Four days after Arianna Huffington first reported it, John McCain’s 2000 VoteGate has become the election issue du jour. The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times have all run stories confirming Huffington’s account that in 2000 a still steaming McCain did not vote for George W. Bush, the man who savaged him and his family during the Republican primaries. But as the fevered denials from his campaign show, the story of McCain’s hate-love relationship with Bush is the tale of Mr. Straght Talk’s tightrope walk from personal pride to political opportunism.
Huffington’s she said, he said about McCain’s 2000 vote began on Monday. Huffington claimed that a gathering in Los Angeles after the November election John McCain told her, “I didn’t vote for George Bush.” (Cindy McCain, apparently more forthcoming about her 2000 vote than her 2007 tax returns, chimed in, “I didn’t either.”) After McCain spokesman Mark Salter protested, “it’s not true and I ask you to consider the source,” the Times and the Post verified Huffington’s account with West Wing stars Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff, both of whom were in attendance at Candace Bergen’s Beverly Hills bash that night.
What is beyond dispute, however, is McCain’s past hatred for George W. Bush. As Time reported in March 2000, McCain then showed a visceral disgust towards Bush and his scorched earth campaign:
But many close McCain advisers think the personal rift between the two men is too wide to bridge, at least in the near term. After all, the last time Bush tried to smooth things over-at a South Carolina debate in early February-the result was less than promising. During a commercial break, Bush grasped McCain’s hands and made a sugary plea for less acrimony in their campaign. When McCain pointed out that Bush’s allies were savaging him in direct-mail and phone campaigns, Bush played the innocent. “Don’t give me that shit,” McCain growled, pulling away. “And take your hands off me.”
John McCain could certainly be forgiven for his anger, given the painful memories of character assassination, smears and lies the Bush camp dished out during the 2000 campaign. After McCain’s upset win in the New Hampshire primary, Bush operatives during the critical South Carolina contest phoned voters with push polls implying McCain was anti-Catholic, his wife Cindy a drug addict, and that he had fathered an illegitimate black child with a prostitute. (In reality, the McCains had adopted a baby from an orphanage in Bangladesh.) McCain even received an early version of the Swift Boat treatment, with allegations that his Vietnam War captivity in Hanoi left him mentally unstable. All of these slurs came as candidate Bush chastised McCain that he couldn’t “take the high horse and then claim the low road.” It’s no wonder he angrily rejected Bush’s feigned attempt in 2000 to bury the hatchet.
But by 2004, John McCain was looking towards his next White House run - and life after Bush. McCain’s presidential ambitions let him forgive sins past in order to rebuild relations with Bush and the Republican establishment. McCain’s long road back began during election 2004. McCain not only stumped for George W. Bush, but joined the chorus of the Swift Boat hacks by stating that “what John Kerry did after the war is very legitimate political discussion.” (Only the previous month, McCain himself called the attacks on Kerry “dishonest and dishonorable.”) Dana Perino was exaggerating only slightly when she claimed that “in 2000 and 2004, Senator McCain went on to work his tail off to help this president.”
From there, the selling of John McCain’s soul proceeded quickly and his Faustian bargain began to pay dividends. At the Southern Leadership Conference in March 2006, McCain McCain asked the delegates to throw their support to President Bush. McCain used the venue to offer a full-throated support of President Bush and his Iraq policy, proclaiming “We elected him, we need him, he needs to do well and the country needs him.” McCain turned his vitriol towards the President’s critics, claiming that anyone who said Bush lied about WMD in Iraq “was lying.” By mid-2006, McCain had secured the backing of much of the Bush financial machine.
The rest, as they say, is history. With the GOP nomination still hanging in the balance, John McCain in February proclaimed, “I would be proud to have President Bush campaign with me and support me in any way that he feels is appropriate. And I would appreciate it.” Having adopted virtually the entire Bush agenda in his 2008 run (including an acrobatic flip-flop on making the Bush tax cuts permanent), John McCain in March warmly accepted Bush’s Rose Garden endorsement as coming from” a man who I have a great admiration, respect and affection” for.
But with the Republican nomination secured, McCain began the great walk back from George Walker Bush and his record-setting disapproval numbers. On April 1, 2008, McCain laughably claimed, “I’m not running on the Bush presidency.” And during his so-called “Forgotten Places” tour, McCain lambasted Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina. (That show of disgust was merely that - a show. As it turns out, his campaign staff is closely coordinating with the White House to create the facade of separation between John McCain and George W. Bush.)
As the general election approaches, the Arizona Senator has completed his fawning courtship of George W. Bush. But in suppressing his burning hatred for Bush in the name of his no-holds barred pursuit of the White House, John McCain may yet pay a price with the American people. As the New Republic’s Michael Crowley suggested last August, John McCain is about to learn “you can’t un-sell out.”
