The Amorphous Fight Club

Technorati Tags: Senator McCain,Presidential Politics

Dear Gentle Reader(s), here's the conclusion to the latest stump speech delivered by Senator McCain, as partially heard on NPR and provided at Mother Jones' web site:

I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will. I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again. I'm an American. And I choose to fight. Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage. And fight. Fight for a new direction for our country. Fight for what's right for America. Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington. Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead. Fight for the ideals and character of a free people. Fight for our children's future. Fight for justice and opportunity for all. Stand up to defend our country from its enemies. Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here. We never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Excellent words, eh wot?

The problem with them is that they are practically irrelevant.  They, in today's political and financial contexts, are amorphous. 

First of all, while having been a prisoner of war has certainly earned the Senator a debt from his country, it is not a debt that demands the presidency.

Second, the question of whom or what is unstated and certainly unanswered.  Whom is it we are fighting?  What, exactly, is the goal?  What is the strategy?  What are the tactics?

Presidential candidates are able only to make amorphous promises.  They have no power.  They are not prescient.  But they certainly can take present situations and make educated guesses about what might be the situation against what is to be fought.  The good Senator has not done that.

McCain comes from a long line of warriors.  He knows the warrior talk.  His war battle experiences do not contain evidence of his knowledge of the warrior walk which is needed for Commander-in-Chief.

Trust, but verify.

 

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Vote No on Prop 8

Technorati Tags: Proposition 8,Voter Registration,Voting

That's it, Dear Gentle Reader(s).  If you live in California, please vote NO on Prop 8.  If you know someone who lives and votes in California, please ask them the vote NO on Prop 8.

Thank you.

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McCain's OCTOBER SURPRISE?

Technorati Tags: Senator McCain,Gov Palin,Senator Obama,Presidential Politics

Yesterday, Dear Gentle Reader(s), Senator McCain made an attempt to temper the mob-like atmosphere which has been creeping into the tenor of his campaign rallies since Governor Palin has been raising the Ayers issue.

Now, we all know that campaigns have often relied on the phenomena of October Surprise to give a last minute boost to their candidates' efforts.  Since the McCain campaign's attempts to question the patriotism of Senator Obama have resoundingly failed with virtually everyone other than the most die-hard reptilian thinkers of the Republican evangelical base, one wonders if the Senator's sudden "defense" of the leading candidate is his attempt to "surprise" everyone with a bit of temperance.  He has, after all, been under some scrutiny with the "elite" wing of the Republican party.  They have written harshly of McCain's veep choice; and they have written harshly of some of the specific attacks on Obama's character.  McCain might have sensed a need for his own rehabilitation.

Is the campaign hoping for an "Aw, Gee.  See?  I told you he was a good guy" response?  If so, is there enough time in the 23 days left before the national election date for a turn around?  Some states have already begun voting.  Absentee ballots arrived in California this week. 

Or is the McCain campaign attempt at moderation based on November 5?  Regardless of the outcome of the election, you must remember, DGR(s), McCain has to return to work in Washington, D.C.  He will either be President-elect or a ranking member of the United States Senate.  He will have to engage with fellow Senators and Congresspersons and members of the bureaucracy.  Could this realization have played some part in "cooling it?"

Senator Obama's campaign has played nicer; it's good to see Senator McCain's finally get with the game.

If someone is going to vilify someone else, trust, but verify.  (And tread very lightly, K-5er.)

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National Coming Out Day

Come out.

Come out.

Wherever you are.

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Is the Hero shedding clothes?

Technorati Tags: Andrew Sullivan,Senator McCain,Gov Palin,Vietnam,War Hero

Andrew Sullivan, Dear Gentle Reader(s), has for several weeks been virtually rabid about his opposition to Senator McCain's presidential hopes.  That rabitidy has even surpassed his disdain (not nearly a strong enough word) for Senator Clinton. Quite often, though, he pulls his punches, and one begins to wonder why.

Today, in a discussion about McCain's famous temper, Sullivan writes, "I'm not judging the man, whose passions are real and whose service to his country should be honored;" and that raises the question, how long does a man get to wear the mantle of "hero" while at the same time taking some questionable steps in the service of his country?

Take, DGR(s), a quick jaunt over to Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain.  It will be instructive, if not just a little reminiscent of 2004's swift-boating of Senator Kerry.

At VVAJMcC you will read of the 4 planes McCain lost while piloting and one lost during an accident prior to take-off.  You will also read of McCain's capture and subsequent captivity. 

The final paragraphs of the site, though, are the most telling for the purposes of our little post today:

For 23 combat missions (an estimated 20 hours over enemy territory), the U.S. Navy awarded McCain a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars, two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a dozen service medals.

"McCain had roughly 20 hours in combat," explains Bill Bell, a veteran of Vietnam and former chief of the U.S. Office for POW/MIA Affairs -- the first official U.S. representative in Vietnam since the 1973 fall of Saigon. "Since McCain got 28 medals," Bell continues, "that equals out to about a medal-and-a-half for each hour he spent in combat. There were infantry guys -- grunts on the ground -- who had more than 7,000 hours in combat and I can tell you that there were times and situations where I'm sure a prison cell would have looked pretty good to them by comparison. The question really is how many guys got that number of medals for not being shot down."

