Graham: ‘John [McCain] Is His Own Guy. Good Luck Making Him George Bush.’
Graham: ‘John [McCain] Is His Own Guy. Good Luck Making Him George Bush.’
This morning on CNN’s Late Edition, host Wolf Blitzer asked Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), “Where would Sen. McCain change U.S. policy from what the Bush administration is doing right now?” Graham responded:
I think there are a couple areas that would be different. One global climate change. John has been talking about global climate change for many years now. I think he would help lead the world to a solution there.
On the domestic front, I don’t think you’ll have a stronger advocate for limited government than Sen. McCain. And when it comes to foreign policy, I think John can put together the alliances that we need, strengthen some alliances that have been frayed a bit that will help us confront places like Iran. John is his own guy. Good luck making him George Bush.
Watch it:
Ironically, just over a month ago on CNN, Graham refused to say there was any “difference” between the worldview of McCain and Bush.
Graham now wants to claim that McCain is different from Bush on climate change and in working with allies. In reality, McCain has begun sounding like Bush on those issues as well:
– On climate change, Bush has minimized his differences with McCain by announcing a weak plan to cap carbon emissions in 2025.
– On working with allies, McCain was forced to back down from a proposal to establish a League of Democracies after experts warned it “could damage U.S. interests” by alienating allies. Furthermore, his plan to kick Russia out of the G8 has elicited concern among European allies.
As President Bush has said, McCain “is not going to change” his key policies. Good luck running for a third Bush term.
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46 Responses to “Graham: ‘John [McCain] Is His Own Guy. Good Luck Making Him George Bush.’”
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Yeah, good luck making a doddering, old, corrupt, warmongering corporate-pwned, incompetent dooshbag into a fumbling, young, corrupt, warmongering corporate-pwned, incompetent dooshbag.
Good luck with that.
(I know the d-word is misspelled, but the censor activates if I spell it correctly…)
May 4th, 2008 at 6:43 pmWhy does TP not like dooshbags?
May 4th, 2008 at 6:56 pmClearly Graham has gotten his marching orders and the RNC is scared that the public sees that McCain is too much like the failed presidency of Bush. Too bad for him that the public no longer believes something just because a Republican says so.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:18 pmYou can bet that this flip-flop is due to the recent NBC/WSJ poll that shows that 43% of registered voters say they have major concerns that McCain is too closely aligned with the current administration. Poor Johnny, he’s made his bed and now he has to lie in it.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:25 pmIn the same interview Graham said McCain “understood the problems in Iraq better than anyone.”
This after a couple weeks where he confused Sunni and Shiite, and said Iran was aligned with al Qaeda. I got a better understanding of Iraq than McCain!
May 4th, 2008 at 7:26 pmGraham: ‘John [McCain] Is His Own Guy. Good Luck Making Him George Bush.
- - Oh, they’ll make McCain Bush alright. As for you, Senator Graham, we’ll make you Zell Miller.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:28 pmFeom Georgia 10 at dailykos:
For over a decade, McCain has been able to craft the image of a moderate, independent guy by controlling the media environment around him. When that control is non-existent online, when ordinary citizens are each armed with their own tools to tarnish McCain’s shining armor, that’s when the real McCain will be exposed.
The materials available online which expose the real McCain — the McCain who takes a position, then forgets taking said position, or denies taking said position, creating his own convenient reality along the way. And when McCain’s words are set against McCain’s words online — ….the effect is devastating.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:28 pmPoor John McSame………..In 2004, John had a good political platform going well for him and Rove/Bush cut the legs off his platform, sending him out of the race.
Now in 2008, John has a weak, unwelcome policy for a platform and he will be cut down by being a Bush 3rd term candidate. Don’t blame his ignorance on his age….I wonder if ignorance travels by osmosis from one body to the other. You know, he hugged Bush up close and touching, body to body.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:49 pmPoor John McSame………..In 2004… Rove/Bush cut the legs off his platform
- - And in 2000, they cut the legs off Max Cleland. Oh, wait….
