Too close to election time. I forgot to post this. Here’s a list of all the McCain gaffes and misspeaks he’s said this past election.
2007: McCain: “I was in a conference in Germany over the weekend and President Putin of Germany gave one of the old Cold War style speeches as he addressed the conference there.”
2008: McCain: “And I’m going to tell them, I don’t agree with Senator Obama that they cling to their religion and the constitution because they’re bitter.”
2008: McCain: “I believe that, when he said that we had to leave Iraq, and we had to be out by last March, and we had to have a date certain, that was in contravention to, and still is, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General David Petraeus.”
2008: McCain: “And I’m afraid it’s a very hard struggle. Particularly given the situation on the Iraq-Pakistan border.”
2008: McCain: “Because of the surge, we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others and it began the Anbar Awakening. I mean, that’s just a matter of history.” (The Anbar Awakening began in September 2006, months before the surge was even discussed.)
2008: McCain: “The fact is we had four years of failed policy; we were losing. We were losing the war in Iraq. The consequences of failure and the defeat of the United States of America in the first major conflict since 9/11 would have had devastating impacts throughout the region and the world.” (Afghanistan anyone?)
2008: McCain: “We continue to be concerned about Iranian taking Al Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back.” and “Well, it’s common knowledge and has been reported in the media that Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran. That’s well known. And it’s unfortunate.” (Joe Lieberman had to correct him.)
2008: McCain: “It was al-Sadr that declared the ceasefire, not Maliki.” (It was actually members of Prime Minister Maliki’s government who brokered the ceasefire in Basra, Sadr agreed.)
2008: McCain: “How can we bring pressure on the government of Somalia?” (Mark Salter corrected him by saying “Sudan”.)
2008: McCain: “We have drawn down to presurge levels.” (The US currently had 150,000 troops in Iraq at the time. Pre surge levels were at 130,000.)
2008: McCain: “Basra, Mosul, and now Sadr City are quiet.” (Mosul on the same day suffered three suicide bombings.)
2008: McCain: “I was concerned about a couple of steps that the Russian government took in the last several days. One was reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia.” (Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore. It’s the Czech Republic and Slovakia.)
2008: McCain: “I think it’s a pretty good timetable, as we should have our horizons for withdraw.” (Which then he denied a day later) “I didn’t use the word timetable.”
2008: McCain: “I believe that it’s not an accident that our hostages came home from Iran when President Reagan was president of the United States. He didn’t sit down in a negotiation with the religious extremists in Iran, he made it very clear that those hostages were coming home.” (McCain seems to forget that the hostages were freed because of the Algiers Accords which Warren Christopher and the Carter Administration had negotiated. Nothing to do with Reagan.)
2008: McCain: “Ahmadinejad is, was the leader.” (Political authority rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not the president of Iran. As for foreign policy, Ahmadinejad has very little influence.)
2008: McCain: “There is a very clear standard in the Constitution requiring not only just compensation in the use of eminent domain, but also that private property may not be taken for public use.” (The constitution says “nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation”.)
2008: McCain: “In the twenty first century, nations don’t invade other nations.” (Did he forget Iraq again?)
2008: McCain: “So the compact that is in effect, obviously, needs to be renegotiated over time amongst the interested parties. I think that there’s a movement amongst the governors to try, if not, quote, renegotiate, certainly adjust to the new realities of high growth, of greater demands on a scarcer resource.” (Talking about the Colorado River Compact. Mitt Romney later corrected him.)
2008: McCain: “We should be able to deliver bottled hot water to dehydrated babies…”
2008: McCain: “I’ve bought American literally all my life, and I’m proud.” (Yet he owns a Honda, Volkswagen, and a Lexus.)
2008: McCain: “Across this country, this is the agenda I’ve set before my fellow prisoners…”
2008: McCain: “If we had done what Senator Obama wanted done in Iraq, and that was set a date for withdrawal, which General Petraeus, our chief, chairman of our Joint Chiefs of Staff…” (Again, Petraeus isn’t the chairman of the Joint Chiefs Of Staff.)
