“Straight-Talking” McCain Flip-Flops (Again)

by Ken · Published 05/15/08 · Updated 12/26/13

I’ll admit that I donated money to John McCain’s 2000 campaign, but as a registered Democrat could not vote in the closed GOP primary in Florida that year. But I’ll also admit that was a clear mistake, and Mr. Maverick has been giving me reasons to regret those donations ever since.

Today, we have John McBush – I mean, John McCain – doing what he does best, flip-floping on his own platform planks. This time, seeing the tea leaves from recent House special elections, McCain has switched sides on Iraq.

Okay, so he gave lip service to opposing a timetable for Iraq withdrawal. But at the same time, he talked wistfully of “winning” the war in Iraq by 2013, and that most of the troops will have come home. I guess by “most”, he means that we’ll leave at least a few around to carry out his 100-year occupation plan.

But this is still a striking flip-flop, to claim out of one side of his mouth that he opposes a timetable, and then declaring it out of the other side a goal to have withdrawn most troops by the end of his first term.

Sadly, this is vintage McCain. Just the other day, he proclaimed to be an green candidate, with colorful logos and a plan to cap emissions. What he didn’t come out and admit was his planned is little more than a watered down version of a plan by Senators Lieberman and Warner, which is a watered down version of the original McCain-Lieberman approach to climate change to begin with. And he’s doing the same thing by pushing a less generous version of the GI Bill sponsored by Senator Webb and dozens of other senators.

When John McCain isn’t seeking Bush’s 3rd term, he’s being transparently phony.

I look forward to seeing Senator Obama kick his ass on Election Day.

(Yes, Christian, Hillary is still technically running, but unlike you I can see the math and see the trajectory and I know Hillary is going to lose, even if she won’t go quietly. Just seeing the energy and enthusiasm for Edwards in endorsing Obama yesterday tells me Hillary and her die-hards are not seeing the forest among all the trees on this one.)