Analysis: Why the Home Debate Matters

c677t

c495t

Get your personal tour of John McCain's seven luxury homes at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qtBATTiT7Y

I think that if anyone really wants to make a difference in our government, they will check out A. Woodrow's well done site, http://www.democracyconservator.com/

Which house does Vicki Iseman live in?

I guess this house problem must have really struck a republican nerve. The fact is, like most Americans, I own one home and don't need accountants or staf to tell me about it. This year my wife and I will concern ourselves with affording to heat our home as well as pay for it, while dealing with the needs of our son and school. Like Obama, we have earned our money and property so I keep track of them.
If my resorces were handed to me like some kind of gift, like the few hundred million the McCians lavish in, I guess I could afford to lose track of my unlimited wealth too.
Sorry republicans, the elitist title belongs to John W McCain!

Two of McCain's condo's are combined two units into one. Alot of people do this. Technically they are two units and they pay double dues to their condo association, taxes, etc... So if he had counted each of those as one he'd be branded a liar for not counting those as four. Another condo in San Diego/LaJolla is owned by Cindy and her elderly aunt lives there. Another one they bought for their daughter and it's for sale. How does he count those to the reporter in the spur of the moment? Alot of non-rich people help their kids get started in their first home or even buy a house for their kids during college. A lot of Americans own more than one or two homes.

Where does Obama stay when he's in Washington DC? Or has he ever been there?

How did Obama make $4million last year? He wrote a book to introduce himself as a presidential candidate. Neither he or his wife's family have struggled to develop a business, market a desireable product or service, fight to make payroll and scrape out a little profit to pay the mortgage for the family home. The Obamas are the most out of touch people to ever seek the White House.

Would people rather vote for a deadbeat who can't make their mortgage payment? Is this what we seek in our leaders?

McCain should have just said "I don't own any homes."

As for Cindy's company jet... she can afford alot more airplane. It's not that big, its the smallest mid size jet made in America (Cessna Citation Excel). She can't even fly from Phoenix to DC without a fuel stop. By contrast The Kerry's had a Gulfstream V which can fly between any two points in the world.

I think the American Dream now is to reside in an Organized Community.

Please, forgive brevity of this reply folks, it’s late.

1) All wealthy people need financial advisers and accountants to manage their money.

2) Even with accountants and financial advisers, THE RICH STILL NEED A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE TO MAINTAIN THEIR WEALTH; or else they will end up like MC Hammer, a lot of bankrupted athletes, and most bankrupted lotto winners.

3) Rezko Deal makes Sen. Obama a crook, not a financial genius or an earner.
.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
JOhn C. the worst post on here sorry

You write

"If Americans want to be wealthy, we need honest and wealthy people like Sen. McCain and his wife as role models and to inspire and teach us how to be wealthy."

The McCain's did not earn their wealth...ugh.

Obama did.

what "skills" made Mccain wealthy...I don't think , again that he has ever seen a tax form himself...or a mortgage payment...

and Cindy has probably only seen one when the lawyers and accoutants have been around her.

You are right we should not discount wealth...but earned wealth.

We also should not avoid discounting someone who has NEVERhad to worry about fiscal anything in almost their entire life to make decision about how our economy is effecting real people and being able to understand how hard those challenges are...

John mcCain absolutely does not.

Look at his life...how could he.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 22, 2008 2:05 PM

"That's a joke, right? I doubt this country has ever had a presidential candidate who wasn't in the 99th percentile wealthwise. If a candidate can be shown to have contempt for other classes (which I assume is what you're really getting at), that will hurt. But all presidential candidates - and pretty much every other candidate for federal office - come from the same "class"."

It's all about perception. Bush's mangling of the English language HELPED him, not hurt him. Think Fred Thompson. Rented out a red pickup and carried chewin tobaccy. Bill Clinton had the sense to hide the fact that he was incredibly smart. Gore and Kerry made the mistake of thinking people want smart leaders.

The Democratic Party is extremely misguided - they are deceiving themselves into believing that they can make up for history by voting for Obama - what a joke.

The democrats want to nominate a black so badly - Jim Crow happened, slavery happened - voting for an underqualified cocaine snorting empty suit slimy fish Obama is not going to help race relations.

If ANYTHING, Obama's campaign tactics have HURT RACE RELATIONS IN THIS COUNTRY.

Obama is not even a descendent of slaves.

Obama is simply trading off the REAL SLAVE DESCENDENTS - Obama comes from a BLACK MUSLIM SOCIALIST FAMILY.

The Democratic Party is jumping and gushing at Obama who has no experience in running anything not even a dog catching department and no economic experience except for buying cocaine -

Can anyone please explain this CLEAR DELUSION?

The democrats have not noticed yet that Obama is a Black Muslim whose father was a Socialist and Obama is probably a great deal closer to being a Socialist himself than most people imagine.

.

How John Mccain gets an erection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_jws2AsS0g&feature=related

I love all the silly widdle *weakling* Konservatives who can't take tough reponses from the opposition.

Wimps.

McCain is the Konservatives'
ideal candidate;
He is a kept man;Has questionable thinking faculties, spits on other troops' needs;Abandoned his first wife (as he has abandoned his love for America in pursuit of power);Lies on an HOURLY basis, and attracts vile and willfully-ignorant
people as supporters.

John McCain's supporters & fans share in The Scum.

They are *1 on the "Hate America" list, but they are too dishonest to admit it.

Question: WHAT HOLDS UP JOHN McCAIN'S PANTS?

Answer: HIS WIFE'S WALLET.

The McCains famously like to vacation on their Sedona ranch -- in fact, the Arizonan senator is heading there this weekend for a few days away from the campaign trail. The 15-acre ranch where McCain hosted members of his press corps this year holds six separate houses, so does that count as one home or six?

In Phoenix, the McCains' primary residence is a nearly 7,000 square foot condominium worth about $4.66 million. The McCains purchased two condos in 2006 and knocked down some walls to create the massive space in a high-rise that features valet parking, a rooftop swimming pool, personal spa services and on-staff housekeepers, among other amenities.

Whenever John or Cindy want some sun, sand and surf, they simply need to jet off to either of their two beachfront condos in Coronado, CA, worth a combined $4.8 million, according to property records. Coronado, a small island near San Diego boasts the second best beach in the country.
The Cindy Hensley McCain Family Trust puts them up in an $847,000 condo in Arlington, where the couple has lived while in Washington since 1993.
A GQ profile of Meghan McCain, a $700,000 loft ,described the loft's interior as looking "like a spaceship furnished by West Elm." Wooden block letters arranged above McCain's kitchen cabinets spell the word indulge.
THIS BROTHER?:
Obama Brother Surfaces in Britain
Posted Jul 26, 08 10:53 AM CDT in Politics, World
(Newser) – Barack Obama’s Kenyan half-brother Bernard has emerged in England after a British tabloid tracked him down. Bernard Obama told the Sun he was “proud of my brother” and said he was sure Barack would win the White House. “He will be a breath of fresh air for the world,” said Bernard, 37, who was visiting his mother in the UK. Obama has eight half-siblings.

Bernard, who runs a car parts company in Nairobi, shares a father, Barack Sr., with the presidential hopeful. The elder Barack married Bernard’s mother Kezia in 1957 in Kenya; he was educated in Hawaii, where he had Obama with his second wife, Ann Dunham, and later returned to Kenya, where he became a leading government economist. “I was around 17 when I first met Barack,” said Bernard. “It was obvious from the way he spoke that he was going to be a success.”

sure is sad to think voting for a president has come down to knowing how many houses he owns , or doesnt own. Lets just stop the happy horse s%#@& and tell me what your going to do to make this country better !!!!!!!

John Mccains dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXprPCpyVb8&feature=related

Has anybody done any serious reporting on McCain's finances? Is he still refusing to disclose his wife's tax records? Maybe he really doesn't know where all her money is invested. He doesn't seem like a details kind of guy: We're rich, that's all I need to know. Let's have a barbecue.

If Mccain should drop his cards during the debate he may not know why he is there.. Mccain has gotten so bad lately he reads things from the cards like the name of the city he is in. He was introduced by someone the other day and when he took the microphone he looked at his cards to thank the lady who had just introduced him. The man is losing his mind.

------------
It’s interesting that O has been holding back. He is still holding back, at least until the debates. Then it is all over. McCain will be exposed as the liar, flip-flopper, hot-head, etc. that he is. I could go on and on. McCain has so many weaknesses. O also has weaknesses, but nothing like McCain. I despise most all politicians and am speaking as an outside observer.

Posted by: greg | August 22, 2008 3:04 PM

My friends, the DemocRATS have ratcheted up the class warfare as they do every election year. This time around they're whining about how many homes I own. My staff tells me that many of you are suffering from home foreclosures. So, here's my new economic plan: Cindy hereby offers to buy your house for a reasonable price. Her only requirement is that you and your spouse stay on as butlers.

Country first!

anonymous

you obviously have never been in a room with Obama or McCain taking questions off the cuff...

if you went to both you would see who is better at the complexities, the follow ups the details...

hands down...

Obama.

Mccain doesn't do so well you get him away from the 30 sec sound bite.

Obama

This time lets pick the smarter guy...not the scary guy.

Zogby was the guy who called it last election. Kerry wins! I think President Kerry, wait, he lost. Put all that aside and you have to wonder where are all the Democrats in cyberspace? They are the techno guys. A quick look at the numbers at http://www.bop-o-rama.com, the real-time, open poll shows Obama seems to be having trouble getting the bops out from his cyberspace base. He may be up in the Daily Gallup by 1%. Different story on the Bop-O-Meter.

The democrats have so much white guilt -

they want to nominate a black so badly -

that they jumped at Obama who has no experience, no economic experience except buying cocaine -

AND the democrats have not noticed yet that Obama is a Black Muslim whose father was a Socialist and Obama is probably a great deal closer to being a Socialist himself than most people imagine.

.

This was why Republicans are so uncomfortable with McCain. They can't defend him because they are not 100% with him. Deep down they really wish they chose someone else because the Wingnuts know this is not going to be their election year.

Here's some Latte Sipping Elitists...my friends:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJGudkju0g&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/8/14/105528/983/199
.

Funny, Chris neglects Mccain's own financial problem--being a member of the Keating Five. If Obama & Co were sitting on the houses stuff, they're probably getting ready to hit on this and other McCain failings.

It’s interesting that O has been holding back. He is still holding back, at least until the debates. Then it is all over. McCain will be exposed as the liar, flip-flopper, hot-head, etc. that he is. I could go on and on. McCain has so many weaknesses. O also has weaknesses, but nothing like McCain. I despise most all politicians and am speaking as an outside observer.

The Obama campaign may want to nominate TBD as their vice president at the convention if they can keep this story in the press. I still clearly remember Bush the First being amazed by the bar code scanner. And if McCain goes Tony Rezko, Obama counters with the Keating 5, that pretty lobbyist McCain had a thing for and all the lobbyists in his campaign. Both campaigns have nuclear weapons to lob if they want, but Obama has more of them.

Agent Orange

meanwhile Biden is out hauling his own stumps to the dump himself...

I really really really want someone to go up to McCain with any bill financial form ...tax form...

application...

help wanted ad that the vets who don't have an education look for jobs in

and ask him to fill it out or try and see

if he even recognizes what they are.

I am not being sarcastic on the mortgage payment and loan applications...

I really do not think he has ever had to look at those...ever.

Never had to figure out how to accrue wealth through work...or stability ...or balance financially...

outside of leavign his wife for the younger attractive blonde or calling his dad to take care of things...

this is important for the guy who is in charge to understand what a bad economy means ...to people.

and Mccain doesn't he's never had to.

"I think McCain understands better than Obama that free markets create the highest standard of living for the most people, "

This is complete bullplop. Things don't work in such absolutist terms. You need some amount of regulation. Many of the economic issues facing the country are due to a LACK of oversight.

Yeah, you can push it too far. Regulations can become too draconian and stifling. But you can go too far the other way. The 100% free market might work if everyone can become world experts in everything. People can't. We have stuff to do. There needs to be some oversight to prevent wrongdoings.

These purist theories drive me nuts. They work BEAUTIFULLY in books, but have failed miserably every time they have been put into practice. A smart economist knows that you need some balance.

Unfortunately, Bush lovers are missing 75% of their gray matter and can't seem ti understand this bit of nuance.

Here's something most people with family budgets don't have to worry about, either:

"The McCains increased their budget for household employees from $184,000 in 2006 to $273,000 in 2007, according to John McCain’s tax returns."

http://nitpicker.blogspot.com/2008/08/who-says-john-mccain-is-out-of-touch.html
.

That's right. The McCains pay $270,000 per year for butlers and maids--that's $50,000 more than the median value of an American home.

http://www.realestateabc.com/outlook/overall.htm
.

Ohhhh, Johnny! A quarter million on servants?!?!

JOhn C. the worst post on here sorry

You write

"If Americans want to be wealthy, we need honest and wealthy people like Sen. McCain and his wife as role models and to inspire and teach us how to be wealthy."

The McCain's did not earn their wealth...ugh.

Obama did.

what "skills" made Mccain wealthy...I don't think , again that he has ever seen a tax form himself...or a mortgage payment...

and Cindy has probably only seen one when the lawyers and accoutants have been around her.

You are right we should not discount wealth...but earned wealth.

We also should not avoid discounting someone who has NEVERhad to worry about fiscal anything in almost their entire life to make decision about how our economy is effecting real people and being able to understand how hard those challenges are...

John mcCain absolutely does not.

Look at his life...how could he.

Latte Sipping, Elitist John McCain:

"American's won't work jobs that only pay $50/hr"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpB9OoOU02M&eurl=http://www.jedreport.com/

IMAGINE

Grampy all snug for the next 4 years in one of his 7-10 houses...none of the WHITE

McCain and his fellow latte sipping elitist wealthy Republicans see the middle and lower class as their " worker ants" We are the pool that they take the income from to support their lavish life styles. The move our jobs out of the country. They give themselves huge tax breaks. Vote down any health plan that would cover all Americans. Want to control our private lives and own our bodies, strip us of our constitutional rights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP-0pedQeGw&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/8/22/0515/04723/10
.

You said you think Mccain will keep us safe. Please read below and you may change your mind.

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain arrived late at his Senate office on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. “This is war,” he murmured to his aides. The sound of scrambling fighter planes rattled the windows, sending a tremor of panic through the room.

Erik Jacobs for The New York Times
John McCain said he had consulted Henry A. Kissinger on foreign policy before and after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Within hours, Mr. McCain, the Vietnam War hero and famed straight talker of the 2000 Republican primary, had taken on a new role: the leading advocate of taking the American retaliation against Al Qaeda far beyond Afghanistan. In a marathon of television and radio appearances, Mr. McCain recited a short list of other countries said to support terrorism, invariably including Iraq, Iran and Syria.

“There is a system out there or network, and that network is going to have to be attacked,” Mr. McCain said the next morning on ABC News. “It isn’t just Afghanistan,” he added, on MSNBC. “I don’t think if you got bin Laden tomorrow that the threat has disappeared,” he said on CBS, pointing toward other countries in the Middle East.

Within a month he made clear his priority. “Very obviously Iraq is the first country,” he declared on CNN. By Jan. 2, Mr. McCain was on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea, yelling to a crowd of sailors and airmen: “Next up, Baghdad!”

Now, as Mr. McCain prepares to accept the Republican presidential nomination, his response to the attacks of Sept. 11 opens a window onto how he might approach the gravest responsibilities of a potential commander in chief. Like many, he immediately recalibrated his assessment of the unseen risks to America’s security. But he also began to suggest that he saw a new “opportunity” to deter other potential foes by punishing not only Al Qaeda but also Iraq.

“Just as Sept. 11 revolutionized our resolve to defeat our enemies, so has it brought into focus the opportunities we now have to secure and expand our freedom,” Mr. McCain told a NATO conference in Munich in early 2002, urging the Europeans to join what he portrayed as an all but certain assault on Saddam Hussein. “A better world is already emerging from the rubble.”

To his admirers, Mr. McCain’s tough response to Sept. 11 is at the heart of his appeal. They argue that he displayed the same decisiveness again last week in his swift calls to penalize Russia for its incursion into Georgia, in part by sending peacekeepers to police its border.

His critics charge that the emotion of Sept. 11 overwhelmed his former cool-eyed caution about deploying American troops without a clear national interest and a well-defined exit, turning him into a tool of the Bush administration in its push for a war to transform the region.

“He has the personality of a fighter pilot: when somebody stings you, you want to strike out,” said retired Gen. John H. Johns, a former friend and supporter of Mr. McCain who turned against him over the Iraq war. “Just like the American people, his reaction was: show me somebody to hit.”

Whether through ideology or instinct, though, Mr. McCain began making his case for invading Iraq to the public more than six months before the White House began to do the same. He drew on principles he learned growing up in a military family and on conclusions he formed as a prisoner in North Vietnam. He also returned to a conviction about “the common identity” of dangerous autocracies as far-flung as Serbia and North Korea that he had developed consulting with hawkish foreign policy thinkers to help sharpen the themes of his 2000 presidential campaign.

While pushing to take on Saddam Hussein, Mr. McCain also made arguments and statements that he may no longer wish to recall. He lauded the war planners he would later criticize, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney. (Mr. McCain even volunteered that he would have given the same job to Mr. Cheney.) He urged support for the later-discredited Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi’s opposition group, the Iraqi National Congress, and echoed some of its suspect accusations in the national media. And he advanced misleading assertions not only about Mr. Hussein’s supposed weapons programs but also about his possible ties to international terrorists, Al Qaeda and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Five years after the invasion of Iraq, Mr. McCain’s supporters note that he became an early critic of the administration’s execution of the occupation, and they credit him with pushing the troop “surge” that helped bring stability. Mr. McCain, though, stands by his support for the war and expresses no regrets about his advocacy.

In written answers to questions, he blamed “Iraq’s opacity under Saddam” for any misleading remarks he made about the peril it posed.

The Sept. 11 attacks “demonstrated the grave threat posed by a hostile regime, possessing weapons of mass destruction, and with reported ties to terrorists,” Mr. McCain wrote in an e-mail message on Friday. Given Mr. Hussein’s history of pursuing illegal weapons and his avowed hostility to the United States, “his regime posed a threat we had to take seriously.” The attacks were still a reminder, Mr. McCain added, of the importance of international action “to prevent outlaw states — like Iran today — from developing weapons of mass destruction.”

Formative Years

Mr. McCain has been debating questions about the use of military force far longer than most. He grew up in a family that had sent a son to every American war since 1776, and international relations were a staple of the McCain family dinner table. Mr. McCain grew up listening to his father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr., deliver lectures on “The Four Ocean Navy and the Soviet Threat,” closing with a slide of an image he considered the ultimate factor in the balance of power: a soldier marching through a rice paddy with a rifle at his shoulder.

“To quote Sherman, war is all hell and we need to fight it out and get it over with and that is when the killing stops,” recalled Joe McCain, Senator McCain’s younger brother.

Vietnam, for Senator McCain, reinforced those lessons. He has often said he blamed the Johnson administration’s pause in bombing for prolonging the war, and he credited President Richard M. Nixon’s renewed attacks with securing his release from a North Vietnamese prison. He has made the principle that the exercise of military power sets the bargaining table for international relations a consistent theme of his career ever since, and in his 2002 memoir he wrote that one of his lifelong convictions was “the imperative that American power never retreat in response to an inferior adversary’s provocation.”

But Mr. McCain also took away from Vietnam a second, restraining lesson: the necessity for broad domestic support for any military action. For years he opposed a string of interventions — in Lebanon, Haiti, Somalia, and, for a time, the Balkans — on the grounds that the public would balk at the loss of life without clear national interests. “The Vietnam thing,” he recently said.

In the late 1990s, however, while he was beginning to consider his 2000 presidential race, he started rebalancing his view of the needs to project American strength and to sustain public support. The 1995 massacre of 5,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica under NATO’s watch struck at his conscience, he has said, and in addition to America’s strategic national interests — in that case, the future and credibility of NATO — Mr. McCain began to speak more expansively about America’s moral obligations as the only remaining superpower.

His aides say he later described the American air strikes in Bosnia in 1996 and in Kosovo in 1999 as a parable of political leadership: Mr. McCain, Senator Bob Dole and others had rallied Congressional support for the strikes despite widespread public opposition, then watched approval soar after the intervention helped to bring peace.

“Americans elect their leaders to make these kinds of judgments,” Mr. McCain said in the e-mail message.

It was during the Balkan wars that Mr. McCain and his advisers read a 1997 article on the Wall Street Journal editorial page by William Kristol and David Brooks of The Weekly Standard — both now Op-Ed page columnists at The New York Times — promoting the idea of “national greatness” conservatism, defined by a more activist agenda at home and a more muscular role in the world.

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘eureka’ moment, but there was a sense that this is where we are headed and this is what we are trying to articulate and they have already done a lot of the work,” said John Weaver, a former McCain political adviser. “And, quite frankly, from a crass political point of view, we were in the making-friends business. The Weekly Standard represented a part of the primary electorate that we could get.”

Soon Mr. McCain and his aides were consulting regularly with the circle of hawkish foreign policy thinkers sometimes referred to as neoconservatives — including Mr. Kristol, Robert Kagan and Randy Scheunemann, a former aide to Mr. Dole who became a McCain campaign adviser — to develop the senator’s foreign policy ideas and instincts into the broad themes of a presidential campaign. (In his e-mail message, Mr. McCain noted that he had also consulted with friends like Henry A. Kissinger, known for a narrower view of American interests.)

One result was a series of speeches in which Mr. McCain called for “rogue state rollback.” He argued that disparate regional troublemakers, including Iraq, North Korea and Serbia, bore a common stamp: they were all autocracies. And as such, he contended, they were more likely to export terrorism, spread dangerous weapons, or start ethnic conflicts. In an early outline of what would become his initial response to the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. McCain argued that “swift and sure” retribution against any one of the rogue states was an essential deterrent to any of the others. But Mr. McCain’s advisers and aides say his “rogue state” speeches stopped short of the most sweeping international agenda put forth by Mr. Kristol, Mr. Kagan and their allies. Mr. McCain explicitly disavowed direct military action merely to advance American values, foreswearing any “global crusade” of interventions in favor of relying on covert and financial support for internal opposition groups.

As an example, he could point to his 1998 sponsorship of the Iraqi Liberation Act, which sought to direct nearly $100 million to Iraqis who hoped to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The bill, signed by President Bill Clinton, also endorsed the ouster of Mr. Hussein.

Mr. McCain said then that he doubted the United States could muster the political will to use ground troops to remove the Iraqi dictator any time soon. “It was much easier when Saddam Hussein was occupying Kuwait and threatening Saudi Arabia,” the senator told Fox News in November 1998. “We’d have to convince the American people that it’s worth again the sacrifice of American lives, because that would also be part of the price.”

Hard Calls

Mr. McCain spent the afternoon of Sept. 11 in a young aide’s studio apartment near the Capitol. There was no cable television, nothing but water in the kitchen, and the hallway reminded him of an old boxing gym. Evacuated from his office but stranded by traffic, he could not resist imagining himself at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. “There are not enough Secret Service agents in the world to keep me away from Washington and New York at a time like this,” Mr. McCain told an adviser.

Over the next days and weeks, however, Mr. McCain became almost as visible as he would have been as president. Broadcasters rushed to him as a patriotic icon and reassuring voice, and for weeks he was ubiquitous on the morning news programs, Sunday talk shows, cable news networks, and even late-night comedy shows.

In the spotlight, he pushed rogue state rollback one step further, arguing that the United States should go on the offensive as a warning to any other country that might condone such an attack. “These networks are well-embedded in some of these countries,” Mr. McCain said on Sept. 12, listing Iraq, Iran and Syria as potential targets of United States pressure. “We’re going to have to prove to them that we are very serious, and the price that they will pay will not only be for punishment but also deterrence.”

Although he had campaigned for President Bush during the 2000 general election, he was still largely frozen out of the White House because of animosities left over from the Republican primary. But after Mr. Bush declared he would hold responsible any country condoning terrorism, Mr. McCain called his leadership “magnificent” and his national security team the strongest “that has ever been assembled.” A few weeks later, Larry King of CNN asked whether he would have named Mr. Rumsfeld and Colin L. Powell to a McCain cabinet. “Oh, yes, and Cheney,” Mr. McCain answered, saying he, too, would have offered Mr. Cheney the vice presidency.

Even during the heat of the war in Afghanistan, Mr. McCain kept an eye on Iraq. To Jay Leno in mid-September, Mr. McCain said he believed “some other countries” had assisted Osama bin Laden, going on to suggest Iraq, Syria and Iran as potential suspects. In October 2001, when an Op-Ed page column in The New York Times speculated that Iraq, Russia or some other country might bear responsibility for that month’s anthrax mailings, Mr. McCain interrupted a question about Afghanistan from David Letterman on that night’s “Late Show.” “The second phase is Iraq,” Mr. McCain said, adding, “Some of this anthrax may — and I emphasize may — have come from Iraq.” (The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it came from a federal government laboratory in Maryland.) By October, United States and foreign intelligence agencies had said publicly that they doubted any cooperation between Mr. Hussein and Al Qaeda, noting Al Qaeda’s opposition to such secular nationalists. American intelligence officials soon declared that Mr. Hussein had not supported international terrorism for nearly a decade.

But when the Czech government said that before the attacks, one of the 9/11 hijackers had met in Prague with an Iraqi intelligence official, Mr. McCain seized the report as something close to a smoking gun. “The evidence is very clear,” he said three days later, in an Oct. 29 television interview. (Intelligence agencies quickly cast doubt on the meeting.)

Frustrated by the dearth of American intelligence about Iraq, Mr. McCain’s aides say, he had long sought to learn as much as he could from Iraqi opposition figures in exile, including Mr. Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress. Over the years, Mr. McCain often urged support for the group, saying it had “significant support, in my view, inside Iraq.”

After Sept. 11, Mr. Chalabi’s group said an Iraqi emissary had once met with Osama bin Laden, and brought forward two Iraqi defectors who described terrorist training camps and biological weapons efforts. At times, Mr. McCain seemed to echo their accusations, citing the “two defectors” in a television interview and attesting to “credible reports of involvement between Iraqi administration officials, Iraqi officials and the terrorists.”

Growing Impatient

But United States intelligence officials had doubts about Mr. Chalabi at the time and have since discredited his group. In 2006, Mr. McCain acknowledged to The New Republic that he had been “too enamored with the I.N.C.” In his e-mail message, though, he said he never relied on the group for information about Iraq’s weapons program.

At a European security conference in February 2002, when the Bush administration still publicly maintained that it had made no decision about moving against Iraq, Mr. McCain described an invasion as all but certain. “A terrorist resides in Baghdad,” he said, adding, “A day of reckoning is approaching.”

Regime change in Iraq in addition to Afghanistan, he argued, would compel other sponsors of terrorism to mend their ways, “accomplishing by example what we would otherwise have to pursue through force of arms.”

Finally, as American troops massed in the Persian Gulf in early 2003, Mr. McCain grew impatient, his aides say, concerned that the White House was failing to act as the hot desert summer neared. Waiting, he warned in a speech in Washington, risked squandering the public and international support aroused by Sept. 11. “Does anyone really believe that the world’s will to contain Saddam won’t eventually collapse as utterly as it did in the 1990s?” Mr. McCain asked.

In retrospect, some of Mr. McCain’s critics now accuse him of looking for a pretext to justify the war. “McCain was hell-bent for leather: ‘Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, we have got to teach him, let’s send a message to the other people in the Middle East,’ ” said Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts.

But Mr. McCain, in his e-mail message, said the reason he had supported the war was the evolving threat from Mr. Hussein.

“I believe voters elect their leaders based on their experience and judgment — their ability to make hard calls, for instance, on matters of war and peace,” he wrote. “It’s important to get them right.”

-----------
What matters is how the particular elitist will lead America. I’m voting for McCain because I think he’s more likely to keep us safe and free than Obama, not because I care which has the most or nicest houses.
Posted by: TartanMarine | August 22, 2008 12:58 PM

When McCain's lifestyle is held up against his policies, it serves to inform voters about his perspective and his poor judgment.

That McCain is divorced from the struggles of the American middle class has become patently obvious. In 2006, McCain made clear that he didn't think Americans would pick lettuce for $50 an hour (some $100,000 a year). In June of 2008, McCain couldn't remember the last time he actually had to pump gas, and he didn't answer the question as to what the price of gas was at the time. In the same month, while conceding that offshore drilling would not have an immediate effect on gas prices, McCain argued that drilling in such a manner would have a "psychological impact" that would be "beneficial." In other words, there would be no direct relief to the middle class, but it would make us feel as if "something"-albeit a meaningless "something"--was being done. I suppose if you don't have to pump your own gas, you can feel good about offshore drilling that doesn't lower the price of a gallon.

A month later, in July, we learned more about McCain's perspective when his friend and co-chair of his campaign, Phil Gramm, stated that America was a "nation of whiners" and that current economic woes reflected only a "mental recession." While McCain quickly distanced himself from the comments of his most trusted economic adviser, significantly, McCain did not withdraw or modify the economic plan that Gramm himself had crafted. In other words, while Gramm was quietly shoved to the sidelines of the campaign to ensure McCain's political survival, his economic plan, which reflects the view that America is a "nation of whiners," is still embraced wholeheartedly by John McCain.

And just what is that economic plan? Token tax cuts for those "whiners" while the wealthy receive true relief from the federal government.
-
The Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain are both proposing tax plans that would result in cuts for most American families. Obama's plan gives the biggest cuts to those who make the least, while McCain would give the largest cuts to the very wealthy.
-

Why is McCain's "Housing Crisis" is so relevant?

