The McCain Doctrines

New York Times ^ | 17 May 2008 | By MATT BAI

[shrinkermd]

Whatever their disagreements on policy, United States senators, even in today’s hyperpolitical climate, are reluctant to impugn one another’s motives or integrity.

That’s doubly true among those who experienced combat in the Vietnam War, a group that now includes four sitting senators — the Republicans John McCain and Chuck Hagel and the Democrats John Kerry and Jim Webb — as well as former colleagues like Bob Kerrey, Max Cleland and Chuck Robb. These men share an obvious bond, and over the years they have more readily crossed partisan lines than other senators, constituting, in some ways, a party unto themselves. To outsiders, they give the impression of having seen things in their youth that confer a different kind of perspective on mere politics...

The war in Iraq has tested some of these friendships, however. Last year, after House Democrats voted to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, McCain and Webb — both of whom were featured heroes in a classic book on the era, Robert Timberg’s “Nightingale’s Song” — became embroiled in an unusually public disagreement. After McCain pointedly said the enemy in Iraq was celebrating along with Democrats, Webb accused him of unfairly questioning other people’s patriotism. When Webb and Hagel (a close personal friend of McCain’s) proposed a bill to give troops leaving Iraq and Afghanistan more time at home before redeploying, McCain, whose 19-year-old son has served with the Marines in Iraq, forcefully opposed them, saying the troops were needed in the theater. More recently, McCain has found himself on the opposite side of Webb and Hagel again, this time over their “G.I. bill” that would offer education money to every returning veteran. McCain and others want a more limited bill that would encourage rank-and-file soldiers to re-enlist rather than return to civilian life.

[shrinkermd]

"...McCain shrugs this off and insists that he will never waver from his support of the war, no matter what the personal cost. “As I said a year ago,” he told me, “I would rather lose a campaign than a war.” If he doesn’t make the most persuasive argument of his life, he risks losing both

[Question Liberal Authority]

McCain, whose 19-year-old son has served with the Marines in Iraq

I'd bet money that less than 5% of Americans know this. McCain really should start talking about himself more, or the Democrats will do it for him.

[Jacquerie]

I see your point and do not disagree. The problem is that many at this conservative forum have accused McCain of promoting himself as a "hero."

If conservatives will accuse him of that which he has not done, we can rest assured that the rats and old media will nail him to the wall. IMHO, talk radio, columnists, etc should brag about the service to country of the McCain generations.

[org.whodat]

The only doctrine I know of is his belief that it really helps one's status in life to marry a rich woman. On this he and kerry agree.

[shrinkermd]

You might be interested to know that Senator McCain’s mother is an oil heiress and independently wealthy. Senator McCain did not have to marry money, he already had it.

[dforest]

Interesting study here. I cannot tolerate McCain, but I can say whatever I want about him and the thread is not pulled.

I better never speak the truth about Fat Teddy, though. BOR might put it on his lousy show.

This is why censorship is a bad thing.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

RINO Republicans and Democrats, they go hand-in-hand. Where’s the surprise?

[SoConPubbie]

McCain has consistently decided his run for the Presidency, since 2000, is more important than his fealty to conservative principles as his history shows.

In other words, this whole show is about him, not about what is best for the GOP, not about what is best for the country, but simply what will get him the Presidency.

He is a cold, calculating politician, period.

He is not a leader or a statesman.

As proof, I offer his history:

1. Gang of Fourteen (Kept some of President Bush’s best judges from being presented for a vote) See here and here
2. McCain-Fiengold (Assault on Free Speech and Pro-Life
3. McCain-Kennedy (Amnesty for criminal Illegal Aliens)
4. McCain-Lieberman (50 cents a gallon tax)
5. Total support for global warming scam, including the Carbon Cap-and-Trade system. See Here
6. Support for embryonic stem cell research (Murder of unborn babies).
7. Wants to moderate or soften the Pro-Life plank of the GOP Platform. See Here and Here and Here. 8. Wants to close Gitmo and give Terrorists access to our legal system.
9. F grade from Gun-Owners of America.
10. C grade from NRA.
11. 65% score from American Conservative Union in 2006
12. Wants to bail out sub-prime losers (many of which are either illegal aliens or lied on thier applications) with US tax money.
13. Voted against President Bush’s tax cuts (called them tax-cuts for the rich)
14. Flirted with the idea of crossing over to the Dems in 2004.
15. Wants to implement a socialist Health Care proposal that includes providing tax-coffer monies (your tax dollars) to the states to provide Health Care Insurance for those who either refuse to pay for it, or are unable to afford it (mostly illegal aliens).
16. Divorced his wife after he got back from Vietnam. The same woman who remained true to him and raised his kids while he was imprisoned.
17. Refuses to drill in ANWR. See here and here
18. Agrees with Democrats that our Foreign Policy has been arrogant and we need to be more humble.
19. Thinks and states that Pharmaceutical companies are evil
20. Has accepted funding from Soros and Teresa Heinz-Kerry for his institute
21. John McCain's Top 10 Class-Warfare Arguments Against Tax Cuts
22. "I think the Democrat Party is a fine and I have no problems with it, in their views and philosophy"
23. Strongly against Same Sex Marriage Ban Constitutional Amendment
24. Voted for Pro-Abortion Bill and Here.
25. Voted against bill that would impose sanctions against foreign governments and companies that invest more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector until the president certified to Congress that Iran had dismantled its weapons of mass destruction Here and Here
26. Voted against repealing the death tax.
27. McCain-Edwards-Kennedy    (Many Democrat inspired bad rules included in this monstrosity)

[neverdem]

thanks for posting

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem.

"As I said a year ago," he told me, "I would rather lose a campaign than a war."

Henry Clay ping.