2008: McCain: “I think you may have noticed that Senator Obama’s supporters have been saying some pretty nasty things about western Pennsylvania lately… And you know, I couldn’t agree with him more…”
In an effort to not be 100% bias, here are a few gaffes of Obama’s.
2008: Obama: “On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes, and I see many of them in the audience here today…”
2008: Obama: “If they just gave him some treatment early and they got some treatment and a breathalyzer or inhalator. Not a breathalyzer. I haven’t had much sleep in the past forty eight hours, so.”
You know, I’m really getting tired of getting emails and reading news articles and postings by people who are so ignorant. I just got another email today about how Obama said how the flag to some is “a symbol of oppression” and how “the anthem itself conveys a war-like message”. Of course snopes.com has this as false.
I read more and more how Obama is a Muslim or Arab, can’t be trusted, has terrorist ties, etc. Why don’t people fact check? Why are some people so ignorant? They say he’s a Muslim but then what’s all this controversy about a Christian Pastor? This is all stupid. And anyway, what’s wrong with believing in another religion? To steal a line from South Park, I thought this was America! Maybe people here are shocked and suprised that people have tolerance and acceptance towards other ideas. It’s like they woke up and said “Wow, I can’t believe it! America is actually how we imagined it!”
And I blame John McCain for not setting these people straight. If he says “I have repudiated every time someone’s been out of line, whether they’ve been part of my campaign or not, and I will continue to do that.” Then, tell me, how come he doesn’t come out about the people at Palin’s rally’s, shouting “terrorist” and “kill him”? How come Palin hasn’t come out and said anything about it? How come McCain’s own spokesperson, Nancy Pfotenhauer has said that parts of Virginia who are responsive to McCain are “real Virginia”, McCain hasn’t repudiated that? What about all the shouts of “kill him” and “terrorist” at Palin rally’s, McCain hasn’t repudiated that? How come McCain hasn’t repudiated his own VP pick for saying the “real America” and “pro-America” places of the United States? What about Rush Limbaugh’s reason of how Powell endorsed Obama because of race, yet McCain won’t repudiate it?
McCain seems to not repudiate anything. He’d rather sacrifice his integrity and support hatred than loose a campaign. Doesn’t he not want to be a part of this? If he doesn’t, I don’t see how.
Well since McCain “suspended” his campaign last Wednesday, I wonder if he bothered announcing that he unsuspended it. It seems his time in Washington is a complete waste as he said nothing and proposed nothing during the big White House meeting Thursday.
“I came back because I wasn’t going to phone it in.”
McCain said this week. However, he did just that with his time in Washington. He spent the weekend on the phone, something he could have done anywhere. I’m wondering, did he actually do ANYTHING helpful to solve this problem? I didn’t hear any proposals or anything from him. I thought his whole point of “suspending his campaign” was to get this thing fixed. Is it? No.
In other news, a lot of rally’s were held to protest the bailouts, which makes me happy. It’s good to see people taking time to gather and state what they believe in. We need more of this, we need more riots.
Barack Obama has gotten more of my vote (if that’s possible) for him wanting the FDIC to raise the limit. For years I’ve said the limit should be raised because $100,000 isn’t worth nearly as much as it was when the limit was set. It seems McCain is also for it, which also makes me happy.
Last comment, I find it really disgusting that the house Republicans would play politics and blame Pelosi for making a partisan speech (aren’t they all partisan?) that supposedly “poisoned” their position on the bill or whatever. The real reason, I’m sure, is that Republican’s don’t believe in bailouts, why they don’t state that’s the reason we’ll never know. However, to blame a speech… and not only that, saying a speech pissed you off so much so you don’t do what’s right for our country… that really says something.
I’ve been compiling for quite some time a list of ways McCain has voted and things McCain has said that are against women and their rights. Seeing McCain picked a younger woman to be his Vice President, which is obviously a move of desperation to get the PUMA vote and to make himself look younger, I’ve decided to unleash this masterpiece now.
And all the time I thought McCain was against affirmative action…
1986: McCain made a very offensive joke about a woman getting raped by an ape then asking “Where is that marvelous ape” after she came to.
