The Real John McCain

What happened to John McCain this fall?  Where was the real guy?  Was it Sarah Palin?  Listening to Steven Schmidt too much?  Was it kowtowing to the right wing of the Republican Party to get the nomination, then not figuring out a way to tack back to the center?  In any case, the real McCain was absent this fall.  Had he been there, this might have been a closer election.  I still think he would have lost, considering how much Bush poisoned the Republican pool, but it might have been closer.

An illustration of the point — an article in today’s Washington Post:

A joke made its way around the Capitol yesterday: How do you know the 2008 election is really over? Because John McCain is causing trouble for Republicans again.

Two and a half months removed from his defeat in the race for the presidency, colleagues say, McCain bears more resemblance to the unpredictable and frequently bipartisan lawmaker they have served with for decades than the man who ran an often scathing campaign against Barack Obama. In some instances, he’s even carrying water for his former rival.

“Mac is back!” one of his devoted friends in the Senate declared as McCain walked into the chamber Wednesday to deliver his first speech of the 111th Congress: a blunt admonishment of Republicans delaying Hillary Rodham Clinton’s confirmation as secretary of state.

“I remind all my colleagues: We had an election,” McCain noted. “I think the message the American people are sending us now is they want us to work together, and get to work.”

[snip]

The surest sign of McCain’s return to his “maverick” ways came when he caught wind of an effort by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) to delay Clinton’s confirmation vote by a day, pushing it from Tuesday to Wednesday because he was seeking greater disclosure about foreign donors to former president Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation. McCain found the objection gratuitous — despite policy disagreements with Clinton, he and most Republicans consider her well qualified — and said so publicly.

“I think that’s indicative of the role that John McCain is going to play,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who hatched the push-back against Cornyn’s gambit over dinner with McCain on Tuesday night, and who followed him to the floor to support Clinton’s confirmation. “He’s going to play a very active role. He’s going to try to forge bipartisan coalitions. And he won’t shy away from controversy.”

And he continues to march to his own tune. Yesterday, McCain applauded Obama’s executive order to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year, but he said that Obama had failed to address key issues, including the fate of the detainees being held there. He voted this month against releasing $350 billion in additional money to bail out the financial sector, even after Obama trekked to the Capitol to lobby for the aid. McCain had supported the original bailout bill when it came before Congress last fall, during the heat of the presidential campaign.

Just where was this guy during the campaign?

(An aside: Ted Kennedy is just as bipartisan as McCain, maybe even more so.  Kennedy had a huge hand in passing No Child Left Behind, for instance.  Why is it that he’s not called a maverick?  Just asking.)

Joe Lieberman and the Democratic Caucus

I watched the spectacle that Joe Lieberman made of himself supporting John McCain during the presidential campaign.  I was quite irritated with Lieberman during the campaign.  Perhaps I’d feel differently if Obama had lost, but I feel a bit more conciliatory toward Lieberman than I did two weeks ago.

One reason for that is Barack Obama.  He’s called for allowing Lieberman to stay in the caucus.  Obama ran on a platform of inclusion, of post-partisanship.  He won because of his inclusiveness (among many, many other reasons).  I think it sends a message about how Obama intends to govern, if Lieberman stays in the caucus.  It would be magnanimous.  It would say that Democrats are the party that allows some dissent (unlike the Republicans — see Kathleen Parker’s column today in the Washington Post).  Some senior Democratic senators have even joined the campaign to save Lieberman’s hide.

Make no mistake.  Lieberman does not deserve saving.  Caucusing with the Democrats and voting with them about 90 percent of the time doesn’t make one a Democrat.  Lieberman went way over the top with his convention speech at the Republican convention and his campaigning for McCain during the fall.  Lieberman deserves to be booted off his committee, lose his seniority, and be booted from the Democratic caucus.

Even though he deserves it, though, doesn’t mean it should happen.  Lieberman should, however, feel some pain for his actions.  There should be some punishment.  But the Democrats shouldn’t boot him from the caucus, or do something so harsh as to make Lieberman bolt.  Compromise.  Make something happen.

