Does John McCain have any skeletons in his closet?

[Cafe Americano]

Are there any rumors about McCain that could sink a campaign for president?

[1932]

1. The S&L Crisis.

It's not a rumor. It's a fact. I think his participation in that scandal should make him unelectable as president.

[JI7]

6. that's if he even wins the Primary

i don't think Republicans will care about that. but they will be angry about his having a daughter with dark skin.

but i agree, if he wins the Primary than that should be brought up.

[immerlinks]

28. I'm not so sure

That is so long ago how many people are going to remember it? Don't expect any help from the media - they love McCain and will squash any negative stories about him.

[1932]

34. He has never been seriously challenged on this issue by Democrats

I think a lot of Arizonans might feel that the SL crisis was good for AZ. And the only time McCain has taken his show on the road was against Bush, and Silverado Neil's brother was the last person who was going to raise this issue.

There is a gold mine of meaning in the SL crisis for Democrats, especially now that voters seem to care about corruption and about the flow of wealth to the top.

[blondeatlast]

38. Good point about "thinking" it was good for Arizona.

The hammerlock press here (Arizona Republic) tried to paint it in a positive light as much as possible, but our main alternative media (New Times, it is now franchised, but began here) came to prominence and respectability with their coverage of it.


I'll try to look it up, but I believe it was the wonderful Jana Bommersbach who pursued it like a hound dog and found the stink on McCain who was being protected like crazy.

[AZBlue]

49. Oh no, Arizonans don't think it was good for us. And we still remember it.

[blondeatlast]

37. It was big in Arizona and I can still name excellent sources for

news about it.

[AZBlue]

50. You know, if he moves forward with this, it's going to rest on us Arizonans to put an end to it.

We're the ones who know the best what kind of President he would make.

[blondeatlast]

57. I'm so there. IMHO, I don't think he's up to it physically or emotionally.

But I'm ready to dredge up the dirt if called upon.

there's a reason I've been a huge fan of Jana Bommersbach since her New Times days--her reporting on the Keating 5 makes up a lot of it.

[AZBlue]

60. Oh, Jana's a saving grace among the conservative AZ media!

And, I'm right there with you - I'll do whatever (legally) needs to be done to stop McCain.
(I had to add "legally" to remind myself, not you - that's how strongly I feel about him)

[fuzzyball]

67. Even though you Arizonans keep electing him again and again???

[blondeatlast]

71. "you Arizonans?" Yeah, sure--guilty as charged. Nice.

I've only worked to elect any Democratic opponent he's ever had since I was first able to vote. Money, time, boots on the pavement--what more can I do to "support" him?

Yeah, "us" Arizona DUers are so very enamored of McCain we can't wait till he runs for President. Can't you tell form the responses in this thread? :eyes:

[fuzzyball]

73. I am NOT pointing the finger at you or other AZ DUers, I am answering

to your post where you said they don't like McCain in AZ.
I guess you meant the minority of voters don't like him.
The other majority of voters keep electing him. So someone
must like McCain in AZ.

But thanks for putting up valiant effort to defeat McCain.

[AZBlue]

74. Unfortunately, in about a decade, this was the first real chance we had at the Senate in AZ.

Pederson ran the strongest race against Kyl than we've seen here for a long, long time (for example, in 2004 McCain spent 4.6 million to be re-elected - his Dem opponent, Stuart Starky, spent all of $13K).

That, combined with the fact that we don't get national attention or support because Arizona is a presumed red state and not "in play," makes it hard to topple McCain as a Senator. Much to the chagrin of many in this state.

But, it would be a whole different game if McCain tries again for the Presidential bid...

[blondeatlast]

36. He's pretty much the only politico left from that, isn't he?

Easy to tie him into big money corruption with that one.

I'm an Arizonan and remember it well.

[kenny blankenship]

2. The Keating savings and loan scandal from waaaaay back

[muntrv]

5. That's out of the closet.

[JI7]

3. it's a Republican Primary so having a colored daughter could bring him down

as it did last time.

i kind of look forward to seeing how he deals with things. last time they accused his wife of being a drug addict. and a bunch of rumours of involving his adopted daughter.

a lot of bigots vote in the Republican Primary.

he might depend on independents and some Dems along with moderate Republicans to win. but it didn't work last time and i doubt it will this time.

[Buzz Clik]

7. Damn, man. She's from Bangladesh. We're all of some color or another.

I know you didn't mean anything by it, but just reading "a colored daughter" gave me the willies. Emotional recall back to the days of George Wallace, I guess.

