What's do you all think of John McCain?

[Wetzelbill]

I think he gets way too much credit, simply for not being as crazy as many other Republicans are. He's heralded as a maverick often because he shows a decent amount of common sense half of the time. That's not being a maverick or even being a great senator, it's just not being completely stupid or overtly partisan.

Also, I find him to be a shameless show pony. The guy has never met a TV camera that he didn't like. He always makes bold and grand statements railing against something or another but he seems to not do much about it, other than putting on a good show. Example: He hammered Bush about setting up a commission to get to the bottom of our intelligence failures in Iraq. But, then as soon as he was appointed to the commission he made a statement mentioning that he had not come across any evidence that the administration abused or cherry-picked WMD data and that the commission was going to explore intelligence on a broader scope than the Iraq fiasco, including Libya, Iran and so forth. Huh? The major issue in the failing of intelligence was Bush administration manipulation and there is plenty of evidence pointing to it too. Sounds like he already had his mind made up to protect his party and to effectively skirt the issue. I also heard him say on Face The Nation last fall that we didn't yet know if Saddam had any links to 9-11. He was either lying or is just plain stupid because we damn well know Saddam had no involvement in 9-11. The guy confounds me.

That all being said, I respect his military service and, I believe he is a reasonable and intelligent man, actually I do respect him in many ways. However, I don't think he is the big hero some people try to make him out to be. If McCain wasn't as funny and charismatic as he is, he'd get little accolades or attention. Just my opinion, I guess.

[Shopaholic]

1. I lost all respect for him once he decided he needed to kiss

*'s ass.

[walldude]

50. Me too

after what they did to him in the 2000 primary he should have stood up to Bush, he caved so he could run in 2008

[TrustingDog]

61. ditto. I saw him as Smeagol that day, and will from now on.

[zippy890]

66. Well put I agree eom

[Florida_Geek]

2. about the same as used toilet paper

:puke:

[Emillereid]

3. He's a hypocritical asshole!

Like Powell, he has an undeserved reputation as being fair and moderate.

It is nauseating to see him suck up to the Bush after the smears he endured in South Carolina!

[ET Awful]

4. He's just another chump for the chimp.

Anyone that will let Rove & Co. attack his whole family, then come back and support his attackers four years later isn't worthy of any respect at all.

[AG78]

5. Taken to

Room 101 by Rove and Cheney.

[Vickers]

6. Typical RW whore

A Party ass-hat.

A fucking Constitution-hating dipshit.

[robbedvoter]

7. A GOP-er needs to do little to be lionized. See Rudy - just not running

for the bunkers after 911 made him a saint. A dem mayor would have been blamed.
Mccain grunted occasionally sane words and everyone - not just the media whores, but people here too- swooned.
he has no excuse for not challenging the voter fraud in the South Carolina primaries in 2000 (same as Kerry now) and made more bellicose. loony statements than many wingnuts.
Did anyone see the SNL skit with him running repeatedly to his dressing room to get the strenth to praise W at a rally - fetting increasingly drunk, mad - Apocalipse now style?

[Wetzelbill]

13. Yeah that was an awesome skit! Robert Smigel rules!

[laundry_queen]

32. That skit was hilarious! n/t

[newyawker99]

72. Hi laundry_queen!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[October]

8. Anti-labor, spineless hypocrite

I've always given him his due respect for his Vietnam service, etc., but that's where it begins and ends.

[aquart]

9. Bush uses him for toilet paper.

[against all enemies]

33. And he is always ready to be used again. Bush was right in 2000, McCain

has lost his senses.

[212demop]

10. He's had his eye on the 2008 prize and played the US public

to the hilt through this entire past campaign. He makes these grand declaritive statements like he's the moral arbiter for both sides, but bottom line, he's an opportunist and a hypocrite. He backed Bush who treated him unforgiveably like shit when they were running against each other- and screwed his friend in the process and his own real inclinations and so called high minded ideals. It's all about getting his sainthood before he runs in 2008. And it might have worked. But to this dem, he's totally transparent.

Still, of course, once in the presidency, he'd be preferable to Bush. It's how he's getting there that's sickening. He's sold his soul. And mortgaged it, more than once.

[robbedvoter]

14. Preferable to W how? Do you actually doubt that the PNAC machine

would rule ANY FIGUREHEAD the pukes would put in there? St Arnie, McCain or Bush dinasty - all the same.
And to be honest, I didn't see Kerry resisting PNAC either - I was just hoping for better judges when I threw my vote his way.

