A Senator's Honor comes cheap these days

Senator McCain may not be everything we thought he was in 2000.  I remember having a discussion with an elderly democrat I knew at the time.  He said, "If McCain got the nomination, I might vote for him.  He seems like a good guy."

It was something we could agree upon at the time, although I was campaigning for Al Gore.  Okay, so I really love Gore since that documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, but in those days?  I thought there was something off about him that verged on creepy.  I still cannot explain it, but I read body language really well.  Now I think he was pretty annoyed with Bill Clinton and it came out as some sort of dangerous energy I could not interpret well.

Bill Clinton has been an enormous disappointment to me this last few months, but that's another post.  Right now, I want to talk about John Sidney McCain, III.  Yes, I dated boys like him in my youth.  Rich boys who thought even their dog's s**t didn't stink with parents who would investigate your family's net worth to ensure that you were not an 'unseemly' partner.   

These were young men who were the football stars, the popular boys, the boys who pushed girls into having sex with the threat of social ridicule if one didn't.  This is how I imagine John McCain behaved when young.  Cocky, arrogant, foul-mouthed when he didn't get exactly what he wanted. 

The most disappointing aspect of John McCain's senatorial career, however, is his judgment in his associations.  The lastest scandalous disclosure is the background of his transition chief,  lobbyist William Timmons.  The Huffington Post has published an article about his close ties to Saddam Hussein's lobbying efforts to remove or lesson US economic sanctions against Iraq.     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/14/mccain-transition-chief-a_n_134595.html

John Sidney McCain, III would like the average voter to think of him like Sarah Palin does.  A regular ole Joe Six-Pack.  My, my, that fits, doesn't it?  The grandson and son of Admirals.  A Navy pilot allowed to crash three planes and still keep his wings.  A man who claimed humility as he rode his P.O.W. stats into the Senate. 

What really bothers me about McCain, however, is not his background.  People cannot help being born with a silver spoon in their mouth, nor can they be held responsible for the grand success of their forbearers.  They must be judged on their own failures and accomplishments, which an amazing article in Rolling Stone Magazine seeks to set forth for your perusal.
Read the whole story here: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

John Sidney McCain, III is running his campaign as true to his character as is possible.  For that we should thank him, as many politicians pretend to be someone they are not.  John III has shown us that he cannot face his opponent and falsely accuse him.  He has demonstrated that he is a very unconvincing liar, hence his exploitation of surrogates like Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Lieberman and Rick Davis.  When they lie or an unhinged attendee at one of McCain's rallies cries out, "Bomb Obama" or "Kill him!" or "Terrorist" or "Die", John can pretend he's still up on that high road.  He can say how unfortunate it is that his supporters are having these thoughts... hours after his campaign has fanned the fuel for those kinds of wacko behaviors.

Yes, John Sidney McCain, III, I am ashamed of you.  You were brought up with better manners, if not better values.  Then again, being self-centered and egotistical is a lonely life.  No one really likes you, even when  you are a senator, a veteran and a P.O.W.  Your kids may hang around, after all, Cindy is loaded even if you have lost track of how loaded she is.  You may think you have friends, but every one of your closest advisors is a lobbyist for a foreign government or some major corporate interests.

Did you ever think, John, that it might be you?  If your friends are people like Keating - who bilked the savings and loan industry and bankrupted 21,000 pension and investment fund holders - remember how much he hurt the little people, John.  Not the kind of hedge-fund clients that can take a hit or two.  These were people, some of whom probably even died sooner because their lifestyle and medical needs were compromised with your help turning a blind eye yourself and blocking others.  Oh, I'm not saying you personally stole from anyone, but you allowed others to do so.  In my mind, that's a conspiracy, but your lawyers, obviously, were clever enough to prevent you from being held accountable.  After all, what's immoral is not necessarily illegal under our judicial system.

I am old enough to remember that scandal, John, but then again, I am not one of your normal supporters.  I not only can read, I do.  Now this may sound pretty nasty coming from an Obama supporter, and I suppose the truth hurts.  If your supporters actually do read the Rolling Stone article, the newspapers, the congressional record, research your votes - not your rhetoric - and then vote for the person who will benefit their own family's interests... it will not be you.

Your attempts to obscure the real issues here - the war in Iraq, the American economy and the erosion of our way of life - are transparent.  Any informed person will vote for the best candidate and that is the one with a plan.  Yes, I am talking about ideas, concepts, a plan and meaningful solutions to the problems our country faces.  

Senator Obama has been more than forthcoming with his ideas.  He is not 'waiting' until he is president, as his generous and fine intellect has been working on ways to save the America the America I know and love.  He had been trying to prevent these problems, too, but nobody listened to a Junior Senator, so he is running for president.  They did listen to you, Senator McCain.

Oh, I'm sorry, I did not mean to denigrate your contributions.  You have had some effective ideas too, John III.  They all began and ended with the concept of deregulation, which is exactly what Charles Keating, a convicted felon, used to cheat people.  He was your friend, vacation buddy, and even your families were close.  Didn't you suspect something?  Looking back it seems obvious to all of us that you should have, but you were used to the fine life, weren't you?  Nothing too good for John Sidney McCain, III. 

So when you are asked about your ideas for an economic recovery, what do you answer?  Who is Barack Hussein Obama?  Nice one, John, but according to the polls that doesn't seem to be working too well for you.

Obama has had some brilliant ideas to try to calm the panic that is tumbling our economy.  These have included increasing the FDIC insurance on bank deposits to $250,000 from $100,000 (a limit which was set in the 1930's).  Now he is suggesting that there be a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures and that any bank that receives a cash injection from the government be compelled to renegotiate and/or assist homeowners having trouble making their payments. 

This is the kind of thinking and action we need on the national level.  No more partisanship and fighting or denigrating the other candidate's patriotism, heritage, religion or lack thereof, or commitment to this country.  Before you, John Sidney McCain, III, have the b*lls to ask Barack Hussein Obama about his friendships, I think you have more than a little 'esplainin' to do yourself.