1990: McCain voted against Title X planning programs (such as Planned Parenthood) which provide low income and uninsured women and families with health care services. Also, such programs provide breast and cervical cancer screenings for women in need.
2003: McCain voted against an amendment that would have required insurance coverage of prescription birth control.
2005: McCain voted against spending $100 million to expand access to preventive health care services that would reduce teen pregnancies and the number of abortions.
2005: McCain voted against legislation that would overturn the “global gag rule”. This rule which bars foreign organizations from receiving US assistance if the organization provides abortion or advocates pro-choice laws in their country.
2007: McCain: “Ahhh. I think I support the president’s policy.” (On grants for sexual education with funding for contraceptives. Bush’s policy is abstinence.)
2008: McCain: “I certainly don’t want to discuss that issue.” (On why insurance companies cover Viagra and not birth control. So what is it, Mr McCain?)
2008: McCain believes Roe vs Wade is flawed and should be overturned, having once said in 1999 “Certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.”
2008: McCain skipped a vote for the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which sought equal pay for women. He claims he would have voted against it because it would lead to more lawsuits.
———-
FEW QUESTIONS FOR MCCAIN
- If abortion is made illegal, how much time should a woman do, if any, for having an abortion?
- What punishment should the doctor receive?
- Why do you vote against funding for family planning services that would reduce the number of abortions?
- Are you against birth control?
- Would you please answer that Viagra vs Birth Control question? We need to know your stance. Yes, it might be embarrassing, but this is a real issue.
It made me outraged that McCain released a load of garbage ad against Obama that’s full of nothing but falsehoods.
It is true that Obama cancelled his visit with the troops but not because the center “wouldn’t allow cameras”. Obama was afraid that visiting the troop hospital would make it look like a campaign prop. In fact the footage used in the ad was of Obama playing basketball WITH THE TROOPS. Chuck Hagel even thinks the ad is inappropriate!
The ad also states that Obama doesn’t support the troops and McCain does. Well I found an article that compiled all the work for me on that one.
The ads McCain releases and what McCain says totally contradicts truth in some matters. It seems the media is giving McCain free passes. They don’t bother to fact check him. He claims he supports the troops when it’s clear he doesn’t. Look at his record, it speaks for itself.
McCain is banking on the media not paying attention or waving off his little misspeaks and gaffes; and it’s worked out so far for him. I’m compiling a list of gaffes McCain has made since the start of his campaign. I will be posting it in the upcoming weeks, or I just might wait until the election since I’m sure there will be many many more up until then.
Bottom line, the media really needs to make more of this and not let McCain get away with whatever he says that is false. We need fact checking here. And people need to stop believing every word that comes out of these politicians mouths. Do your fact checks, the media obviously isn’t going to do it for you since they apparently have their own agenda.
Now, last week I gained respect for John McCain and what he came out and said about the New Yorker.
“I think it’s totally inappropriate and frankly I understand if Senator Obama and his supporters would find it offensive.”
Welp, this week, he lost what respect he gained with me by saying:
“I had the courage and political judgement to say that I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me Senator Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign.”
I’m sorry but, how could anyone say that? I find that probably one of the rudest things I’ve heard in politics. It’s just down right dirty and wrong.
And about the surge, here’s my take: THE SURGE DIDN’T WORK. What was the surge supposed to do? Provide a secure environment so the Iraqi’s could set up their government and achieve POLITICAL RECONCILIATION. Did that happen? No.
Yes, yes, yes it is more secure in Iraq, but the goal of the surge was NOT MET. So how can you say that it worked?
Furthermore, if said surge “worked”, why aren’t we starting to withdraw then? All this “success” in Iraq, why haven’t we discussed a timeline for withdraw? The Iraqi Prime Minister and the Iraqi National Security Advisor both said this month that we need a timetable for withdraw.
No matter how you cut it, those troops need to come home now. Please, talk about a timeline or “time horizon”… however you want to call it. Just get them home, and soon!
Below are a lot of issues I compiled to show McCain’s various flip flops on issues or a list of issues where McCain’s view has “evolved”:
ROE VS. WADE
1999: McCain: “Certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.”
