Even War Heroes Get the Blues
Poor John McCain.
His ratings in the polls are sliding. The press has been calling him out on his contradictory statements. Palin was unable to provide interviewer Katie Couric with a single example of reforms he has supported. And now his opponent has implied that he is unable to multi-task because he can’t participate in the first Presidential debate and save the economy at the same time.
The economy. You know… the one his Republican party ignored until it crashed. The very same economy now causing Republicans to soil their Depends as they strain to find reasons why Bill Clinton should be blamed for the crisis.
No wonder John has the blues. But hey, he’s a war hero, so let’s cut him some slack. More than we already have, I mean.
When he decides he feels up to the Presidential debate, let’s give Obama a handicap so John will have a sporting chance. Obama can’t flash his radiant smile or make any gestures Republicans might deem charismatic. Obama can’t use the word “fair,” in relation to down-sizing tax breaks for the rich. Obama must say, “I’ll get that stuff and get back to ya,” if asked for details about his health care program.
There, now, John… feeling better?
And by the way, since you’re a war hero and you look like everybody’s grandpa and you’re such a maverick, we’ll make it easy for you to be President, too.
If Russia invades Sweden, you can go ahead and drop a few bombs. After all, how much time do you have left to make a little noise and stir up some dust?
If there is another terrorist attack on the same day the stock market takes a hit, you can go ahead and save the economy again before you follow the terrorists to the gates of hell.
If anything goes wrong in America, anything at all, you can ask Karl Rove for a reason to blame it on Bill Clinton, since he has a database of Bill’s culpability on every issue from the deaths of 4,172 troops in Iraq to the birth of the…blues.
In fact, to show our support, we’ll ALL get the blues… in Florida, Michigan, and in those other states that have suffered from too much red in recent elections.
And we'll all chip in with our leftover pennies to buy you a shiny new cape to wear when you fly back to Washington to save us.
Will that work for ya, John?
If I didn’t know you were a war hero, I’d suspect you were dodging the debate.
posted by Yakpate at 8:58 AM
13 Comments:
When all of this is over, John McCain will still have his eight houses and thirteen cars, his buddies and contributors on Wall Street, whom he has assured will continue to skate with Bush tax cut extensions, will get fatter and richer, and we will be left holding the bag. I hope people wake up this time!
9:50 AM
He can stand there with his quiet demeanor, his Barbie doll wife by his side and try to figure out how he can debate, help restore our economy, and keep us from sending anymore innocent armed forces troops to Iran (oh and maybe think about sending the rest home) while each moment, we are drowning in the greed and ignorance of the past 8 years of Bush's administration. He damn sure better figure out how to multi-task - isn't that the President is supposed to have the capability of doing? If he's got the blues,how about the rest of us, up to our necks in the bullshit it took to convince the American public into thinking that everything that's gone on since Mr. Clinton's exit has made us stronger and safer.
10:05 AM
You mean you can survive a war where you are held prisoner and left in a hole in the ground for years and you cant face a little presidential debate? Could it be because you know that during a debate you have to face and talk about important issues?????You know, the ones you've been skirting around for the past couple of months?? The ones you tried to disguise by picking "suprise"running mates. The issues you tried to convince us you understood while you jet setting from one summer home to another??? You have tried to instill fear in us this whole campaign..Fear that Obama doesnt have enough experience, fear that he wont protect us from terrorists, fear that he will raise taxes (well only if we a rich already)...Interesting....Now who's afraid???
10:05 AM
I'm a Ned Lamont liberal but I completely disagree with this, and with the idea that McCain is dodging the debates. For those of us who have watched him over the years, the reason he is such a threat is because he is so good off-the-cuff. God awful with notes and a teleprompter but really good in conversation. He is going to be fine in the debate.
This is a distraction, in my opinion, of my party from the reality that this Dem-led congress did NOTHING to prevent this mess. It is NOT the fault of the Right. It is the fault of Friedmanite free-market gamblers who use our financial system as an ATM -- on the left and the right. After all, it was Clinton who famously said "the age of big government is over."