John McCain’s Concession

I have to take a moment and acknowledge John McCain’s speech last night.  He was gracious in defeat.  He pledged to work with the new president.  His speech started the healing, I think.  Good for McCain for saying so.

One question: Why was that McCain absent from the campaign trail?  Instead of the guy a lot of us really liked from 2000, we got the McCain from 2008, complete with Rovian politics.  If we’d seen that old McCain, I still think Obama would have won, but it would have been a lot closer.

Congratulations to John McCain for becoming his party’s nominee and running a tough campaign.  Congratulations to him, also, for the way he handled his loss.  It was classy.

Get Out and Vote!

Today is Election Day.  It’s hard to believe that nearly two years of campaigning finally comes down to today.  But one task remains — voting.  In California, it’s especially critical that people vote, no matter what happens in the presidential election, no matter if the networks call the election early.  We still have to get out and vote.

In California, beyond the obvious presidential choices and the historical nature of those, there are a number of Congressional races, as well as several ballot measures that really need people to vote.

I haven’t mentioned any of the California ballot measures, except Proposition 8; here are my endorsements for these measures (descriptions from the SF Chronicle):

• Proposition 1A — High-speed rail — I vote YES.
• Proposition 2 — Standards for confining farm animals — I vote NO.
• Proposition 3 — Children’s Hospitals Bond — I vote YES.
• Proposition 4 — Parental notification before abortion — I vote NO.
• Proposition 5 — Sentencing for non-violent drug offenses — I vote NO.
• Proposition 6 — Law enforcement funding and criminal penalties — I vote YES.
• Proposition 7 — Renewable energy generation — I vote NO.
• Proposition 8 — Same-sex marriage ban (changes the California constitution) — I vote NO!
• Proposition 9 — Victims’ rights and parole — I vote YES.
• Proposition 10 — Alternative fuel vehicles, renewable energy bonds — I vote NO.
• Proposition 11 — Redistricting changes — I vote YES.
• Proposition 12 — Veterans housing and farm bonds — I vote NO.

I can’t stress enough how important it is that Proposition 8 is voted down.  It’s discriminatory, and simply wrong.

So please.  Get out and vote.  Every vote in every state matters this year.

• If you’re in line when the polls close, you will be allowed to vote.
• Make sure that you go to your designated polling place so that you’re not given a provisional ballot. 
• Be certain your ballot accurately reflects your choices before submitting your vote to be counted.
• If you’re in a state that uses electronic voting machines, don’t vote a straight party line.  There have been reports of votes being changed.  So be certain your vote reflects your choice.
• Don’t get discouraged by long lines.  It’s democracy in action (not to sound trite).  Your vote is crucial.  Please wait and vote!
• If you have a problem while voting, report it.  Call 1-877-874-6226 (1-877-US-4-OBAMA) or via the Obama campaign website.

Catholic Bishop and Voting Against Obama

From Ben Smith’s blog:

The Catholic bishop Kansas City, Robert Finn, urged Catholics not to vote for Barack Obama in a radio interview today — warning they put their souls at risk by supporting Obama’s “fanatical” stance on abortion rights.

“You make yourself a participant in the act of abortion and you mustn”t do it because your eternal salvation is tied up with that important choice,” Bishop Finn said.

This is despicable.  This ought to cost the Catholic church its tax exemption as a non-profit.  I think it’s reprehensible to put something like this to Catholic voters.  I feel it’s tantamount to voter tampering.  It’s a blatant attempt to browbeat Catholic voters into voting for John McCain.  For me, it’s one more reason that reminds me exactly why I left the Catholic church and why I feel the Catholic church is out of touch.

Then again, anyone who would allow someone — anyone — else to dictate their vote deserves what their weak-mindedness brings them.  It’s the rest of us who will suffer as a result.  Unless, of course, we get out and vote tomorrow, and vote Obama into the presidency and Proposition 8 down.

