McCain lies about his letters to the FCC.
McCain lies about his letters to the FCC.
A new piece in the Nation by public broadcasting activist Jerold M. Starr accuses Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) of lying about writing two controversial letters to the FCC in 1999 on behalf of campaign contributor Lowell “Bud” Paxson, regarding “Paxson’s quest to acquire a Pittsburgh television station.” Starr writes:
I don’t know whether Senator John McCain had sex with lobbyist Vickie Iseman, but I do know, first hand, that he broke the rules while doing the bidding of media mogul Lowell “Bud” Paxson, a major contributor to McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign. McCain’s staff lied it about it then and they are inventing new lies even now. [...]
At the time, McCain’s staff said to the press that his intervention was appropriate because “there was no formal opposition.” Our opposition had been formal for years. [...]
Allegedly, we asked McCain’s staff “to contact the FCC regarding this proceeding.” We had no idea of McCain’s sudden and urgent interest in our local matter until the FCC advised that the commissioners already had voted 3-2 to approve the transfer, at which time McCain’s letters were dropped on us.
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Gee, it would be nice if some so-called “journalists” would pick this up and run with it instead of continuing to be cowed by the big bad righties…
March 8th, 2008 at 9:23 amMcCain’s staff lied it about it then and they are inventing new lies even now.
Nothing – nothing at all would surprise me about this Rebubliscum Bush-wannabe.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:30 amOF COURSE he lies.
I wonder if crazy McCain has a bribe menu like Duke Cunningam.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:31 amThose who question McCain are going to be seen as denying his “war hero” status. Media Matters has a good article today indicating in instances where very innocuous comments have been interpreted as an assault on McCain simply because the word “old” was in the comment.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:38 amFor instance, Obama said something like “same old politics,” and MSNBC (Brewer) asserted that was insulting the war hero-McCain’s age.
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McCain is undeserving of the presidency – his temper, his agreement with Bush, his warmongering, but criticism of him will be twisted by the media into un-patriotic assaults.
Comment by Guido OBGYN Lover — March 8, 2008 @ 9:31 am
I don’t know if McCain has a bribe menu….But as committee chairman, he is SURPRESSING 750,000 Pages of documents aquired from Jack Abramoff….like the documents that sent Duke Cunningham to prison.
Why isn’t the press demanding some straight talk from McCain about this??
March 8th, 2008 at 9:47 amThe media have decided that McCain is their man – unless he dissolves into a plume of smoke on stage somewhere, he will enjoy the man-crushes, the lack of investigation, and the repeated reminders of his POW status. Those who challenge and criticize him do so at their own peril – the summer’s confrontations between him and Obama (or Clinton) will be ugly.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:48 amA litany of McCain’s lies, contradictions, and flip-flops will not stand up to the rethuglican machine and the sycophantic news media.
Hoping in the debates that the Democratic nominee annilates McCain. Let the public see for themselves this wannabe emperor has no clothes. No matter how the press tries to spin it the people will not doubt their own eyes.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:58 amThe owners of the MSM have a vested interest in preserving the status quo and their celebrity news readers and bloviators know which side their bread is buttered on. Don’t count on the MSM getting the message out about McCain. It’s up to us.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:00 amI agree with Marie that personal criticism of Sen. McCain will not be successfull.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:01 amAccording to exit polls, McCain WON the votes of those republicans who wanted to get OUT of Iraq!
The trick will be to run against George Bush and his widely unpopular policies…and to correctly point out that these are McCains policies as well.
Honorable hero…but Bush III.
Have people forgotten the swiftboat campaign and the accusations that he fathered a black child causing him to lose against Bush? Being a colloborator? Having a screw loose because of being tortured?
McCain has flip flopped on many issues and he has fibbed about them and it needs to be pointed out wether he was a POW or not.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:06 amMcCains interests apparently lies with the people who give him money and not the people he was elected to represent.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:09 amSorry to be OT, but there is no open thread today — From the HuffPo:
Former Sen. Tom Daschle on Friday suggested that top Clinton advisor Howard Wolfson should resign for comparing Barack Obama’s tactics to those of Ken Starr.
This is what Obama needs – his supporters must come out to say what he should not — they need to hit back at the Clinton campaign in his stead.
There is a double standard lately between what Clintonites are allowed to say and Obama’s people. Her whining has paid off for her – and his vow to run a high-minded, high-road campaign will be undermined by the in-the-gutter politics of the Clintonites.
