< An Angry McCain on his Campaign Plane
Senator John Kerry was accused of being a "flip-flopper" by the Republicans and the "Swift Boaters" during the 2004 Presidential race. For the most part, these turned out to be false accusations. Since then, George Bush and Dick Cheney have continued as the "Supreme Flip-Floppers" and Senator Hillary Clinton has had her small share with her "Bosnia Sniper Stories".
Now, with the 2008 Presidential race in full bloom, we have a new "Ultra Supreme Flip-Flopper". And he is known as; Arizona Senator and Republican presidential nominee, John McCain. It is becoming obvious that Senator McCain has been in training to continue the precedents set by the "Bush-Cheney Flip-Flopper Coalition" and he already has a major head start on achieving that goal.
Listed here are a few examples of how John McCain has raised the level of "Flip-Flopperism" to an even higher plateau:
About his knowledge of Economics:
Tim Russert of the political interview TV program, Meet the Press, recently quoted John McCain as having said: "I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
McCain responded saying: "I don't know where you got that quote from. I'm very well versed in economics."
The exact quote, from the Wall Street Journal is: "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
Later, in the Baltimore Sun, McCain is quoted as saying..."The issue of economics is something that I've really never understood as well as I should. I understand the basics, the fundamentals, the vision, all that kind of stuff,'' he said. "But I would like to have someone I'm close to that really is a good strong economist. As long as Alan Greenspan is around I would certainly use him for advice and counsel."
About meeting w/ a Lobbyist:
McCain has denied that he'd ever had multiple meetings with the attractive female lobbyist Vicki Iseman and her client Lowell Paxon, even though he has admitted that he had those meetings in a legal, written deposition.
About not voting for Bush in 2000:
After sitting on the story for nearly eight years, Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post, said that John McCain told her soon after the 2000 election that he did not even vote for George W. Bush. The private conversation took place at a Los Angeles dinner party, she said, and the senator's wife Cindy said she didn't vote for Bush either. Huffington said; "They never told me that it was off the record." Today, both he and his wife still deny that they said that they didn't vote for George W. Bush.
About the US and a 100 years in Iraq:
John McCain said it would be fine with him if the U.S. military stayed in Iraq for "a hundred years" or even a "million years." He then later said; "By the way, about that 100 year thing. My friends, the war will be over soon. The war, for all intents and purposes [is over], though the insurgency will go on for years and years and years. But it will be handled by the Iraqis, not by us."
On Social Security:
When asked about the apparent change in his position on Social Security, Sen... McCain said he hadn´t made one. "I´m totally in favor of personal savings accounts." When reminded that his Web site said something different, he said he would change the Web site. (so far he hasn´t.) "As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it — along the lines that President Bush proposed."
It´s one thing for McCain to flip-flop from his position from 2000; that was eight years ago. But for the candidate to reject his own campaign´s policy position — after a current year of campaigning — is amazing. And for McCain to embrace Bush´s biggest domestic policy debacle is beyond belief.
About "Waterboarding":
John McCain, a former prisoner of war, has spoken strongly in favor of implementing the Army Field Manual standard (which bans Waterboarding). When confronted with the decision of whether to stick with his conscience or cave-in to the right wing, McCain chose to ditch his principles and instead voted to preserve Waterboarding.
About Immigrant Students:
McCain has dropped his 30 year support for the Law of the Sea convention. He now opposes the DREAM ACT to legalize illegal immigrant students. The sea treaty was the latest litmus test for the 2008 Republican presidential candidates, and after decades of public support for it, Mr. McCain has now pivoted to bring himself in line with other Republicans. "I would probably vote against it," he told Bloggers during a recent conference call.
On Immigration Reform:
When McCain was recently asked whether he´d vote today for the immigration-reform legislation he introduced in 2006. He responded that he would not vote for his own bill if it came to the Senate floor. Based on the so called, "Mr. Straight Talk," how many other McCain-sponsored bills is McCain prepared to vote against? These aren´t random bills that McCain has voted on — these are bills that he "recently championed personally". And now, after McCain has sponsored the bills, he´s not even willing to vote for them himself.
On Campaign-Finance Reform:
In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, McCain told far-right activist groups that he now opposes the measure he´d previously backed. McCain used to support major campaign-finance reform measures that bore his name. In June 2007, McCain announced his opposition to a major McCain-Feingold provision.
On the War in Iraq:
McCain said before the war in Iraq, "We will win this conflict. We will win it easily." Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was "probably going to be long and hard and tough."
