Monday, March 10, 2008
ENOUGH TO MAKE A BODY ILL
Mr. Bush and Candidate McCain appearing together on the portico at the White House was enough to make a body ill. The mere possibility of another four years of a Bush-lite in the White House is enough to strike fear in the hearts of even the braver among us.
Although the two still look mismatched, awkward, and uncomfortable together, Candidate McCain in his “acceptance” speech earlier went right down the line endorsing Mr. Bush’s policies, proposals, and actions.
He endorsed the invasion of Iraq to rid the world of Saddam Hussein, and even said he thought there had been some Al Quida there. (Weapons of mass destruction weren’t mentioned.) He endorsed the rejected Bush plan for trashing Social Security and Medicare. He endorsed the status quo in health insurance, but would try to make costs affordable to more people.
He advocated tax cuts and favors for the rich and for business in order to create jobs (for peon workers). He praised global free trade, but did not mention it bringing our workers’ standard of living down to the lowest common denominator.
He says that if we stop occupying Iraq and leave, then that is “surrendering.” We may have to keep troops there a hundred years, he has said.
What is there not to like about Candidate McCain, if you are a Bush republican? Where did we get the idea he was different?
Candidate McCain has revealed himself to be a great disappointment to many moderates in his party, and to us moderates of the other party as well.
Other than problem utterances of his own, allegations have been published regarding excess companionship with a female lobbyist. Admitted facts about a corps of lobbyists engaged in running his campaign may be even more shocking to those who thought McCain to be Mr. Clean.
Perhaps having lobbyists imbedded with a candidate might not be so unusual, if this were not the purportedly squeaky clean John McCain. These make his “holier than thou” stance toward lobbyist activity with others appear to be just a false public persona.
The New York Times was much criticized for breaking the story, yet independent journalists have confirmed most of the allegations.
Newsweek interviewed two sources of its own and write that they were told that McCain’s staff had indeed warned him about his frequent association with the female lobbyist whose client had business with his committee. Newsweek also confirmed that staff had warned the female lobbyist away, prompting an angry response.
It was said that in Washington journalists are friendly with politicians to get an inside news story, and politicians are friendly with journalists in order to spin their stories. Further, it is said that lobbyists are friendly with politicians in order to get support for their clients, and politicians are friendly with lobbyists in order to get campaign donations.
The thrust line is that if you want a real friend in Washington, get a dog.
All this appears to support the notion that there is indeed a cloud of corruption around our government in Washington. To pretend somehow to be above it, or immune to it, may readily expose one to the charge of hypocrisy.
Candidate McCain’s defensive public statements that the lobbyists who are staffing his campaign are honorable people might be true. When he says that he has never betrayed the public trust in his activities and association with lobbyists, in spite of evidence such as his letters, witnesses, and other statements to the contrary, that might also be true. It may be true that Candidate McCain has never been, nor will he ever be, influenced in his performance of duties by any of this.
It does, however, strain the limits of credulity.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
Although the two still look mismatched, awkward, and uncomfortable together, Candidate McCain in his “acceptance” speech earlier went right down the line endorsing Mr. Bush’s policies, proposals, and actions.
He endorsed the invasion of Iraq to rid the world of Saddam Hussein, and even said he thought there had been some Al Quida there. (Weapons of mass destruction weren’t mentioned.) He endorsed the rejected Bush plan for trashing Social Security and Medicare. He endorsed the status quo in health insurance, but would try to make costs affordable to more people.
He advocated tax cuts and favors for the rich and for business in order to create jobs (for peon workers). He praised global free trade, but did not mention it bringing our workers’ standard of living down to the lowest common denominator.
He says that if we stop occupying Iraq and leave, then that is “surrendering.” We may have to keep troops there a hundred years, he has said.
What is there not to like about Candidate McCain, if you are a Bush republican? Where did we get the idea he was different?
Candidate McCain has revealed himself to be a great disappointment to many moderates in his party, and to us moderates of the other party as well.
Other than problem utterances of his own, allegations have been published regarding excess companionship with a female lobbyist. Admitted facts about a corps of lobbyists engaged in running his campaign may be even more shocking to those who thought McCain to be Mr. Clean.
Perhaps having lobbyists imbedded with a candidate might not be so unusual, if this were not the purportedly squeaky clean John McCain. These make his “holier than thou” stance toward lobbyist activity with others appear to be just a false public persona.
The New York Times was much criticized for breaking the story, yet independent journalists have confirmed most of the allegations.
Newsweek interviewed two sources of its own and write that they were told that McCain’s staff had indeed warned him about his frequent association with the female lobbyist whose client had business with his committee. Newsweek also confirmed that staff had warned the female lobbyist away, prompting an angry response.
It was said that in Washington journalists are friendly with politicians to get an inside news story, and politicians are friendly with journalists in order to spin their stories. Further, it is said that lobbyists are friendly with politicians in order to get support for their clients, and politicians are friendly with lobbyists in order to get campaign donations.
The thrust line is that if you want a real friend in Washington, get a dog.
All this appears to support the notion that there is indeed a cloud of corruption around our government in Washington. To pretend somehow to be above it, or immune to it, may readily expose one to the charge of hypocrisy.
Candidate McCain’s defensive public statements that the lobbyists who are staffing his campaign are honorable people might be true. When he says that he has never betrayed the public trust in his activities and association with lobbyists, in spite of evidence such as his letters, witnesses, and other statements to the contrary, that might also be true. It may be true that Candidate McCain has never been, nor will he ever be, influenced in his performance of duties by any of this.
It does, however, strain the limits of credulity.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
