Category Archives: Politics: McCain

It seems you can get thrown out of a town meeting and questioned by the Secret Service for asking a Republican candidate to deny a published story that he once lost his temper and called his wife a bad name.

Ask a rude but nonetheless legal and reasonable question, get thrown out of a public meeting. Such is 'democracy' in these United States.

(Note, incidentally, that McCain didn't deny it.)

It sounds as if McCain is trying to get into a Bush Bubble, where he'll be protected from anything he doesn't want to see or hear. Which makes sense if you consider he's running to serve Bush's third term. But definitely makes you wonder who he'll find to reprise the Cheney role as veep….

There is a country in which the ruling party has made a concerted effort to keep a factually accurate advertisement by the largest opposition party off TV by appealing to the owners of TV stations to prevent the ad from airing.

No, not Zimbabwe. The USA.

Today the RNC sought to prevent the DNC from airing its anti-McCain ad by calling on TV stations not to air it. The DNC responded immediately.

Gov. Howard Dean and Joe Sandler, the DNC's General Counsel, held a telephone press conference a few minutes ago. (As it was a last-minute deal, even I got to listen in.) They started by categorically denying the RNC's charge that the DNC's ad was in any way coordinated with either the Clinton or Obama campaigns. Dean said “I know of no conversations of any kind that have taken place with the campaigns” about the ad. (Had the ad been coordinated, it would count as an in-kind contribution which would have legal consequences; if it's fully arms-length, it's a legal independent expenditure.)

Sandler said that so far none of the networks running it (MS-NBC and CNN) have said they will pull the ad. So far, the ad is slated for cable only. From which I deduce this isn't a hugely expensive ad buy. Ordinarily you would not expect the RNC to add oxygen to such a small flame; tying McCain to his own remarks about Iraq must really hurt.

The RNC also claimed in its publicity blitz that the ad is false, and thus could expose stations that run it to some sort of liability. That's a weak argument, since the ad uses McCain's own words, and DNC Chairman Dean made hay with it. “I understand the RNC thinks it is illegal to criticize Sen. McCain,” Dean said, and he basically invited them to sue.

Here's one bet that they won't: this is just scare tactics. And if they do sue, they'll lose. (Outside Zimbabwe.)

I was busy on Friday, but here's the DNC's anti-McCain ad.

It's a good one.

Hope they run it everywhere and often.

PS. And it's fair, too

Seems like there are an awful lot of things that are younger than John McCain.

He's older than…Iceland?

Progressive Media launches its first commercial, McCain: Out of Touch.

I gather opinions are divided as to whether this is effective or boring.

Lots of buzz about Cliff Schecter's new book “The Real McCain”. It certainly supports what I've heard — that he's a real hothead. For example, McCain Once Physically Attacked Fellow Congressman. And there's another alleged unsavory episode here, which the author says is vouched for by three witnesses, but apparently McCain now denies it.

Are these disqualifying issues? Not alone, no. But they are not exactly encouraging either.

Bonus McCain bashing: Senator Straight Talk Won't Go on the Record with Project Vote Smart — he's on their Board and he won't answer their questions! Wait, make that he was on their Board.