Clinton has already given McCain plenty of ammunition to use against Obama in the fall – either she’s president or she’d prefer McCain.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:11 amAnd we all know what a disaster McCain would be. Today’s thread is only one example of his duplicitous actions.
The ugly truth is that Republican voters WANT to be told lies. They need the lies to help sustain their emotional need to deny reality.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:17 amMarie, what are you saying, to not criticise McSames fibs, but criticise Wolfsons Ken Starr remark? Giving McCain more ‘ammo’ as you say?
I have to disagree here.
Powell said monster and resigned.
Anyone here ever seen a monster in real life? What exactly is a monster? Are they good monsters, like Shrek, or bad like Frankenstein?
March 8th, 2008 at 10:29 amThis should be told to everyone thinking of voting for McSame:
“If you liked Bush, you’ll LOVE McCain.”
March 8th, 2008 at 10:32 amRegarding McCain, Roston [author of Chalabi bio] adds that he was “Chalabi’s favored candidate in the 2000 election since Chalabi knew that he would be able to free up the $97 million in military aid plus millions pushed through in Congress and earmarked for Chalabi’s exile group, the Iraqi National Congress.”
The funds were held up, however, by the Clinton administration’s State Department, Roston writes.
He was a POW then and a politician NOW and he deserves the criticism he gets, for things like above. Its not a good idea to listen to exiles.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:39 amIf you like high fuel prices and perpetual war vote McCain.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:40 amThis post would make a little more sense if you told the reader who “our” opposition was. It is very confusing the way it reads. You should have included:
I also think the fact that Paxson wanted the station for a televangelist is very germane to this story.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:41 amIf you think troops should be used for nation building while our economy suffers vote McCain.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:41 amMcSame McLies? I’m shocked!!
March 8th, 2008 at 10:41 amMcSame McLies? I’m shocked!!
Comment by Jeannie See — March 8, 2008 @ 10:41 am
dont’ you mean “McShocked”?
March 8th, 2008 at 10:43 amWhy isn’t the press demanding some straight talk from McCain about this??
Comment by Badger
Because as long as there is a chance that he may win the presidency, the press will stay in the Republican’s right pocket. I do think, though, if it becomes apparent that Obama is going to win the white house, the press will change sides in a hot minute. They go where their bread is buttered. Even though most media are owned by Republicans, if they see that continuing to carry water for the Republicans is affecting their bottom line, they will switch sides in a New York minute.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:44 amStupid goddamned little fcuking monkey:
President Bush said today he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks.
BULLSHIT MOTHERFCUKER.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:44 amHoping in the debates that the Democratic nominee annilates McCain. Let the public see for themselves this wannabe emperor has no clothes. No matter how the press tries to spin it the people will not doubt their own eyes.
I really hate political advertisements, but they are going to be very necessary this year so that the public can be introduced to the real John McCain. I also doubt that he is going to agree to debates. Possibly one, but more than that, I doubt it. McCain knows that he won’t stand a chance against Obama in a debate unless it is held on Faux Noise.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:46 amFEEL THE SURGE, BE THE SURGE:
BAGHDAD – Thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in Basra, protesting deteriorating security in the southern city where Iraqi forces assumed responsibility for safety last December.
TIME TO UP THE BUYOUTS OFFERED TO TERRORISTS TO END THE VIOLENCE.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:48 amWASHINGTON – Angry Boeing supporters are vowing revenge against Republican presidential candidate John McCain over Chicago-based Boeing’s loss of a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract to the parent company of European plane maker Airbus
There are other targets for their ire — the Air Force, the defense secretary and even the entire Bush administration.
But Boeing supporters in Congress are directing their wrath at McCain, the Arizona senator and nominee in waiting, for scuttling an earlier deal that would have let Boeing build the next generation of Air Force refueling tankers. Boeing now will miss out on a deal that it says would have supported 44,000 new and existing jobs at the company and suppliers in 40 states.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:50 amFormer Sen. Tom Daschle on Friday suggested that top Clinton advisor Howard Wolfson should resign for comparing Barack Obama’s tactics to those of Ken Starr.
This is what Obama needs – his supporters must come out to say what he should not — they need to hit back at the Clinton campaign in his stead.
I’m sorry, I do not think that Wolfson comparing Barak Obama to Ken Starr rises to the need to have him fired. I hate Clinton, but this one I don’t think will fly.