One Day Left

There’s one day left in this campaign.  It’s been going on for almost two years (I, for one, will suffer withdrawal symptoms on Wednesday morning).  Either way, it will be an historic election.  Either we’ll have a woman on a winning ticket for the first time, or an African American president for the first time.  If Obama wins, it says quite a lot about the American dream, that anyone can grow up to be president.

Things look good for Obama, but we still need to get out and vote.  In California, we have to vote Proposition 8 down.  So there is a lot of reasons to get to the polls.  No complacency.  Go vote!

As I said above, things are looking good for Obama.  He has many paths to the presidency.  McCain has very few.  If it’s any indication of how people feel about him, take a look at this piece from Huffington Post:

Something was missing from the first of John McCain’s seven campaign stops today: the crowd.

Kicking off the last day of the election in Tampa, Florida, John McCain was welcomed by a roughly 1,000 voters. Compare that to the 15,000 people that President Bush drew to a rally in Tampa on the eve of the 2004 election. “What’s up with that?” wroteAdam Smith at the St. Petersburg Times.

Even Fox News had a bit of difficulty spinning the whole thing. Carl Cameron, who is following the Senator at every stop on Monday, said the crowd size was likely “a little bit disturbing” for the McCain campaign. He added that organizers had set up the venue predicting ten times the number of attendees.

Pretty poor turnout, for McCain’s last day blitz.

Still, I remain a bit nervous.  I probably will stay nervous, too, until all the results are in and we actually know who our president will be.  One more time: Go vote tomorrow!

McCain’s Robocalls in Arizona

According to Talking Points Memo, John McCain is now running robocalls in his home state of Arizona.  McCain must really be worried about losing his home state if he’s attacking Obama this way now.

The script:

I’m calling for John McCain and the RNC because Barack Obama is so dangerously inexperienced, his running mate Joe Biden just said, he invites a major international crisis that he will be unprepared to handle alone.

If Democrats win full control of government, they will want to give civil rights to terrorists and talk unconditionally to dictators and state sponsors of terror. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the experience and judgment to lead America.

This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee and authorized by McCain-Palin 2008.

As TMP points out (linked above):

A poll last night found Obama within two points of the Arizona Senator. The call means Republicans are sinking resources into a state that obviously should have been a complete lock for McCain, with time fast running out.

Wow.  This is remarkable.  Obama’s strategy of expanding the electoral map has really put McCain on his heels even in states McCain should be expected to easily win.  According to Pollster.com, reliable red states such as Virginia have moved solidly to Obama, and other states like Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida are toss-ups.  Those are all states John McCain should have in his bank.  Now he’s having to to play defense everywhere.  I suppose it’s testament to the lackluster, negative campaign McCain has run along with people learning more about Obama and becoming more comfortable with him.  Either way, it’s simply remarkable that McCain would need to play defense in his home state.

The Republicans’ One-Party Rule Argument

There is, apparently, no end to political hypocrisy.  Both parties are guilty of this.  But I think the Republicans’ one-party rule argument is as craven as it is desperate.

This is what Sarah Palin and John McCain said today:

“When you look over the energy plans of Barack Obama and his allies in Congress, it’s just a long, labored agenda of inaction,” Palin said during a speech on energy. “And it’s the same agenda of inaction we could expect under the one-party rule of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid.”

“They’re always talking about things we can’t do in America, energy we can’t produce, refineries we can’t build, plants we can’t approve, coal we cannot use, technologies we cannot master. As John McCain has observed, for a guy whose slogan is ‘yes, we can,’ Barack Obama’s energy plan sure has a whole lot of ‘no, we can’t.’”

“This election comes down to how you want your hard-earned money spent,” McCain said during a speech in Cleveland. “Do you want to keep it and invest it in your future, or have it taken by the most liberal person to ever run for the presidency and the Democratic leaders who have been running Congress for the past two years — Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid?”

