The Myth of McCain as Political Maverick

[Bob Geiger]

David Ignatius has a positively silly column in the Washington Post today in which he parrots the lame old myth of 2008 presidential hopeful John McCain as a straight-talking, tough-guy maverick who damns political consequences and goes his own way. As a Veteran with boundless admiration for McCain's heroic conduct during his imprisonment in Vietnam, I must also evaluate his career incarnation which, if you examine his record, shows him to be a 98-pound political weakling, who does best when others tell him what to do.

Even putting aside his nauseating and ongoing devotion to the White House after what Team Bush did to smear him, his wife and his child in the 2000 presidential primary, McCain's Senate record shows a man who toes the party line and is a straight-shooting nonconformist only when George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Bill Frist tell him he's allowed to be.

The biggest disconnect from reality comes in the public perception of McCain as a potential president whose strong suit would be national security, even though his record in the 109th Congress shows a man who follows the Senate Majority Leader's commands, no matter how much weaker those edicts make our country.

Here are just a few samples of the things McCain voted against in 2005 and 2006, while offering no substantive legislation himself to strengthen America:

• Senator Daniel Akaka's (D-HI) S.Amdt. 3007, which was intended to increase Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in 2007 by closing corporate tax loopholes.

• Three bills by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) -- S.Amdt. 3056, S.Amdt. 1687 and S.Amdt. 1217 -- that would have provided critical funds for interoperable communications equipment for emergency first responders so that they could effectively communicate with one another during natural disasters, terrorist attacks and other public safety situations.

• Christopher Dodd's (D-CT) S.Amdt.2735, which was intended to "…support the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the deficit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans." In short, the measure proposed additional funding to shore up the failing infrastructures at Veterans hospitals all over the country. The bill would have mandated a minor rollback in the capital gains tax cuts the Bush administration has given to the richest one-fifth of one percent of Americans.

• S.Amdt.2737, sponsored by Jack Reed (D-RI) sought a rollback in capital gains tax cuts to purchase much-needed equipment for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We have the responsibility to be responsible, not only give the troops what they need but pay for it so we do not increase the deficit," argued Reed on the Senate floor at the time. "I hope we respond by supporting my amendment which takes care of the troops but does so in a responsible way by providing the resources to pay for this necessary equipment."
  

• Charles Schumer (D-NY) had two amendment defeated by the GOP (S.Amdt. 1189 and S.Amdt. 1190) that would have provided $70 million to identify and track hazardous materials shipments and fund new security programs for inspection of air cargo containers.

• S.Amdt. 16, by Dick Durbin (D-IL), would have exempted military people from some facets of the GOP's hideous 2005 Bankruptcy Bill by disallowing "... certain claims by lenders charging usurious interest rates to service members, and to allow service members to exempt property based on the law of the State of their premilitary residence."

• Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) both had legislation killed -- S.Amdt. 2634 and S.Amdt. 344, respectively -- that would have funded additional medical care and readjustment counseling "...for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder."

The common denominator in all of these was McCain, the alleged maverick, doing exactly what his masters told him to do and voting against every single one of these bills designed to bolster our national security and care for our Veterans and active military.

As McCain himself is quoted as saying in Ignatius's column, "It's awfully hard to say no to the president of the United States."

Yes, we can tell.

You can reach Bob Geiger at [e-mail] and read more from him at Democrats.com.

[dave123williams]

1. Yes - the 'salad fork maverick' as so aptly described by Colbert.

Have a great trip to Bob Jones, John!

[blm]

2. Add your post to Research Froum thread on McCain. More on his hypocrisy:

http://www.alternet.org/story/28266 /

The Bushification of John McCain

By Ari Melber, AlterNet. Posted November 15, 2005.



The bad blood between the two men has been infamous since 2000, when Bush's campaign lied about McCain's family and war service, and McCain told Bush to "get out of the gutter."

But during Bush's reelection in 2004, McCain strained to embrace his former rival -- literally. In their first joint appearance, they hugged dramatically before 6,000 soldiers at a Fort Lewis rally. Those events made for great campaign visuals. Yet while most Americans saw McCain's big heart, Republican leaders saw hungry ambition.

Rich Lowry, editor of the conservative magazine National Review, recently described that campaign bear hug as nothing but proof of "the senator's presidential ambitions." Lowry argues it's just part of McCain's scheme to get "the Right to stop loathing him." In targeted moves since the election, McCain has continued his Bushification by changing positions on conservative priorities like creationism, gay marriage and tax cuts.





As the costs of Hurricane Katrina mounted, McCain went on national television and told Chris Mathews the Bush tax cuts must be maintained. But McCain voted against those tax cuts.

In fact, he was one of only two Republicans to oppose Bush's signature 2001 tax cut. Given the surging costs of Katrina, Iraq and Medicare, there is no policy rationale for reversing his position now. The only rationale is political pandering. And that's exactly how some influential conservatives see it. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, recently said that although McCain has "flip-flopped on a number of issues," he is still "anti-taxpayer" because "he's voted against every tax cut."

Yet the mainstream media is so attached to McCain's maverick image, most journalists didn't cover the tax reversal.

Ari Melber served as a national staff member of the John Kerry presidential campaign and as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate.

[VP505]

5. Don't forget this

little piece by Helen Thomas: "Want more Bush? Elect McCain"

By HELEN THOMAS
HEARST NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON -- In his bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, Sen. John McCain is moving to the right.

