Posted on 02/22/2008 7:38:47 AM PST by fweingart
If it were to be impeccably documented that the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, Washington's own Mr. Clean, did in fact permit his Senate vote to be improperly dictated by, as the expression has it, special interests, that would indeed be a major story.
But the 3,000 word front-page piece that appeared in The New York Times Thursday ain't it.
As an elected official who has excoriated the power of money and lobbyists in Washington, John McCain is, true enough, an inviting and appropriate target for scrutiny. Even he acknowledges that a gap between his declared standards and his actions would be devastating.
That is one reason why the Times story became the kerfuffle of the moment on the presidential campaign trail yesterday. Oh, right, that and the fact that the story suggested that eight years ago, McCain got himself romantically involved with a Washington lobbyist of the younger and blond female persuasion.
Correction, we got that wrong. The story reported that a couple of McCain aides, unnamed, worried that the senator was getting romantically involved with the woman in question. Why they so believed remained unsaid, leaving much to the imagination, just like in old movies.
What is stated for the record by McCain is that the lobbyist is, and has been, a friend and nothing more.
And what's stated for the record by a former top McCain aide is that he ordered the woman to stay away from the senator after she started touting her friendship with McCain in business contexts.
Otherwise, the article was a muddle of psychologizing over whether McCain's belief in his ethics blinds him to appearances of improprieties.
Topped by a rehash of a long ago brush with a savings-and-loan scandal that invested McCain with a reformer's zeal.
Topped by a list of actions taken by McCain that were to the liking of a few of the lobbyists' clients, virtually all of which were explored when he ran for President in 2000.
Politics isn't beanbag, they say. But this time it is. This is beanbag.
Tellingly, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had no comment, making it clear that this John McCain business is a dog they're not about to lie down with. At least for the moment.
If somebody's got the goods on John McCain, we're all ears.
Wake us up then.
Indeed.
ROTFLMAO
Republicans and especially the Democrats are offering nothing when it comes to candidates. McCain is better than Obama and Hillary but all three are ho hum candidates. It amazes me that out of 300 million people we can’t find something better? Or do the money people really have that much control over us?
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