:scared:

[JI7]

12. i think McCain might keep her out of the public eye

i hate to say this but a lot of things he has done has disgusted me and i would not be surprised. my family is from India so i know what you are talking about. Allen called that guy of Indian descent Macaca. while his daughter is form Bangladesh it's still the same people. and McCain STILL campaigned for Allen JUST after he made that comment towards the guy who is of the same background as his daughter.

yeah, we are of some color or another and as liberals it's not an issue, but among Republicans it is an issue. just look at Harold Ford and the racism used against him and how it worked.

remember, we are talking about the Republican Primary where most of the voters are very much to the right and racist.

[blondeatlast]

39. He's reticent to stand by his family in a crisis.

The whole thing with his beautiful daughter, and when it became public that his wife Cindy was addicted to painkillers, he seemd to distance himslef from her--there was even divorce rumors (she's his seciond wife, I believe).

[HeeBGBz]

45. I used to chat online with the father of his grandkids.

Who was a bit ostracized. I wish I could remember all those conversations.

[Buzz Clik]

48. I think that's harsh, and at least partially inaccurate.

McCain lost in South Carolina and ultimately was blown out by Bush because of his very strong reaction to Bush's hideous commercials and push-polls. McCain quickly and decisively defended his family and scorned the Bush people for their tactics, and he paid a serious price.

[Buzz Clik]

46. Point very well taken.

"yeah, we are of some color or another and as liberals it's not an issue, but among Republicans it is an issue."

You are absolutely correct. Have you ever discussed race with the new breed of Republican? Here's the standard response: "It isn't racism if it's true." That justifies such amazing ignorant claims like "Black men tend to be thieves because they're too lazy to work"; "Mexicans can't be trusted"; "All Muslims are 'Islamo-fascists' because they never speak out against terrorism" and on and on.

It's a hot button issue with me, and I despise those who think in such terms.

[Lasher]

21. I'm pretty sure JI7 was just paraphrasing how knuckle draggers think

Don't be afraid, those ugly days will not come back in our lifetimes, and hopefully never. :hi:

[blondeatlast]

40. He didn't mean any harm, I assure you. JI7 is from India, as is my husband.

For a while, my husband used that phrase and I had to break him of it. I think it's a caste thing; different castes are identified partly by color.

[Buzz Clik]

47. Okay. I can believe that ...

... but I grew up in a time and place where intolerance and its violent consequences were prefaced by comments such as that. It's hard to hear those words without a strongly negative emotional recall.

[blondeatlast]

56. Believe me, I understand. The first time I heard my then boyfriend say it,

I nearly clobbered him--and our African (literally friend was sitting right there with us.

In hindsight, it's kind of funny, but man was I pissed off then!

[JI7]

58. i used it in the context of racism

and how those who had a problem with McCain's daughter viewed it. of course there was another word used which was far worse but i didn't want to use that here.

i know India has caste problems but i didn't know they were done by color. i know overall there is a view that lighter skin is more beautiful but that's the whole country.

i came here when i was just a year old and haven't been to India since then. i am interested in going back just to see how things are. but i want to actually see the country and how people live and talk to them about things like caste, poverty, etc.

most of my family only goes there to shop and if they have family maybe visit them a bit. but their whole view of India is the Bollywood image and in reality that is not all of India. i have seen pictures of the homes of some family members and they are really nice. of course these people mostly live in the West and only visit India. my cousin who visited a few years back said how they have HBO and just about everything they can get here. but just outside there are homeless people all over.

[fuzzyball]

68. India has a large (350 Million) middle class population and its economy

is growing at 8-10% every year for the last decade. At that
rate India will have a bigger economy that the US in 35 years.
US economy is growing at about 3% on the average/year.

As for the "color" thingy, it goes back 3000+ years back when the
Aryan nomads invaded india and who were lighter skinned than the
indigenous population and invented the caste system to prevent
mixing of colors. Ofcourse the Indian sun has taken its effect
after 3000 years and now most all Indians have pretty much the
same complexion. After 2700 years white Americans will have the
exact same complexion as native American Indians. It is nature's
way of adapting you to the existing climate.

[davidinalameda]

10. colored

:wtf:

[blondeatlast]

41. Please read my response directly above. It's unfortunate, but

he didn't mean any harm.

[Buzz Clik]

4. uhhhh.... the knuckledraggers hate him. Unless the Dems nominate him...

it ain't happening.