[212demop]

15. I didn't say it would be a good thing- I'd fucking hate it

But I don't think he's a maniac. Bush is.

[Rambis]

11. I scraped him from my toilet bowl last week

He was a stubborn stain the just wouldn't go away.

[recovering democrat]

12. Much less than I used to

I was pretty impressed with him in comparison to Bush when they ran against each others in the primaries and actually voted for him in that primary in the hopes he would be the nominee instead of Bush who has always scared me more than anyone. (In this state you can vote in whichever primary you want regardless of party affiliation). Bush did evil things to him in that competition. I lost all respect for him when he campaigned for Bush. He could have easily remained silent and everyone would have understood.

For whatever reason he sold his soul to Bush, he is horrible. But I still like this quote from him about the recent spending spree approved by the Republicans in Congress:

The targeted spending was so prolific that Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., had no problem filling a half-hour floor speech with examples before the Senate vote on the measure, such as a plan for $1 million for the Wild American Shrimp Initiative.

"I am hoping that the appropriators could explain to me why we need $1 million for this — are American shrimp unruly and lacking initiative? Why does the U.S. taxpayer need to fund this `no shrimp left behind' act?" McCain asked his colleagues.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20041123/ap_on_go_co/congress_favored_projects

[sandnsea]

16. RW whore

I have no idea why he kissed Bush's ass like he did. No more respect for him at all.

[demokatgurrl]

17. Bush lap dog, right-winger in sheep's clothing and way too

well liked by foolish Democrats who think he's a moderate. I wouldn't want him making Supreme Court nominations.

[joanski01]

18. I have no use for John McCain, however,

I don't think the rightwing nuts want him either. Look what they did to Arlen Specter. A righwing person that I know, yesterday offered to trade me Arlen Specter for Joe Lieberman.

[AmerDem]

19. he's a coward weasel

what other type of person would support shrub after what shrub did to McCain and family.

[LisaL]

20. He should take lessons from Barney.

At least Barney sometimes tries to make a break for it.:silly:

[noamnety]

21. Can't forgive this

He's had moments of integrity. But he's not stupid; if I can see what's happening, he can too. He chose to campaign for the Reign of Terror.

[calimary]

39. That repulsive display isn't the only thing I can't forgive.

It's bad enough he'd do this, at all. But the fact that he'd openly embrace the guy whose campaign smeared him SO horrendously in 2000 - and not just him, either, but HIS WIFE, AND - AND - AND their adopted, under-age daughter from Bangladesh, is just WAY beyond disgusting.

That he failed to come out swinging, standing up for the honor of his lady, his marriage, and his adopted child when THEY, TOO, were smeared, makes me want to vomit.

I am an adopted daughter. Granted, my skin is white. This INNOCENT little girl, as a Bangladeshi, was dark-skinned. So I would never face the kind of smear she did. But I do know one thing: MY dad, rest his soul, went to bat for me when I WAS smeared by a couple of teachers at grade school once. He threatened to sue, clean house, bring down the wrath of God on the offenders. He went raging and stampeding through that school like some angry, slobbering, snorting, rabid, out-of-control bull. NOBODY messed with me after that. They were scared to death of him. Later, I was falsely accused of doing drugs when I'd gone on, elsewhere, to high school and he went after those accusers again. He was a lot of things. Some of them not terribly lovely. But dammit, he stood up for me when I was under fire, like nobody's business. Scorched-earth chain-saw-massacre time. And I'll always love him for that. And I will NEVER forget it.

John McCain, on the other hand, said next-to-nothing. When rumor-mongers called potential voters in South Carolina up on the pretense of doing a public opinion poll during the 2000 primaries, and insinuated - "would you vote for John McCain if you knew he had fathered a black child out of wedlock?" - people who had been willing to vote for him, especially when he was building momentum after beating bush in New Hampshire (and the bushies figured they had to do whatever it took to stop him), were turned off to him. And he did basically NOTHING. He did NOT fight for his wife's honor. He did NOT yell and scream against those who'd besmirch her OR their marriage. And he said NOTHING, NOTHING, about the shit they'd spread all over their innocent, civilian, adopted little girl. NOT A THING.

I shall NEVER. EVER. EVER. EVER. AS LONG AS I LIVE - forget that. NOT EVER. John McCain basically ceased to exist in my universe after that. And to see him toadying up to this bastard - who NEVER apologized or even acknowledged the ruthless, horrendous mortal sins his "people" gleefully committed in his name - is beyond revolting.

