100 Reasons McCain is Unfit to be President
CAUTION: Rated R for Graphic Sexism and Republican Stupidity
There may be a million reasons John McCain shouldn't be president. I'm going to list 5 and challenge you to fill in at least 95 more.
1. McCain is a misogynist. From his opposition to abortion rights to his wink at a sexist slur gainst Hillary Clinton, from his vulgar criticism of his wife to his unfunny joke at the expense of Attorney General Janet Reno and a young Chelsea Clinton, McCain his demonstrated his consistent misogyny repeatedly over time. When Hillary Clinton's campaign looked unbeatable in November, McCain was asked at a townhall meeting, "How do we beat the bitch?" He smiled and called it "an excellent question." Three anonymous reporters confirmed in Cliff Schecter's recent book, The Real McCain, that when his wife, Cindy, once mussed his hair and observed "You're getting a little thin up there," McCain retorted, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." And during the Clinton presidency, McCain told this joke at a fundraiser: "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father."
2. McCain has no plan to end the war in Iraq. He advocates extending America's troop presence there indefinitely while offering absolutely no plan whatsoever for an end game that would see the exodus of U.S. troops. The "troop surge" he supports had a finite purpose: to allow "breathing room" for the advancement of Iraq's civilian government. It was not presented, viewed or executed as an exit strategy because, in fact, it is not.
3. McCain has a hair-trigger temper. He is so volatile that he earned the name McNasty in high school and has flown into a rage numerous times against Senators, Congressman and dignitaries even within his own party. The list is too long to post in this blog, but numerous cases are summarized here. Always an asset in foreign diplomacy when trying to stay out of additional wars.
4. McCain would injure the economy further. On several occasions, McCain has publicly stated his weak understanding of economics and his need to learn more about what fosters and sustains prosperity. His advocacy of a gas-tax holiday would have robbed 300,000 American highway workers of their jobs and provided a bonus for oil companies by allowing them to offset the savings by raising prices at the pump. He told the workers of Michigan that their jobs were probably gone "for good," before recently changing his mind. He has only begrudgingly, and after much polling, offered any help to homeowners in the mortgage crisis, and even then it was miserly. He said as recently as April of this year, "I think if you look at the overall record and millions of jobs have been created, et cetera, et cetera, you could make an argument that there's been great progress economically over that period of time" and that "the fundamentals of America's economy are strong."
5. McCain is a captive of lobbyist influence. From the Keating Five scandal to more recent headlines about the firing of several prominent staffers to even more recent headlines about the influence of his campaign co-chair, Phil Gramm, a lobbyist for sub-prime mortgage lender UBS, McCain can't shake those lobbyists off his coattails. He still has not.
There may be a million reasons John McCain shouldn't be president. I'm going to list 5 and challenge you to fill in at least 95 more.
1. McCain is a misogynist. From his opposition to abortion rights to his wink at a sexist slur gainst Hillary Clinton, from his vulgar criticism of his wife to his unfunny joke at the expense of Attorney General Janet Reno and a young Chelsea Clinton, McCain his demonstrated his consistent misogyny repeatedly over time. When Hillary Clinton's campaign looked unbeatable in November, McCain was asked at a townhall meeting, "How do we beat the bitch?" He smiled and called it "an excellent question." Three anonymous reporters confirmed in Cliff Schecter's recent book, The Real McCain, that when his wife, Cindy, once mussed his hair and observed "You're getting a little thin up there," McCain retorted, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." And during the Clinton presidency, McCain told this joke at a fundraiser: "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father."
2. McCain has no plan to end the war in Iraq. He advocates extending America's troop presence there indefinitely while offering absolutely no plan whatsoever for an end game that would see the exodus of U.S. troops. The "troop surge" he supports had a finite purpose: to allow "breathing room" for the advancement of Iraq's civilian government. It was not presented, viewed or executed as an exit strategy because, in fact, it is not.