[Cafe Americano]

8. gooks

article on him:

McCain was also criticized for his continued use of an ethnic slur in reference to his Vietnamese captors. He told reporters, "I hate the gooks.... I will hate them as long as I live."

- apparently he had a great deal of trouble in California and NY with Asian American voters, and the Southerners didn't approve of him having a Bangladeshi adopted child.

He's going to have to parade the daughter around the South with him in 2007 and see what kind of reactions he gets. They may care, and they may not.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

9. He has been involved in so many of his own gaffes, but earlier

the FReepers were quoted here.

The FReepers were completely FReeping over McCain, some actually said they would vote for Hillary or the Dem., before McC. It was hysterical!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lapfog_1]

11. I heard that he has temper that makes him unfit to command

and that he has a black daughter... and his wife is a drug addict. Plus he has terminal cancer.

At least that is what KKKarl spread around in the 2000 primary.

[Lasher]

24. All we need to do is re-run Junior's campaign ads from the 2000 Republican primary

That should save a lot of money and effort.

[Cafe Americano]

13. Affairs

Did anyone also mention that McCain has confessed to at least one affair? The woman (rich) he later married when he started in politics.

He appears to come with a large amount of baggage. There's something in his past to offend almost everyone. Many Americans, regardless of party, will not consider voting for someone that cheats on their spouse. Clinton was accused before running but never confessed to anything.

[sandnsea]

14. He thinks he's Luke Skywalker

Personally I think that should disqualify him right there.

[MrSlayer]

15. People say he's a traitor for giving up secrets in Vietnam.

I've heard from some guy named Karl that he has an out of wedlock black child, that he's crazy from the years in the Hanoi Hilton and that his wife is a junkie.

[blondeatlast]

42. That's pretty much all from KKKarl too--but J-McC didn't really

go out of his way to quash any of them. He's my Senator and I've watched him through all of it.

[flying_monkeys]

16. My recollection is he is basically clean....

Nothing to really tar him with that is new....


(But I have to ask, is *this* what the Liberal Dems will stoop to? Trying to dig up dirt on someone? In *my mind*, we raise our issues and unfurl our banners and leave the mudslinging and dirt-tossing to the repugs.... Our issues our worthy on their own merit alone - - we don't need to stoop to Rovian tactics because our truths are THE truths.)

[Cafe Americano]

19. yea ok

(But I have to ask, is *this* what the Liberal Dems will stoop to? Trying to dig up dirt on someone? In *my mind*, we raise our issues and unfurl our banners and leave the mudslinging and dirt-tossing to the repugs.... Our issues our worthy on their own merit alone - - we don't need to stoop to Rovian tactics because our truths are THE truths.)
__________

Yea, ok. Whatever you say.

[flying_monkeys]

25. Want to discuss it?

I think issues should stand on their own merits.


I am not much for digging up dirt just to try to discredit others. I think it is a cheap tactic and one not worthy of honorable people. Perhaps I am hopelessly out of the loop.


But I would dearly love to see politics be MORE about the issues and less about what slime can be thrown at the person. ON ANY side.

[blondeatlast]

44. So, big money corruption is "squeaky-clean" to you?

He's been my Senator my entire voting life.

Google "Charles Keating Jr." and his name and report back in a week, wydoncha?

[blondeatlast]

43. Yeah--he's squeaky clean. Just ask Charles Keating, Jr.

Oh, and, thanks for playing.

[Hieronymus]

17. I hope they find plenty on him, but

then again, I hope the GOP nominates him .. he's sure to be beaten.:hi:

[BrotherBuzz]

18. I think his skeletons are stored in his photo album

[alfredo]

65. That picture is disgusting.

[HaggardsMethDealer]

20. Who cares?

If there is one thing I have learned from the last six years it is that these scumbags are a threat and need to be removed. Just Swift Boat his ass....

Thanks for the ideas Karl.

[Cafe Americano]

23. frustrated vets

There's a line several blocks long of pissed off veterans, angry at Republican leadership over the military. It would be pretty easy to find enough of them to talk about McCain.