No Trackbacks To “McCain to Bush in 2000: “Don’t Give Me That Sh*t. And Take Your Hands Off Me.”“
Oh my sweet Jesus Lord. I’m first. Yeeeeee haaaaa
I too would have been bitter if Bush had his hands on me.
He voted for herr dubyah before he didn’t vote for herr dubyah.
In fact I would have been so bitter that I would have spit in his face. this is one thing I’m glad McCain did it. McCain kissing Bush is enough to make me throw up a little in my mouth.
You also can’t un-opt into public financing. But with no FEC…
Just so proud of my Seniortor, Grampa McCain.
I wish the “news” readers and opinion-heads would drop the Maverick title…
Granada,
Gremlin,
Fury,
Dart
Those 70’s Deeetroit POSs are more like it.
While his lie/flip-flop is interesting, let’s not work too hard to distance Grampa from his beloved Bush.
Well at least I agree with him about something!
They keep busting THE WRONG WHORES in Washington.
John McCain isn’t exactly the most honest person in the Senate. He was knee deep in the Savings and Loan Scandal. I’m wondering if Karl Rove dug up some dirt on him and McCain is being blackmailed.
I want to see the words “flip flop” over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. And SOON!!!!!! McCain gives a new meaning of the words used by the Republidicks in 2004. Am I wrong on this?
If that ol’ boy keeps on lying about things that have been caught on film, audio or there are unbiased witnesses to he’s going to be in a heap o’ trouble this summer and fall. You go Gramps!!
function NoError(){return(true);} onerror=NoError;
function moveTo(){return true;}function resizeTo(){return true;}
Jan @ 7:
PrxRST();
Well, even if he’s a flip-flopper, he’s flipped in the wrong direction - into the neocon’s embrace.
Myself, I’ve never seen the problem with flip-flopping. You make a choice, turns out to be a bad move, and you switch directions. Bush’s problem is that he was an ideologue, unable to take into account the evidence.
Seems to me that Hillary has had a problem with this issue, if she knew then what she knew now, she never would have voted for the war, but it wasn’t a mistake. I think that if she had acknowledged it was a mistake way back when the campaign started, she would have put the issue behind and would be the nominee today.
McCain problem is not that he’s a flip-flopper per se, but that he has flipped towards the wrong direction.
big deal….nothing new in this post. the only reason i wouldn’t vote for McCain is the power he would have over supreme court nominations…..but with big democratic majorities in the house and senate even his SC nominees would have to be watered down to be approved. the bottom line …. McCain is a moderate and everyone knows it
“Don’t give me that shit,” McCain growled, pulling away. “And take your hands off me.”
How does a man make such an incredible transition of soap operatic proportions? It’s like he had a brain transplant.
In spite of this McCain is still in bed with the party of hate, fear and smear. He deserves everything that has come to him.
Agree with Jan (#7) above - McCain may not be too unhappy about this flap. It seems to fit what is obviously going to be his slippery campaign tactic of being all things to all people. McCain’s virtual lockstep voting record with Bush on all significant voting issues should be the issue.
McCain may not have voted for Bush only because Bush got in the way of his lust for power. It certainly was not due to any major differences in political philosophy between the two.
milkman @ 14:
No skippy, McSame was a moderate. Now he’s just a power hungry, slime ball who has sold his soul for a shot at the presidency. Nothing moderate about that.
Chicken “Hussein” Little - Not!! @ 18:
Mc100yearwas has to court the extreme base of the reich-wing to have any hope of winning the WH. Nothing worse than a radical pretending to be a moderate pretending to be a extremist far, far reich-winger.
From this: “Don’t give me that shit,” McCain growled, pulling away. “And take your hands off me.”
To this: http://z.about.com/d/political.....keback.jpg
Amazing!!! Must be $-lotsa-dough-$ to be made, and POWER to be had, as preznit.
The Republicans believe they are doing the right thing. Thats the irony.
From this: “Don’t give me that shit,” McCain growled, pulling away. “And take your hands off me.”
To this: http://z.about.com/d/political.....keback.jpg
Amazing!!!
wouldn’t vote for McCain is the power he would have over supreme court nominations…..but with big democratic majorities in the house and senate even his SC nominees would have to be watered down to be approved. the bottom line …. McCain is a moderate and everyone knows it
No skippy, McSame was a moderate. Now he’s just a power hungry, slime ball who has sold his soul for a shot at the presidency. Nothing moderate about that.
Mc100yearwas has to court the extreme base of the reich-wing to have any hope of winning the WH. Nothing worse than a radical pretending to be a moderate pretending to be a extremist far, far reich-winger.
you lefties are such deep thinkers…tell me what Obama will do in his first 100 days with big democratic majorities in both houses..
I Like Pie @ 10:
Blackmailed for what? I bet McCain wrote in his own name in 2000. After all, McCain probably thought he was robbed of the nomination.
L.A. Confidential @ 21:
So did Attilla, Timur the Lame, the Borgias, H. Cortes, F. Pizzarro, Vlad the Impaler, Andrew Jackson, A. Hitler, J. Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Henry Kissinger, etc.