3. McCain has a hair-trigger temper. He is so volatile that he earned the name McNasty in high school and has flown into a rage numerous times against Senators, Congressman and dignitaries even within his own party. The list is too long to post in this blog, but numerous cases are summarized here. Always an asset in foreign diplomacy when trying to stay out of additional wars.
4. McCain would injure the economy further. On several occasions, McCain has publicly stated his weak understanding of economics and his need to learn more about what fosters and sustains prosperity. His advocacy of a gas-tax holiday would have robbed 300,000 American highway workers of their jobs and provided a bonus for oil companies by allowing them to offset the savings by raising prices at the pump. He told the workers of Michigan that their jobs were probably gone "for good," before recently changing his mind. He has only begrudgingly, and after much polling, offered any help to homeowners in the mortgage crisis, and even then it was miserly. He said as recently as April of this year, "I think if you look at the overall record and millions of jobs have been created, et cetera, et cetera, you could make an argument that there's been great progress economically over that period of time" and that "the fundamentals of America's economy are strong."
5. McCain is a captive of lobbyist influence. From the Keating Five scandal to more recent headlines about the firing of several prominent staffers to even more recent headlines about the influence of his campaign co-chair, Phil Gramm, a lobbyist for sub-prime mortgage lender UBS, McCain can't shake those lobbyists off his coattails. He still has not.
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Left off of 5. McCain has become a POL. A Prisoner of Lobbyists.
June 9, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain would further stack the Supreme Court and Federal courts with conservative judges.
June 9, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you, sir! May I have another?!
June 9, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain is unfit to be president because he either lies about his record, or he genuinely doesn't remember where he stands from day to day. Neither option is a good character trait in a president.
June 9, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent.
June 9, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, he lies, and of all things, he lies about his Church membership so he can impress the far right. Never baptized by immersion, he still claims to be a member of North Phoenix Baptist Church. I mean, lying about ones Church membership is beyond the pale and who even cares which church he goes to. But how about even a modicum of truth, eh, John???
June 10, 2008 3:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
The type of judgment that concludes this "War" in Iraq was in any way a prudent choice results in summary disqualification for any elected office.
June 9, 2008 5:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's eight. Can I get nine?
June 9, 2008 5:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about one for every year it's "fine with" him that this war to go on? cThat ought to get you to 100 with a few to spare...
Just think, McCain will be 180 years old when his bushwar finally ends!
June 9, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because he favors privatizing Social Security which would bring the Social Security Crisis to a full boil rather than the slow simmer we currently face. Has anyone done an analysis to see what the Social Security would be like had people been allowed to "invest" a portion of their social security into the stock market. If the performance of my 403B is any indication, it would not have been pretty.
June 9, 2008 6:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
And did I mention he was opposed to an MLK state holiday in Arizona and federal holiday all the way up to 1990! If even in 1990 you were not aware of the impact of MLK and why he was deserving of such a holiday, you are not equipped to be president.
June 9, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
And his response to this was, "I did not know who MLK was back then and was unaware of his importance"(I paraphrase).
What kind of nonsense was that.
But also plus the 1 through 5 that Rip mentioned above.
June 9, 2008 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, that reminds me of when Edwards was debating Cheney back in 2004. Edwards called Cheney on voting against the MLK holiday and Cheney didn't even address it. What is with all these Republicans who voted against what seems to me to be a no-brainer?!
June 10, 2008 1:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
The people who vote for them do not care.
June 10, 2008 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain has had a disturbing number of "senior moments" in the past few months, times when he denied that he had said something that he had quite clearly and unambiguously said not long before the denial.
A certain amount of memory loss is to be expected at McCain's age. A wise man in that position compensates with notes-to-self, more preparation, and an extra large dose of humility. McCain "compensates" by angrily denying the obvious and letting his flunkies spin "what he meant to say".
Failing faculties combined with pride, anger, and inflexibility is a recipe for leadership disaster.
June 9, 2008 6:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Balrog, I really, really WANT to call that No. 12, but it restates freaktown's above a little too much. Give me another one, pal.