John McCain is a pussy. Fuck him in the heart. That is, assuming he even HAS one. If I were his wife, I couldn't go on living with him over this. BEYOND inexcusable. But then again, we can all see clearly whom he loves more. I'm beyond finished with him. He is not fit to be called human. Certainly, he's no man. A MAN would stand up and fight back openly and quite loudly when his wife and their child had been so outrageously attacked. He is an unperson. He's lower than the smoldering cigarette butt I stamp out in the gutter. I can see how hard he'd fight for me... if that's how he defends his own loved ones. FUCK him. Let bush fuck him. I never would. And I would hope his wife wouldn't, either.

[cyr330]

60. You said it

You have managed to capture my sentiments EXACTLY like no one else has. Thank you!

[calimary]

63. You're welcome. Sorry for all the venom, but this just really hits me

WAY too close to home. What John McCain let pass - without confronting these dementors and calling them on it - declares publicly, in effect, that it's - well - just okay with him. Let bygones be bygones. Yeah. When his wife and their little girl have been satanically trashed. And from his behavior, one can only conclude that he's okay with it. Sorta let it roll straight off his back. No worries.

I wonder how Mrs. McCain and their little girl feel about what was done to them - while the "valiant hero" stood by passively and let the bastards have at it.

I wonder.

I don't think I could even look him in the face if I ever had the displeasure of meeting him. He is dispicable. What they did was horrible. What he did NOT do was far worse.

[Mike L]

44. He looks like Chimp's prison bitch.

[Padraig18]

22. Just another opportunistic, Republican shill. n/t

[BlueManDude]

23. He'd be nothing w/o his cadre of bootlicking journos - Russert etc

he is a myth

[IStriker]

53. MCain myth

If the truth were told the Republicans can't stand him and after this election, the Democrats don't want him either. He really is nothing but a myth created by journalists because with a little prompting from them, he will rip his own party and they can then say what they want to say by getting ole' Maverick McCain to say it for them. I really think the guy is a huge headcase with an even bigger ego. Gag!

[greenohio]

24. I'd vote for him

to take a one way trip off a nearby cliff.

[DeaconBlues]

25. His actions even before this election left little to respect

We have to remember he voted to indict during Clinton's impeachment, and he was totally gungho for the war. He is in no way a man of reason or moderation.

[lilfroggy]

26. I think he's a dick....

Little whiner McCain.....you can't have it both ways....

[FrenchieCat]

27. Once McCain....

wipes the shit off of his lips, he should take an endless vacation.

To me he is worst than those that are less "maverickish", whether pink tutu types or plain SS Blackshirt types of Senators....cause he had the chance to make a difference.....and instead he chose to hug the elephant AND kiss his ass!

[sendero]

28. He's just another politician..

.... who thinks he can win the presidency by talking out of both sides of his mouth.

There was a time I thought he was different. Then I found out it was just another PR image job.

He's useless.

[marigold20]

48. Yeah, that's it

He's a politician who will jump when * says jump.

[IndianaGreen]

29. I like McCain, but not well enough to ever vote for him

McCain is anti-choice and to me that's a show stopper, like opposing equal rights for GLBTs.

[calimary]

46. Well, yes, there is that, too. And that's a show-stopper for me, too.

That's ALWAYS a show-stopper for me, but with McCain, there's just SO much more... Already said a mouthful in an earlier post so I won't belabor it. Just suffice it to say that, to me, he's lower than the floor of the Marianas Trench.

[zaj]

30. I voted for him...

I want him in office, and I want him fighting to take back the Republican party. He is one of the few remaining "conservatives" and the only person I know that has the gravitas and the desire to win the battle against the Regressives** that are dominating the Republican party.

** Please use "regressives" instead of "conservatives"

[bobbyboucher]

31. I think he will be president long before 2008.

I have a theory that the Republicans know Bush is out of control and needs to be slapped down. However, they knew his religious bullshit and Rove's scorched earth campaign could win, soooooo, they sat back and let him win it.

Now, the Plame thingy is going to take out Cheney first, or it might be called "health reasons", and McCain will be his replacement. Then Bush will collapse under the same thing, or some other of his many corrupt dealings. Viola, President McCain.

Just a theory. How else would you explain McCain's support for the man that slandered his ass in 2000?

[mtnester]

34. Don't trust him at all n/t

[talk hard]

35. He's a Republican .... 'nuf said

John McCain is a Republican and a kisser of Bush ass.
I would never vote for him.
Period.