Note that 60% of taxpayers would see less than a 1% cut in taxes under the McCain/Gramm plan.

If McCain's plan mirrored that of Barack Obama--in other words, if his economic philosophy reflected the notion that the government should aid those Americans who need it the most, not those who need help the least--then whether McCain remembers if he owns one house or one dozen houses would be a simple campaign gaffe rather than a major story.

However, where, as here, a candidate's economic worldview is so skewed in favor of the super-rich like McCain's is, of those 147,000 families which make of the top .1% of taxpayers, and when that candidate's economic policy provides no real relief to millions of American families struggling to make ends meet in one home, then a gaffe becomes an inadvertent confession of irrelevancy.

If McCain thinks that 5 million is the definition of rich than by his standards Obama is not a rich elitist and he (himself) is.

The fact is, spin aside, every candidate for president, perhaps since Lincoln, is elitist compared to an “average” American. I make a nice salary, am hardly poor, but I don’t move in the circles or have houses like Bush, Kerry, Obama or McCain.

What matters is how the particular elitist will lead America. I’m voting for McCain because I think he’s more likely to keep us safe and free than Obama, not because I care which has the most or nicest houses. (Though they are both welcome to stop by my two bedroom apartment for a beer.) Unfortunately, as Dr. Thomas Sowell points out in his excellent book, “Basic Economics,” politicians of both parties get votes by pushing economic policies that are popular, but hurt the poor and middle class, because most voters don’t understand economics. So the candidate wins this November on policies that make you jobless in six years, but hey, he won and you’ll never make the connection. I wish McCain & Obama would both read Sowell’s book, then have a debate on that, though I think McCain understands better than Obama that free markets create the highest standard of living for the most people, while increased government regulation and taxes drive down the economy.

Amazing how a simple question like that befuddles McCain, when just a couple of nights ago he almost answered some very difficult questions before they were asked, as if he knew beforehand and rehearsed his answers to what he was going to be asked.

SEN. MCCAIN WEALTH IS A PRESIDENTIAL ASSET NOT A LIABILITY.

If Americans want to be wealthy, we need honest and wealthy people like Sen. McCain and his wife as role models and to inspire and teach us how to be wealthy.

Realise, using poor people to make us wealthy is like using Oprah Winfrey to make us healthy and skinny (She can't make us healthy and skinny because she does not have the ability to be skinny and healthy herself; furthermore, associating with her would cause her unhealthy habits to rub off on us. No wonder there are so many fat people in America.).

Point, if Americans want to be wealthy, we need to elect wealthy and honest people like Sen. McCain, not poor people. Poor people does not have the skills to make us wealthy.

Anyone who thinks being black and from Obamas means in Harvard has never been around that kind of situation. I am sure he was reminded of knowing his place on a daily basis.

----------
They are different srots of elites.
Obama was raised by a struggling mother nad working-class grandparents. He got into elite schools by brain power and ended up as editor of the Harvard Law Review. He married Michelle who was another striver and over-acheiver. they are both tall and slender.
McCain was the son and grandson of naval admirals. He got into USNA on the strength of his family and struggled though at the bottom of his class. He married a swim-suit model, and -- when she put on weight and age -- married another young, rich, girl who was an heiress.

Obama has accomplished more than the average voter can picture himself accomplishing; McCain has been given more privileges than the average voter could dream of being given.

Posted by: Frank Palmer | August 22, 2008 12:42 PM

They are different srots of elites.
Obama was raised by a struggling mother nad working-class grandparents. He got into elite schools by brain power and ended up as editor of the Harvard Law Review. He married Michelle who was another striver and over-acheiver. they are both tall and slender.
McCain was the son and grandson of naval admirals. He got into USNA on the strength of his family and struggled though at the bottom of his class. He married a swim-suit model, and -- when she put on weight and age -- married another young, rich, girl who was an heiress.

Obama has accomplished more than the average voter can picture himself accomplishing; McCain has been given more privileges than the average voter could dream of being given.

In response to:
Remember the old saying: "Before you're forty, you have the face you were born with. After forty, you have the face you deserve." Michele Obama is one hell of an angry looking person.

Posted by: Pixie | August 22, 2008 11:45 AM

-------

Gee Pixie - good to know you focus on the important things to decide how to vote. Really deep.

In response to:
Remember the old saying: "Before you're forty, you have the face you were born with. After forty, you have the face you deserve." Michele Obama is one hell of an angry looking person.

Posted by: Pixie | August 22, 2008 11:45 AM

-------

Gee Pixie - good to know you focus on the important things to decide how to vote. Really deep.

I'm very glad to see Obama going after Senior Citizen McCain - don't let them push you around and jump on every little thing - joe six-pack don't know nuthin else!

In response to: Now make your decision ...
The rest is just noise!

Posted by: ricardo maxwell | August 22, 2008 10:03 AM

----------------
Hey Ricardo - after reading your diatribe, I have one suggestion: why don't you first, learn the facts and second, learn about theories on which things such as economic principle is based. Then you might try learning not to be such a blatant bigot and hate-monger.

Here are a couple of facts for you: -The tax breaks you claim McCain will use to keep our currently "healthy" economy going; currently oil companies like ExxonMobil are getting $13.5 billion in tax breaks. The legislation that would have closed these "loopholes" was defeated by one vote. -McCain's.

While claiming to be "the man" for vets and military troops, he's voted against virtually every bill to help our military with better equipment to fight the war, better equipment to train for the war, better pay, and better health care. The $13.5 billion would go a long way towards equipment for our troops currently serving, training our troops who are getting deployed, updating obsolete equipment being used by the National Guards to train what is now essentially an active-duty component, or helping pay for health care and other assistance for our wounded and disabled warriors and veterans from WWII, Korea, VietNam and the first Gulf War. All groups that Mr. McCain has consistently voted against helping. -And he's still opposed to closing those loopholes.

Excuse me, but my vet husband and I are VERY 'middle income.' We pay taxes, which Exxon doesn't-while posting the largest corporate income ever. -And just so you know, that income is AFTER they've shoved LOTS of money into their executives pockets, R&D, and every other nook and cranny they can find to 'pad' their overall economic health.

Again, before you flap - why don't you learn something about which you speak, or at least check your facts first. And lose the hate language. Or on second thought - keep it up. Perhaps it's reflective of the level of people who think McCain would be good for this country.

The only ones this issue matters to is the Obama supporters and the mainstream media.

Personally, I can't stand John McCain (because of his position on illegal immigration), but I will be voting for him in November. Why? Because it's a no-brainer. Obama really is just an "empty suit" with big ears.

Besides that, his wife looks very angry, reminiscent of Leona Helmsley and Teresa Heinz Kerry. No way will Americans accept a First Lady like that. Even the Obama campaign staff has realized this and is desperately trying to change her image. Won't work!

Remember the old saying: "Before you're forty, you have the face you were born with. After forty, you have the face you deserve." Michele Obama is one hell of an angry looking person.

Obama is doing exactly what he needs to do:

Pound the hypocrite McCain loud and clear.

The Repubs are running the same dirty, slimey, lies campaign that they always do even though McCain said he wouldn't.

Obama has no choice but to fight fire with fire if he expects to win.

Any one who needs their social security must not vote for McCain. Baby Boomers better wake up. They should realize that the clock is ticking on when they will able to collect. They could very well be sending us all to the poor house with a vote for McCain. Wake up!!!!!

"Class remains a powerful motivator for many voters in the country"

That's a joke, right? I doubt this country has ever had a presidential candidate who wasn't in the 99th percentile wealthwise. If a candidate can be shown to have contempt for other classes (which I assume is what you're really getting at), that will hurt. But all presidential candidates - and pretty much every other candidate for federal office - come from the same "class".

What might happen in a crisis with Mccain as president. An insight into the mind of a hawk.

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain arrived late at his Senate office on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. “This is war,” he murmured to his aides. The sound of scrambling fighter planes rattled the windows, sending a tremor of panic through the room.

Erik Jacobs for The New York Times
John McCain said he had consulted Henry A. Kissinger on foreign policy before and after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Within hours, Mr. McCain, the Vietnam War hero and famed straight talker of the 2000 Republican primary, had taken on a new role: the leading advocate of taking the American retaliation against Al Qaeda far beyond Afghanistan. In a marathon of television and radio appearances, Mr. McCain recited a short list of other countries said to support terrorism, invariably including Iraq, Iran and Syria.

“There is a system out there or network, and that network is going to have to be attacked,” Mr. McCain said the next morning on ABC News. “It isn’t just Afghanistan,” he added, on MSNBC. “I don’t think if you got bin Laden tomorrow that the threat has disappeared,” he said on CBS, pointing toward other countries in the Middle East.

Within a month he made clear his priority. “Very obviously Iraq is the first country,” he declared on CNN. By Jan. 2, Mr. McCain was on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea, yelling to a crowd of sailors and airmen: “Next up, Baghdad!”

Now, as Mr. McCain prepares to accept the Republican presidential nomination, his response to the attacks of Sept. 11 opens a window onto how he might approach the gravest responsibilities of a potential commander in chief. Like many, he immediately recalibrated his assessment of the unseen risks to America’s security. But he also began to suggest that he saw a new “opportunity” to deter other potential foes by punishing not only Al Qaeda but also Iraq.

“Just as Sept. 11 revolutionized our resolve to defeat our enemies, so has it brought into focus the opportunities we now have to secure and expand our freedom,” Mr. McCain told a NATO conference in Munich in early 2002, urging the Europeans to join what he portrayed as an all but certain assault on Saddam Hussein. “A better world is already emerging from the rubble.”

To his admirers, Mr. McCain’s tough response to Sept. 11 is at the heart of his appeal. They argue that he displayed the same decisiveness again last week in his swift calls to penalize Russia for its incursion into Georgia, in part by sending peacekeepers to police its border.

His critics charge that the emotion of Sept. 11 overwhelmed his former cool-eyed caution about deploying American troops without a clear national interest and a well-defined exit, turning him into a tool of the Bush administration in its push for a war to transform the region.

“He has the personality of a fighter pilot: when somebody stings you, you want to strike out,” said retired Gen. John H. Johns, a former friend and supporter of Mr. McCain who turned against him over the Iraq war. “Just like the American people, his reaction was: show me somebody to hit.”

Whether through ideology or instinct, though, Mr. McCain began making his case for invading Iraq to the public more than six months before the White House began to do the same. He drew on principles he learned growing up in a military family and on conclusions he formed as a prisoner in North Vietnam. He also returned to a conviction about “the common identity” of dangerous autocracies as far-flung as Serbia and North Korea that he had developed consulting with hawkish foreign policy thinkers to help sharpen the themes of his 2000 presidential campaign.

While pushing to take on Saddam Hussein, Mr. McCain also made arguments and statements that he may no longer wish to recall. He lauded the war planners he would later criticize, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney. (Mr. McCain even volunteered that he would have given the same job to Mr. Cheney.) He urged support for the later-discredited Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi’s opposition group, the Iraqi National Congress, and echoed some of its suspect accusations in the national media. And he advanced misleading assertions not only about Mr. Hussein’s supposed weapons programs but also about his possible ties to international terrorists, Al Qaeda and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Five years after the invasion of Iraq, Mr. McCain’s supporters note that he became an early critic of the administration’s execution of the occupation, and they credit him with pushing the troop “surge” that helped bring stability. Mr. McCain, though, stands by his support for the war and expresses no regrets about his advocacy.

In written answers to questions, he blamed “Iraq’s opacity under Saddam” for any misleading remarks he made about the peril it posed.

The Sept. 11 attacks “demonstrated the grave threat posed by a hostile regime, possessing weapons of mass destruction, and with reported ties to terrorists,” Mr. McCain wrote in an e-mail message on Friday. Given Mr. Hussein’s history of pursuing illegal weapons and his avowed hostility to the United States, “his regime posed a threat we had to take seriously.” The attacks were still a reminder, Mr. McCain added, of the importance of international action “to prevent outlaw states — like Iran today — from developing weapons of mass destruction.”

Formative Years

Mr. McCain has been debating questions about the use of military force far longer than most. He grew up in a family that had sent a son to every American war since 1776, and international relations were a staple of the McCain family dinner table. Mr. McCain grew up listening to his father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr., deliver lectures on “The Four Ocean Navy and the Soviet Threat,” closing with a slide of an image he considered the ultimate factor in the balance of power: a soldier marching through a rice paddy with a rifle at his shoulder.

“To quote Sherman, war is all hell and we need to fight it out and get it over with and that is when the killing stops,” recalled Joe McCain, Senator McCain’s younger brother.

Vietnam, for Senator McCain, reinforced those lessons. He has often said he blamed the Johnson administration’s pause in bombing for prolonging the war, and he credited President Richard M. Nixon’s renewed attacks with securing his release from a North Vietnamese prison. He has made the principle that the exercise of military power sets the bargaining table for international relations a consistent theme of his career ever since, and in his 2002 memoir he wrote that one of his lifelong convictions was “the imperative that American power never retreat in response to an inferior adversary’s provocation.”

But Mr. McCain also took away from Vietnam a second, restraining lesson: the necessity for broad domestic support for any military action. For years he opposed a string of interventions — in Lebanon, Haiti, Somalia, and, for a time, the Balkans — on the grounds that the public would balk at the loss of life without clear national interests. “The Vietnam thing,” he recently said.

In the late 1990s, however, while he was beginning to consider his 2000 presidential race, he started rebalancing his view of the needs to project American strength and to sustain public support. The 1995 massacre of 5,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica under NATO’s watch struck at his conscience, he has said, and in addition to America’s strategic national interests — in that case, the future and credibility of NATO — Mr. McCain began to speak more expansively about America’s moral obligations as the only remaining superpower.

His aides say he later described the American air strikes in Bosnia in 1996 and in Kosovo in 1999 as a parable of political leadership: Mr. McCain, Senator Bob Dole and others had rallied Congressional support for the strikes despite widespread public opposition, then watched approval soar after the intervention helped to bring peace.

“Americans elect their leaders to make these kinds of judgments,” Mr. McCain said in the e-mail message.

It was during the Balkan wars that Mr. McCain and his advisers read a 1997 article on the Wall Street Journal editorial page by William Kristol and David Brooks of The Weekly Standard — both now Op-Ed page columnists at The New York Times — promoting the idea of “national greatness” conservatism, defined by a more activist agenda at home and a more muscular role in the world.

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘eureka’ moment, but there was a sense that this is where we are headed and this is what we are trying to articulate and they have already done a lot of the work,” said John Weaver, a former McCain political adviser. “And, quite frankly, from a crass political point of view, we were in the making-friends business. The Weekly Standard represented a part of the primary electorate that we could get.”

Soon Mr. McCain and his aides were consulting regularly with the circle of hawkish foreign policy thinkers sometimes referred to as neoconservatives — including Mr. Kristol, Robert Kagan and Randy Scheunemann, a former aide to Mr. Dole who became a McCain campaign adviser — to develop the senator’s foreign policy ideas and instincts into the broad themes of a presidential campaign. (In his e-mail message, Mr. McCain noted that he had also consulted with friends like Henry A. Kissinger, known for a narrower view of American interests.)

One result was a series of speeches in which Mr. McCain called for “rogue state rollback.” He argued that disparate regional troublemakers, including Iraq, North Korea and Serbia, bore a common stamp: they were all autocracies. And as such, he contended, they were more likely to export terrorism, spread dangerous weapons, or start ethnic conflicts. In an early outline of what would become his initial response to the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. McCain argued that “swift and sure” retribution against any one of the rogue states was an essential deterrent to any of the others. But Mr. McCain’s advisers and aides say his “rogue state” speeches stopped short of the most sweeping international agenda put forth by Mr. Kristol, Mr. Kagan and their allies. Mr. McCain explicitly disavowed direct military action merely to advance American values, foreswearing any “global crusade” of interventions in favor of relying on covert and financial support for internal opposition groups.

As an example, he could point to his 1998 sponsorship of the Iraqi Liberation Act, which sought to direct nearly $100 million to Iraqis who hoped to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The bill, signed by President Bill Clinton, also endorsed the ouster of Mr. Hussein.

Mr. McCain said then that he doubted the United States could muster the political will to use ground troops to remove the Iraqi dictator any time soon. “It was much easier when Saddam Hussein was occupying Kuwait and threatening Saudi Arabia,” the senator told Fox News in November 1998. “We’d have to convince the American people that it’s worth again the sacrifice of American lives, because that would also be part of the price.”

Hard Calls

Mr. McCain spent the afternoon of Sept. 11 in a young aide’s studio apartment near the Capitol. There was no cable television, nothing but water in the kitchen, and the hallway reminded him of an old boxing gym. Evacuated from his office but stranded by traffic, he could not resist imagining himself at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. “There are not enough Secret Service agents in the world to keep me away from Washington and New York at a time like this,” Mr. McCain told an adviser.

Over the next days and weeks, however, Mr. McCain became almost as visible as he would have been as president. Broadcasters rushed to him as a patriotic icon and reassuring voice, and for weeks he was ubiquitous on the morning news programs, Sunday talk shows, cable news networks, and even late-night comedy shows.

In the spotlight, he pushed rogue state rollback one step further, arguing that the United States should go on the offensive as a warning to any other country that might condone such an attack. “These networks are well-embedded in some of these countries,” Mr. McCain said on Sept. 12, listing Iraq, Iran and Syria as potential targets of United States pressure. “We’re going to have to prove to them that we are very serious, and the price that they will pay will not only be for punishment but also deterrence.”

Although he had campaigned for President Bush during the 2000 general election, he was still largely frozen out of the White House because of animosities left over from the Republican primary. But after Mr. Bush declared he would hold responsible any country condoning terrorism, Mr. McCain called his leadership “magnificent” and his national security team the strongest “that has ever been assembled.” A few weeks later, Larry King of CNN asked whether he would have named Mr. Rumsfeld and Colin L. Powell to a McCain cabinet. “Oh, yes, and Cheney,” Mr. McCain answered, saying he, too, would have offered Mr. Cheney the vice presidency.

Even during the heat of the war in Afghanistan, Mr. McCain kept an eye on Iraq. To Jay Leno in mid-September, Mr. McCain said he believed “some other countries” had assisted Osama bin Laden, going on to suggest Iraq, Syria and Iran as potential suspects. In October 2001, when an Op-Ed page column in The New York Times speculated that Iraq, Russia or some other country might bear responsibility for that month’s anthrax mailings, Mr. McCain interrupted a question about Afghanistan from David Letterman on that night’s “Late Show.” “The second phase is Iraq,” Mr. McCain said, adding, “Some of this anthrax may — and I emphasize may — have come from Iraq.” (The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it came from a federal government laboratory in Maryland.) By October, United States and foreign intelligence agencies had said publicly that they doubted any cooperation between Mr. Hussein and Al Qaeda, noting Al Qaeda’s opposition to such secular nationalists. American intelligence officials soon declared that Mr. Hussein had not supported international terrorism for nearly a decade.

But when the Czech government said that before the attacks, one of the 9/11 hijackers had met in Prague with an Iraqi intelligence official, Mr. McCain seized the report as something close to a smoking gun. “The evidence is very clear,” he said three days later, in an Oct. 29 television interview. (Intelligence agencies quickly cast doubt on the meeting.)

Frustrated by the dearth of American intelligence about Iraq, Mr. McCain’s aides say, he had long sought to learn as much as he could from Iraqi opposition figures in exile, including Mr. Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress. Over the years, Mr. McCain often urged support for the group, saying it had “significant support, in my view, inside Iraq.”

After Sept. 11, Mr. Chalabi’s group said an Iraqi emissary had once met with Osama bin Laden, and brought forward two Iraqi defectors who described terrorist training camps and biological weapons efforts. At times, Mr. McCain seemed to echo their accusations, citing the “two defectors” in a television interview and attesting to “credible reports of involvement between Iraqi administration officials, Iraqi officials and the terrorists.”

Growing Impatient

But United States intelligence officials had doubts about Mr. Chalabi at the time and have since discredited his group. In 2006, Mr. McCain acknowledged to The New Republic that he had been “too enamored with the I.N.C.” In his e-mail message, though, he said he never relied on the group for information about Iraq’s weapons program.

At a European security conference in February 2002, when the Bush administration still publicly maintained that it had made no decision about moving against Iraq, Mr. McCain described an invasion as all but certain. “A terrorist resides in Baghdad,” he said, adding, “A day of reckoning is approaching.”

Regime change in Iraq in addition to Afghanistan, he argued, would compel other sponsors of terrorism to mend their ways, “accomplishing by example what we would otherwise have to pursue through force of arms.”

Finally, as American troops massed in the Persian Gulf in early 2003, Mr. McCain grew impatient, his aides say, concerned that the White House was failing to act as the hot desert summer neared. Waiting, he warned in a speech in Washington, risked squandering the public and international support aroused by Sept. 11. “Does anyone really believe that the world’s will to contain Saddam won’t eventually collapse as utterly as it did in the 1990s?” Mr. McCain asked.

In retrospect, some of Mr. McCain’s critics now accuse him of looking for a pretext to justify the war. “McCain was hell-bent for leather: ‘Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, we have got to teach him, let’s send a message to the other people in the Middle East,’ ” said Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts.

But Mr. McCain, in his e-mail message, said the reason he had supported the war was the evolving threat from Mr. Hussein.

“I believe voters elect their leaders based on their experience and judgment — their ability to make hard calls, for instance, on matters of war and peace,” he wrote. “It’s important to get them right.”

Ronald reagan

did not sabre rattle

ugh

Ronald Reagan spoke softly and carried a big stick. he was discreet and frugal in his aggressive statements... but was free to make sure we had a big stick with his statements

There is a BIG difference.

John Mccain does exactly the opposite...

our stick is strained and his speech is napoleonic.

From factcheck.org

You might as well know what actually happened so you can make up your own mind without the lies.
If you are interested read below.

Q: Does Obama have a real estate problem?

A political patron from whom he bought a strip of land is under federal indictment, but there's no evidence Obama did anything improper.
Here’s what happened: In 2005, Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, bid $1.65 million for a house on the south side of Chicago. According to newspaper reports, the owner was also trying to sell an undeveloped parcel of land adjacent to the property Obama was buying, and he wanted the sales of the two to close on the same day. Obama has said that he mentioned he was buying the house to a longtime political patron, Antoin (Tony) Rezko, a developer. Rezko’s wife wound up buying the lot adjacent to Obama’s. At the request of the Obamas, who were seeking a bit more space for their yard, she later sold them a 10-foot wide strip, or about one-sixth, of her land. The Obamas paid $104,500 for it, or about one-sixth of what Mrs. Rezko had paid for the entire property.

Obama doesn’t appear to have reaped any financial advantages from the transactions. The reason the deal has received a good bit of attention is that Tony Rezko – whose political contributions to Illinois’ former governor, Obama and others totaled in the hundreds of thousands of dollars – was known to be under federal investigation at the time the Obamas were purchasing their home. In 2006, Rezko was indicted in three federal cases: Two involved fraud schemes in which he allegedly demanded payments from firms wanting work from the enormous Illinois teachers’ pension fund and from those wanting favorable rulings from a state board that regulates the building of new hospital facilities. In the third, he was charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $10 million in loans for a pizza restaurant business; in December 2007, prosecutors added more fraud counts to that indictment.

Obama has a relationship with Rezko that dates back many years, but there’s no indication Obama did anything improper. Shortly after finishing law school, Obama, who had turned down a job offer from the developer, went to work at a law firm where he represented some community groups that partnered with Rezko to apply for housing rehabilitation loans. As a state legislator, he wrote letters to city and state officials in support of Rezko’s efforts to build apartments for the elderly with government money; the senator asserts that this was a project the community wanted. Obama got together with Rezko a couple of times a year, he has said.

Obama has donated campaign contributions from Rezko and his associates to charity, and he said in 2006, when the real estate transaction was reported by the press, that he made a “boneheaded” mistake by participating in the deal when it was known that Rezko was being investigated. “I regret it,” Obama said. “I’m going to make sure from this point on I don’t even come close to the line.”

--------------

This was another boneheaded move on Obama's part that will backfire on him like all of his elitist, nasty, snob remarks have so far. What an amateur and naive fool to open up this can of worms. Obama gave a crook $14 million of government money and in return the crook bought part of Obama's house for him. Did McCain take bribes and money from criminals to buy any of his wife's investment houses?
Posted by: gary from indiana | August 22, 2008 10:27 AM

I'm not sure why it took the house gaffe to convince people that McCain is out of touch. He'd already said the "economy is basically sound" which tended to go right over people's head.

People it is not the houses, it's the economy (OURS not HIS).

We have (rent) one home. How many do you have? Have you ever forgotten that? Could you?

I got into school based on my own record, not my daddy's and granddad's, and I was rather higher than the bottom 1% of my class. I did not then also get the choicest, most prestigious assignments possible over my better-qualified classmates. And I certainly did NOT keep flying for the government after losing FIVE government aircraft.

I'll take one home, one wife, born in the USA, raised by a single mother and grandparents, took out and repaid his own student loans to pay for his education, works with the poor and goes to church Obama over McBushII *any* day.

I respect that McCain went through hell in VN. But I don't believe that makes him the most qualified person (or qualified AT ALL) to be President. Let him retire to spend his golden years in Arizona, just like the rest of his pre-Boomer generation.

Do you actually think Obama's people don't know that is going to be Mccains response? This is a poker game they already have their next move planed and it will be things like "The keating 5" Mccains having to pay a prosecutor a few million to settle a case where Mccain misused his office to get him fired because he was investigating Mccains wife theft from a foundation she was the head of. Do you have any idea how dirty a guy like John Mccain is who has been in washington as long as he has? If you have been watching the Obama campaign at all you know they are very, very clever, nothing happens by accident. The Obama people want this kind of conversation because they have a ton of ammunition. They just didn't want to be the ones to start it. Mccain's campaign of fool have just handed a gift to Obama that will keep in giving.

-----------------
Obama shouldn't put ads out there that refer to McCain's answer about how many houses he has. All that ad does is bring back our thoughts about how Obama got his one house and a portion of the lot next door.

The Obamas bought the house in June 2005 for $1.65 million--some $300,000 less than the asking price--and secured a $1.32 million mortgage from Northern Trust.

Rezko's wife, Rita, bought the adjoining lot the same day, paying the full $625,000 asking price with the help of a $500,000 mortgage from Mutual Bank of Harvey. By the way, Rita Rezko's annual salary was $37,000 when she obtained the $500,000 mortgage.

As I said, Obama shouldn't be putting out any ads about McCain's home ownership or ANYONE'S home ownership.

Posted by: Ralph | August 22, 2008 9:03 AM

It all boils down to getting people to vote against their own interests by using the flag as a blindfold, doesn't it? The GOP are masters at this. I wish it were not the case, but the onus of "educating" people who seem unfazed by the past 8 years of incompetence falls on Obama. In an informed democracy, the citizenry would have the brains and desire to do this themselves. They wouldn't fall for straw man arguments and ad hominem attacks in the name of "country". But that's another topic altogether...

BUT WILL THE ELECTION EVEN MATTER? Not when government-supported "vigilante injustice" squads are "gang stalking" American citizens, making a mockery of the rule of law:
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/get-political-vic-livingston-opinion-expose-state-supported-vigilante-squads-doing-domestic-terrorism

WHAT IF THEY COULD SHOOT YOU
WITHOUT LEAVING A TRACE? THEY CAN.
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/zap-have-you-been-targeted-directed-energy-weapon-victims-organized-gang-stalking-say-its-happening-usa-1

Hey - Braveheart-"Anonymous" -
BTW, if any Obama supporters still want to challenge Sen. McC senility, I suggest you remember the debate between Sen. McC and Sen. Obama. Sen. McC obviously creamed Sen. Obama butt. Sen. Obama was stumbling and fumbling his answers; while, Sen. McC clearly and intelligently answered all questions.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 22, 2008 2:31 AM

----

What debate? By definition that means two people addressing issues on a forum where both appear. Not an "interview" forum. I'll ignore that McCain seemed to know the questions before they were asked - calling into question the efficacy of the "cone of silence" - which we all now know was non-existent; I'll instead address your preference for the "sound bite" answers McCain delivered.

Obviously you prefer someone who doesn't listen fully to questions, think about the issue and then answer fully. That puts you in company with so many people out there who don't want to have to think. They prefer that "Daddy" make the decision and then a pronouncement - it's far easier than having to think independently and act responsibly. Such were the people who followed Jim Jones to Guyana... -And that's why we have Bush in the White House.

Personally, I prefer my leaders to actually listen to the people and consider the questions and the advice they're given. They don't have to agree with it or act on it necessarily, but having a thinking person in the White House would certainly go far towards bringing us back out of the Bush abyss.

On a final note - the people of the United States declared overwhelmingly last November and since then that they want change. Now I hear people declaring they're concernded that Obama doesn't have enough experience. Well, Bush had the "experience" that everyone seems to value - and look where that's gotten us.

I say IF YOU WANT CHANGE, PUT YOUR VOTE WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!

"Ronald Reagan showed what saber rattling could accomplish." Ha, like what, fleeing Lebanon when the Marine barracks were attacked in Beirut?

Why don't you tell us the details of that? Oh thats right there is no story just an innuendo you throw out that has no basis.

=========
I would be less concerned about a candidate knowing exactly how much they have invested in property than I would be about a candidate who used funds from a convicted felon (Tony Rezko) to buy part of their property.

Posted by: Lifelong Democrat | August 22, 2008 9:47 AM

This was another boneheaded move on Obama's part that will backfire on him like all of his elitist, nasty, snob remarks have so far. What an amateur and naive fool to open up this can of worms. Obama gave a crook $14 million of government money and in return the crook bought part of Obama's house for him. Did McCain take bribes and money from criminals to buy any of his wife's investment houses?

does anyonoe know if John McCain has a mortgage on any of these houses, or did he just pay cash?

vmi98mom, there are several glaring errors in your post.