June 9, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
My point is not that he has memory lapses. It is that he does not compensate for them or handle them well when they happen.
June 9, 2008 7:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very well. That 12. Pillsy's below makes a baker's dozen.
June 9, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
n+1. His health care plan is terrible. Not only does it fail to extend coverage to the millions of Americans who currently lack health insurance, it will also seriously degrade the quality of coverage for people who do have coverage.
The McCain plan's central "feature" is that it allows people to buy plans across state lines. This will touch off exactly the same race to the bottom we've seen with credit card, where the insurance companies will all choose to only sell plans in those states where the regulatory environment is friendliest to them (and most hostile to the consumer).
June 9, 2008 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
In order to win the Republican party nomination McCain took a hard right turn and jumped into bed with religious hardliners...the same folks he had bashed heads with in the past. Anyone who would give up a principled stand against the wingnuts in order to win the White House clearly lacks the moral backbone to be POTUS.
June 9, 2008 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pull out the Dolphin suit and the giant rubber sandals.
HE'S A FLIP-FLOPPER!!!
June 9, 2008 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
He Swift Boated William Jennings Bryant.
June 9, 2008 7:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but he was worse on Galileo.
June 9, 2008 7:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
So I make that ten so far:
11: He has NO nuanced understanding of international relations. This man is a militarist, not the foreign policy expert he likes to tout. This is why he would be screaming about no surrender when the entire world understood it was time to get out of Vietnam; it's why his gut response to Iraq is again an unnuanced `no surrender`.
12. Because of (11) he actually advocates publicly, in his big foreign policy speech, that he would lead the US in calling for the expulsion of Russia from the G8. This man who's so addicted to the notion of never ever risking the concept of US `prestige` would actually expose the US to the public humiliation of being put down by all the other members of the G8. Further, Russia is *the* key country to negotiate with on loose nuclear materials and on controlling `rogue` nation's nuclear proliferation. So to try to exclude Russia from the G8 is so mind-bogglingly counterproductive it doesn't bear thinking about.
The man's a foreign policy idiot/disaster.
13. Because of (11) he actually proposed forming a League of Democratic Nations! His neo-con friends loved the idea, but even Republican realists saw instantly the stupidity of alienating China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and of provoking US European allies who don't believe the UN needs any more undermining than Bush already initiated.
Breaking down 4)into different aspects would make the 100 goals slightly easier...
* His wanting to take the US back to Friedmanite solutions - ie solely supply side economics - during the growth of rising economic disaster and the possibility of stagflation is so demanded retrograde it's horrible. If ever some Keynesian demand inputs were needed it's now.
Many examples can be inserted here to inflate towards your 100. :-)
(1) Infrastructure has been so downgraded: transport expenditure would stimulate demand, by creating jobs, raising further revenue to enable expenditures and cut social services costs. McSame's blindspot in this regard is disastrous.
(2) Infrastructure doesn't just mean material: it also covers labour - education: McCain's response is so damned inadequate/blinkered in this regard.
(3) McCain & the GOP are going to love trying to paint Obama as elitist. It's McCain's Wall
Street economics that are elitist through and through. Supply side trickle down is a complete furphy in the beginnings/middle of a recession.
A man of the people looks for demand side stimuli to work for Main Street with permanent `boost up` economics, not elitist, parisimonious trickle to nowhere.
So many things... over to someone else.
But don't forget health:
Someone needs to get stuck into the SUPPLY restrictions of doctors through licensing/monopoly which feeds into the elitism of the current health inadequacies.
Educate more doctors, (bugger their income monopoly) and, given how long it takes for that to feed through, in the meantime try to import them:
but recognise that that one's hard given other advanced countries have already jumped on this bandwagon)
June 9, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks, Fran. I make that 21.
P.S., Gang. After we get to a true 100, I'll rewrite the list for and post it for your re-reposting pleasure.
June 9, 2008 7:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
He lacks judgment and foresight.