[AZBlue]

51. I know one myself. And he knows several more.

He's a Vietnam vet who needed the government's help about 10 years ago. He and his wife approached McCain repeatedly, only to be ignored, over and over again. I'm sure he's not the only one.
(oddly enough, it was Kyl who finally came to my friend's aid)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

53. they hate Kerry AND McCain for the POW/MIA mission

they went to Vietnam together to account for all MIA's. Of course, they didn't account for 100% of them (who the hell possibly could?).
They declare that together Vietnam and America have accounted for evey single MIA possible.
Later relations between the 2 nations are normalized, and the Vietnam War is history.
So together, McCain, Kerry, and Clinton are all 3 traitors for not finding every MIA and declaing the Vietnam War over.
They are fucking sorry sick indiviudals critcising all 3 men for trying to do what is best for their nation and done with the highest partiotism and sense of duty. These mousy little not-so-swift boat liars are scum, and they are the same scum who voted for Bush the AOL coward over McCain in 2000.
I don't know what to say about McCain. He is an asshole for pretending Kerry intended to demean our troops with his line about Bush 2 weeks ago. If there is any member of congress who is all about our veterans and troops and treating them with the utmost respect and regard it is John Kerry, and McCain knows that. McCain sometimes acts without honor and that was one of them.

The SNL thing is way too ancient IMO. If it were so bad AZ would have turned him out years ago.
J McC's biggest fault is he is as opportunistic as any of them.

[upi402]

22. ask Carl "the bone scatterer" Rove ! n/t

[Crunchy Frog]

26. If he does, you can bet they'll come out during the primaries...

Or even if he doesn't. You've heard about his black kid haven't you?

[candice]

27. Tasteless lack of self-control:

he made comments about Chelsea Clinton's looks and called her "the love child of Hillary and Janet Reno."

He also took Rove's racist push-polling in S. Carolina primary that he was winning against Bush without making a public stink. Then he completely threw himself at Shrub's feet to be walked over. Machiavelli must have promised him he'd have his change for the Presidency, but who would trust Rove & Co.?

Wish we had a real media (not corporate-controlled info-tainment) to expose how sordid campaigns have become in the Rove era.

[d_b]

29. That photo of him hugging Bush.

Every ad in 2008 needs to show that image. Along with how 'Mr.Maverick' could have done what was right for the country and been Kerry's VP but chose Bushwhore instead.

[Nimrod2005]

30. Rove will be taking care of that next year....nt

[wishlist]

31. Not rumor but he has admitted to flagrant marital infidelity-character issue

He falls far short on the moral character issue when compared to most of the Dem Presidential hopefuls, because he admits to being unfaithful and cheating on first wife who stuck by him throughout his POW ordeal. He left his wife and kids for younger current wife whose family wealth financed his political career.

[treestar]

61. If the freepers defend that

then they are true hypocrites

[beltanefauve]

66. And hypocrasy

is exactly why McCain isn't going to make the cut for 2008, if Tuesday's results are any predictor of the near future. Hypocrasy and scandals are second only to Iraq as the voters' concerns, according to the exit polls.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

32. Hated right-wing fundes before he was for them...

He lashed out at religious conservatives during the primaries (particulary Bob Jones University) but that kissed up to them after he realized he need their support.

He's an empty suit. I've said it elsewhere: He'll say or do whatever it takes. He stands for nothing.

[mtnsnake]

33. Oh geez. We don't need to act like Republicans to beat someone like McCain

McCain is so overrated it's funny. You don't need to go looking for dirt on him. All you're gonna come up with is innuendo, rumors, gossip, etc, and all that will do is make us look BAD.

I'll tell you who to ask if you want dirt on McCain. Ask all the neocons who don't want him running because he's too moderate. I'm sure they'll give you all the crap rumors you need.

[Orsino]

35. The worst skeleton of all!

It turns out that although McCain is drawing the pay of a United States Senator, he has been secretly working for decades to undermine the health, welfare, security and liberties of working Americans.

[Leilani]

69. He does not draw a salary.

Check it out!

[ChiciB1]

52. I Personally Think His "Age" Is A Factor! n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

54. Be careful with that one

we don't want to lose the senior vote.
I would base it on unfitness for office generally. Don't mention the age thing.

[ChiciB1]

55. Okey-Dokey,,, Smack My Hand!

And no, I'm not making fun of you! We do need the senior vote, THEY DO vote!

