:
“They were elected, nobody believes that there was a corrupt election, anything else,” McCain said. “But I also think that when, you know, it’s always the wacko birds on right and left that get the media megaphone.”
“I think it can be harmful if there is a belief among the American people that those people are reflective of the views of the majority of Republicans. They’re not,” he continued.
I asked McCain to clarify who, specifically, he was talking about.
“Rand Paul, Cruz, Amash, whoever,” McCain said…
“Wacko birds”?
McCain said that? “Wacko birds“?
Four years and some months ago, I voted for this asshole. I posted things on my blog supportive of him.
I regret doing so.
I actually don’t believe in Paulian pacifism and do believe in the need and justification for American intervention on a limited basis and in pursuit of a limited number of objectives.
If McCain also believes that — and of course he does — he would be wise to stop making the choice between the Ron Paul doctrinal peacenikism and the McCain Interventions Incorporated model.
Because McCain will lose, and so will the concept of interventionism itself.
Gingrich had it right on this– he said “I’m a hawk, but I’m a cheap hawk.” McCain is an extravagant hawk, and he’s the worst spokesman for hawkishness there is. And if he keeps pushing his No Limits doctrine, he’s going to find the country is now embracing All Limits.
Let’s be smart about this, let’s remember that the United States is made up of actual human beings who do in fact have limits, and start thinking about Some Limits. Smart Limits. Realistic Limits. Workable Limits.
The country doesn’t exist to exemplify McCain’s dubious conceptions of honor. Other things enter into the equation, like the human cost to our boys and civil liberties and even, yes, the filthy considerations of dirty money.
Yep, “wacko birds.” That surly, octogenerian, fuckwit actually said that. Because anyone who wants to cut the size and scope of the federal government is a smelly hippie Paulian.
For the record, I cannot STAND Ron Paul. Fiscally he makes sense, but in every other conceivable way he’s a senile, batshit crazy old fuck. But that also doesn’t mean I want to decimate our military, dismantle our CIA and open our borders to jihadists in hopes that our free market will mellow them the hell out and make them stop wanting to slice our heads off.
I really want to kick McCain in his shriveled, old raisins.
What an asshole. A stupid, moronic asshole. Feh.
McCain is by far the worst candidate the GOP has nominated for president in my lifetime. I voted against Obama because I thought (correctly it turns out) he would be a disaster, but was not looking forward to a potential McCain presidency.
I am thankful that a lot of the younger GOP senators do seem to get it and are serious about trying to get the federal government under control. And it was nice getting to vote for Cruz for senator 3 different times last year and am a bit sad he can’t ever be president, though he might get on the supreme court some day.
Yes, I voted for McCain. I knew I would be voting for whomever locked up the Republican ticket once the Democrats were down to Hillary and Obama. When Republican candidacy was finalized, I stated that I would “walk into the voting booth, pinch my nostrils shut with one hand, choke back the puke and bile rising into my mouth, and vote for McCain.” He’s a Quisling…always has been.
What Nicki said – Ron Paul is a nut bird. RAND Paul took the right stand. Clarify that shit, get it in writing because squirrely ass government overreach is the way this current administration runs the country. If they can get away with it, they will.
McCain. GAH!!!!!!
“The wacko-birds get the media megaphone” said Sen. “Media Whore” McCain to a reporter.
Rand Paul should send a dozen roses to McCain, because each time McCain says something horrible I like Rand Paul a little bit more. And I liked him a lot anyway.
In America we’re not who our fathers are, and for that we can be very grateful. I consider Ron Paul to be someone so utterly crazy he should be confined to an attic space where he can rock away his days talking to the wall, spittle flying, with a kind nurse coming along occasionally to spoon him some soup.
Rand Paul? The Kirk smile and eyebrow raise from me.
I remember telling my husband during the 2008 primaries that I would rather crawl over broken glass than vote for McCain for president. I really didn’t think it was possible to hate McCain & Graham more, and then yesterday they made me loathe them. And Obama repays them for being good little defenders by announcing that he plans to try Abu Ghaith in civilian court in NY.