McCain was one of the few tribal elders who predicted that the invention of the wheel would never amount to much.
June 9, 2008 7:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's a special two-count of funny, funny stuff for you, liam. Keep 'em coming and I may edit them into a post with your name in the title.
Here's one for you: He advocated that Neanderthals stay at the current evolutionary level and "never surrender."
June 9, 2008 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
He coulda had a V-8, but chose a 12-cylinder.
June 9, 2008 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Enough. This election business is serious stuff! Back to unfunny reasons McCain sucks!
June 9, 2008 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
As a Republican; his same sex marriage rules him out.
Here is the proof.
http://www.desertratdemocrat.com/archives/1-mccain_bush_hug.jpg
June 9, 2008 7:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
The rigors of the campaign have taken their toll, and his age is starting to show:
http://greek.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/a/avtanski/25.jpg
June 9, 2008 7:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Death, debt, and decline will be President McCain's legacy. McCain was for the Iraq war before the Bush Administration and will be long after it is gone, and he is for a war with Iran and will be long after his administration is gone. His budget expands the Department of Defense at the expense of the domestic economy and further decline of our nation's infrastructure while reducing federal revenues in the face of high US debt levels, increasing that debt by $5 trillion while funding challenges in Medicare and social security loom. He will deregulate to enable continued transfers of income and wealth from the 99% to the 1%.
June 9, 2008 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
He still refers to going out for dinner as "catching the Early Pterosaur Special".
June 9, 2008 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
He'll have an "R" beside his name on the ballot.
June 9, 2008 8:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you, Master.
June 9, 2008 8:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
He sought out the public endorsement of John Hagee after Hagee said that Katrina was a punishment from God on the citizens of New Orleans.
June 9, 2008 8:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least a fourth of the way to 100 (real) reasons now. Keep it going!
June 9, 2008 8:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just read this at The Mail - lets add deceit to the list.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html
June 9, 2008 8:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain is so cheap that he stiffed Mary Magdalene.
OK Folks: I have given you the set up. Provide your own punch lines.
John McCain is so cheap that he ?
June 9, 2008 8:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
... when he pinches it a penny, Lincoln says "ouch."
June 9, 2008 8:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Come on, liam. Back to the salt mines now. REAL reasons.
June 9, 2008 8:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well OK. Here is one that I think has not been mentioned:
McCain was one of the so-called "Keating Five" senators. He was investigated by the Senate Select Committee on Ethics in 1991 regarding the acceptance of favors from Lincoln Savings & Loan Association (Lincoln) and its owner, Charles H. Keating, Jr. Simply put, the issue was whether McCain and the other senators used their official positions to attempt to pressure Federal Home Loan Bank Board officials to go easy on the troubled institution. Eventually Lincoln went bust, costing depositors and taxpayers millions.
June 9, 2008 9:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry, I just noticed that you had already posted it.
June 9, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
and like ferraro and feinstein and others not mentioned he has a spouse whose finances are suspect. how much did she profit from the keating five hi-jinks? what is she invested in now? how much will she gain from extensions of the bush-mccain tax cuts for only the top 1%? how much spending money does his checking account get from her? how much has he gained from use of her corporate jet?
how much did he slow walk the abramoff stuff as chair of indian affairs to help his party in 2004? why did follow the money turn into such a hot potato for him?
how could he be head of commerce and not know anything about the economy? did someone say bottom of his class? yet another one! haven't we had enough of underachievers in the white house, still trying to prove something to daddy dearest?
June 10, 2008 2:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Because he's a GWB stooge.
Part A. He did NOT stand up to President Bush on signing statements against torture.
Part B. He played part in the white house cover up by voting against creating a commission on the federal failures of Hurrican Katrina and then has the gall to appear in New Orleans during the campaign decrying the federal response.
June 9, 2008 9:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also, he doesn't know the difference between Kenner, Louisiana and New Orleans Louisiana. Or Shiites and Sunnis. Or the president of Germany and the prime minister of Russia.