2008: For a repeal of Roe vs Wade.
———-
OFFSHORE DRILLING
1999: McCain supported drilling moratorium. He also scolded the special interests in Washington that sought offshore drilling leases.
2008: Vowed to end the federal ban on offshore oil drilling.
———-
BUSH TAX CUTS
2001 and 2003: McCain voted against Bush tax cuts.
2008: Supports Bush tax cuts and will EXTEND them as president.
———-
AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS
2003: McCain: “Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens.”
2007: McCain: “The fact is that I’ve never supported amnesty.”
———-
IRAQ
2002: McCain: “I believe that the success will be fairly easy.”
2007: McCain: “I knew it was probably going to be long and hard and tough and those who voted for it and thought that somehow it was going to be some kind of an easy task, they were mistaken.”
2008: McCain: “But again, I would remind you, I said we would have an easy victory. We did.”
———-
IRAQ TIMETABLE
2008: McCain: “This success that we have achieved is still fragile and could be reversed.” and “If we do what Sen. Obama wants to do, then all of that could be reversed.” (When asked about a possible Iraq timetable.)
2008: McCain: “I think it’s a pretty good timetable, as we should, or horizons for withdrawal.” (When asked about what Maliki wants to do which is what Obama has been saying all along, a 16 month time table.)
———-
GAY MARRIAGE
2008: McCain: “I think gay marriage should be allowed if there’s a ceremony kinda thing, if you want to call it that. I don’t have any problem with that.”
2008: McCain: “I do not believe gay marriages should be legal.” (During the same debate.)
———-
TORTURE & WATERBOARDING
2005: McCain introduced the McCain Amendment 1977 or the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 which prohibits the inhumane treatment of prisoners by interrogations.
2007: McCain: “People who have worn the uniform and had the experience know that this is a terrible and odious practice and should never be condoned in the U.S. We are a better nation than that.” (In response to the issue of waterboarding)
2008: McCain sided with Bush and supported a veto of an anti-warterboarding bill.
———-
PRIVATIZING SOCIAL SECURITY
2004: McCain: “I don’t see how you can possibly, overtime, make sure that young Americans are able to receive Social Security benefits.” (Without privatizing Social Security.)
2008: McCain: “I’m not for, quote, privatizing Social Security. I never have been. I never will be.”
———-
REV WRIGHT COMMENTS
2008: McCain: “I mean being involved in that, it’s beyond belief.”
Yet McCain has been associated with extremists like John Haggy and Ron Parsley (who he campaigned with earlier last year).
———-
WARRENTLESS WIRETAPPING
2007: McCain: “I think that presidents have the obligation to obey and enforce laws that are passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, no matter what the situation is.” and “I don’t think the president has the right to disobey any law.”
2008: McCain believes Bush has the authority to conduct warrentless wiretapping.
———-
ESTATE TAX
2006: McCain: “I agree with President Roosevelt, and I remain opposed to full repeal of the estate tax.”
2008: McCain: “The estate tax is one of the most unfair tax laws on the books.”
———-
BALANCED BUDGET
2008: McCain has been quoted as saying “will not leave office without balancing the federal budget” and has said in February he would balance the budget by the end of his first term.
2008: One of McCain’s economic advisers has said “McCain’s overall goal is to balance the budget by the end of his second term” later in April.
———-
WINDFALL PROFITS TAX
2008: McCain: “I don’t like obscene profits being made anywhere. I’d be glad to look not just at the windfall profits tax, that’s not what bothers me, but we should look at any incentives that we are giving to people, or industries or corporations, that are distorting the markets.”
2008: McCain: “If that plan sounds familiar, it’s because that was President Carter’s big idea, too.” and “I’m all for recycling, but it’s better applied to paper and plastic than to the failed policies of the 1970s.” (McCain also criticized Obama for supporting it.)
———-
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY
1983: Opposed the holiday’s creation.
2008: Supports the holiday, even made a speech on it in 2008.
———-
SANCTIONS
1985: Voted against imposing sanctions against South Africa.
