Here’s columnist Michael Kinsley’s take on why John McCain has been able to win over so many to the left of him politically:
“All successful politicians must have at least some talent for telling lies about what’s in their hearts and convincing people that it is the truth. But Sen. John McCain has a unique genius for telling the truth from his heart and making people believe that he is lying. And these people are his supporters! They admire him as a straight-talking truth-teller, and they forgive him for taking positions on big issues that they find repellent, on the grounds that he doesn’t really mean what he says. . . .
“He says plainly that he is for the war, or against abortion choice, and people hear the opposite. It’s a gift, I guess.”
Meanwhile, students and faculty at the New School commencement this past weekend in New York City had no problem taking McCain at his word — and disagreeing with it. McCain was heckled throughout his address, and student commencement speakers took McCain to task from the podium. Said one of them: "The senator does not reflect the ideals upon which this university was founded."
Posted by Melissa Cooley
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72 Comments
If he hadn’t used the exact same speech he’d just spoken to two other schools commencement they people at New School graduation wouldn’t have had such an easy target to dispute his words.
Straight talking truth teller? I could fill volumes with the lies this guy has been caught red handed at. In fact, his entire life is nothing more than a string of lies, betrayals, fraud, and treason.
Eagle. Seriously. We know you all love McCain down there. Enough with a McCain topic on the blog every other FREAKING day!
BlowJoe,
Oddly, I agree with you. It is not the most comfortable feeling, but CF will just have to get over that.
Has anyone seen the personal attack posted at the Huffington Post by Mark Salter, McCain’s Chief of Staff and the ghostwriter of his books, upon the New School’s commencement speaker? It tells you everything you need to know about why McCain is a duplicitous sleaze.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/05/21/top-mccain-aide-insults-e_n_21405.html
It also tells you have he’s several shades dumber than Karl Rove, because Rove would have been smart enough to keep his fingerprints off it by having the attack carried out by someone several degrees of plausible deniability away from him. Not the way a supposed ‘front runner’ like McCain wants to start the news week, with a close aide political hack bullying a recent graduate of a highly regarded university.
Steve Gilliard also makes some nice points about the New School’s student body, and why Mark Salter is talking talking talking out of his sorry ass.
stevegilliard.blogspot.com
And here is Jean Rohe’s speech, where she tears McCain into small squares and flushes him down the toilet.
**********************************
Here’s my commencement speech:
If all the world were peaceful now and forever more,Peaceful at the surface and peaceful at the core,
All the joy within my heart would be so free to soar,
And we’re living on a living planet, circling a living star.
Don’t know where we’re going but I know we’re going far.
We can change the universe by being who we are,
And we’re living on a living planet, circling a living star.
Welcome everyone on this beautiful afternoon to the commencement ceremony for the New School class of 2006. That was an excerpt of a song I learned as a child called “Living Planet” by Jay Mankita. I chose to begin my address this way because, as always, but especially now, we are living in a time of violence, of war, of injustice. I am thinking of our brothers and sisters in Iraq, in Darfur, in Sri Lanka, in Mogadishu, in Israel/Palestine, right here in the U.S., and many, many other places around the world. And my deepest wish on this day–on all days–is for peace, justice, and true freedom for all people. The song says, “We can change the universe by being who we are,” and I believe that it really is just that simple.
Right now, I’m going to be who I am and digress from my previously prepared remarks. I am disappointed that I have to abandon the things I had wanted to speak about, but I feel that it is absolutely necessary to acknowledge the fact that this ceremony has become something other than the celebratory gathering that it was intended to be due to all the media attention surrounding John Mc Cain’s presence here today, and the student and faculty outrage generated by his invitation to speak here. The senator does not reflect the ideals upon which this university was founded. Not only this, but his invitation was a top-down decision that did not take into account the desires and interests of the student body on an occasion that is supposed to honor us above all, and to commemorate our achievements.
What is interesting and bizarre about this whole situation is that Senator Mc Cain has stated that he will be giving the same speech at all three universities where he has been invited to speak recently, of which ours is the last; those being Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, Columbia University, and finally here at the New School. For this reason I have unusual foresight concerning the themes of his address today. Based on the speech he gave at the other institutions, Senator Mc Cain will tell us today that dissent and disagreement are our “civic and moral obligation” in times of crisis. I consider this a time of crisis and I feel obligated to speak. Senator Mc Cain will also tell us about his cocky self-assuredness in his youth, which prevented him from hearing the ideas of others. In so doing, he will imply that those of us who are young are too naïve to have valid opinions and open ears. I am young, and although I don’t profess to possess the wisdom that time affords us, I do know that preemptive war is dangerous and wrong, that George Bush’s agenda in Iraq is not worth the many lives lost. And I know that despite all the havoc that my country has wrought overseas in my name, Osama bin Laden still has not been found, nor have those weapons of mass destruction.
