Flipflop Express - This time on torture

Source: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/31/mccain-torture-waterboarding/

Will somebody please print a quick reference card on his voting record and give to Mr.McCain so that he can put in his wallet? He seems to get it wrong so many times.

Watch this first


ThinkProgress.org goes on to point out that "...McCain seems to forget that he voted against a bill that would have banned the CIA from using waterboarding. In fact, when the bill passed, McCain urged Bush to veto it, which he did. Thus, McCain’s claim that he “obviously doesn’t want to torture prisoners” rings hollow."

Palin a hypocrite too!

Source: http://www.lefthudson.com/2008/08/christian-right-throws-palin-under.html

I can't recall a time when I agreed with Christian Right on something. Boy, but on the issue of Family Values and Palin, they are right on and I agree. Republicans can't pick and choose what they want from "Family Values". It is all or nothing deal if you want to be called conservative/republican.

Good luck to Palin on convincing folks that putting career before an infant with special needs adheres to "Family Values" that conservatives talk about.

Karl Rove on Palin

"With all due respect again to Governor Palin, she’s been a governor for less than 2 years, she’s been able but undistinguished. I don’t think people could really name a big, important thing that he’s done. She was mayor of the 105th largest city in America. And again, with all due respect to Wasilla, Alaska, it’s smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona; north Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada. It’s not a big town. So if McCain were to pick Governor Palin, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I’m really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States?Rove argues that Palin’s mayorship of Wasilla (pop. 8000+) is insignificant and that his 2 years as Governor of Alaska (pop. 683,478, GDP $44.5 million) has been “indistinguishable.”

Except, replace Palin with Tim Kaine of Governer of Virginia and the rest is still true. Thanks to Rove for confirming my views on Palin which I blogged earlier.

UPDATE: My favorite Jon Stewart did a segment with Video. Enjoy!

McCain contradicts himself

McCain has been saying Obama lacks foreign policy experience to be a President. What did McCain do? He picks a VP candidate who is a hockey mom with one and half years experience as Governer of one of the least populated states. What an irony?

McCain probably does not have a clue to the fact that (Source: Wikipedia.org)
"The Vice President of the United States[1] is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president, serving out the balance of that presidential term no matter how much or little time remains in it."

He mocks the opponent for the exact same thing he failed to consider. If I were McCain who turned 72 years today, that would have been a very important consideration given that he would be the oldest president if elected and not in best of his health with so many cancerous cells removed.
It is also noteworthy to add that McCain spoke to her only once before selecting her as the VP. This says a lot about him.

Good luck America! And I am going to pray for America.

Prickly Talk Express

Source: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1836909,00.html

I cannot fathom a presidential candidate answering the way he did in the first half of the interview. Sometimes he is silent and does not even give an answer. Well if he is tired, unlike a child he should have gotten up and told the gentlemen that he is tired and should have asked for re-scheduling it to some other time. The second half was better but still pre-canned answers. You are a "Presidential Fit" Mr.McCain. i.e. As fit as Mr.George was/is.

Excerpts from the interview:
What do you want voters to know coming out of the Republican Convention — about you, about your candidacy?
I'm prepared to be President of the United States, and I'll put my country first.

There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us?
Read it in my books.

I've read your books.
No, I'm not going to define it.

But honor in politics?
I defined it in five books. Read my books.

[Your] campaign today is more disciplined, more traditional, more aggressive. From your point of view, why the change?
I will do as much as we possibly can do to provide as much access to the press as possible.

But beyond the press, sir, just in terms of ...I think we're running a fine campaign, and this is where we are. Do you miss the old way of doing it?
I don't know what you're talking about.

Really? Come on, Senator.
I'll provide as much access as possible ...

In 2000, after the primaries, you went back to South Carolina to talk about what you felt was a mistake you had made on the Confederate flag. Is there anything so far about this campaign that you wish you could take back or you might revisit when it's over?
[Does not answer.]

Do I know you? [Says with a laugh.]
[Long pause.] I'm very happy with the way our campaign has been conducted, and I am very pleased and humbled to have the nomination of the Republican Party.

You do acknowledge there was a change in the campaign, in the way you had run the campaign?
[Shakes his head.]

You don't acknowledge that? O.K., when your aides came to you and you decided, having been attacked by Barack Obama, to run some of those ads, was there a debate?
The campaign responded as planned.

Jukebox John keeps changing his tune

Not my words. I wanted to bring to attention a piece that reflects and re-inforces my belief that McCain is a flip-flopper.

For your reading pleasure at http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/flipflops. It meticulously reports on his flip-flops which Mr.McCain reports it as "growing wiser". Funny thing is that Obama is not allowed to "grow wiser" as he does.

The list from the article:

National Security Policy

1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.

2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite.

3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”

4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.

6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion.

Foreign Policy

7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. Now, he’s for it again.

8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.

9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.

10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.

11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.

12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.

13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.

Military Policy

14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”

15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.

16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he was for it.

17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”

18. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.

19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.