For years, McCain has been an unchecked master at manipulating an overly friendly and biased news media. The former POW turned Congressman, turned U.S. Senator, has managed to gloss over his failures as a pilot and collaborations with the enemy by exaggerating his military service and lying about his feats of heroism.

McCain has sprouted a halo and wings to become America's POW-hero presidential candidate.

These vets, DGR(s), do not regard the senator as much of a hero.

Nonetheless, the good senator did serve; he was shot down; he did undergo years of imprisonment and torture; he does have physical impairments because of treatment during his incarceration.  We must remember that.

He also, Dear, Dear Gentle Reader(s), asked the Republican party to nominate Sarah Palin for the office of Vice President of the United States.  We must remember that.

Perhaps the Senator's hero couture should be replaced by something not quite so transparent.  Or, perhaps, honored as a relic.

Andrew, you have our permission to stop the redundant references to the good senator's service.

Trust, but verify.

 

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Muckroom Follies 10.04.08 --K-Pa Lashes Herself w/Wet Noodle

Technorati Tags: Kathleen Parker,Townhall.com,Republicans,Senator McCain,Vice Presidency,Patriotism

Kathleen Parker, Dear Gentle Reader(s), is one of several right wing pundits who, just last week, called for Gov Palin to exit the Republican ticket.  It was an example of courage and insight and patriotism; and it got her excoriated by the Repug base.

This week K-Pa used Palin's Fargo monologue (aka Vice Presidential Debate) to prostrate herself before the base and to beg forgiveness--a little.

Parker uses terms like "excellent night," and "the affable, tough, determined pit-bull-hockey mom presented to the GOP convention was back with a jaw-jutting, happy-warrior vengeance."

Before jumping to the conclusion, however, DGR(s), that she has re-converted to Palin submission, K-Pa also snuck in a "too cute by half," and the suggestion that if you ask some non-Repug-base person about the pit-bull-hockey-mom, "you're gonna hear some fear in that person's voice, also. Betcha!"

Parker ended her column with this:

  "The debate format clearly worked better for her because she could control her message and keep pounding well-rehearsed talking points. Does that mean she's ready to lead the free world should circumstances warrant?"

DGR(s), I'd say no.

So, to Parker's credit she managed to do two things:  1) she made an attempt to dampen the fury of the blinkered base (it may not have worked; if you go to the site and read some comments, you'll find many are still seething); and 2) she managed to keep her integrity intact with the strong implication that Palin is not ready to be trusted with the nuclear button--and by extension, neither is Senator McCain.

Parker did penance, but it was a mild penance.  She gets points.  Some.  At least her patriotism is intact.

Trust, but verify.

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1960s Turn, Turn, Turn Becomes 2008s Spin, Spin, Spin

Technorati Tags: New York Times,William Kristol,Senator McCain,Finances,Pundits,Spin

As The Byrds sang in the 1960s, Dear Gentle Reader(s), "There is a season;" and that season is upon us.  This time, however, it is a Spin, Spin, Spin season.

As an example, we might take The Gray Lady's self-flagellating decision to include right wing punditry in its op-ed pages.  Today, she presents "How McCain Wins" by that spinmeister William Kristol. The title is self-explanatory; the content would be risible, were it not for the gravity of the situation should McCain actually (heavens forfend!) win.

A paragraph for your contemplation:

McCain’s impetuous decision to return to Washington was right. The agreement announced early Sunday morning is better than Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s original proposal, and better than the deal the Democrats claimed was close on Thursday. Assuming the legislation passes soon, and assuming it reassures financial markets, McCain will be able to take some credit.

Now, doubtless the good senator will "take" credit, which will very likely be "given" to him in any circumstance by right wing pundits and sycophants, but whether or not he has earned any will always be subject for discussion, and, in any event, his decision to return and "suspend," already a virtual fib, doesn't pass the smell test for commendation.

Since not one word of the impending House Republican caucus "revolt" had been disseminated, it will always appear that Senator McCain's decision to go to Washington last Wednesday was based on the perception he could make points by seeming to lead the charge for quick passage of the rescue/bailout plan as of Wednesday morning.

Imagine the good senator's chagrin to arrive in D.C. and discover the impending revolt.  What to do?  Well, DGR(s), he did what he should've done--he sat in on the ill-advised photo-op on Thursday and said virtually nothing.  He added nothing to the debacle nor to the resulting debate.  On Friday he declared victory, packed up his campaign staff, and went on to Mississippi to a bit of a fruitless endeavor at the debate in Oxford.

Kristol discusses none of this.  His paragraph is one of ignoring the facts.  The first Paulson plan was defeated by a Democratic leadership and by them, and Republican senate leadership, amended.  That first amended plan was rejected by House Republicans; the ensuing negotiations produced an amorphous nod to the House Republicans, and the final plan will be debated today.  It remains to be seen if enough House Republican votes will be garnered to pass the bill (the Democratic majority is insisting that there be a bi-partisan buy-in).  In all of this back and forth, though, notice how much of a role McCain played--little to none.

Write on Billy Boy.  Spin on, Dick Cheney acolyte.  But know that your spin season is known.

Trust, but verify, Dear Gentle Reader(s).

 

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