McCain:
"Economic Policy
Continuation of same economic policy as today."
Although there is nothing really wrong with much of the economic policy of today, in spite of the left wing media's attempt to convince you otherwise, this is INCORRECT and misleading! McCain says that he is for making the tax cuts permanent and reducing the burden on the American people. A proven winner that reduces the deficit. JFK was a big proponent of reducing taxes to stimulate the economy. temporary deficit spending was necessary in the aftermath of the Clinton tech/IPO bubble burst recession and the attacks on 9/11. In addition, McCain wants to drastically cut federal earmarks and pork spending which would have a significant positive effect on the economy. Stop Congress from spending NOW~! One of the BEST attributes of McCain.
"Foreign Policy
Continuation of today. More saber rattling."
Again misleading. Empty threats and Barry Hussein style diplomacy accomplishes nothing if your enemy doesn't believe you. Ronald Reagan showed what saber rattling could accomplish. "Likely reinstitution of the draft (only way to support putting troops in the all the places he wants)."
This is an outright lie and was tried once before until it backfired on the Dems when it was discovered that a Dem was proposing the draft and trying to blame it on Republicans. Show us where McCain tells us "all the places he wants" troops". I haven't seen that anywhere.
"Domestic Policy
More conservative judges on the Supreme Court -- likely overturning Roe v Wade, end of Affirmative Action, increase standing for corporate rights over individual rights."
Wow you get more Obama-ized as you go, eh?
More "conservative" judges are more likely to follow the rule of law rather than legislate from the bench, a common trick that liberal justices use when the law is not in their favor. Roe v. Wade will not be overturned. Affirmative action is discrimination and illegal. Never would a conservative or even a semi-Republican like McCain ever put corporations above citizens. This is where you socialists masquerading as ordinary "concerned citizens" reveal your true anti-Capitalist agenda. According to the law, corporations are legal entities and are subject to similar rights and responsibilities as citizens. Corporations benefit citizens because they produce goods and services and tangible wealth for the country, and btw they produce JOBS!
"Decreased funding for all social programs, including education, health care, and housing"
There is far too much wasteful spending on govt giveaways that create dependency among citizens. These "social programs" are nothing more than blatant vote buying. Health care, housing, etc... are best left to the private sector. When has the govt EVER performed nearly as well as the private sector? Do you really want socialized medicine?
"Attempt to privatize Social Security"
This is a good thing. SS offers poor return on investment and tempts Congress to misuse the funds.
"Continuing rise in cost of health care"
This is due to ambulance chasing trial lawyers (Dems major contributor) and semi control by the govt with over regulation and misguided regulation in many areas. What is needed to truth in medical care. Procedures, tests, doctors' qualifications and records and medications should be available in detail with prices so consumers can shop to get the best price.
"Continued deregulation, reduced oversight, and laissez faire approach to business"
The opposite of this has been happening for years. How's that socialist policy working for us now? Right. Not well.
As for laissez faire, most peopel don't have a clue as to what that means. It reveals that you are definitely some kind of big govt socialist and your post is pure propaganda.

Obama:
"Economic Policy
Increased taxes on higher income individuals and corporations, slight reduction for lower income, and no change for the majority"
This is an absolute lie. First, increased taxes on higher income individuals that already carry the majority of the tax burden will result in an economic slowdown. Do poor folks hire people and spend money? I think not. Second, corporations (which can be 4 people, you idiot) don't pay taxes. For them it is a cost of doing business and it is passed through to the consumer as a price increase. DUH!!! How many times do you socialists have to hear this before it sinks in? Decrease taxes for lower income? How much lower can you go for people that pay little or nothing? This is code for income redistribution a la Karl Marx. As for the middle class, if Obama goes through with his threat to repeal the Bush tax cuts, most middle class families will see a $1,600 to $2,000 jump in their taxes immediately! Thanks Comrade Obama.
"Foreign Policy
Emphasis on diplomacy over military intervention."
We already covered that above. See how well it has worked with Russia and Iran.
"Domestic Policy
Supreme Court judge appointments that are more rooted in the law than ideology."
This is an outright lie and the opposite of the truth.
"Increased funding for all social programs, including education, health care, and housing"
Does this scare the crap out of anyone else here? It should. United States of Socialist Republics. USSR???
"Modification to Social Security to increase the pool of those paying into the system"
We also covered this above. Essentially,
this vmi mom?? thinks that the rich should pay for her retirement. Really. Voluntary optional private investment should be instituted for SS.
"Expansion of government funded health care system"
Again, this should scare the daylights out of everyone.
"Increased regulation and oversight of business."
The death of capitalism and America as we once knew her. It has been coming for awhile now. Get ready to stand in Soviet style lines for daily rations of simple bare necessities like toilet paper.

Now make your decision ...
The rest is just noise!

Powell "not a warmonger"? Don't you remember all those lies he told the Security Council to get them to OK an invasion?

And if you claim he didn't know they were untrue, well, why would you want someone who would say all that when inadequately prepared to be President of the Senate?

No, Gen. Powell is better off retiring into private life. I certainly know the rest of us will be better off if he does.

Hold up the announcement? What? Obama sent out the text this morning that Joe Biden was his choice for VP. Come on WaPo, get with it!

I would be less concerned about a candidate knowing exactly how much they have invested in property than I would be about a candidate who used funds from a convicted felon (Tony Rezko) to buy part of their property.

The only reason Obama may be delaying a VP announcement is that the individuals on his short list keep turning him down.

From Jan:

I cannot think of a single reason why a Democratic nominee would float the names of Republican war-monger Colin Powell or Republican conservative Chuck Hagel for his VP, yet ignore the voices of 18 million Democratic voters. Does that make sense to anyone?
***************************************

It makes sense to me -- Colin Powell is a Black man who many folks in America trust, unlike Obama.

Powell was NOT a war-monger, but was treated terribly by the Bush administration, who lied to him in order to secure his support for this Bush's immoral Iraq war.

PLUS, he gets Obama out of the rut he's gotten himself into, where the best thing he can say these days is that McCain doesn't remember details about his financial portfolio -- ie the number of houses he owns. As if that kind of detail matters. But now, what's McCain going to do if Obama picks a Republican war hero as his VP??

Other than by picking Hillary (still my favorite choice, by far) it's the best way for him to dig himself out and start getting some positive traction again.

Unfortunately for America, Obama lacks the guts to choose Hillary. But Powell isn't such a bad choice considering the rest of the available VP field.

Ralph John Mccain's lack of understanding of financials and challenges because he has never had them...

does not bring up Rezko...

and who cares if it does...

people just because McCain was cleared from Keating 5

does not mean the facts stink to high heaven on that.

Mccain best friend (seriously) Charles keating and their relationship makes Rezko and the a quarter of an acre property that Obama screwed up and actually admitted it...mccain not so much on any issue...

...Rezko seems like a boy scout compared to all the financial ethics that were twisted and turned and contracts given by father inlaws and bahama trips and loaned jets...and favors...

all cleared by the ethics committee ...the same committee that "reprimanded" Larry Craig...

this is not about any of that

this is about a guy who has no financial understanding of what Americans are going through...not because he earned it...but because like KFed ...he married into it.

"McKFed"

Obama shouldn't put ads out there that refer to McCain's answer about how many houses he has. All that ad does is bring back our thoughts about how Obama got his one house and a portion of the lot next door.

The Obamas bought the house in June 2005 for $1.65 million--some $300,000 less than the asking price--and secured a $1.32 million mortgage from Northern Trust.

Rezko's wife, Rita, bought the adjoining lot the same day, paying the full $625,000 asking price with the help of a $500,000 mortgage from Mutual Bank of Harvey. By the way, Rita Rezko's annual salary was $37,000 when she obtained the $500,000 mortgage.

As I said, Obama shouldn't be putting out any ads about McCain's home ownership or ANYONE'S home ownership.

One candidate clawed his way through an education to better himself.

One candidate received the gift of patronage from his Admiral father. Wears $500 shoes and isn't quite sure how many houses he owns.

If anyone is out of touch it is the Grand Old Man of the Grand Old Party.

It wasn't that he was lying or senile...

it is the fact that he does not know.

Whether it is because of complicating financials that he is not informed on or other...

he does not know.

How many Americans ...especially right now... can make judgements on the countries financial state without the pressure of their mortgage payments, weighing remortgaging, student loans, how their taxes are filled out, their healthcare being cut off and not having money for their kids, or what to do about your aging parent and the financial costs...

John McCain has none of those factors...not because he earned and had to ever go through those financial challenges...he never has. He hasn't started a business or had to pay his way through school...he married or divorced depending on how you look at it...into money after a yourth where his wealthy father took care of getting him everything he needed.

That is not spin...that is his life.

That is the point...so get mad...call Obama names... bring up other issues...but John mcCain has no struggles with finances or experience EVER with struggles of financial matters to look through to understand what we need to do with this economy.

and yes, that is hugely important.

To Jan:

We'll see today how strong Obama really is.

If he doesn't pick Hillary, then he's the wimp I thought he was.

Hillary is the only one who can get Obama's campaign back on track.

You know, Kennedy and Johnson were bitter and Johnson was a larger than life political figure. But Kennedy had inner self-confidence and wasn't afraid to do what was politically expedient for the Democratic Party.

As I said, we'll see today if Obama has the "you know what's" to choose her.

DON'T RECALL !! DON'T REMEMBER !!
Either HE WAS LYING or TRYING TO DODGE THE QUESTION IN ORDER TO AVOID THE EMBARRASSING ANSWER or PLAIN S-E-N-I-L-E !!!!
WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER PRESIDENT WHO CAN'T RECALL or CAN'T REMEBER THINGS; WE HAVE HAD EIGHT YEARS OF THAT KIND OF BUL--IT AND THE COUNTRY IS IN THE TOILET NOW !!!!!!!!!!
By the way Mac, do you know how many children you have ?

Sorry, but I think this is a ridiculous attack from the Obama campaign.

If you promise that your campaign will not be about personal attacks but about the issues that matter to Americans...
How can Barack Obama possibly believe that THIS is what is on the minds of the American people right now -- how many homes Cindy McCain owns?????

This is a "good" issue from the old days of politics and that's exactly how the media pundits are addressing it, like the old days of politics.
But the media pundits, as we've learned, are not the voters.
This "issue" doesn't fall in line with Obama's promise of a new kind of politics -- a serious debate on the issues that affect the lives of the American people.

In addition, I think the Renzo ad is absolutely explosive in response.

One mention of this gaff by the Obama campaign would have been enough to get the ball rolling on its own. Instead, they've embraced this meme, put the word out that they think it's a winning "issue," slammed out the campaign ads, gotten the new childish nickname on the blogs (Senator McHouse -- GAG!) and acted like how many houses a candidate owns has got life-and-death implications to voters.

Shades of the GOP vs. Teresa Heinz Kerry, anyone? As we can see, a "new" kind of politician is not emerging from the street fight rubble of Rove politics.

In addition, this is not the kind of stuff that is going to earn the respect of voters over 50. Seriously, imo, this makes Obama look like he's grasping for straws, as if he doesn't have anything else he can talk about.

MOVE ON TO THE NEW IRAQ TIMELINE, for goodness sakes!!!

(And if Obama doesn't have Clinton on his ballot, his judgment will again be in question. I cannot think of a single reason why a Democratic nominee would float the names of Republican war-monger Colin Powell or Republican conservative Chuck Hagel for his VP, yet ignore the voices of 18 million Democratic voters. Does that make sense to anyone?)

Why it matters? BECAUSE THE MEDIA SAY IT MATTERS, and the public are nothing more than BRAIN DEAD SHEEP who follow the media's lead right down to the slaughterhouse.

All candidates who run for President are "WEALTHY" (or just rich).

You know what really matters? The fact that the system in the United States says that ONLY RICH/WEALTHY PEOPLE CAN BE PRESIDENT.

That's what matters.

What else matters? Since all candidates are WEALTHIER THAN THE REST OF US, then their "WEALTH" should cancel itself out, and all we should be left with is a discussion of the "WORLDVIEW" of the candidates.

It matters much more to me that as a Republican, John McCain believes (WORLDVIEW) that the best way to solve PUBLIC issues is by turning things over to PRIVATE control.

Take money from PUBLIC schools and give it to PRIVATE schools...that's what Republicans want. Most Americans don't want that.

Turn roads over to PRIVATE hands. Do most Americans want to be paying more for PRIVATE companies to build roads, paying tolls to drive on roads, or have PRIVATE STREETS between themselves and their jobs that they can't drive on without paying to? Republicans have no problem with that.

Does the public want the military PRIVATIZED? Republicans do. They want you to give a contract to a PRIVATE corporation that pays them 10 times what a soldier would be paid just to COOK for the troops, like the troops can't have military folk cook like they have done forever.

That's what we should be focused on...WORLDVIEW, not WEALTH, because our PATHETIC PLUTOCRACY has made it clear that unless you are wealthy (or rich), you can't be President...so everyone who gets nominated is better off than the rest of us TO BEGIN WITH.

When will voters stop listening to this tripe? The bottom line is what can you expect from these candidates if they are elected, based on the polcieis each espouses.
McCain:
Economic Policy
Continuation of same economic policy as today. Deficit spending, decline in the value of the dollar, increasing inflation.
Foreign Policy
Continuation of today. More saber rattling. Likely reinstitution of the draft (only way to support putting troops in the all the places he wants).
Domestic Policy
More conservative judges on the Supreme Court -- likely overturning Roe v Wade, end of Affirmative Action, increase standing for corporate rights over individual rights.
Decreased funding for all social programs, including education, health care, and housing
Attempt to privatize Social Security
Continuing rise in cost of health care
Continued deregulation, reduced oversight, and laissez faire approach to business

Obama:
Economic Policy
Increased taxes on higher income individuals and corporations, slight reduction for lower income, and no change for the majority
Foreign Policy
Emphasis on diplomacy over military intervention.
Domestic Policy
Supreme Court judge appointments that are more rooted in the law than ideology.
Increased funding for all social programs, including education, health care, and housing
Modification to Social Security to increase the pool of those paying into the system
Expansion of government funded health care system
Increased regulation and oversight of business.

Now make your decision ...
The rest is just noise!

This does matter for McCain. He seems to have developed a 'two-pronged' strategy--Promote his image as a "Maverick" and paint Obama as elitist--which, in political-speak seems to have become code for 'out of touch.' His maverick image is clearly in trouble since he has returned to an embrace of the Administration economic policies he once derided. Now, he has opened the flap of the tent on 'elitism' and there may quite possibly be a blizzard out there waiting for him as he battles to regain some kind of 'regular guy' cred.

Interesting to see all the posts from the o'Bama damage control propaganda machine. And the courage of that poster, Anonymous? Can you believe how brave that one is? I guess when you are telling the truth you can stop hiding behind a false identity and let everyone know who you are. LMFAO!!!
Even the paid posting obamabots know the hypocrisy and ridiculous nature of criticizing the McCains for their property ownership. They are so desperate and bitter over the fact that the American public is wiser and can see through the Emperor's new clothes!

I am wondering how much of a bubble the 0bama campaign is in? To bring up this silly issue knowing that Rezco was soon to follow shows either that they don't know how much about this guy is already out there or think that most Americans would be okey dokey with a felon connected to 0bama and the missus helping them buy a house they couldn't afford ... Nothing says elitist more than over reaching.

darr west I read a story that says Obama did cocaine was a muslim at one point in his life and attended a racist church for twenty years. His children also got the privlige of having their minds warped at Obam's side

Carl tell Obama paid bloggers can be smelled a mile away. Now then prove your not by citing Obama's documented speech in the same detail protecting Infantcide in Ilinois.

So Obama is saying because Franklin Roosevelt had numerous homes, he was unqualified to put together programs for those less fortunate?

Or that all those Kennedy homes mean Ted has no understanding for Americans with one address?

I suppose if Cindy McCain attended one of Obama's $7.8M fundraising parties, her four homes (of seven properties) wouldn't be a problem. Who is Barack Obama talking to??

Michelle told Barack he should run for President this year while they're still "normal"! Tell us again how many bottles the wine cellar in the Obama mansion holds... (1,000) And 5.5 bathrooms - but only one house... Jes' folks. Jes' hypocrites.

If you heard that John McCain dumped his first wife for a rich socialite who helped launch McCain's political career... well, that's pretty much true. McCain came back from Vietnam to find his wife had been in a horrific car accident. As a result, she had gained some weight. Perhaps, the story goes, her altered physical appearance was a factor in his pursuit of 25-year-old socialite Cindy Hensley, who he would soon marry, after securing a tidy, uncontested divorce from poor Carol.
McCain's second wife, Cindy, has also been smeared as a former drug addict. Between 1989 and 1992 she became addicted to painkillers. She admitted to stealing pills from a charitable organization she ran at the time. Cindy McCain was never prosecuted and allegations that McCain intervened on her behalf have never been substantiated. No worse behavior than, say, a certain popular talk show host that really dislikes Cindy McCain's husband.

The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), John McCain (R-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), were accused of improperly aiding Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of an investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB).
After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, and Donald Riegle had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings. Senators John Glenn and John McCain were cleared of having acted improperly but were criticized for having exercised "poor judgment".
All five of the senators involved served out their terms. Only Glenn and McCain ran for re-election, and they were both re-elected.
Circumstances
See also: Savings and Loan crisis
The U.S. Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s and 1990s was the failure of 747 savings and loan associations (S&Ls) in the United States. The ultimate cost of the crisis is estimated to have totaled around $160.1 billion, about $124.6 billion of which was directly paid for by the U.S. taxpayer.[1].
The concomitant slowdown in the finance industry and the real estate market may have been a contributing cause of the 1990-1991 economic recession. Between 1986 and 1991, the number of new homes constructed per year dropped from 1.8 million to 1 million, the lowest rate since World War II.[2]
The Keating Five scandal was prompted by the activities of one particular savings and loan: Lincoln Savings and Loan Association of Irvine, California. Lincoln's chairman was Charles Keating, who ultimately served five years in prison for his corrupt mismanagement of Lincoln.[3] In the four years since Keating's American Continental Corporation (ACC) had purchased Lincoln in 1984, Lincoln's assets had increased from $1.1 billion to $5.5 billion.[4] Such savings and loan associations had been deregulated in the early 1980s, allowing them to make highly risky investments with their depositors' money, a change of which Keating took advantage.[4] Lincoln's investments took the form of buying land, taking equity positions in real estate development projects, and buying high-yield junk bonds.[5]
Corruption allegations
The core allegation of the Keating Five affair is that Keating had made contributions of about $1.3 million to various U.S. Senators, and he called on those Senators to help him resist regulators. The regulators backed off, to later disastrous consequences.
Beginning in 1985, Edwin J. Gray, chair of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB), feared that the savings industry's risky investment practices were exposing the government's insurance funds to huge losses.[5] Gray instituted a rule whereby savings associations could hold no more than ten percent of their assets in "direct investments",[5] and were thus prohibited from taking ownership positions in certain financial entities and instruments.[6] Lincoln had become burdened with bad debt resulting from its past aggressiveness, and by early 1986,[5] its investment practices were being investigated and audited by the FHLBB:[7] in particular, whether it had violated these direct investment rules; Lincoln had directed FDIC-insured accounts into commercial real estate ventures.[4] By the end of 1986, the FHLBB had found that Lincoln had $135 million in unreported losses and had surpassed the regulated direct investments limit by $600 million.[5]
Keating had earlier taken several measures to oppose Gray and the FHLBB, including recruiting a study from then-private economist Alan Greenspan saying that direct investments were not harmful,[5] and getting President Ronald Reagan to make a recess appointment of a Keating ally, Atlanta real estate developer Lee H. Henkel Jr., to an open seat on the FHLBB.[5] But by March 1987, Henkel had resigned, upon news of his having large loans due to Lincoln.[5]
It appeared as though the government might seize Lincoln for being insolvent.[6] The investigation was, however, taking a long time.[7] Keating was asking that Lincoln be given a lenient judgment by the FHLBB, so that it could limit its high risk investments and get into the safe (at the time) home mortgage business, thus allowing the business to survive. A letter from audit firm Arthur Young & Co. bolstered Keating's case that the government investigation was taking a long time.[8] Keating now wanted the five senators to intervene with the FHLBB on his behalf.
By March 1987, Keating and DeConcini were asking McCain to travel to San Francisco to meet with regulators regarding Lincoln Savings; McCain refused.[8][6] DeConcini told Keating that McCain was nervous about interfering.[6] Keating called McCain a "wimp" behind his back, and on March 24, Keating and McCain had a heated, contentious meeting.[8]
On April 2, 1987, a meeting with chairman Gray of the FHLBB was held in DeConcini's Capitol office, with Senators Cranston, Glenn, and McCain also in attendance.[6] DeConcini started the meeting with a mention of "our friend at Lincoln."[6] Gray told the assembled senators that he did not know the particular details of the status of Lincoln Savings and Loan, and that the senators would have to go to the bank regulators in San Francisco that had oversight jurisdiction for the bank. Gray did offer to set up a meeting between those regulators and the senators.[6]
On April 9, 1987, a two-hour meeting[4] with three members of the FHLBB San Francisco branch was held, again in DeConcini's office, to discuss the government's investigation of Lincoln.[8][6] Present were Cranston, DeConcini, Glenn, McCain, and additionally Riegle.[6] The regulators felt that the meeting was very unusual and that they were being pressured by a united front, as the senators presented their reasons for having the meeting.[6] McCain said, "One of our jobs as elected officials is to help constituents in a proper fashion. ACC is a big employer and important to the local economy. I wouldn't want any special favors for them.... I don't want any part of our conversation to be improper." Glenn said, "To be blunt, you should charge them or get off their backs," while DeConcini said, "What's wrong with this if they're willing to clean up their act? ... It's very unusual for us to have a company that could be put out of business by its regulators."[6] The regulators then revealed that Lincoln was under criminal investigation on a variety of serious charges, at which point McCain severed all relations with Keating.[6] Glenn continued to help Keating after that revelation, by setting up a meeting with then-House Majority Leader Jim Wright, which turned out to be the only questionable thing Glenn did throughout the whole affair.[9]
The San Francisco regulators finished their report in May 1987 and recommended that Lincoln be seized by the government due to unsound lending practices.[6][4] Gray, whose time as chair was about to expire, deferred action on the report, saying that his adversarial relationship with Keating would make any action he took seem vindictive, and that instead the incoming chair should take over the decision.[5] Meanwhile Keating filed a lawsuit against the FHLBB, saying it had leaked confidential information about Lincoln.[5] The new FHLBB chair was M. Danny Wall, who was more sympathetic to Keating and took no action on the report, saying its evidence was insufficient.[4][6] In September 1987, the Lincoln investigation was removed from the San Francisco group and in May 1988, a new audit of Lincoln began in Washington.[6]
News of the April meetings between the senators and the FHLBB officials first appeared in National Thrift News in September 1987, but was only sporadically covered by the general media for the next year and a half.[10]
Failure of Lincoln
Lincoln stayed in business; from mid-1987 to April 1989, its assets grew from $3.91 billion to $5.46 billion.[5] During this time, the parent American Continental Corporation was desperate for cash inflow to make up for losses in real estate purchases and projects.[11] Lincoln's branch managers and tellers convinced customers to replace their federally-insured certificates of deposit with higher-yielding bond certificates of American Continental; the customers later said they were never properly informed that the bonds were uninsured and very risky given the state of American Continental's finances.[11]
American Continental went bankrupt in April 1989, and Lincoln was seized by the FHLBB on April 14, 1989.[4] More than 21,000 mostly elderly investors lost their life savings. This total came to about $285 million.[citation needed] The federal government was liable for $2 billion to cover Lincoln's losses when it seized the institution.[11]
Keating was hit with a $1.1 billion fraud and racketeering action, filed against him by the regulators.[4] Asked whether his contributions had bought him influence, Keating said: “I want to say in the most forceful way I can: I certainly hope so.”[12]
When the former chairman of the FHLBB went public about the Senators' assistance to Keating, that set off a series of investigations by the California government, the United States Department of Justice, and the Senate Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee's investigation focused on all five senators, who soon became known as the "Keating Five". The initial charges against the five Senators were brought by Common Cause, a public interest group, and the Senate’s inquiry subsequently lasted 22 months.[13]
Relationships of senators to Keating
Once Lincoln failed, the relationships of all the senators to Keating came under intense press scrutiny.
Cranston had received $39,000 from Keating and his associates for his 1986 Senate re-election campaign. Furthermore, Keating had donated some $850,000 to assorted groups founded by Cranston or controlled by him, and another $85,000 to the California Democratic Party.[4]
DeConcini had received about $48,000 from Keating and his associates for his 1988 Senate re-election campaign.[4] In September 1989, DeConcini stated he would return the money.[4]
Glenn had received $34,000 in direct contributions from Keating and his associates for his 1984 presidential nomination campaign, and a political action committee tied to Glenn had received an additional $200,000.[4]
McCain and Keating had become personal friends following their initial contacts in 1981.[8] Between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received $112,000 in lawful[14] political contributions from Keating and his associates.[15] In addition, McCain's wife Cindy McCain and her father Jim Hensley had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators. McCain, his family, and their baby-sitter had made nine trips at Keating's expense, sometimes aboard Keating's jet. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating's opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay. McCain did not pay Keating (in the amount of $13,433) for some of the trips until years after they were taken, when he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln.[6][16]
Riegle had received some $76,000 from Keating and his associates for his 1988 Senate re-election campaign.[4] Riegle later announced in April 1988 he was returning the money.[5]
Conclusion of investigation
The Senate Ethics Committee's report regarding the Keating matter came out in August 1991, and addressed each of the five senators.[17]
Cranston: severely reprimanded
The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that Cranston had acted improperly by interfering with the investigation by the FHLBB.[17] He had received more than a million dollars from Keating, had done more arm-twisting than the other Senators on Keating's behalf, and was the only Senator officially rebuked by the Senate in this matter.[18]
Cranston was given the harshest penalty of all five Senators. In November of 1991, the Senate Ethics Committee voted unanimously to reprimand Cranston, instead of the more severe measure that was under consideration: censure by the full Senate. Extenuating circumstances that helped to save Cranston from censure were the fact that he was suffering from cancer, and that he had decided to not seek reelection, according to the Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Democratic Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama. The Ethics Committee took the unusual step of delivering its reprimand to Cranston during a formal session of the full Senate, with almost all 100 Senators present.[13]
Cranston was not accused of breaking any specific laws or rules, but of violating standards that Heflin said “do not permit official actions to be linked with fund-raising.” The Ethics Committee officially found that Cranston’s conduct had been “improper and repugnant”, deserving of "the fullest, strongest and most severe sanction which the committee has the authority to impose." The sanction was in these words: "the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, on behalf of and in the name of the United States Senate, does hereby strongly and severely reprimand Sen. Alan Cranston.”[13]
After the Senate reprimanded Cranston for repugnant conduct, Cranston took to the Senate floor to deny key charges against him. In response, Senator Warren Rudman of New Hampshire, the Republican Vice-Chairman of the Ethics Committee, charged that Cranston’s response to the reprimand was “arrogant, unrepentant and a smear on this institution," and that Cranston was wrong to imply that everyone does what Cranston had done. Alan Dershowitz, serving as Senator Cranston's attorney, alleged that other Senators had merely been better at “covering their tracks.”[13] Likewise, political historian Lewis Gould has written that, “the real problem for the 'Keating Three' who were most involved was that they had been caught.”[19]
Riegle and DeConcini: criticized for acting improperly
The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that Riegle and DeConcini had acted improperly by interfering with the investigation by the FHLBB.[17]
DeConcini later charged that McCain had leaked to the press sensitive information about the investigation that came from some of the closed proceedings of the Ethics Committee.[6] McCain denied doing so, although one congressional investigator concluded that McCain had been one of the main leakers during that time.[6]
Glenn and McCain: cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment
The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that the involvement of Glenn in the scheme was minimal, and the charges against him were dropped.[17] He was only criticized by the Committee for "poor judgment."[20]
The Ethics Committee ruled that the involvement of McCain in the scheme was also minimal, and he too was cleared of all charges against him.[18][17] McCain was criticized by the Committee for exercising "poor judgment" when he met with the federal regulators on Keating's behalf.[6] The report also said that McCain's "actions were not improper nor attended with gross negligence and did not reach the level of requiring institutional action against him....Senator McCain has violated no law of the United States or specific Rule of the United States Senate."[14] On his Keating Five experience, McCain has said: "The appearance of it was wrong. It's a wrong appearance when a group of senators appear in a meeting with a group of regulators, because it conveys the impression of undue and improper influence. And it was the wrong thing to do."[6]
Several accounts of the controversy contend that McCain was included in the investigation primarily so that there would be at least one Republican target.[21][22][23][9] Glenn's inclusion in the investigation has been attributed to Republicans who were angered by the inclusion of McCain, as well as committee members who thought that dropping Glenn (and McCain) would make it look bad for the remaining three Democratic Senators.[21][23] Democrat Robert S. Bennett, who was the special investigator during the scandal, suggested to the Senate Ethics Committee that it pursue charges against neither McCain nor Glenn, saying of McCain, "that there was no evidence against him."[22] The Vice Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Senator Warren Rudman of New Hampshire, agreed with Bennett, but the Chairman, Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama, did not agree.[9]
Regardless of the level of their involvement, both senators were greatly affected by it. McCain would write in 2002 that attending the two April 1987 meetings was "the worst mistake of my life".[24] Glenn has described the Senate Ethics Committee investigation as the low point of his life.[7]Reactions
Not everyone was satisfied with the Senate Ethics Committee conclusions. Fred Wertheimer, president of Common Cause, which had initially demanded the investigation, thought the treatment of the senators far too lenient, and said, "The U.S. Senate remains on the auction block to the Charles Keatings of the world."[25] Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, called it a "whitewash".[25] Jonathan Alter of Newsweek said it was a classic case of the government trying to investigate itself, labelling the Senate Ethics Committee "shameless" for having "let four of the infamous Keating Five off with a wrist tap."[26] Margaret Carlson of Time suspected the committee had timed its first report to coincide with the run-up to the Gulf War, minimizing its news impact.[25]Aftermath
Cranston left office in January of 1993, and died in December of 2000. DeConcini and Riegle continued to serve in the Senate until their terms expired, but they did not seek re-election in 1994. DeConcini was appointed by President Bill Clinton in February 1995 to the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. [27]
Glenn did choose to run for re-election in 1992, and it was anticipated that he would have some difficulty winning a fourth term in the Senate. However, Glenn handily defeated Lieutenant Governor R. Michael DeWine for one more term in the Senate before retiring in 1999.
After 1999, the only member of the Keating Five remaining in the U.S. Senate was John McCain, who had an easier time gaining re-election in 1992 than he anticipated,[28] and who ran for president in 2000 and became the Republican presumptive nominee in 2008. McCain survived the political scandal by, in part, becoming friendly with the political press, and in part by not letting the controversy detract from his work as a senator.[28]
The scandal was followed by a number of attempts to adopt campaign finance reform—spearheaded by U.S. Sen. David Boren (D-OK)—but most attempts died in committee. A weakened reform was passed in 1993. Substantial campaign finance reform was not passed until the adoption of the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002.

by Col. David H. Hackworth

John McCain is being hailed by the press as a "genuine war hero." But is he a war hero in the conventional sense like Audie Murphy and John Glenn?
Or is his "war hero" status the creation of a very slick publicity campaign that plays on flag, duty, honor and country?

