Good day,

Guess I'm not misplaced, after all. But, on the other hand..

The media should love this, if someone special didn't walk on water:

The wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind
By Sharon Churcher

~snip~

It was in 1969 that Carol went to spend the Christmas holiday – her third without McCain – at her parents’ home. After dinner, she left to drop off some presents at a friend’s house.

It wasn’t until some hours later that she was discovered, alone and in terrible pain, next to the wreckage of her car. She had been hurled through the windscreen.

After her first series of life-saving operations, Carol was told she may never walk again, but when doctors said they would try to get word to McCain about her injuries, she refused, insisting: ‘He’s got enough problems, I don’t want to tell him.’

H. Ross Perot, a billionaire Texas businessman, future presidential candidate and advocate of prisoners of war, paid for her medical care.

When McCain – his hair turned prematurely white and his body reduced to little more than a skeleton – was released in March 1973, he told reporters he was overjoyed to see Carol again.

But friends say privately he was ‘appalled’ by the change in her appearance. At first, though, he was kind, assuring her: ‘I don’t look so good myself. It’s fine.’

He bought her a bungalow near the sea in Florida and another former PoW helped him to build a railing so she could pull herself over the dunes to the water.

‘I thought, of course, we would live happily ever after,’ says Carol. But as a war hero, McCain was moving in ever-more elevated circles.

Through Ross Perot, he met Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California. A sympathetic Nancy Reagan took Carol under her wing.

But already the McCains’ marriage had begun to fray. ‘John started carousing and running around with women,’ said Robert Timberg.

McCain has acknowledged that he had girlfriends during this time, without going into details. Some friends blame his dissatisfaction with Carol, but others give some credence to her theory of a mid-life crisis.

He was also fiercely ambitious, but it was clear he would never become an admiral like his illustrious father and grandfather and his thoughts were turning to politics.

In 1979 – while still married to Carol – he met Cindy at a cocktail party in Hawaii. Over the next six months he pursued her, flying around the country to see her. Then he began to push to end his marriage.

Carol and her children were devastated. ‘It was a complete surprise,’ says Nancy Reynolds, a former Reagan aide.

‘They never displayed any difficulties between themselves. I know the Reagans were quite shocked because they loved and respected both Carol and John.’

Another friend added: ‘Carol didn’t fight him. She felt her infirmity made her an impediment to him. She justified his actions because of all he had gone through. She used to say, “He just wants to make up for lost time.”’

Indeed, to many in their circle the saddest part of the break-up was Carol’s decision to resign herself to losing a man she says she still adores.

Friends confirm she has remained friends with McCain and backed him in all his campaigns. ‘He was very generous to her in the divorce but of course he could afford to be, since he was marrying Cindy,’ one observed.

McCain transferred the Florida beach house to Carol and gave her the right to live in their jointly-owned townhouse in the Washington suburb of Alexandria. He also agreed to pay her alimony and child support.

A former neighbour says she subsequently sold up in Florida and Washington and moved in 2003 to Virginia Beach. He said: ‘My impression was that she found the new place easier to manage as she still has some difficulties walking.’

Meanwhile McCain moved to Arizona with his new bride immediately after their 1980 marriage. There, his new father-in-law gave him a job and introduced him to local businessmen and political powerbrokers who would smooth his passage to Washington via the House of Representatives and Senate.

And yet despite his popularity as a politician, there are those who won’t forget his treatment of his first wife.

Ted Sampley, who fought with US Special Forces in Vietnam and is now a leading campaigner for veterans’ rights, said: ‘I have been following John McCain’s career for nearly 20 years. I know him personally. There is something wrong with this guy and let me tell you what it is – deceit.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

Good morning, all.

Obama is not cutting it, he should be enjoying a 15 to 20% lead in the polls right now.

Another fake strawman arguement? A better question is why isn't McCain enjoying a 15 to 20% lead?

