John McCain - a sellout coward

Does anyone see the ultimate irony in this picture? Republican Arizona Senator John Sidney McCain III, presidential wannabe, (left) with the Reverend Jerry Falwell at Liberty University's commencment in Lynchburg, Va. on Saturday, May 13, 2006. This turncoat coward will do virtually anything to get votes.

Flashback: Spring of 2000, before the South Carolina primary. Deeply conservative Republican voters are push polled; called in the middle of the night and asked "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?" The group is quickly tied to then Texas Governor George W. Bush's campaign. (McCain and his wife adopted a baby from Bangladesh.) Also, bear in mind that South Carolina is arguably the most racist state in the country; the first to succeed from the Union in December, 1860, and the last state to fly the Confederate flag. You think all of this is coincidence? Karl Rove and Bush knew exactly what they were doing.

Why am I bringing all of this up? Because in 2004, when Bush was airtight to be the Republican party's nominee as the incumbent president, look who's hugging Bush on stage?



"Can I puleeze be president?!?"

What the hell happened to McCain? I dunno. I loved and welcomed his maverick streak, his independence, his no-nonsense style and his keeping his priorities straight. McCain has always been someone who wouldn't just tow the party line. If he disagreed, no matter what the issue, a party leader wasn't getting his vote. His military record is impeccable - he's a flat-out war hero. (I wonder aloud how outraged Republicans would be if McCain got Swiftboated by the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee?!? Just a thought.)

But it seems to me that he'll do just about anything to be president now, and in the process if he whores himself out, emotionally, intellectually or otherwise, so be it. How else can you explain this piece of shit hugging an even bigger piece of shit after what Bush and his team did to him in South Carolina? It makes no sense. The only thing I can gather is that McCain will get Bush's support in '08. It's the only way I can figure it. The sad thing is this - I really liked the guy. Notice the tense - likED. Depending on his opponent, I may have even voted for him in a national election.

As if his embracing Bush weren't enough, we have to witness him shaking hands and hugging Jerry fucking Falwell at a commencement address. It's enough to make one wretch up bile and blood.

I don't even need to get on too much of a rant about Falwell - I've got better things to do with my time than shoot ducks in a barrel - but, briefly, here is a guy who:

Tried to completely destroy President Clinton. It's tough to forget, much less forgive Falwell in regards to The Clinton Chronicles. From Wikipedia.com:

In 1994, Falwell released the straight-to-video documentary "The Clinton Chronicles: An Investigation into the Alleged Criminal Activities of Bill Clinton." The description on the box read:

"For the first time on video, a documentary that puts together the whole story! -- The names and faces of the key players who Clinton used to build his Circle of Power... as well as those who got in his way and lost their jobs, reputations, virtue, and lives! From Whitewater to ADFA... From millions in drug smuggling in Mena, Arkansas, to money laundering with the BCCI... From Gennifer Flowers to Paula Jones... From Vince Foster's "suicide" to the gangland slaying of private investigator Jerry Parks.

THE CLINTON CHRONICLES uncovers the shocking truth the controlled media and Clintons don't want you to know!"

Falwell's infomercial for the 80-minute tape included footage of Falwell interviewing a silhouetted journalist who was afraid for his life. The journalist accused Clinton of orchestrating the deaths of several reporters and personal confidants who had gotten too close to his illegalities. However, it was subsequently revealed that the silhouetted journalist was, in fact, Patrick Matrisciana, the producer of the video. "Obviously, I'm not an investigative reporter," Matrisciana admitted (to investigative journalist Murray Waas), "and I doubt our lives were actually ever in any real danger. That was Jerry's idea to do that ... He thought that would be dramatic."

In an interview for The Hunting of the President, Falwell admitted, "To this day I do not know the accuracy of the claims made in The Clinton Chronicles," but nevertheless failed to condemn the poor research and false statements.

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It's also tough to forget Falwell's comments about homosexuals, and also the reasons why 9-11 happened. Take a quick read:

Falwell: The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way—all of them who have tried to secularize America—I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."

You might ask again - Why am I bringing all of this up, ? It's obvious - McCain is hugging Falwell at his university's commencement. Is this all in the name of forgiveness? I seriously doubt it. I firmly believe that a vast majority of politicans are liars, cheats and/or opportunists. McCain is probably all three.

Allow me one more quick flashback: Here's McCain, verbatim, in February 2000:

"Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outreaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farakhan and Al Sharpton on the left, or Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson on the right. "

On May 13, at the commencement of Liberty University, Falwell had this to say:

"He could, in fact, co-opt the religious conservatives in the country, in the same way George Bush did, to help him get to the White House."

This morning, when pressed by Katie Couric on Today about his visit to Liberty University, McCain shrugged it off, saying (I'm paraphrasing here) that he doesn't live in the past, and he was honored to have the opportunity to speak to students on an important day in their lives.

The other night on Larry King Live, McCain explained his visit to Falwell's Liberty University this way:

"Well, first of all, a lot of things happen in political campaigns. You know that as well as I do, and campaigns get tough, and things are said in campaigns. But most importantly, as far as my life has been concerned, I put all of the things that happened in the 2000 campaign, except for the good memories, behind me. There's no reason for me to hold a grudge against people. It's not appropriate, and it's not good service to the people of Arizona. So, when Reverend Falwell came to my office and wanted to put our differences aside, I was more than happy to do that."

So, in other words, I'm happy to forgive if I can win an election and it will get me votes. I'm glad that Osama bin Laden doesn't have a university here in America - perhaps McCain would give the commencement address there, be seen on stage with him, and say, "We have our differences, but I don't hold grudges." I hope and pray that most American voters, both Republicans and Democrats alike, are a little bit smarter than this, and can see his appearance at Falwell's school for what it was - a textbook case of rank opportunism.

I often hear Republicans bitch and moan about the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, and in some cases, rightfully so. I despise religious extremism on both sides of the political spectrum. But when is the last time you heard someone from the left making despicable comments like those of Falwell and Pat Robertson? I hope I live to piss on both of their graves.

Everyone should remember the picture of McCain hugging Falwell. Because you know what? In the spring of 2008, during the heart of primary season, John McCain sure as hell won't remember it. Let's make sure we do. Students at The New School in New York City sure weren't fooled (see below).