What I do think is that someone should ask Clinton why she is being so complimentary of McCain when he told a joke about Chelsea saying “Why is Chelsea so ugly, because Janet Reno is her father”. That doesn’t seem to bother Clinton, but David Shuster saying that she was “pimping” her daughter rose to an actionable offense. Clinton is showing that she can be just as big a hypocrite as the Republicans.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:51 amStupid goddamned little fcuking monkey:
President Bush said today he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks.
BULLSHIT MOTHERFCUKER.
Comment by DieNowForPeace
Of course, no one asked him to “put up or shut up”. If he is going to make statements like this, he needs to show proof to back up his claims.
I heard on the news last night that the FBI thinks that the guy who bombed the recruiting station in New York might be the same guy who has been bombing embassy’s in New York. There have been 3 or 4 similar attacks in the past couple of years. So, they have all this marvelous spying authority, why haven’t they been able to catch this guy?
March 8th, 2008 at 10:54 amBoeing now will miss out on a deal that it says would have supported 44,000 new and existing jobs at the company and suppliers in 40 states.
Comment by DieNowForPeace
But, France is Bush’s new best friend now that they have a conservative ruler. Maintaining that friendship is more important to Bush than creating new jobs in this country. Besides, creating new good paying jobs is the opposite of Bush’s agenda to kill the middle class. He has almost completed this plan and wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin it.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:56 amWe are in for such a rough ride this year!
‘Now that John McCain has virtually cinched the GOP Presidential nomination, almost if it were on cue, the chief of the US Northern Command, Air Force General Gene Renuart has warned that “Al Qaeda terrorists may be plotting more urgently to attack the United States.†The timing of the warning is perfect, allowing McCain to continue with his campaign of fear and harping on the danger of terrorism. If he doesn’t have a viable plan to salvage the economy, secure the southern border, and a host of issues the GOP refuses to address, then only one path is left, and that’s to use the tactics of fear and intimidation.’
http://justanothercoverup.com/?p=410 (General’s remarks quoted from AP)
March 8th, 2008 at 11:05 amOne thing that is really hurting McCain in rural America, is his outspoken opposition to Ethanol Subsidies.
McCain believes that ethanol is a tax funded boondoggle. But… It is widely popular among grain farmers, and has created lots of well paying jobs in depressed rural america.
Ethanol is corrosive to pipelines, and must be delivered by truck. Ethanol plants, therefore ,need to be Dispersed widely in rural America. Small ethanol plants are springing up in many small towns, employing local people. Most gasoline in our area is cut with 10% ethanol…..the money going to local reasidents instead of Big oil companies and middle eastern countries.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:05 amCan someone explain to me what is so heroic about being shot down, captured and tortured (make that using harsh interrogative techniques in their toolkit to stop the next napalm attack on their population) for 6 years?
March 8th, 2008 at 11:07 amI’m not sure that many people will care about anything about McCain from 8 years ago. Not to mention that I suspect that this whole FCC issue is too complicated for most Americans to figure out.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:08 amComment by Xisithrus — March 8, 2008 @ 10:29 am
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I was not clear — McInsane’s fibs, lies, and flip flops must be criticized, loudly and clearly, but they will have to be done with the knowledge that he will be treated in the media as the “war hero” and unlike John Kerry, critics of McCain must be prepared for the onslaught of coordinated charges of “unpatriotism.”
As for the name-calling going on, the surrogates of Obama should step forward and retaliate against the Clinton surrogates. If she reduces herself to name-calling, she will look poorly compared to Obama.
But her minions say what they will and Obama’s supporters should not stand for it — all those Congressmen, Governors, Senators, and party members should not let her campaign’s Rovian-tactics pass.
That doesn’t seem contradictory in my own mind.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:12 amOT but relevant:
Fed to Make $200 Billion Available To Lenders
Bank Seeks to Loosen Credit
The Federal Reserve took strong action yesterday to restore order to frazzled lending markets while a new report showing unexpected job losses underscored the toll that credit markets are taking on the economy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030701225.html?hpid=topnews
The Bush Administration is going to bail out the banks and mortgage industry while leaving the homeowners flapping in the breeze. Another example of where their priorities lie (hint: it’s not with “we the people”).
March 8th, 2008 at 11:14 amI’m not sure that many people will care about anything about McCain from 8 years ago. Not to mention that I suspect that this whole FCC issue is too complicated for most Americans to figure out.
