MSNBC: Consequences of Cindy McCain's drug abuse "more complex than she's portrayed"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Cindy McCain's tangled story of addiction
Consequences of her drug abuse were more complex than she's portrayed



Her charity, AVMT, kept a ready supply of antibiotics and over-the-counter pain medications needed to fulfill its medical mission. It also secured prescriptions for the narcotic painkillers Vicodin, Percocet and Tylenol 3 in quantities of 100 to 400 pills, the county report shows.

McCain started taking narcotics for herself, the report shows. To get them, she asked the charity's medical director, John Max Johnson, to make out prescriptions for the charity in the names of three AVMT employees.

The employees did not know their names were being used. And under DEA regulations, Johnson was supposed to use a form to notify federal officials that he was ordering the narcotics for the charity. It is illegal for an organization to use personal prescriptions to fill its drug needs.

"The DEA told me it was okay to do it that way," Johnson told The Washington Post recently, in his first media interview about the case. "Otherwise, I never would have done it."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26671077/

[stray cat]

1. Illegal drug use and fraud -

[Skwmom]

2. I would NOT focus on this story.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. It struck me as a "full disclosure" move...

...which generally means that someone is thinking ahead.

The bloggers and pundits are going to focus on this story (they already have and will continue to do so), and the easiest way to take some air out of the tires is to put out a 4-page article like this one in which everything is laid out.

The story can't be denied...it happened. I see the article as an acknowledgment that campaigns are conducted on the Web, and this story is discussed frequently. The article "frames" it in a way that attempts to tell what happened and put it to rest. Whether it's successful or not remains to be seen, as well as whether people will refrain from doing other things they shouldn't do in the remainder of the campaign. John "I intend to run a clean campaign" McCain hasn't exactly kept his word so far, you know?

[holboz]

20. Absolutely.

Tetbook Karl Rove tactic - put a damaging story out there themselves then start the character assassination of either the messenger or others involved. The medical director for her charity is going to be the fall guy (or willingly "take one for the team") so Cindy comes out sitting pretty.

It's a good tactic. How many times have we seen it used in the Dumbya administration/campaigns?

on edit: syntax

[Teaser]

10. whose "focusing"?

Just make it one of a lot of rocks you throw.

[sf_331]

24. The Obama Campaign shouldnt...

but Bloggers and Msg Board users .. absolutely!

The Republicans would drool if this were the case about Michelle Obama.

[mwb970]

3. She's so rich, the law doesn't apply to her.

Kind of like Leona Helmsley. Remember her?

[City Lights]

4. Are they discussing it on the TeeVee? nt

[southern_belle]

6. I never heard it mentioned on MSNBC

did anyone else? :shrug:

[electron_blue]

7. I hope someone is checking to see whether it is still going on today.

McCain covered up for her 15 yrs ago. What has she done since then? Has she really kicked the addiction? The recent arm in a cast due to a vigorous handshake, requiring e.r. visit, makes me wonder if that is a cover for her current medication.

Bottom line: is McCain still getting drugs illegally for Cindy?

[Virginia Dare]

8. On the front page of the WAPO today too...n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

9. On one hand I understand those who say not to focus on this story....

as it's the victim aspect of her drug addiction that will play out, rather than McCain's obstruction of justice.

But looking at the big picture (my buzz words this morning, evidently), Cindy's challenges, combined with Palin's family challenges, do not all add up to being "just another American family working through real issues."

This adds up to two things: 1) a presidential ticket immersed in personal family crisis and drama; 2) complete hypocrisy given the right-wing conservative platform/Moral Majority BULLSHIT.

[electron_blue]

11. Yes! Plus - is this still going on?

Or is it really all behind them for 14+ yrs? Shouldn't be too hard to find out whether McCain is still getting drugs illegally for his wife.

[tandot]

The media will portray this as just another attack from the Democrats on women

and Republicans will repeat this "Democrats are anti-women and sexist" mantra.

Nobody in the media will focus on how McCain abused his position to keep it a secret. And if they do, they'll say he was just a concerned husband who wanted to keep this a private family matter.

[GoesTo11]

12. I don't care about this story

War. Economy. Rights. Those kinds of things affect us.

[elehhhhna]

13. she looks glassy-eyed in that pic. pretty sure sign, in my experience.

[Inuca]

14. OT - the NAVY brooch

the glittering Navy brooch to be precise, and I doubt it is glass. Money does not buy you class.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. It is the second most viewed article on MSNBC!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7468311/

[holiday]

16. She looks like what Paris Hilton is going to look like at that age

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

19. I am 56, a couple of years older than her, and although she is svelte, she looks much older

than I do. When you see her standing next to McCrash, they look like contemporaries.

[chill_wind]

22. So much for the "non-interest", eh? And the readers' comments

are piling up here:

http://retiredtoflorida.newsvine.com/_news/2008/09/12/1857861-cindy-mccains-tangled-addiction-story-washington-post-msnbccom#comments

[Shine]

17. I don't think this story should be focused on. It's 15+ yrs. in the PAST.

Obama is all about the FUTURE.


We would be wise to let this one go.

[Barack_America]

18. Not for the people whose lives were shattered by her actions.

The doctor's story, to my knowledge, has never been told.

We shouldn't be pushing this story and we should hope to benefit from it, but these people have the right to have their say.

[Shine]

21. I completely agree with your point about their right to tell the story

I just don't think we should expect benefit from it, like you say.

So...basically we agree. :D

[lady raven]

23. I'm not defending her actions, but am I the only person who feels kind of sorry for her?

Addicts do a lot of shameful things in order to obtain what they are addicted to. Did CM do these things because she was an addict and HAD to have her drugs, or is it something she would normally do and thinks is perfectly fine?

I'm not defending her, but if she were Jane Doe, I'd feel sorry for her and be glad that she kicked the habit. It's hard for me to see CM in a harsher light for this than I would someone else.

I would rather, if I must attack Cindy McCain, go after the adultery or the lie about Mother Teresa than this.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

25. A couple of very important points to consider...

...and this is a partial direct response to you, but also a general response to some of the other comments posted so far.

1). This is a Washington Post news story posted on the MSNBC Web Site. I posted it without comment, used the photo they had in their story, and took my subject line from their headline.

2). I'm assuming no one is considering my post an attack, because I didn't comment, and pretty much just copied and pasted a straight news piece.

3). I agree, Obama should focus on the issues, and once again, there is nothing from me, in my post, to suggest that he should do otherwise

4). The Republicans run on "character." Everyone here knows that, right? The story is just as much about the machine surrounding Cindy McCain as it is about Cindy herself.

5). People who ridicule addicts and the weak are assholes, and while there are most certainly people on DU who consider me to BE an asshole (I have the posts to prove it), I'm not. It's a news story. That's it. I'm not giving Obama advice and I'm not attacking Cindy. Anyone who thinks I am needs to tell me where I put that in my original post, which will be pretty fucking hard to do because I posted the story without comment.

Peace, over, and out.

:patriot:

[lady raven]

26. no worries

I wasn't accusing or chastising anyone- Just stating how I feel about this particular issue.

I do agree for the most part, especially on #4.

My comments were just regarding her personally.

[NightOwwl]

27. Totally OT.

She should really do something with her hair. Cut it short, layer it a bit, change that god awful color to something more natural. She would look 10 years younger.