Finally, Senator Mc Cain will tell us that we, those of us who are Americans, “have nothing to fear from each other.” I agree strongly with this, but I take it one step further. We have nothing to fear from anyone on this living planet. Fear is the greatest impediment to the achievement of peace. We have nothing to fear from people who are different from us, from people who live in other countries, even from the people who run our government–and this we should have learned from our educations here. We can speak truth to power, we can allow our humanity always to come before our nationality, we can refuse to let fear invade our lives and to goad us on to destroy the lives of others. These words I speak do not reflect the arrogance of a young strong-headed woman, but belong to a line of great progressive thought, a history in which the founders of this institution play an important part. I speak today, even through my nervousness, out of a need to honor those voices that came before me, and I hope that we graduates can all strive to do the same.
*********************************
Her full account of the day may be found here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jean-rohe/why-i-spoke-up_b_21358.html
I expect the media will squash the Mark Salter story in order to continue their lovefest with McCain. Anyone who thinks McCain is anything other than a despicable hack ought to mull over this episode very seriously.
Dear CF,
I don’t know how to break this to you….
I fully agree with you about McCain!
Hank
Moral quandry: CF agrees with me. Should I totally reconsider my opinion of McCain?Naw, who the hell cares what CF thinks! :-P
This thread makes me wonder which element of the political community will step up to swift boat McCain? I mean afterall he was a POW – we shouldn’t let that sacrifice go unpunished should we?
Well DD – I have already heard suggestions that it was McCain who initiated the “illegitite child” smear in South Carolina in 2000. Maybe McCain captured himself!
Hank,
Indeed. I know folks way out on the Right detest McCain; they see him as an ideological turncoat, where Lefties like me perceive him simply as a political enemy. I had in mind folks like Damoon and Joe Williams who have expressed admiration for McCain in the past, who, to my mind and perhaps yours as well, aren’t as attunded to his ideological shiftiness.
BlowJoe,
That all sounds awfully, well, codependent, your moral quandry and all.
Ben Huie,
Interesting. Hadn’t heard that. If so, it either means that he’s smarter, in a Karl Rove sort of way, than I gave him credit for. Or, it means he’s dumber, because it didn’t do a thing for his candidacy in South Carolina.
I’m always suspicious of ‘too clever by half’ sorts of explanations, with the possible exception of those involving Karl Rove, which then count as the exceptions proving the rule.
Heheh CF. I especially liked this from Steve about the flap.
“Ok I am officially pissed! You know after Iraq, Tora Bora, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, Katrina, obvious cronyism, tax cuts, being spied on, net neutrality, presidential signing powers, jailing of journalist, outing of a covert CIA agent, raiding the US treasury, and giving money to tax exempt religious institutions, I have finally hit the limit.”
Heheh. What took so long?
Ben – this is my post on the phony headlines thread:
MCCAIN TORTURED HIMSELF IN VIET NAM WHICH ULTIMATELY CAUSED HIS PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER:
New SwiftBoat for Truth ads revealed.
Surely it is not true that he torpedoed himself with the illegimate kid story. Sounds like too convenient “victim blame” to me.
DD, CF – as I recall the story about Mccain being behind the SC campaign came from one of our local Bush supporters right here on this blog.
Ben Huie,
Indeed. But Spin Minions such as we have to get our stuff from somewhere. I wonder where, precisely, this bit oozed up from. Smells a bit Rovian to me, but when you’re a CF hammer, everything on the other side of the fence can look like a Karl Rove nail.
Believing Bushbots is futile, they have been assimilated.
Dear CF,
I’ve never admired McCain. Met him in ‘94, didn’t like him then. My wife won’t let me bad-mouth him too much, his sacrifices and service give him a pass.
However, They don’t qualify him for president.
DD,
It would be a shame if a group of veterans got together and paid for ads telling the truth about McCain! Heaven forbid!
Ben,
There is a lot of evidence that complaining about negative campaigning that really didn’t happen is a plow of the left.
Take our own Kathleen for intance. Most of her campaign was complaining about negative ads by her apponent, however, the only negative campaign ads were hers. Complaining about negative campaign ads!
There is no evidence that anyone associated with the push polls in S.C. had any connection with Bush’s campaign. None. Didn’t stop McCain and the media from blaming Rove every chance they got.
