Think Progress

Does McCain Speak For McCain On Affirmative Action?

In an interview on ABC News’s This Week yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announced his support for a ballot initiative in Arizona that seeks to amend the state constitution to ban affirmative action. “I support it, yes,” said McCain when asked by host George Stephanopoulos. Watch it:

But, as critics quickly pointed out, McCain’s embrace of the initiative is a reversal of the stance he took in 1998 when Arizona considered a similar referendum. At the time, McCain spoke out against the effort to limit equal opportunity, calling it “divisive.”

Caught off-guard by McCain’s comments, his spokesman, Tucker Bounds, struggled to explain his contradictory positions, saying that he did not “have a firm enough grasp on the historical and relevant context of McCain’s remark in 1998” to “pushback” on claims of flip-flopping. Later, McCain’s campaign “refused to say” it stood by McCain’s policy declaration:

But McCain’s own campaign refused to say whether it stands by the candidate’s announcement that he supports the ballot initiative.

This isn’t the first time that McCain campaign has indicated that the senator’s public statements about policy may not be his actual policy. After the Tax Policy Center released a report showing a $2.8 trillion gap between Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) public economic proposals and his advisers’ private assurances, top econ adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin told Slate that just because McCain says something publicly about a policy, “that doesn’t mean it’s official.”

Ironically, while trying to distance McCain from his “econ brain” Phil Gramm’s “nation of whiners” comment, Holtz-Eakin declared that on policy issues, “Senator McCain speaks for Senator McCain.”



59 Responses to “Does McCain Speak For McCain On Affirmative Action?”

  1. Art says:

    Not only is mcCain trying to distance himself from GW Bush…
    he is also trying to distance himself from mcCain!!


  2. Marie says:

    OT
    The projected budget deficit is $490 billion, but it does not include the $80 billion being spent in Iraq, to which the Congress mandated that Bush not exclude!
    The actual budget deficit is $570 billion.
    The McCain camp is already claiming that the potential depression in our future will be caused by an Obama administration! Whiners.


  3. Keith H. says:

    Let’s see, if there’s a minimum age requirement to run for president, shouldn’t there be a maximum age restriction as well ?


  4. RUCerious says:

    Hey, you can’t expect the old coot to remember where he stood on anything ten years ago.
    C’mon, be fair, ask him about something he said last week.


  5. Badmoodman says:

    Before election day, McCain might want to consider getting a diagnosis a la Robert Novak.


  6. raynman says:

    McSame is the only candidate that regularly requires his campaign to distance itself from him.


  7. Gregor Samsa says:

    Reporter: “Do you support the ballot initiative, Senator?”
    McCain: “Uh… yes… I mean no… uh, I don’t know. What was the question again?”


  8. barfly says:

    I win!

    I correctly predicted the next flub would be immigration last Saturday.

    That’s ten Political Points. I’m on a roll, baby!


  9. Zimzone says:

    McShit rolls out another turd to the adoring no questions asked media...


  10. barfly says:

    Next prediction, for another ten, Alex – is Social Security.

    Let it ride


  11. Kay says:

    OFF TOPIC:

    I like to post this article every now and then. It is one of the most significant articles I have read in the last couple of years. Please, read.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17475.htm


  12. Marie says:

    Anyone know where the Clintons are? Where the other Democrats are who could be helping expose these contradictions of McCain?


  13. Dr. Grumpus says:

    Eh, he’s just practicing for all those signing statements he’ll be issuing once he’s prez…


  14. robbez_92107 says:

    Sounds like the textbook definition of senility to me.

    Don’t tell him, though – I wouldn’t want to piss the old coot off.


  15. upside99 says:

    I guess he isn’t worried about one of Affirmative Action’s discrimination stances: Old age. If he was, he would be VERY worried that the US would find him too old and senile to be CiC.


  16. pete says:

    McSpin’s spokesman, Tucker Bounds, struggled to explain his contradictory positions, saying, “If the Senator doesn’t know what he’s saying, how the Hell would we know”?


  17. Wayne says:

    One wonders if McCain ever lets himself know what he is thinking……


  18. MCMetal says:

    McStupid speaks for McStupid on reaffirming he’s a stupid old bastood……..


