For those of us inclined to grit our teeth, hold our nose, and grab our balls when going into the voting booth and pulling the lever for John McCain on election day next November, all I can say is after reading this interview of him in Der Spiegel, there is a very good chance our teeth will be worn down to nothing, our noses will have permanent pinch marks on them, and our balls will feel like lead weights between our legs by the time we vote:
SPIEGEL: America has lost a lot of friends because President George W. Bush angered, indeed outraged, them. He allowed human rights to be violated at Guantanamo Bay, and he dismissed the joint effort to combat global warming. Under a President McCain, could we expect a change of course?McCain: Yes. I would announce that we are not ever going to torture anyone held in American custody. I would announce that we were closing Guantanamo Bay and moving those prisoners to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and I would announce a commitment to addressing climate change and my dedication to a global agreement—but it has to include India and China.
I’ll bet anyone within 50 miles of Leavenworth is jumping for joy at that news.
Bryan at Hot Air made a game out of this interview, asking readers to identify the speaker and giving Democratic candidates as choices.
I would have picked Obama saying the exact same thing. And it gets worse:
SPIEGEL: Will America attempt to go it alone less frequently in the future?McCAIN: Well, we all hope that America will be multilateral again in the future. There were times when the United States acted unilaterally, but I think we would all prefer to work in concert with our friends and allies.
SPIEGEL: What role will the United Nations play? Bush always ignored the UN.
McCain: The United Nations always plays an important role. But right now we are having to deal with a Russia that is clearly intent on blocking action. That’s why the UN must act in a league of democracies that share our values and our common principles.
Okay, so…we hold 6 party talks to get North Korea to disarm but we’re going it alone?
We are allowing the Big Three of France, Germany, and Great Britain to negotiate with the Iranians and we’re going it alone?
We get NATO to take over the Afghan mission. They agree. And we’re going it alone?
Prior to the Iraq invasion, we begged and pleaded with many nations to join us. Thirty one nations did. And we’re going it alone?
The leftist narrative brooks no countervailing argument or evidence. There were many other examples of the US not going it alone in international affairs but it doesn’t matter. To Spiegel and the domestic left, facts don’t mean squat. The narrative is the thing.
The same holds true for Spiegel’s question about America “always” ignoring the UN? When? About what?
McCain should have jumped down that interviewer’s throat for making those two ridiculously false statements. Instead, he answered them like any good liberal would.
What a pandering, sycophantic, arrogant popinjay he is.
Then there was this eye opener:
SPIEGEL: So is America coming back to renegotiate the Kyoto Protocol?McCain: I believe America is going to enter into negotiations to try to reach a global agreement. But, as I said, that agreement must include India and China, two of the emerging economies of the world. We would be foolish not to do so.
If McCain doesn’t realize by now that any “global agreement” on reducing emissions will ask more of the US than any other nation – so much so that only a Democrat like Bill Clinton or Barack Obama would agree to such a disadvantageous treaty – then it really is time to batten down the hatches and zip up your wallet. Any agreement with China and India will necessarily be token and superficial. Both of those countries don’t want to ruin their economies on the altar of global warming any more than we do.
But I don’t trust McCain on this any more than I trust him on judges or taxes. He could easily sell this country out in a climate agreement that placed the burden of reducing emissions on the US while virtually ignoring China and India thus giving those competitors a huge advantage. But as long as it kept him in good standing with the media, I think he’d do it.
Reading that entire interview, there were places that you really weren’t sure if you were listening to a Democrat or a Republican, liberal or conservative. This is McCain’s identity and I guess we better get used to it. It is maddening, worrisome, even frightening at times. But that’s being a “maverick” I suppose.
One thing for certain; we’re going to need the patience of Job to endure an entire campaign season with this guy. Otherwise, I’m going to have a nervous breakdown by the summer.
5:12 pm
How can you write this after just trying to whip us into voting for McCain? Ridiculous.
My motto for Republicans this year – “Vote Hillbama – McCain without the Blame!”