The Arizona Republican, who failed to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, is the most visible Republican on television, outside the White House, and seems to never pass up an opportunity to appear on Sunday talk shows.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/265950_thomas09.html

[rodeodance]

15. "Want more Bush? Elect McCain" would be great campaign

slogan for dems

[BlueManDude]

3. You guys are just afraid of some real Straight Talk

don't you know St. John is the real deal?

:spank:

[xxqqqzme]

4. This is a good piece from 'The Nation'

about mccain, November, 22, 2005

'...His office holds regular meetings with conservative leaders in South Carolina, where his approval rating sits at 65 percent. ...After the antitax Club for Growth began running ads against McCain in New Hampshire, a state he won in 2000, he reversed positions and supported a procedural repeal of the estate tax. He has endorsed conservative Republican Ken Blackwell for Ohio governor. ....(At Norquist's suggestion) he campaigned for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's failed referendum initiatives in California, particularly the "paycheck protection" provision targeting unions' political activities....

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20051212/berman

[beltanefauve]

6. Thanks for the point-by-point

exposure of this hypocritical piece of shit, Bob Geiger! Your public service has actually contributed two things: revealed McCain as the opportunistic political hack he is, and, you have detailed some real concrete solutions which Democrats have proposed, only to have them shot down. Who says, "The Democrats don't have a plan"???

Next, McCain needs to be exposed far and wide, over and over. And, while we're at it, what was David Ignatius' motivation for writing such a propoganda piece, anyway?

[ClintonTyree]

7. Stephen Colbert cut him down to size.......

he brought up McCain's "maverick" label then knocked the shit out of by suggesting he stay at the Colbert house when McCain speaks at Bob Jones University. :rofl: I almost pissed my pants when he said that! :rofl: That was another "very quiet" moment at the WHCD though. Undoubtedly everyone else in the room thought that was another "over the line" stab at McCain but the truth hurts sometimes. McCain HAS been pandering to the rabid-right and Colbert rightly called him on it.

Fuck "Maverick" McCain. :puke: Boot-licking turd! :grr:

[heartofthesiskiyou]

8. He didn't look too good on the floor today - Reid picked

him to pieces. I've never seen Reid so pissed and in fact passionate. McCain attacked Innoa(sp?)(D) from Hawaii, in a most disrespectful manor calling him names and saying he "Should be ashamed" of himself and other ridicule not normally seen of the floor of the Senate. McCain really did "disrespect the demeanor of the Senate" (Reid's words). Hawaii was trying to get funds in the emergency supplemental for the damage to a dam that caved in, killed 7 people and destroyed a community after 40 days and forty nights of straight rain. McCain was trying to act like it was "pork", but I know pork when I see it and this wasn't it. This was the first time I could say I've seen Reid acting strong.

[bluedog]

17. seen that.what a sob McCain is

trying to really show his butt saying that Hawaii didn't need this funding and it wasn't an "emergency"........hell half the crap in the bill.like more money for Iraq isn't an emergency....because the defense dept is always asking for more money.......

McCain did not make any "new friends" with his stupid reasoning.......he is just like the bush......take sides..depending on which crowd you are aiming to pander too.....

[tired of the right]

9. I had been fooled at one time I guess into thinking McCain was different

from other GOP'ers, but over the last several months I have seen his ambition shine through. He will do anything to reach the White House including hugging Bush and cozying up to that great beacon of morality, Jerry Falwell. Read that last as heavy sarcasm please. I have lost the little bit of respect I thought I had for the man.

[MikeH]

10. McCain and * remind me of what I saw on the remains of the Berlin Wall

Click the following link for a photo of graffiti (based on a press photo) of former East German head of state Erich Honecker and former Soviet president Leonid Brezhnev embracing, along with a brief explanation, including a subtitle in both Russian and German which translates "Oh God help me to overcome this deadly love".

http://www.aidan.co.uk/photo3981.htm

I saw this on the remains of the Berlin Wall on my trip to Germany in 1997.

[mr.alleycat]

11. They must have something on him.

I mean, would you hug someone that cost you an election by spreading a lie that you fathered a black child out of wedlock in SC?

Don't take me wrong, I'm just passing on the info.
It's just seems the only answer.
Don't you think voters in his own state know the truth?

It's the same with anyone who dared to not eat Dubya's poop.

[lwcon]

12. Great list

I've cited your findings in my latest McCain-o-Gram.

IMHO, if the elections were held tomorrow, the greatest risk that the Repubs could keep their foot on the neck of our country is that so many moderate voters believe the crap about McCain as a moderate. We have *got* to get the word out.

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[erpowers]

13. People Need to Know

I am glad that people are starting to point out that McCain is not a maverick. As a person who at one time believed the myth, but during the 2004 election I realized he was not a maverick. I could not understand how McCain could support Bush after what Bush did to him, Wes Clark, and John Kerry. This is a President who has on every occasion possible had attacked any military personnel who stand up aganist Bush. McCain should have stood against Bush just for that reason. Beyond that I learned information about McCain through "Democracy Now" that point to him as just a Republican who became good at covering his own ass, while others got in trouble.

[rodeodance]

14. that pic almosts makes me sick!

[Supersedeas]

16. the list of shills just keeps growing and growing - grats Ignatius