  19. Frosty Cupcake says:

    Marie Says:

    Anyone know where the Clintons are?

    ———————————————-

    Gearing up for 2012 and hoping Obama loses to McCain, no doubt.


  20. Wayne says:

    robbez_92107 Says:

    Sounds like the textbook definition of senility to me.

    Don’t tell him, though – I wouldn’t want to piss the old coot off.

    Tell him, when he gets mad he pumps his fists up and down like a 2 year old throwing a fit.

    It would be quite humorous to see that go viral on YouTube =)


  21. Leftside Annie says:

    Jebus. It’d be news if McFaust DIDN’T flipflop.


  22. Roket says:

    Mmmm. McSenile speaks for no one.


  23. ralph the wonder llama says:

    I think the best idea for the McCain Campaign might be to affirm here and now that John McCain doesn’t necessarily speak for the John McCain Campaign.

    Any other strategy is just too dangerous for the McCain Campaign.


  24. Frosty Cupcake says:

    But Republicans are for Affirmative Action – for Republicans.

    See Monica Goodling.


  25. upside99 says:

    Of course, Daryll, you don’t mind getting your assist from Affirmative Action, right?


  26. ralph the wonder llama says:

    Daryll Says:
    Sen McCain, vote in support of the banning of Affirmative Action. It is not necessary. People should receive employment positions based on merit and credentials, not quotas. I know this is not Jesus’ will.

    YESSSSS!

    It’s another appearance by The Performance Artist Known as Daryll™.

    Tell us, Daryll, how do you know what is Jesus’ will? Did he whisper it to you when he told you to start calling the candidate “President-Elect Huckabee”?

    And I always thought it was GOD’S will that we were supposed to be concerned with.

    And did Jesus leave me anything in His Will? I had my eye on his baseball card collection, personally.


  27. RUCerious says:

    I know this is not Jesus’ will.</em

    Jesus had a will? I coulda sworn he died intestate!//


  28. gummitch says:

    I had no idea that Jesus ever weighed in on affirmative action. Or hiring practices, for that matter, although he did have a unique spin on hiring disciples.

    You would think, though, that a “dark american” would understand that affirmative action and “quotas” are not the same thing. Unless, of course, that “dark american” was dumber than dirt.


  29. RUCerious says:

    C’mon Daryll, you didn’t get your cushy DOD tester job based on your (**snickering**) CIS degree from Oral Fellatio Roberts did you!
    You got it because you are a BushitCo suckup and religious nut. Admit it, and feel better about yourself.


  30. ralph the wonder llama says:

    gummitch Says:

    You would think, though, that a “dark american” would understand that affirmative action and “quotas” are not the same thing. Unless, of course, that “dark american” was dumber than dirt.

    …or not really a “dark American”.

    But he does have a lucrative contract with the DoD which technically means this war profits him and his family. Perhaps this contract was a bequest in Jesus’ Will.


  31. gummitch says:

    ralph the wonder llama Says:

    But he does have a lucrative contract with the DoD which technically means this war profits him and his family. Perhaps this contract was a bequest in Jesus’ Will.

    It is his nifty excuse for cheerleading the occupation while studiously avoiding military service. Jesus wept.


  32. pete says:

    We know about your lying, Daryll, but have you added nonobservance to your list of character flaws? Flip-Floppy McSpin doesn’t vote anymore so, he has the liberty of claiming multiple positions without ever needing to say yay or nay.


  33. Saint Augustine says:

    I did not see idiot Daryll posting at the Goodling thread about how she decided to hire or reject a candidate.

    Has anyone else felt a general sense of failure and frustration coming from republiscums since Barack spoke in Germany? I really think the real wackos are filling with rage that they will have to vent somehow.

    The next thing I expect to see are the pundits pleading for respect as their house of cards beging to fall.

    Maybe they can get Mitch McConnell to sponsor a “Hug a republiscum Day” resolution in the Senate, so all the sheeple will feel better, and stop shooting people who think.


  34. shoeless says:

    Daryll Says:

    People should receive employment positions based on merit and credentials,

    So, you think George W. Bush should be a Wal-Mart greeter.