Comment by mary — March 8, 2008 @ 11:08 am
I agree that it’s a non-starter, and an article in The Nation isn’t going to be read by any potential “undecided” voters in any event. It’s just not a juicy story and I suspect most people will greet it with a shrug, just as they will greet his hypocrisy with a shrug. “Eh, he’s a politician, what do you expect? But he’s a MAN! Grrrr. And he’s a maverick!”
The only real ammunition held by the Democrats is that McCain is Bush III and they need to keep pounding on that. More war, more financial disasters, more incompetence, still more war, more corruption . . .
March 8th, 2008 at 11:14 amComment by Bilbo Hussein Baggins — March 8, 2008 @ 10:44 am
March 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am——-
I hope you’re right.
This war hero business is suspect.
RE: McCain’s capture
“As an example (and I’ll quote this because it can be checked out), he personally wrote an article in the magazine [US News & World Report] , wherein he stated that during the time he was in prison (in fact I think it was 5 or 7 days after he was captured) he asked the [North] Vietnamese to take him to the hospital, the Vietnamese hospital. And in so doing, he promised them that he would would give them classified military information.”
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/earlhopperinterview08feb08.shtml
March 8th, 2008 at 11:18 amMcSame McLies? I’m shocked!!
Comment by Jeannie See — March 8, 2008 @ 10:41 am
dont’ you mean “McShocked�
Comment by joe cantwell — March 8, 2008 @ 10:43 am
LOL. Yes.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:19 amBilbo,
March 8th, 2008 at 11:19 amYou are right when you say Wolfson shouldn’t be fired, but there is nothing wrong with his being made to squirm for a few days in the press. Powers probably shouldn’t have resigned, but Obama is running a different campaign, and she did the right thing to end the story for him.
Daschle and those like him are the ones who should raise these issues in the press to call attention to the hypocrisy of the Clintons.
You raise a few comments from the past regarding Chelsea and you are quite right in noting the hyporcisy.
Ms. Powers probably had to resign. She is a very bright foreign policy analyst but politically naive. She made the dumb mistake of thinking that what she said could be kept “Off the record” in this politically charged election season.
BUT … Obama will continue to be challenged about his “lack” of foreign policy experience. He needs voters and the press to focus on the SUBSTANCE of his thinking, and not Ms. Power’s unfortunate remarks.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:30 amThis war hero business is suspect.
I agree. And then there is the inconvenient truths that
1) he graduated fourth from the bottom of his class at Annapolis. He was only allowed in because of his Father.
2) he crashed three planes while learning to be a pilot.
He probably accidentally crashed his plane when he was captured.
My worries about his captivity is what it did to him psychologically. Many people have talked about his volatility. And they are not talking about his temper, they say that he totally loses it. Do we really want a President who can, on occasion, totally lose it?
There are now many Military leaders who are crossing over and supporting Hillary Rove Clinton (that’s what I am going to call her until she stops her Rovian tactics) and Barak Obama. They all say that the thought of McCain as Commander in Chief terrifies them.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:39 amBut, France is Bush’s new best friend now that they have a conservative ruler. Maintaining that friendship is more important to Bush than creating new jobs in this country. Besides, creating new good paying jobs is the opposite of Bush’s agenda to kill the middle class. He has almost completed this plan and wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin it.
Comment by Bilbo Hussein Baggins — March 8, 2008 @ 10:56 am
They aren’t planes, they’re Freedom Fliers.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:40 amI wonder if crazy McCain has a bribe menu like Duke Cunningam.
Comment by Guido OBGYN Lover”
I don’t know why he doing this, he has plenty of money. Maybe he wants to be some kind of Western Outlaw and he ain’t good at bank robbing. Oh I forgot the Keating 5.
but I tend to think that anything thats more than a couple of years old doesn’t hold back RePUGs, so I figure that the Boeing tanker deal may flare a few folks up.
Obtusehussianman
March 8th, 2008 at 11:42 amBAGHDAD – Thousands of people took to the streets Saturday in Basra, protesting deteriorating security in the southern city where Iraqi forces assumed responsibility for safety last December.
TIME TO UP THE BUYOUTS OFFERED TO TERRORISTS TO END THE VIOLENCE.
Comment by DieNowForPeace — March 8, 2008 @ 10:48 am
But the buyouts and surge weren’t happening in Basra, unless I’m completely mistaken. I think this is more of a Shi’ite death squad vs. other Shi’ite death squad situation.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:53 am