June 9, 2008 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do not forget when he was over in Iraq with his little Lieberman Sucker Fish clinging to him, and he claimed, over and over, that Shiite Iran was arming and training Sunni Terrorists. Recall how Sucker Fish Lieberman had to bite him several times before McCain finally grasped that Shiites would never help Al Qaeda.
McCain's addled pronouncements could set off a major international incident, almost on a weekly basis. What next, is going to accuse Russia of arming and training the Chechen rebels, or accuse Turkey of arming and training the Kurdish rebels.
June 9, 2008 9:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here is a big one, and a very recent one. He is one of a tiny minority of Senators And Reps. who opposed the much needed new GI Bill. That alone should disqualify the rotten bastard from ever being in charge of our Troops. He said it was too expensive, and he wanted to make sure that it would be almost impossible for Troops not to re-up. He is a rotten Troop abusing, Troop hating, War Mongering Bastard.
June 9, 2008 9:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Reminder: His college education was 100% paid for by taxpayers (Naval Academy) before he ever did a day's work in the military.
June 10, 2008 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ripper: The thread is getting so long, that it is hard to make sure that something has not already been mentioned. How about making an index list, that we can scan, to avoid duplicating what has already been mentioned.
Here is one that I do not think has been mentioned.
He recently promised to stack the Supreme Court with Scalia clones. We all know that what he really is promising is that he will make sure that the court will take away a woman's right to make her own reproductive choices and health care decisions.
June 9, 2008 9:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
liam, not sure what you mean, but can you execute it?
June 9, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because he considers a normal shopping trip one where you wear a bulletproof vest, helicopter cover and snipers protecting your every step...
On second thought, having to duck sniper fire would curb some of my spending at the mall. So I guess this one's a push.
June 9, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because he's 847 years old. Yes, it's a real issue. The vice president can take over, sure, but that's never desirable.
June 9, 2008 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because he bragged about strolling through a Bagdad market, not mentioning that he was accompanied by a small army protecting his every move.
June 9, 2008 10:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
His non-comprehension of the politics of South Asia had him responding (during the neocon call to arms to invade Iraq)Chris Matthews in March 2003, who had asked him whether the Iraqis would treat Americans as liberators, "Absolutely, absolutely"?
Similarly his judgment was so pathetic that, in the face of all the mounting evidence to the contrary
he welcomed Ahmed Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), to Washington and pressured the administration to give him money.
June 9, 2008 10:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wrecked 5 perfectly good airplanes under questionable circumstances.
June 9, 2008 10:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not a mention of "Songbird" yet?
He DID make anti-US audio tapes for the VC, but apparently that doesn't count in some quarters...
...just the hypocrisy factor towards the famlies of his fellow P.O.W./M.I.A.s is enough to qualify as another notch towards 100...
June 9, 2008 11:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Phil Gramm http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2767
June 10, 2008 12:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
He's incapable of complex, abstract thought. A doctor should weigh in on this, but look at how low his good (HDL) cholesterol is, probably the result of taking medication to lower his bad (LDL) cholesterol. We need HDL in the brain to mediate those long neuronal connections involved in complex thought. When cholesterol-lowering meds pull it out of the brain (through the blood-brain barrier), mental acuity suffers greatly. Increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier associated with some of the cholesterol meds also result in leakage of foreign materials into the brain, disrupting neuronal activity.
This is related to the points above about memory and confusion, but the cholesterol info in his med report gives a solid basis for concerns about his general mental acuity.
June 10, 2008 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is a pretty good point. Medications affect cognitive abilities and mood. I was once on predisone, a steroid, that literally gave me 'roid rage -- it was an unstoppable compulsion to yell and be an aggressive ass. And I had a grandfather who was on so many pills he literally was seeing squirrels in his hospital room and talking to Dan Rather at the dinner table (no tv was around). They thought he had a brain tumor. Luckily, they just cut back his medication and he went back to normal.
