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Who Is the Real McCain?

By Bob Geiger, AlterNet. Posted June 5, 2006.


John McCain wants everyone to know that he's a conservative Republican, a friend of Jerry Falwell and a staunch supporter of the worst president in history. Let's help spread the message.

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It's fascinating to watch the media when it affixes a label or otherwise assigns an identity to a politician and, whether true or not, it goes on to become the prevailing conventional wisdom. In the case of former Vice President Al Gore in 2000, the mainstream press was perfectly content to adopt right-wing spin and brand Gore the man who claimed to have "invented the Internet," despite the fact that even a sliver of research would have shown that Gore said no such thing.

Likewise, Arizona Sen. John McCain continues to enjoy the fawning of talk show hosts -- of all political stripes -- and the rote description of him as a straight-shooting maverick, notwithstanding a record that shows him displaying anything but those qualities. On the contrary, rather than being a true outside-the-beltway interloper butting heads with the average, cynical pol, McCain's conduct since 2000 alone shows him to be a consummate politician, whose loyalties, positions and commitments shift with whatever political imperative happens to be temporarily in his face.

Let's get something out of the way right up front: As a veteran -- to hell with that -- as an American, I yield to nobody in my respect for the guts and heroism shown by the younger McCain during his nightmarish captivity in Hanoi in the Vietnam War. Short of giving one's life, there isn't much more a person can do for their country than endure the physical and mental hell survived by McCain during that lengthy imprisonment.

McCain's military past also included another brush with near death when, while stationed on the USS Forrestal in 1967, a rocket from an F-4 Phantom was accidentally launched across the deck, starting a massive fire that killed 134 sailors. The rocket struck McCain's airplane, and he narrowly escaped the resulting explosion, while still suffering shrapnel wounds to his legs and chest. For his military service, McCain received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, and a Distinguished Flying Cross.

Regardless of our thoughts about that war, all of us should hold McCain, the young Navy aviator, in unwavering esteem for that part of his biography.

But being heroic in one long-ago facet of life, does not give any of us a permanent free pass for our actions thereafter. McCain's trial-by-fire in Vietnam ended in 1973 and, as a man who aspires to lead the free world as the U.S. president, McCain's record since his military discharge is the most relevant factor of all.

And what exactly is that record?

To be sure, with the help of a media that now behaves more like a steno pool than an investigative body, McCain continues to enjoy being described as a man who sticks to his guns and means what he says, damn the consequences -- even to the point of naming his campaign bus in the 2000 presidential primary, the "Straight Talk Express."

But even a casual observer of the latter-day McCain can't help but see a man who fails to live up to that lofty creed when the need truly exists.

The most recent example of the chameleonlike nature of his values comes in McCain's nauseating display of courting the Religious Right well in advance of the next primary season.

Lauded for a perceived maverick streak, McCain, as a 2000 presidential candidate, famously called the Rev. Jerry Falwell one of the "agents of intolerance" hurting the Republican party. But recently, as McCain has begun laying the groundwork for another White House bid, he sought to shore up his conservative credentials by going hat-in-hand to Falwell's Liberty University in early May to kiss up to him and forgive past deeds.

And it was no secret that Falwell and his merry band in the Religious Right were major players against McCain in the 2000 presidential primary season and are the same people who contributed buckets of money to George W. Bush and who actively participated in his candidacy's rapid destruction after a breathtaking win in the country's first primary in New Hampshire.

But there was McCain recently on Larry King Live, proclaiming his loyalty to the very same people and declaring his admiration, saying, "I admire the Religious Right for the dedication and zeal they put into the political process."

And speaking of that, who among political observers have not been left scratching their heads and wondering how a man who exhibited such a steel backbone as a POW in his younger days could literally and figuratively embrace the same people who so viciously attacked him -- and his family -- in 2000?


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Bob Geiger blogs at Democrats.com and for AlterNet's PEEK. He can be reached at: geiger.bob@gmail.com

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McCain
Posted by: derfb1 on Jun 5, 2006 3:35 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
But wouldn't you rather fight Muslim enemies 10,000 miles away than here? And since 9-11 have you noticed any buildings being blown up here? Come on get real.