He hasn't budged an inch from being consistently behind Obama by about 5 points. You would think he'd be surging after a four month advantage coming out of the primaries and the lull in the action in Iraq.

A better assumption is that traditional Republicans aren't supporting McCain, Independents don't trust him, and both groups are still considering Obama as not that bad of an alternaive to Bush. Neither of these groups are rejecting Obama at this point. And these are Republicans or former Republicans.

The public records show that those declaring themselves as registered Democrats have gone up dramatically. Many of those who used to say they were Republicans have changed their registration to either Independent or Democrat. And new registrations are almost entirely Democratic.

Only those registered can vote. That's why Republicans are not publicizing their failed agenda but are instead devoting almost all their time and money these days on voter suppression techniques and Swiftboating.

The GOP has a dismal record of incompetence. Their 2008 agenda is the same one that hasn't worked for over a decade. And they have a dysfunctional candidate who only inspires unease, the threat of more war and inflation, and K Street lobbyist corruption.

I believe that McCain's numbers are actually overstated. Pollsters still use telephone landlines to find participants. Working people and those still active outside the home use cells and refuse to answer surveys. So pollsters are very likely over measuring McCain's strength.

The undecided are not likely to vote for someone they have already rejected. Obama is still under consideration. McCain isn't.

gregL

Hey guy - it's ok to get upset. I feel that way too some days. There is hate in this blog. No question about it. But I feel most of it comes from the trolls who have almost taken over this blog. There was a time when we didn't answer them and if we did, we had to donate to the party. I still feel that if we, and that means ALL OF US, not pay any attention to them, it would be a better place. We've lost a few good people because of the trolls and the in fighting. Maybe we all need to go back to that place where we don't answer, talk or even make one little comment to the trolls. They won't go away but our posting will be better for it.

As far as making the "religious loonie" remark - sorry if that offended some. But for some highly loud mouthed people who take their religion well over the top and who think they can dictate how I should live because of the way they believe - well to me, they will forever be "religious loonies".

Let me take this one step futher: Many years ago, my husband and I ventured out our backdoor on a hot Sunday afternoon with a volka tonic in our hands. It was hot, we were relaxing in our own back yard. A neighbor 3 doors down saw us. I didn't think anything of it until a few months later when another neighbor called us to say that the neighbor who had seen us (a religious fanic) was going around the neighborhood telling everyone that we were unfit parents. The end of the story was their girls - both - had to get married in high school while our only child went on to get her Masters. So to me - people like this will forever be "religious loonies!".

Case closed.

Now - I need someone to help me. I heard where McCain answered a three part questionthe other night BEFORE the preacher asked him the question.... has anyone heard of this and does anyone have a link to this? If this is true - how did McCain know how to answer a three part question when only one question was asked????

“He just wants to make up for lost time.”’

Posted by TomN on August 19, 2008 at 10:33 AM

TomN,

So McCain, after marrying an heiress, still hasn't accumulated enough wealth and power? Now he's going for the glory?

It's strange that other POWs didn't come out of those prison cells thinking the world owes them something. McCain has a chip on his shoulder that most Republicans have always questioned.

Gotta run. later.

Here it is, Kathy. He also asked "When do we get to the Supreme Court question?"

McCain cheated? proof he knew the questions ahead of time. UPDATED with video link.

Watch how he bangs the table when he is emphasizing the 3 points, and the look on the preacher's face when it happens. Also, pay attention to McSame's face when the preacher jokingly accuses him of having the questions ahead of time.

And here is the official transcript from the Saddleback web site. It starts when McSame sits down.

7 Q. WELCOME BACK TO THE SADDLEBACK CIVIL FORUM ON

8 THE PRESIDENCY AND WELCOME SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN.

9 NOW MY FIRST QUESTION WAS THE CONE OF SILENCE

10 COMFORTABLE THAT YOU WERE IN JUST NOW?

11 A. I WAS TRYING TO HEAR THROUGH THE WALL.

12 Q. OKAY. THIS FIRST SET OF QUESTIONS DEALS WITH

13 LEADERSHIP AND THE PERSONAL LIFE OF LEADERSHIP. FIRST

Sorry, link didn't take. Let me try again. (A "preview" button would be nice.)

