McCain Said What?

It's no longer surprising that Republican presidential nominee John McCain changes his positions like most people change their underwear.

McCain was for campaign finance reform before he was against it.

He was for helping undocumented immigrants earn a pathway to citizenship before he opposed it.

And McCain strongly criticized Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and far-right evangelical Christians as "agents of intolerance" before he began cozying up to them to win votes.

But the latest gotcha moment is mind-boggling, as it involves the McCain campaign's golden child, running mate Sarah Palin.

Even as McCain took to the airwaves Sunday night on CBS’ 60 Minutes to proclaim the inexperienced Palin is qualified to be one heartbeat away from the presidency, his own words are coming back to haunt him. And irony of ironies, it’s courtesy of Fox News.

In a clip posted on YouTube from a debate during the Republican primary process, McCain makes it clear that any mayor or governor isn’t qualified to be president because that person would lack any national security or foreign policy credentials.

Taking aim at his one-time GOP rival, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, McCain states unequivocally, “I am prepared. I am prepared and need no on-the-job training. I wasn’t a mayor for a short period of time, I wasn’t a governor for a short period of time.”

Ouch.

Hopefully, the moderator in next Friday’s presidential debate will confront McCain with his own words.

Meanwhile, Palin’s effect on McCain’s campaign may be deliberately overstated.

According to a Bloomberg News Service article, although McCain has drawn some of the biggest crowds of his presidential campaign since adding Palin to his ticket, officials now say they cannot substantiate the figures McCain’s aides are claiming after some in attendance questioned the campaign’s claims.

It’s time to say it: The emperor has no clothes, and McCain has no integrity.

— Kevin Osborne

Comments

[Anonymous]

Like Obama's perfect….he was for public campaign monies before he was against it, etc., etc. C’mon, he’s as guilty of this as McCain and likely even more so given his propensity to vote present versus yea or nay. He dodged his responsibility to have a position more than 100 times, let alone to let voters know where he actually stands on the record. As president he won’t have that option.

[Average Joe]

Sorry, anon, but I don't buy the "they're all the same" argument. Obama's list of flip-flops is miniscule compared to McCain's.

[Not the Mamma Cass!]

Kevin: everything you wrote about McCain is assignable to Obama. I doubt you're changing anyone's minds about McCain, so why not instead write positively about Obama?

[Kevin Osborne]

Thanks for your advice, Mamma. I will continue to do both.

[Justin Jeffre]

City Beat say what?

Obama was against NAFTA while campaigning in Ohio, then it was just "overheated rhetotric". He was against the Patriot Act, until he voted to reauthorize it.

Obama was against the war until he voted to fund it everytime (except for once when he and Hillary were in a tight race). Obama was against giving the telecomms immunity for spying on the American people, until he voted to give them immunity.

He was for the Palestians, until he was pandering to AIPAC and he wouldn't let former President Carter speak at the convention because he's been outspoken against these militarist. And the list goes on and on.

I know City Beat has every right to be as partisan as you all want to be, but why do you shut out Independent candidates? Ralph Nader was here in town just 6 blocks from your office and City Beat failed to cover it at all.

Nader's polling at 10% among Independents in Ohio despite the media shut out. He will be a factor and his progressive platform is in stark contrast to Obama's.

Why not cover the Green Party's historic all women of color ticket? Bob Barr will also have an affect on this election.

City Beat is engaging in political bigotry and failing to live up to your moral obligation to inform the public about who will be on the ballot, what their records are and where they stand.

Instead of shilling for corporate parties and corporate candidates, why don't you just give us all the facts and let the people decide?

Obama is not an anti-war candidate as John Fox has tried to convince your readers. Rumor mill!

City Beat endorsed Nader in 2000, now you can't print one word about him without any explanation.

Can you say flip flop boys and girls?

Not even letters to the editor Kevin?

[Average Joe]

Rage against the machine, Justin! LOL

[Not the Mamma Cass!]

Justin: If CityBeat takes a principled stand for democracy and covers viable and/or qualified minority party candidates that might dilute popular support for Minority Democrats. Silly goose!

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