1986: Voted against considering imposing economic sanctions against South Africa.
2008: McCain: “We should privatize the sanctions against Iran by launching a worldwide divestment campaign. …Years ago, the moral clarity and conviction of civilized nations came together in a divestment campaign against South Africa, helping to rid that nation of the evil of apartheid.”
———-
KATRINA INVESTIGATIONS
2005 and 2006: McCain votes against establishment of a 9/11 kind of Congressional commission to examine the Federal, State, and local government response to Katrina. Both proposals sponsored by Senator Clinton.
2008: McCain: “I have supported every investigation and ways of finding out what caused the tragedy.”
———-
EVOLUTION TAUGHT IN SCHOOL
2005: McCain: “I think that there has to be all points of view presented. But they’ve got to be thoroughly presented.”
2008: McCain: “Should it be taught in a science class? Probably not.”
———-
ECONOMY
2005: McCain: “I’m going to be honest, I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues.”
2007: McCain: “I am not an expert on Wall Street.” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” and “I’ve got Greenspan’s book.”
2008: McCain: “I have not. I have not. Actually, I have not. I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military. I’m very strong on the economy. I understand it.” (When confronted about him saying he’s not an expert on the economy. He interrupted the interviewer.)
———-
ENGLISH AS OUR NATIONAL LANGUAGE
2006: McCain voted to declare English the national language of the US.
2008: McCain has his campaign website available in Spanish with the greeting “Bienvenido! Estamos Unidos con McCain” .
———-
RAISING PAYROLL TAXES
2005: McCain: “As part of a compromise I could.” (Support lifting on the cap on Social Security taxes.)
2007: McCain: “I want to right now tell you I will not support a tax increase. I don’t see how it would be. It’s off the table, certainly, now.”
2007: McCain: “I am against tax increases. I am against increases in taxes. I think there are ways to fix Social Security without that.”
2008: McCain: “There is nothing that’s off the table. I have my positions, and I’ll articulate them. But nothing’s off the table.” (In response to a question regarding whether or not he would increase payroll taxes)
———-
THE DRAFT
2007: McCain: “I might consider it, I don’t think it’s necessary, but I might consider it if you could design a draft where everybody equally could serve.” (When asked about reinstating the draft.)
2008: McCain: “I don’t know what would make a draft happen unless we were in an all-out World War III.” and “I do not believe the draft is even practicable or desirable.”
2008: McCain: “Ma’am let me say that I don’t disagree with anything you said and thank you and I am grateful for your support of all of our veterans.” (When a veteran asked if we don’t reenact the draft, there won’t be anyone to get Bin Laden.)
———-
NOTE ABOUT THE $300 MILLION PRIZE FOR CAR BATTERY
McCain said he’d pay for this prize by eliminating pork barrel projects (unspecified pork barrel projects) yet he said that eliminating those would pay for his other spending.
———-
NOTE ABOUT MCCAIN BEING IN TOUCH WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
McCain has used his wife’s corporate jet for campaign purposes. McCain in 2007 backed legislation requiring presidential candidates to pay the cost of flying on corporate jets. Using his wife’s jet is, obviously, exempt from this legislation.
———-
FEW QUESTIONS FOR MCCAIN
- What military experience do you have that makes you qualified to be president?
- How come when I go to Courageous Service on your website nothing’s there?
- What SPECIFIC earmarks will you cut to save $100 billion?
- Will you cut the $4.3 billion aid to Israel and Egypt (it’s an earmark)?
- Do you think we have memory loss or something when you say you haven’t said you’re not good on the economy when there are quotes everywhere contradicting that statement?
- How can you say you’re in touch with the American people when your wife, Cindy McCain, spent $750,000 in credit card charges in ONE MONTH?
- How can you claim that you are in touch with the American people when you don’t even know how many houses you own?
- How can you prove you understand America’s hardships and problems?
- Do you believe that you were tortured in Vietnam? According to the Bush Administration’s definition of torture (which you side with and support), you WERE NOT tortured.
- Would you reinstate the draft to fight all these wars you want to wage? Yes or no. Simple answer please.