Rand Paul proved that Congress can push back against Obama. And he managed to win praise and support from the Left (and shame the Dems who didn’t support him) in the process. Those a$$hole RINOs should be thanking him and plotting ways to repeat this on other issues instead of whining about how he stole their spotlight.
@RG: Senator Media Whore – That’s funny! However, it is funny only because it is so true (well, until it makes me sad and pissed that for the average low info voter – McCain speaks for Republicans, and, by extension, conservatives).
Remember Mr Ball Cap, walking the border and saying, “Build the damn wall” when he was challenged by a true conservative, JD?
Well he got reelected and that line sure was given the bum’s rush. He’s a great American hero but a lousy Republican and no where near a conservative.
I wonder if Obama plied him and Graham with wine before he bent them over? It’s beyond belief that Obama can vilify Republicans and yet this two provide cover. Disgusting.
I remembered this little tidbit about McCain from a milblog I read about eight years ago. This is the recently severely injured soldier’s wife writing about McCain’s visit to her husband [then Capt. Charles “Chuck” Zeigenfeuss] at WRAMC back in 2005… Okay, folks. Here’s the post Chuck said I owe you. Hopefully your waiting will be worth it and you’ll “appreciate” the wait. Here goes… I am not responsible for any cuss words or really pissy comments – I’ll try to keep it PG rated. Senator is not a word I would use for McCain. JERK (or asshat, as Chuck usually says) is more like it. When Chuck was in the hospital, Jerk came to “visit” us. A quick story before I tell you what happened: A few weeks before Chuck was wounded I watched a TV movie that portrayed Jerk’s time as a POW during Vietnam. I was intrigued by the story and developed a lot of respect for what he endured, and the fact that his wife waited all those years for him to return home. I knew bits and pieces of the story before watching the movie, and I knew his arms were badly damaged due to the torture he received. I had a lot of respect for the man… then I met him. When he first walked in I was honored to meet him. He shook my hand and Alice’s (Chuck’s mother) hand, then walked over to Chuck’s bedside. After a lousy 5 minutes or so, the Jerk said (and I quote): “Well, we all know what we’re here for… let’s do the photo op.”
EXCUSE ME!!!??? The PHOTO OP???!!!! I was so beyond pissed I wanted to wrestle the Jerk to the ground and kick his ass – over and over and over again! I was so stunned by his comment that all I could do to save my dignity and not stoop to his incredibly LOW level, I walked out of the room. The Jerk’s photographers took some pictures and he left. I didn’t even say good-bye when he walked out… I was full of rage and anger. And as Chuck can tell you, NO ONE wants to talk to me when I am that state!! The fact that this Jerk is a veteran, a former POW, and now calls himself a Senator, I simply could not believe what happened. Every time I hear the man’s name I get tense. Of all the shitty things that happened while Chuck was in the hospital, this was the topper for me. If a man like the Jerk thinks he’d make a good president, he better do some serious soul searching. He claims to support our troops, but the experience we had with him shows me he’s full of shit. The fact that he said this kind of thing to my husband pisses me off to no end… but I wonder how many other wounded troops he said this to? Hopefully none… for the troops’ sake. Well, that’s the story. I could go on and on about how much I despise the Jerk, but he’s not worth my time and energy. Also, I read a book about George “Bud” Day [recommended reading by the enchanting Bill Whittle back to his ejectejecteject.com days ] who was held as a POW with McCain in VietNam. He is a friend of McCain to this day but he wrote very honestly about the shortcomings of McCain during their imprisonment and it isn’t very flattering for McCain [details his philandering, insecurities and swaggering/posturing in front of the other POWs]. And was written well before McCain announced his candidacy back in 2007/2008. I loathe McCain the RINO.
Yeah, me too. The only way I could force myself to do it was to tell my self it wasn’t a vote for McCain — it was a vote against Obama.
I had no illusions about who would win in 2008, and just wanted the satisfaction of being able to claim I hadn’t voted for him. After the election, I thought, “Well, hell, McCain would’ve taken us to the same place; Obama will just do it faster — so bring it. The American voters will have to wake up and vote for a more fiscally responsible President so let’s get on with it. The sooner, the better.”
I’m sorry I was so naïve and wrong.