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» RE: McCain Posted by: feduphoosier
» RE: McCain Posted by: Mary
» RE: McCain Posted by: Samantha Vimes
» RE: McCain Posted by: Timba
» RE: McCain Posted by: Earthie
» RE: McCain Posted by: Mutternich
» RE: McCain Posted by: Ellie1
» RE: McCain Posted by: lamar
» RE: McCain Posted by: sketchartist
» RE: McCain Posted by: aumfish
» READ 911Truth.org Posted by: SALLY EVANS
» RE: McCain Posted by: TheTeaDiva
McCain=toy poodle
Posted by: redstarwraith on Jun 5, 2006 3:51 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
To derfby1: If your idea is that we as a nation are safer because of the efforts of John McCain and his republican party you are seriously delusional. I appreciated this article so much because it finally revealed what many of us had known all along: McCain is nothing but a tethered toy poodle.

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McCain has lost far more than he has gained
Posted by: xbj on Jun 5, 2006 4:05 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
By sucking up to those who so vehemently tried to destroy him, in return for, apparently, the promise of Veep IF Cheney goes, McCain has lost every shred of majority support in this country and every bit of credibility he had.

But he doesn't care, because he knows Diebold and ES&S will continue to dictate the vote, indefinitely.

It's been really sad to see a formerly great man finally sell out and join the ranks of tired old useless whores.

I'm sure it happened a lot in mid-30's Germany.

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My nightmare:A McCain-Clinton Unity ticket
Posted by: sausage on Jun 5, 2006 6:41 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What has this country come to?

Short answer:It's just slightly left of Nazi Germany.

At long last, at least journalists in the blogosphere are ripping the mask off John McCain's vaunted centrism. He's been nothing but a right wing functionary since the beginning of his political career.

Oh, yeah, my nightmare! McCain and Hillary Clinton, after getting rebuked by their respective political parties in the '08 Presidential primaries and caucuses, form a third-party Unity ticket, thereby ending the charade of our "two-party system."

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McCain is an crimanal
Posted by: kooz on Jun 5, 2006 7:04 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Nothing less. Savings and loan scandel says it all.

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I'm confused and conflicted too
Posted by: bookwoman on Jun 5, 2006 7:43 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I was a John McCain supporter in 2000 and I continued to support him until recently. I see a man who may be playing it safe so that he carries his party's nomination. However, that means he isn't the man I thought he was - one who, even if I didn't exactly agree with him, was walking to his own drummer.

He is a Navy man who spent much of his life in the Armed Services. I think his vote to invade Iraq as much more likely than that of Hillary, John Kerry and John Edwards who voted more because they were afraid of being left outside, as was Dick Gephardt in 1991, if "W" rolled over Iraq and became a hero, as '41' did during Desert Storm, and they had voted against it. Gephardt's loss of face and '41's popularity caused many front runners to drop out and allowed the Governor of Arkansas to prevail.

Actually, if anyone else listened to the speech at Liberty University last month, it wasn't the FalworthConservative Christian type of speech you might have expected at such a time. It was more in the nature of his books, "Faith of Our Fathers" and "Why Courage Counts" filled with God and patriotism, both of which I believe in. However, McCain and I belong to the same denomination, and I recognize his pick and choose kind of thinking as what we are taught in a religion which is based on "Tradition, Scripture and Reason".

I will continue to watch McCain as the months roll out and will make a decision later as to his actions now.

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MCain is just another greedy, power-mad monster like Bush, Kerry, Dean, Billl&Hilary, Reagan, LBJ,
Posted by: cry0fan on Jun 5, 2006 7:52 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
these people will do whatever it takes to gain power, as long as they can get away with it.