Hank
Cool – now McCain is a leftie!
He’s been a leftie his whole life!
Hank
HAHAHAHAHA! Good joke Hank!
When you’re a centrist, in some people’s view, you appear far left.
Given the ego maniac that McCain is, I’d LOVE to see video of him while that young student was speaking!
McCain is all YOURS righties and you are welcome to him. Democrats and Americans at large are not in the mood for anymore compromise off center right.There will be no more Republicans lite or otherwise to be embraced. Our last olive branch was Kerry offering McCain the VP. America is through with the right.
My own hope is that McCain will get fed up with the party he so loves to get beat up by,exercise his considerable ego, run independently, and split the GOP ala Ross Perot.
Dear JR,
McCain, darling of the left. Do you actually think he would hurt the republicans more than the democrats running as an independent? I think not.
He has little chance of getting the republican nomination, the media is already starting to turn on him. But he is way too smart to run as an independent.
Hank
McCain, Lieberman, Frist, Brownback, Romney, etc.
Once wingnut is the same as another. What difference does it make WHICH republican wins the nomination?
Cut taxes for the wealthiest, invest heavily in a failed iraq, cut all welfare but corporate welfare, put diebold in charge of elections, nuke the next country that doesnt kiss our ass, screw education, bloat the profits of the oil industry, give haliburton all the money, kill all the gays, and call illegal immigrants guest workers.
Does it really matter WHICH wingnut we elect?
CF, I saw the video the day it happened. (Isn’t the ‘net wonderful?) But special thanks for the Huff Post link. I used to check it daily, but haven’t for a while. Time to go back to some bad habits. ;)
DD – even if you are a right-winger but not a total far-right wingnut they will call you a “darling of the left”
Ben Huie,
Absolutely. It substitutes for thinking.
“National Review Editor Rich Lowry can’t believe that John McCain, whom Lowry notes is a “war hero,” was treated so disrespectfully when he spoke last night at the New School in Manhattan.
Lowry finds it “incredible” and “amazing” that a war hero would be subjected to heckling when giving a highly controversial speech praising a highly unpopular war.
Apparently, heckling a war hero during a speech is a despicable act. But it’s perfectly OK to waive purple band-aids at decorated, wounded war veterans; and it’s fine to accuse them of being soft on Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein even after they voted for the Iraq invasion and co-sponsored creation of the Homeland Security Department; and there is nothing wrong with going to the floor of the House and labeling a war hero a “coward” and then following it up with a year’s worth of accusations that they are also a traitor.
Calling into question a war hero’s patriotism, their courage, the seriousness of their war wounds, and their allegiance to the United States is all perfectly fine. Just don’t boo them at a speech”
Heheh. From Glenn Greenwald
RD,
Dang–there’s a video? Haven’t seen it.
To me, what really ices the cake is the predictable second-party Elephascist smear against Jean Rohe. These folks need to learn a new trick, since the whole smearing of women thing hasn’t really gone so well for them (think Cindy Sheehan).
John McCain suffered horrors that most of us cannot conceive. He entered the military, and experienced the devastation of being a loser in a America’s first war loss. Maybe, if he were a better pilot, he would not have gotten shot down. His experience is worth something to America. Does this qualify him to be President of America? I don’t think so. But I think he should have strong voice. He should tell the Bush administration to “f— off.”
The Constitution is a muddled document, but a careful reading tells us that the two houses of our Congress are supposed to exercise primary leadership in guiding our nation.
Our current president is not a leader. He’s a weak straw man put into power by unseen parties. People who work in the shadows. People who persuaded most of the Baby Bells to turn over phone records, and when one of the BB’s said, “Give us a court order, and we’ll comply,” was told by the NSA, in SNL Gilda Radner “Roseanne Rosanna-Dana’s,” famous words, “Never Mind.”
The NSA’s lawyers concluded that the NSA HAD NO LEGAL AUTHORITY TO COMPEL PHONE RECORDS PRODUCTION. QWEST, the non-cooperator, was created by ex-Wichitan Phiilip Anschutz. We live in interesting times.
McCain would be very tough on Iran, perhaps even more so than President Bush. As such, he would be very good for Israel and he would get my vote.
He is also very progressive on immgration and would grant amnesty to the undocumented and their families so they could become citizens. McCain would stand up to the white, goyim racists and xenophobes!
shalom.
Marvin, you’ve obviously never had to deal with McCain on legislation.The guy is two-faced…on a GOOD day.He talks out of more sides of his mouth than there are sides.And when the rubber meets the road, he’s just like any other Washington politician–which way is the money blowing?At least Bush believes what he’s saying…even if none of the rest of us do.