On the upside, I guess I qualify for . So tempting. ;)
For being so worried about his honor, McCain is far to quick to deal it away in the “spirit of compromise,” only his side is the only one that gives in. What a sham.
I wouldn’t exactly call it a vote for McCain as it is it was a vote for Palin hoping McCain would bite the the dust at the appropriate time…
I confess, McCain’s post-election actions have shown he was a sucky choice…
But… I’d freaking STILL rather have had him than Teh One.
If I could reach back in time and push a button that changed the results, I’d hit it without the least hesitation whatsoever.
Jus’ Sayin’.
He is a douche, but he’s STILL less of a douche than the Douchebag In Chief.
Go here…
…and tell the idiot what you really think of him and his ilk.
Frankly I think everyone who was in Congress should have resigned during the whole TARP fiasco, because they were either complicit in one of the worst economic disasters to hit this country or were conned into believing it by the Fed. I voted for him in 2008, but only as a lesser of two evils. The more I listen to McCain, the more I think that perhaps he wasn’t much less of an evil than Obama.
@IGotBupkis, Legally Defined Cyberbully in All 57 States: Yeah, that covers it nicely. In my state the far right is busy proving that the wacko birds do indeed get the megaphone. And at times the state house.
I voted for McCain. I still believe it was the lesser of two nasty evils.
I think Palin’s presence would have affected a bit of change in the administration. Like others, I was aware of McCain’s time as POW — and how it did *not* leave him an icon of character. What I saw when I lived in Arizona, when he was running for Senator, was a campaign devoid of any sense of character, of anything but a candidate wielding money and powerful interests to go where he wanted.
I still see nothing about McCain that is worthy of respect. In his senility, it appears he cannot even keep his mouth shut on camera.
On the other hand, I have to keep in mind that Obama has never been big on the democratic process, or convincing constituents — his opponents all suffer pressure and mishap. Can anyone seriously think that the Governor of Illinois (and the Chicago machine and Democratic Party) sold Obama’s Senate seat — and yet Obama *didn’t* buy it in the first place? Look at Joe Biden — never known for buffoonery on the scale he has enjoyed as VP under Obama – when his antics just *happen* to defuse Obama blunders. It is entirely likely that McCain has sold himself, or been drafted/pressured. into the buffoonery role to defuse Obama blunders and distract Obama detractors. There. How is that for a conspiracy theory?
Rachel, I, on the other hand, did NOT vote for McCain. I voted for what’shisname/Palin and hoped the treasonous old bastich would die of a heart attack as soon as he was sworn in.
McCain swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. He swore that oath when he received his commission as an officer, and he swore it again when he was elected to office. He has violated his oath of office and failed in his sworn duty so many times it isn’t funny. He should be removed from office, and his government pension(s) forfeited.
You’re obviously a Wacko Bird, Rachel.
I remember catching a lot of grief-most of it polite- for my determination to not vote for that POS. Sadly, I did finally do so in retaliation for the actions taken by Team Barry to try and destroy a guy playing catch with his kid who had the temerity to ask a question that our Fuckwit in Chief answered poorly. I had no illusions about McCain; I excoriated here and elsewhere. What gets me through the days, though, is the knowledge that John McCain will never, ever, ever become president.
I remember as an ASU student watching him preening posturing and disassembling during the Keating 5 scandal that should have put him out of politics forever. Back then I could tell he was a poster boy for everything bad in politics. Yet, he continues to get re-elected. I don’t blame the voters- it’s the machinery that runs things and he knows how to manipulate it. It’s our fault that was sat by and did nothing for so long. We have needed 100 Rand Paul types in Congress for decades. Better late than never.
. It is as simple as that. He should have been hanging from a public gallows, long ago. In a parallel universe, where such has already happened, the Pauls need not even be in politics…
@Ogrrre:
Ding.Ding.Ding. I do NOT regret my 2008 vote whatsoever.
The Ace post that Rachel linked is a must-read. There are a lot of good comments on that thread as well. I managed to sneak a few in, although I was ostensibly working at the time.
Yeah, I voted for Sarah Palin, too. Much as I really dislike McCain, he’s so much better than Obama that it is sad.