[bigwillq]

59. Hi Cafe

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[snowbear]

62. I didn't read all of these replies, but YES ... McCain is a RACIST ...

A Producer of the racist "Corker Commercial" against Harold Ford, Jr. is a consultant to McCain >

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/10/27/exclusive-walmart-to-fi_n_32610.html

McCain's relationship with Richard Quinn, editor in chief of The Southern Partisan (KKK) magazine is DISGUSTING !!!

http://www.stopjohnmccain2008.com/category/racism/
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=2581

McCain endorses/campaigns for George Wallace, Jr. >

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/47/17003
http://www.mccmedia.com/pipermail/brin-l/Week-of-Mon-20051121/034123.html

Racist comment regarding Asians >

http://www.commondreams.org/views/030200-104.htm
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/hongop.shtml


Two big fat LOSERS ---->

[snowbear]

63. BTW.. out of everything I listed, McCain's relationship to Richard Quinn is by far the worst...

And if you've never googled Richard Quinn (RACIST, RACIST, RACIST) and have read about how close he and McCain are.. then you absolutely DO.NOT.KNOW.JOHN.McCAIN.

Check it out sometime.

You'll be SHOCKED!

[Disturbed]

64. "Nothing to really tar him with that is new."

John McCain Hypocrite
by Doug Ireland

John McCain, the media's darling, has found a clever way around his own campaign finance reform law to take big corporate bucks in furtherance of his political ambitions while carrying water for the corporate mammoth providing the dough. But the national press is ignoring the story.


The Associated Press first ran the story of John McCain's odorous but lucrative Senatorial service to the communications giant Cablevision on the afternoon of March 7. But, while some local papers in McCain's home state (like the East Valley Tribune) have run the story, nothing has as yet made it into the print editions of the New York Times, the L.A. Times, the Washington Post, or any of the half-dozen other big city dailies I checked (although, if one searches the hundreds of AP stories available on the Post's website on its Politics page by clicking on "Latest Wire Reports," one can find it there--but how many readers would bother to do that?) One notable exception: the Kansas City Star.


Here's what the AP's investigation found:


McCain repeatedly intervened on behalf of a policy Cablevision favored -- one which "congressional and private studies conclude could make cable more expensive" -- while his chief political adviser, Rick Davis (who's masterminding McCain's probable '08 presidential rerun) solicited $200,000 in contributions from Cablevision to an institute that promotes McCain and pays Davis a $110,000 annual salary.


The Reform Institute was set up to promote McCain and his issues--especially campaign finance reform, embodied in the famous McCain-Feingold law. This Institute is "a tax-exempt group that touts McCain's views and has showcased him at events since his unsuccessful 2000 presidential campaign," and it "often uses the senator's name in press releases and fund-raising letters and includes him at press conferences," the AP says. And, of course, it provides a cushy sinecure with no heavy lifting for McCain's main man, Davis, as he prepares the pontificating Senator's next presidential run. Cablevision's contributions account for a whopping 15% of the Institute's budget.


http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0309-35.htm

[BootinUp]

70. Yeah, he sucked face wih Bush in public.

During the 2004 campaign.

[Cafe Americano]

72. so a list is appropriate

the list thus far of things that may or may not matter:

S&L
using racist campaign managers
gooks
Bangladeshi daughter
hiding wife's drug addiction
divorcing wife to marry richer mistress

What about McCain's attitudes towards China? China sponsored North Vietnam and they probably would have lost without China's support. What are his attitudes towards China? Vietnam is pretty insignificant today but China isn't.

and:

As chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, he received hundreds of thousands of dollars from companies affected by the committee's work, and he has repeatedly been criticized for intervening with regulators on behalf of businesses whose employees gave him money, including Paxson Communications and AT&T.

Nor was McCain paying close attention to appearances when he set up the Reform Institute, which is dedicated to curbing the influence of special interest money yet depends on special interest money to fund its operations.

His Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 already prohibits "nonpartisan and issue-oriented groups" from criticizing politicians close to an election, and it may lead to regulation of bloggers and online journalists. Unsatisfied by this impressive assault on the First Amendment, McCain wants to ban the so-called 527 groups that raised such a ruckus in the last presidential campaign.

During the Keating Five scandal, McCain was suspected of trying to keep himself in office by doing a favor for a campaign donor. Chastened by this experience, he is now trying to keep himself and his colleagues in office by silencing potential critics.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/35983.html

"McCain wants to ban free speech on the internet" sounds a little more useful than "McCain has a brown daughter." Just saying.

And - "McCain has had more problems with ethics than almost any other senator" - if this could be backed up with some stats it would be pretty useful.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

75. Show him cutting cake on the golf course with Shrub

While Katrina victims perished. Show it over and over and over....

[bobbie]

76. Hell, he don't even have a skeleton in his *body*.

Weasel.

[newportdadde]

77. Out of touch elitest - thinks Americans wouldn't pick lettuce even for $50hr.