Dear Marv,
If McCain ever got elected to the presidency he would do everything in his power the first four years to get elected for another four years.
Period.
shaboom
Hank Price,
Up to and including starting a pre-emptive war under false pretenses?
Of course CF – after all he IS a Republican!
Dear CF,
My goodness, whatever are you trying to imply?
The war started when the Sadman invaded Kuwait.
Hank
I can’t believe you’re so down on a fellow vetern, Hank. He was a POW who refused to be released even when he had the opportunity to go home. That speaks something of his values. I suppose in your informed opinion, Bush is a war hero.
Hank, Saddam retreated from Kuwait when we forced the issue, or did you forget?
Which I am sure you were in full support of right Damoon?
Dear Damoon,
Being a POW does not qualify you for presidency. I’m not bad-mouthing his record as a veteran, I’m disgusted with his self-serving political career.
Hank
Dear Damoon,
We forced him out of Kuwait and instead of going to Bagdad we allowed him to sign a truce. He then violated the conditions of that truce. He also ignored 17 UN resolutions.
GW didn’t start a war with the Sadman, he finished one.
Hank
PS Welcome home, we missed you!
Call me on my cell boy.
Pa
He also, by his own admission, collaborated with the enemy by invoking his fathers position in exchange for favorable treatment Damoon. He was offered release because of the fact that he used name and position, and knew had he accepted he would be found out for what he was. In short, he couldn’t accept it.He also offered military information in exchange for being relocated to an NVA hospital instead of the prison camp he was in. Also, by his own statements, he had not even been questioned, let alone tortured when he did this.His claims of torture were disputed by his own senior POW’s because he stated that he was tortured at a facility that was a release center.This tells me more than I need to know about this man’s values. He has none.
Poor Mc Cain man without a party cause to the party he is not asshole enough, and to everyone else too much an asshole.
POOR rightwing nuts. McCain or Guliani is gonna be their nominee.
And the right wing gets to crawl back under its little rock for the next 20 years.
Almost makes feel sorry for them. Almost, but not quite.
Bush will be the nominee and eventual winner of the election in 2008; Jeb Bush!
John Titor
YBS – Swiftboat time!
So corrrect Ben. I thought the same when I read that post.
But this?
“invoking his fathers position in exchange for favorable treatment”
YBS must have picked up the bush family playbook by mistake. That is a BUSH tactic.
Ya gotta love it!
The fundie wingnuts got nobody! (Well they got Brownbackward…..that’s LESS than nobody!) You can SEE their frustration!McCain or Guliani wingnuts?
Newt is running! Run for the hills lefties!
Hank
Newt would be an interesting candidate. He has raised some important issues over the years.
I agree. Met him in ‘94 during Tiahrt’s campaign. He draws a lot of fire, but he knows how to win.
He’s very intelligent and a very good debater. He can energize the base and bring in the Reagan democrats.
Hank
If Newt could talk Condi into running as his VP, the lefties would be out for at least 16 years!
Hank
I don’t think so Hank. Condi will wear the Iraq albatross around her neck.
That’ the problem for the wingnuts. They got nobody that doesn’t carry the stench of bush failure and shame.Hey but if they are gonna tank why not do it in style?
Trot Falwell of Robertson out!
Dear Jr,
That stench might be you. Newt doesn’t have any, he’s been gone from office long enough that he is clean again!
And if you think Condi wouldn’t increase our percentage from the black voters you’re nuts. If the democrats can’t get 90% of the black vote they can’t win the presidency. If they can’t get at least 55% of whe women voters they can’t win.
Newt will get the base, Condi would get everyone else!
Hank
Hank- I agree regarding Newt. I may not agree with everything he says, but I surely will listen. He seems to be one of the smartest, shrewdest politicos around; he seems to be both practical and imaginative.If he was in the White House, do you think we would be in the mess we have now?
When the republicans have their presidential debates there will be two or three adults on stage.
The democrats will parade out the band of losers again and it will be more like a freak show than a debate!
No, JR, don’t worry about us wingnuts! Who do you have? Algore? Lurch? The Hildebeast? Give me a break!
I really do love you! You make me look good!
Hank
JR,
Who exactly was it that the Democrats had to run?
Dear gster,
No.
Hank
No Ben,It’s not Swiftboat time. Read the man’s statements he made after coming home. Read his own book and his own words. Read the Soviet News articles, especially the one that has the headline: American Songbird is Admiral’s Son.McCain’s whole story is nothing but a bunch of contradictions, lies and carefully engineered PR reconstruction, but there is more than enough documentation out there to prove beyond any doubt this guy is not someone you would want to run this country.