It's fun to use McCain as a scapegoat but in my opinion ALL senators should be in there hashing this out right now. That's what we elected them for. When we have a cash crisis in a few months and ther is no money in the ATMs and the FDIC is bankrupt and we're basically left holding confederate money -- it will have been fault of everyone in that Congress and everyone on both sides who favored massive deregulation (Clinton as well as Bush) and who took out our manufacturing base and replaced our economic support system strictly within finance.
I love you Pat, but I really disagree with this one.
11:36 AM
I love you, too, Laurie.
I didn’t say McCain was afraid to debate. I said he was dodging the debate, as in playing politics instead of playing it strait.
Here’s a different take on his reasons for dodging/delaying the debate.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122230767702474045.html?mod=todays_us_opinion
Also, because I love the link to Hillary’s article you sent me earlier, I am including it here for other visitors to the blog:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122230767702474045.html?mod=todays_us_opinion
1:04 PM
Leave the other op ed link because both of these go to Hillary's article.
I really believe that if Obama had done the exact thing McCain had done, it would be trumpeted from here to the end of time that he was showing great leadership by going back to the Senate at the nation's biggest crisis since the Bay of Pigs. (Incidentally, it WOULD have shown leadership.) By conveniently saying that McCain is playing politics, is disingenous in my opinion.
Incidentally, Obama is not "campaigning" right now. He's in massive tutoring mode for the debate -- it's all over the alternative press that he's being trained to stop saying Um so much and given a lot of things to memorize. Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you, but McCain is not even prepping for the debate -- which, he knows will probably go down as scheduled now because they've almost reached a deal. To a lot of people, that makes Obama look weak and McCain look confident. RIght or wrong, I think this kind of thing is important in a country that is 50/50 divided. McCain, in my opinion, doesn't dodge anything -- he's kind of brazen and scary that way -- so this argument really feels like grasping at straws at a time when we need to show people why Obama is the better choice. (Um, I wish Obama would do more to that end.)
I saw Bill Clinton on Larry King last night and he said something I totally agree with -- why trash McCain and Palin? THe people that reaches are already voting for our side. And for those who might be toying with the idea, it turns them off. I honestly don't see how we can afford to turn any swing voters off.
I read a lot of blogs and see how this plays in middle America, where we need votes. Calling McCain a coward like Olbermann and Maddow and the rest are doing is NOT getting people to vote for our guy. It's pissing them off and further stratifying this race.
Honestly tell me that we wouldn't have been praising Obama for the same maneuver? It would have been HUGE news. (From a lot of the political blogs, it seems Obama was scooped on the idea -- that he was going to do what McCain did but decided not to.)
THis all strikes me as being politically convenient with subjects of character and that kind of thing makes me insane.
McCain is wrong for this country for any number of reasons -- just take a blind pick from the almost bottomless pit of reasons. But he has actually gone up against Wall Street if you actually look at his record. I don't see how our side can win this argument without looking hypocritical.
ANyway, I'd like to see the other link you have if you can find it and try to post it again.
I won't post any more about this. I really don't want to hijack your blog. Sorry for soapboxing.
2:21 PM
I am sorry but blame it on Clinton or Bush whichever one you prefer but this mess we are in is NOT just because credit restrictions got lighter which allowed banks to offer loans to the "poor" people. How can ANYONE with compassion say they wouldn't want to help people get loans so they (meaning 'poor' people) can enjoy some home ownership too and a little piece of the American dream. I will gladly allocate some of my tax dollars to go to that.