[Kahuna]

36. Can't stand him. Never did. Never will.

:puke:

[marlakay]

37. Kisses ass to both sides and sold his soul to try and

make it to the top. That is what I think of him.

The day I saw him hug Bush and go out campaigning for him after what he did to him in the last race I lost all respect.

[Donna Zen]

38. What people don't get

McCain the "man" is not mccain the media storyline.

McCain IS a republican, but not a true conservative. Aside from some campaign finance reform, what does the man stand for that W doesn't. War? McCain loves this war: it's the right thing to do you know. Anti-choice? Hey, get that government into your bedrooms asap. Tax-cuts that leave our children our debt? Why the hell not. NCLB? Great_with Sen. McCain. Even better if it leads to vouchers and the end of public schools. Can we say "unfunded mandate"? These are not conservative positions.

But the worst part of all of this is McCain's disregard for our troops. He kissed a man that put their lives in danger, treats them like some private bushCo little army, and endangered them forever more by torturing innocents and declaring null and void the Geneva Conventions. That is who Sen. McCain is!

Sorry_I went on about this during the VP run-up.

I do not dislike McCain, a feeling a have to fight down when it comes to the junta, but he will never vote for me. I will never vote for him. I thank him for his service to the nation; that's it.

McCain is a sell out.

[TNMOM]

40. He has not principle

And even the thugs will admit that. He rates right up there with Powell and Condisleeza as an a+ bush ass-kisser..

[Desertrose]

41. There is NO excuse for what he has done to the Navajo

He is my Senator & I voted against him this election. Fat lot of good it did.

All you have to do is Google 'McCain + Black Mesa'

Lots of ego -not a lot of substance IMHO. Not impressed at all.
DR


http://www.yvwiiusdinvnohii.net/Articles2000/Calhoon000110McCain.htm
SPONSORING GENOCIDE: Senator John McCain's Final Solution

Rena Babbitt Lane is a Dineh (Navajo) elder living on land on Black Mesa in Arizona that has been inhabited by her Dineh ancestors for many centuries. Living without electricity or running water, she and her husband sustain a profoundly traditional life, and survive by raising sheep, weaving rugs from their wool, and growing a few crops. On Tuesday, September 21, 1999, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agents raided her homesite and confiscated 17 sheep, 3 goats, and 6 cows.

Lane was weaving and preparing a meal at the time, and did not even know the BIA was there until later, when all her animals did not come home. She saw the track of two impoundment trailers and a police vehicle where they had been grazing, and knew they had been taken away. When she went to the BIA offices the next day, they served her with papers stating that the rest of her livestock will be confiscated in five days (Tuesday, September 28). The BIA is confiscating without compensation everything she owns, leaving her to die in the harsh winter soon to follow. If she survives until spring without her livestock, she will be forcibly relocated to the "New Lands," an area that was contaminated by the largest spill of nuclear waste in U.S. history.

[calimary]

47. Shoot! This I did not know about. Just another on an ever-expanding

list of reasons NEVER to support him for ANYTHING, ANY JOB, ANY ELECTION, ANY REASON WHATSOEVER.

This is just awful! That poor woman! Our Native Americans have been SO abused. Sigh...

[shuffnew]

42. Hypocrit!

After being an honorable noteworthy Vietnam Vet, prisoner of war, etc. he and his family were slandered by Bush. Now, he kisses Bushies butts.
I don't know how anyone with integrity could do that after what Bush even personally did to McCain and his family (again, to garnish a vote... slander slander lies lies).

So, the fact that McCain could even stay in the Republican party is amazing enough, but to be a kiss butt to Bush is even more astounding.

I have no trust in McCain at all! He's a coward and hypocrit.

[Mike L]

43. "too much credit, simply for not being as crazy as many other Republicans"

That's funny-- and true. I've never actually thought of it that way before. He looks good because the rest are so insane.

[cyr330]

45. Here's what he is

REPUBLICAN TOOL ASS-WIPE with NO self-respect.

[Catherine Vincent]

49. I don't. He's a republican.

[yorgatron]

51. bush boot-licker

hypocritical scumbag.

[MrSlayer]

52. War Hero and Bush Enabler.

I had respect for McCain until he totally chopped off his balls and went with Chimpo. While I will always respect his service I cannot respect the man for his political positions and behavior in the past year.

