A Blog Called Hope

In interview with Matt Lauer, McCain proclaims bringing American troops home from Iraq is “not too important”

After several months of attacking Barack Obama for his ‘naiveté’ on Iraq, it seems McCain himself is the one of touch.

During an interview with Matt Lauer last week, John McCain was questioned about his stance on Iraq; particularly his position on a timetable for withdrawal. McCain took the opportunity to downplay the significance of the potential of our brave men and women returning home, and instead spewed more nonsensical foreign policy and took another jab at Senator Obama.

Here is a portion of Matt Lauer’s interview with the Republican Presidential candidate:

MR. LAUER: When the president, though, came up with this surge at a time where everyone, it seemed, was thinking the contrary, you endorsed it with great conviction and great courage. And a lot of people now say the surge is working.

SEN. MCCAIN: Anybody who knows the facts on the ground say that, yes.

MR. LAUER: If it’s working, Senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?

SEN. MCCAIN: No, but that’s not too important. What’s important is the casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea. Americans are in Japan. American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine.
American casualties and the ability to withdraw — we will be able to withdraw. General Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are.
But the key to it is we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way. And that way they will be safe and serve our country and come home with honor and victory, not in defeat, which is what Senator Obama’s proposal would have done.

So what’s not important to John McCain is soldiers’ being safe and spending time with their families and loved ones. What IS important to McCain is “victory”, what IS important to McCain is pride. Is pride and “victory” worth the 120,000+ American lives that are on the line in?…

“I would rather be a one-term President and do what I believe is right than to be a two-term President at the cost of seeing America become a second-rate power and to see this Nation accept the first defeat in its proud 190-year history…Let us understand: North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.” -President Richard Nixon, 1969.

Couple these insensitive and ill-informed assertions with those he recently made about Iran, it is becoming clear John McCain does not have a handle on his own cash cow, foreign policy.

John McCain is expected to call for more offshore drilling today. His campaign recently released an ad meant to champion him as a supporter of renewable energy. The same day that ad was released, McCain left for Texas to meet with his friends at Big Oil.

During his last run for the presidential nomination, McCain supported a moratorium on drilling. He will also reverse his stance on the need for a windfall profit tax for oil companies. Just six weeks ago McCain said he was open to a tax on excessive oil company profits; tonight, he will take the opposite position when he rejects the tax.

His new ad claims to eliminate the US’s dependence on foreign oil by supporting renewable energy although he has repeatedly voted against such green jobs and technologies.

Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney attacks McCain’s new ad as “universally misleading”:

“How can we trust John McCain to confront soaring gas prices or break America’s dependence on foreign oil when he caved in to Big Oil on drilling and tax breaks when of his top economic advisors helped create the problem in the first place, and he has repeatedly opposed incentives for green jobs and renewable energy?”

McCain has not voted to promote renewable energy
John McCain has repeatedly voted against efforts to promote renewable energy, as with his vote against an amendment mandating renewable energy sources to produce a minimum of 10 percent of the electricity sold by electric utilities by 2020. Many bills failed to pass by only a few votes.

In 2007 alone, McCain missed numerous votes on the passage of energy policy legislation, including a missed vote on a bill that would increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. Other missed votes included bills for tax credits for renewable energy production, for renewable energy R&D, and for energy related tax incentives worth $18 billion. [2007 Senate Vote #98, 3/22/2007; 2007 Senate Vote #223, 6/21/2007; 2007 Senate Vote #416, 12/7/2007; 2008 Senate Vote #8, 2/6/2008 2006 Senate Vote #42, 3/14/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #158, 6/28/2005; 2001 Senate Vote #125, 5/21/2001]

McCain blocked tax credits for green jobs
A 2008 economic study by Navigant Consulting found that “over 116,000 US jobs and nearly $19 billion in US investment could be lost in just one year if renewable energy tax credits are not renewed by Congress.” The study shows that over 76,000 jobs are put at risk in the wind industry and 40,000 more are put at risk in the solar industry.

The Enron Loophole
Years after the Enron scandal, the loophole that helped bring Enron to its demise still lives on. McCain Campaign Co-Chair Phil Gramm tucked the Commodities Future Modernization Act into a separate piece of legislation which would later be known as the Enron Loophold. Evidence shows that investors looking to make an easy gain are causing prices in oil to rise faster than ordinary market forces could. The loophole allows unregulated trading on energy futures markets where investors can essentially “bet” on oil prices at a given point in the future.