  35. pete says:

    I still can’t figure out why Daryll is so enamored of a man who was rumored to wear sandals and a dress. I don’t think he would get a job in the Bush administration with that kind of baggage. Not even if he got a decent, Republicriminal, haircut.


  36. shoeless says:

    I wonder how John McCain got into the Naval Acadamy?


  37. dbadass says:

    Daryll:
    How do you feel about athletic and legacy set asides at universities? Doesn’t it piss you off when some dumb jock or spoiled rich kid takes away a spot from a much more gifted and talented learner?


  38. pete says:

    shoeless Says:

    I wonder how John McCain got into the Naval Acadamy?
    July 28th, 2008 at 4:22 pm

    I once heard a 30 year Naval Aviator say:

    “There are three kinds of Naval Aviators. Men who love flying and their country more than life itself. Future politicians. And Admiral’s kids.

    As a member of the first group, I never grieved for the other two when they managed to buy the farm”.


  39. Frosty Cupcake says:

    shoeless Says:

    Daryll Says:

    People should receive employment positions based on merit and credentials

    So, you think George W. Bush should be a Wal-Mart greeter.

    ————————————————————–

    Classic!


  40. ralph the wonder llama says:

    Daryll Says:

    shoeless Says:

    People should receive employment positions based on merit and credentials,

    So, you think George W. Bush should be a Wal-Mart greeter.

    No, a CEO of Corporate America.

    Mission Accomplished™.

    Unfortunately, if America were a corporation, it would be in Chapter Eleven. And CEO Bush would have been ousted by the shareholders. With a Golden parachute, of course.


  41. dbadass says:

    Daryll. I don’t understand. A child can be educated elsewhere so jocks and brats should get preferential treatment but you don’t think people can get jobs in other places. There seems to be a disturbing lack of consistency to your thought process


  42. ralph the wonder llama says:

    Daryll Says:
    dbadass Says:

    Daryll:
    How do you feel about athletic and legacy set asides at universities? Doesn’t it piss you off when some dumb jock or spoiled rich kid takes away a spot from a much more gifted and talented learner?

    No, that child can receive the same education at another state/private college. No excuse.

    So… you’re a little… flexible on the whole “based on merit” thing, huh?


  43. ralph the wonder llama says:

    (something tells me we may be in for a classic Daryll performance today, kids. Maybe not at level of his “shaking the Devil off”, but the potential is there for HIGH-larity. Keep tuned.)


  44. Leftside Annie says:

    Daryll Says:

    Sen McCain, vote in support of the banning of Affirmative Action. It is not necessary. People should receive employment positions based on merit and credentials, not quotas. I know this is not Jesus’ will.

    Hey, Darryl – you mean like those “merit and credentials” Monica Goodling used to hire lawyers for the DOJ…?


  45. pete says:

    dbadass,

    If Daryll had a process to his “thoughts” he wouldn’t Believe that God Created the Heavens and the Earth, all the critters and plants, sent His Son to die, anointed America, damned America, manages every aspect of every life except for Believing His ridiculous book; yet can’t make sure the most qualified people are justly rewarded and is ALWAYS begging for spare change.

    If Daryll’s God is so great, why can’t he manage His money?


  46. dbadass says:

    Leftside Annie:
    I love it!

    Daryll:
    Don’t let being pwned above slow ya down. Ralph isn’t the only one who has faith in you!


  47. The Dogfather says:

    Saint Augustine Says:
    I really think the real wackos are filling with rage that they will have to vent somehow.

    Sadly, St. A., I think we saw that venting yesterday when that Christofascist gunned down two people in the Unitarian-Universalist church in Tennessee. See, that’s the last resort of reich wingers — when the facts and public opinion don’t follow their narrow view of the way the world oughta be, they act out with violence rather than relying on reasoned debate and discussion and democracy. I’d expect much more of this type of sociopathic behavior to emerge in the coming months, as it becomes apparent to these nutjobs that there will soon be a new sheriff in town.

    Why do right wingers and Christofascists hate America? Is it because of our freedom?


  48. gummitch says:

    ralph the wonder llama Says:

    So… you’re a little… flexible on the whole “based on merit” thing, huh?

    One “merit” is having the smarts to be born into a wealthy family.