[Disturbed]

54. From Hero to a Zero.

This person sold his soul to the Neo Fascists. Seems that most of the ignorant Amerikans have this idiotic notion that he has integrity. Just like Colon, he sold it. How much did he sell it for?

One more time>

[Blue Topaz]

55. I used to think he was a decent moderate Republican

but I lost all respect with his shameless pandering to shrub this year. Blech.

And then just yesterday I discovered he has ties to PNAC. Does anyone know more about this? All I can find is a reference in disinfopedia that says he served as President of the "New Citizen Project", which appears to be the precursor to PNAC. The NCP was/is funded by three extreme winger groups. I know McCain is a pretty serious hawk and fully supported Shrubby's war and all, but still, I didn't figure him for a PNAC-er.

[EndElectoral]

56. Supporting Bush after South Carolina 2000? Lost respect for the man!

[AgadorSparticus]

57. lost ALL respect for him when he ass kissed * on the stump. that

was just too much. i'll never forget that disgusting hug and kiss.

[autorank]

58. Betrayed self, family, friend to position for 2008

I can't even begin to understand a man who sees his wife and children attacked and endorses the attacker twice for President.

I can't even begin to understand a man who's own military career is smeared and then endorses the smear artist twice for president.

I can't even begin to understand a man who sees a "friend" and colleague smeared the way he was smeared and then goes out and endorses and travels with the smear artist while he supports him for President.

This guy is one for the books. Is there a Shakespearian analogy?

Mystified.

[Warren DeMontague]

59. Boy, is his face looking puffy these days.

Other than that, I think he's shown how deep his vaunted "integrity" runs.

Good Riddance.

[Julien Sorel]

62. It's an absolute pleasure having him as one of my senators.

I get to vote against him every six years.

[Skittles]

64. sellout, pathetic bastard

he has fallen a long, long way

[Ima]

65. What do I think of him?

Not much. He got preferential treatment as a POW, because of who his father was. His was the first case ever of sealed POW records/debriefing. IIRC while a POW he did a anti US on TV.



I think in his own way he is a dangerous as *.


I haven't read the Indian thing yet, but I just know I'm gonna get really mad about it.

Read Howard Zinn "A Peoples History of the US", if you would like to know how the Indians were treated. :(

[PatrioticOhioLiberal]

67. Pointing out that McCain is a Republican

on the Kerry forum when 3/4 of that board was touting him for VP nominee to Kerry got me "moderated" by the "powers that were" on that board. LOL I guess they didn't want to be reminded of the facts.

At that point I came to the conclusion there were as many Republican Spooks on that board as Kerry supporters.

When he started campaigning for the Evil Twig I put him in the same catagory as any other traitor...in the bottom of the trash bin.

He's a "party before country" man and deserves NO respect IMHO. Hence...I give him none.

[StopTheMorans]

68. WHORE IN MODERATE'S CLOTHES

the worst kind of RWinger.

[Stephanjnj]

69. Very disappointed

He has had golden opportunities to help spearhead a functional coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans for the past 4 years, but in the final analysis has chosen to throw in his lot with the GOP, who continue to push further and further to the right. There is simply no way for a moderate to be effective within the current Republican party. I supported McCain's candidacy in 2000 and was appalled when candidate Bush's campaign accused him of "abandoning veterans". Now he kisses Bush's ass and will presumably stand off to the side while the Bush agenda is rammed through Congress. I certainly won't be making the same mistake come 2008.

[tibbiit]

70. I could have voted for him

Never now-- he prostituted himself and allowed the people who abused his wife and child to use him to get re-elected. Hey John what about the Iron Triangle of Special Interests?
I will never vote for any republican ever, much less one who let bush do to him in SC what they did... then stand by and be on the same stage with the people while they destroyed john kerry's rep.
fuck him forever
tib

[Protagoras]

71. McCain is a lot like Powell

when zero pressure or personal interest is involved he talks a real good game. Then, as soon as the big boys lean on him he folds.

They both live off of trying to have it both ways. Call Kerry your friend, then Embrace Bush. Decry the Swiftboat liars...then rush to AZ to campaign against your fellow war hero.

They are the deliberate, kinder, gentler face of Bushco. They exist because the Necons want to have the illusion of a spectrum within their ranks.

But in the end, regardless of if it is out of fear, or greed, or who the hell knows what...they go along. They Speak caution, then cheer as the fools rush forward...then afterwards when it blows up in their face they talk about regret.

Didn't Jimmy Swaggert do something similar? Hypocrits all.