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McCain or Rodham Clinton? What a Hillary-ous choice...Pantomime, Anyone???
Posted by: ZPaul on Jun 5, 2006 7:55 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
As far as I´m concerned, a McCain-or-Rodham Clinton election scenario, Mrs. Rodham Clinton could at most, aspire to be a "lesser-evil" candidate - yuck!(I must emphasize here that this is my personal perception of the situation, and I freely acknowldege that many, or possibly most liberals will see Hillary quite differently) McCain has already shown, for all of his "temperament" that he is a docile tool of the right. What is needed is an candidate that will provide a real, defined opposition, not one who will put on a pantomime,, attacking Republicans in certain areas, but surrendering to them in others(suggesting shady behind-the-scenes deals struck between the two party machines) -- Judging from her record, I strongly suspect that Hillary is a master of this kind of pantomime. Am I being too hard on Mrs. Clinton in her possible future role as opposition to McCain? You decide for yourself.

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Mr. Bip
Posted by: tap17x on Jun 5, 2006 8:12 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Unfortunately, McCain has exactly that aura, backed by absolutely no substance, that our imbecile voters go for. There's a great danger that he will win. He will then continue to suck off the radical right so he can be re-elected. He would beat Hillary and probably beat Gore. Things look very bad.

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2008 A LONG WAY OFF
Posted by: VZEQICVA on Jun 5, 2006 8:15 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Does anyone else get the feeling that McCain and Clinton will run their courses too early on ? What they have to say now will be irrelevant by '08. They should both be concerned with the present situation and do the jobs they already have. Don't they read the papers ? We are at war. I find their behavior inexcusable. The permanent state of campaigning is a way of avoiding the job at hand, not to mention boring. They both know better. Thanks, ANNA

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nitpick
Posted by: jwgauld on Jun 5, 2006 8:47 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Max Cleland's injuries were not incurred on the "battlefield." He fell victim to a mishandled hand grenade, not enemy action. When we accuse the right of lying, we need to be like Caesar's wife -- above suspicion.

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» RE: nitpick Posted by: sketchartist
Let me get this straight
Posted by: Lincoln fan on Jun 5, 2006 9:16 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We don't like the Republicans because they nominate candidates who are Republicans and we don't like the Democrats because they nominate candidates who are Republicans.

I think that the answer to this problem is to ignore parties and candidates and concentrate on the issues. With a grassroots movement and a show of strength we can force both parties to take sides on the issues important to us.

Join The Lincoln Initiative and make "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" a reality. Click on Lincoln Initiative

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McCain is Sleaze
Posted by: Kitty Lady Oregon on Jun 5, 2006 9:25 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
McCain is a sleazeball, just like his buddies, Bush, Cheney and Falwell and Rove. I used to live in AZ, and hated the fact that there were so many rightwingnuts there. McCain will not reply to any of your correspondence unless you are a registered Repugnut. Kyl is the same. McCain is a rich (through Cindy) tax cutting homophobic nut just like the rest of them. They own the Budweiser distribution throughout the entire state. Do not trust him as far as you can throw him.

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No Way
Posted by: placid on Jun 5, 2006 9:43 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
After Bush, who ran as a moderate there is absolutely no way I would vote for John McCain. He is really doing the "Snuggling Up" with anyone who Bush has tried to make his base, he is a good ole boy with Bush despite Bush playing the political game with McCain dirtying his name and family. This guy isto be avoided. He fools you with his moves in the Senate as a "maverick" Republican when it is clear he'll take any thrashing with small to fool the voters. Sorry, any leaning I had in the least for John is long gone. In fact no Republican will get avote on any level until it cleans itself up, stops warring and lying. I can not trust any Republican . The tricks played especially during these Bush years need to be cleaned up .I have had it! I am not a radical far to the left democrat and neither is the ,majority of democrats.I care about wages, jobs, tax breaks for the average, middle class workers, STOPPING THIS IDIOTIC WAR AND PERHAPS MORE, sleeping with the far right, the extreme Christians who wail about gays destroying marriage which is sad and lame,(I assure you alcohol destroys far more marriages than gays....conservatives you're getting SOOOOOOOOOO used. John, with me, don't waste your time!!!!! Mary Basombrio ,Portland, OR.

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Stop Glorifying The Military!
Posted by: outsidea on Jun 5, 2006 11:41 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It is not only that John McCain does not deserve the affection and respect he receives from so many Americans but that he is not even the "conservative" republican that he claims to be. I am not even sure if there are any conservatives left in the repubs...they got purged by right wing reactionaries and religious fanatics leaving them with this neo-fascist organization flying the flag of the republican party.