McCain has said that he was always the "greatest critic" of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld´s failed Iraq policy.
However, in December 2003, McCain is quoted as praising the same strategy as "a mission accomplished." In March 2004, he said, "I´m confident we´re on the right course." In December 2005, he said, "Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course."
On Abortion and Roe vs Wade:
As the Associated Press reported on August 24, 1999, McCain proclaimed himself a pro-life candidate. However, he told reporters that "in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support the repeal of Roe v. Wade."
When his comments recently came under fire from pro-life groups, he wrote a letter to the National Right to Life Committee, stating: "I share our common goal of reducing the staggering number of abortions currently performed in this country and the overturning of the Roe vs. Wade decision."
On Intelligent design:
In 2000, McCain declared that the teaching of "intelligent design" was a matter for local school boards to decide.
This was in contrast to George W. Bush's position that creationism should be taught in classrooms. On August 3, 2005, McCain said that "different schools of thought" about the origins of mankind should be presented to all students.
The later statement mirrored what President Bush had said just three weeks earlier, when he defended the teaching of intelligent design by saying, "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought."
On the Confederate flag
When asked in 2000 about his thoughts on the Confederate flag, McCain stated; "Personally, I see the flag as a symbol of heritage." In 2002, McCain admitted that he believed in 2000 that "the Confederate flag should be taken down," but that, in an "act of political cowardice," he "didn't say so" because "everybody said, 'Oh, look out, you can't win in South Carolina if you say that.' "
On Gay Marriage:
McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn´t be allowed.
On Jerry Falwell:
McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance" in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the very man who has said; "Americans deserved the attacks on 9/11."
On Taxing the Wealthy:
McCain said in 2005, that he opposed Bush's tax cuts because they were "too tilted to the wealthy." By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and insisted he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
On "Dirty Money":
In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush´s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wyly's for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April 2008, McCain reached out to the Wyly's for supporting his presidential campaign.
On Martin Luther King, Jr.:
McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.
On the conservative Bob Jones University:
McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he did it himself.
On Ethanol:
McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he´s pro-ethanol.
On Henry Kissinger:
McCain decided in 2000 that he didn´t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he "would taint the image of the ´Straight Talk Express.´" Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for McCain's presidential campaign in New York.
Family Recipes?
It turns out that Mrs. Cindy McCain submitted "her" Passion Fruit Mousse recipe to the New York Sun for an article that ran on January 16th, 2008. Just like on the McCain campaign web site, there is no sourcing other than McCain herself. Trouble is, those recipes already existed on the Food Network. And as it turns out, when you Googled certain ingredients, you would get both the Food Network and the McCain campaign websites. The recipes were from both the Italian Chef Giada DeLaurentis and the "Queen of 30 Minute Meals", Rachael Ray.
On his temper and discussing a 2004 VP role w/ John Kerry:
Senator John McCain was recently asked a question at a town hall meeting in Atlanta that he had never addressed publicly before. The question; "Since Senator John Kerry, the Democrat of Massachusetts, had approached you, Senator McCain, about being his running mate for the White House in 2004, would you, Senator Mr. McCain, now return the favor?"
Mr. McCain, the Republican nominee, who has long been viewed by many conservatives as a Democratic sympathizer, "angrily and quickly said no" — and just as quickly said; "he had never considered sharing the ticket in 2004 with Mr. Kerry", a good friend of his.
Aboard his campaign plane, when Mr. McCain was asked why he had said in an interview with The New York Times in May 2004 that he had "not even had a casual conversation with Mr. Kerry on the topic" – Mr. McCain displayed some of the temper that he has largely kept under control in this campaign. "Everybody knows I had a conversation,´´ he angrily told this reporter as his plane headed from Atlanta to New Orleans. "Everybody knows that, that I had a conversation. There´s no living American in Washington, there´s no one, and you know it, too. You know it. You know it. So I don´t even know why you asked.´´
When asked when the conversation with Mr. Kerry occurred, Mr. McCain once again angrily replied, "No, no, because the issue is closed as far as I´m concerned. Everybody knows it. Everybody in America knows it.´´
Author's Summary Statement:
It´s one thing to change one´s mind about a policy matter or two. And McCain has been in Congress for a quarter-century. He´s bound to shift now and then on various issues. But to shift with the political winds as much as McCain is doing, and to do it to your own bills...what's coming next? I do NOT want this old and confused individual as the leader of my country?
