McCain sabotaged his campaign in a brilliant move to win his longterm war with Bush. The last laugh is his.
"Under no circumstances will I entertain such a proposal." — John McCain, when asked by Dan Rather if he would consider being George W. Bush's vice presidential running mate in 2000. …
Article comments
26 - Clavos
Will this revelation keep the conservatives cheering in the aisles?
They'll follow Senator Obama's advice this afternoon, and ignore it. It's not relevant to the race or the campaign.
27 - Mike Green
Re: The Bush-Clinton dynasty
Beginning in 1980, with the election of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush entered the White House as Vice President. The former head of the CIA (1976) became president after Regan and served one full term. That gave Bush (41) 12 years in the White House (not living there; working there as the No. 2 leader of the nation).
Add to Bush's 12 years Clinton's 8 and that = 20.
Add to that another 8 for Dubya and we're up to 28 years of consistent aggression against Iraq and Iran through 28 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush.
If Hillary gets into the White House by some miraculous technicality and serves 8 years, that would bring the Bush-Clinton dynasty to a whopping 36 years!
It would also keep our troops in Iraq throughout those years.
I suppose most folks don't count the Bush vice presidency, but I do. I have Ronald Reagan on tape saying he is putting Bush in charge of his counter-terrorism team. Of course he would. Bush was former CIA. If anyone knew everything the U.S. was doing in Iran and Iraq, it would be Bush. After all, it was the CIA that overthrew Iran and the CIA that helped Obama bin Laden in Afghanistan and the CIA that funded the Iraqi National Congress.
And today, it is former CIA leaders who are Secretary of Defense and Asst. SecDef. and it is a former Director of Nat'l Intelligence who left his post to become the No. 2 person in the State Dept. behind Condy Rice.
How does such positioning occur with no one batting an eyelash? Because we trust that our CIA is doing what is in our best interests: kidnapping, secret prisons, torture, murder, assassinations, secret wars, etc.
Now, they are dressed in suits and spearheading U.S. diplomacy while also running the military and the White House.
And America sleeps soundly. Unfortunately, we are in for a very rude awakening.
28 - Mike Green
Regarding Palin's daughter, Bristol:
This 16-year-old was running around with her 17-year-old boyfriend and got pregnant. Today, she is 17 and five months along while he is 18 and about to become a father. Someone decided they should now get married, after the fact. Well, better late than never. But who decided that?
While Obama is right to say this issue ought to be off the table for reporters because it is a private matter, it is the ONLY position he could safely take. And it is a smart one, since that passionate remark will help distance him from the onslaught to come.
Palin's lack of being home and raising her children is never more highlighted than the pregnancy of her teen daughter (are statutory and consent laws in play in this scenario?).
Palin's Christian beliefs and conservative ideals are never more in question than with this scenario that draws attention to her lack of good judgment.
With a teen daughter involved with a "boyfriend" " a relationship that was well known around the town " Palin failed to recognize the predicament her child was in. This lost lamb was heeding the notion that sex is to be enjoyed only within the boundaries of marriage. And her mother and father addressed this how? If the whole town was aware of the budding romance, where were mom and dad?
Today, Palin faces another predicament. She has a teen daughter in distress and nearing her third trimester of pregnancy. meanwhile, she has a newborn with Down Syndrome. And she leaves both of these very needy children to run off and play political leader.
I think many conservatives would say that's bad judgment. I think many Christians would say that's bad judgment.
And this military veteran and Christian conservative would say this woman has misplaced priorities. Those children need their mother. And somewhere in that Bible that Sarah Palin reads are a number of lessons on the value of motherhood and parenting. There are also a few words of admonishment for parents who shirk their duties.
When Palin entered the national stage, she brought all of this with her. And John McCain knew well that all of this, and more, would play right into his hands. The hands that tossed this grenade into his own camp in an effort to destroy his own Commander in Chief.
29 - Ruvy
Mike,
Has anyone at BC written up your book? Could you link me to the review here?
Editors:
If no one has reviewed this book The WHOLE Truth About the War on Terror, I'd like to review it.
30 - Baronius
Yeah, Mike, um...
why?
31 - Mike Green
Not sure what you asking Baronius. Your question is incomplete.
32 - jp10558
I think that this will probably not hurt McCain much, even though it does seem contrary to the party line. I'm not sure whether we are going to hold up the
Unwed 17yr old pregnant
or the
Family supporting child in time of need.
I do also wonder, as someone with no personal experiance of children, how important it is for the parents to be around? I know my mother wasn't working when I was born, nor till I was 6, but was working when my sister was born (though took 6 months off). But isn't the "Mary Poppins" nanny and or daycare very common as well? Does that actually affect the child, being away from parents some of the time (much of the time in the case of VP)?
More worrysome to me is the strain on the rest of the family, the kids who are in school now, of being uprooted to the whitehouse. I'd hate to have moved schools when I was in school. But then again, every president does that to their family.
My question here is what exactly are the family values displayed here? Is dragging your family into the limelight really a Family-First thing to do, regardless of party? Isn't running for a high office inherently Country-First as stated by McCain himself?
Then again, Family Values always seemed to me like a weird issue to run on... If you leave people alone, can't they figure out the family values themselves? Why do we care how family friendly our President is? I'd care more about how well they could do the job, how well their policies agreed with mine, and whether their vision and direction aimed close to where I think the country ought to go.
Lets forget about the sex lives of the candidates or their families, instead, talk about the issues government can really address. Energy Policy, Wars in Iraq and Afganistan, Russian Agression, Domestic policy etc.