The problem has arisen because the GREEDY mortgage brokers knew that even though these people wouldn't be able to afford it later, the higher they could get that %rate the more money they got from the deal. And the GREEDY banks put this same people on ARM loans, and balloon payment loans that even I didn't fully understand when I got a loan and I am a CPA for god's sake...how can you expect a non-financial person to understand. In addition the GREEDY mortgage brokers straight out lied about rates and pre-payment penalties and ARM adjustments until you are sitting there with pen in hand, signing away after three months of trying to re-finance and YOU KNOW you aren't going to get anyone else to give you a loan if you stop the process right there because for some reason that makes you look bad if someone has checked your credit which did not result in a loan...then instead of seeing the future(which I might add, the bank execs should have seen it coming) those same banks went ahead as GREEDILY as ever adjusting those ARM loans up and up..until everyone from POOR people to Middle Class people to even some YUPPIES who took money out to redecorate started to get further and further behind...until finally FORECLOSURE---I mean you would think the banks would start to say hmmmmmmm...we have all these foreclosure properties we can't sell BUT we need more and more and more MONEY...so we can't stop adjusting their loans...I mean they don't HAVE to exercise that option...they just automatically do. Yes, I guess we could say that we were the ones who signed...BUT...
WHY WHY WHY WHY do people think its OKAY to spend $10 billion a month on Iraqi and Afgans citizens, supposedley in an effort to help them....that's okay...but DON'T help them POOR AMERICANS...and I know people are thinking it (esp. Repubs) BLACK AMERCIANS pay their mortgages...maybe the banks should have said...hmmmmm income is kind of low...credit just okay...let's put them in a no frills, fixed rate, non-adjustable loan!!!!! But noooooooo..................
And I give NO EXCUSES to John McCain and totally agree with Obama, how dare he think that this would be a time to "postpone" or NOT even have a debate. Whatever each and every person decides, whomever they choose is their own personal business. But, I think ESPECIALLY now we should be able to hear for ouselves, how they feel about what's going on, what they plan to do about the economy, how they intend to yes I will say it CHANGE what has been going on, I mean I want someone to tell me they have a schedule and our soldiers are coming home, where that $10billion a month is going to be allocated...that we won't be spending on the war..hmmm maybe some of that could go to the $700billion bail out, maybe some could go to America's POOR people, America's Education, America's Veterans, America's Defenses....
This is not a time to try and Save the world (even though we all know that is not the REAL reason we are at war), with that being said...there comes a time when you have to worry about YOU AND YOURS...and that's what we need to do...and I'm sorry...but that is EVERY PERSON in America, ALL RACES..ALL GENDERS...ALL CLASSES...
If we get a debate, maybe it will be even more 'off the cuff'...and we will be more enlightened about our candidates. And anyone who is on the fence can get an even CLEARER view...Lucky for me, I am not on the fence and I know that every bone in my body is DEMOCRATIC and every issue I have ever held an opinion on, is Democratic...so I don't really need the debate.
But once again, the Repubs. are going to scare people on the fence...and steal their vote--if they can find a way to do it...and a good ol' crisis RIGHT before the election...hey, wait a minute...I can use this to my advantage...I won't even have to debate...I believe his LAME excuse that Congress can't live without his presence for a few hours for him to hold a debate on something as improtant as the Presidential Election of 2008 is just that...LAME...
9:57 PM
Okay, I must jump back in...
I know you can acknowledge that the free market model is not a strictly right wing phenomenon... And it's a model that Obama himself has praised. He taught at the school that gave us the godfather of the free market -- Milton Friedman. He has surrounded himself with Chicago School economic advisors. I fear that he is no better qualified to figure out this mess than McCain from a purely economic standpoint. It has nothing to do with Obama's passion or his integrity. But all of these guys from Barney Frank to Pat Robertson keep embracing a financial ideology that DOES. NOT. WORK. We get more people in there who bow to corporate AMerica and believe the market always rules - uh, except when we need socialism to bail it out -- no matter which side they're on, this will happen again and again and again until the United States is sunk. As it stands now, both parties favor a system that pays the rich when it works -- and is nationalized on the backs of the poor when it threatens to fail. We have put our entire economic future on the back of finance -- where we used to count on manufacturing. Basically, our economy has hinged on the Las Vegas style gambling of the mortgage industry. We must fix this with a stop gap of some sort or the country FAILS. And then we must figure out a new way forward.