After some public delays by John McCain, it seems that McCain will go ahead and fund raise with a Texas oilman who cracked jokes about rape

Williams Made Misogynist Remarks. “Clayton Williams, who ran unsuccessfully against the late Texas Gov. Ann Richards (D), sparked controversy nearly two decades ago when he joked women should give in while being raped. ‘As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it,’ the oilman remarked at the time.” [Washington Post, 6/13/08]

Main Point: John McCain’s claim that he is running a different kind of campaign rings hollow. His refusal to denounce or return the money raised by Clayton Williams, a supporter who has made misogynist and offensive comments in the past, shows McCain has no intention of running a different kind of campaign. Instead the McCain campaign has scheduled an additional fundraiser with Williams.

• Not only has the McCain campaign refused to return the money raised by Williams or denounce his outrageous remarks, but now the campaign is rescheduling the fundraiser for later next month.

• Instead of benefiting from two fundraisers involving Clayton Williams, Senator McCain should make it clear he will not tolerate this kind of sexism and inappropriate language in public life.

• McCain’s effort to mislead the voters into thinking Monday’s fundraiser had been canceled is truly outrageous and shows Senator McCain is not offering the ’straight talk’ he promised the American people. Instead of running a transparent campaign McCain has no problem deceiving the American people to benefit his own political career.

KEY FACTS:

McCain Campaign To Hold Fundraiser Later This Summer. “Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) has decided to hold a fundraiser initially sponsored by a controversial Texas oilman later in the summer at a different venue, according to an aide who asked not to be identified.This morning, a McCain aide confirmed in an e-mail that the contributors who had already made a combined donation of at least $300,000 to the event would have another chance to meet McCain.” [Washington Post, 6/15/08]

McCain Campaign Postpones Fundraiser. “Late Saturday afternoon, a McCain aide confirmed to the Chronicle that the Midland event had been postponed but had not been taken off the calendar. The compromise allowed McCain to say he had not held a fundraiser at Williams’ house; it gave Williams an opportunity to say that the event he organized had not been canceled.” [Houston Chronicle, 6/14/08]

McCain’s Tax Plan? Fiscally Irresponsible

Exhibit A of the poison pill in action is the sad case of John McCain, part of whose lingering image as a maverick rests on his early opposition to the Bush tax cuts, which he declared excessive and too tilted toward the rich.

Since then the budget surpluses of the Clinton years have given way to persistent deficits, and income inequality has risen to new heights, vindicating his opposition.

But instead of pointing this out, Mr. McCain now promises to make those tax cuts permanent - and proposes further cuts that are, if anything, tilted even more toward the wealthy. And how is the loss of revenue to be made up? Mr. McCain hasn’t offered a realistic answer. (New York Times)

Not The Man He Used To Be. . .McCain 2.0 Has Abandoned His Former Self

But that term didn’t even make the list this year when voters were asked by the Pew Research Center to sum up McCain in a single word. “Old” got the most mentions, followed by “honest,” “experienced,” “patriot,” “conservative” and a dozen more. The words “independent,” “change” or “reformer” weren’t among them.

Voters have notoriously short memories, but it could be argued that McCain cheapened his own brand.

He embraced President Bush and attempted to become, like Bush, the choice of the Republican establishment. In the process, he helped obliterate recollections of his first run for president, when he became the first Republican in a long time with strong crossover appeal to independents and Democrats.

Losing his reputation for independence could prove particularly costly this year. (Baltimore Sun)

Revelation About McCain Fundraiser Unlikely To Win Over Any Women

Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign canceled a fund-raiser at the home of an 86-year-old oilman, Clayton Williams, after the campaign faced questions about comments Mr. Williams made in the 1990 race for Texas governor.

At the time, Mr. Williams, a Republican who was running against Ann Richards, made a joke about rape and said he would campaign against Ms. Richards, a Democrat, as he would deal with a cow on his ranch: “head
her and hoof her and drag her through the dirt.” He later apologized for the remarks.

The campaign canceled the fund-raiser on Friday after it faced questions from ABC News and The Washington Post. (New York Times)

McCain’s Vision For The Supreme Court Would Turn Country’s Clock Backward

Want to overturn Roe v. Wade and begin a new political civil war over abortion? How about a Supreme Court that supports the George Bush approach of executive power similar to royal monarchs, with massive and
illegal wiretapping thrown in, legalized by a McCain court?

