Still A Maverick, Still Can't Win

The sad plight of John McCain

Editor's Note: Thomas's commentary is in blue and Marcie's is in purple.

Hugh Hewitt has said it best, and we continually reiterate it: John McCain is a good American, but he's a terrible Senator and a lousy Republican. That said, people know where we're coming from in this election. While our columns on Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Fred Thompson gave some people our stance on where we stand on these candidates, this one will not be so kind. John McCain has a snowball's chance in Hell of winning the nomination. We're going to go over the points that put the stake through his political heart, and where they stand within our enumerated platform. We, his constituents and the American public, didn't do this. He did it all on his own.

The Beginning of His End

In 2000, John McCain lost the Republican nomination for President to George W. Bush. Upon returning to Washington, he began working on a piece of legislation that began his fall. Joining with Russ Feingold (D-WI), the pair worked on what was termed "campaign finance reform." This was a seriously hostile assault on the First Amendment of the Constitution because it made it illegal to run campaign ads 30-60 days before the general election. Additionally, concerned groups and citizens were barred from mentioning a candidates name in what the pair termed as "attack ads." The First Amendment guarantees our political rights, and political speech is the cornerstone of the second most important amendment to the Constitution. John McCain seemed to have no problem in curtailing our ability to speak out against politicians running for reelection. Some groups have renamed CFR the "incumbent protection act."

Tax Cuts Work; McCain Disagrees

In 2001 and 2003 the President signed the tax cuts he proposed into law, easing the burden of the nation, and jump starting an economy that had been in a recession since October of 2000. (The recession, according to economists, started in March of 2000.) John McCain not only opposed these cuts, but he openly challenged the White House that the cuts wouldn't work. They did, and we have a booming economy to prove it. Consumer confidence has continued to rise, and the stock market is setting record highs constantly. While he does have a point about controlling spending and deficit reduction, without enacting the tax cuts the economic status of this nation would be significantly worse, especially after the brief freefall caused by the 11 September terrorist attacks. The tax cuts stimulated the economy, giving more Americans more money in their pockets to put back into the economy. Housing sales and car sales went up as people used those refunds and the cuts themselves. John McCain said that the cuts would only benefit big business, but the little guys sure liked getting their money back; tax dollars overpaid during the Clinton years.

The Next Attack on the Constitution

The above two points are valid, but small potatoes by comparison to this one. On May 23, 2005 John McCain united thirteen other senators -- seven total Republicans and seven total Democrats -- in the infamous Gang of Fourteen deal. The group was put together after repeated threats from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) to invoke the "Constitutional option" (also referred to as the "nuclear option") to break the use of an unconstitutional filibuster being used by Democrats on President Bush's judicial nominees. In the deal, ten total nominees were named that had received their fair hearing from the Senate Judiciary Committee, and were awaiting their rightful vote by the Senate. Seven of them were thrown overboard automatically; quashing their duly-enumerated right to an up-or-down vote. The deal he concocted kept the filibuster in place, and severely damaged the process judicial nominees must go through to sit on the federal bench. Worse, John McCain defended the action as necessary in case the Democrats retake the White House so they can use the same tactic on that president. This event, more than anything, clearly shows that the senator not only does not understand the Constitution, but shows how hostile he is toward the founding document itself.

A Raw Deal For America

Before he started his current run for the presidency, John McCain joined forces with Ted Kennedy (D-MA) to work on what they called "comprehensive immigration reform." They admitted our immigration system was in a dismal state. What they refused to acknowledge was that if they would simply enforce the laws on the books there would be no need for any sort of overhaul-like reform.. But it became quite apparent when the two emerged from the clandestine negotiations that amnesty was what their solution was, and sticking the taxpayers with the tab. There was no real reform in the bill, and in a seemingly Freudian slip during the last GOP debate held by CNN, John McCain let it slip that there would be no further progress on the fence proposed and passed in October of 2006. Again, America is being shown that the federal government isn't serious at all about securing our borders, and enforcing the laws regarding immigration. When he was questioned in the negotiations by a fellow colleague, John Cornyn (R-TX), he exploded on him, dropping an F-bomb. He has been belligerent and contentious towards most people that question him on this legislation, and downright condescending to voters who confront him. For John McCain, this legislation wasn't about what's right. It was all about him.

Tortured Logic

This is a hotly contested issue with regard to Senator McCain. He was a former POW in Vietnam, and was tortured by his Vietcong captors. To say the torture was bad does not even begin to cover the subject. It was severe, and he has always been sensitive to the issue. On the heels of the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison and Gitmo (both subjects overblown severely by the media), he introduced an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill of 2006 that reiterated the illegality of torture by the United States military. This was entirely redundant, and the amendment itself only increased the firestorm the administration was facing over the abuses discovered. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had admitted these abuses, and stated the military was investigating them. Those behind the abuses were relieved of duty and prosecuted, but this was not enough for Senator McCain. He moved forward with his own agenda, and was incensed when the President created a signing statement that basically said he would do what he had to do to prevent another attack. If that included utilizing torture to save American lives, then so be it. There was no need for this amendment, and was nothing more than a soapbox for a senator out to make a name for himself.

He's made a name for himself all right, and the base knows it well. "Traitor," "turncoat," "maverick;" and those are just the printable words used in association with him. His arrogance knows no bounds, and his agenda threatens some integral and delicate matters this nation faces. The animus he shows for the Constitution -- the nation's founding document that enumerates our God-given rights in this nation -- is simply sickening. The GOP base isn't supporting this man because of the above record that we've gone over. The old political adage states that we don't have long memories, and we tend to forget the transgressions of our elected representatives. With the case of John McCain, that's not true at all. His fundraising shows this. His debate performances show this. The base doesn't trust this man, and they have a right to feel that way. For the last six years John McCain has done his best to alienate those he claims to represent. And like the fictional character of Captain Queeg from "The Caine Mutiny," John McCain is determined to punish the entire nation for not being with him in 2000 after his angry outburst killed any chance he had at the White House. This time around his record will hang him rather than his temper.

He is a scholar of history, especially American history, and the United States Constitution. She has finished her undergrad studies, graduating with a BA in English and history and wil move onto law school this fall where she will specialize in Constitutional Law. Together, Thomas and Marcie form the vanguard of conservative opinion at Hamilton, Madison, and Jay--a blogging site devoted to advancing the conservative cause by challenging the liberal lies and deceit spread by the media, and espoused by the Left in general. Both are expert debaters, and have beaten many liberals into submission with their collective wit, and unmatched knowledge. The pair is married, and resides in Arizona.

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