Question Time with the Republicans, he did it off the cuff, and he wiped the floor with them.
Palin was using her hand for notes on the basic things she supposedly believes in. I mean, if you can’t remember your most rudimentary talking points, the things you’ve been running on, you’re a moron. Also? She was using them while taking questions!
So, there IS no equivalency.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 2:24 pm
I would also add that the teleprompter smear on Obama is beyond retarded anyway, considering the fact that the man gives a better speech than every president we’ve had in my lifetime.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 2:25 pm
To equate the Obama with Palin with the words….”to be fair”….um, it’s not fair to make this comparison. It is ludicrous.
Comment by Wayne Besen — February 9, 2010 @ 2:29 pm
you’re right, just compare her record as Governor of Alaska with his as a 1/2 term U.S. Senator and 1 year as President. NO comparison.
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 7:41 pm
Uh huh. We are.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
I cannot believe, by the way, that anyone with a brain defends her.
She’s an empty wigstand. Nothing more.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 8:00 pm
if she were a liberal and all her same accomplishments you guys would be singing her praises. But then again she probably wouldn’t have as many accomplishments.
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 9:07 pm
No, it’s actually because she’s stupid.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 9:12 pm
if all you can bring to the table is immature and childish insults. You bring yourself down.
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 9:18 pm
Hahaha. WTF. She used notes on her hand while criticizing Obama for using a TELEPROMPTER!
Er.
Duh.
Game.
Set.
Match.
Comment by Melissa — February 9, 2010 @ 9:19 pm
She scribbled 6 whole words of an entire speech on her hand. He used a teleprompter and couldn’t even pronounce corpsman correct. If that is her being stupid then what about our president visiting 57 states while campaigning. Give me a break!
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 9:22 pm
You wanna get into what he can pronounce? I’m sure he know where the fuck Russia is in relation to Alaska on a map.
She’s an idiot.
Plain and simple.
And she can take her Redneck Palm Pilot and go the fuck away.
I can’t even believe people take her seriously.
I mean, WTF are you people thinking?
Comment by Melissa — February 9, 2010 @ 9:24 pm
Oh.
And she didn’t use her Redneck Palm Pilot for her speech, which was probably on notecards on her LECTERN.
They were for Q & A.
She can’t answer questions without TALKING POINTS on her hand.
Comment by Melissa — February 9, 2010 @ 9:25 pm
he may know or not know where Russia is but he should have known there is only 50 states in the us. How he managed to visit 57 of them is beyond me.
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 9:26 pm
she wrote her talking points on her hand? our illustrious president apparently can’t talk without a teleprompter, LOL. that’s funny
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 9:29 pm
Sure. Ok. I guess you’re still waiting for his Birth Certificate, too?
And his delectation of his Muslim faith?
The point is, she was railing at him for using a teleprompter, yet she can do Q & A without her Redneck Palm Pilot.
So what gives?
EXPLAIN.
Comment by Melissa — February 9, 2010 @ 9:29 pm
She’s stupid and we’re afraid of her touching anything. ~The Military
Comment by Joe C — February 9, 2010 @ 9:29 pm
Um, that’s not what he said.
But good to know how easily you buy into right-wing smears.
(Hint: There are 57 Democratic primary contests. He said that at the last one.)
And dude?
She didn’t scribble words of her SPEECH on her hand. She scribbled the major talking points she supposedly believes in so she wouldn’t forget what words to say when the teabaggers were asking her really easy questions.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 9:30 pm
DAVID.
“she wrote her talking points on her hand? our illustrious president apparently can’t talk without a teleprompter, LOL. that’s funny”
Do you not remember him going onto the Republicans’ turf the other day and wiping the floor with every one of them? He needs a teleprompter to talk? Think for yourself, dude!
This is like…teabagger sloganeering 101!
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 9:31 pm
Mr. Farrell, every single person who talks in front of a large group of people from a written speech uses a damn teleprompter. I don’t understand why this is even an issue.
You cannot tell me Palin didn’t have her speech on note cards on her LECTERN as she LECTURED us (the lefties) about how they should not LECTURE from a LECTERN.
You don’t make any sense.
And thank you, Joe C.
Comment by Melissa — February 9, 2010 @ 9:32 pm
ya’ll are just way too easy this is way too much fun. But i am going to bed.
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 9:33 pm
Melissa, the point is just that some right-wing leader started using it as a slogan one day, and it caught on. There is no point.
This is why liberal blogs like Wonkette have adopted it and made it their own, because it’s just such a funny, weird slur.
Of course, at Wonkette, we tend to talk about his “TellyPROMptur1!11!” because teabaggers can’t spell but they do use a lot of capital letters.
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 9:34 pm
Hahaha. I like how he thinks he won and now he’s going to bed.
They’re cute when they think they’re right.
Comment by Melissa — February 9, 2010 @ 9:35 pm
Okay, David, you won this round. Sweet dreams. :)
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 9:36 pm
Evan he didn’t say that he had been to 57 democratic primary contests. He said he had visited 57 states. And has far as scribbling her talking points on her hand, I have spoken to large audiences and have made notes. It’s not that big a deal.
Look you can have all the elitist thoughts that you want to have, but what it boils down to is that Barak Obama was not qualified to be President, he didn’t have enough experience and we are now finding that out. What he has possibly done however, is ensured a Republican win in November. Which for the most part I’m not happy about. The only thing that scares me as much as the left wing liberals who have taken over the Democrat party is the right wing fundamentalists who’ve taken over the Republican party.
Oh and Melissa I don’t think I have won and went to bed. I actually think, short of a miracle of vast proportions we have all lost. No matter who wins, because either way we lose. and I’m going to bed because I have a math test tomorrow.
Comment by David Farrell — February 9, 2010 @ 9:45 pm
Yes, but David, that’s why the smear was so stupid. Because any moron could figure out that when he said 57 states, he simply misspoke, because he had gone through 57 contests.
It’s a stupid smear that’s not worthy of smart people.
And name me one thing Barack Obama has done that’s been truly liberal. And why can’t you spell his name?
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 9, 2010 @ 9:57 pm
[...] Wayne Besen asks the question ‘where is John McCain?’ Read more [...]
Pingback by 60 Members of Congress Call for LGBT Inclusion in Immigration Reform, US Congress Moves Against Anti-Gay Uganda Bill, IA: House, Senate Reject Same-Sex Marriage Resolution, and more…. » DailyQueerNews.com — February 10, 2010 @ 10:02 am
OH NOES! THE WORLD IS GOING TO END BECAUSE WE HAVE A DEMOCRAT IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!
ON NOES!!!
OH NOES!! HE USES A TELEPROMPTER!!
OH NOES!! HE WENT TO 57 PRIMARIES!!
Oh, hell. I just don’t have the energy to keep banging my head against the brick wall that is your logic.
Comment by Melissa Anne Baluka — February 10, 2010 @ 11:05 am
Let me say one short statement. Evan Hurst, You’re a liberal fool. Nothing else needs to be said.
Comment by Joe — February 24, 2010 @ 12:00 pm
Joe:
You are saying nothing else, because you have nothing to say. I think you just proved every point Evan was trying to make. Empty head = Empty rhetoric.
Comment by Wayne Besen — February 24, 2010 @ 12:03 pm
The correct grammatical construction, Joe, would be:
“Let me make one short statement: Evan Hurst, you’re a liberal fool.”
Fixed!
Comment by Evan Hurst — February 24, 2010 @ 12:35 pm