  49. shoeless says:

    Daryll Says:

    shoeless Says:

    People should receive employment positions based on merit and credentials,

    So, you think George W. Bush should be a Wal-Mart greeter.

    No, a CEO of Corporate America.

    Bush already tried that. Unfortunately, he couldn’t handle the job, and his corporation went Arbusto.


  50. Leftside Annie says:

    Dogfather – I’ve already predicted as much.

    These hate-filled fanatic religious wingnuts are going to be marginalized (again) by an Obama presidency; and yet, the reichwing will continue to spew their hate from the radio and the teevee, Roe v. Wade will stand, gays will have equal rights, affirmative action will continue, there may be 3-4 new liberal judges appointed to the SCOTUS…

    And even now, the Hagees of the world are creating “Warriors for Christ” (rent/buy the film “Jesus Camp”) – what’s to stop them from becoming Christian jihadis right here in America – “fighting for Jesus” with bombs and guns?

    Nothing.


  51. pete says:

    The Dogfather Says:

    Why do right wingers and Christofascists hate America? Is it because of our freedom?
    July 28th, 2008 at 4:43 pm

    Yes. They do hate our freedom. As slaves to an ideology which is all about CONFORMITY, they fear freedom to the depths of their souls. And it’s a short step from fear to hate.


  52. pete says:

    Just a note.

    Jesus Camp is available on Youtube in ten minute clips. Which was about as long as I could watch that crap without taking a shower.


  53. The Dogfather says:

    Annie: sadly, I’ve concluded the same thing as you — nothing’s going to stop the neocrusaders from running amok in the next 4-8 years. It’s particularly frightening given the hold that the right wing gun nuts in this country have on the Supreme Court.

    Of course, Hagee and his ilk have professed their true intentions — to bring on the rapture as soon as possible by starting the battle of Armageddon between Muslims and Christians — so perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised.

    I sure hope they get that Mars colony thing worked out soon…


  54. Saint Augustine says:

    dbadass:

    DO you really believe Daryll has the capacity for cognitive understanding?

    Daryll, like many other republiscum, rightwing, conservative or neocon supporters suffer from cognitive dissonance, the psychological conflict that results from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously.


  55. Saint Augustine says:

    Dogfather:

    They don’t hate us for our freedoms, they really hate themselves. Their sickness is a result of drinking too muck of the kool=aid they’ve been getting from the pulpits and the political platform of the right.

    To be fair, I also know a leftwing whacko who defied his boss who instructed him to wash away an unkown chemical leaking from a tank trailer. This fellow had reported the leak, described how a little green cloud appeared as each drop of liquid hit the blacktop, and that since there was no marking or signage (as required by DOT) indicating what the chemical was, that washing it away with water might not be the correct thing to do.

    This leftwing whacko knew there was a possibility that the unknown liquid could have an unwanted violent reaction with water or could cause problems to the river when it washed over the parking lot into the river less than 500′ away. Instead of following the order he had been given, this whacko walked out of the office and called 911 from a phone booth and summoned the Chemical Response Unit of the city’s fire department. Fortunately the station is located less than 1 mile away and had trained for this type of situation at the container port facility where this happened.

    The chemical would not have had a violent reaction with water but would have been a pollutant in the river and would have harmed wildlife and killed fish. The company was fined but they never did find out I made that call.


  56. Doc Rock says:

    Spinning like a top!


  57. pete says:

    Do you think the GOP’s secret plan is to have McSpin declared incompetent at the convention so that he can run on the platform that he’s not responsible for past statements?


  58. Lynn Lightfoot says:

    I think by now it’s been pretty well established that McCain doesn’t speak for McCain on anything. He is manifestly untrustworthy, and it’s hard to tell how much of his incessant vacillation results from political calculation and how much from the onset of dementia.


  59. McTorture says:

    “…All men are created equal…”

    - Source: Declaration of Independence (1776)

    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” – Full Quote

    These words were written by ‘white aristocrats’ that owned ‘black slaves’.

    …They knew full well that they never fully intended to meet the obligations of the contractual agreement that they had entered into as they later signed the Constitution, a ‘contractual agreement’ defining obligations between individuals and the state.

    After 200+ years of institutionalized racism, its nice to see that we as a nation are doing something, anything, to pay reparations to the very people once considered property.



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