In all seriousness, you said how a Hillbama regime would be horrible, but now you are saying that in almost every single area where Hillbama would be dangerous, you don’t trust McCain either. All that is really left is the war in Iraq. Heck, he wants to go soft on the terrorists. (The Dems should look at this objectively anyway. If you had to be held in custody indefinately, would you rather be on a tropical island or in Kansas? Think about it.)
I’ll say what I said on the other thread which I posted today so you probably didn’t see it – President McCain would bury the charred remnents of conservatism.
5:15 pm
You’re right. It’s almost as if I have to keep trying to convince myself.
But Iraq is – must be – a deal breaker with Hillbama. And I really think McCain would be much more aggressive in the war on terror than either of them. Both of them are trapped by their pacifist base and would be constrained to act in any international situation.
As for the rest – all we can do is try and hold his feet to the fire.
5:35 pm
This makes the case for the Ann Coulter approach. At least if a we get a dem elected the Republicans will fight it. If we elect McCain the republicans will feel obligated to fall in line and not embarrass their president. Much like some of them are demanding us conservatives to do now.
I gave up on our future in 2006 with the runaway spending and republican mis-behavior. It was obvious then things needed to go to hell in a handbasket before they would get better.
5:51 pm
It will be a long road having to listen to McCain. I’ve blogged about this interview and provided translation services free of charge …
http://themccainmutiny.com/2008/02/12/der-spiegel-with-der-liberal/
6:16 pm
Rick, I fear you’re coming down with McCain Derangement Syndrome. Here’s the thing about McCain…he’s not advocating policies that are all that irrational: – Let’s stop torturing prisoners, – Let’s keep criminals charged with crimes under American law in America, – Let’s work with allies and the UN(when we can) and when Russia (or others) make that impossible, and he seems to imply that the US won’t let that stop them, – Let’s work with the Chinese and Indians to try to find a mutually agreeable solution to global warming…
These are, as far as I can tell, fairly reasonable policies, no matter what side of the fence you sit on. At least he’s not (Gasp!) advocating sitting down with Hugo Chavez to work out our differences.
Honestly Rick, at this point, you’re starting to get a little unhinged. I used to read you because you were a “reasonable” conservative…but with your MDS (and comments like “What a pandering, sycophantic, arrogant popinjay he is.”), I’m quickly losing that impression.
I’d suggest stepping back and taking a deep breath.
6:27 pm
There is no way on earth I will vote for Madman McCain! It is beyond belief, but it is already apparent that most Republicans will twist themselves into new kinds of pretzels trying to square the circle with this guy. Better to maintain my own sanity and be able to look myself in the mirror each morning by not voting for this monster, than kick myself each and every day for years to come knowing I played the biggest sucker of my adult life.
7:16 pm
I’m not sure why you trust McCain on Iraq when he obviously can’t be trusted on anything else.
I have no idea what I will do in November. I guess vote for the candidate I think will do the least harm.
7:38 pm
I am almost through with the bargaining stage and am headed straight for depression.
The idea of voting for McCain makes me want to vomit. But I think I am going to have to do it for the war on terror and judicial appointments. My plan at the moment is to get drunk enough to do it without making myself incapacitated or let anyone know I am intoxicated – shouldn’t take much since I rarely drink at all.
Either way though, I think I am going to be drinking Pepto Bismol for the next 4 years.
7:50 pm
Here’s another thing that is making me grind my teeth:
“Near-record number of GOP congressmen retiring
By ROB HOTAKAINEN
The Star’s Washington correspondent
WASHINGTON | When Kenny Hulshof announced his run for Missouri governor, he joined a large and worrying group: Republican congressmen heading for the exit.
He’s one of 26 GOP representatives to announce they would resign or retire this year, one shy of a single-year record exodus set in 1952. Up to four more are expected to follow.
Observers note the Missouri congressman has solid political motives, but they attribute many of the other departures to low morale and difficult fundraising following the GOP loss of control since 2006.
“It’s become an epidemic,†said David Johnson, a GOP strategist based in Atlanta. On Monday, Republican Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona, a seven-term congressman, announced he would not seek re-election.”