LIAR, LIAR!

Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, the pastor that presided over Jenna Bush’s wedding ceremony and is considered a close personal friend of President Bush, absolutely ripped into John McCain today on a conference call with reporters. Rev. Caldwell took issue with Senator McCain’s remarks that he made at the Sturgis bike rally last week when he volunteered his wife for the rally’s “beauty” pageant, the Ms. Buffalo Chip pageant. For those who were not familiar with that story, the Ms. Buffalo Chip pageant is a topless modeling contest, that among other things, involves a section with a banana.

Caldwell comments highlight exactly why true family values conservatives should have a problem with John McCain.

http://strategy08.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/bush-pastor-rips-mccain-over-sturgis-backs-obama/

Note, they say TRUE FAMILY VALUES CONSERVATIVES.

wow Doo - how did McCain know how to anwser the questions before they were asked???

Hey thanks alot - am I the only one who feels this is a major story? If you google Cone of Silence - it's all over the net...

Thanks again Doo....

Posted by Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on August 19, 2008 at 11:08 AM
My son caught another glich in McCain's presentation. McCain was getting asked, I think it was a pro-life question, anyway something that concerned a legal issue. McCain said, "I'll answer that when you get to the question about the judges." Does anyone have a clip of that part of the forum?

Pam - McCain's wife wouldn't have had much to show and even if she did they're probably not hers to begin with.... snicker!

Butte - I heard that too - it would be so interesting if someone could prove that he had the questins in advance. But better - why not have another one - this time on our tuff...

Then have Olberman change the list of questions as the candidates sit down..hehehehe

More on the apparent collusion between McSame and that preacher on the Supreme Court question:

(McCain)Could I .. are you .. are we going to get back to the importance of Supreme Court Justices or should I mention ..

Rick Warren: We will get to that.

John McCain: Okay. All right. Okay.

Rick Warren: You're jumping ahead. You got all my questions, good.

Did Rick Warren admit to sending John McCain ALL the questions he was going to ask?

The blogosphere is abuzz right now over the discovery that a POW story told by John McCain (R) at Saturday night’s presidential forum is eerily similar to one told by Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his famous book The Gulag Archipelago which chronicled his time in a Soviet labor camp in the 1950s and 1960s.

Oh wow - and then McCain can't even think upa good story - he has to steal it from someone else?

Doo - I just heard that both candidates were sent a list of Topics - that Warren was going to ask. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Next time, they really need to just get downand dirty and ask the questions.. no before the forum list - of course Olberman would have some really good ones I'm sure...

still no word onhis running mate... we're getting antsy here in Indiana - waiting to see if Evan will be on the ticket.....

Posted by Doo-Bee-Doo-Bee-Doo on August 19, 2008 at 11:49 AM

Funny thing is that if you ask your neighbor about that forum, you'll get a puzzled look and the sound of crickets. I would much rather watch athletes compete against eachother than a few men and a bunch of fake Kristians trying to out-God eachother.

(CNN) — In a week where vice-presidential speculation has reached a feverish pitch, Barack Obama gave tea-leaf readers another reason to suspect he will name fellow Sen. Joe Biden his running mate later this week.

Speaking to veterans in Orlando, Florida, Obama specifically called out the Delaware senator and former presidential candidate, calling him a 'friend' and saying he agreed with Biden's call for U.S. assistance to Georgia

I think it'll be Biden. I think that would be a great match - Biden takes no poopy from anyone - got to love it when he puts down a republican...

Even with knowing the answers in advance, McCain's answers didn't take much thought. It was a rather rubber-stamped bunch of answers that he seems to have gotten from bush. Trite phrases, and propaganda slogans do not a good forum make. Any high school speech teacher would have given him a D at best.
I guess his handlers told him to stick to the well-worn comments and don't try any thinking so's he wouldn't make one of those Czechoslovokia-type screw-ups with the whole country watching.
Next time Obama needs to go first, and let's see how things come out then!