This crisis eclipses everything and I stand by the fact that ALL our elected officials need to be working on a solution together, arguing about it, trying to figure it out,utilizing every fact that every brain in that Congress has stored away and every opinion that has a voice. Every representative needs to be there to fight for his or her constituents. It's our government and they owe that to us.
I also would urge Obama to take McCain up on his ten town hall meeting style debates that so far Obama has refused to do. I am irritated that Obama won't agree to this -- as it would be the best way for the most people to get questions in to the candidates.
As for Obama's plans for our future -- it's sad but we don't have any money for any of the plans that he OR McCain propose. Everything they've campaigned on is impossible now. This economic problem is going to overshadow the next decade. Watch how quickly the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan evaporate because we just won't have any money to support them. I guess there are blessings if you look for them.
As for McCain going back to the Senate -- it has come out that Paulson called McCain personally and asked him to help bring the Republicans around to the bail out plan.
From Memorandum:
John McCain got involved in the bailout negotiations after Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson told Sen. Lindsey Graham yesterday that the bailout plan would fail unless McCain came in and brought balky Republicans aboard. That’s what Bob Schieffer reported on this morning’s Early Show. Schieffer’s account stands in stark contrast with the allegation by Dems like Barney Frank and their MSM cohorts that McCain’s moves of yesterday were nothing more than a political "stunt."
I don't understand why anyone would think that postponing a debate for a week is going to crash the election. I also think it's time we look at how in this case, both left and right have caused this mess and it's time to readdress our financial system in general. If we just conveniently think this mess is going to go away with a Democrat in office rather than a Republican, we're not being very honest with ourselves. The very foundations of modern Capitalism are being questioned here. With good reason.
Obama is brilliant at inspiring people and remaining thoughtful and cool headed during problems. He also has a maddening ability to sit on the fence and hash out both sides of an issue. In this case, I would think that would be a benefit in Washington right about now -- and more of a benefit than yet another televised event with the same rehearsed talking points on both sides. I don't want the theater of staged presidential politics. I want some real leadership from my candidate. This is the 3:00AM phone call, in my opinion.
2:26 AM
Actually, I was blaming this crisis on the GREEDY Mortgage Brokers and Banks...in other words..BIG CORPS. I don't think McCain or Obama can solve an economic situation by themselves...I'm not that naive. I think that it will take everyone of our Senators and a ton of economic/finance scholars and advisors and I think it SHOULD take A LOT longer than one week to figure out the correct, most advantageous and hopefully most beneficial to our country solution. I believe ALL of congress has been called to address this issue and what I don't understand is why the NEED FOR SPEED????? So at the same time that you don't understand why I see no reason the debates should be delayed...I see no reason that we have to rush into an economic fix that could possibly make or break this country!!!! To pass something that is going to effect EVERYONE and involves $700 billion dollars in a week, is not only impossible but flat out dumb!!
As far as town hall debates, why should Obama agree to structure the debates in a "town hall" setting versus the way they have always been done????? Why should he agree to do things to HELP his opponent...that makes no sense that anyone would even expect him to do that??!! maybe Kerry should have asked to do "Town Hall" meeting styles...that would have been great strategy against Bush...we know Bush would have fumbled, misspoke and totally have sucked at it...
I too have been disappointed in my party over the past eight years...I heard no voices...I couldn't see us fighting for any of our beliefs...and now I have TWO loud, strong voices that speak out and can ACTUALLY lead people...and I was so excited during the nominee process to hear not one but TWO people who believe in the things I believe in and are going to stand up there in Congress or the White House and speak for me...so if you don't like Obama..then don't vote for him. Fine.
But you want to talk about GAMBLING with our future. There are other crisis that I forsee in the very near future...Do you want to let the Repubs. keep GAMBLING with our Environment, GAMBLING with our Health Care, GAMBLING with our Social Security, GAMBLING with our Women's Rights, GAMBLING with our Soldier's Lives. At the forefront, there are scary things we are facing right now...war and economy, behind the scenes Democrats in Congress are letting things slip...like little jabs here and there against our Women's Rights, etc., etc. So just wait...pick McCain and our crisis in eight years can be our kids won't have a stable environment to grow up in, our money keeps getting sucked out from us by the war, our Women's Rights have been sucked out until they are barely there.....