May 4th, 2008 at 7:52 pmMcCain now has Chris Wallace to Fact Check all the DNC’s political ads. Isn’t that sweet. More of that Fox News being “Fair & Balanced” hard at work. sarcasm off/
The news media never goes after McCain for the Pastor Hagee endorsement; but every other day Obama is subjected to criticism about Rev. Wright. Which has nothing whatsoever to do with his campaign platform or his policies. I was glad to see Rangel give Blitzer hell over it.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:12 pmWhy does Rove back McCain? Because hes like Bush, but older, and more misrememberful.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:29 pmI hope you folk are right. Sure, it should be easy to show how alike they are. They are like peas and carrots those two. Its as though an idiot grandson gave birth to a bumbling ancient clone. It gives me the willies. But the Republicans can paint a pig into Mr Ed. They throw mud like champs while the Democrats stand opened mouthed on the defensive. After watching Kerry, who should have won by 10 % points, stagger around like Abraham Lincoln on a handful of Prozac I don’t feel so sure. McCain has fairly good numbers considering what a mess they have made of things. I like what Badger had to say. We have plenty of ammo. Now, if we will just use it.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:35 pmI sense serious desperation from the neocon right. McBush trails both Hillary and Barack in head to head polls. This unhappy fact, without any serious competition from either Dem. There is a real rush to rebuild him into a reasonable maverick (for the Indies and moderates,) while still placating his extreme right base. This is a severely difficult balancing act, to say the least. Flip-flops, “forgetfulness” along with flat out lying, are absolutely necessary to reconcile these two differing positions. He is between a rock and a hard place.
Considering his many negatives, he can’t campaign on a real John McCain basis. He would be laughed out of the race. The only chance is a “hail mary” strategy based on bluff and fear. And that is one awfully long pass for an aged, forgetful, lying, flip-flopper to throw.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:42 pmMerlin Says
I sense serious desperation from the neocon right.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:48 pm.
No kidding ,their worried Hillary won’t be elected .
Oh wait, it will get to be very interesting.
Check out John Boner’s PowerPoint presentation here for all his little gooper minions. Look at what he says the dem weaknesses are and what their strengths are…it’s like he is in some fantasyland somewhere. He’s trying to use much of the dam platform as that of the goop.
SPARE. ME.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:50 pmSure Lindsey, they’re really different, but we weren’t talking about your sex life were we?
May 4th, 2008 at 8:57 pmIt’s a dog and pony show !
May 4th, 2008 at 8:57 pmBut the mirrors are dirty and the smoke machine is broken !
A cirkus cart in need of a wheel .
A puppet show for the gullible .
A farce.
Wake up america , your being sold down the river …..cheap .
Arctic Ghetto Says:
May 4th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
After watching Kerry, who should have won by 10 % points, stagger around like Abraham Lincoln on a handful of Prozac I don’t feel so sure. McCain has fairly good numbers considering what a mess they have made of things.
Regarding Kerry… He is part of the DLC and the old DLC way of running campaigns. Hillary is doing that in this election. Not Obama, however. Look at the success of the DNC (and Obama’s) 50 state strategy. The results have been simply amazing! It is best to avoid comparing apples to oranges (Kerry to Obama.)
McCain’s numbers??? Good??? As recent polls show both Dems are beating him. And the Dems have not even begun to fight, being consumed by their intra party struggle. McCain should be doing much better than he is, considering he has the conventional media in his pocket!
I do believe that if Hillary manages to be the candidate, the rethugs will have a strong chance of success. Her baggage is excessive, and the right is fully aware of her weaknesses. Their smear campaign will be vicious against her. Regardless of her supposed “experience” I fear for the Dems chances.
And there is also the coattail effect in Nov. to consider. Hillary has very short ones and more than one Dem candidate has complained that her candidacy will have a negative effect on their race.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:01 pmGraham, who I do not know well, sounds like a total idiot & McCain suck-up. Therefore, a Bushie & an incompetent. Sorry, Graham, that’s how you come across to all us independents. Therefore, since you appear to love McCain, we can write off the 2 of you.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:04 pmIt’s ALL about party for the goopers. Look at that Boner PPT and you see.
Number one alliance is to the party. Everything is done for the party. Stand up for others in the party.
Nazi fcukers every one.
Not a thing in there about people other than how to manipulate them. It’s well worth the read.
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/15426.html
May 4th, 2008 at 9:08 pmGraham is a big ghurl
May 4th, 2008 at 9:36 pmGraham: ‘John [McCain] Is George Bush. Good Luck Making Him His Own Guy.’