“This is a dangerous threesome. They believe that $1 trillion of rescue financing is not enough and have already proposed another $300 billion spending spree they are calling a stimulus plan. I would rather give the great American middle class additional tax cuts and let you keep that money and invest it in your future.”

The Republicans reigned supreme in Washington from 2000 to 2006, when the Democratic tide began washing some of them away.  During that time, the Republicans — led by President Bush — started two wars that they couldn’t finish.  They provided tax cuts although the nation was at war.  No sacrifices here!  The deficit is at its largest in history despite Bush coming into office with a budget surplus.  There was no — zero — Congressional oversight of the White House.  Whatever Bush wanted, he got from his Republican Congress with no protest.

Nancy Pelosi responded (see link above):

“Elect us, hold us accountable, and make a judgment and then go from there. But I do tell you that if the Democrats win, and have substantial majorities, Congress of the United States will be more bipartisan,” she said.

“It’s interesting to hear Sen. McCain talking about the dangerous Obama, Reid, Pelosi. Dangerous is not really a word that should be a part of a national debate as we go into a presidential race.”

I think that Pelosi’s “dangerous” argument is a bit weak.  But the fact is that the Democrats are asking to be held accountable.  Barack Obama has run his campaign with much of it in the sunshine — allowing people to see behind the curtain.  That’s not to say that the campaign doesn’t keep its share of secrets; of course they do.  But there is not one hint that the Democrats will take their super majority and run amok.  If the super majority — and the White House — fall to Democrats next Tuesday, that will constitute a mandate.  No president has really had a mandate since Reagan in 1980.  There is no indication that the Democrats would abuse that the way the Republicans did (without having a mandate when coming into office) for six years.

Don’t Let Up

There are seven days left until Election Day.  The polls all look good for Obama, but we cannot let up and get complacent.  Now is not the time to get cocky.  The polls aren’t necessarily predictive of the results next Tuesday.  They’re only a snapshot of when they were in the field.

Remember The Tortoise and the Hare?  It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  The hare forgot that, and lost the race.  This race isn’t over and we cannot forget that.  To use one more track and field analogy: we have to run through the tape.  No coasting.

Just to remember what all this is about, watch Obama’s closing argument in Ohio yesterday.  It was a powerful speech.  Here are the last few minutes of it.

Lieberman: McCain Will Live to 85

Lieberman and McCain (Photo: Huffington Post)

I’d like to see Lieberman try to make good on this promise. 

Asked again on Sunday whether Sarah Palin is ready to be president, Sen. Joe Lieberman went one step further than he has in past remarks — virtually pledging to voters that John McCain “will live to 85 at least.”

In an audio clip of the Tampa, Florida, event obtained by the Huffington Post, Lieberman acknowledged that he has spoken “to doctors and insurance actuaries” about McCain’s health, “because I get asked this question so much.”

“People say to me, oh jeez, he’s 72 and he’s got skin cancer,” Lieberman said, adding: “I can tell you he’s been in remission for eight years. Secondly, I talked — because I get asked this question so much — I talked to doctors and insurance actuaries. And they tell me based on McCain’s age, his health, including skin cancer, he’ll live till at least 85. And probably longer.”

Lieberman once again offered a prayer that Palin would not soon have to serve as commander in chief: “I believe that he’ll be able to serve through his first term for which he’s elected, please God.”

There’s only one way to ensure that Sarah Palin does not become president: Vote for Barack Obama.  I’ve said it over and over ad nauseam: Sarah Palin is not ready.  John McCain disqualified himself from the presidency by tapping her.

It remains an open question as to whether McCain’s melanoma really is in remission.  Doctors have asked questions over and over.  There are also questions as to whether McCain has suffering from some cognitive issues.  See my posts on McCain’s health here, here (a doctor commented on this post as well), here, here, and here.

I really bear no ill will toward John McCain (or Sarah Palin).  I simply want what’s best for our country.  That is not John McCain and Sarah Palin.  The risk is simply too great to take the chance — against quite a lot of evidence — that McCain is ok.

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