The Supreme Court is not only one branch of government, it is the branch that determines the powers of the other two branches. In the world of George Bush and John McCain, the executive branch is all-powerful with no meaningful checks and balances.

With a Supreme Court that would fully support this radical and extreme notion of unlimited, pre-emptive executive power, the sins of George Bush are only the beginning of what a McCain court would make the law of the land.

Bush and McCain almost always agree on the need for a super secret superstate, justified by the politics of fear, employing tactics such as massive eavesdropping in violation of clear constitutional language and clear federal law.

Bush and McCain almost always agree in opposition to legal protections for women and labor. In their economic and legal philosophy, Bush and McCain always agree on a Darwinian laissez-faire where the big boys rule, the average folks are unprotected, the powerful monopolize their power and the powerless become second-class citizens with third-class legal rights.

The list goes on. Even on torture, McCain’s latest position is torture-friendly. Even on Guantanamo, which McCain says he will close, his legal position is anti-constitutional. His verbal position depends on his need for extreme right-wing support and his level of political desperation at the time he speaks, on a given day. (The Hill’s Pundits Blog)

1. Why does John McCain continue to claim he opposed President Bush’s strategy in Iraq when the record clearly shows him echoing the Bush Administration’s misleading talking points at every turn and he himself told a conservative talk radio host in March that “no one has supported President Bush on Iraq more than” he has?

2. Why does John McCain expect voters to believe he would bring change to Washington when he voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time and is promising more of President Bush’s policies on the economy, health care, and foreign policy?

3. How does John McCain expect to win in November when he can’t even shore up his own base, polls consistently show he is on the wrong side of the key issues, and his campaign staff is in disarray?

BONUS QUESTION: If John McCain expects voters to believe he would have responded differently to Hurricane Katrina, why did he side with President Bush in opposing the creation of a commission to find out what went wrong? Why did he vote against funding for Katrina relief and recovery efforts?

McCain: “No One Has Supported President Bush on Iraq More Than I Have.” During an March 2008 interview on The Mike Gallagher Show, McCain stated, “no one has supported President Bush on Iraq more than I have.” [Think Progress blog, 4/2/08]

McCain voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007. According to Congressional Quarterly, He also has a record of heartily supporting Bush on some of his most controversial priorities, including the Iraq war and comprehensive immigration reform. In 2007, as he ramped up for his second White House run, McCain voted with Bush 95 percent of the time, according to Congressional Quarterly, which tallied votes McCain was present for on issues in which the administration took a position.” [Arizona Republic, 4/6/08] McCain had the highest rate of support in the entire U.S. Senate. [Congressional Quarterly, 1/13/2008]

McCain Voted for 4 of 5 Bush Budgets Adding to $9.8 Trillion in Spending. McCain supported four of the five Bush budgets that the Senate voted on from 2001-2006.

2001: H. Con. Res. 83: $1.95 Trillion [2001 Senate Vote #98]

2002: McCain Voted to Table [2002 Senate Vote #134]

2003: McCain Voted No [H.Con.Res. 95; 2003 Senate Vote #134]

2004: S. Con. Res 95: $2.45 Trillion [2004 Senate Vote #58]

2005: H.Con.Res. 95: $2.6 Trillion [2005 Senate Vote #114]

2006: S.Con.Res. 83: $2.8 Trillion [2006 Senate Vote #74]

McCain Voted Against Appropriating $109 Billion In Supplemental Emergency Funding, Including $28 Billion for Hurricane Relief. McCain voted against passage of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations of 2006. Passage of the emergency supplemental bill would appropriate roughly $109 billion in emergency supplemental funding for fiscal 2006. It would provide $72.4 billion in fiscal 2006 funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and foreign aid, not counting an almost 3 percent across-the-board cut to defense funds in the bill. It would provide more than $28 billion for hurricane relief, approximately $2.3 billion for pandemic flu preparations and $1.9 billion for border security efforts. [2006 Senate Vote #112, 5/4/2006]

McCain Voted Against Granting Access To Medicaid For Hurricane Katrina Victims For Up To Five Months. McCain voted against an amendment to provide emergency health care and other relief for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The amendment would grant access to Medicaid to Hurricane Katrina victims for up to five months; it also provided full federal funding for Medicaid in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama for up to one year; provide $800 million to compensate providers caring for Katrina evacuees; it temporarily suspended the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty; and permit states hit by or serving evacuees to access the TANF Contingency Fund. It would be offset with funds unspent by the FEMA. [2005 Senate Vote #285, 11/3/2005]