For sure, McCain has the fruitsalad a Silver Star, a Legion of Merit for Valor, a Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Stars , two Commendation medals plus two Purple Hearts and a dozen service gongs.

On a purely medal count basis, he outweighs Murphy and Glenn, who both for years repeatedly performed extraordinary deeds on the ground or in the air against an armed enemy.

McCain's valor awards are based on what happened in 1967, when during his 23d mission over Vietnam, he was shot down, seriously injured, captured and then spent 5 1/2 brutal years as a POW.

In an attempt to find out exactly what the man did to earn these many hero awards, I asked his Senate office three times to provide copies of the narratives for each medal. I'm still waiting.

I next went to the Pentagon. Within a week, I received a recap of his medals and many of the narratives that give the details of what he did.

None of the awards, less the DFC, were for heroism over the battlefield where he spent no more than 20 hours. Two Naval officers described the awards as "boilerplate" and "part of an SOP medal package given to repatriated (Vietnamera) POWs."

McCain's Silver Star narrative for the period 27 October 1967 the day after he was shot down to 8 December 1968 reads: "His captors… subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions for propaganda purposes. Through his resistance to those brutalities, he contributed significantly towards the eventual abandonment…" of such harsh treatment by the North Vietnamese.

Yet in McCain's own words just four days after being captured, he admits he violated the U.S. Code of Conduct by telling his captors "O.K, I'll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital."

A Vietnam vet detractor says, "He received the nation's third highest award, the Silver Star, for treason. He provided aid and comfort to the enemy!"

The rest of his valor awards issued automatically every year while he was a POW read much like the Silver Star. More boilerplate often repeating the exact same words. An example: "By his heroic endeavors, exceptional skill, and devotion to duty, he reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Naval Service and the United States Armed Forces."

Yet McCain's conduct while a POW negates these glowing comments. The facts are that he signed a confession and declared himself a "black criminal who performed deeds of an air pirate." This statement and other interviews he gave to the Communist press press were used as propaganda to fan the flames of the antiwar movement.

Accounts by McCain and other writers tell of the horror he endured: relentlessly beatings, torture, broken limbs. All inflicted during savage interrogations. Yet no other POW was a witness to these accounts.
A former POW says "No man witnessed another man during interrogations… We relied on each other to tell the truth when a man was returned to his cell."

The U.S. Navy says two eyewitnesses are required for any award of heroism. But for the valor awards McCain received, there are no eyewitnesses, less himself and his captors. And they're not talking.

Our POWs in Vietnam were treated appallingly. The Viets would either break a POW or kill him. POWs provided info beyond name, rank and serial number or they didn't come back.

Based on these stalwart men's horrific experiences, the Code of Conduct has been changed. A POW says, "Now the training is to give them something… don't risk permanent damage to health, mind or body."
McCain refused an early release. An act of valor? Three former POWs told me he was ordered to turn it down by his U.S. POW commander and he "just followed orders."

McCain certainly doesn't appear to be a war hero by conventional standards, but rather a tough survivor whose handlers are overplaying the war hero card.

David H. Hackworth died in June 2005, he was a much-decorated and highly unconventional former career Army officer who became a combat legend in Vietnam. Col. Hackworth received 78 combat awards — including a Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and eight Purple Hearts — during his 25-year military career which spanned the Korean and Vietnam wars..

"What he said was. "I have been campaigning all over the country and have been to 57" and before saying anything else said " I mean 47 of the 50 states" Thats all he said."

Really? I mean its pretty obvious he meant 47, but I didn't know he actually corrected himself.

Interesting reading

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/

----------
I read a story that John McCain made propaganda tapes for the vietcong in Nam in the 1960's so I guess he's like Tokyo Rose. A hero?? What?

Posted by: darr west | August 22, 2008 3:45 AM

I need to add this. You will have to track down an original copy of Mccains book. Reprints have been changed. I guess he didn't like some of what he had said. Rewrite history so to speak.
------
He admits it in his book. He said he did it to get medical treatment. In the book he says he did it once. Records that came out after the war from the Vietnamese have it as he did 30 propaganda things for them. They were not used but he did them never the less. Also. two men in the camp were threatened with execution as traitors for doing the same thing Mccain did. It is nice when your father is an Admiral, records can be changed to say what ever you want.

--------
I read a story that John McCain made propaganda tapes for the vietcong in Nam in the 1960's so I guess he's like Tokyo Rose. A hero?? What?

Posted by: darr west | August 22, 2008 3:45 AM

Posted by: Anonymous | August 22, 2008 4:01 AM

He admits it in his book. He said he did it to get medical treatment. In the book he says he did it once. Records that came out after the war from the Vietnamese have it as he did 30 propaganda things for them. They were not used but he did them never the less. Also. two men in the camp were threatened with execution as traitors for doing the same thing Mccain did. It is nice when your father is an Admiral, records can be changed to say what ever you want.

--------
I read a story that John McCain made propaganda tapes for the vietcong in Nam in the 1960's so I guess he's like Tokyo Rose. A hero?? What?

Posted by: darr west | August 22, 2008 3:45 AM

Interesting to see how fast the McCain bounce is going to drop!

I also like the fact they are trying to make an argument about a guy that Obama knew in school. Like Obama was like seven when this guy did bad things.

If they open this this will open McCain to major scrutiny of his behavior in Nam, his divorce to his disfigured wife, like what happened "in sickness and in health" McCain came home took one look at his once beautiful wife and took off faster then a bee to a flower.

Also Obama home is worth under 2 million and McCain homes worth more then 13 million? And why did the McCain camp lie about how many homes he owns when it's public record? Are they that stupid on the collateral damage that would cause? More proof that Republicans can't govern - from the mouth of McCain to his legion of servants.

Senior moment response to questions - like an open "it's the condo's" like how many people have 7 homes? Like 4 homes? McCain is worth over 100 million and Obama is worth 4 million. Like that's a grand canyon sized gap!

Out of touch and senile doesn't even begin to describe John McCain. He can't remember he own's seven or eight homes? Come on now!

Any 72 year old will be in a mental decline, it is just a matter of how much. Figures show it is exponential. In other words in four years he could be really bad even if he is only in the beginning stages now. A person of say 45 will not really change at all by say 50. A person of 72 though could show changes even in as little as several month increments. Anyone who has a grandparent in that age bracket they only see every year or so knows what I mean. It can be rather shocking, It snowballs at that age. I could see Mccain if elected being like 50 50 he doesn't make it through one term. Either due to death or being removed because he can't preform his duties.
-------
It could just be a "senior" moment.

Maybe, since even at almost 80 he hasn't taken one, he should take one of those quick five minute tests to see if you have Alzheimer's or early dementia.

It happens when you get that old.

Just ask Bob Dole.

Posted by: Will in Seattle | August 22, 2008 3:34 AM

I read a story that John McCain made propaganda tapes for the vietcong in Nam in the 1960's so I guess he's like Tokyo Rose. A hero?? What?

It could just be a "senior" moment.

Maybe, since even at almost 80 he hasn't taken one, he should take one of those quick five minute tests to see if you have Alzheimer's or early dementia.

It happens when you get that old.

Just ask Bob Dole.

Point is Mccain used to parade her around as some kind of testament to his good health. I think they got scared she may drop over on them and it would not look good.

By the way Obama's mother is dead. I think Obama is right, you people make it seem like you take pride in being ignorant.

---------
"They have had Mccains mother in hiding for months now, why"? Becasue she is 92 years old you freaking idiot. I really hope that you are as healthy as McCain and McCain's mother are when you reach their age. Where is Obama's mother? Seems like to me Obama is the one who is hiding family members.
Posted by: Johnny K | August 22, 2008 3:06 AM

What past, you know something no one else does? Better sell it to the Enquire and make a few bucks then. Truth is, Hillary's henchmen were on it full time and could not find a thing on Obama. If there was anything they would have found it. I am sorry Obama is clean, I know you hate to hear it but that is the way it is. Now Mccain, he stinks all the way back to his high school days. Maybe they should talk about his misuse of his office to get a prosecutor fired who was trying to put Mccains wife in jail. He later won a law suit against Mccain and he settled for a few million as Mccain tried to cover it up. It is public record though.

-----------
Damn we got some McCain bashers in this forum. If Obama continues to talk about McCain and his houses he will be hit back twice as hard. And face it folks--Obama has alot of controversial issues and associations that he doesnt want to be made public. Obama made 4.2 million dollars last year! John McCain made around a half a million. All of the houses belong to Cindy McCain. Keep talking about McCain's houses and the public will finally found out about Obama's past!

Posted by: Johnny K | August 22, 2008 2:58 AM

What past, you know something no one else does? Better sell it to the Enquire and make a few bucks then. Truth is, Hillary's henchmen were on it full time and could not find a thing on Obama. If there was anything they would have found it. I am sorry Obama is clean, I know you hate to hear it but that is the way it is. Now Mccain, he stinks all the way back to his high school days. Maybe they should talk about his misuse of his office to get a prosecutor fired who was trying to put Mccains wife in jail. He later won a law suit against Mccain and he settled for a few million as Mccain tried to cover it up. It is public record though.

-----------
Damn we got some McCain bashers in this forum. If Obama continues to talk about McCain and his houses he will be hit back twice as hard. And face it folks--Obama has alot of controversial issues and associations that he doesnt want to be made public. Obama made 4.2 million dollars last year! John McCain made around a half a million. All of the houses belong to Cindy McCain. Keep talking about McCain's houses and the public will finally found out about Obama's past!

Posted by: Johnny K | August 22, 2008 2:58 AM

What past, you know something no one else does? Better sell it to the Enquire and make a few bucks then. Truth is, Hillary's henchmen were on it full time and could not find a thing on Obama. If there was anything they would have found it. I am sorry Obama is clean, I know you hate to hear it but that is the way it is. Now Mccain, he stinks all the way back to his high school days. Maybe they should talk about his misuse of his office to get a prosecutor fired who was trying to put Mccains wife in jail. He later won a law suit against Mccain and he settled for a few million as Mccain tried to cover it up. It is public record though.

-----------
Damn we got some McCain bashers in this forum. If Obama continues to talk about McCain and his houses he will be hit back twice as hard. And face it folks--Obama has alot of controversial issues and associations that he doesnt want to be made public. Obama made 4.2 million dollars last year! John McCain made around a half a million. All of the houses belong to Cindy McCain. Keep talking about McCain's houses and the public will finally found out about Obama's past!

Posted by: Johnny K | August 22, 2008 2:58 AM

What past, you know something no one else does? Better sell it to the Enquire and make a few bucks then. Truth is, Hillary's henchmen were on it full time and could not find a thing on Obama. If there was anything they would have found it. I am sorry Obama is clean, I know you hate to hear it but that is the way it is. Now Mccain, he stinks all the way back to his high school days. Maybe they should talk about his misuse of his office to get a prosecutor fired who was trying to put Mccains wife in jail. He later won a law suit against Mccain and he settled for a few million as Mccain tried to cover it up. It is public record though.

-----------
Damn we got some McCain bashers in this forum. If Obama continues to talk about McCain and his houses he will be hit back twice as hard. And face it folks--Obama has alot of controversial issues and associations that he doesnt want to be made public. Obama made 4.2 million dollars last year! John McCain made around a half a million. All of the houses belong to Cindy McCain. Keep talking about McCain's houses and the public will finally found out about Obama's past!

Posted by: Johnny K | August 22, 2008 2:58 AM

"They have had Mccains mother in hiding for months now, why"? Becasue she is 92 years old you freaking idiot. I really hope that you are as healthy as McCain and McCain's mother are when you reach their age. Where is Obama's mother? Seems like to me Obama is the one who is hiding family members.

Believe nothing that comes from The Washington Compost. LOL

Damn we got some McCain bashers in this forum. If Obama continues to talk about McCain and his houses he will be hit back twice as hard. And face it folks--Obama has alot of controversial issues and associations that he doesnt want to be made public. Obama made 4.2 million dollars last year! John McCain made around a half a million. All of the houses belong to Cindy McCain. Keep talking about McCain's houses and the public will finally found out about Obama's past!

The story only continues to get BETTER: the newest line of defense from the McCain camp is that Sen. McCain owns NONE of the homes in question. (That's right: nada, zippo, NO homes are in his name.)

Seems ALL of the McCain residences were purchased by Cindy McCain's personal trust and/or other Cindy-owned business entities and held in the names of either Cindy McCain, their children or possibly the incorporated entity's.

So says Politico @ ...
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12700.html(

(That ought to really help Joe Sixpack more closely identify with the two admirals' once-wild-n'-reckless offspring, donchathink?)

They have had Mccains mother in hiding for months now, why?
Mccain is already showing signs of mental problems. You can just look at clips of him from only a couple of years ago and he is much slower and stumbles over words, can't seem to keep a thought unless it is one of his rehearsed talking points. He is in obvious decline as we speak. By the way, have you ever seen him in person? I have in 2000 and a few months ago. It was night and day I could not believe how much he had aged. He looks every day or that 72 years. It is amazing what a make up artist can do for him on TV. In person he makes Joan Rivers look good.

I don't know if you are referring to the church thing but. Mccain could not answer a question and resorted to stump speeches and ridiculous stories. Two of which have been shown to be lies. The one about the cross in the sand and the BS story about Mother Teresa and his wife. Even his wife had to admit it never happened. He sits in a church and lies about Mother Teresa. Mccain is a joke.

==========
Senility is genetic. Sen. McC's mother is almost 100 years and not senile. Therefore, the possibility Sen. McCain will become senile in the next 8 years is very slim.

Senility is also caused by physically inactive and non-mentally challenging life-style. As we all know Sen. McC lives a physically active and mentally challenging life style.

BTW, if any Obama supporters still want to challenge Sen. McC senility, I suggest you remember the debate between Sen. McC and Sen. Obama. Sen. McC obviously creamed Sen. Obama butt. Sen. Obama was stumbling and fumbling his answers; while, Sen. McC clearly and intelligently answered all questions.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 22, 2008 2:31 AM

What are you, the forum police?

========
Seriously, people. The comments section is to debate the pros/cons of CC's political hypotheses, not your own personal take on whether Candidate A/Candidate B is merely one step shy of the 2nd coming/Satan!

The forum to "debate" (i.e. shout the loudest) such things is elsewhere (think CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, etc.) Save your bloviations for someplace else!

p.s. Of order 7 people across the entire nation are (at best) going to be persuaded to switch their vote based on your "reasoning" or "logic".

p.p.s Lighten up and stay on topic!

Posted by: glowing_plasma | August 22, 2008 2:35 AM

You mean Mccain is a liar, I am shocked.
======
PolitiFact.com on OBAMA / REZKO

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/521/

It is true that Obama paid $300,000 less than the asking price for a century-old mansion that he and his wife, Michelle, purchased from a Chicago doctor in 2005 for $1.65-million.

Rezko's wife purchased the lot next door from the same seller Frederic Wondisford.

Seller confirms that Obama"s offer on the house was the best one, and that he rejected two lower offers from the Obamas before the two sides finally settled at $1.65-million.

Seller also confirms that he did not offer or give the Obamas a discount on the house price on the basis of the price offered and accepted on the adjacent vacant lot purchased by Rezko's wife.

McCain's claims that Rezko got Obama a deal on his house is FALSE!! Read the full article from PolitiFact.com.

Posted by: Karen R2008 | August 22, 2008 2:30 AM

Seriously, people. The comments section is to debate the pros/cons of CC's political hypotheses, not your own personal take on whether Candidate A/Candidate B is merely one step shy of the 2nd coming/Satan!

The forum to "debate" (i.e. shout the loudest) such things is elsewhere (think CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, etc.) Save your bloviations for someplace else!

p.s. Of order 7 people across the entire nation are (at best) going to be persuaded to switch their vote based on your "reasoning" or "logic".

p.p.s Lighten up and stay on topic!

Senility is genetic. Sen. McC's mother is almost 100 years and not senile. Therefore, the possibility Sen. McCain will become senile in the next 8 years is very slim.

Senility is also caused by physically inactive and non-mentally challenging life-style. As we all know Sen. McC lives a physically active and mentally challenging life style.

BTW, if any Obama supporters still want to challenge Sen. McC senility, I suggest you remember the debate between Sen. McC and Sen. Obama. Sen. McC obviously creamed Sen. Obama butt. Sen. Obama was stumbling and fumbling his answers; while, Sen. McC clearly and intelligently answered all questions.

PolitiFact.com on OBAMA / REZKO

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/521/

It is true that Obama paid $300,000 less than the asking price for a century-old mansion that he and his wife, Michelle, purchased from a Chicago doctor in 2005 for $1.65-million.

Rezko's wife purchased the lot next door from the same seller Frederic Wondisford.

Seller confirms that Obama"s offer on the house was the best one, and that he rejected two lower offers from the Obamas before the two sides finally settled at $1.65-million.

Seller also confirms that he did not offer or give the Obamas a discount on the house price on the basis of the price offered and accepted on the adjacent vacant lot purchased by Rezko's wife.

McCain's claims that Rezko got Obama a deal on his house is FALSE!! Read the full article from PolitiFact.com.

Well at least you are allowed to talk about your experiences with McCain. If you were a POW with Obama you wouldn't be allowed to.

COULD JOHN MCCAIN BE THIS INSANE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CdKuLRmg8k&feature=related

"Why the Home Debate Matters"

It doesn't.

Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain
Phillip Butler | March 27, 2008
markets himself to be.

Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals.

After his repatriation in 1973 he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San Diego and became a Navy Organizational Effectiveness consultant. He completed his Navy career in 1981 as a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is now a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace.

Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain
Phillip Butler | March 27, 2008

As some of you might know, John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.

When I was a Plebe (4th classman, or freshman) at the Naval Academy in 1957-58, I was assigned to the 17th Company for my four years there. In those days we had about 3,600 midshipmen spread among 24 companies, thus about 150 midshipmen to a company. As fortune would have it, John, a First Classman (senior) and his room mate lived directly across the hall from me and my two room mates. Believe me when I say that back then I would never in a million or more years have dreamed that the crazy guy across the hall would someday be a Senator and candidate for President!

John was a wild man. He was funny, with a quick wit and he was intelligent. But he was intent on breaking every USNA regulation in our 4 inch thick USNA Regulations book. And I believe he must have come as close to his goal as any midshipman who ever attended the Academy. John had me "coming around" to his room frequently during my plebe year. And on one occasion he took me with him to escape "over the wall" in the dead of night. He had a taxi cab waiting for us that took us to a bar some 7 miles away. John had a few beers, but forbid me to drink (watching out for me I guess) and made me drink cokes. I could tell many other midshipman stories about John that year and he unbelievably managed to graduate though he spent the majority of his first class year on restriction for the stuff he did get caught doing. In fact he barely managed to graduate, standing 5th from the bottom of his 800 man graduating class. I and many others have speculated that the main reason he did graduate was because his father was an Admiral, and also his grandfather, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates.

People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always "No - John McCain was a POW with me." The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.

John's treatment as a POW:

1) Was he tortured for 5 years? No. He was subjected to torture and maltreatment during his first 2 years, from September of 1967 to September of 1969. After September of 1969 the Vietnamese stopped the torture and gave us increased food and rudimentary health care. Several hundred of us were captured much earlier. I got there April 20, 1965 so my bad treatment period lasted 4 1/2 years. President Ho Chi Minh died on September 9, 1969, and the new regime that replaced him and his policies was more pragmatic. They realized we were worth a lot as bargaining chips if we were alive. And they were right because eventually Americans gave up on the war and agreed to trade our POW's for their country. A damn good trade in my opinion! But my point here is that John allows the media to make him out to be THE hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals.

2) John was badly injured when he was shot down. Both arms were broken and he had other wounds from his ejection. Unfortunately this was often the case - new POW's arriving with broken bones and serious combat injuries. Many died from their wounds. Medical care was non-existent to rudimentary. Relief from pain was almost never given and often the wounds were used as an available way to torture the POW. Because John's father was the Naval Commander in the Pacific theater, he was exploited with TV interviews while wounded. These film clips have now been widely seen. But it must be known that many POW's suffered similarly, not just John. And many were similarly exploited for political propaganda.

3) John was offered, and refused, "early release." Many of us were given this offer. It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to "admit" that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was "lenient and humane." So I, like numerous others, refused the offer. This was obviously something none of us could accept. Besides, we were bound by our service regulations, Geneva Conventions and loyalties to refuse early release until all the POW's were released, with the sick and wounded going first.

4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 600 military POW's in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled to the following: Medals of Honor - 8, Service Crosses - 42, Silver Stars - 590, Bronze Stars - 958 and Purple Hearts - 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe.

John McCain served his time as a POW with great courage, loyalty and tenacity. More that 600 of us did the same. After our repatriation a census showed that 95% of us had been tortured at least once. The Vietnamese were quite democratic about it. There were many heroes in North Vietnam. I saw heroism every day there. And we motivated each other to endure and succeed far beyond what any of us thought we had in ourselves. Succeeding as a POW is a group sport, not an individual one. We all supported and encouraged each other to survive and succeed. John knows that. He was not an individual POW hero. He was a POW who surmounted the odds with the help of many comrades, as all of us did.

I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate.

Most of us who survived that experience are now in our late 60's and 70's. Sadly, we have died and are dying off at a greater rate than our non-POW contemporaries. We experienced injuries and malnutrition that are coming home to roost. So I believe John's age (73) and survival expectation are not good for being elected to serve as our President for 4 or more years.

I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.

It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush's war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John's views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.

I'm disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist ministers lately. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he hates that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don't see that John is the "straight talk express" he...

Senator John Sidney McCain, III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who "Returned With Honor." That's our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I've decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain, III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_2,00.html

Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain
Phillip Butler | March 27, 2008
markets himself to be.

Doctor Phillip Butler is a 1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former light-attack carrier pilot. In 1965 he was shot down over North Vietnam where he spent eight years as a prisoner of war. He is a highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals.

After his repatriation in 1973 he earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at San Diego and became a Navy Organizational Effectiveness consultant. He completed his Navy career in 1981 as a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He is now a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace.

Senator John Sidney McCain, III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who "Returned With Honor." That's our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I've decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain, III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_2,00.html

copy, i don't think the average American earns capital gains, therefore the scare of raising capital gains taxes is unfounded. but because the general electorate is not very smart they fall for the scare tactic.

This is a BS issue. The world is going to pot and we're paying attention to this issue?

Face it, you have to be a rich man to run for president, and none of these guys are going to start living under a bridge to empathize with the down trodden.

Enough!

It's not going to stick as desperately as you wish it would. People know McCain is rich, have known it for a long time, the race is still neck and neck.

John Mccain leader or mad man? You decide.

WASHINGTON — Senator John McCain arrived late at his Senate office on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, just after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. “This is war,” he murmured to his aides. The sound of scrambling fighter planes rattled the windows, sending a tremor of panic through the room.

Erik Jacobs for The New York Times
John McCain said he had consulted Henry A. Kissinger on foreign policy before and after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Within hours, Mr. McCain, the Vietnam War hero and famed straight talker of the 2000 Republican primary, had taken on a new role: the leading advocate of taking the American retaliation against Al Qaeda far beyond Afghanistan. In a marathon of television and radio appearances, Mr. McCain recited a short list of other countries said to support terrorism, invariably including Iraq, Iran and Syria.

“There is a system out there or network, and that network is going to have to be attacked,” Mr. McCain said the next morning on ABC News. “It isn’t just Afghanistan,” he added, on MSNBC. “I don’t think if you got bin Laden tomorrow that the threat has disappeared,” he said on CBS, pointing toward other countries in the Middle East.

Within a month he made clear his priority. “Very obviously Iraq is the first country,” he declared on CNN. By Jan. 2, Mr. McCain was on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea, yelling to a crowd of sailors and airmen: “Next up, Baghdad!”

Now, as Mr. McCain prepares to accept the Republican presidential nomination, his response to the attacks of Sept. 11 opens a window onto how he might approach the gravest responsibilities of a potential commander in chief. Like many, he immediately recalibrated his assessment of the unseen risks to America’s security. But he also began to suggest that he saw a new “opportunity” to deter other potential foes by punishing not only Al Qaeda but also Iraq.

“Just as Sept. 11 revolutionized our resolve to defeat our enemies, so has it brought into focus the opportunities we now have to secure and expand our freedom,” Mr. McCain told a NATO conference in Munich in early 2002, urging the Europeans to join what he portrayed as an all but certain assault on Saddam Hussein. “A better world is already emerging from the rubble.”

To his admirers, Mr. McCain’s tough response to Sept. 11 is at the heart of his appeal. They argue that he displayed the same decisiveness again last week in his swift calls to penalize Russia for its incursion into Georgia, in part by sending peacekeepers to police its border.

His critics charge that the emotion of Sept. 11 overwhelmed his former cool-eyed caution about deploying American troops without a clear national interest and a well-defined exit, turning him into a tool of the Bush administration in its push for a war to transform the region.

“He has the personality of a fighter pilot: when somebody stings you, you want to strike out,” said retired Gen. John H. Johns, a former friend and supporter of Mr. McCain who turned against him over the Iraq war. “Just like the American people, his reaction was: show me somebody to hit.”

Whether through ideology or instinct, though, Mr. McCain began making his case for invading Iraq to the public more than six months before the White House began to do the same. He drew on principles he learned growing up in a military family and on conclusions he formed as a prisoner in North Vietnam. He also returned to a conviction about “the common identity” of dangerous autocracies as far-flung as Serbia and North Korea that he had developed consulting with hawkish foreign policy thinkers to help sharpen the themes of his 2000 presidential campaign.

While pushing to take on Saddam Hussein, Mr. McCain also made arguments and statements that he may no longer wish to recall. He lauded the war planners he would later criticize, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney. (Mr. McCain even volunteered that he would have given the same job to Mr. Cheney.) He urged support for the later-discredited Iraqi exile Ahmad Chalabi’s opposition group, the Iraqi National Congress, and echoed some of its suspect accusations in the national media. And he advanced misleading assertions not only about Mr. Hussein’s supposed weapons programs but also about his possible ties to international terrorists, Al Qaeda and the Sept. 11 attacks.

Five years after the invasion of Iraq, Mr. McCain’s supporters note that he became an early critic of the administration’s execution of the occupation, and they credit him with pushing the troop “surge” that helped bring stability. Mr. McCain, though, stands by his support for the war and expresses no regrets about his advocacy.

In written answers to questions, he blamed “Iraq’s opacity under Saddam” for any misleading remarks he made about the peril it posed.

The Sept. 11 attacks “demonstrated the grave threat posed by a hostile regime, possessing weapons of mass destruction, and with reported ties to terrorists,” Mr. McCain wrote in an e-mail message on Friday. Given Mr. Hussein’s history of pursuing illegal weapons and his avowed hostility to the United States, “his regime posed a threat we had to take seriously.” The attacks were still a reminder, Mr. McCain added, of the importance of international action “to prevent outlaw states — like Iran today — from developing weapons of mass destruction.”

Formative Years

Mr. McCain has been debating questions about the use of military force far longer than most. He grew up in a family that had sent a son to every American war since 1776, and international relations were a staple of the McCain family dinner table. Mr. McCain grew up listening to his father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr., deliver lectures on “The Four Ocean Navy and the Soviet Threat,” closing with a slide of an image he considered the ultimate factor in the balance of power: a soldier marching through a rice paddy with a rifle at his shoulder.

“To quote Sherman, war is all hell and we need to fight it out and get it over with and that is when the killing stops,” recalled Joe McCain, Senator McCain’s younger brother.

Vietnam, for Senator McCain, reinforced those lessons. He has often said he blamed the Johnson administration’s pause in bombing for prolonging the war, and he credited President Richard M. Nixon’s renewed attacks with securing his release from a North Vietnamese prison. He has made the principle that the exercise of military power sets the bargaining table for international relations a consistent theme of his career ever since, and in his 2002 memoir he wrote that one of his lifelong convictions was “the imperative that American power never retreat in response to an inferior adversary’s provocation.”