May 4th, 2008 at 10:02 pm“fairly good numbers considering” is what I said. But you make some points about the DLC, Merlin. I take heart in that. Those points are mute however if Hillary wins.The thing is Merlin, I want to believe. It’s just that I have heard this stuff going back to Humphrey. A Democrat from the Northeast has won the Presidency since Roosevelt one time, that being Kennedy. A friend of mine echos you points concerning Obamma. A new strategy is the best strategy thinks I. I hope you are right. I like this site. Of course there is a lot of preaching to the choir here. Beware the sneaky curmudgeons on the right is what I am saying. Its obvious that my political thought is not as complete as yours but I am concerned and I vote. Peace bro.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:03 pmPathetic to see these lying bastards try and build McCain up. How can anyone not see what a bozo McCain is? Make up the lies, hope McCain can appear presidential with the media in his pocket and pray the voting machine are rigged as usual in order for the repukes to keep power… is this their only hope?
May 4th, 2008 at 10:07 pmI’m convinced Lindsey is a puppet and the Karl Rove GOP faction pulls his strings.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:09 pmC’mon do you really think a guy THAT gay could be around THAT long and not have or had a boyfriend that Karl Rove and his GOP party hacks can’t use as blackmail material?
I’m sure the details of the private life of the distinguished bachelor Senator from South Carolina would not play well with the good ol’ boys down there.
They make it so easy for the commercials:
Commercial 1: set the stage. Film clips of Bush, Cheney, Rove saying untrue things like “I don’t believe in Nation Building; the Iraqis will throw roses at us; Clear and incontrovertable proof of WMDs, I will balance the budget and limit spending.” Voice over - they’ll tell you anything that they think you’ll believe.
One week later commercial 2: McCain praising Bush, McCain saying 100 years in Iraq, Graham saying that McCain is like Bush.
Commercial 3: McCain saying one thing, then McCain saying another. Cut to Repub convention “Flip Flop, Flip Flop, …..”
May 4th, 2008 at 10:13 pmArctic Ghetto Says:
Beware the sneaky curmudgeons on the right is what I am saying. Its obvious that my political thought is not as complete as yours but I am concerned and I vote. Peace bro.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
I like that! “sneaky curmudgeons”. Fits well! The silence from them about Hillary is deafening! Considering the number of people in this country that are seriously against anything sexual or having to do with “extra curricular” activities while married, can you imagine what the swiftboaters will do with this:
Gennifer Flowers quoted her lover, Bill Clinton, colorfully, with respect to Hillary’s experience in performing oral sex on women on page 42 of her book, Passion and Betrayal. In the book, Bill Clinton said to Flowers, “She [Hillary] has probably eaten more p**** than I have”
The wingnuts can spin gold out of hay. Here, if true, Hillary is bisexual as well as both she and Bill are Polyamorous! (Loving more than one person at the same time.) Boy, the poison emails will be shooting all over the internet. What a boon to keep the straying evangelicals in the fold!
May 4th, 2008 at 10:19 pmI certainly hope the Maverick is STILL with us!
May 4th, 2008 at 10:27 pmLindsey goes to cheneys office and sneaks in just to sit in his seat……ahhhhhhh.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:43 pmMcIIIrd needs no help whatsover making himself into BushIII. He does it unconsciously. Like most of the idiotic pronouncements he makes daily!
May 4th, 2008 at 10:54 pmYeah, you tell em Lyndsie. That Maverick show Bush he’s his own guy by voting againt Bush 11% of the time in the 52% of the votes he was there for. McCain, just like Bush, only older.
COOPER: Senator McCain, are Americans better off than they were eight years ago?
MCCAIN: I think you could argue that Americans overall are better off, because we have had a pretty good prosperous time, with low unemployment and low inflation and a lot of good things have happened. A lot of jobs have been created.
What’s John been smoking?
May 4th, 2008 at 11:42 pmMcCain is a loose cannon that shoots from the lip, witness his comments to expell Russia from the G8 and replace Russia with India and Brazil. While I would see no problem with admitting India, although that would hurt relations with Pakistan even more, it is premature for Brazil and stupid to expell Russia. Obviously, McCain is itching to renew the Cold War for no good reason. Most of our problems with Russia stem from our policy against their neighbor Iran and nearby Iraq. Apparently diplomacy is as foreign to McCain as it is to Bush and we all know where that leads.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:45 pmHmmm. GDumbya McNumbskull. Little Johnny McNumbNuts.