How many medications is McCain on? Was anyone in the closed room with his medical records for that one afternoon able to copy it all down?
June 10, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
The McCain Report.
http://www.johnmccain.com/mccainreport/
Steve Irwin's back and he's running for president.
Crikey!
June 10, 2008 2:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
1. He chews stereotypes and spits them out at us. He tries to be a with-it beat(!) hep-cat by claiming he has "gaydar" (it's kinda like your grandparents claiming to like ABBA, isn't it...)
2. Despite this, he refuses to accept my claim that I should have equal rights with women under the law.
How? Well, John McCain says that I, a man, cannot be allowed to marry a man, unlike any of you sisters out there can. You can marry as many men as you want (sequentially of course), but I am forbidden from exercising this legal option. Of course, you girls get this one played on you in reverse.
3. To make matters worse, he thinks that States' rights (Arizona) are more important than human rights (gays can't marry). People before institutions was, I thought, the core value of the Constitution.
3a. No, I'm not gay. But I do have hot times with guys now and again... I choose women for my long term partners, to whom I'm faithful. This whole gay vs straight BS is right out of red-state-blue-state.
4. He has a face like that Orang Utan in Planet of the Apes, which worries me that there are some big mutha gorillas out the back in Nuremburg leather, waiting to whupass some poor dumb humans. First a chimp, now an orang. Charlton's passed on, and that gun was buried in his cold dead hands, people. Watch out, you gotta save yourselves now.
June 10, 2008 2:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
BTW I have proof: check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/27598728@N08/sets/72157605536108741/
June 10, 2008 7:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain is Arizona's own Modern-Day CarpetBagger !!!
June 10, 2008 6:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain doesn't know if condoms help prevent HIV.
http://qwstnevrythg.blog-city.com/mccain_doesnt_know_if_condoms_help_stop_the_spread_of_hiv.htm
June 10, 2008 6:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Because he wants a gas tax holiday paid for on the national credit card. Spend and not tax conservative - at least he's original!
* disclosure: I still think like Hillary that a gas tax holiday might not be a bad idea paid for by a windfall profit tax. I'm a NYer and don't drive much, but I recognize the pain people are feeling is real. Rural voters in some parts of the country are spending 15% of their income on gas now with it skyrocketing to $4.40 where I live. And now I have to wear ALL my clothes when I fly because I refuse to pay an extra $15 on American Airlines to check my luggage because of higher fuel prices. But all in all, Hillary's plan is debatable on the merits. McCain's is insanity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/business/09gas.html?ei=5087&em=&en=6f670d584b64a570&ex=1213243200&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1213096368-ZV8gTQx5gs82OUiwpSsdTw
June 10, 2008 7:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain flip flopped on torture. Always claimed that he was completely against it. Then when a bill was passed to ban it, McCain urged Bush to veto it because he did not want to put any restrictions on the CIA . McCain was against Water Boarding before he was for it.
You can find a whole long list of other major policies that he has flipped on. For example: Bush's Tax Breaks for struggling billionaires. Do not forget their is a video showing him, back when Clinton was President, pushing for Troop withdrawals from Somalia and other places.
June 10, 2008 9:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
He flipflopped on tax cuts for the wealthy. Said they shouldn't be granted during wartime, now is all for them.
June 10, 2008 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
He's an obsequious boot-licking toady who fancies himself a 'maverick.' Do we really need another PResident who uses the office just to make manifest his pathetic fantasies of infallibility and unlimited power?
June 10, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
He is against the NEW GI Bill. Now that is bad!!! After all, he was in the military. No empathy.
He has trouble reading his speeches so he's delivery is REALLY terrible!!
He cusses like a sailor. Oh, oops ~ he was a sailor!!!
June 10, 2008 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
In response to Fran, above: I think you meant to refer to Laffer, the proponent of supply side "economics." While Friedman was a monetarist and conservative with whom I disagree, he at least was a real economist.