If you don't like Obama..then fine, don't vote for him....but Please on't vote for McCain...just stay home!!!!!
9:14 AM
Obama and McCain agreed to issue a joint statement about the bailout and economy etc... Before the statement was even finished being written here comes McCain "Oh, I am going to focus on this problem and stop all campaigning" Look at me...look how patriotic and wonderful I am....blah blah blah Of course part of that means that he will not participate in the debate that just so happens to be scheduled right when everybody in this country is wondering what in the world we are going to do about our economy...Why not debate and tell us your solutions? He had time to do an interview with Katie Couric but he cant take a few hours to do a debate??? And,what is wrong with preparing for a debate?? If Palin had done some preparation before her interview she might have known what the Bush doctrine was.....
10:06 AM
I'm going to veer off topic from the financial issue for a minute. My bigger point is certainly not in support of McCain -- but in holding Obama accountable in the same way we put McCain's feet to the fire. We don't have to call the other side evil in order to make a point that our way is better. (In Bush's case, however, strike that. His administration really was evil.) It makes us look like kool-aid drinking lunatics to give Obama a free pass for so many of the things we excoriate McCain for doing. I'm disgusted with the double standard of trouncing every blunder of McCain's and looking the other way for just at many blunders of Obama's.
There is so much hero worship surrounding this person -- when even a cursory examination shows that the emporer in many respects has no clothes. That does not imply tacit endorsement of McCain -- or an invitation to post using all caps. It means that we should look at ourselves before we become the very things we hate about the Republicans: a party of double-standards and chicanery, of name-calling and mean-spiritedness. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if we're on the "right side of the issues" if we abandon our ability to reason, see clearly or call out our side when it screws up. OUr side has repeatedly screwed up during this primary process -- just wait to see how history shows the rigging of all those caucuses, much already with video evidence and a paper trail -- and also our side has dropped the ball during the last two years in COngress. Our democratic COngress has done nothing to prevent this financial disaster, despite many warnings. It also has done nothing to put an end to the war. Where were the passionate speeches before the house and senate? Where were the press conferences to point out what needs getting done? Where were representateives like Mike Gravel when he introduced the Pentagon Papers all those years ago? MIssing in action. Our reps -- our DEM reps -- phoned it in. ANd they are equally to blame for this financial mess as the REpublicans.
Blindly screaming "Democrats rule!" or the equivalent will not help us fix things. I know we have to pick a side, but we also have to coach that side to play better, stop cheating, and remember what the game is about.
We've been duped by a complicit media that has turned into various propaganda wings of each party. Fox is the right's machine. MSNBC and CNN are dueling it out to see who is the best propaganda wing for the LEft. What is missing is true news and analysis.
We've been sold a weird bill of goods by Howard Dean, and company and the new DNC. I'm all for strategic voting -- Obama is certainly better than McCain. Please. But lets take off the rose colored glasses. He's no FDR. ANd we need leadership of that calibre right now. Maybe if enough in the party insist on better behavior instead of high fiving each other about how right we are, maybe then we can bring the Democratic party back to the party it once was. Maybe then we can actually sway the minds of the swing voters we need.
ANd I'll stand by that. I'm just one person with one opinion -- but we need more than just cheerleaders for the party. We need flies in the ointment, too.
10:24 AM
Excuse me, but I do not worship anyone and I am no cheerleader (that was George Bush in college)...I too have an education and an opinion...I will stand by mine. That the DNC has needed an inspirational leader and have failed to come up with one since Bill Clinton, now we have found someone...not only one but two...so let's get him elected and get to work on cleaning up this damn mess.
10:53 AM
War hero, smore hero. He condems Obama for saying he'd go into Pakistan if necessary to go after Bin Laden, while Bush has our troops going into the Pakistan just last week. Now Bush is getting serious about getting Bin Laden, so close to January 20,
2009.
6:55 AM
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