20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”

Domestic Policy

21. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)

22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase in the payroll tax, McCain said there’s “nothing that’s off the table.”

23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.

24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.

25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.

26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.

27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.

28. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.

29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.

30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.

31. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.

32. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.

34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he’d rather let orphans go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after, McCain reversed back.

35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women, and endorsed the Supreme Court’s Ledbetter decision. In July, however, McCain said, “I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That … is my record and you can count on it.”

36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before he was for it.

37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.

Economic Policy

38. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.

39. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics.

40. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.

41. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.

42. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.

43. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”

44. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.

45. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.

Energy Policy

46. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it.

47. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.

48. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.

49. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.

50. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.

51. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was against them.

Immigration Policy

52. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. In 2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched back.

53. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.

54. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”

Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law

55. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.

56. McCain’s position was that the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.

57. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.

58 In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and thought Obama’s reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.

59. In June, McCain described the Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush was “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” In August, he reversed course.

Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform

60. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.

61. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.

62. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.

63. In May 2008, McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his campaign. In July 2008, his campaign reversed course and said lobbyists could work for his campaign.

Politics and Associations

64. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)

65. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.

66. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.

67. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.

68. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.

69. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

70. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

71. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

72. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.

73. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign countries before he was against it.

74. McCain has been both for and against considering a pro-choice running mate for the Republican presidential ticket.

McCain is Bush. Bush is McMcCain

McCain says he is going to change Washington and he is for change. That does not make sense at all to me. If he agrees that the last 8 years of Mr. Bush's presidency is great, why would he want change? If he thinks that the last 8 years were a disaster, why did he vote/align with our current President on most of the issues?


Perhaps the work of the freelancer could convince you. Please take time to watch it

Don't see no swift boating of Mr.McCain yet!

The full article for your reading pleasure: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html?p=1

What really upsets me is that Mr.McCain drums up his POW credentials so much to make me sick. My favorite from the article are:

3) John was offered, and refused, "early release." Many of us were given this offer. It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to "admit" that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was "lenient and humane." So I, like numerous others, refused the offer. This was obviously something none of us could accept. Besides, we were bound by our service regulations, Geneva Conventions and loyalties to refuse early release until all the POW's were released, with the sick and wounded going first.

4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 600 military POW's in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled to the following: Medals of Honor - 8, Service Crosses - 42, Silver Stars - 590, Bronze Stars - 958 and Purple Hearts - 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe.

Mr.Phillip is not the only one who echos the fact that being a POW does not qualify one to be a president. General Wesley Clark who was a 4 star general opined similarly.

What is more interesing is the new angle by Andrew Sullivan that according to Mr.Bush's definition, what Mr.John McCain had gone through is not considered torture.

So what makes him a Hero? If his Vietnam credentials make him a hero, he is one among thousands and thousands of heros which make him not so special right?

Its time for McCain to come clean on his marriage

This one certainly fits the "180" story as he claims one in his book and the facts seems to contradict . But I am yet to see the MSMs pickup this story and question Mr.McCain on this issue.

Looks like LATimes takes the honor of first reporting on this story titled "McCain's broken marriage and fractured Reagan friendship"

It was picked up by a few blogs and online news media. See
http://www.drudge.com/news/109915/mccain-got-marriage-license-before-divorce

http://www.jedreport.com/2008/08/john-mccains-ch.html

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/07/la_times_questions_mccains_div.html

Er! Huh! What did you say!

This is not exactly a 180. But I can't help but notice his detoriating health condition. In this case, it would be his ability to focus or be attentive. Someone asked whether this is a sign of Alzheimer.

See for yourself


If the youtube link happens to disappear, see at
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/08/what-happened.html

Torture, torture, torture

I would have been so proud of him if he stood ground on the issue of torture. I watched him being the single candidate who opposed torture during the debate. But now, he is the republican nominee and that means "can't have morals or principles" position.

Then:




Now:


If you are the reading kind, following gives more context:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-giraldi/john-mccain-and-torture_b_87163.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/john-mccain-sells-his-sou_b_86700.html
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/13/mccain-waterboarding-fail/

OCS Drilling - Yay or Nay?

I am not so sure. He has been supporting the moratoriam on offshore drilling for quite a long time. His 180 on this issue is unexplainable. On top of that, even a school kid with average grades can do the math and tell that it is drop in the bucket to make any difference.

The following links outlines his stance over the years:
http://ncdp.org/content/john-mccain-cheerleading-off-shore-drilling
http://www.democrats.org/a/2008/06/mccain_myth_bus_86.php


If a video would help prove the point, youtube to the rescue:


Enjoy!

Is McCain for Privatization of Social security?

The answer depends on where you heard him and when you heard it. For example, if it was 2004 election, he was for it as President Bush did. But times have changed.

Watch his most recent stance on this issue:


His earlier stance was pretty strong and saw no other way out.


For your viewing pleasure, this query will show lot more of him.

What is quite upsetting to me is that his current claim that he never have been for privatization is ridiculous.