But Mr. McCain also took away from Vietnam a second, restraining lesson: the necessity for broad domestic support for any military action. For years he opposed a string of interventions — in Lebanon, Haiti, Somalia, and, for a time, the Balkans — on the grounds that the public would balk at the loss of life without clear national interests. “The Vietnam thing,” he recently said.

In the late 1990s, however, while he was beginning to consider his 2000 presidential race, he started rebalancing his view of the needs to project American strength and to sustain public support. The 1995 massacre of 5,000 unarmed Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica under NATO’s watch struck at his conscience, he has said, and in addition to America’s strategic national interests — in that case, the future and credibility of NATO — Mr. McCain began to speak more expansively about America’s moral obligations as the only remaining superpower.

His aides say he later described the American air strikes in Bosnia in 1996 and in Kosovo in 1999 as a parable of political leadership: Mr. McCain, Senator Bob Dole and others had rallied Congressional support for the strikes despite widespread public opposition, then watched approval soar after the intervention helped to bring peace.

“Americans elect their leaders to make these kinds of judgments,” Mr. McCain said in the e-mail message.

It was during the Balkan wars that Mr. McCain and his advisers read a 1997 article on the Wall Street Journal editorial page by William Kristol and David Brooks of The Weekly Standard — both now Op-Ed page columnists at The New York Times — promoting the idea of “national greatness” conservatism, defined by a more activist agenda at home and a more muscular role in the world.

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘eureka’ moment, but there was a sense that this is where we are headed and this is what we are trying to articulate and they have already done a lot of the work,” said John Weaver, a former McCain political adviser. “And, quite frankly, from a crass political point of view, we were in the making-friends business. The Weekly Standard represented a part of the primary electorate that we could get.”

Soon Mr. McCain and his aides were consulting regularly with the circle of hawkish foreign policy thinkers sometimes referred to as neoconservatives — including Mr. Kristol, Robert Kagan and Randy Scheunemann, a former aide to Mr. Dole who became a McCain campaign adviser — to develop the senator’s foreign policy ideas and instincts into the broad themes of a presidential campaign. (In his e-mail message, Mr. McCain noted that he had also consulted with friends like Henry A. Kissinger, known for a narrower view of American interests.)

One result was a series of speeches in which Mr. McCain called for “rogue state rollback.” He argued that disparate regional troublemakers, including Iraq, North Korea and Serbia, bore a common stamp: they were all autocracies. And as such, he contended, they were more likely to export terrorism, spread dangerous weapons, or start ethnic conflicts. In an early outline of what would become his initial response to the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. McCain argued that “swift and sure” retribution against any one of the rogue states was an essential deterrent to any of the others. But Mr. McCain’s advisers and aides say his “rogue state” speeches stopped short of the most sweeping international agenda put forth by Mr. Kristol, Mr. Kagan and their allies. Mr. McCain explicitly disavowed direct military action merely to advance American values, foreswearing any “global crusade” of interventions in favor of relying on covert and financial support for internal opposition groups.

As an example, he could point to his 1998 sponsorship of the Iraqi Liberation Act, which sought to direct nearly $100 million to Iraqis who hoped to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The bill, signed by President Bill Clinton, also endorsed the ouster of Mr. Hussein.

Mr. McCain said then that he doubted the United States could muster the political will to use ground troops to remove the Iraqi dictator any time soon. “It was much easier when Saddam Hussein was occupying Kuwait and threatening Saudi Arabia,” the senator told Fox News in November 1998. “We’d have to convince the American people that it’s worth again the sacrifice of American lives, because that would also be part of the price.”

Hard Calls

Mr. McCain spent the afternoon of Sept. 11 in a young aide’s studio apartment near the Capitol. There was no cable television, nothing but water in the kitchen, and the hallway reminded him of an old boxing gym. Evacuated from his office but stranded by traffic, he could not resist imagining himself at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. “There are not enough Secret Service agents in the world to keep me away from Washington and New York at a time like this,” Mr. McCain told an adviser.

Over the next days and weeks, however, Mr. McCain became almost as visible as he would have been as president. Broadcasters rushed to him as a patriotic icon and reassuring voice, and for weeks he was ubiquitous on the morning news programs, Sunday talk shows, cable news networks, and even late-night comedy shows.

In the spotlight, he pushed rogue state rollback one step further, arguing that the United States should go on the offensive as a warning to any other country that might condone such an attack. “These networks are well-embedded in some of these countries,” Mr. McCain said on Sept. 12, listing Iraq, Iran and Syria as potential targets of United States pressure. “We’re going to have to prove to them that we are very serious, and the price that they will pay will not only be for punishment but also deterrence.”

Although he had campaigned for President Bush during the 2000 general election, he was still largely frozen out of the White House because of animosities left over from the Republican primary. But after Mr. Bush declared he would hold responsible any country condoning terrorism, Mr. McCain called his leadership “magnificent” and his national security team the strongest “that has ever been assembled.” A few weeks later, Larry King of CNN asked whether he would have named Mr. Rumsfeld and Colin L. Powell to a McCain cabinet. “Oh, yes, and Cheney,” Mr. McCain answered, saying he, too, would have offered Mr. Cheney the vice presidency.

Even during the heat of the war in Afghanistan, Mr. McCain kept an eye on Iraq. To Jay Leno in mid-September, Mr. McCain said he believed “some other countries” had assisted Osama bin Laden, going on to suggest Iraq, Syria and Iran as potential suspects. In October 2001, when an Op-Ed page column in The New York Times speculated that Iraq, Russia or some other country might bear responsibility for that month’s anthrax mailings, Mr. McCain interrupted a question about Afghanistan from David Letterman on that night’s “Late Show.” “The second phase is Iraq,” Mr. McCain said, adding, “Some of this anthrax may — and I emphasize may — have come from Iraq.” (The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it came from a federal government laboratory in Maryland.) By October, United States and foreign intelligence agencies had said publicly that they doubted any cooperation between Mr. Hussein and Al Qaeda, noting Al Qaeda’s opposition to such secular nationalists. American intelligence officials soon declared that Mr. Hussein had not supported international terrorism for nearly a decade.

But when the Czech government said that before the attacks, one of the 9/11 hijackers had met in Prague with an Iraqi intelligence official, Mr. McCain seized the report as something close to a smoking gun. “The evidence is very clear,” he said three days later, in an Oct. 29 television interview. (Intelligence agencies quickly cast doubt on the meeting.)

Frustrated by the dearth of American intelligence about Iraq, Mr. McCain’s aides say, he had long sought to learn as much as he could from Iraqi opposition figures in exile, including Mr. Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress. Over the years, Mr. McCain often urged support for the group, saying it had “significant support, in my view, inside Iraq.”

After Sept. 11, Mr. Chalabi’s group said an Iraqi emissary had once met with Osama bin Laden, and brought forward two Iraqi defectors who described terrorist training camps and biological weapons efforts. At times, Mr. McCain seemed to echo their accusations, citing the “two defectors” in a television interview and attesting to “credible reports of involvement between Iraqi administration officials, Iraqi officials and the terrorists.”

Growing Impatient

But United States intelligence officials had doubts about Mr. Chalabi at the time and have since discredited his group. In 2006, Mr. McCain acknowledged to The New Republic that he had been “too enamored with the I.N.C.” In his e-mail message, though, he said he never relied on the group for information about Iraq’s weapons program.

At a European security conference in February 2002, when the Bush administration still publicly maintained that it had made no decision about moving against Iraq, Mr. McCain described an invasion as all but certain. “A terrorist resides in Baghdad,” he said, adding, “A day of reckoning is approaching.”

Regime change in Iraq in addition to Afghanistan, he argued, would compel other sponsors of terrorism to mend their ways, “accomplishing by example what we would otherwise have to pursue through force of arms.”

Finally, as American troops massed in the Persian Gulf in early 2003, Mr. McCain grew impatient, his aides say, concerned that the White House was failing to act as the hot desert summer neared. Waiting, he warned in a speech in Washington, risked squandering the public and international support aroused by Sept. 11. “Does anyone really believe that the world’s will to contain Saddam won’t eventually collapse as utterly as it did in the 1990s?” Mr. McCain asked.

In retrospect, some of Mr. McCain’s critics now accuse him of looking for a pretext to justify the war. “McCain was hell-bent for leather: ‘Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, we have got to teach him, let’s send a message to the other people in the Middle East,’ ” said Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts.

But Mr. McCain, in his e-mail message, said the reason he had supported the war was the evolving threat from Mr. Hussein.

“I believe voters elect their leaders based on their experience and judgment — their ability to make hard calls, for instance, on matters of war and peace,” he wrote. “It’s important to get them right.”

What email did you copy and paste that bunch of crap from? Do you actually have an original thought on the subject?

-----------
Why do people not trust Obama on the economy?

1. He opposes a comprehensive energy policy and denies the first law of economics. He opposes drilling offshore and nuclear power. He claims increasing energy supply will not reduce price or at least mitigate an increase. He does not realize that all increases in production are not equal. When supply is tight, a small increase can provide the necessary slack to reduce the legitimate speculative concern over supply disruption and thus price.

2. He said he would increase the capital gains tax even it resulted in reduced revenue because of fairness and capital gains not being as earned as income from labor. I guess he really wants to stick to all those people with a pension fund or 401K and those fat cat home owners.

3. He wants to introduce a play or pay health care system that would impose a cost of $12,000 per annum on small employers who currently don't provide health insurance for every worker with a family. Now that's what we need to encourage employment.

4. He wants to raise taxes on the "rich", while further eroding the tax base, turning us into a nation of two classes, tax payers and welfare recipients. Redistribution of wealth is still redistribution of wealth no matter what language you dress it in.

5. He wants to massively expand "civil rights" legislation to groups and in ways that are inappropriate and would result in a flood of litigation.

6. I could keep going, but the Olympics are on, but suffice it to say Americans are on to something in not trusting Obama on the economy. As for trusting McCain, as McCain pointed out, it wasn't taxes that were the problem in American fiscal policy, it was out of control spending. Now who do you really think will do a better job on that?

Posted by: copy | August 22, 2008 1:54 AM

People don't change, Since they were married John Mccain has just lived off his wife like he did his family when he was young. Even his political career was bought for him. He has "NEVER" in his life personally created, built, or accomplished anything on his own. If he had been born into the circumstances of Obama he would have just lived a life on welfare and died of drugs and alcohol. Hell, he has already spent most of his life as an alcoholic as it is. Please, tell me what business he has built or anything he has ever accomplished on his own? Even with no responsibilities, no pressures and everything being paid for, the best he could do in school was to finish 894 out of a class of 899. My God, you can;t want this man for your president. Wake up. he wasn't even smart enough to raise the money to run for president with out his wife giving him an allowance. Jesus H Christ, step back and look at this man you want to vote for, is there something wrong with you people.

Why do people not trust Obama on the economy?

1. He opposes a comprehensive energy policy and denies the first law of economics. He opposes drilling offshore and nuclear power. He claims increasing energy supply will not reduce price or at least mitigate an increase. He does not realize that all increases in production are not equal. When supply is tight, a small increase can provide the necessary slack to reduce the legitimate speculative concern over supply disruption and thus price.

2. He said he would increase the capital gains tax even it resulted in reduced revenue because of fairness and capital gains not being as earned as income from labor. I guess he really wants to stick to all those people with a pension fund or 401K and those fat cat home owners.

3. He wants to introduce a play or pay health care system that would impose a cost of $12,000 per annum on small employers who currently don't provide health insurance for every worker with a family. Now that's what we need to encourage employment.

4. He wants to raise taxes on the "rich", while further eroding the tax base, turning us into a nation of two classes, tax payers and welfare recipients. Redistribution of wealth is still redistribution of wealth no matter what language you dress it in.

5. He wants to massively expand "civil rights" legislation to groups and in ways that are inappropriate and would result in a flood of litigation.

6. I could keep going, but the Olympics are on, but suffice it to say Americans are on to something in not trusting Obama on the economy. As for trusting McCain, as McCain pointed out, it wasn't taxes that were the problem in American fiscal policy, it was out of control spending. Now who do you really think will do a better job on that?

What he said was. "I have been campaigning all over the country and have been to 57" and before saying anything else said " I mean 47 of the 50 states" Thats all he said.

------------
"I also don't like the fact that Obama doesn't even know how many states make up the United States of America. How can someone run for President think that there are 57 states that make up the U.S.?"
".
The real question is, how can someone think that someone running for President think that there are 57 states in the US?

No one actually thinks that. Anytime someone gives that as a reason, its either blind partisanship or racism. This person claims to have voted Democrat in the last three presidential elections, so process of elimination prevails.

Posted by: DDAWD | August 22, 2008 1:45 AM

"I also don't like the fact that Obama doesn't even know how many states make up the United States of America. How can someone run for President think that there are 57 states that make up the U.S.?"

The real question is, how can someone think that someone running for President think that there are 57 states in the US?

No one actually thinks that. Anytime someone gives that as a reason, its either blind partisanship or racism. This person claims to have voted Democrat in the last three presidential elections, so process of elimination prevails.

McCain is out of touch, remember he and his wife forgot to pay their property taxes for four years. Now, McCain does not know how many homes he owns. His lack of response to a simple question makes people think he was not in a cone of silent during the town hall with Obama and pastor Warren.

To Ryan; Obama was not raised in a privileged home. His mother was on food stamps and his grandparents helped raise him.Him and his wife just paid off their student loans a couple of years ago. Mrs.McCain is not a realtor ,her family owns a beer disturbing company.The houses they buy are for them.If you want your daughters to have a better life you had better find out what the truth is.
Connie from Indiana

Right, Connie! The candidate no one knows is the one between John McCain's right ear and his left ear. It's frightening.

No, Ryan,

Barack Obama has not led a life of privilege. He's earned where he is and that's why he does in fact understand what we're up against. I wish I could send you a copy of his autobiography, written long before he ran for president.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070702-2.html

PRESIDENT BUSH: I think we'll see each other in Australia. Secondly, I know we'll be talking on the phone, because there's a lot of issues that we are working together on, which is part of the legacy of this relationship, and that is that it's in the U.S. interest to keep close relations with Russia; and that when it comes to confronting real threats, such as nuclear proliferation or the threat of radicalism and extremism, Russia is a good, solid partner.

Hmmm. Two small threats or three big ones? McCain is such a tool.

The point has been missed all night , the number of homes McSenile owns was not the problem,it's that he was not able to answer the question correctly, he was befuddled.Connie from Indiana

Katz66.

The Obamas bought their home without any assistance from Rezko. They bought a strip of his property **at full market value** and would be better off not having touched the man, but they did no wrong.

And they know they own one home.

KATZ -- McCain screwed up and had another senior moment (raising fist at Leiberman, "where were you when I needed you??") and he is gonna feel it a little bit. So what? Suck it up. This is not torture, you know, just enhanced campaigning.

I LOVE YOU WROTE:
Obviously, Sen. McCain was being cautious; he wants to give correct answers, and non-instantaneous answers.

What kind of crazy excuse is this! What do you mean he has to think about it and give a ery carefull answer. He was asked about houses, he was'nt asked how many baseball cards he owns. Houses are very big things that I don't think one would get confused over; unless you are very rich and you have more houses than most of us need, or you sometimes forget things. Things like where a country is that is next to a country that America is envolved in war in. Or how exactly your wife got her daughter.

hey democrats....so sad Obama has led a life of privilage just has mccain and 90 percent of all other policticians. Mccain didnt know how many houses he owns because his wife is a real estate agent and buys and sells houses for investments. Dont forget your golden boy bill clinton who charges upwards of a million dollars for speaken engagements or the other millionair democrats lining ther pockets with lobbiest money. So who cares!!! no democrat or rebublican live like me, i work two jobs total of 70 hrs a week to provide for my wife and 5 little girls. Lets see ole NObama or Mccain walk a mile in most of our shoes. I dont care how much money these two chumps have or what they spend it on lets stick to the issues because we all know there are plenty of them

to;im4freedom: McSenile got to come home over 4100 of our brave men women did not get that chance and McSenile is a warmonger who voted for the Iraq war and with his arrogants he will get us in to other conflicts. He is old and out of touch.Connie from Indiana

The number of houses owned by John and/or Cindy McCain is irrelevant. It is, however, relevant that one or the other of them paid for the property without the assistance of a crooked slum lord. Is the best 'distraction' B. Hussein can conjure up?

B. Hussein's brother lives in a thatched roofed mud hut? So what? In a perpetually warm climate not much more is necessary, is it? Not for someone not addicted to gadgets. A guy used to living a simple, quiet life doesn't need, perhaps even wouldn't want, a fancy house and all the distracting, noise-making trivia, such as TV to which we're used.

Because some of us could hardly get along without our PC, Iphone, Blackberry or whatever doesn't mean someone else cannot live quite comfortably without them.

If you listen he was confused and non responsive. He was not capable of answering, senior moment. He can't answer a question he doesn't have a rehearsed answer for.
=========
Obviously, Sen. McCain was being cautious; he wants to give correct answers, and non-instantaneous answers.

Posted by: I LoveYou | August 22, 2008 12:58 AM

Final thought,

If Islamic Extremism and Nuclear Proliferation are the biggest threats to Western Civilization, then we are we playing games with the Russians, who aren't likely to bomb us and who have good intel that can help us prevent the two big threats?

Do we want two small threats, or three big ones?

McCain is either nuts or he's in the tank for a corrupt, lying, greedy military industrial complex that cares less about the blood of the young than corporate profits and stock options. Or both.

But "im4freedom," being a prisoner of war, with all respect, is not what most of us face. This doesn't translate.

What does Mr. McCain understand of the typical American struggle to own one home, pay one mortgage? not much, it appears.

JOHN MCCAIN, TRAITOR TO HIS COUNTRY, COLLABORATOR WITH THE ENEMY, MILITARY DISGRACE.

Ted Sampley, a Vietnam Veteran and former Green Beret, issued a CHALLENGE to John McCain "If you can show us that the information presented in our mailer is untruthful . . . we will Stand Down" This CHALLENGE was issued during an interview with INSIDE EDITION on January 17, 2008.
John, family members of Vietnam POW/MIA(s) have been waiting for more then 14 years for you to have the courage to face them eye to eye in front of the American Public - Here is your opportunity for some "STRAIGHT TALK." Stop hiding behind your fabricated "War Hero" persona. You know we can prove your collaborations with declassified government documents . . . It is time for the American people to get to know the REAL John McCain - the John McCain that the POW/MIA families witnessed during the 1991-93 US Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs .
Bring It On John! HERE IS OUR NUMBER 252-527-0442
----------

People are saying McCain is out of touch with regular Americans? His time as a POW made him learn what it is like to be poor. He has lived in some of the most horrific places and learned to be grateful for food and water. He was starved and beaten, and lived in dirty places with only a dirt floor and 4 walls with no protection from the elements. So when people say he is "out of touch" it is far from the truth no matter how much money he has or houses he owns. McCain is the most likely to be able to relate to what people are suffering due to the fact that he has suffered and been through more than we can even imagine.

Posted by: im4freedom | August 22, 2008 12:50 AM

Obviously, Sen. McCain was being cautious; he wants to give correct answers, and non-instantaneous answers.

im4freedom -- Dude, that was 35 years ago. He was shot down because he went into an area where he was told not to go. He was disobeying orders -- "being a maverick" -- or probably just rebellious. All that stuff about refusing to be let go ahead of all the other POWs -- that was the code of honor for all of them, 1st in, first out. Can you imagine what his father (an admiral) and country would have done to him if he did jump ahead?? That was a no brainer.

JB.

Have you actually read the story in the London Telegraph? George Obama credits his half-brother with inspiring him to turn his life around. What do you know about whatever relationship they may have?

People are saying McCain is out of touch with regular Americans? His time as a POW made him learn what it is like to be poor. He has lived in some of the most horrific places and learned to be grateful for food and water. He was starved and beaten, and lived in dirty places with only a dirt floor and 4 walls with no protection from the elements. So when people say he is "out of touch" it is far from the truth no matter how much money he has or houses he owns. McCain is the most likely to be able to relate to what people are suffering due to the fact that he has suffered and been through more than we can even imagine.

I meant Bush had an exit strategy for Vietnam. I'm tired, going to bed. God bless you all, yes, even our lying, cheating, and thieving Republican politicians.

""They're nothing but talk, full of "If I wanted to, I could be a greater war hero than John McCain"--not if you're too gutless to wear Uncle Sam's uniform, let alone doing your best to dodge a shooting war.""

Banshee -- I am a bit curious. As a Peace Corp volunteer, which military uniform did you wear? Also, what part of "peace corp" causes your obvious internal conflict? Maybe you should have gone to war instead? You know, like real men and women do, instead of some wussie liberal, JFK outfit like the Peace Corp?

You know the difference between Vietnam and Iraq? Bush had an exit strategy for Iraq.

That's why McCain is lying through his teeth when he says he knows how to win the Iraq war. Not only has he never defined victory, but it is also impossible for us to win another country's civil war.

McCain wants to stay in Iraq until no more Americans are getting killed, no matter how long it takes and how many Americans get killed achieving that goal -- that is, the goal of not getting any more Americans killed. And once that goal is achieved, we'll stay.

Love the logic. Almost as compelling as, hey, let's spend $2 trillion to install a democracy in an Arab land where they hate us and would vote us out of their country in a heartbeat- and not give us preferential pricing for their oil.

Intelligence really does matter.

Bruno: Mrs. Clinton I am sure will serve in Obama's administration.We are all bitter because of the last 7/12 years and I believe we don't know what bitter is if we elect Bush's twin John McSeniel. I am proud that the Dems have the donkey,Jesus did not ride on an elephant.Connie from Indiana

I believe Iraq is about to explode You will see record americans dead. The surge was a joke all it did was keep the lid on a little but in reality accomplished nothing. By the election it may be a nightmare. I guess Mccain will begin preaching we need a draft now as we have no one left to fight they are stretched so thin. We are already sending store clerks over there now. We are out of real soldiers.

----------
Looks like the Iraq could erupt in Sunni-Shia violence again.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/49538.html

The Republicans have, characteristically, lied and told people that the surge in US forces is what turned the tide in Iraq, when in fact it was in fact the surge in bribes that we, the taxpayers, paid the Sunnis. (N.B. Al Qaeda are Sunni). And we aren't going to pay these people $300 a month forever, and the Shias don't trust them enough to incorporate them into the security force, so that was never a long-term strategy. What now? If it's civil war, how do we 'win' another country's civil war? This could get ugly fast.

Posted by: Corruption Anon | August 22, 2008 12:29 AM

Hyde Parker, I know his half-brother lives in a shack while Obama enjoys his mansion.

Yet he still wants to take more of my money for complete strangers.

When this man steps up to the plate and takes care of his own family, then he can come talk to me. Until then, the hypocrite needs to shut up.

With all due, respect Bruno.

Barack Obama is neither a loser nor a victim.

Good for Obama..with weeks of attacks against him, and with him trying to get people to focus on issues, he finally realizes people like a fight...sad, but true and they want you to fight for them. McCain/Bush people play the POW card anytime you say anything about McCain no matter what it is and it is getting really old and is starting to deminish McCain's character. His 2000 position to not make POW an issue was a good one..now he is kissing up to people who trashed\disrespected him and his family in 2008. A lot of people don't realize that. If you don't fight for your own family, you won't fight for mine. 2000 McCain might have won this election or at least loss with honor. 2008 McCain win or lose has lost his character and appeal. Obama08

In search of the truth. Mccain didn't say how many houses he has is a sign of being out of touch. who doesn't know how many homes they own. Especially if its investments. If Mccain isn't on top of his personal affairs and business how could be turn fix the budget in his first term. It was Mccain who said he didn't love his country until he became a prisoner of war. Mccain is an elitist he owns 7 homes, his wife spends $750,000 a month, he can take his wifes private jet to fly around the states, but he wants us to believe that he would balance the budget in his first term. Mccain tax plan is for people like him not ordinary Americans. Mccain is not and will never be or understand middle America. When did Mccain ever struggle besides being in a prison camp? Mccain was always well off. Period. Mccain has no idea what its like losing your job or your home and his policies reflect that.

Bless you, Hoosier Connie.

You took the words out of my mouth. There are many of us who have never been prouder to be Americans. And just wait until November when we can hold our heads high in the world again.

llewis40 - You know what happened to Robert Kennedy....Enough said. There are other blacks...much more qualified and classier, than this loser, to become President. Powell is one of them. Although he is not a Democrat, I would vote for him. Stop playing the race card. Its not about that. Stop being a victim like jackson and sharpton and start being like Tiger Woods and positive. I am a black, and I do not whine like Jackson and sharpton about what is owed to me. I admire Powell, Tiger woods and tell my kids to be like them.

Connie from Indiana - get with the program my dear...I am one of those 'Bitter' people. I do cling to my religion and faith and am very proud of it. I love my guns and I will never vote for this elitist pot smoking loser.

My party is not what it was. The leaders, Pelosi, Reed are weak. They nominate losers...who do not know how to fight and win. Congress has the lowest rating and we are a majority. They cannot pass anything. Republicans out smart them.

So get with it...With folks like you supporting losers like Obama, Kerry, Dukakis, Pelosi, Reed...No wonder this party thinks and acts like its Symbol...A DONKEY.

Until we get fighters like the Clintons, who have a backbone, we will never win.

Looks like the Iraq could erupt in Sunni-Shia violence again.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/49538.html

The Republicans have, characteristically, lied and told people that the surge in US forces is what turned the tide in Iraq, when in fact it was in fact the surge in bribes that we, the taxpayers, paid the Sunnis. (N.B. Al Qaeda are Sunni). And we aren't going to pay these people $300 a month forever, and the Shias don't trust them enough to incorporate them into the security force, so that was never a long-term strategy. What now? If it's civil war, how do we 'win' another country's civil war? This could get ugly fast.

InSearch,

Come on! Watch the video==the man didn't know how many houses he had.

Out of touch several times over.

In Search of the Truth: I believe you need to re roll the tape, Mrs.Obama said for the first time in my adult life I am "really" proud of my country.I also read were John McSenile said when he was a POW ,was when he first knew he loved his country. Is there a difference? For the first time in my adult life I am really proud of my country for the chance to elect a women or a black president, we have already had an old president.Connie from Indiana

Mohamend,

You must be kidding weeping about the plight of the "poor African/American." Evidently, you don't realize that the African/American has a very soft Life in comparison to the lives of most real Africans. Didn't you pay heed to the comment of Cassius Clay upon his return to America after he took a trip to Africa? What he said was, "Thank God my Grandaddy got on that boat."

Because I lived & worked in bush West Africa I realize what he said was intelligent and rational.

Mccain doesn't understand and he never will understand the middle class. He doesn't live like middle America and he never will. Mccain is definately out of touch and he's only running to be a war president and stay in Iraq as long as he can.

Hey, J,

Since we're friends I can break it to you easy. Today's Fox (Fox!!) Poll results have Obama 42%-39%. A month ago it was 41%-40%.

Trending.

This is a mixture of disaster for our economy. Mccain doesn't understand economics, then he has a advisor who thinks we are in a mental recession, and think of middle America as a nation of whinners. Mccain is so rich that he doesn't even remember how many homes he owns and this is the man were supposed to think will balance the budget in his first term. Mccain can't keep up with his own wealth let alone the nations problems. Everybody needs to look pass Mccains' rehtoric and tough talk and you'll find a man who has been in the senate for 26 years and knows little or nothing. Mccain would be worst than Bush.

let's turn the table, tell me how clinton would ever get elected without blacks behind her

Posted by: lamont | August 21, 2008 2:41 PM

Easily.

llewis40 - I don't believe McCain is elitist because he said didn't know how many houses he had. Instead, I see it as him trying not to rub it in our faces about how many his wife owns. Instead of what he said, he should have just said that he had "a few" or "several." I'm not going to begrudge him because he didn't use those better adjectives.

You have to admit though, Obama is an elitist for ridiculing people like me who "cling to guns, religion, and anti-immigration" to his San Francisco friends. And then Michelle Obama saying that this is the first she's been proud of America now that her husband was running for president. I guess the fact that we beat Hitler in World War II and many other good things meant little or nothing to her. That's self-centered of her to only be proud of the U.S. only now when it benefits her and her husband.

Come off it, inSearch,

It's a matter of public record that Obama has called Ludacris's most recent raps "outrageously offensive".

Even you couldn't say it plainer than that, could you?

J,

It's early, Reagan's numbers didn't improve until after the debates. Here's a good article for you, written by a conservative.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cr_20080628_6561.php

Anyhow, Obama was down 20pts to Hillary on Jan1 and then made his move. This thing doesn't get serious until after the convention. And Obama will likely have a 3-1 financial advantage, a huge ground game advantage, and you had better believe that young and black voters, who will be coming out in historical numbers, will add another 4pts on to all these polls which are based on traditional turnouts. And if McCain takes Romney, which is the current rumor, Obama is winning Georgia.

Can you imagine what the Rove hacks working for McCain would be doing right now if the Democratic candidate did NOT EVEN HAVE A CLUE HOW MANY HOUSES HIS HEIRESS 2ND WIFE HAS BOUGHT FOR THEM?

It is disgusting how easily the GOP propaganda machine can pull the wool over the eyes of so many Americans, just by pushing a few "hot buttons".

Anyone who thinks McCain has a clue how most Americans live is delusional. The GOP doesn't share the values of the vast majority of Americans. They just manipulate the population to secure power, so they can loot the nation's resources while neglecting the nation's infrastructure.

How comfortable are you driving over those interstate highway bridges, after the Minnesota disaster? How's that New Orleans rebuilding effort going? Did you know Haliburton paid Cheney $35 Million in "severance" just a few months before he started directing billions of dollars in no bid military contracts to Haliburton?

