More wheels coming off McCain Straight Talk Express

In 2004, it seemed like nearly every Republican and Democratic politician — President Bush included — wanted to share Sen. John McCain’s limelight. And going into the long run-up to the 2008 election, the Arizona Republican was a clear front-runner. How dramatic then that his campaign is now struggling badly. Fundraising results have been poor, and his top aides jumped from the Straight Talk Express bus this week. Is most of the decline because of McCain’s support of the war in Iraq and comprehensive immigration reform? Or has the public just tired of him?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

17 Comments

  1. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 8:51 am | Permalink

    I love the sound of chickens coming home to roost.

    “About 3 p.m. Tuesday, Senator John McCain ducked off the Senate floor, entered the Republican cloakroom and took out his mobile phone. Just hours after accepting the resignation of his two top campaign aides, he was making a conference call to his top fund-raisers to urge them to keep up the fight.

    The call, however, may only have exacerbated an already tough week for Mr. McCain. Senate ethics rules expressly forbid lawmakers to engage in campaign activities inside Senate facilities. If Mr. McCain solicited campaign contributions on a call from government property, that would be a violation of federal criminal law as well.

    Mr. McCain was well aware of the rules. Ten years ago he led Republican calls for an independent prosecutor to investigate accusations of violations of the same rules by Vice President Al Gore. Mr. McCain went on to make the episode a cornerstone of both his 2000 Republican primary campaign and his argument for the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.”

    Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/us/politics/12mccain….

  2. Ben
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 8:54 am | Permalink

    Put a fork in him, he’s done.

    McCain tried to pander the the far right; he failed to get them and he lost his old base. Too bad!

    Colin Powell is another one who ended his political chances by sucking up to the BushBots.

  3. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 8:56 am | Permalink

    You are right Ben. All those who whole heartedly embraced bush and the religious reich will now have to carry that stink with them.

    Mac wont be the only one paying THAT price.

  4. fleettwood
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 8:59 am | Permalink

    The real right thinkers never did buy into the McCain deal. Give me the fork, I’ll be glad to stick it in him. McCain-Feingold?Humbug!

  5. Ben
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 9:02 am | Permalink

    fleettwood perfectly expresses McCain’s problem. McCain failed to attract the far right (like fleettwood) and simultaneously alienated others of us.

    It would be like if Lieberman attempted to appeal to those of us against Bush’s Iraq occupation. We would never believe him nor accept him. However, he could then lose his base on the pro-occupation side.

  6. Posted July 12, 2007 at 9:02 am | Permalink

    Colin Powell makes me sad.

  7. Posted July 12, 2007 at 9:05 am | Permalink

    Poor McCain, tried to be bush/cheney-like, and he is. Hate it when things happen that way. Right?

  8. Posted July 12, 2007 at 10:47 am | Permalink

    McCain is a lemon, squeezed out and left to wither. He’s history - no more story here.

  9. mrcontroversy
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 11:28 am | Permalink

    The American people–hell, even Republicans–have finally figured out the truth about McCain…just another two faced politician.See, I told you so.

  10. Posted July 12, 2007 at 3:43 pm | Permalink

    So, Florida Rep. Bob Allen, McCain’s Campaign Co-Chair in Florida, was arrested for soliciting sex in a men’s restroom. That is, he offered to perform oral sex on an undercover plainclothes policeman in exchange for $20.

    http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-bk-boballen071107,0,7769658.story

    McCain has now entered Giuliani territory when it comes to those he includes in his immediate circle. Nice.

    Oh, and is anyone surprised that Representative Allen was a rabidly anti-gay, family values Republican?

    “Family Values” = “Closeted Anonymous Homosexual Encounters in Public Restrooms”

  11. Ben
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 4:50 pm | Permalink

    “donated time to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida.”

    I wonder what he was after there?

  12. Steven Davis
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 4:51 pm | Permalink

    “Family Values” = “Closeted Anonymous Homosexual Encounters in Public Restrooms”

    CF,

    You’re not opposed to expressions of “true love”, are you? This is merely the Republican way of communicating deep affection.

  13. Steven Davis
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 4:52 pm | Permalink

    “donated … to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida.”

    I am afraid to ask what he donated in those boys’ locker rooms.

  14. fleettwood
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 4:58 pm | Permalink

    “of communicating deep affection.”

    He probably brags to his buddies that it’s deep, but probably not so much.

  15. Jonas Outram
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    It was McCain moving to the Ted Kennedy left on the shamnesty nonsense that derailed his campaign.

  16. Posted July 12, 2007 at 7:35 pm | Permalink

    fleetwood,

    So how much did you pay Representative Allen for his services?

  17. KCDan
    Posted July 12, 2007 at 9:58 pm | Permalink

    McCain only deviated from the far right of the Republican party for crass electoral purposes. However, at heart, he he has always been there.

    Now, the entire political spectrum finally seems to recognize McCain for what he is - a shallow and cynical, know-nothing, dime-a-dozen political opportunist.

    When will the liberal political establishment realize the same thing about Hillary Clinton?