Senator John Kerry was accused of being a "flip-flopper" by the Republicans and the "Swift Boaters" during the 2004 Presidential race. For the most part, these turned out to be false accusations. Since then, George Bush and Dick Cheney have continued as the "Supreme Flip-Floppers" and Senator Hillary Clinton has had her small share with her "Bosnia Sniper Stories".
Now, with the 2008 Presidential race in full bloom, we have a new "Ultra Supreme Flip-Flopper". And he is known as; Arizona Senator and Republican presidential nominee, John McCain. It is becoming obvious that Senator McCain has been in training to continue the precedents set by the "Bush-Cheney Flip-Flopper Coalition" and he already has a major head start on achieving that goal.
Listed here are a few examples of how John McCain has raised the level of "Flip-Flopperism" to an even higher plateau:
About his knowledge of Economics:
Tim Russert of the political interview TV program, Meet the Press, recently quoted John McCain as having said: "I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
McCain responded saying: "I don't know where you got that quote from. I'm very well versed in economics."
The exact quote, from the Wall Street Journal is: "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
Later, in the Baltimore Sun, McCain is quoted as saying..."The issue of economics is something that I've really never understood as well as I should. I understand the basics, the fundamentals, the vision, all that kind of stuff,'' he said. "But I would like to have someone I'm close to that really is a good strong economist. As long as Alan Greenspan is around I would certainly use him for advice and counsel."
About meeting w/ a Lobbyist:
McCain has denied that he'd ever had multiple meetings with the attractive female lobbyist Vicki Iseman and her client Lowell Paxon, even though he has admitted that he had those meetings in a legal, written deposition.
About not voting for Bush in 2000:
After sitting on the story for nearly eight years, Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post, said that John McCain told her soon after the 2000 election that he did not even vote for George W. Bush. The private conversation took place at a Los Angeles dinner party, she said, and the senator's wife Cindy said she didn't vote for Bush either. Huffington said; "They never told me that it was off the record." Today, both he and his wife still deny that they said that they didn't vote for George W. Bush.
About the US and a 100 years in Iraq:
John McCain said it would be fine with him if the U.S. military stayed in Iraq for "a hundred years" or even a "million years." He then later said; "By the way, about that 100 year thing. My friends, the war will be over soon. The war, for all intents and purposes [is over], though the insurgency will go on for years and years and years. But it will be handled by the Iraqis, not by us."
On Social Security:
When asked about the apparent change in his position on Social Security, Sen... McCain said he hadn´t made one. "I´m totally in favor of personal savings accounts." When reminded that his Web site said something different, he said he would change the Web site. (so far he hasn´t.) "As part of Social Security reform, I believe that private savings accounts are a part of it — along the lines that President Bush proposed."
It´s one thing for McCain to flip-flop from his position from 2000; that was eight years ago. But for the candidate to reject his own campaign´s policy position — after a current year of campaigning — is amazing. And for McCain to embrace Bush´s biggest domestic policy debacle is beyond belief.
About "Waterboarding":
John McCain, a former prisoner of war, has spoken strongly in favor of implementing the Army Field Manual standard (which bans Waterboarding). When confronted with the decision of whether to stick with his conscience or cave-in to the right wing, McCain chose to ditch his principles and instead voted to preserve Waterboarding.
About Immigrant Students:
McCain has dropped his 30 year support for the Law of the Sea convention. He now opposes the DREAM ACT to legalize illegal immigrant students. The sea treaty was the latest litmus test for the 2008 Republican presidential candidates, and after decades of public support for it, Mr. McCain has now pivoted to bring himself in line with other Republicans. "I would probably vote against it," he told Bloggers during a recent conference call.
On Immigration Reform:
When McCain was recently asked whether he´d vote today for the immigration-reform legislation he introduced in 2006. He responded that he would not vote for his own bill if it came to the Senate floor. Based on the so called, "Mr. Straight Talk," how many other McCain-sponsored bills is McCain prepared to vote against? These aren´t random bills that McCain has voted on — these are bills that he "recently championed personally". And now, after McCain has sponsored the bills, he´s not even willing to vote for them himself.
On Campaign-Finance Reform:
In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, McCain told far-right activist groups that he now opposes the measure he´d previously backed. McCain used to support major campaign-finance reform measures that bore his name. In June 2007, McCain announced his opposition to a major McCain-Feingold provision.
On the War in Iraq:
McCain said before the war in Iraq, "We will win this conflict. We will win it easily." Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was "probably going to be long and hard and tough."