That’s the problem with being the party in sole power; you get lots of poopie on you that’s difficult to wipe off.
When the Republicans have their Presidential debate, it will be populated by:
-A philanderer who dumped a wife sick with cancer to marry a secretary (Gingrich);
-A philanderer who openly carried out an extramarital affair (Giuliani);
-A woman who lied about the presence of WMD in Iraq, and who consistency failed to recognize the real threats to American security; oh, and a woman who the majority of black voters detest (Rice);
-A man who spent 8 years sucking up to the politicos who trashed his reputation and impugned the honor of his wife and child (McCain);
-An open bigot (Allen);
-The younger brother of the guy who got America into an unwinnable war and allowed a major American city to be destroyed (Bush).
When I look at that field, they all look like a bunch of suck-ups, bomb-throwers, racists, opportunists, and apologists for privilege.
Given the trashing that Bushco and the GOP have given the country, I’m thinking America will be ready for a real adult who knows how to solve problems:
Al Gore.
CF – you can’t say Condi ‘lied’ about WMDs; you have to say she was (and is) clueless. That is the Ken Lay/George Bush defense. “I know nothing!”
Rice is an affirmative action prostitute for the zionists and their NWO.
CT
Wow CF!
When you describe them that way, it sounds like they have all of the qualifications required for a democrat’s resume. Looks like we hav a real chance in 08!
Hank
CF
You forgot the unelectable Senator from Kansas who made sure of it by pissing off his own base Sam Brownback.
Gore is the only candidate for President that I ever truly liked. But does he still want the job?
CF,
What part of wichita do you live in?
I mean seriously. I have lived here since Clinton was president.
I still see people driving to and from work, business still going, the city still functioning… life is going on.
I have 3 starbucks to choose from on Rock Road, I have a roof over my head, the Lord has given me many blessings!
What “thrashing” of the country are you talking about?
Nathan,
This one:
http://www.mcadcafe.com/images/commentary/us_federal_budget_deficit_by_year.jpg
This one:
http://taospage.com/post/katrina_dead-01.jpg
And this one, which I find particularly traumatic:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/05/middle_east_shooting_in_tal_afar/img/3.jpg
We’re lucky here. Damn right we are. But it’s pretty clear that the systems which make possible orderly civil society are in a state of neglect under this Administration. FEMA is the canary in the coal mine, but across the board the last six years have seen a mostly unimpeded effort by the GOP to dismantle much of the infrastructure that previous generations have bequeathed us. The first graphic and the second picture speak to our domestic situation.
The third picture is our tax dollars at work in Iraq. I know you are assigned to go there, and I know you aren’t going to like my saying this. But U.S. Marines killed this little girl’s mother and father in Tal Afar on January 19, 2005. Why are there U.S. Marines in Iraq? Who knows. The President has not been square with the American people. The fact that he has not, and the fact that Marines sent in to do one job (fighting) are being made to do another for which they are not prepared (policing) means that incidents like the one in Tal Afar will go on happening. And whenever they do, it trashes our reputation and standing as Americans.
To the extent that none of this needed to happen, I blame George Bush for trashing this country, domestically and internationally.
Good first link CF. Remember Reagan campaigning about how bad Carter’s deficits were? (Never mind that they were less than Nixon/Fords). Then look at Reagan and the Bushes!
Ben Huie,
Yeah, it wasn’t easy to track down a deficit graphic that was current.
As for the deficits, there’s that famous quote from Ron Susskind where Cheney says, to Paul O’Neill, “You know, Paul, Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter. We won the mid-term elections, this is our due.’”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592330.shtml
To be frank, when these bastards leave or are driven from office, I’ll be grateful if we still HAVE a country.
Yulbesorry, I don’t believe your rant about McCain’s actions while he was a POW. Where did you get your info, from Rush or some rightwing web site? Better check your sources.
Come on Damoon,
Do a GOOGLE search. If you love poor ol’ McCain so much. I suggest ‘McCain songbird’ and ‘McCain Keating Five’.
You should come up with plenty of reputable sources that show what an incredible pantload McCain is.
Hank
Sorry, Hank I’ve seen the web sites, can you say “swiftboat”? I prefer more reliable sources for my info.
PS McCain was never held accountable or responsible for the Keating 5 Scandal. It was all contrived by the democrats who wanted to bring a republican into the fray so the public wouldn’t think the scandal was exclusive to the democrats. The grand jury never charged him with anything after determining he had nothing to do with it.