The McCain Mutiny--II ~ John Fund

Opinion Journal / The Wall Street Journal. John Fund's Political Diary ^ | July 11, 2002 | John Fund

[Elle Bee]

....and From today's WSJ Editorial page:

Senator Shakespeare

The latest McCain mutiny is worthy of King Lear.

If Washington, D.C., were a stormy heath, Senator John McCain would be King Lear, raging at what everyone else is doing to his campaign-finance reform.

Alas, King John. No sooner had he bludgeoned enough of his colleagues into passing his epic, change-the-world bill than the gods began conspiring against him. The nefarious Federal Election Committee (FEC) isn't writing tough enough rules. Fie! Both Democrats and Republicans are behaving like politicians and looking for loopholes to continue raising money. A pox on both their houses! Opponents even had the temerity to throw the legislation to the courts, which could declare chunks of it unconstitutional. What fools these mortals be! (Oops, wrong play.)

This ranting might be merely melodramatic were it not for the fact that Mr. McCain still holds significant sway in his Beltway media kingdom. And he's now made it clear that getting his reform passed wasn't enough: He plans to hold Congress and President Bush hostage until they agree to help him "fix" his own reform's ambiguities and failings.

The main source of Mr. McCain's apoplexy is the six-man, bipartisan FEC. It's the FEC's job to translate election laws into regulations, and that's exactly what it did last month with McCain-Feingold. Apparently, however, nobody informed that body of its moral obligation to write the rules exactly as Mr. McCain had envisioned. The resulting rules, which allow for a smidgeon of flexibility in fund-raising, set the Arizonan to wailing that the FEC had undermined the "heart and soul" of his law.

What to do with a pesky institution that won't roll over on command? Mr. McCain has said he'll sue to overturn the FEC's decision. He'll also use an arcane Congressional procedure to attempt to invalidate the regulations. And in case neither of those work, he'll introduce legislation that would abolish the FEC in its present form and replace it with a political police force more in keeping with his own views limiting free speech.

The only problem is that eradicating disagreeable federal bodies can take time, and Mr. McCain doesn't have it. Which brings us to the hostage-taking. In a letter to Senate leaders, Mr. McCain declared he would block all of Mr. Bush's nominations unless he gets a new person, of his choosing, on the FEC by August.

Democratic Commissioner Karl Sandstrom's term has run over, and, as it happens, he also had the nerve to vote with the three Commission Republicans for some of the looser definitions of McCain-Feingold. (Et tu, Sandstrom?). And so Mr. McCain is demanding the President replace him with election-law stalwart Ellen Weintraub.

Suffice it to say, this plot comes at an awkward time. Several weeks ago Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle had finally shown some willingness to process more of Mr. Bush's long-delayed nominees. There aren't many days left in this Congress. Mr. Daschle and Minority Leader Trent Lott yesterday suggested they'd move ahead anyway, but Mr. McCain storms on.

King Lear fell victim to his own tragic flaws, and we can't help but think Mr. McCain really is starting to bear some resemblance. With his military record and public standing, the Arizona Senator could be Mr. Bush's chief Congressional war counsel, someone able to teach and lead Americans on national security.

Instead, he's sublet the bulk of his influence and reputation to Common Cause and the media elite in their eternal quest to bar money from politics, also known as trying to keep water from rushing downhill. Mr. McCain may still get favorable media reviews, but to what end? His performance is bound to end in tragedy.

Updated July 11, 2002

.

Click Logo to go to:

.

[Elle Bee]

They were all disloyal. I tried to run the ship properly by the book, but they fought me at every turn...Ah, but the strawberries! That's, that's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, and with, with geometric logic, that, that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox did exist. And I would have produced that key had they not pulled the Caine out of action. I, I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officer.

.

[jamaksin]

And those wonderful steel marbles ...

Let's not forget that "power sharing" stance from vacant-LOTT and JimJ (from the planet Vermont).

Seems the GOP has never learned even the simplest of tenets regarding political power.

[JZoback]

Please put us out of our misery by booting this egomaniac, nut job, back stabbing fool out of office during his next turn at the polls

[stlrocket]

From war hero to buffoon - what a shame and embarrassment this moron has turned out to be!

MCCAIN IN 2004

MCCAIN AND LIEBERMAN

[Cachelot]

Oh yes, McCain - who was anointed as the favourite candidate of the muslims, the best politician to make the "islamic voice" heard.

[GBA]

I think I'm going to have to move back to Arizona just to vote against this clown. I can't believe that I ever thought he was a person I could trust or vote for.

America please forgive me; I was a fool.

[Elle Bee]

Under these circumstances, Queeg is relieved of his command and authority by Lt. Maryk, backed up by Keith, citing Section 184 of the Navy Regulations permitting a subordinate officer to relieve a commanding officer under extraordinary circumstances.

Captain, I'm sorry, but you're a sick man. I'm relieving you as captain of this ship under article 184.

.

[LurkerNoMore!]

Good work on the Feingold connection!

[leadpenny]

McCain is going to be on the Imus program this AM. Eight-thirty (Eastern), I believe.

[aristeides]

I think Daschle has pretend-indicated some willingness to move the judicial nominees precisely because he knew McCain could be used for continued obstruction. On a lot of issues (now calling for the resignation of SEC chairman Pitt,) McCain is carrying the Democrats' water.

[PGalt]

Luke Skywalker is delusional.

[leadpenny]

Think I jumped the gun. McCain may be on tomorrow. However, JD Hayworth (R-AZ) is on at 8:30 (E).

[Wil H]

Memo to conservatives: Ignore him and maybe he'll go away

He's already gone away

He doesn't represent the Republican Party

He doesn't represent Arizona

He doesn't represent integrity

He doesn 't represent truth and honesty

...must be a Democrat......like his constant companions, Daschle and Lieberman

[ex-snook]

"Memo to conservatives: Ignore him and maybe he'll go away ~ John Fund "

He ain't going away folks, no how, no way. When McCain is following the Kristol-media playbook on foreign affairs, he has everlasting life. Kristol has shown McCain the Queen of Diamonds (or whatever the trigger card was - hey it might even be a whole lot of pictures of President Grant).

[leadpenny]

Bump your "He's." Very good.

[aristeides]

I see Dave Boyer's article in this morning's Washington Times confirms my suspicion that McCain has given the DemocRATs political cover for blocking the nominees. This is all prearranged, folks.

[F16Fighter]

I have the sneaky suspicion John McCain is actually Dogbert in disguise.

[white trash redneck]

What an obnoxious prick.

[lepton]

McCain needs to be painted like a powderpuff girl.