John McCain graduated 894th in a class of 899 at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. His father and grandfather were four star admirals in the Navy. Some have suggested that might have played a role in McCain being admitted. His academic record was awful. And it shows over and over again whenever McCain is called upon to think on his feet.

He no longer allows reporters unfettered access to him aboard the "Straight Talk Express" for a reason. He simply makes too many mistakes. Unless he's reciting talking points or reading from notes or a TelePrompTer, John McCain is lost. He can drop bon mots at a bowling alley or diner -- short glib responses that get a chuckle, but beyond that McCain gets in over his head very quickly.

I am sick and tired of the president of the United States embarrassing me. The world we live in is too complex to entrust it to someone else whose idea of intellectual curiosity and grasp of foreign policy issues is to tell us he can look into Vladimir Putin's eyes and see into his soul.

George Bush's record as a student, military man, businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure. And the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself.

He will leave office with the country $10 trillion in debt, fighting two wars, our international reputation in shambles, our government cloaked in secrecy and suspicion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises, our citizens' faith in our own country ripped to shreds. Yet Bush goes bumbling along, grinning and spewing moronic one-liners, as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been.

I fear to the depth of my being that John McCain is just like him.

Cafferty looks at McCain's eyes and sees Bush

Posted by Butte on August 19, 2008 at 12:02 PM

No one but a handful of already-supporters watched the debate. It was a nonsense event that simply showed that McBush is shallower than even we knew. I do love the plagarism story though. Does the guy think no one checks this stuff? Oh, I pray he one day gets an original thought...

McBush's Mansions:

He's sooooo like us!

Posted by Kathy_from_Indiana on August 19, 2008 at 10:42 AM

LOL! Here's the REAL question for ya...how in the WORLD did they know what was in the glass?

But the thing is, that's not "loonie", that's just, in a progressive view, hypocritical. Although in a conservative view, the things the children do are not the fault of the parents, rather, a failing on the child's part. The girls were not strong enough to resist temptation. It would be the parents fault only if they had been "permissive", like those damn liberals down the street. But if the parents have done all they could to "teach" (code for "beat it into them") their children, then it's not THEIR fault.

My point is only that we need, REALLY need to stop talking about what the CONservatives have done TO this country, and start talking about what PROgressives HAVE done for liberty and freedom in this country, and WILL do to maximize EVERYONE'S freedom...freedom from want, freedom from fear, freedom to overcome, freedom to BECOME. And we need to include everyone, not just those who are exactly like us. Aren't we supposed to be the diversity group? Then stop saying pro-life isn't Democratic or progressive. Actually, stop fucking saying "pro-life" at ALL. The only thing that brings to mind is exactly what the conservatives wish. And no, I haven't thought yet what to use to replace it....reproductive freedom is one thing I can think of, but we might even wish to stay away from thoughts of reproduction completely...come on people, use those brilliant minds for something other than troll-baiting and venomous diatribes against the evil churches. Because, in case you haven't noticed, the trolls aren't actually upset, they love it when you "bait" them. And all the diatribes do is push the people of faith farther and farther out the door. And remember, those everyday folk who are on the Christian right are just as puzzled about how liberals can believe the way we do as we are about how they think. It makes no sense to them. It's not that they don't have empathy, it's just that their empathy circuits have either been shut down by their adherence to obedience, or their empathy is only used for those who behave exactly like them. So find some common ground, find something you can both empathize about. Then use that as a gateway to show the progressive view on points where you disagree. Educate, don’t castigate.

While we’re at it, we might as well try and bring progressives under one roof. The radical right has managed to bring all the disparate “conservative” views together. (As if they are the “defenders of the American way of life” instead of people whose narrow view of freedom is nothing like the freedom in which the majority of American believe.) Civil liberties progressives and socio-economic ones may differ on their basic ideas of freedom, or at least concentrate more on one area than on another, but there is still more that unites than divides.