Wake up, suckers.

Corruption Anon:

I'm glad you have a nice life.

Now back to Election 08.

When I saw the Reuters/Zogby poll numbers yesterday, it had the WOW factor. In July Obama was leading by 7%, now in Aug 08 McCain's leading by 5%. That's a 12 point swing.

Reuters/Zogby during the Primaries was always the closest pollster to the actual results. Several times they were on the money. That 5 point lead speaks volumes.

You've heard the story of the turtoise(McCain) and the hare (Obama). Well, the race is starting to heat up.

Bruno: If you Love my God you need to capitalize. I am glad you can afford more than KOOL-AID.To In Search of Truth; clinging to religion , every time we have tragic events in the world or in our lives we do cling to religion. I have heard several presidents call for the Americans to pray and OH! I forgot George wanted us to go shopping after 9-11.Connie from Indiana

Of course McCain is an elitist jerk who was born into wealth and privilege.

That's obvious and well-documented. So here's something more useful:

I know it's hard for average Americans to keep track of the endless stream of Republican perverts, criminals, and scandals.

So as a public service, republicanoffenders (website) provides a long, long, long list of Republican criminals from the past ten years...nicely organized by category (pedophiles, drugs/prostitution, corruption/bribery, rape, lewd conduct, assorted felonies, fraud/embezzlement etc etc etc).

Looks like only about 400 or so Republicans listed...so it's obviously a work in progress.

BUT WILL THE ELECTION EVEN MATTER? Not when government-supported "vigilante injustice" squads are "gang stalking" American citizens, making a mockery of the rule of law:
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/get-political-vic-livingston-opinion-expose-state-supported-vigilante-squads-doing-domestic-terrorism

WHAT IF THEY COULD SHOOT YOU
WITHOUT LEAVING A TRACE? THEY CAN.
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/zap-have-you-been-targeted-directed-energy-weapon-victims-organized-gang-stalking-say-its-happening-usa-1

Speaking of thc company Obama has kept, did you hear he has praised Ludacris in the past only for Ludacris to write and perform the Ludacris Obama song?

"Ludacris Wants Voters to Paint White House Black"

"Rapper Disses Disabled, Disrespects Woman, Supports Obama; Par for the Course?"

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/920371/ludacris_wants_voters_to_paint_white.html?cat=33

If this is the kind of change Barack Obama wants is to paint the White House black, then I do NOT want that kind of change!

Well Bruno

all I can tell you is OBAMA will be elected president Nov.4th.

History. Earth shattering American history is about to be made in less then three months.

Robert Kennedy said that he belived in forty years time that a negro would be elected president. And that's about to happen.

best to just jump on and ride it or step back and observe Bruno. Its a foregone conclusion.

And J, though I fundamentally disagree with much of what you write, what the heck? I'll gladly be your friend too. At 60 I'm pre-middle age, right?

A possible future McCain ad:

[Fade in image of Whitehouse, cue deep voice narator] With Rezko in prison, who is helping Obama buy this mansion?

McCain '08

McCain made a mild blunder. He should have just led with the straight fact he owned none of the houses. But when you do that then you have to delve into the nuances of your marriage. Cindy's pre-nup contract, that she has willed him a couple of places if she dies before him. And because she has trusts, and he doesn't follow them, he was unsure of the number of condo investment properties in play, or who owned title, so he didn't want to give an incorrect number.

McCain hould have just left it as none, but he contributes to household expenses.

I know how this works because I have a brother-in-law whose Dad is a hugely successful inventor and entrpreneur. Who is so busy he has other people run his investment portfolio and only looks in near tax time or when he has some new thing or lead or concern he wants looked at.
Anyways, about 10 years ago, I saw "Dad-in-law" in a mix of royal amusement and infuriation. He blew about 25K on a family getaway to Hawaii, inc. a nice hotel. Then found out he was the owner of 3 then-unoccupied beachfront condos located 4 miles away from the hotel he stayed at. Condos bought after he had told his investment team to dump some stock and find good real estate to hang onto for 3 or so years. He had glanced at the pictures they sent of his rental condos, not reading all the details. He thought the condos were in Florida.

With McCain, I suspect most people know somebody that comes into serious money only in middle age or late in life - and remain the same person. Elitism is groomed or sought in the formative years of life, and the arrogance and insouciance of the Obamas suggest they drank deeply of it's intoxicating brew as eager wannabes of inclusion into Chicago's wealthy and powerful elites.
McCain on the other hand, was hereditary military, with some benefit of family pull, but 95% of his chance to rise and not wash out of the academy, flight school, becoming a carrier pilot, making captain (something only 2% of an Academy class accomplishes) - all on his own. And the military does not breed elitism and the people you work with and stake your life on, and they on yours, are mostly from the poor and middle class. It is a life that involves tough living conditions for many years when shipboard, high danger. Then POW depravation.

Another rationale for the housing thing: McCain had a senior moment and went fuzzy. According to the NYT, that sort of thing is happening more and more with him.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/opinion/17rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

“McCain frequently forgets key elements of policies, gets countries’ names wrong, forgets things he’s said only hours or days before and is frequently just confused.” Most Americans still don’t know it is precisely for this reason that the McCain campaign has now shut down the press’s previously unfettered access to the candidate on the Straight Talk Express.

To J's friend:

Gee, now I have a friend. I have a friend and an enemy. Nice.

In case you don't know it, with the expansion of the life span of a human being, 72 is not considered old. It is the new middle age.

Did you like that spin?

The reason why this won't matter is because McCain is a reformer who understands that Washington is broken. He's also in favor of drilling, which is where the vast majority of people are at. Obama thinks that Jeremiah 'G-d damn the USA' Wright is a great mentor. Obama associates with unrepentent terrorists.

Who do you think doesn't share America's values?

Actually Search I'm a OBAMA supporter in my forties.

I live in Virginia and I talk to young people everyday. And when it comes to this election, white and black, they cant wait for Nov. 4th. OBAMA will win the election by way of Virginia. I have no doubt of that.

I can engage in civil conversations on these boards, that's how I started. But when I see the virtual hatred that spews from so many haters, right wingers and bigots about OBAMA i need to respond in kind. I dont like it but there are to many of these folks and others who feel McCain can do no wrong.

The man is ODD. Seriously. To support him and not wonder about his off kilter ways, and to just plain accept him because he ain't OBAMA well folks need to do better then that.

Scrivener

I wont give McCain that kind benefit. The man did int know how many damn homes he owned. And I truly hope you don't believe a set up on there part. McCain is the elitist of the week for that ignorance.

Come on man. I was born at night but not last night.

Laurelvw, is it? Anyway, Mrs. Colonel,

You evidently didn't read what I said.
I said, "It's not uncommon for officers and NCOs to own several houses."

That's not saying every officer & NCO did or does acquire a bunch of houses.

The posting by the retired CW5, who owns 9 houses and said some of his friends also own several, validates my claim.

I never owned a house at all--not until after I was retired due to my wounds incurred during Mr. Johnson's War.

Anyway, it's not something, the hassle of dealing with renters, making sure mortgage payments & taxes are paid on time, etc., that some people, including myself, would want to bother with. Nor apparently you & your Better Half as well. Guys doing that probably hire accountants to keep track of things, including scheduled & unscheduled maintenance, for them, in any event.

Handling a dozen or so houses scattered across the country, & even abroad in some cases, would be a full-time job. But I'm retired, have been for 38 & 3/4s years & don't want a full-time job.

"I am sorry I find that to be racist in its own right. Just because people are against Barack Obama or will not vote for him does not mean they are "blackaphobic". Hell I would vote for Condi Rice in a heart beat!

I think everyone needs to get off their high horse and forget the color of a candidates skin, what they look like, and how old they are and vote because of the issues at hand!"

Umm...if you're voting for Condoleeza Rice, then you aren't voting because of the issues.

To: "Anonymous:"

I am sorry for your predicament, and wish you well. I said nothing about McCain raising taxes. The point that I attempted to make was that Obama would raise taxes as well. Only 2% of the US population makes more than $250k a year; not enough tax to replace increased spending. Where does the rest of the $$$ come from? I hope, not from you. Neither party will keep to their promises. I am disabled, and am well aware.

Bruno = liar. Any questions?

All this is immaterial anyway. Every president we have ever had has been exceptionally wealthy. This time around, though, it is beyond any doubt that McCain is more out of touch with the "common man;" he is wealthier than Obama now, and he has been for decades. Keep in mind, this time five years ago Barack Obama was only known to his family, friends, and students, and was only as wealthy as a professor and state senator can be (pretty well off, but nowhere close to McCain's $5 million definition of "rich").

I think as usual, the Obamanoids have drunk too much Kool-aid. McCain's wife is rich and most of the houses are in her name. Maybe if Obama was not too busy smoking crack, and making deals with felons and hating this country, he would have made a better Illinois senator. Instead of voting and doing his job he voted present. What a loser....And the author Chriss, thinks the house issue is a 'Gold mine' for the democrats.

What a joke....The arugula eating, pot smoking, elitist liberals (Obama, Kerry, Pelosi et all)that call folks like me who love to hunt and love my god and my country, better SHUT UP.

THIS LIFE LONG DEMOCRAT IS VOTING MCCAIN THIS FALL. MY PARTY HAS PRODUCED LOSER NOMINEES FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS. HILLARY WAS OUR ONLY HOPE.

Ellen,

I don't believe McCain truly did not know how many houses he owned. I believe he was trying to avoid answering the question with his comment. He should have just said that he had "a few" or "several" houses. Those descriptions would have been vague enough and yet describe more than a couple of homes.

Personally, I'd rather a wealthy person not rub it in my face that he has 7-10 homes and appreciate McCain for trying not to rub it in my face compared to Obama who ridiculed me and people like me who "cling to guns, religion, and anti-immigration."

Cornelius if think MCSenile will not raise the middle class taxes you have your head in the sand, we can not continue the two wars we are in and support the other conflicts we will be in because McSenile is a loose canon.As far as being young that is not the reason I call "my friend" John by McSenile. I am a 64 year old white women who worked for the State for 40 years before retiring, i though I was going to get by ,but because of Goofy and Daffy i am cutting some of my medication in half ,cut down on driving and trying to budget to get by. Obama has said that seniors will not have to pay taxes on their social security and wants to give three times the tax cut to the middle class.I am ready for some one to stop the RICH WELFARE. Connie from Indiana

To J's Enemy,

Gee, I have a following!

The reason the Obama/Rezko relationship was mentioned and then "stifled", was because of the Obama campaign and the MSM conspiring.

The Chicago papers have been writing about that relationship for years.

Do you know a month before the Obama/Rezko deal, Rezko received a $5 million loan from an Iraqi?

Like I said before, Obama opened up a hornet's nest critizing McCain and his homes. Now it's open season on Obama and his "political godfather," as Obama called Rezko before he got indicted, per John Kass, Chicago Tribune.

There's a lot more where this came from.

This is just the tip of the "iceberg."

"Ellen"

Fair point, but I am confident that you had no problem with how many homes Senator Kerry owned, and would he have been able to answer the question, if asked. I think not.

Looks like it's Romney and Biden.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/08/21/2-gop-sources-its-romney/

Romney would be a stupid move by McCain, who's party has fostered a narrow-minded evangelical following. That would hurt McCain in the deep south, where the races will be a lot closer than people think.

Pawlenty is the smart move.

"Sydney77"

Of course there are Democrats who own more than one home, although our nominee owns one.

The point here is that Mr. McCain had no idea how many he owned.

This is:

a) usually basic knowledge
b) not typically American, is it?

This is only the begining.

John Hensly. Kemper Marly. Arizona mob.

two names associated with the McCains you folks will be hearing all about these next few days. listen and learn.

I'm flattered with my fan base that I apparently have with all the similar aliases. You know what they say... the best form of flattery is imitation. *cackle* ;)

Guess some of you forgot about that elitist you voted for, four years ago, whose wife had all the money. You guys are all hypocrites; what is good for the democrats is not good for the republicans. Thank goodness all democrats are poor, and really help all of you. Can't wait until Obama wins and raises all of your " oops, I thought I was middle class" taxes. He'll be out of office, quicker than Jimmy Carter.

Jeezus, "InSearchofTruth,"

give it a rest with the 57 states. If you've watched the YouTube clip you know that a dead-tired campaigner (didn't each of them say something wacko at some point?) misspoke. He said he had one to go and that he hadn't been allowed to go to AL and HI although he'd wanted to. Clearly he'd meant to say something like "47 out of 50"

And McSenile is always a model of clear expression, right?

Right.

Connie from Indiana,

So are you one of Obama's young Obamabots? I ask because it seems more often than not, the younger voters are the ones that engage in name-calling by calling McCain senile, etc. Usually, reasonable adults don't engage in the name-calling as much and just respectfully disagree with one another.

In any event, I disagree with McCain's stance on free trade. It is one of the things I dislike the most about McCain. But guess what, Obama also supports free trade as well. He says he's going to rework NAFTA, but I don't believe him. Also, if he was so concerned about American jobs, he wouldn't be so eager to prevent our border patrol from securing our border which would help keep illegals from taking American jobs.

As far as the 57 states I will give you that, but as McSenile does not know the difference in the tribes in Iraq,who borders Pakistan, holds hands with the Dali Lama ,votes for every thing Goofy wanted,voted against our Veterans time ,after time ,wants to engage in other conflicts and draft our young. It is sad that we have voted the same way in the past election and this year we will be parting ways. So Sorry. Connie from indiana

Frankly, the home debate doesn't matter. US presidents are supposed to be above its citizens. And, if they aren't (George W. Bush) they shouldn't be President.

See: http://www.eleventhdraft.com/blog?id=184

Obama appears desperate; I think this McCain house thing will backfire. As if Democrats do not own more than one home, i.e., Teresa Heinz (Kerry.) No problems then. I think Obama has set himself up to be questioned about his $2 million dollar house, and somewhat questionable acquistion of bordering land. Why did he bother attacking McCain? What does he need to prove? I think the internal poll numbers for Obama are scarier than we thought; hence, the non-sensical attack.

J,

I'm sorry if you are offended by the truth, but the fact is that McCain is dirty and he's going down.

I have a great education, a great job, own a small business that does well, spent three years overseas, have a great family and lots of friends- and they think I'm a great guy. Don't worry about me.

Maybe you're a good guy too, but here, on this board, you are a... Republican.

In Search of Truth,

Grow up, sport. I don't care if my President drinks whiskey all day and fights reporters at press conferences. How can you possibly defend the country as is? If this is your idea of a robust economy and a promising future, then you smoke more weed than I do.

InSearch and J are right: Obama is a lesbian. Don't vote for lesbians, purleeze.

I'll tell you exactly why you're voting for McCain. Because your dad is the heaviest intellectual thinker you know. There's probably a library in your town. Check one out. Wait. I forgot, they're publicly owned. That's communism. Maybe next year you'll be ready.

NYC Secession 2010

How many states in the US? It's the same as the number of houses McCain has.

Connie from Indiana,

Well based on the polls, it looks like there are more "nitwits" than you think. Just recently, McCain surpassed Obama in one of the polls and closed in on the others.

*I* am one of the ones who put Goofy and Daffy into the White House for the last 7 1/2 years?? That shows just how much you know. For your information, I voted for Perot, Clinton (2nd term), Gore, and Kerry. How did I put Bush and Cheney in the White House? Instead of being so presumptious, perhaps you might first want to ask before assuming that I voted for our current idiotic president, George W. Bush.

I opposed and disagreed with the pardoning of Scooter Libby and I am aware that McCain is not perfect and has made mistakes long ago. However, I still trust McCain more than I do Barack Obama. I guess to me, if McCain actually engaged in any illegal activity and stole over $100K, it still isn't as bad as attending a black-centric, racist church for over 20 years and then either lying or being so ignorant not to know that your pastor and fellow church members felt that way.

I also don't like the fact that Obama doesn't even know how many states make up the United States of America. How can someone run for President think that there are 57 states that make up the U.S.?

Then you have Obama's company he's kept in addition to Reverend Wright. I'm sorry, but a person, whether it is fair or not, is judged (at least in part) by the company that person keeps. And Barack Obama has kept bad company over the years.
That's why this Blue Democrat has turned Red for the election of 2008.

It's a shame that Colin Powell isn't running for President. He's pro-choice and a moderate and has experience, unlike Barack Obama.

I am voting for McCain. I can't think why. Please don't call me racist.

corruption anon:

Bottom Line: John McCain was cleared of all wrongdoing and according to the Democratic Prosecutor who said LAST NIGHT ON TV:

"I told the committee John McCain should not be included in the investigation because he did nothing wrong."

From the other "stuff" you wrote, you are an Obama supporter who seems to becoming "unraveled."

Too bad, so sad, bye bye.

NightFire,

What time are Goebbels & Himler speaking at the RNC?

Amy Dugan,

You are misrepresenting the Washington Post story of July 2 (which you clearly haven't read--you're just parroting something you read on the web). There is nothing about a "Rezko discount" on the Obamas' mortgage.

And the fact that they paid less than asking price? Oh, what a scandal! Have you ever bought a home? If you paid asking price you were very, very unusual.

Look Banshee, blacks, latinos and many other democrats serve proudly overseas. This nonsense that the only good American is a white American who's worn the uniform has to stop. Character is what you do in the dark. Nobody needs to know about it. People who puff themselves up are usually the one's who've done the least- and are compensating. There are two types of people who come back from war: the kind that doesn't say anything about it, and the kind that talks too much about it. I greatly prefer the former to the latter types.

In search of truth: John McSenile is for free trade that means China does not have to steal our oil, McSenile will give it to them.Why is the oil in Alaska sold out side of the USA ?
Why hasn't McSenile stopped the unfair trade balance between the USA and everyone in the whole world. Connie from Indiana

InSearchofTruth

His experience as a POW is just cause for me not to vote for Mccain.

I am absolutely certain that McCain has suffered mentally as well as physically during and after his captivity. He is ODD and strange. off kilter. Even some of his associates have stated that he is erratic and hotheaded.and he still wont tell us that since he knows how to win wars please tell us what wars has he the hell won. Is it possible that he's still that POW in Vietnam in his own mind? In a galaxy far, far the hell away?

That dark look in his eyes. That phony fixed smile on his face like he has other places to be.

I know that you and others of your ilk hate OBAMA and anything pertaining to him. But your boy McCain is a walking, talking ill tempered time bomb. With his incoherent answer to how many homes he own to his ties with the Arizona mob his wonderful adventure at the expense of OBAMA of late is at an end.

I knew the Dems upcoming convention would shine the light on McCain's dark missgivings. About time.

The problem is that the voters who care deeply about class are nearly all liberal. Most ordinary Americans knows some snobs and despise them. I'm inclined favorably towards a candidate who wants everyone to be rich, not so much towards one who tells me he's going to tax me more so he can feel better about himself.

Government doesn't dispense fairness, but shackles. Just think about the people in New Orleans who just sat and waited for "the government" to do for them what they should have done for themselves if they hadn't had all their self-respect and self-reliance trained out of them by years on the government teat.

Obama couldn't even get a security clearance with his connection to Rezko - a convicted felon. And you would vote for this charlatan. He has no executive experience, no foreign policy experience, and no economic or business background. His biggest draw is that he is black. What a sad state for the democratic nominee of America.

Honesty is subjective - InSearchofDeceit-Just look at the crooks who've been plundering this country for eight years under the guise of "honest, Christian leadership".

Quote you, "You know, Congress could pass legislation stating that oil from off of our shores must be sold within the U.S."

Not a chance in H*ll. Whether it's run by Dems or Repugs the oil companies just won't have it. As far as horizontal drilling- that would be an act of war no nation would dare attempt.

Barack Obama's Latest News

http://www.theobamafile.com:80/ObamaLatest.htm I did my homework.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=1511 Try doing yours.

It's not my fault the DNC didn't vet this Communist.
85,000 gave their lives during my lifetime fighting Communists , so I'll do anything I can to repay their sacrifice by fighting to stop what I find to be the most repulsive freak to have ever run for the Presidency.
He's engineered a slush fund for himself with the $845 billion Global Poverty Act, called for a Civilian Security Force "the size of the U.S. military" and prepared himself for the job by being indoctrinated by the CPUSA for 4 years and then kept up his adult continuing hate education by swearing an oath to Black Liberation Theology and attending Wrights hate America church . His only job, ACORN has been charged for vote fraud in 15 states.
Don't give a hoot who gets it as long as the Commie is stopped.
There are a lot like me and we aren't going to pay "reparations" to this freak that the DNC didn't bother to vette because an Armani suit hangs on him well and he can make a jump shot.

I know you young people like the style, image and that slick progressive package Soros is selling.
Tell you what, put up Hillary or Bidden and I'll vote Democratic for the first time in my life but not this megalomaniacal Communist freak.

He ain't getting the red phone on my watch.

WAS THIS A 'DISINFORMATION' SET-UP THAT'S GOING TO BOOMERANG ON OBAMA?

What if: McCain was told to look clueless when he was asked a question that someone may have suggested to the Politico's Mr. Vogel.

McCain stammers and feigns ignorance. Politico has its story.

Then the McCain forces get ready to unleash their latest and greatest from the Tony Rezko-Barack Obama real estate deal -- the one in which a convicted felon allegedly subsidized the purchase of Obama's home by doing a questionable transaction involving that adjacent piece of property.

Indeed, maybe Obama was set up from the get-go, drawn unwittingly into a deal that would later be used to derail his presidential hopes. And maybe Rekzo was part of it, and is taking the fall. This, of course, is just a theory. But it's interesting to speculate.

So Obama may have taken the house bait. But he may have checked into the Roach Hotel instead. And once you check in there, you don't get out. And you don't get to the White House.

Now, all of the above is speculation. But stranger things have happened.

In any event, Obama and his people once again reveal their naivete by making an issue over McCain's "gaffe" when the blowback could badly damage his flagging campaign.

BUT WILL THE ELECTION EVEN MATTER? Not when government-supported "vigilante injustice" squads are "gang stalking" American citizens, making a mockery of the rule of law:
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/get-political-vic-livingston-opinion-expose-state-supported-vigilante-squads-doing-domestic-terrorism
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/zap-have-you-been-targeted-directed-energy-weapon-victims-organized-gang-stalking-say-its-happening-usa-1

This country rockss!!!! Obama is forced to play dirty. Let's face it: Americans want dirty! Good job, Obama. Come on, if Obama didn't know how many houses he had, the Republican blowhorns on tv would have his head. Good for Obama. I'm as intelligent as McCain, if not brighter. The reality is Cindy Hensley McCain's daddy bought McCain's House/Senate seat. The black guy with the white mom is the elitist? Republicans never cease to amaze me. It's okay. Your parents were wrong all along, you can leave the party now. Swallow your pride. You can't possibly think that Republican policies have made this country any better these last four or eight years. Just stay home.

New York City matters more than wherever you're from.

Lamont,

I, one who served two years & 6 weeks as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia, America's only former African colony, don't appreciate some weak, soft, spoiled brat charging my opposition to your messiah is based upon racism. What in the heck have you ever done for America or for suffering people abroad other than run off at the mouth? Talk is cheap.

B. Husssein's brainwashed twenty-somethings are immature parasites without the gumption to get their hands dirty doing some actual work to assist others. They're nothing but talk, full of "If I wanted to, I could be a greater war hero than John McCain"--not if you're too gutless to wear Uncle Sam's uniform, let alone doing your best to dodge a shooting war. Loudmouthed cowards!

nice cozmot
"uhh im a democrat but obama is really looking like an out of touch person so im gonna go with Mccain"

Dont try to pull that BS. The classic way of trying to plant stuff on the internet that people are changing their minds one way or another. Common we all know you sit in your room all day and worship BILLO and INSANIHANNITY.

Anonymous (Can't you come up with a better alias than that?),

So instead, you would rather not drill and just let the Chinese and Russians come on over and drill off our shores and steal our oil from us? You know, Congress could pass legislation stating that oil from off of our shores must be sold within the U.S. If they can't or refuse to do that, then I would rather have China PAY for our oil instead of STEALING it from us.

Finally, yes, offshore drilling won't have any major affect now, except for the fact that it will lower prices more so because speculators will take into account that we are going to engage in offshore drilling, which will have an impact in our current prices.

So, you are mistaken in claiming that I am being deceitful, when it appears that you are the one who is not being completely honest.

Hyde Parker:

Read my post, scroll down to J 10:19 PM

Obama only bought a lot from Rezko. Right.

And look at John McCain's thoughts on reviving the draft...

In a town hall on 8/20/08

" At a town hall in Las Cruces, NM, a woman said she could not see doing everything McCain wanted, and would not have the troops under his plan to follow Osama bin Laden to the "gates of hell" without a draft. In response, McCain said, "I don't disagree with anything you said." The video of that can be viewed here:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRMFwXGBMfI

The "home debate" only matters to MSM hacks who are afraid of discussing real issues.

Anyone who wants a discussion of real issues - and anyone who wants to make the MSM look bad - should go to public appearances by the candidates and ask them real questions, then upload their responses to Youtube.

We need to do the reporting that the hacks at the WaPo and elsewhere refuse to do.

Here are some real questions for McCain and Obama:

http://nomoreblather.com/question100

Search for their names at http://24ahead.com/ for much more information about both of them, including things they've said and done that the MSM doesn't want you to know about.

Cozmot,

Is Hawaii any less a part of America then, say, Kansas?
Obama happens to have been born there and has family there.
Also, there are NO private beaches in Hawaii, unlike Coronado, California for instance...

In search of truth I am hoping there are fewer NITWITS, you are the ones that put Goofy and Daffy in the white house for the past 7 and 1/2 years . As far as John McSenile being cleared in the Keating Five, remember Scooter Libby was pardoned.Connie from Indiana

Oh, please, "InSearchOfTruth"

Obama doing drugs while McSenile was doing battle?

Barack was 6 years old when John became a prisoner of war.

Look before you blab.

J,

Thanks for posting the following info:

Rebuttal Page 21 - Obama downplays the mansion and land deal with Rezko. Obama says he only bought a "strip of land," saying he didn't know that the lot was in Rezko's wife Rita's name. Also saying that Rezko had to put a fence around the property to abide by Chicago code. This is what is NOT said:

Excerpt from Chicago Tribune article dated ll/01/06:

"...He (Obama) said he discussed the house with Rezko but isn't sure how Rezko began pursuing the adjacent lot. BUT OBAMA RAISED THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE (OBAMA) WAS THE FIRST TO BRING THE LOT TO REZKO'S ATTENTION.....Rezko's wife Rita bought the adjoining lot the same day, paying full $625,000 asking price--secured with the help of a $500,000 mortgage.....The Obamas wanted a fence between the parcels. They hired an attorney and architects within a month of their purchase ....Michelle Obama had served on the commission (Landmarks)...and contacted the (commission) staff about the fence...Architect Wil Taubert said in an interview that he dealt only with the Obamas..."I knew somebody owned the corner but I never asked who it was,"Taubert said....Though the Obamas laid the groundwork, Rezko agreed to build and pay for the $14,000 fence...Obama said he (Obama) funded the architectural and legal work..."My (Obama) suspicion is that it would probably be a couple of thousand dollars. On the architectural side it might be more,"he said,"I think legal fees were a couple thousand."....Obama said he pays his landscaper to mow Rezko's 7500 square foot yard. A person can't enter the Rezko lot from the street--but Obama's groundskeeper gets in through the gate that opens from OBAMA'S LOT..."Right now my landscaper who comes and does all my work, I have asked him to go ahead and MOW THE LAWN ON THE OTHER SIDE," Obama said.

Excerpts, Chicago Sun-Times 3/15/08

"...(Obama)But I did bring to his(Rezko) attention, we are looking at this house. We are interested in it. I'd love for us to give(get) your opinion on it....So Tony then arranged with me and Miriam Zeltzerman to take a look at the house because I wanted to get a basic assessment...So my(Obama) response was, and I'll be honest with you, my basic view at that time was having somebody who I knew, a friend of mine, who would be developing the lot if he could, would be great. It would be somebody who we know."

Excerpt, Chicago Tribune, 12/24/06: "And I(Obama) will also acknowledge that from his(Rezko) perspective, he no doubt believed that, by buying the piece of property next to me, that he would, if not be doing me a favor, that it would help strengthen our relationship."

The above are just some of the inconstancies and omissions I uncovered in Obama's rebuttal. Read Obama's rebuttal and then read the whole story as it appeared in the Chicago Tribune in November 11, 2006 and December 24, 2006 and also Chicago Sun-Times March 15, 2008.

Obama's rebuttal let's you believe there was nothing to it but "only buying a strip of land."

But: Obama (only a next door neighbor) pays for the legal fees, architect fees, mowing and access to Rezko's lot is only through a gate on Obama's property? And Obama says that he may have "possibly" been the first to bring the lot to Rezko's attention.

Also, in the Sun-Times, Obama says Rezko is a FRIEND of his, then in the Tribune he says Rezko probably thought it would strengthen their relationship. Rezko is a real estate developer with million dollar projects. Rezko has been a friend of Obama's for years and Obama's major campaign fundraiser. Rezko has to buy the lot to strengthen their relationship?

George Stephanopoulos, This Week, 5/13/07:

Stephanopoulos said, "This exact same day several months later you(Obama) bought part of the plot back from him(Rezko). All at that time it was known that he (Rezko) was being investigated for corruption and kickbacks. What were you thinking?" Obama said, "Well, obviously I wasn't thinking enough. You know, I'm very proud of my ethics."

(OBAMA'S PROUD OF HIS ETHICS???)

Another aspect, Rezko's wife received a $500,000 mortgage, but her annual salary was $37,000.