McCain has said that he was always the "greatest critic" of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld´s failed Iraq policy.
However, in December 2003, McCain is quoted as praising the same strategy as "a mission accomplished." In March 2004, he said, "I´m confident we´re on the right course." In December 2005, he said, "Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course."
On Abortion and Roe vs Wade:
As the Associated Press reported on August 24, 1999, McCain proclaimed himself a pro-life candidate. However, he told reporters that "in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support the repeal of Roe v. Wade."
When his comments recently came under fire from pro-life groups, he wrote a letter to the National Right to Life Committee, stating: "I share our common goal of reducing the staggering number of abortions currently performed in this country and the overturning of the Roe vs. Wade decision."
On Intelligent design:
In 2000, McCain declared that the teaching of "intelligent design" was a matter for local school boards to decide.
This was in contrast to George W. Bush's position that creationism should be taught in classrooms. On August 3, 2005, McCain said that "different schools of thought" about the origins of mankind should be presented to all students.
The later statement mirrored what President Bush had said just three weeks earlier, when he defended the teaching of intelligent design by saying, "I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought."
On the Confederate flag
When asked in 2000 about his thoughts on the Confederate flag, McCain stated; "Personally, I see the flag as a symbol of heritage." In 2002, McCain admitted that he believed in 2000 that "the Confederate flag should be taken down," but that, in an "act of political cowardice," he "didn't say so" because "everybody said, 'Oh, look out, you can't win in South Carolina if you say that.' "
On Gay Marriage:
McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn´t be allowed.
On Jerry Falwell:
McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance" in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the very man who has said; "Americans deserved the attacks on 9/11."
On Taxing the Wealthy:
McCain said in 2005, that he opposed Bush's tax cuts because they were "too tilted to the wealthy." By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and insisted he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
On "Dirty Money":
In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush´s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wyly's for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April 2008, McCain reached out to the Wyly's for supporting his presidential campaign.
On Martin Luther King, Jr.:
McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.
On the conservative Bob Jones University:
McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he did it himself.
On Ethanol:
McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he´s pro-ethanol.
On Henry Kissinger:
McCain decided in 2000 that he didn´t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he "would taint the image of the ´Straight Talk Express.´" Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for McCain's presidential campaign in New York.
Family Recipes?
It turns out that Mrs. Cindy McCain submitted "her" Passion Fruit Mousse recipe to the New York Sun for an article that ran on January 16th, 2008. Just like on the McCain campaign web site, there is no sourcing other than McCain herself. Trouble is, those recipes already existed on the Food Network. And as it turns out, when you Googled certain ingredients, you would get both the Food Network and the McCain campaign websites. The recipes were from both the Italian Chef Giada DeLaurentis and the "Queen of 30 Minute Meals", Rachael Ray.
On his temper and discussing a 2004 VP role w/ John Kerry:
Senator John McCain was recently asked a question at a town hall meeting in Atlanta that he had never addressed publicly before. The question; "Since Senator John Kerry, the Democrat of Massachusetts, had approached you, Senator McCain, about being his running mate for the White House in 2004, would you, Senator Mr. McCain, now return the favor?"
Mr. McCain, the Republican nominee, who has long been viewed by many conservatives as a Democratic sympathizer, "angrily and quickly said no" — and just as quickly said; "he had never considered sharing the ticket in 2004 with Mr. Kerry", a good friend of his.
Aboard his campaign plane, when Mr. McCain was asked why he had said in an interview with The New York Times in May 2004 that he had "not even had a casual conversation with Mr. Kerry on the topic" – Mr. McCain displayed some of the temper that he has largely kept under control in this campaign. "Everybody knows I had a conversation,´´ he angrily told this reporter as his plane headed from Atlanta to New Orleans. "Everybody knows that, that I had a conversation. There´s no living American in Washington, there´s no one, and you know it, too. You know it. You know it. So I don´t even know why you asked.´´
When asked when the conversation with Mr. Kerry occurred, Mr. McCain once again angrily replied, "No, no, because the issue is closed as far as I´m concerned. Everybody knows it. Everybody in America knows it.´´
Author's Summary Statement:
It´s one thing to change one´s mind about a policy matter or two. And McCain has been in Congress for a quarter-century. He´s bound to shift now and then on various issues. But to shift with the political winds as much as McCain is doing, and to do it to your own bills...what's coming next? I do NOT want this old and confused individual as the leader of my country?
