Say what you want about John McCain

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

You may agree or disagree with his loyalty to the party that elected him. You may agree or disagree with his conservatives views. But this is a guy that truly calls em as he sees em.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/30/abc.nightline/index.html

Headline: McCain rebukes Sinclair 'Nightline' decision

"It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves."

Now damnit, I know there's a bunch of people here that hate him, but this is a perfect opportunity for him to be a party line asshole and yet he is doing the right and respectable thing. At very least, give the man his due here.

[hippiegranny]

1. he's ok sometimes

but such a party puke at others. his little scolding of lautenburg after he told the truth about the chickenhawks is a perfect example of him being a party :puke:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. I agree

But that's part of his loyalty. If only Zell Miller and Nighthorse Campbell showed such loyalty.

[SeiowMao]

6. Loyalty to oneself is the higher moral

His loyalty to Bush is incredible considering what he's said about his policies and how he's voted against Bush's agenda many times.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

11. His loyalty is not to Bush

It's to the party that got him elected.

[SeiowMao]

2. Actually he usually does, BUT...

He totally lost my respect when he still campaigns for Bush. Especially after what Bush did to him in the 2000 primaries. I don't expect him to campaign against him, but to activity endorse and travel and give speeches ... Na - he has no integrity.

[bryant69]

4. The trouble with the modern world

It's out of fashion to believe that there are people who are just as moral and just as intelligent as you but have come up with different answers to political questions.

Hence anybody who disagrees with your particular take on Iraq or on education or on taxes or whatever must be either immoral or unintelligent.

This is a way of looking at things that permeates political discourse on both the right and the left.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[SeiowMao]

7. I respected him before....

Even though I didn't agree with many many of his view, I definitely respected him. No more.

[IrateCitizen]

8. Gross mischaracterization

This post is so far off base, it's hardly worth responding to. But I will, just in an attempt to set the record straight once AGAIN on why some of us have little love for John McCain.

I used to greatly admire the man for his honesty and integrity, even if I found many of his ideas to be absolutely crackpot. I respected him because I honestly felt that he placed the importance of free discourse of ideas and what was ultimately best for the country ahead of partisan bickering. I greatly appreciated his tireless work on behalf of CFR in the face of staunch opposition from his own party.

But ever since the 2000 primaries, his credibility has taken hit after hit. I'm sorry, but for the guy to stump for Bush as hard as he does after the total hatchet-job they did on him during those primaries is just incomprehensible. He may still "call 'em as he sees 'em" from time to time, but all in all his stock has fallen off markedly.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

9. See post #3

We don't respect Zell Miller for being a bastard and endorsing Bush. Why in the hell would we respect McCain if he did the same thing?

[IrateCitizen]

14. There's a difference between endorsing him as you party's nominee

and pimping for him. I mean, why in the hell was McCain in NH, campaigning for Bush, while the Dems were campaigning for their primary there?

In my mind, he crossed the line from endorsing to pimping by actions like that.

[bryant69]

12. Hmmmm

You sound just a little bit defensive.

A lot of people in the Democratic Party who don't particularly like Kerry or who have strong reservations about the choices he have made are going to support him in the election; because they believe he is better than the alternative. Perhaps McCain felt the same way in 2000.

I mean there's a reason he's not a Democrat isn't there? He chooses to be a Republican, so one must assume he shares at least a sizable percentage of their views, and by definition, he disagrees with a lot of Democratic/Liberal views.

[IrateCitizen]

13. There are plenty of other Republicans who buck party lines...

... who are not as visible in stumping for Bush as McCain currently is. And none of them were so publicly savaged by Bush during the 2000 Republican primaries.

I have been one person on this board who has consistently argued that McCain is NOT a moderate. He is a hard-right conservative, much from the same tradition as the former AZ Senator, Barry Goldwater. The difference between him and the likes of Tom DeLay, however, is that he is not a proponent of the politics of personal destruction, and at least likes to give the impression that he puts country ahead of party.

However, his pimping for Bush in spite of all the things Bush's people did to him and his family calls that into question -- especially when he has disagreed with them on many things.

[redqueen]

17. It's a result of the immoral reagan/bush (and yes even clinton) policies

When you formulate and implement policies that punish the poor and helpless to benefit the rich, people are going to see you as immoral.

Imagine that!

[fbahrami]

5. Agreed - McCain is the only one

among US politicians - and certainly among Republicans - who I've seen *any* integrity from.

[Ironpost]

10. POW

I think mr McCain is an extraordinary person, you have to love him. He paid the price, to say anything he so chooses. Can you imagine five long years as a prisoner of war. He has my respect

[Meritaten1]

15. Sinclair's act of censorship is an affront to free speech!

The decision to keep a program off the air in some markets because the show plans to read aloud the names of Americans who died in Iraq strikes at the essence of free speech and the marketplace of ideas. It is a very small step from censoring a news broadcast in this manner (i.e. by not airing Nightline in Sinclair's markets) to actually selectively screening news items and only broadcasting content that meets a corporation's ideal for acceptable news stories.

People who do not have access to the Nightline program tonight because they live in a Sinclair market are effectively being prevented from watching a news broadcast because Sinclair has decided to limit their viewing choices.

[redqueen]

16. You're right - I don't like him but I called him to thank him for this

Diplomacy - some have said it's the art of saying 'nice doggie' while looking for a large stick. I think it's the art of positive reinforcement from both sides to work out something close to a 'win/win' situation.

[tom_paine]

18. I agree, sirjwtheblack

I have always (though I do disagree with him often and most stridently disagreed with his comments to "lay off the service record of Bunnypants*") held him in the highest regard.

He isn't perfect (neither were Geo. Washington & Benjamin Franklin) but he is a True Patriot and a Real American (unlike the Imperial Busheviks).

Say what you will about McCain, he NEVER would have allowed LIHOP 9-11 or done 1/10th of the naked fraudulent, crooked shit the Imperials have done.

I've always liked McCain, agree or disagree. He is one of the few remaining Senators of the Old Republic.

When Byrd, McCain, Hollings, Kennedy, et al begin to leave the Imperial Senate, I fear what will remain.