Please read Obama's Rebuttal and Google the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times articles. Compare for yourself.

THE FOLLOWING IS A MUST READ:

Rebuttal Page 20 Meet the Press, Tim Russert, ll/ll/07:

“Russert asked, “Is he (Rezko) still your friend?” Obama said, “You know, I have not talked to him since he got into trouble with the law.” Russert confirmed, “Period.” Obama said, “Never had a conversation with him.”

However, in the Chicago Sun-Times, 3/l5/08, this is what Obama says:

“Q. “Have you and Tony Rezko ever discussed this federal investigation that began to move against him or the criminal charges?”

“A. (Obama) Yes. When, I don’t remember exactly the dates, but I remember when we first contact about this story and the lot (2006), I called him to let him know that, “Look you may be getting inquiries about this and so it’s important for you to be able to talk to folks about your intentions in terms of development and so forth. At that point, I do remember saying to him how’s it going because I’m reading these problems. And his response was that his lawyers had been talking to the U. S. Attorney’s office and it’s all getting resolved. That was the sum total.

To whom was Obama lying Tim Russert or the reporters from the Chicago Sun-Times?

MORE TO COME LATER.

Posted by: J | August 21, 2008 10:19 PM

VJ, you senile people need to stick together. We understand!

In Search if Deceit-
"McCain has been on the right side of the offshore drilling policy from the start and the majority (65% or more) of Americans support him on this.".

You mean the oil that might start flowing from immediate offshore drilling in about ten years and will then go on the open market to be bought up by the highest bidder (China) and will do NOTHING to bring down domestic gas prices, will only increase profits for McSame's good buddies like Exxon. That oil?

I SO agree with the first poster here, V.J. Homer, that I simply can't put it any better. And I'll add that Obama's hypocrisy of being on vacation in Hawaii -- HAWAII -- during the presidential campaign does no better at putting him in touch with the average American than McCain's not knowing how many homes he owns.

Furthermore, I am VERY much a Democrat, but Obama is beginning to get unbearable to me with his burgeoning ego and arrogance. Is he really beginning to believe his own hype? I think so. He hasn't earned his political stripes yet. He's not ready, and God I wish he was. I'm afraid I'm going to have to go with McCain.

Obama, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Take heed, Mr. Evangelical.

McCain was not cleared of wrongdoing in the Keating Five scandal. He pocketed $112,000 and only reported it after he was busted. Because of his connections he got off scot-free, but he did have to pay taxes and penalties. He was guilty of taking bribes. The question is: did he lie about the $112,000 figure? A guy who gets caught cheating on his wife has probably already done it ten times - if he's as slick as McCain. The same for people who steal. He was 40 when he married into that organized crime family. He was 50 when he put Keatings money in his pocket. He's a liar, a thief, and a cheat of the lowest order. It'll come out- it always does. Enough of it, at least. The guys is really dirty.

Remember this news story???
"Over the Fourth of July Weekend, the Washington Post revealed Obama had also secured a reduced mortgage for the same home, on top of the Rezko's discount, saving him more than $300 a month in mortgage payments."

"When Obama purchased his current home in June 2005, he and his wife paid $1.65 million — a hefty sum but $300,000 less than the asking price. In February 2008, his campaign largely defused questions about the sale when the couple from whom the Obamas bought their house said the senator had submitted three bids, starting with an offer of $1.3 million, before his final offer was accepted."

I don't care if the McCain's have 17 homes as long as they earned them,
NO FREEBIES!!!!

McCain is so out of touch with ordinary Americans it is scary. He doesn't know how many houses he owns!?!?! This isn't like how many t-shirts or socks do you have. This is how many freakin' houses do you own!

He was asked recently what the price of gas was...couldn't answer that one either!

I'm a retired PhD in physics who applied my physics background to environmental research -- one of the reasons this lifelong Democrat is not excited about Obama is because early this year he sounded terribly ignorant about how environment research and equally important, how developing alternative energy research, is conducted in this country.

Hillary had by far the best environmental/energy development program, but I don't get to vote for her. (As far as I'm concerned, thanks in part to people who mouth off about having an interest in the environment and in alternative energy progress, but who never take the time to inform themselves about these two terribly important topics.)

Rezko was news in the primaries not now. You must have been hibernating.

Damiano:

If the properties belong to his wife then McCain should have simply stated 'I do not own any houses'. But he didn't, oh wait...

Dear insearch, be a nitwit and be proud of it. In the meantime, when I'm hunting for lies I will come looking for your posts.

the right wing sickos have invaded this board, but they cannot obscoure the truth.
The truth will set us free. The truth is that the republicans are out of gas

Homer alone-
Cheap underhanded tactics? You mean like comparing him to Brittany and Paris? Lying about his record non-stop? Making stuff up and then hiding behind your staff when you can't answer a simple question? Claiming that being a POW entitled you to say and do anything you want?
Give it a rest.

J, my friend, John McCain is old.

What a bunch of leftwing wackos on this board! Makes you wonder about thier candidate doesn't it.

John McCain was cleared of wrongdoing in the Keating 5 scandal.

A Democratic prosecutor said that he recommended that John McCain had committed no wrongdoing and shouldn't be grouped with the other four. However the Democratically controlled committee and Congress wanted him included because he was a Republican and they didn't want the investigation to involve only Democrats. I saw and heard the prosecutor on TV last night.

The five senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), John McCain (R-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), were accused of improperly aiding Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of an investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB).

After a lengthy investigation, the Senate Ethics Committee determined in 1991 that Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, and Donald Riegle had substantially and improperly interfered with the FHLBB in its investigation of Lincoln Savings. Senators John Glenn and John McCain were cleared of having acted improperly.

You Obama supporters are "grasping at straws."

OBAMA AND REZKO, NOW THAT'S A STORY!!

mike l,

Yes, McCain has a better energy policy that includes far more than just drilling if you had actually paid any attention. Yes, he supports drilling, but he supports more than just offshore drilling. McCain supports a comprehensive energy policy that includes renewable energy, biofuels, solar, wind, etc. The difference is that he also supports offshore drilling which had an effect on lowering prices because speculators noted Bush doing away with his executive ban on offshore drilling. What Obama and people like you fail to realize that offshore drilling will help in the long-run and in the short-run it helps to lower costs because speculators take note of these factors.

Finally, what Obama, the Democratic leadership, and people like you fail to realize that if we do not increase our offshore drilling, then other countries will steal our oil from our continental shelf by drilling their themselves. How would you feel about China or Russia drilling off of our shores, at an angle if necessary, and steal our one of our natural resources from us?

Offshore drilling needs to be increased in addition to eco-friendly solutions that should be implemented as well which makes McCain's comprehensive energy policy.

Instead of being an Obamabot just mindlessly insulting people on here, why don't you actually research McCain's energy policy and his other policies instead of pretending like you know what you are talking about?

And yes, Obama is an elitist because he ridiculed middle-class Americans who "cling to religion, guns, and anti-immigration." Someone who makes comments such as that just ooze of elitism. Who cares if Obama is 1/2 black. A person who is black or 1/2 black can be elitist too. So what if he's from a broken family. Apparently, he got his elitist streak as he got older based on his comments and actions he's done now.

No, I have determined he's elitist based on his actions and what he's said.

Michelle Obama had it so good. Both she and her brother both were able to go to Yale. I wonder how much affirmative action helped them to get into Yale, when someone who is white and happens to have better grades and higher scores don't just because they don't have the right skin color.

Yes, he worked with poor BLACKS and working class BLACKS (which I don't think qualifies him to be president) and attends a black-centric, racist, hate-filled Church for 20 years and then has the audacity to claim to not know his pastor and fellow church members felt that way. This kind of behavior shows that Obama lacks the good judgment to be President and why I refuse to vote for him.

At least McCain served our country in battle and even suffered as a POW. Did Obama serve in our military and fight in defense of America? No. Instead, Obama was doing drugs at the time (another example of bad judgment).

Since you are so concerned about how much McCain's shoes are, then tell me how much Barack Obama's shoes are. If his shoes are $500 too, will you think less of Obama for it? So what if he owns several houses, I would rather vote for someone who owns 20 houses than someone who got their house in a shady deal with Tony Rezko in which he pays for a portion of my house for me.

Face it, McCain is experienced in foreign policy and he knows far more than Barack Obama. McCain has been on the right side of the offshore drilling policy from the start and the majority (65% or more) of Americans support him on this. Barack Obama is too inexperienced and it shows with his responses regarding Georgia and Russia, etc., as well as his initial energy policy that totally excluded any drilling.

The way the polls are going, it looks like there might be more "nitwits" in the U.S., which isn't a good sign for Barack Hussein Obama. >;)

Hmmm... let's compare.

John McCain own's ZERO homes. Cindy McCain's name is on 7-8 properties. A ranch, a home in VA that they use when John is at the Senate (most senators have a home or apartment near DC) a vacation condo in CA, a condo under Cindy's name that their daughter lives in and the same for an elderly aunt that they support. Cindy inherited a large corporation, built over her father's lifetime and runs several smaller companies and charities. John earned about 400K in 2007, Cindy about 7 million in 2006.

The Obama's have one home (why bother with a DC home, since he was only in the Senate long enough to launch a Presidential campaign and is never there). They purchase the home with the help of a convicted felon and a "senator special" loan (not available to the average person). The Obama's reported about 7 million in income for 2007. How does a 1st term Senator and a hospital executive pull down 7 million in a year? The evil oil execs don't make that much, even with their 8% record profits. It took the McCain's two lifetimes of work to earn that kind of cash, but the Obama's have done it with resumes of charity work, community organizing and teaching college classes. Hmmm...

Special loans and felon co-signers aside; let's go back to detachment. Who was the guy talking to midwest farmers about the price of arugula at Whole Foods again (when there wasn't even a Whole Foods in the entire state)?

Gee... since Obama's decided to take shots a Cindy's real estate investments, does that mean wives are no longer off limits and we can talk about Michelle again?

Tell us how much you earn, VJ.

John McCain is clearly out of touch with most Americans. What bothers me is that he has a habit of not only forgetting how many homes he owns he forgets a lot of things. He whines because Obama is more popular. McCain is so unpopular that as many as 8 Republican Senators will not even bother to show up at the convention because they are running for reelection and don't want to be seen with thier "LEADER?"or Bush or Chaney. You would think that a great "leader" could get his Senate colleguages to show up and support him

It only get's worse from here for McCain's Slimy campaign.

JVHomer, be honest you were never going to vote for Obama, but who cares ? Connie from Indiana

V. J. Homer - Has Cindy been sharing her drugs with you too?

You had no intention of voting for Obama. You are as transparent as saran wrap.

Thanks for the insight, Homer Simpleton.

It seems like everyone of McSenile gaffes are just jokes.We don't need a clown in the white house we have had one for 7 and 1/2 years.Connie from Indiana

VJ,

McCain married into an organized crime family. How can you back a scumbag like that? Those people do worse than lie, cheat and steal. They kill. Bonanno lived out there in Arizona.

http://www.girlinshortshorts.blogspot.com/2008/02/john-mccain-and-mob.html

Obama's attempts to be Rovian are pathetic. I don't know which is sillier --Obama trying to make political hay out of McCain's joke about $5M being the baseline for being rich; or yammering on and on about McCain not remembering how many -- there's several -- houses he and/or his wife owns.

What this HAS accomplished is to make me change my mind -- I WAS going to vote for Obama, but now I'm sick of his cheap underhanded tactics, so I probably won't. I no longer believe he has any serious interest in anything other than getting elected. We've already had a disasterous 8 years with one unprepared president, and Obama strikes me as having no more intellectual honesty than Bush. The main difference between them is with their choices of issues to pander about to the electorate.

I often disagree with McCain, but the man CAN be reached with logic. He is capable of being persuaded that a position he's held was wrong, and to modify that position accordingly -- as with his stance vis a vis MLK day, for example.

Attn: "oneforall"

Please get your facts straight before you head off on a rant.

The Obamas didn't buy their home from Tony Rezko, a sleaze even by our standards in Chicago. He bought a small strip of adjacent land from the Rezkos' parcel. It was stupid and he has said so.

You have no right to misrepresent the facts (or maybe you didn't know?)

Lindsey lay off my dinosaur hussy you fag!

Befuddled's comments got me thinking and he made some very good points. I find that some of these discussions only prove the dysfuntion in our government. Sites like http://www.democracyconservator.com/ only prove my point.

Here's another take on McCain's dodgy family fortune (and the Phoenix/Vegas/LA corrupt network).

http://www.girlinshortshorts.blogspot.com/2008/02/john-mccain-and-mob.html

Follow the money.

In search of truth:If McSenile was in touch and thinks drilling is part of a comprehensive package ,he has been in Washington for twenty five years why wait until we are being killed by gas prices and if drilling is the answer why not in Anwr ? Sorry to hear you had supported Mrs.Clinton and now are voting for McSenile, I bet the Clinton's are voting for Obama. I glad you are in a better financial situation than I am , Ican't afford McSenile.Connie from Indiana

Yeah, Baby!

You know Obama drew blood when you get over 1,000 comments on a single post!

A record, I think, for THE FIX.

C'mon McCainiacs...can you drive it up to 1,500?

Here's some food for thought: McCain's daughter has just written a children's book about how patriotic her father is and how much he believes in family values.

Yet strangely, McCain's kids from his first marriage don't get mentioned in the book.

How peculiar.

Yep, instead of fighting global warming we need to fight imaginary terorists and restart the cold war. No distractions. (This isn't Czechoslovakia, we ain't Georgians)

All you ReThuglicans who love to talk about Rezco, please compare his "crimes" and sentence to that of Charles Keating, and his dealings with the Beer Heiress and her lapdog husband, John "7th Commandment" McSame.

Aspergirl with your 57 fixation!

Your brain is rather seriously fried, girl! What are you on anyway? Cindy share some with you, did she??

REPUBLICAN LIARS -

Those who post here as pseudo Hillary supporters threatening to vote for McSame are nothing but Limbaugh-listening dittohead brownshirts sadly trying to duplicate their somewhat dubious mischief in the Texas primary. They aren't fooling anybody.

Of course, McCain has deep issues- who in their right mind would think that marrying into an organized crime family would help him become POTUS?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hensley#Early_business_career.2C_legal_issues
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/opinion/17rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin
(see last paragraph)

A lot of people lose their mind in war. That's why war should never be entered into lightly and that's why that warmongering old git shouldn't be POTUS.

oneforall, how many times did McCain sell his soul to the devil???...oh, he CAN'T REMEMBER!

"I am trying to figure out how many brothers, dads, moms and wives (I'm allowed four) I have. Please don't ask me that today. my answer will be the usual um, uh, like, you know, same as always."

"I am trying to figure out how many sisters I have. Please don't ask me that today. All I know is that I took care to get them out of Daddy's will"

please, McCain is a 4 time senator from Arizona--ya think the constitutents there don't know about his relationship with Cindy? If he was so bad, does that mean that so are the voters of Arizona, or perhaps there's more to the story than any of us will ever know. Now, where McCain doesn't recall how many homes he has, let's not forget that Obama got his from a convicted felon, Tony Rezko. That Obama was aware of Rezko's illicit dealings is fact, but it's ok, right? Cause Obama said "it's a boneheaded mistake. I'll take the guy who has 4 homes legally than 1 bought from a criminal.

McCain = Elitist in Chief-

Thanks for the link!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhuMgUkiVOY

elmerg,

I can dig it alright, but I hold some dim hope that they'll come around in the end.

BTW, John "Wet Start" McCain was NOT tortured in the Hanoi Hilton all those years ago.

According to his own recent Senate votes, stress positions, sleep deprivation, and cold water are NOT torture.

aspergirl, i agree you really are THE BEST - the best testament that darwin's theory is right on target!! get a life

Rebuttal Page 21 - Obama downplays the mansion and land deal with Rezko. Obama says he only bought a "strip of land," saying he didn't know that the lot was in Rezko's wife Rita's name. Also saying that Rezko had to put a fence around the property to abide by Chicago code. This is what is NOT said:

Excerpt from Chicago Tribune article dated ll/01/06:

"...He (Obama) said he discussed the house with Rezko but isn't sure how Rezko began pursuing the adjacent lot. BUT OBAMA RAISED THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE (OBAMA) WAS THE FIRST TO BRING THE LOT TO REZKO'S ATTENTION.....Rezko's wife Rita bought the adjoining lot the same day, paying full $625,000 asking price--secured with the help of a $500,000 mortgage.....The Obamas wanted a fence between the parcels. They hired an attorney and architects within a month of their purchase ....Michelle Obama had served on the commission (Landmarks)...and contacted the (commission) staff about the fence...Architect Wil Taubert said in an interview that he dealt only with the Obamas..."I knew somebody owned the corner but I never asked who it was,"Taubert said....Though the Obamas laid the groundwork, Rezko agreed to build and pay for the $14,000 fence...Obama said he (Obama) funded the architectural and legal work..."My (Obama) suspicion is that it would probably be a couple of thousand dollars. On the architectural side it might be more,"he said,"I think legal fees were a couple thousand."....Obama said he pays his landscaper to mow Rezko's 7500 square foot yard. A person can't enter the Rezko lot from the street--but Obama's groundskeeper gets in through the gate that opens from OBAMA'S LOT..."Right now my landscaper who comes and does all my work, I have asked him to go ahead and MOW THE LAWN ON THE OTHER SIDE," Obama said.

Excerpts, Chicago Sun-Times 3/15/08

"...(Obama)But I did bring to his(Rezko) attention, we are looking at this house. We are interested in it. I'd love for us to give(get) your opinion on it....So Tony then arranged with me and Miriam Zeltzerman to take a look at the house because I wanted to get a basic assessment...So my(Obama) response was, and I'll be honest with you, my basic view at that time was having somebody who I knew, a friend of mine, who would be developing the lot if he could, would be great. It would be somebody who we know."

Excerpt, Chicago Tribune, 12/24/06: "And I(Obama) will also acknowledge that from his(Rezko) perspective, he no doubt believed that, by buying the piece of property next to me, that he would, if not be doing me a favor, that it would help strengthen our relationship."

The above are just some of the inconstancies and omissions I uncovered in Obama's rebuttal. Read Obama's rebuttal and then read the whole story as it appeared in the Chicago Tribune in November 11, 2006 and December 24, 2006 and also Chicago Sun-Times March 15, 2008.

Obama's rebuttal let's you believe there was nothing to it but "only buying a strip of land."

But: Obama (only a next door neighbor) pays for the legal fees, architect fees, mowing and access to Rezko's lot is only through a gate on Obama's property? And Obama says that he may have "possibly" been the first to bring the lot to Rezko's attention.

Also, in the Sun-Times, Obama says Rezko is a FRIEND of his, then in the Tribune he says Rezko probably thought it would strengthen their relationship. Rezko is a real estate developer with million dollar projects. Rezko has been a friend of Obama's for years and Obama's major campaign fundraiser. Rezko has to buy the lot to strengthen their relationship?

George Stephanopoulos, This Week, 5/13/07:

Stephanopoulos said, "This exact same day several months later you(Obama) bought part of the plot back from him(Rezko). All at that time it was known that he (Rezko) was being investigated for corruption and kickbacks. What were you thinking?" Obama said, "Well, obviously I wasn't thinking enough. You know, I'm very proud of my ethics."

(OBAMA'S PROUD OF HIS ETHICS???)

Another aspect, Rezko's wife received a $500,000 mortgage, but her annual salary was $37,000.

Please read Obama's Rebuttal and Google the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times articles. Compare for yourself.

THE FOLLOWING IS A MUST READ:

Rebuttal Page 20 Meet the Press, Tim Russert, ll/ll/07:

“Russert asked, “Is he (Rezko) still your friend?” Obama said, “You know, I have not talked to him since he got into trouble with the law.” Russert confirmed, “Period.” Obama said, “Never had a conversation with him.”

However, in the Chicago Sun-Times, 3/l5/08, this is what Obama says:

“Q. “Have you and Tony Rezko ever discussed this federal investigation that began to move against him or the criminal charges?”

“A. (Obama) Yes. When, I don’t remember exactly the dates, but I remember when we first contact about this story and the lot (2006), I called him to let him know that, “Look you may be getting inquiries about this and so it’s important for you to be able to talk to folks about your intentions in terms of development and so forth. At that point, I do remember saying to him how’s it going because I’m reading these problems. And his response was that his lawyers had been talking to the U. S. Attorney’s office and it’s all getting resolved. That was the sum total.

To whom was Obama lying Tim Russert or the reporters from the Chicago Sun-Times?

MORE TO COME LATER.

I don't know what you really are but I do know one thing; YOU'RE A LIAR!

If you supported Hillary like I did and you now support McCain then you have totally flip-flopped on everything Hillary stood for because Hillary's platform is the total opposite of McCain's who's platform is exactly like Bush's.

You're a liar and you're a Desperate REPUBLICAN and you always have been..

Nice try, Slick...

------------------------

I'm a former Hillary supporter whom had decided to vote for McCain. McCain is the lesser evil of the two and I trust McCain more than Obama on leading this country in the right direction.

Posted by: InSearchOfTruth | August 21, 2008 10:09 PM

Grand Old Plutocrats

Oooooh, InSearchOfTruth is piling up the points with McCain.com.

Did you earn a t-shirt yet, ISOT?

Did it have a picture of John "7th Commandment" McCain and his bride Cindy "Homewrecker" Hensley McCain on it?

Do a simple google search for obama's home. You'll find that it's a very nice upper middle class home in Chicago. Nothing luxurious.

to Tdl62 , you say there is more important things than McSeniles corrupt pass and Obama supports are against wars to stop death and destruction of innocent human beings, then we should be fighting in Dafur. Keating Five was along time ago and we should not talk about it, well I guess being a POW forty years ago can't count as experience.Connie from Indiana

"She doesn't realize how lucky she was to have an easier time getting into Yale because of her skin color."

I don't know if Michelle was an affirmative action admission to Yale, and I'm willing to bet you don't either.

However, I just LOVE people who scorn affirmative action in admissions, because, you know, having black or brown skin gets you soooo far ahead in this country.

But they say nothing of "legacy" admission like that of John "Wet Start" McCain to Annapolis or George "Dim Son" Bush, both of whom managed to make it through by the skin of their teeth. Dim Son, by the way, to that self-same Yale.

Wet Start also got a legacy admission to flight school and got promoted through the ranks mainly because both his father and his grandfather were admirals. Otherwise, he would have been the lowliest ensign on the lamest ship in the Navy.

McAspergirl,

What in the Mchell are you babbling about?

It would be Mcbest if you walked away from your PC for a Mcwhile. Mckay?

Mcidiot.

WHAT UNION HAS 57 STATES? -- THE "OIC" DOES

Early this year, Obama claimed that he'd visited 57 states campaigning, which is odd because the U.S. has 50 states in it, not 57. But even if Obama was tired from campaigning all day, and made a simple slip of the tongue, 57 is an odd number to confuse with 50. What Union has 57 states in it?

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an international organization with a permanent delegation to the United Nations. It has 57 Islamic member states, from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Balkan, Southeast Asia, South Asia and South America.

Can Cindy Mc tell us a bedtime story about Mother Teresa? And can she bring us some nice Rachel Ray cookies?

THINGS ELITIST JOHN MCBUSCH CAN'T REMEMBER:

He can't remember:
-------------------

How many houses he owns

...but we can, SING ALONG EVERYONE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhuMgUkiVOY

That it's now the Czech Republic

That his wife lied about Mother Theresa imploring her to take the babies home (Mother Theresa was not in the orphanage on that day)

That he voted against tax cuts for the rich

That he voted against torture

That he said Roe v Wade should not be overturned

Where all the Abramoff documents are by the millions

That he said his health records would be available for review then gave people just 2 hours

That he voted w/Bush 100% of the time in 2008 but he's a maverick

That middle class is not people who make just under $5 million a year

That he was a member of the Keating 5

That he cheated on his first wife

That his current wife stole drugs from her charity

----------------

What CAN McCain remember...that he was a POW

Possibly the only thing that other fellow POW's would like to forget and are loathe to discuss

Connie from Indiana - McCain's energy policy is a comprehensive energy policy that includes drilling as well as renewable energy research, etc.

Obama's policy was intially just to oppose drilling and only talk about renewable energy including wind, solar, etc. Unfortunately for Obama, he found himself on the wrong side of policy (another example of his bad judgment) and ended up FLIP FLOPPING so that he's now in support of some drilling. >;)

The point is this, McCain opposes drilling in ANWR, but supports offshore drilling in addition to renewables, solar, wind, biofuels, etc. That is how McCain's energy policy is more comprehensive compared to Obama. Now, Obama is trying to sound like McCain on the issue which is another example of how he is an empty suit.

I'm a former Hillary supporter whom had decided to vote for McCain. McCain is the lesser evil of the two and I trust McCain more than Obama on leading this country in the right direction.

in search of a ...clue, mccain has a better energy policy? So drill anywhere anytime is a comprehensive energy policy? Even though he was against offshore drilling until he got som eoil money a couple of months ago. And where do you get this Obama's an elitist crap, from rnc talking points? A man from a broken household, half black, but certainly not considered anything but black by today's standards (tell me how easy it is being black in this country, like Michelle Obama had it so good), raises himself up by hardwork and intelligence to the point where he is the epitome of the American Dream, who worked with the poor and working classes, is considered elitist. But the son of military privilege that got him into the naval academy and who barely got out of the academy, whose only claim to fame is spending five years in a Hanoi prison as did so many other Americans, who left his first wife because, as she says, "he was 40 and wanted to be 25," who marries a multi-millionheiress, whose entire life has been paid for by taxpayer money, who wears $500 shoes, and owns more houses than he can think of, is somehow considered by conservatives to be a man of the people. You and your ilk are nitwits.

>>Can you point to *any* evidence to contradict my claim here and now that Barack Obama is the most pro-abortion member of the United States Senate?

Posted by: OfficerMancuso | August 21, 2008 7:34 PM <<

Officer, you want me to try to prove a negative?
I'd wait until you offered proof to back up your claim. Proving a negative is thorny problem. If we're talking about voting records, perhaps if I had the time to research every vote that every senator has ever been involved in we could give it a try. If instead we are talking about the subjective interpretation of your charge. He holds a womans reproductive rights in higher regard than any other member, it's a non-starter. We don't know every member of congresses real position on that topic. We may find that abortion wasn't so horrible when John McCain knocked up his sixteen year old babysitter, drove her down to the family planning clinic and handed a C note. (since we're making unsubstantiated claims, why not go big, eh?)
A realpolitik question I've been dying to ask a abortion opponent is what are you going to do to actually make the Republicans outlaw abortion? They had power 12 years, total power 8, they've appointed a clear majority of the USSCJs' but they just can't deliver. Worse, from your point of view, we are past the high water mark for the conservative movement. From here they loose power, though we can argue about how long they'll be relegated to the cheap seats.
Is it that the law really doesn't support the government intervening in choices made by a woman and her doctor or is it that the day they outlaw Roe V Wade the Republicans won their last national election?
I personally don't think they are constrained by the law. Bush in particular hasn't even demonstrated he understands he can break the law, so to me, the jaded liberal, it seems they are playing on your well intentioned emotional commitment to this cause in an effort to win with otherwise unpopular candidates and policies, basically they don't want a victory, just a battle.
Your thoughts?

Hey Ellen,
One of the best things about when Obama becomes president is racist blowhards like purple lips will still be stuck behind the counter at Loaf n Jug simmering with resentment while serving African Americans.
What a sight!

Excuse me, JB, but that "half-brother living in a shack" happens to be in college studying to be a mechanic and he says that his half brother Barack inspired him to turn his life around.

How the hell do you know what Baraack may have done or be prepared to do for him?

Can't remember how many homes you own? Wow! End of his dismal campaign right there. Guess he'll have his staff get an answer by the first debate. Maybe the staff can also answer: how many marriage applications did McGoo post while still married?
How many affairs did McSleaze have and in which houses did the sex take place?
How many times did McGoo and second wife, daughter of mobster involved in killing a reporter and getting rich via mob connections, NOT meet Mother T?
How many more lies and $500 shoes and 200,000 house staff budgets until the Post starts giving us these details? Thank god we have new real journalists out there giving the people a voice.

McCain cheated at the Naval Academy, Survived like many others as a POW. Cheated on his first wife. Chased the blond and the moneyCheated at Saddleback. Wormed his way up Goldwater's ass, Then Reagan's ass. then a up the democrats' ass. Blew the biggest foreign policy test of the last 30 years. Now he tries to claim his only ambition is to save America from a mess he helped create. My friends, he will say anything to win.

Excellent post lbrillante.

Ive been posting for weeks now how ODD McCain appears to me. Off kilter. Mean. Strange.

perhaps his five years as a POW may have affected him in a way that it would be best if this man never gets the opportunity to sit his rear end in the oval office.

Hell. Here's a quote from fifteen twenty years ago:
" The thought of his being president sends a chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me." Sen. Thad Cochran.

McCain has deep issues. He gives me the creeps.

It's such a travesty that in a year with so many problems that America is facing -- serious, unprecedented challenges to become energy independent, survive commodity shortages, save our economy from its systemic finance problems, begin climate change abatement, face Islamist extremism, bring the Iraq war to a suitable end, and adjust to global market dislocations -- the Democrats would be so arrogant as to put forward an inexperienced, unqualified, freshman senator who has no realistic ability to perform as a president any better than George W. Bush did. It's a travesty and it seems like some kind of bad joke.

No way is Barack Obama worth voting for. It doesn't matter what party a candidate belongs to if he lacks core competencies for the office.

So it doesn't matter what McSame things McCain has in common other Republicans, what McProblem you think it is that a man who has an heiress wife doesn't McKnow how many houses she owns at the moment, or what McIssue you have with his McAge.