Oh, I see the difference . . . in a geographical sort of way.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:55 pmI think it’s incredible the lack of intelligence and insight by the commenters for this article. Most folks just leave some marginally humorous pun or name slander about the article’s subject, but leave absolutely nothing of intellectual merrit. A few posters left thoughtfully planned responses, with their statements often backed up by a source, but the rest of you just voice your opinion in hopes another person will just accept your words as fact. I’m especially concerned with the posters who cite problems with deficits and debt incurred by the Federal government. Although I’d love to see federal spending equal to taxes collected, thus the Federal government would balance its checkbook, but there is a widespread misunderstanding of the source and implications of accumulated debt. In the business world, you have lenders and borrowers. When a deal is made between these two entities, both parties enter into the agreement with one thing in common: they both forsee the potential of the borrower to make good on the investment, thus both parties stand to benefit. The same is with the government: the largest chunk of the debt the Feds owe to themselves in the form of entitlement spending. The next largest chunk it owes to the public (that is, you and me). Then comes the foreign nationals who lend to us, with Japan, China and the UK making the bulk of that list. But what is inheritely (sp?) wrong with foreigners lending America money? Think back to the business model: they wouldn’t feel obligated to lend us money unless thy saw somehow how they stand to benefit (of course we believe we will benefit from the loan, or else we wouldn’t take it). All the way back to Alexander Hamilton, it is often assumed that incurring some government debt is not necessarily a bad thing, only when debt starts to outpace production (read: GDP) does it really matter and the last 10 years or so we’ve seen the ratio of debt to GDP hold pretty steady, actually an increase over the same ratio from the 1990s when production was curbed in the name of decreasing debt (production was taxed to relieve an incorrectly perceived threat of too much debt). So my point is, you shouldn’t worry so much about “how much debt there is” or “how we’re gonna reduce debt” so much as “how are we gonna set up policy to encourage the maximum amount of production so everyone reaps the benefits of everyone else’s production.”
http://www.optimist123.com/ optimist/ 2007/ 05/ its_productivit.html
I’m not saying that Jorge Bush is the best example of someone with good economic policy to maximize the debt-to-GDP ratio, but our policies today seem much more logical than trying to have more Federal playcalling in the market (Clinton) or raising taxes further on production (Obama and Clinton, especially Obama). Obama realizes that his tax policy will most likely result in less taxes collected, but he still persues a policy of wealth envy and class warfare, why?
Also, those who say “America used to be the world’s largest creditor, now we’re the largest debtor.” I’d like to know who told you that, or what your criteria for being a debtor or a creditor is. After WW2, the public debt-to-GDP ratio was over 120%, while today it is less than 40%. Keep in mind that is public debt, not all debt, and public debt is often considered a better indicator of whether or not the government is insuing too much debt. As far as being the worlds largest debtor, that may be because we have so much freakin money. Our debt-to-GDP ratio puts us in similar company of S. Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan (countries many of you probably think are creditors). That’s from the CIA factbook, sorry the link isn’t pasting correctly.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:29 amLindsay,
He’s still a republican. You are too. Republicans have screwed this country sideways the last 8 years. Good luck with that, shithead.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:29 amSo much information…and he didn’t say nine and a half trillion once.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:57 amJust to rebutt Lindsey’s smooth talkin and misdirecting over McCain.
-We won’t need ” LUCK ” as Lindsey offers to “make McCain into GW “.——–MCCAIN IS DOING THAT HIMSELF !!!!
-But let us take what Lindsey suggests, ” McCain is a complete introvert “, ” His OWN guy”, “Rugged individualist” (completely dependent on the GOP & Americans for our votes).
Exactly how does that play for the rest of America if he is self absorbed as President?
His own man, That depends on voters to get to the Presidency. Rugged individualist that drew his income from taxpayers his entire life. had to marry wealth instead of creating his own?
“His own man, ” my arse “. Sorry we live in a society. Basically that makes ole John a socialist.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:11 amWow Arctic Ghetto, you really made my point that you just don’t really understand debt at all and all you care about are sweet sound bites you here on CBS and from Arianna Huffington. I’m gonna assume you’re a big fan of the Concord Coalition Doomsday crowd. It’s the ratio that’s important, who cares if we incur debt if it has a positive affect on productivity? Our debt-to-GDP ratio is lower than some of your favorite left-leaning countries like France, the UK, Germany, etc, and much much lower than some more right-leaning countries, like Japan. My point is, if you look at government spending as an investment in America’s future, if we incur debt, it will be paid back in dividends many times over (examples: Louisiana Purchase, FDR and WWII, Reagan ending the Cold War). We can argue day and night over which government programs are worth the money, but if you consider what I’ve told you to be true, then you should look into alternatives besides “we’ve gotta get rid of the debt!” cause there’s not much data to back up that claim. We’re doing fine, we need to enact pro-growth policy, and I’m sorry, taxing the productive avenues in this country are not going to increase our production. Production doesn’t “just happen” as a lot of people like to think. We can’t expect our country to be more productive by hoping, it’s accomplished by doing.
