"There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year," McCain said during an interview Monday on an Arizona radio affiliate. "They have poisoned the well in what they've done and how they've done it."
With just a month to go until Election Day, McCain's team has decided that its emphasis on the senator's biography as a war hero, experienced lawmaker and straight-talking maverick is insufficient to close a growing gap with Obama. The Arizonan's campaign is also eager to move the conversation away from the economy, an issue that strongly favors Obama and has helped him to a lead in many recent polls.
"We're going to get a little tougher," a senior Republican operative said, indicating that a fresh batch of television ads is coming. "We've got to question this guy's associations. Very soon. There's no question that we have to change the subject here," said the operative, who was not authorized to discuss strategy and spoke on the condition of anonymity."
Even shorter McCain:
"We."
"Have."
"Nothing."
The deep-seated nastiness that pervades the ersatz maverick will be on full display for the next 30 days. Get ready for a month-long barrage of Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, and anti-American slime. Bereft of ideas, losing on the issues, "fear and smear" is the only club left in Johnny Mac's bag.
McCain hinted Thursday that a change is imminent, perhaps as soon as next week's debate. Asked at a Colorado town hall, "When are you going to take the gloves off?" the candidate grinned and replied, "How about Tuesday night?"
The angry old man of the first debate was nothing but prelude. He's going to come, loaded for bear, with every bit of fact-free innuendo he can muster, so Obama better be ready.
And there's simply no excuse not to be.
McCain has essentially declared, days in advance, that he has no interest in legitimate debate, just character assassination. We've already seen what happens when you try to "high road" your way around gutter politics by refusing to engage them. You lose.
If there was any lesson from the 2004 ride on the executive merry-go-round, it's that this garbage is too dangerous to fret about "dignifying it with a response;" it must be destroyed with a response, and the dirt merchant peddling it decried for the legitimate issues he (or she) is ignoring.
Once again, "Straight Talk" gets thrown under the Express:
Couric: Senator McCain, Sen. Obama says, while the increased number of U.S. troops contributed to increased security in Iraq, he also credits the Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after militias. And says that there might have been improved security even without the surge. What's your response to that?
McCain: I don't know how you respond to something that is such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel McFarlane (phonetic) was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history. Thanks to General Petraeus, our leadership, and the sacrifice of brave young Americans. I mean, to deny that their sacrifice didn't make possible the success of the surge in Iraq, I think, does a great disservice to young men and women who are serving and have sacrificed.
Shorter John McCain: "Pardon me while I lie out my ass, Katie."
He's got some gall opening with a comment about "false depictions" when there isn't a shred of truth to anything McCain says, here. In order to manufacture an attack, he completely reinvents the framing of Couric's question to claim that Obama gave no credit to U.S. forces and that isn't even the real whopper.
It's "a matter of history" that The Glorious Surge began the Anbar Awakening?
Interesting observation, considering that said surge didn't even begin until the Sunnis had already been working towards security goals for months. I'd be curious to find out exactly what history ol' Johnnie is going by. Perhaps the same one where Iraq and Pakistan are neighbors.
Despite this fundamental error/egregious lie, CBS does their best to perpetuate McCain's revisionist history. First, the subheader is priceless:
"Senator Tells Katie Couric Obama Does Not Understand Challenges The U.S. Faces In Iraq"
Of course, since John McCain is so deeply experienced in matters of foreign policy, he is the one who "understands," even when he clearly doesn't.
Worse, CBS chose not to air that portion of the interview on their broadcast, (though it is available on their website, if you read through the entire transcript or watch the 14 minute video clip). After his inability to tell the difference between Sunni and Shia, his repeated Czechoslovakia references, and hot on the heels of his Iraq/Pakistan border blunder, CBS conveniently omits perhaps the most glaring "McCain Moment," yet. No slip of the tongue or outdated reference, here. This is, at the very least, a total lack of understanding, not only of timing, but the basics of how events transpired in the first place.
Obama would be pilloried for his political naïvety for making such a claim. Johnny Cakes will likely just get another box of doughnuts from his adoring stenographer friends in the press pool.
EDIT:
Countdown busts CBS here:
FURTHER EDIT: And here's CBS' actual hackery--about :40 in, after the Olbermann intro (Courtesy Jed Report):
This really has been a banner week for the inanity/insanity of ol' McCranky. After (again) reversing himself, this time to give a big thumbs-up to offshore oil drilling, he concedes it really won't do anything to help the Americans being crushed by energy costs, but insists that it's still a good thing:
"I don’t see an immediate relief, but I do see that exploitation of existing reserves that may exist — and in view of many experts that do exist off our coasts — is also a way that we need to provide relief. Even though it may take some years (until 2030, to be exact, Johnnie Cakes -- V.), the fact that we are exploiting those reserves would have a psychological impact that I think is beneficial.
