There are "three foundations" that McCain has used to get fawning coverage: (a) his Vietnam War record, which he has repeatedly milked, (b) his work on campaign finance reform that created a perfect wayl for reporters to paint him as "anti-Washington" and (c) his willingness to schmooze the national press corps with "candid" conversations. He endears himself so much to reporters that they look the other way when he makes a comment that would doom another politician's career.

McCain got great press in 2005 for "standing up" to the White House on legalizing torture, and his history as a Vietnam P.O.W. gave him an image of reliability. But the compromise that he crafted left the Bush Administration free to do what they want, while improving McCain's moderate image. His bipartisan work on immigration has also rung hollow – since McCain was motivated on this issue so as to please his allies in big business.

However,  the Arizona media – who have known McCain for much longer – do not hold him in high esteem, as they've known him long enough to realize that beneath his veneer is a petty and vindictive man who thrives on presenting himself as a "maverick" – but does not tolerate true mavericks like Chuck Hagel and Russ Feingold, who take risks when they buck their parties' position. The different evaluations by the national and Arizona media can be compared with the knowledge of a new girlfriend and the knowledge of his ex-wife. "The former is infatuated, aware of only his best qualities. The latter is stuck knowing what the man is really like.

McCain's voting record proves he is no moderate – but in fact a very conservative Republican. The way in which he gets a reputation as a more moderate Republican is that  he only crosses party lines to vote with Democrats on issues strategically advantageous to him. Then the fawning press frames the story as  "McCain and his rebellion." He gets his reputation as moderate undeservedly refurbished and he is invited on all the talk shows, and the story becomes how John McCain is breaking from his party leadership again.

Lie #7 

McCain's pretends he's an easygoing, nice guy, but his temper and back-stabbing of colleagues are legendary. McCain has a tendency to get into scuffles with colleagues.  He insists on an absolutist approach when it comes to working on issues his way, which has earned, McCain  the enmity of fellow Republicans.For example, Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) has been on record as saying, the thought of [McCain] being president sends a cold chill down his spine. Cochran said that McCain is erratic and hotheaded. He loses his temper and Cochran said at one point "he worries me." After finding out about the REAL McCain, the thought of this guy holding a nuclear button should scare us all.

John McCain will throw slander at Obama while he himself seeks dodge questions about his own conduct. Scandals brewing in his own campaign are quickly swept under the rug and surrounded with silence with the aid of a complicit newsmedia. But then, while calling for civility,  Senator McCain, slyly throws mud about Jeremiah Wright and Rezko (Obama's sins) but forgets that he has never addressed his own ties to money launderers (Arizona Representative Renzi) and lobbyists (Phil Gramm and other lobbyists, foreign agents and crooks) who work for him and his campaign.

And nobody asks him the hard questions that go unanswered questions about his going back on commitments he formerly voiced to 'clean up Washington'. His stances on most issues are even more conservative and extreme than Gelrge W. Bush's. And he hasn't even explained his less-than-honest use of public campaign financing funds now that he wants to throw off funding limitations when he became the presumptuous (deliberate misspelling) Fepublican front runner. 

Those who go on about how they don't trust Barak Obama and have questions about his judgment seem to have no problem  with McCain's unethical behavior. Periodic outbreaks of scandal iin his career and his truce-breaking with family, friends and colleagues doesn't bother these Obama doubters a bit. What would the press say if it were found out that Barak Obama had betrayed his first wife and dumped her for a rodeo queen with more money? (Obama didn't do this but what if he had?) What if Obama flip flopped on every campaign position known to man? John Kerry was accused of that by the Republican smear machine in 2004 and it stuck in the public mind. Why aren't McCain's flip flops held against him? Mccain flip flopped on the Bush Tax Cuts,on the Confederate flag controversy in South Carolina in the 2000 primary season. He has flip flopped on a lot of different issues, and then there is his participation in influence peddling (Keating 5 affair, to name a notorious one).

His campaign which is supposed to be so ethical is right now headed up by corporate  lobbyists who do their business right on his campaign bus and airplane. And the allegation of that affair with the female lobbyist was never laid to rest.

John McCain has a history of  pointing the finger at others while himself involved in wrongdoing.  What other things is he hiding? And what type of people would he put in his cabinet? How can he point his finger at Obama for being a terrorist appeaser when after the bombing of the marine barracks in Lebanon in the 1980s McCain advocated cutting and running, saying continued presence there would serve no purpose? Now he sings a difrerent tune.  He refuses to explain his vague stands on issues like when we get out of Iraq. He won't address his own ethical lapses. His war-hero status us even questionable. He is said to have turned down early release from the North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp so as not to spoil a future career he could have with his reputation gotten by his admiral father. And McCain did anti-American commercials for the North Vietnamese. Maybe he was tortured, but our World War II people tortured by the Japanese didn't do commercials for Tokyo Rose. Notwithstanding, McCain's hypocrisy and lack of candor which doesn't bode well for the kind of president he would make, he is almost even with Obama in the polls.

Oh  pardon me.  I guess lack of candor and lack of ethics can be trusted more than Barak Obama's much ballyhooed 'poor judgment'. But then a double standard has never bothered the mainstream media or the neocons much when they ignore criminality as long as it is belonging to a Republican. Only Democrats are to be excoriated for their problems.  I can't imagine what would make the Republicans support McCain, other than putting their party ahead of their country's wellbeing. In that case they can force themselves to be enamored of really any old hack and corrupt, hypocritical backstabber they can find who will be a candidate for them. They had George W Bush, and now they have John McCain. Who's next? Joe Lieberman?

The latest polls showing McCain almost even with Obama McCain means that he's attracting independent voters who are fooled by his carefully crafted image. or else many cons still secretly love George W. Bush-style dishonesty,  failures, warmongering and lies.  That must be it, or why else would they contemplate voting for John McCain? It seems as though the GOP just keeps generating walking, talking dsasters that are very popular with an ignorant American public.  

The public doesn't approve of the Republican Party according to the polls, yet they think John McCain is different, when he isn't. The word needs to get out soon – or else McCain could easily become our next President.

 1  |  2  |  3