When Reagan began espousing Laffer's bogus theories, both Friedman and Samuelson said supply side doesn't work--it'll lead to increased federal deficits. Any sane politician would have noticed this and decided that if Friedman and Samuelson agreed, it must be correct. The question I often ask myself is how little do Congress and the public remember even recent history, that after Reagan proved Friedman and Samuelson to be correct and Laffer to be incorrect, Bush got away with another experiment to prove Laffer to be incorrect.
Sorry for the extended rant. I teach tax law on a graduate level and require that all my students learn some history.
June 10, 2008 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dean,
Wasn't it Bush One who called it "Vodoo Economics"?
June 10, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because he can't stay awake for The State of The Union address:
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/24/state-of-the-union-lullaby/
June 10, 2008 12:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Frankly, I think that calling his wife a "trollop" is even worse than calling her a c**t. I mean, who in the 21st OR 20th Century uses a term like "trollop!" This guy is ANCIENT!
June 10, 2008 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
He voted against the Equal Pay Act which makes it harder for women to sue for pay discrimination because it would increase law suits. Great - so the message is let's protect businesses from lawsuits that are intentionally underpaying women for the same work performed. Eff the women who have been unfairly paid! Kudos to you McCain.
June 10, 2008 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
He also recently claimed that the real reason women were experiencing underemployment and underpay for identical work was due to the lack of training.
Talk about a comprehensive misogyny policy.
June 10, 2008 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
And started the fire on the Forrestal
June 10, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
QUOTE:
Q: “What about grants for sex education in the
United States? Should they include instructions about using contraceptives? Or should it be Bush’s policy, which is just abstinence?”
Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy.”
Q: “So no contraception, no counseling on
contraception. Just abstinence. Do you think contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV?”
Mr. McCain: (Long pause) “You’ve stumped me.”
Q: “I mean, I think you’d probably agree it probably does help stop it?”
Mr. McCain: (Laughs) “Are we on the Straight Talk express? I’m not informed enough on it. Let me find out.You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception – I’m sure I’m opposed to government spending on it, I’m sure I support the president’s policies on it.”
1. he does not know if he supports the president's policy on abstinence and contraception
2. he does not know his own position without having to have someone look it up for him (on a pretty major issue!)
3. he is "stumped" by the question of whether contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/03/mccain-doesnt-know-if-contrace.php
June 10, 2008 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
He has the support of Joe Lieberman
June 10, 2008 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
OK, this isn't really fair.
Can we distinguish between political differences of opinion (80% of the posts) and real problems with McCain the individual?
Short temper - disqualifier.
Possible senility - disqualifier.
Support for war - (as long as not caused by temper & senility?) - political disagreement.
Inappropriate lobbyist influence - disqualifier.
Dumb tax policy - political disagreement.
Sexist language - You choose.
Faulty "gaydar" (Craig, Foley, Dreier, all them other guys) - not a disqualifier.
Flip-flops - Only disqualifies Democrats.
Age - Depends on health, see above.
Born in Panama - Not a disqualifier.
Showing "Manchurian Candidate" at RNC for laughs - you choose.
Showing "Manchurian Candidate" at DNC and laughing - poor taste.
Showing "Manchurian Candidate on HBO in October - good idea.
Etc. etc. Kind of lost my thread when the Queen of Diamonds came up...
June 10, 2008 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Because he wants to veto beer ;-)
June 10, 2008 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
What a great idea Tripper!How about starting 100 reasons to vote for Obama?
June 10, 2008 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
First Lady Barbie
and
The fact that Mr. Only-a-Fool-Romanticizes-War thinks that being an ex-POW is a qualification for office.
Sorry, being an ex-POW is a qualification for a life-time pension and a lot of medals (which he's received); it's arguably even a qualification for a pass on being a lousy husband and all-round prick. But for just the reasons it qualifies you for the above, it disqualifies you for the White House.
June 10, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about, McCain is a republican?
June 10, 2008 5:14 PM | Reply | Permalink