And maybe if we clap extra, EXTRA loud, the car will just keep rolling down the road on the power of our happy thoughts, eh?
After his ridiculous gas tax holiday idea went over like a lead balloon, Johnnie Mac continues with his shameless pander bear routine. When families have not only ruled out their usual road trip, but are finding themselves, paradoxically, working to cover their commuting costs, exactly how much psychological comfort do you think they're deriving from the knowledge that their government is working to achieve a price dip 28 YEARS, hence?
Maybe that DOES seem "beneficial" to you, John, but the rest of us who aren't living off our sugarmama'smillions can't really afford to think that way.
These things are getting debilitating. And disgusting:
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto in December was an "unfortunate event," says (McCain chief strategist, Charlie) Black. "But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who's ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us." As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," says Black.
Unfortunately, that's the nature of the media's ring-kissing relationship with St. McCain: though running on the continuation of the policies that ALLOWED us to get hit again, the aforementioned attack would be presented as a showcase for his "experience."
And that plays right into his toady's confession of the ghoulish political calculus surrounding dead Americans. So confident are they, that there will be no blowback from such an admission, that the alleged "chief strategist" for the campaign doesn't even bother with a perfunctory statement decrying considerations of politics when discussing this kind of tragedy.
McCaineurysm, n. - The feeling, often accompanied by stabbing pain behind one or both eyes, that one's head is about to explode after exposure to the words of John Sidney McCain or his campaign surrogates.
In case this isn't familiar, I've kindly supplied the following to test susceptibility to this affliction. From Fortune, via Mercury Rising:
What is the gravest threat to the U.S. economy?
Obama: If we don't get a handle on our energy policy, it is possible that the kinds of trends we've seen over the last year will just continue. Demand is clearly outstripping supply. It's not a problem we can drill our way out of. It can be a drag on our economy for a very long time unless we take steps to innovate and invest in alternative fuels. The market can accomplish a lot of that, but it's very important for the federal government to have a role.
McCain: The absolute gravest threat is the struggle that we're in against radical Islamic extremism which can affect - if they prevail - our very existence. Having said that, I would say that at this moment it's probably our dependence on foreign oil, affecting our climate and hurting fixed-income Americans the most.
Hurts, don't it?
Johnnie Mac has yet to meet an opportunity to play the "Muslims! Booga! Booga Booga!" card that he didn't like. At this point, it's not just the first club out of the bag, it's clearly the ONLY club in his bag.
I wonder, among those "fixed-income Americans," with whose well-being the benevolent St. McCain is so deeply, deeply concerned, how many would say that Islamic extremism is the economic worry that's keeping them up at night?
What is more likely to affect THEIR existence: Teh Terrorist, or gas that's $4+ per gallon?
Insurgents, or not being able to find a job?
"Islamofascism," or a house that's worth less than what you owe on it?
When it comes to "out of touch" with the American people, you don't get much more textbook of an example than this beer fortune-backed, beltway-beholden, ersatz "maverick."
I have to say, The Jed Report is turning into one of my favorite reads. There is no more effective take-down than the sort seen above. Despite the fact that everything these candidates do is on tape and, likelier than not, readily available on the web for anyone to find, it speaks volumes that no "established media" types take the time to check out the veracity of these sweeping--and, all too frequently in the case of McCranky--indignant claims. A guy with a youtube account and some half-assed video editing capability is doing more legitimate journalism than most outlets' Washington bureaus, combined.
"Senator Obama is a perfect manifestation of a September 10th mind-set ... He does not understand the nature of the enemies we face," McCain national security director Randy Scheunemann told reporters on a conference call.
Well, if Randy, here, is the one responsible for keeping John "Iran is training Al Qaeda" McCain hep to "the nature of the enemies we face," I'm thinking he can turn in his resignation any day.
And, thanks for serving that one up on a tee for the O-Man to knock out of the park:
"These are the same guys who helped to engineer the distraction of the war in Iraq at a time when we could have pinned down the people who actually committed 9/11," the presumed nominee told reporters aboard his campaign plane. "This is the same kind of fear-mongering that got us into Iraq ... and it's exactly that failed foreign policy I want to reverse."
Y'see, Randy, you might not want to invoke the tragedy of 9/11, claiming you're the only ones who "get it" when the one guy you were supposed to get is still walking around, laughing at you.
Patriot, n. One to whom the interests of a part seem superior to the interests of the whole. The dupe of statesmen and the tool of conquerers. ---Ambrose Bierce
