McCain's character

Ticomaya wrote:

Cycloptichorn wrote:

McCain caught in yet another lie about who he has and hasn't met.

http://www.americablog.com/2008/02/mccain-lied-again-this-time-about-never.html

With video.

Cycloptichorn

Cunningham is evidently a complete dumbass, and I'm sure you'll agree.

Unless, of course, you are now wanting to concede that Cunningham is a man whose opinions we ought to trust?

Didn't think so.

Well, I don't see why he has any reason to lie about meeting McCain.

Cycloptichorn

McCain caught in yet another lie about who he has and hasn't met.

http://www.americablog.com/2008/02/mccain-lied-again-this-time-about-never.html

With video.

Cycloptichorn

"It was just last week that McCain lied to the media about never having met a lobbyist involved in last week's scandal (he had met with the lobbyist, and admitted it under oath in 2002). Now he's lying about this controversy as well. Or he's telling the truth, he actually thinks he didn't meet all these different people because the 71 year old McCain no longer has all his faculties."

Cycloptichorn wrote:

McCain caught in yet another lie about who he has and hasn't met.

http://www.americablog.com/2008/02/mccain-lied-again-this-time-about-never.html

With video.

Cycloptichorn

That seems to be the general way these things have been going lately. A bunch of bitching about nothing important from the left-wing.

You have no substantial attacks against the guy.

Cycloptichorn

Of course I do.

First, he's completely flip-flopped on several important policies, including economics, torture, his attitude towards fundamentalist religionists, lobbyist reform, and many other topics.

He wants to continue the disastrous Iraq war.

He wants to start a war with Iran.

He has many links to corruption.

He has a history of adultery and poor emotional control, losing his temper many times.

He lies when convenient, and then plays dumb when caught.

He's running as Bush's third term in almost every way. All the criticisms he's had of Bush's policies in the past have vanished as he has embraced them wholly. He's going to get gutted by this in the general.

Cycloptichorn

No, he has changed his vote and has campaigned to get votes which means he has to pander to some groups to get the vote. McCain is McCain and once the nomination is sewn up, he will be his normal slef knowing that no one in their right mind will possibly vote for a Dem in November.

"I hate the gooks," McCain said yesterday in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. "I will hate them as long as I live."

27.02.2008
John McCain May Be Screwed

And it has nothing to do with a lobbyist named Vicki...

It has to do with this campaign loan story. Basically, McCain secured two loans totaling about $4 million last fall, apparently using as collateral the federal matching funds he'd receive if he opted to into the public campaign-finance system. But simply by using potential public money as collateral, McCain effectively did opt into the system. That means he effectively agreed to cap his campaign spending at $54 million prior to the GOP convention in September. Alas, McCain had spent $49 million as of January 31. So we're looking at more or less zero permissible spending between now and September. (Since he's surely spent $5 million since January.)

In his defense, McCain's lawyers argue that it wasn't potential public money that they used as collateral; it was McCain's overall fundraising potential. Which is--how to put this?--not exactly straight talk. Take it away, Washington Post:

[McCain lawyer Trevor] Potter said the campaign offered as collateral its assets, including McCain's massive fundraising lists and his willingness to keep raising from them. But that may not satisfy the FEC, which requires that politicians borrow using only terms that assure repayment.

"If the bank is saying they lent him money on the basis of future receipts, well, in presidential campaigns, their future receipts can be zero or millions," said Marc Elias, an election lawyer who arranged a loan in 2003 for the presidential bid of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). "The idea that this would be a dependable source of collateral is preposterous."

Agreed. Losing presidential campaigns--the scenario that would have brought the collateral into play--aren't exactly known for their fundraising potential. In fact, there's a bit of a catch-22 here: If McCain's fundraising lists were worth something, he wouldn't have needed a loan. (At least not a big one.) And if they weren't worth anything, he'd have needed the loan, but the lists wouldn't have worked as collateral. I'm not sure how you square that circle.

Bottom line: Either McCain used the promise of public campaign funds as collateral for his loan, in which case he's locked himself into the public campaign finance system (and its strict spending limits) and is massively screwed until September. Or he didn't use potential public funds as collateral, which means he didn't have anything to offer as collateral, which means he received an improper loan. Neither one of those scenarios is very good for the Straight Talk Express.

--Noam Scheiber

Quote:

No, he has changed his vote and has campaigned to get votes which means he has to pander to some groups to get the vote. McCain is McCain and once the nomination is sewn up, he will be his normal slef knowing that no one in their right mind will possibly vote for a Dem in November.

Like I said - flip-flopped. He says whatever he needs to get votes and then changes his position when it's convenient for him.

This is a serious problem for a candidate; in fact, this was the MAJOR attack used against Kerry in '04. Yet you seem to think that it doesn't matter now? Of course it does!

Well, I don't expect you to agree. Just remember later on when he's getting trounced by Obama and the media.

Cycloptichorn

And, then there's stuff like this.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2000/02/18/MN32194.DTL

Quote:
"I hate the gooks," McCain said yesterday in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. "I will hate them as long as I live."


Racism? Racist slurs used on the campaign trail?

I know, I know - he was tortured. But it still isn't going to go over well, no matter what the circumstances.

McCain made no apologies yesterday.

"I was referring to my prison guards," McCain said, "and I will continue to refer to them in language that might offend some people because of the beating and torture of my friends."

McCain made it clear that his anger extends only toward his captors. As a senator, he was one of the leaders of the postwar effort to normalize U.S. relations with Vietnam.

"I will call right now, my interrogator that tortured me, a gook," McCain said. "(I can't believe that) anybody doesn't believe these interrogators and prison guards were cruel and sadistic people who deserve the worst appellations possible."

McCain said he does not consider the comment an epithet.

"Gook," he said, "is the kindest appellation I can give."

First, I don't hate him at all. I respect him.

Second, you need to realize that no matter what the circumstances are, racist comments just don't play well. At all. It WILL be used against him and far more people are going to hear the slur then the explanation.

It was a lame explanation anyways. I got beat up by a gang of black guys when I was younger. It was bad and I still have memories of it that are quite sour. But you don't see me referring to them as n*ggers, because it's wrong to use racial slurs no matter what your personal situation is.

Cycloptichorn

Towelheads are coming! "Islam in general -- those who live by the Koran have a scriptural mandate to kill Christians and Jews."

New Orleans is Sodom! "I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they were recipients of the judgment of God for that."

I'll get you, Potter! "As millions of people anticipate the release of the latest Harry Potter book and film, we're reminded once again of Satan's ongoing attempt to deceive and destroy. The whole purpose of the Potter books is to desensitize readers and introduce them to the occult."

This is no worse than some of the inflammatory comments Farakkhan has dropped over the years--but given a minor toasting (as oposed to the full-panini-press Barack Obama got on Tuesday evening) on Hagee's comments, McCain said, "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support." Not a rejection or denouncement in sight.

I hope the dem's do use it against him. It will enforce that McCain is a great man able to over come stiff obstacles unlike his competitors that are being held over the supporters head as a gilded calf.

I'd say go with that crackhead angle, McG. It has definite traction.