Speaking of which, where the hell has Bob been? I’ve haven’t yelled at him for being a war hawk for a while. :)

I meant McInsane needs to go first nest time.

Posted by GregL on August 19, 2008 at 12:18 PM

I'm glad you threw a little humor in with your rant. I agree with much of what you're saying. I'm a Christian and sometimes feel a little unwanted around here by some who have left religion behind (I manage to stick around though :)) And the troll thing is still crazy. We definitely used to be so much better at not biting the hook, but some people cannot resist it seems.

Tolerance is a hard thing to tolerate these days. :)

I heard a caller on the radio this morning say "They should do one from a Union Hall in Ohio or Michigan next".

As for VEEP, I still like Richardson or Wes Clark. Biden will be great, but what States will he bring along?

Posted by PamB on August 19, 2008 at 11:24 AM

Pam,

The evangelicals expect believers to witness.

At that forum Obama admitted the sins of his youth and explained exactly what they were and why he feels born again because of rejecting that lifestyle.

McCain said he regretted his first marriage (not the best thing to say to people who want a marriage amendment) and would not talk about the sinful behavior on his part that made it fail. He completely skirted the reasons why he rejected God's law or gave any indication that he even now feels remorse.

That would be seen as a sign of pride and inability to humble oneself before God. McCain did himself far more harm than good with this key Republican constituency. McCain's lobbyist crowd think it's all about telling religious groups he supports their issues. It's not.

By ignoring the evangelicals expectations for a frank discussion of his faith, McCain has raised a lot of questions about his personal commitment and ability to steward. At least Bush got that part right.

Obama presented himself in the way that could only indicate that he is one of them in spirit. I'm sure that they will research intensely to see if it's a pattern or just a ruse. But when they find he is sincere in word and deed, adjustments in thinking will take place.

McCain told them what they wanted to hear, but couldn't bond with them spiritually. This will have great significance in the future for not only McCain but all Republicans. This is the man that the RNC has chosen to politically lead the Christian Right?

McCain has yet to accept his subornination before God. And Cindy isn't helping matters much running around the country gayly acting like she's the Queen of Sheba.

On August 25th, when the American public begin jonesing for their fix of gymnastics, they will take some comfort in finding out that they have at least two more months of awe-inspiring flips from the master:

72 and counting

Just announced. Al Gore will speak at the Stadium right before Obama. Schedule not finalized but he is penciled in.

"I will let no one question my love of this country. I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain." Noting the audience included Democrats, Republicans and independents who served together, Obama elicited hearty applause when he added, "You did not serve a red America or a blue America, you served the United States of America."

Obama meets with VFW

NEW OPEN THREAD

My point is only that we need, REALLY need to stop talking about what the CONservatives have done TO this country, and start talking about what PROgressives HAVE done for liberty and freedom in this country,

GregL,

did you see that I DID post "a day in the Life of Joe Republican" TWICE yesterday ?? :)

That should count! heehee

I am so sick of all Obama kool aid blogers. I am a democrat but I have never witness such degree of deception from a candidate. a liar, a militant and terrorist simpatizer. I am a nurse and I respect life no matter where it is at the begining or the end. I have never in my life even considered voting republicant. However, this snake talking man Obama has made up my mind. I knew he was bad news when I saw him snob Hillary on the senate floor. Shame on you. You will sit across the table with rogue countries that want America to die, but you will not be civil to a counterpart that pretty much all she did was to dare run against the mesiah. Ha,Ha. we the Clinton supporters will show you snobery all right. pay back is a............... isn'it? I don't like your wifes comments on America either. Let her go to Africa and see if she will receive an IVY college education. Shame on You Michelle, arrogant b.... shame on you. I had to put myself through a community college. I did not received any kind of education grants. I paid back all my student loans and I still love America.