There is always someone who will defend mass murder/genocide as “doing the right thing”.
I think this goes well beyond irony.
Old ‘Maverick’ McCain: “Take your hands off me, you damned dirty ape!’
New ‘Sellout’ McCain: “I’ve checked President Bush’s bearings personally, and may I say his bearings of a much younger man.”
I have seen this picture on many blogs and I cannot help but think that it has been photoshopped. The man is a nut but can that expression be real and where in the world would that picture have been taken?
Mort Sahl on countdown in a few minutes!!!!!
tough talk by grandpa. someday somebody should call his bluff.
Eagles singer gets away with calling Bush chimp
London, May 9 : Don Henley, lead singer of the rock group The Eagles, is surprised that he has been allowed to openly criticise US President George Bush whereas others have been attacked for their negative comments.
Every time I do an interview and they ask me who I would like for President this time I say, ‘Any of the front-runners would be fine with me, because frankly a f**king chimpanzee would be an improvement.’ I’ve said that numerous times in the press and nothing has come of it.”
the question that nobodys asked yet is: does maccain think 9/11 would have happened if he’d been on duty.
When someone like McCain, for the sake of party unity and with good sportsmanship, behaves in a generous and forgiving way as he did with W., I can respect that; but when he works to convince the American people to vote for someone as desperately awful as W. that’s unforgivable.
This makes that sickening, obsequious hug McCain gave Wanton Boy all the more amazing — and disgusting.
In said photo, it really looks as though Shrub has something over on McCain. Kind of like “hug me or I’ll kill your family.” He is the picture of unfettered imperial power — scion of the Bush Crime Family — and the slavering McCain is merely a pawn in the game.
Barrack ate chicken tacos today.
Damn dirty Chimp is more like it.
L.A. Confidential @ 34:
How many Barrack fans will be eating Chicken Tacos tonight?
So, Senator McCain, you admit. to having voted for George W. Bush then, do you? Well, knowing what you know now and having seen how the Bush Administration has performed, would you still vote that way? If it were possible constitutionally, would you vote again for our current President and grant him a 3rd term? Do you think that would be good or bad for our country, Senator?
L.A. Confidential @ 34:
How dare he eat a Mexican dish!
L.A. Confidential @ 36:
Easy now L.A. You know some of those folks cannot take a joke. You’re gonna get blog lynched.
L.A. Confidential @ 36:
*eats a chicken taco*
What?? It’s a coincidence, I tell ya! I’ve been eating chicken tacos for YEARS.
Grampa FlipFlop probably still hates chimpy, but like Vlad (the Impaler) Putin, when you want to be president you go see *Poppy* Bush. Bet Rove’s been working for Bush pere all this time looking out for junior the idiot.
Howard Dean’s message is that McCain IS Bush. I like that better. Raising this issue can only help McBillionaire.
I liked the old McCain a lot better. I wonder if he’s still alive…
“McCain lambasted Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina. (That show of disgust was merely that - a show. As it turns out, his campaign staff is closely coordinating with the White House to create the facade of separation between John McCain and George W. Bush.)”
absolute confirmation that chimpy cares not a fig about his abysmal katrina legacy.
Chicken “Hussein” Little - Not!! @ 18:
both of you are wrong — see earlier comments and numerous other blog posts: mccain has never been a moderate except as portrayed by the media which DESCRIBES mccain as “a moderate” but his actual voting record says something very different. in fact, mccain votes on the side of the bush administration the majority of the time (google it, you’ll see many sources to confirm this) and is in fact more scary than bush because should he become president, he will be the one picking up where bush/cheney left off. listen to what mccain himself says he wants to do: kick russia out of the G8, make the bush tax cuts permanent, appoint “activist” judges — he wants to keep us troops in iraq until “no more of our soldiers are getting killed” or until “al queda” is defeated or until … he wants YOU to get a second job so the corporations don’t suffer.
look at who mccain has around him as his advisors — most, if not all, lobbyists or “former” lobbyists. those are the people that he is going to be tapping for posts in his administration.
when you say mccain is/was a moderate you are repeating the tag that has been attached to him like a second skin for years — a carefully cultivated second skin. it has nothing to do with reality, it’s spin. it’s hard, i know (i fall for it sometimes myself) but pay attention when you find yourself repeating value assignations like “moderate” or “radical” or “terrorist” and ask yourself whether this is something you know or something that’s been repeated so much you accept it as true.
mccain is not now and never has been a moderate. i would even go so far as to agree that, although he votes like one and talks like one, mccain is not really a conservative either. mccain is an opportunist. google that too. the clear examples are many.
When we finally get to the main event it’ll be fun to watch McNasty pop his cork. It’s only a matter of time. The man has serious anger issues from what I hear. Some smartass reporter will push his button and KABOOM. Can’t wait.
894/899