Monday, October 20, 2008

The "real McCoy" McCain?

What has happened to the John McCain (that Republicans "thought", they knew)?

At a Washington rally a few weeks ago, John McCain leaned into the microphone and asked (in the tone of a dime-store pitchman), “Who is Barack Obama?”

Seems to me that the Republican presidential candidate ought to look into a nearby mirror, to ask that of himself (particularly following the Wednesday debate, last week).


What has become of the once dignified Arizona Senator?


- The active reformer?
- The gutsy “straight talker”?
- The former POW and survivor?
- Where is the man who investigated Republican party corruption?
- The guy who investigated involvements in the Indian casino mess?
- Where is the author of campaign finance reform?
- Where did the friend of the poor immigrant go?

Do "haters" now possess the soul of the onetime defender of tax justice?

McCain -- who waited for years to elbow George W. Bush out of the way -- appears to have lowered his own ethics and manners to those of the Republican insiders (whom he once despised):

= Richard Nixon -- the master of "dirty tricks", who tried to deploy the FBI to advance partisan purposes.

= Karl Rove -- the exploiter of religious, sexual, and reproductive "wedge" issues.

= Bush himself -- who would follow any calculating jerk’s advice (particularly if risky, hard right, and unyielding).

= And finally, the late Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, the infamous Republican from Wisconsin -- the grinning purveyor of the "patriotism smear".

The latest smearings...

And you launched your political campaign in Mr. Ayers’ living room,” claimed McCain (in the third debate, referring to William Ayers, a onetime terrorist whom Obama repudiated). McCain went on, “Obama chooses to associate with a guy, who in 2001, said that he wished he had bombed more, and he [Obama] had a long association with him.”

McCain’s choice for vice president, Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin (as in, "pal-ing" ?), had already accused Obama of “pal-ing-around with a terrorist.” Overnight (on Friday), the McCain forces ramped it up. They began routing a recorded message (approved by the Republican National Committee) that said, in part: “Hello, I’m calling for the RNC and John McCain because you ought to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers...”

Obama debunked the smear during the debate (measurably, the worst ever heard from one candidate, delivered against another).

None of McCain’s, Palin’s or the RNC’s charges are true.

Nothing can make them so. Yet McCain & the RNC keep piling it on, broadening the fallacy, from “pal-ed around,” to “associated with” and now “worked closely.” That kind of big lie worked for McCarthy, Nixon, Rove, Bush and yes, Adolf Hitler. And it may work again in this era of chainsaw politics. It’s not funny or forgivable. Should it disqualify McCain on grounds of character?

Now that McCain himself has "rolled-in-the-gutter" (on national television), what will be left of presidential majesty, the demeanor of a chief of state -- were "M" to be elected?

In France, when the public votes "M", they mean Merde (shit), "a vote for no one"! Perfectly, à propos, Me Thinks.

McCain’s intellect and leadership qualifications quickly fell under world-wide scrutiny because of his dubious choice of, Palin. He didn't know her, and she was not vetted -- yet the act of placing Mrs. Palin on the ticket, was the biggest executive decision McCain had ever made during his civilian life. McCain didn't know that Palin's unmarried daughter was pregnant, nor that it's a bipartisan legislative body probing Palin’s abuse of power in Alaska. McCain did not know (that in July) Palin’s husband Todd, had lolled around the governor’s office behaving like her unelected Viceroy. McCain does now. Yet on Wednesday, McCain called her “a role model.” “She’ll be my partner,” added McCain, 72 (who has had two major bouts with skin cancer, and for whom "survivability" is anyone's legitimate concern).

Would Palin be up to the task of the Presidency of anything? And shouldn't she be impeached as the Governor of Alaska (talk to the AK State Trooper ...her ex-brother-in-law, for his opinion)?

There are many (including Republicans) who believe that McCain put the nation at risk by linking fate, to Palin. Just why he did it, is still unfolding. There are persistent reports that McCain was influenced by William Kristol (a New York Times columnist) who a decade ago, was a leading architect of the US invasion of Iraq. What is Senator McCain thinking?


Is this, the "real McCoy" McCain?

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Universe & Creation

The more profound the revelations of SCIENCE ...the more certain one can be that there is a Great Spirit who made everything so.

Me Thinks