McCain Voted Twice Against Establishing A Commission To Study The Response To Hurricane Katrina. McCain voted against amendments establishing a Congressional commission to examine Federal, State, and local response to devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in U.S. Gulf Region, especially in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and other areas impacted in the aftermath; and makes immediate corrective measures to improve future responses. [2006 Senate Vote #6, 2/2/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #229, 9/14/2005]

John McCain may claim he’s a different kind of politician, but his efforts to cover up his misstatements about the war in Iraq instead of admitting he was wrong ring of the same kind of dishonesty we’ve come to expect from the Bush Administration. After seven years of a president who will distort the truth for political purposes, Americans don’t want four more years of the same with John McCain.

Last week we saw the lengths John McCain and his campaign will go to cover up misstatements he made about the facts on the ground in Iraq.

After inaccurately stating that U.S. troops were “drawn down to pre-surge levels,” McCain refused to admit his error and claimed what he said was “just facts.” [Wisconsin Town Hall, 5/29/08, http://youtube.com/watch?v=42ke9Q-qXg4]

Likewise, his campaign went into Washington spin-mode, organizing a last-minute conference call where McCain advisor Randy Scheunemann said that McCain’s mistake was an issue of “semantics” and that “[w]e are talking about a verb tense.”

But no one was buying it. One reporter wrote that “the attempt by the McCain media machine to spin the mistake as a simple matter of ‘verb tenses’ is an insult to our intelligence.” [The Fact Checker, Washington Post, 5/30/08; http://thinkprogress.org/2008/05/30/mccain-call-nitpicking/]

McCain Says U.S. Troops At Pre-Surge Levels. “We have drawn down to pre-surge levels.” [Wisconsin Town Hall, 5/29/08, http://youtube.com/watch?v=42ke9Q-qXg4]

Troops in Iraq Not Expected to Return to Pre-Surge Level Until End of July. “The increased U.S. presence in Iraq — which topped out at about 170,000 troops — is expected to go down to 140,000 by the end of July. U.S. officials plan to keep 15 combat brigades in Iraq through the end of the year, though ongoing assessments could allow commanders to change those numbers.” [Washington Post, 5/20/08]

Nepotism: patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics

Check out the DNC’s latest spot which hit the airwaves today. Chairman Lynch joined other state party leaders calling attention to the ad by issuing this statement.

Well, this is very good news…

Several of the GOP’s most highly touted candidates posted mediocre fundraising numbers in this year’s first quarter, raising questions about their ability to seriously compete in races that were once at the top of the Republican radar screen.

It’s apparent, by the lack of fundraising, that citizens throughout the country are finally rejecting the Republican agenda and their panacea for every social and economic problem that exists: tax cuts and war.
Steve Greenberg is running against Rep. Melissa L. Bean (D-IL). And as a messenger of hate and division, he is advocating more war in Iraq, “free market” solutions for health care, punitive immigration policies, and school voucher programs which would devastate public schools. And it is clear that the 8th District in Illinois is rejecting these policies because he only raised $113,000 in the first quarter and is practically broke.

Lou Barletta is another Republican hopefully that is only a disappointment for the RNCC. As the Mayor of Hazelton, PA and as a “champion” of immigration reform, he passed some of the toughest immigration laws the nation has ever seen and has even said that illegal immigrants are “destroying” Hazelton. All his harsh rhetoric has yielded him a paltry $143,000 in the first quarter of 2008, a third of what his opponent Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) raised in the same time.

Another Republican challenger destined to fail is Dean Andal, former California Assemblyman. He thinks the U.S. should devote more funds to the already bloated defense budget, has endorsed a school voucher program, and is completely unconcerned with any environmental issues (he received a 9% approval rating by California League of Conservation Voters). Rather, he would love to deregulate everything and give huge tax cuts for businesses. He barely raised $100,000 in the first quarter of 2008 for his run against Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA).

This is good news for Democrats indeed and is indicative of the failure of Republicans to understand the true concerns of working American families. We don’t need more tax cuts for businesses and the rich, we don’t need more deregulation, we don’t need deceptive “free market” solutions that never work, we don’t need to abandon public schools, we don’t need punitive immigration policies, we don’t need division and spiteful rhetoric, we need people who will stand up and help America’s working families by understanding what’s actually important. Republicans will never really understand that.

Check out this new web ad from The Democratic Party