We can start by having a real, open, and public dialogue about the ghastly shortcomings of our current tax collection system and how a more pro-growth approach to funding the Federal (as well as state and local) governments will relieve unecessary burden on the business and research communities to create wealth and keep it within our shores. Our trading partners in Europe laugh at how we incur unecessary imbedded taxes into our products, even before we export them to countries with more growth-friendly tax structures, thereby killing our products in foreign markets. Cutting the corporate tax rate has been a boom to the economy of Ireland, which has jumped into the lead among EU members after being the laughingstock for so long.
One more thing, arctic monkey. I’m willing to bet you’re upset about the record profits the oil companies have been reporting. But are you familiar with the difference between “profit” and “profit margin”? If you are, you wouldn’t be so upset. What about “supply and demand” ring a bell?
May 5th, 2008 at 1:22 amHAHAHA Making him George Bush is the easiest part of the whole thing! Another dumb Republican.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:22 amI’m sure Lindsie is an authority on a couple of different topics. And that’s as far as I’m going with that one.
And if I’m not mistaken, wooofie got his start at the time of Nicole & Ron’s murder.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:25 amHis presentation hasn’t gotten any better either.
Soon he’ll have nothing to report but the details of britney’s latest meltdown.
“One more thing, arctic monkey. I’m willing to bet you’re upset about the record profits the oil companies have been reporting. But are you familiar with the difference between “profit” and “profit margin”? If you are, you wouldn’t be so upset. What about “supply and demand” ring a bell?”
Don’t “immoral greed” amd “wholesale thievery” ring a bell? Your foolish rightwing rants are sick, as are your theories. all bullshit covered with dung. Record profits are record profits; billions are billions. Y*ou can go on and on about “margins” if you like, but real working people are being savaged by the ultra-rich, and you are justifying it with schoolboy ignorance.
May 5th, 2008 at 2:56 am>My point is, if you look at government spending as an >investment in America’s future,
hahahahaha. hahahahaha. right dude….blowing billions of dollars on fraudulent poorly performed construction in a country thats now giving VIP welcomes to heads of state from Iran is about as much of an investment in “america’s future” as me blowing my inheritance on strippers is an “investment in my future”. if we were investing the money in our own infrastructure the argument may hold some water, but as it is, all we’re doing with that money is giving an unfriendly foreign government a safe base to expand its polticial power. remind me when the last time an iranian head of state visited iraq before we invaded? would you beleive our own heads of state had more frequent welcomes in the old iraq?
May 5th, 2008 at 3:18 am>But are you familiar with the difference between “profit” >and “profit margin”?
Whats your point? Are you implying that razor thin profit margins are a threat to oil companies like they have been to so many airlines?
May 5th, 2008 at 3:21 amAnother dumb Republican.
Now that’s just plain redundant.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:40 amthe_svedberg Says:
And what of all the off-budget spending for the military that you never once mentioned?
Another proponent of voodoo economics. Been there, done that, and Reagan left office with a debt larger that all previous presidents combined. Leave the corporate rate where it is, raise the SSI cap, and make the wealthy pay on every dollar earned, like the rest of us. I’m sure this sentiment will brand me either as unserious, or unschooled, in Svedburg’s eyes - but so what? His scheme is one that’s already failed in the past.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:53 amMy point is, if you look at government spending as an investment in America’s future, if we incur debt, it will be paid back in dividends many times over (examples: Louisiana Purchase, FDR and WWII, Reagan ending the Cold War).
You mean when the cold war ended? Yup, training the Afghanis
to fight the Soviets sure paid a dividend- and his name is Osama. How much have we spent on terrorism since 9/11? Yup, Reagan sure saved us a lot of money (snerk!)
Saying Reagan ended the cold war brands Sven as sadly misinformed.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:02 am