McCain is McQualified to be McPresident, which is more than what your candidate can say for himself.

McSenile has a more comprehensive energy policy, I believe it is the same one that George and Dick have, DRILL,DRILL or INVADE, INVADE.Didn't McSenile vacation with the president of Georgia and has a PAID lobbist to Georgia on his campaign. Now the FEC has let McSenile slide out of primary election public financing system. Skirting the law,lying,cheating and I can't remember crap sounds like more of the same. Connie from Indiana

Good try, Scott, but I don't think the McCain's are renting out their old military digs. They are almost all multi-million dollar properties so I don't think an active duty military man could afford any of them.

Plus, three of the condos are in Phoenix, two in San Diego while his pre- and post-war posts were in Florida. Cindy stayed in Phoenix and did not accompany him on his post-adultery post-divorce post-second-marriage postings. "The Ranch" could very well be where she and the kids stayed during that time. I just don't know.

That doesn't mean Homewrecker Cindy didn't buy him a place in Arlington when he was Navy liaison to the Senate.

Dear "Purple Lips,'

Please tell me that you had no idea that your comment is offensive and racist. I'm sure you didn't know.

"In politics, there is nothing worse than appearing out of touch."

Yes there is. It's being a hypocrite. That is Obama.

He wants to force me to pay more taxes to support complete strangers and he won't even help his half-brother who lives in a shack!

Obama = hypocrite. "Do as I say, not as I do" is neither change nor something I can believe in.

To the Poster who loves to refer to B. Hussein - What is the deal with you?

This is America. And you are allowed to have any kind of name and still run for president. The same kind of losers tried to make Kennedy an insult - whoooo, an Irish name. Would you do the same childish, ignorant post for Guiliani - whooo - Italian, that is such a weird name! Lieberman - whooo scary, that sounds so Jewish! Rodrigez - scary, catholic probably - we can't have one of those people can we?

Where the heck do you live? This is America and Hussein can be a good name too - because its about the person.

A crook can be a Nixen, or a Bush, or a Cheney even.

Book, cover, sound familiar?

In all seriousness, the longer this campaign goes on, the harder I find it to feel enthusiastic about either candidate. I think Obama would take Bush's dictatorial additions to the powers of the presidency and run with them, in his own Obama direction. I think McCain would continue a disastrous foreign policy whose price won't be clear till we're all six feet under and our grandkids are trying to make sense of the world.

I am dead serious when I say that democracy coupled with marketing does not seem to be a good system.

This is one reason why I'm sympathetic to folks like Putin, who hold similarly skeptical views about democracy.

I mean, in all seriousness, just what is it that guarantees that a jingoistic democracy is better than some other form of governance?

"President McCain, terrorists have just bombed Phoenix!"

"I think -- I'll have my staff get to you,"

How does a Harvard-educated man like Obama believe we have 57 states making up the United States of America? It must have been his early schooling in Islamic schools in Kenya.

Darn, there is a lot of garbage posted here. And I just added some.

Obama '08

Where are McCain's children by his first wife? It's like they don't exist?!!

I have having buyer's remorse, I wish Hillary could save us from defeat.

Hard to believe how badly Obama and his team are doing. He better kick some Godzilla ass or he is going down. No more vacations.

There is a strange irony to Obama and his supporters. They feel it is their business to know how many homes McCain owns yet having a mistress with a dying wife is private. They feel Obama's relationships with Rev Wright, Ayers, Rezko.... should be private but how many homes McCain's wife owns should be public. They are against war to stop the death and destruction of innocent human beings, while supporting the right to kill innocent human infants that survive partial-birth abortions. Strange and twisted minds, this lot.

There are no private beaches in Hawaii. That was a presumption of Republicans who typically only go on vacation to private beaches.

In the real world of elitism one needs to earn a minimum $5 million to qualify. McCain stated this pass weekend that $5 million would be the magic number to be considered rich. Maybe the question should have been how many homes do you own. Just maybe - could it be McCain just simply could not remember the number. Age does strange things too the mind!

What about the family JET? And people mention Rezko--what about the Keating 5--I have yet to see a story about it.

OBAMA 2008
ZIMBABWE on the Potomac

I'm a retired CW5. I own 9 homes that I rent out in 4 states, 5 in Georgia, 2 in Virginia, one in Oklahoma, and one in Texas. All occupied by military families.

I never sold my homes, I just rented them out to others as I either moved up, or away.

I have many military friends that also rent out their homes as they move... some of them because they depreciated in value and they could not afford to sell them. But now they are enjoying the rental income from them.

It's not as uncommon as you may think.

Posted by: Scott | August 21, 2008 9:30 PM
------------------------------------
You miss the point. McCain does not rent out his homes. I don't think that you and him on the same financial plain.

At least Obama earned the money he made by writing. John "7th Commandment" McCain committed adultery before divorcing his wife to marry the heiress he was fooling around with.

THAT's how he earned HIS money.

Both candidates went to elite private schools, so that's a wash.

BTW, Cindy learned to date married men and wreck their homes from her mother. She then fiddled with her father's will to disinherit his daughter from his first marriage.

Is Cindy "Homewrecker" Hensley McCain really the First Lady we want?

In her next public interview (if she dares to have one) I'd sure like them to ask her why she dated a married man.

To Dem52: If being stupid is a qualification to be president McSenile wins hands down, he is so like his twin brother George.Being poor, the only reason John McSenile is rich is because he had an affair with the blonde heiress of the beer tycoon and divorced his disabled wife and married the money.Being unsuccessful, the only reason McSenile is successful is because his rich father-in-law helped him get were he is , so that the senator could help him , like the Keating 5.Connie from Indiana

"unlike Obama and the other Lexus liberals"

That is right. I am a Democrat and I despise the fact that every freakin' Obama sticker is on an import car. I guess I am from the blue-collar wing of the Democratic party that clings to such things as trying to buy a US made product (Chevrolet Malibu for me).

You know what's sad...that Obama wanted to change the subject and talk about how many houses McCain has instead of what he would do with regards to Russia and the country of Georgia. He also wants the American people to forget about his poor showing and inadequate "answers" given at Saddleback. I personally think what's going on with regards to Russia and Georgia is far more important than how many houses McCain did or the ancient Keating Five scandal of long ago. At least McCain has a more comprehensive energy policy than Obama and McCain is more knowledgeable about foreign policy then the novice, Obama.

I will be voting for McCain because I can't stand Obama's purple lips...

Just try to watch him without staring at his purple lips... it's mesmerizing... all of a sudden I only hear the words "hope" and "Change"...

I can't do that for 4 more years. Sorry.

Let us not mention the Keating Five.

Chris
Explain to me how George Bush Junior fit in with the common man and was not an elistist, or did you just ignore the fact that this man was president for two terms because he did not fit in your formula?

He did fit the formula! He didn't have purple lips... therefore he was qualified!

lbrillante wrote,

"I wrote this myself....

"Clearly having been a POW has affected McCain in ways that affect his memory, competence, awareness, ability to keep the facts straight, ability to tell the truth, ability to maintian integrity, and thus his ability to lead.

"My friends, I am willng to accept that McCain being a POW is a reason to explain all of these things as long as the republican party and the McCain camp will accept that they have made the case for exactly why this man MUST NOT become president. Why? Because...'he was a POW'."

I'll buy your logic, lbrillante, if you extend it to women who have been raped or abused.

"Yeah Chris, you forgot one very important thing. John Mccain WAS A POW. And he hates to talk about that almost every day. So there. That proves him to be beyond reproach, forever. That unfortunate Keating affair and cheating on his wife and his jet and his multiple homes , I mean "cabins", are not, I repeat not to be spoken of in our beloved media."

Obama-freaks always go negative and then claim they didn't. More hypocrisy. HRC supporters have already seen too much of that.

Nice novel lbrillante, unfortunately I don't have a week to read it.

So I'll just vote for McCain because he's a POW.

Maybe purple lips indicates that he is neither red nor blue but independent.

Chris
Explain to me how George Bush Junior fit in with the common man and was not an elistist, or did you just ignore the fact that this man was president for two terms because he did not fit in your formula?

McCain doesn't have lips at all - what a bonus, purplelips!

Purplelips - wow. That's a very bizarre thing to say. Your mother would be proud. It's like saying, at least Obama doesn't have pasty white skin.

I wrote this myself

Using the POW Argument One Too Many Times OR When Being A POW Becomes THE Reason He Cannot Be President

I am willing to accept the context that Senator McCain does not remember how many houses he owns because... 'he was a POW'. And maybe the fact that he agreed that the only way to chase Osama Bin Laden to the 'Gates of Hell' is to reinstate the draft was because... 'he was a POW'. And perhaps the reason he cannot be expected to keep warring factions of various conflicts straight is because... 'he was a POW'.

Maybe he really did need to divorce his first wife by choosing a new one while still married and the first was recovering from a tragic car accident because... 'he was a POW'. Perhaps he offered his wife Cindy, the potential next first lady to particpate in a contest much more lude than a wet t-shirt contest because... 'he was a POW'.
Maybe he got into a physical conflict with one of his colleagues in the senate because... 'he was a POW'. Perhaps he felt embellishing the story of how he and his wife came to adopt their daughter by adding a lie that Mother Theresa had asked Cindy to take her (She never met Mother Theresa and they were caught in the lie) because... 'he was a POW'.

Maybe the reason that McCain thinks that the economy has done well during the Bush years is because... 'he was a POW'. And then it might explain the reason that he was ready to go to war in Iraq the day after 9/11 with NO facts, it was because... 'he was a POW'. I would love to believe that the reason that he has already declared victory in Iraq twice but still is dedicated to 'winning in Iraq' is because... 'he was a POW'.

Maybe he really wants to drill 'right here, right now' wherever he happens to be when he says it, is explained by the fact that... 'he was a POW'. It stands to reason that you could explain the reason that he is comfortable with putting nuclear waste in the state of Nevada but would not want it traveling through his own home state of Arizona and advocates 45 new nuclear plants (where does the waste go?) is also because... 'he was a POW'. He probably believes that a gas tax holiday would really help people because... 'he was a POW'.

And maybe he could not help himself or perhaps those assisting him felt it was appropriate to make sure he knew the questions he was to be asked at the Saddleback forum and was well prepared even though it might have involved 'cheating' or 'misleading' people as this was really all excusable because...'he was a POW'. There is also his recent evoking of the second 'cold war' which can be explained away by the fact that... 'he was a POW'.

Clearly having been a POW has affected McCain in ways that affect his memory, competence, awareness, ability to keep the facts straight, ability to tell the truth, ability to maintian integrity, and thus his ability to lead.

My friends, I am willng to accept that McCain being a POW is a reason to explain all of these things as long as the republican party and the McCain camp will accept that they have made the case for exactly why this man MUST NOT become president. Why? Because...'he was a POW'.

The problem here isn't that these guys are rich (they all are) but that McCain either isn't good with details or doesn't want to tell the truth. Both choices are scary. When I'm 72 I hope I'm as sharp as McCain (and my parents for that matter) but I want a president who, when he looks for his keys, knows when to stop looking.

Oh let me be the 1000th commenter!

McCain may not know how many houses he has, but at least he doesn't have purple lips.

What is the point of this article, you must be poor, unsuccessful and stupid to be president of the country?

Thus if you have worked hard, become rich and successful obtained the American dream you are not qualified to be president?

What is wrong with this picture? My god the press is a very scary.

So if you spend a week on a private beach in Hawaii are you still poor enough to be president?

Someone wrote, "We Hillary supporters will not vote for this Hollywood granola eating elitist who thinks that middle Americans cling to thier guns and religion. The extreme left has stolen away the great Democratic party. My vote will go for Mcain who is much more to the center than Barrack "Godamm America" Obama. And no America did not deserve 911!!"

WHOA! An actual Hillary harridan.

Anonymous (apparently you are too chicken to give yourself an alias on here), I don't have any problems voting for a black man, but I will only vote for a black man who has better judgment and morals than what Barack Obama has. With the few mistakes Colin Powell has made, I would vote for him over Barack Obama any day. So why don't you take your ignorant insult and shove it somewhere where the sun doesn't shine. ;)

I'm a retired CW5. I own 9 homes that I rent out in 4 states, 5 in Georgia, 2 in Virginia, one in Oklahoma, and one in Texas. All occupied by military families.

I never sold my homes, I just rented them out to others as I either moved up, or away.

I have many military friends that also rent out their homes as they move... some of them because they depreciated in value and they could not afford to sell them. But now they are enjoying the rental income from them.

It's not as uncommon as you may think.

Prostitutes nightly and had an STD no less then 15 times according to John himself.

=======
McSame is morally corrupt and ethically corrupt.

He was b*nging girls while still married to his first wife.

McSame is a super rich, confused old man who loves to send young kids to die in a war.

Posted by: corruptmccain | August 21, 2008 9:25 PM

Dementia would be a welcome relief from the civil-liberties-depriving lucidity of Bush & Cheney.

We Hillary supporters will not vote for this Hollywood granola eating elitist who thinks that middle Americans cling to thier guns and religion. The extreme left has stolen away the great Democratic party. My vote will go for Mcain who is much more to the center than Barrack "Godamm America" Obama. And no America did not deserve 911!!

McCain's inability to give an answer to the number of houses question indicates more than just he is out of touch.
He's very rich.
He's not mentally sharp; he could have given an answer like "We live in four and we have other houses that are mostly investments."
His memory is fading.

Just a lie
--------
Obama is out of touch with middle America. He can't even fake it. John McCain did answer the question correctly but it's edited out. So please stop all this nonsense.

Posted by: amelia | August 21, 2008 9:22 PM

It's a typical liberal Democrat Socialist class-envy response to try to make John McCain a evil man because he has 7 houses. What these liberal Democrat Socialists and Obamanistas all believe in of course is that all wealth should be re-distributed, or as their Fuhrers Marx and Lenin has taught them, 'from each according to his ability to each according to his need'. One thing though that they have conveniently forgotten is that Barack Obama's one house he owns came about by devious and probably dishonest means. Tony Rezko isn't so dumb as to make special deals and arrangements for Obama, as he did with Obama's one house, without getting something in return.

McCain is plagued by dementia.

Keep this angry old man away!

Or in light of his plunging poll number, he's romancing his most important adviser, Michelle, and trying to make her see that without Hillary on the ticket he's sure to lose.

I will vote for the first candidate who promises to make it illegal for anyone under the age of 80 to buy those big bass speakers people put in their cars and then drive around all night with their disgusting music at ridiculous, rib-cage rattling volume.

McSame is morally corrupt and ethically corrupt.

He was b*nging girls while still married to his first wife.

McSame is a super rich, confused old man who loves to send young kids to die in a war.

OK, I can forgive him for not knowing how many houses he has because we have all done that.

What I can't keep down is the fact that he needs other people to check out his holdings and and report the number.

Is he that much of a trained monkey now?

"Let me get with my handlers on this and they will get back to you."

Instead of Lieberman, the republicans should invite Carter to the convention so he can throw peanuts to McCain and keep him occupied.

You know what would get me to contribute to the republican party? If they held a raffle where the winner gets to chase Tom Delay around the stage with an aluminum baseball bat for 5 minutes. I'd pay for that chance.

Why don't all you people just come out and say "He is a ni&&er and you will never vote for a ni&&er. At least it would be honest.

------------
Obama was the one who ridiculed people who "cling to guns, religion, and anti-immigration" views. He's the one who is an elitist. His wife whines about how she was treated at Yale. She doesn't realize how lucky she was to have an easier time getting into Yale because of her skin color. Apparently, she doesn't realize that most people don't get the opportunity to attend Yale. Who cares if McCain's wife is wealthy and that they have several houses that McCain is obviously too embarrassed to talk about. At least he and/or his wife paid the full asking price for their homes instead of having someone else like Mr. Rezko pay for a part of their houses(s). Obama is a hypocrite for trying to make McCain look bad when he's even worse. I would rather vote for someone who has 10 houses than someone who has one has that was bought in part by the indicted criminal, Tony Rezko. I would rather vote for someone who had good judgment enough to NOT attend a racist, hate-filled church for 20 years and not know that his pastor felt that way after all of those years.

Posted by: InSearchOfTruth | August 21, 2008 9:21 PM

Obama is out of touch with middle America. He can't even fake it. John McCain did answer the question correctly but it's edited out. So please stop all this nonsense.

I think Obama summed it up when he said, you guys seem to take pride in being ignorant. You don't even know what you are talking about. All you can do is repeat things you have heard you are not smart enough to read up on it and have an informed opinion. God all mighty, you can't even spell.

-----------
At least he didn't have to get some sleazebag deal from Tony Rezko like The Messiah Obama did. Or get a sweatheart loan from Countrywide like Chris Dodd did.

Posted by: muskrat | August 21, 2008 9:18 PM

Obama was the one who ridiculed people who "cling to guns, religion, and anti-immigration" views. He's the one who is an elitist. His wife whines about how she was treated at Yale. She doesn't realize how lucky she was to have an easier time getting into Yale because of her skin color. Apparently, she doesn't realize that most people don't get the opportunity to attend Yale. Who cares if McCain's wife is wealthy and that they have several houses that McCain is obviously too embarrassed to talk about. At least he and/or his wife paid the full asking price for their homes instead of having someone else like Mr. Rezko pay for a part of their houses(s). Obama is a hypocrite for trying to make McCain look bad when he's even worse. I would rather vote for someone who has 10 houses than someone who has one has that was bought in part by the indicted criminal, Tony Rezko. I would rather vote for someone who had good judgment enough to NOT attend a racist, hate-filled church for 20 years and not know that his pastor felt that way after all of those years.

What's up w/ McCain? Every time Obama criticizes him, his staff comes out and more or less says, "You can't criticize him on that because he's a POW." What does that have to do with the fact he has 7+ houses or that his wife is worth 100 million dollars? It's getting old.

If McCain thinks Rezko is now fair game, I'd say so is the Keating Five. Does he REALLY want to go there???

Oops, forgot to sign that one. LOL

The floodgates have officially been opened. The Teflon that has covered ODD McCain's rear end is wearing off.

Next come the questions that will come. that need answers to.

His connections to the Arizona mob. His late Father in law John Hensley links to a mob boss named Kemper Marley who helped Hensly set up a $200million beer business back in the eighties which in turn was a factor in financing McCain's early political career.

its all about to explode. observe.

At least he didn't have to get some sleazebag deal from Tony Rezko like The Messiah Obama did. Or get a sweatheart loan from Countrywide like Chris Dodd did.

His Excellency Premiere Comrade Barack will put a stop to private home ownership when he takes over that big white house.

Then the oil companies will be next. Then Comrade will take over the hospitals, then the energy companies. Those capitalist Mongrels, who do they think they? trying to make a profit.

Then Comrade can raise their taxes so they pay for everything.

What if the those job creators stop working then?

What will we do then?

Look at history Barry...taxes go up, revenue goes down.....taxes go down...revenue goes up. I know the guy's policies are not pro capitalist.....but GEEZ it ain't that hard......

Holy Smoke wrote, "meat and potatoes: put some arugula in your pipe and smoke it. (the best way)"

Unlike some folks, I'm honest with my psychotherapist. I confessed to smoking the banana peels and the queen anne's lace. I shudder at having to go back and confess to smoking argula on the same day when I practically had an orgasm eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. I'm not even sure my insurance would cover it.

Re Banshee's comment: my husband and I both were officers in the military and my husband retired as a colonel. We only own ONE house. We've owned several, but only one at a time. Two of my brothers are retired military officers. Neither of them owns a house at all. I really don't care how many house Sen McCain or Sen Obama has--just don't say that it is common for military non coms or officers to own several houses. That just isn't so.

Obama has an interesting campaign strategy decision to make. The convention itself needs to be mostly very positive - talking about what he wants to do for America. I'm sure some of the surrogates will do some McCain trashing but that'll all be in the days leading up to Obama's keynote which nobody watches.

The question is what they do just after the convention and during the Republican convention. Historically some campaigns prety much shut down during the other party's convention but that's been changing. McCain's campaing is clearly not doing that - they're going to Rudy and Mitt in Denver trying to get some attention.

While I'm not a fan of negative campaigning (and don't think Obama is either) they probably need to continue to respond to McCain's negative attacks. To me that means spending a lot of time and money during the R campaign talking about McCain and the Keating ethics failures. I think most American's don't know about that and it's far more serious than any "boneheaded" decision Obama made to associate with Rezko. Nobody has shown ANY wrongdoing by Obama in that...just associating with a guy who was iffy. McCain absolutely made serious ethical mistakes with Keating.

wow ... simply unbelievable that some of you have to stretch SOOOO far to defend the addled McCain that you can claim with any sense of credibility that it's "normal" for someone to not remember how many houses they OWN!??!?

This passes neither the smell nor straight face test ... I know many folks with 7 figure net worths (sorry, not quite as stinkin' rich as McCain) and NONE of them would fail to know the answer to that question if asked.

This is laughable or scary dep. on how you look at it.

Either he is so out of touch he can't possibly claim any empathy/understanding of what "normal" Americans are going through, or else he is so mentally deficient and addled (which could well be true given his constant factual screw ups: Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan ... so confusing; Shiite/Sunni ... all the same right?; Slovakia v. Czechoslovakia v. Who-knows-What ... doesn't matter even if it hasn't existed in years, right? Without his lapdog/butt sniffer Joe Lieberman there to correct him, he'd be completely lost.

They guy is making Bush look like a Rhodes Scholar.

Why weren't John Kerry's multiple houses and rich wife criticized in 2004? How about the numerous houses the Kennedys owned?

K Ackermann | wrote:

I wish people would quit mentioning that McCain doesn't know how many houses he has.

Can't you just let this story die? It's not going to go away if you keep mentioning that we are to trust a person who doesn't have a clue how many houses he has.

When you phrase it like that, you make it sound really bad.

I hope tomorrow people forget that McCain forgets how many houses he has.

Plus, Obama told him today how many houses he has, so now he knows and you can stop talking about it.

It's not like he's one of those old people who stand out on the lawn with their robe open, shaking an angry fist at every car that drives by, mumbling something about wiffy and coon while foam flies from his mouth.

________________________________________

I also wish people would quit mentioning that McCain doesn't know how many houses he has.

It is unseemly that people won't let this story die! And I agree that it's not going to go away if we all keep mentioning that we are being asked to trust a person who doesn't have a clue how many houses he has.

And yes, I agree, when you phrase it like that, it does sound really bad.

By tomorrow people will forget that McCain has no idea how many houses he has because by then we will, almost surely, have stopped mentioning it in every second sentence

Plus, Obama told him today how many houses he has, K Akkerman told him how many houses he owns, and now I'm telling him how many houses he owns - so now that I'm doubly sure he knows exactly the right number - we can all stop talking about it.

I believe that the registered voters of ALL 57 States have a right to know that McCain has no clue how many homes he owns.

The NWO got you set off against each other. Don't you get it?

It's not Left/Right. It's not Conservative/Liberal. It's not Republican/Democrat.

SOMEBODY ELSE IS SETTING YOU OFF AGAINST ONE ANOTHER!!!!!!

Lisa: such a sweet name, such a stupid post.

What the heck are you talking about. Owning houses is no bargain and you better have some income to pay for the up keep. Renting doesn't cover it. I have six houses in Fort Lauderdale and I can tell you, My insurance and taxes alone are $55,000 a year. If I had mortgages I would be losing money.
-----

What this story reveals is an appalling ignorance about our armed forces and the military culture.

Had B. Hussein and Cilizza had the courage and patriotism to serve in Uncle's armed forces they'd be aware that for a G.I., partticularly an offoicer or noncommissioned officer, to own several houses is not at all uncommon.

A G.I. is posted to, say, Fort Knox. He buys a house, but when transferred instead of selling it, he rents it out, usually to another G.I.

The rent pays t5he mortgage. Hopefully the equity built up over the years adds to the G.I.'s retirement nestegg.

And if the G.I. is again posted to Fort Knox, he has a place to live.

In Viet-Nam I was aquainted with a G.I., a good Irish Catholic lad, who owned houses in Korea, the Philippines, and in Saigon, as well as in the USA. But he owned the extra houses for an uncommon reason, he has a wife & kids in Korea, in the Philippines and in Saigon, as well as in the States. :-)))

I'm not knocking Catholics, I'm a practicing Catrholic myself.

Posted by: Banshee5 | August 21, 2008 8:58 PM

K Ackerman wrote,

"With more houses than he knows how to count, why is that cancerous, surrendering, senile, elitist, criminal spending so much time with lobbyists?

"Does he need more money to forget about? I can see him out in his yard wearing brown and yellow stained underwear digging like a mangy cur trying to find the wads of cash he buried wrapped in Viet Cong newspapers.

"After a while he gives up and wanders over to the half-submerged bamboo cage where he starts rehearsing his concession speech with a puzzled look on his face because he senses something wrong with the phrase 'my fellow pigs and puppies, I touch my genitals tonight because... because...'

"We need McCain like Kennedy needed a parade in Dallas."

Thanks Ackerman. I was on the fence, and you've helped me decide that I can't vote for whoever and whatever it is you support.

Mark wrote: Obama begin EVERY speech until the election asking,
"Raise your hand if you know how many houses you own?" "

And folow that line with this one: "And how many of you can't afford to own even ONE home?" (Pause, as if to count) "John Feels your pain. He understands how difficult it is to decide which home to go to tonight."

Then, follow that one with "Keep your hand raised if you wanted a house you couldn't afford, so you had your millionaire felon friend buy the lot next to it so you could still get it?"

meat and potatoes: put some arugula in your pipe and smoke it. (the best way)

/


/

OBAMA

OWNS 1

But co-owns it with a CONVICTED CONvICT !!!

/

OOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

/ .

OOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

ZERO.........................

Kenneth Vogel comes up with the answer at Politico that eluded John McCain in his earlier interview. The actual number of houses owned by McCain is … zero. That’s right — the Senator doesn’t own a single property.

//

/

obiewan

Prepare for a battle royale unlike anything that has ever been seen in politics. I posted that the door would be opening on McCain's past misdeeds just before and during the Dem's convention.

Yeah, yeah Rezko. they will hit OBAMA with it. And he knows it. But its obvius that McCain didnt see this question coming. why in hell would he need his staff to tell him how many homes does he have? must be nice.

And obiewan. I dont like your political leanings but I sure as hell dig your name.

What an idiotic column? What polls are you reading? Obama is tanking in every poll. He goes into the Democratic convention with the worst numbers of any candidate in recent history.

I am a Democrat, but there is nothing that excites me to vote for this arrogant, inexperienced no nothing.

Yeah Chris, you forgot one very important thing. John Mccain WAS A POW. And he hates to talk about that almost every day. So there. That proves him to be beyond reproach, forever. That unfortunate Keating affair and cheating on his wife and his jet and his multiple homes , I mean "cabins", are not, I repeat not to be spoken of in our beloved media.

I don't like to see Fix's patriotism questioned, banshee. Prepare to be swiftboated to oblivion.

A vote for B. Hussein is to vote to place an anti-American foreigner in the White House

The NWO got you set off against each other. Don't you get it?

It's not Left/Right. It's not Conservative/Liberal. It's not Republican/Democrat.

SOMEBODY ELSE IS SETTING YOU OFF AGAINST ONE ANOTHER!!!!!!

Karlito wrote,

"I must be elitist because I enjoy arugula salad."

There is really no excuse for that. Surely you are a Nader voter who just doesn't realize it yet.

Some Republican retard above claims it's quite normal for military men to own several residences. Worth $11 million? But of course everyone does. Where do they find these people.

He probably has a home in all 57 States.

I wish people would quit mentioning that McCain doesn't know how many houses he has.

Can't you just let this story die? It's not going to go away if you keep mentioning that we are to trust a person who doesn't have a clue how many houses he has.

When you phrase it like that, you make it sound really bad.

I hope tomorrow people forget that McCain forgets how many houses he has.

Plus, Obama told him today how many houses he has, so now he knows and you can stop talking about it.

It's not like he's one of those old people who stand out on the lawn with their robe open, shaking an angry fist at every car that drives by, mumbling something about wiffy and coon while foam flies from his mouth.

Hey banshee 5 you duck. The Washington Post is the armed forces.

Larsky wrote,

"This is easily the dumbest article I've read in a long time. It won't go past the next few minutes in affecting the race or whoever Obama may pick as a V.P. Sheesh for the love of Pete,,,Chris, get a job that pays or at least give us a meat issue to discuss."

Another wannabe with broken comma and question mark keys on his machine. This is not the issue of the millenium, but it is the issue of the day, and Chris Cillizza has the responsibility of writing something timely and interest every day, for one of the world's great newspapers. What do you do for a living, Larsky?

Posted by: OfficerMancuso | August 21, 2008 6:17 PM

I am a retired publisher and editor who likes question marks and serious topics whether right, left or center.

So. Captain are you like a plastic Pompous Fanatastic Four Action Figure with articulating arms, legs and brain OR just another wanna be shallow critic.

Larsky

Banshee5 thinks that "for a G.I., partticularly an offoicer or noncommissioned [sic]officer, to own several houses is not at all uncommon."

I think Banshee5 probably lives next door to McSame - away in that entirely different, magical, America; Republicanland - where everyone owns as many homes as they want to and where everyone is rich and beautiful and has rich parents.

The whole thing is bloody petty from both sides. Politicians running for President are usually elite and quite wealthy to start with. To paint the other as "out of touch" is ridiculous. When John M. took a stroll the supermarket and the apple sauce came crashing down, that poor guy looked like he had somebody else's skin on. When Obama went roller skating with his family in Ohio or Indiana during the primaries, he looked ridiculous. This back and forth is plain petty. Personally, I want my next President to simply be himself.

What this story reveals is an appalling ignora