I think we all know that there has certainly been an incredible amount of corruption on the Republcian side of the aisle and with new investigations popping up all the time I think it’s really not that strange that Republicans are scared.
Anyway, This means that we will now have Democrats running all three branches of the government soon. You know what that means: The Iraq War will end, and allthe progress we have made will be lost. All the trrorists who attacked us on 9/11 from Iraq will be joyous. Then Al Quaeda will attack us.
On the other hand the economy will prosper, the Consitution will meansomething and America will be loved and respected again again.
Damnit
!
7:51 pm
How can you hold someone’s feet to fire while simultaneously saying you’re going to vote for them regardless?
8:09 pm
He makes me ill- John McCain!
Yeah I’ll vote for him. And pray for the best at the same time expecting the worst.
8:30 pm
Both of those countries dont want to ruin their economies on the altar of global warming any more than we do. I wish people would rethink this. The reasoning goes something like this:
Fossil-fuel energy prices, especially oil but also including coal and gas, are on the rise (good stats including history here). We (the US) are already at a competitive disadvantage because we are comparatively wasteful of energy, and this comparative disadvantage will increase as energy costs become a larger part of the economy [Note: I don’t have supporting evidence for this comparative disadvantage]. Sure, China burns coal in grossly inefficient (and polluting) electric plants (also cement plants), but they have purely crass and selfishly greedy reasons to switch to higher-efficiency plants. Efficiency technology is pretty much a winner, and we (the US) could dominate in efficiency technologies, and in alternative power technologies, if we chose to do so. And a bunch of federally funded/subsidized focused research/development, or tax incentives if you prefer less intervention in the market, would be enormously cheaper than 100+ billion a year of war-fighting and country-occupation and wear-and-tear of military equipment in the Middle East.
8:45 pm
> SPIEGEL: America has lost a lot of friends because President George W. Bush angered, indeed outraged, them.
Who are these “friends” we lost? European socialist nations? The ones who have sneered at us ever since we went overseas and fought for them in their bloody wars?
In the grand scheme, their friendship is worth a pittance. When they start worrying about whether they “anger” or “indeed outrage” us, maybe we can start coveting their applause a little more. Until then, let’s just do what’s right … regardless of their blather.
9:11 pm
They all stink to no end, but hillabama would stick us with crappy Supreme Court that will strip our freedoms faster and more often than McCaint. This is really the lesser of two evils…
We could still vote Ron Paul even with some of his ideas and views are wacky to me. That could basically shut down the government as we know it which might be a good thing compaired to the options above.
7:23 am
[...] Rick Moran takes note of an interview McCain gave to the German paper, SPIEGEL. He comes to the same conclusion about McCain as I did: What a pandering, sycophantic, arrogant popinjay he is. [...]
8:16 am
Headhunt 23: I prefer “don’t vote for president – vote Republican for Congress”. Voting for McCain is a waste of time and effort, since he’ll govern like a Democrat, but actually voting for Obama (who refuses to talk about his politics for good reason – he’s to the left of Hugo Chavez) would be too much. I don’t think that Hillary will be on the ballot. Her candidacy is over.
8:36 am
[...] Right Wing Nuthouse SPIEGEL: America has lost a lot of friends because President George W. Bush angered, indeed outraged, them. He allowed human rights to be violated at Guantanamo Bay, and he dismissed the joint effort to combat global warming. Under a President McCain, could we expect a change of course? [...]
9:58 am
I’m not inclined to believe everything STERN has printed. After living in Germany for 5 years, and visiting frequently (most recently the first half of ‘05)... Stern is one of the most anti-American publications out there, and have been noted as manufacturing quotes/stories as they wish.
Yes, McCain sucks.. but I’m inclined to hope what he said was that ‘Global Agreements would have to include India/China’, and obviously, that’s a non-starter.
Try David’s Medienkritik for more specifics on the misinformation campaign that is SOP in Europe. http://medienkritik.typepad.com/blog/
v/r
8:49 am
Jake (#5) said:
“...Let’s keep criminals charged with crimes under American law in America…”
They’re not criminals—they’re enemy combatants! American criminal law should have nothing to do with them.