33 - Northern Observer
Mr Mike Green,
What an unusual argument you make. I had to share it with some people, I am sure they wont like it but you can't please everyone.
So close to death's door, Old Men can do the darnest things, like settling old scores.
34 - bliffle
Clavos sez:
They'll follow Senator Obama's advice this afternoon, and ignore it. It's not relevant to the race or the campaign.
Right. And neither is her heroic sons decision to enlist and go to Iraq (rather than face drug charges).
John McCains POW experience in Vietnam is equally irrelevant. So would they PLEASE stop beating the drums about his POW experience?
None of the 4 principles have applicable (business) management experience. Biden has never shown much interest, Obama is a mystery about finance (except for his campaign success), and McCain/Palin are ignorant of any finance learning and are guided by archaic bromides.
Biden has the deepest knowledge of foreign affairs, and a pretty good record of decision making. I don't know about Obama, but McCain and Palin are dolts about foreign affairs.
Good grief.
Scandals? Biden seems pretty clean. Obama has that Rezco thing, which is not very hot. McCain has the "Keating 5" hanging over his head. Palin seems to have a couple interesting scandals in her short career: personal animus against her Bro-in-law, and funneling the $200million for the famous bridge to nowhere money into the state budget. She seems to be the Queen Of Earmarks.
35 - Andy Marsh
John McCains POW experience in Vietnam is equally irrelevant. So would they PLEASE stop beating the drums about his POW experience?
Only to you and liberals like you bliffle. It shows character and courage under fire.
36 - Silas Kain
Right. And neither is her heroic sons decision to enlist and go to Iraq (rather than face drug charges).
Would you care to expound a bit on this one, bliffle?
John McCains POW experience in Vietnam is equally irrelevant...
Really? How so? It seems to me that an individual who would sacrifice his/her life for this country is a hero regardless of their station in life. Obama always lauds McCain's heroism but Obama's congregation has been conditioned to do otherwise behind the scenes.
And, finally, why are we all so willing to accept that there are just two candidates running for the Presidency? Oh, I forgot. Cynthia McKinney, Ron Paul and Bob Barr don't sell newspapers, magazines and cable news network advertising blocks.
37 - Cannonshop
Okay, the Trooper thing... the guy used a taser on a kid, and threatened her family. with a gun. for which, he got a five day suspension in 2005. Care to speculate, Bliffle, on what joe citizen doing that sort of thing would face?
On the business thing- So, running a small business doesn't count, it's just a bromide? Bliffle, research a tiny bit about the margins for fishing vessels.
38 - Heloise
Will somebody answer me this? How in the hell will GOP win WH without Black folks and Mexicans? I said Hill couldn't win without Obama and GOP can't win without Black vote. Is it country first or white people first?
Heloise
39 - Clavos
How in the hell will GOP win WH without Black folks and Mexicans?
In recent elections the Republicans have attracted few voters from either of those groups, yet have occupied the White House 20 of the last 27 years (counting through the end of the current term in January).
Shouldn't be a problem.
40 - bliffle
Clavos, only semi-conscious as usual, effectively casts his friends the republicans as racists.
Perhaps he will claim that it was just an innocent mistake, but his triumphal enthusiasm argues otherwise.
41 - Clavos
Clavos, only semi-conscious as usual, effectively casts his friends the republicans as racists.
Once again, bliffle, struggling, as always, with his Alzheimer's, misreads a comment.
I cast no one as anything, much less as racists.
It is a matter of fact that African American and Mexican voters are heavily Democratic.
Imputing racism to that simple fact is your fantastical construct, not mine; it is you who are saying that Republicans are racists, an idea I abjure.
42 - Christopher Rose
OK, you two, you've had one name call each so let's leave it there shall we?
For what it may be worth, it is overly simplistic to brand all members of any political group in such general terms. I am absolutely certain that there are racists to be found on both the left and the right political wings. Hate doesn't support political parties...
43 - Christopher Rose
OK, you two, you've had one name call each so let's leave it there shall we?
For what it may be worth, it is overly simplistic to brand all members of any political group in such general terms. I am absolutely certain that there are racists to be found on both the left and the right political wings. Hate doesn't support political parties...
44 - ZaniaCloClo
The selection of Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidentatial candidate was absolutely brilliant.McCain is showing the nation that he is willing to fight and compete with the democrats using their own tactics. Obama's rise has been made possible by his celebrity status with the media. There is nothing but empty promises being presented without any evidence in Obama's track record that he actually does what he says.If you really need to find out what kind of a person Obama is and learn about his true ideology and his past you need to closely look at his church affiliation for the last 20 years and his other political and personal affiliations with people.It is this man's actions and not his words that we need to be paying attention to. Anyway, Sarah brings this message accross in an indirect way, she truly lives what she says. She brings a breath of fresh air to the campaign and best of all she brings the element of surprise. It is clear right now that no one, Obama, the democrats, the Old Republican Guard, the media and most analyst know what to make of it.
I can not wait to see how it all plays out and whether or not the American People can see through
it all. We are a nation at war and a socialist agenda will not change that.This war can only be won the day that we are truly indepedent from foreign oil. Which candidate is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to accomplish this in the shortest amount of time. You be the judge. I for one belief its McCain.He is already putting in place the pieces to begin the job.
45 - Robert
This is obsured... McCain didnt do this stuff
46 - Chris
This is just looking to put down McCain. He is actually attempting to deliver safe and reliable government.