I proud to say that did not vote for Juan Amnesty McVain (the Other Soros Candidate) and screamed at every conservative blogger on every comment thread, probably including Rachel’s, that Juan was a traitor. I did not like the Obama-lite Bishop Mitt – who lost to Juan – alternative any better. I am not going to compromise for evil just because the stooge/traitor candidate sports an (R) in front of his name.
We are already overthrown, and there will not be another *real* election anyway, the last one wasn’t, not the one before that. Mitt was a stalking horse in a power-sharing agreement by slime like Dead Elephant Party establishment with our dictator-for-life illegal alien usurper-in-chief.
You compromise with evil you get evil. 1+1=2
Those collaborators are funding our enslavement with continuing resolutions to fund ObamaCares implementation. We are already overthrown, and only another revolution can undo it.
People who loath their party’s candidate on principled grounds and then vote for them anyway attempt to compromise with evil, so they get evil. Here we are.
Dude, my 2008 vote was all for Palin. McCain was just…there.
That grumpy old man needs a pudding snack & nap time.
Senator John McCain is only working for himself. Let us be honest here, John McCain ever since he became a US Senator has a nasty habit in selling out his fellow Republicans and the American people for the sake of being a media darling. He knew in 2008 that he would lose to Obama, he knew that he needed a game changer and that was why he chose Governor Palin of Alaska to be his running mate. When Sarah Palin accepted the nomination, what did his campaign staff do? They didn’t advise her that the media was out to get her, they did not help her prepare for hostile interviews or even damn well be there when those interviews happen. They were destroying her every chance they get during 2008 even though Sarah was trying mightily to bring conservative voters to vote for John McCain. What did that bastard do in return, he refused to defend her after the election, he refused to acknowledge her sacrifice for her campaign until after the Democrats totally destroyed the political career and reputation of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz , the TEA party and other Conservatives are nothing to John McCain as long as John McCain remains in Washington DC, popular and loved by the Washington elite.
McCain has had a hard-on for Cruz ever since Cruz worked for the Bush campaign in 2000, and contributed mightily to kicking McCain’s ass then, especially in South Carolina. Lindset Graham was the state pimp for McCain in SC, and is likewise still annoyed with Cruz. All you have to do to piss off those two is stand near Cruz.
I voted for McCain only because my only other choice was Obama. Obama was a close second. I voted for Thompson in the primary. McCain was the lead RINO in the Senate before he ran for President. I didn’t expect any form of conservatism from him then and I don’t know. Until the voters of this country actually try and educate themselves before voting for a “name”, we’ll continue to get the corrupt politicians we have.
This is the one thing I hate about living in Texas. During primary season, we get ignored because we don’t matter. By the time Super Tuesday comes around, the candidate is almost always already obvious. Back in ’08, it was obvious McCain was going to win the nomination by the time we got to vote. In fact, several of the other candidates had already dropped out of the race. My preferred candidate had already dropped, but his name was still on the ballot – so I voted for him. I didn’t consider it throwing my vote away, because my vote doesn’t matter. Except for local elections, my vote doesn’t mean jack s**t. I always have to choose between who the nimrods in Iowa and New Hampshire thought would be a good choice. But, because they’re so special, they always get to go first – and look who we get stuck with. Thanks a lot, f***ers.
Voting for that asshole was like eating a shit sandwich.
We will see if this has legs. If a formidable challenger goes after Lindsey Graham in 2014, and kicks his frickin butt. If a challenger arises to McCain in Arizona after that.
McCain does the conservative speaky-speaky for a couple of months every six years during his re-election campaign. It always manages to convince Arizonans to reelect him. Then he spends the rest of the six years screwing over conservatives. Perhaps he has finally inserted that foot into mouth one too many times.
We’ll see. But the first priority is for conservative South Carolina to get its act together and kick Lindsey Graham out. The elimination of a sitting senator who WANTS to keep his job! Shock Wave! THEN we’ll see some real action.
@Tully:
Please do not ever, ever, ever agaom use that phrase in any sentence, anywhere, anytime. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to pour some hydrochloric acid into my brain followed by me putting my entire head into the blender.
@physics geek: LOL. Where do you think all the little McCains came from?
@Tully:
Anal sex, just like lawyers.
Please tell me you’ve heard before.