Today's John enthusiastically supports the Bush agenda and sides with the wealthy 2 or 3% of the ruling class and the right wing fundamentalist and dominion Christians that so pollute the society these days. Today's John does not deserve to be allowed to hide behind the military service he once performed for his country. He has proven to be, especially after remaining silent in the face of the attacks on his fellow Vietnam vets, a man of no honor and little integrity. He is a liar and a suck-up to the wealthy.

The reason he gets away with this is because even the anti-war Americans have been partially silenced by the slogan "Support Our Troop" which we adopted to stave off the right wings claims that we were traitors to oppose the war once troops were committed. I must say it worked for a while and the whole debacle (Support our troops, bring them home...remember that one?) segued into not only support for our troops committed to battle but a crude and disgusting glorifying of the military and all the lying generals that the administration trotted out supporting the war....how disgusting that they could find so many senior officers to shill for the republican war and the likes of the chicken hawks Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz etc. Pimps with stars on their shoulders!

As the author points out his military record was OK and his constant resistance to torture and humiliating treatment as a POW deserves credit and commendation. His record as a politician however does not match his military record...unless you support this neo-fascist cabal that controls our government at the present moment.

Dont be fooled again folks...say no to militarism and no tho John Cain!

Joseph

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If nothing has been blown -up since 9/11
Posted by: threedfm on Jun 5, 2006 12:06 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
it's not because we have stopped them . They just have not tried any thing in this country yet . Why do they have to , we are distroying our country fast enough as it is . Look at what is going on in Washington DC . right now . Al Qaeda is having a good laugh at our expence . They don't have to do a thing , just leave us alone , we'll do it to ourself .

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McCain is shrub-like
Posted by: antirightwing on Jun 5, 2006 1:36 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bob,
Thank you for pulling it all together into a single article. The real Real McCain? We virtually have the same take. Let's hope his popularity continues to drop as more is revealed.

Visit my blog: People For Progress

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You can't throw a punch without a spine.
Posted by: monkeywrench on Jun 5, 2006 1:55 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The reason Bush-League and his personal Mr. Potatohead, Rove, get away with their trash-talk is that nobody stands up to them. McCain had himself and his family scorched by Bush & Co. lies in the 2004 primary, then turned around and became little Georgie's waterboy for the presidential election. Likewise, John Kerry had his heroism besmirched by that pack of lying rat-bastards, the [not too] "Swiftboaters," and then let the lies stand for three weeks without an answer – which, when it finally came was so ineffectual as to be meaningless. In both cases, these men should have come out fighting, firing both barrels at that sneaky, chickenshit little bastard Rove and his ilk. But no; both of them rolled over and played dead. (And to add insult to injury, after Kerry had his presidency stolen, he practically sprinted to the microphone to give up, verifying the lawbreaking by the other side!)

Both of these men seem to have left their heroism in Southeast Asia 30 years ago and have become [to paraphrase Howard Cosell] "mere shadows of their former selves." Is there something corrosive in the water in Washington D.C.? What is it that causes politicians' spines to disintegrate as soon as they get into high office?

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A New Cadidate!
Posted by: aussidawg on Jun 5, 2006 3:45 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Rep. Ron Paul was the Libertarian candidate in 1988. He has performed well in the House during his tenure...How about Ron Paul, and maybe Russ Feingold as a running mate? Or is that asking too much?

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» RE: A New Cadidate! Posted by: GreenLibbie
» RE: A New Cadidate! Posted by: aumfish
» RE: A New Cadidate! Posted by: dangerouslysane
uss forrestal
Posted by: merlallen on Jun 6, 2006 4:30 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I saw that movie in bootcamp a couple of times. It shows McCAin I think pushing his plane overboard.

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mc cain
Posted by: xtiml on Jun 8, 2006 4:52 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
he is a anus, he is trying to train us. the fact he likes fallwell is enough. the telebangelists are the wiorst excide for spiritual advisors on earth.this whole society isd a sham and the worlds too. it is all done by freemasonry we are the unfinished work of them.

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hi
Posted by: aser on Sep 29, 2006 3:57 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
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