McCain: Obama Socialist? "I Don't Know"

In an interview with the Kansas City Star, John McCain says Barack Obama was labeled as having the "most extreme" record in the Senate.

"Extreme? You really think hes an extremist? I mean, he's clearly a liberal," interviewer Dave Helling asks.

"That's his voting record," McCain responds. "All I said was his voting record, and that is more to the left than the announced Socialist in the United States Senate, Bernie Sanders of Vermont."

"Do you think hes a socialist, Barack Obama?" Helling asks.

McCain responds with a with a shrug, "I don't know."

Watch the video.

Comments

[cnick]

I do know what John McCain IS, not fit to be president, he is too old, too confused, too shallow and thinks he's funnier than he actually is.

[mergina]

I don't know if McCain actually knows what a socialist is, or can remember what it is five minutes after remembering.

[JeanPaulSatire]

There seems to be no limit to what "Ace" doesn't know -- and he's happy to share that fact with us. How generous of him.

[PrinceHal]

It's obvious from some of these comments that a lot of people have no idea what "socialism" is, and have learned from all the rich folks and Republicans that it is a purty good cussword, whether you know what it means or not. Especially if you don't..

So it was in its cussword usage that McCain was asked about Obama, and so used again in the way McCain answered the question.

But then along comes JBoy down below somewhere, and he says,

"Allowing the government to control aspects of your life - that's socialism."

Wrong, JBoy.

Allowing the government to pay for certain aspects of your life that you can't afford to pay for yourself -- that's more like what socialism really is. Aspects of your life like medical care and starvation prevention.

But Republicans believe the poor have every right not only to BE poor, but to suffer for it. In fact, the "humanitarians" of the right think the poor damn well deserve to suffer if they don't have sense enough to be rich, or at least 'way better than solvent.

So anybody who wants the government to help people pay for what they can't afford is a SOCIALIST! Whatever that is, it sure sounds bad enough! And that's just how the GOP likes it.

[Bluedanube]

Oh no, say it ain't so! Socialism is only meant for the rich, not the little people. Thanks for the heads up McCain.

[MadFae]

Ok, great, people accidentally elected a Socialist to be a U.S. Senator. Oops. John McCain needs to practice his passive aggressive act, because if he's trying to be subtle, it isn't working. Belief in the well-being and upkeep of society does not make one a Socialist. Remember, a country is judged by how well the least of its citizens are doing. It's time we created a wave that raises ALL ships, and not just the 1% who can pay for it.

[JBoy]

How do you accidently elect someone to public office? That's ludicrous!

Allowing the government to control aspects of your life - that's socialism, and it does appear to be the direction that BHO leans.

[egal]

No, allowing the government to control aspects of your life is GOVERNMENT. The only alternative is anarchy, no government. You'll find that most people don't want to live in a nation where it is not punishable for someone to kill another person out of mere anger, to drive wherever they want at any speed without any restrictions or consequences for running people down even in their own houses, and to rape children without those children having some recourse to demand justice or a government to give it to them.

A government, by DEFINITION, controls aspects of your life.

That's what it is, that's what it does, and this is no less true for McCain, who wants to force us to pay for our own healthcare even though it's far too expensive for most, who wants to make our soldiers go to war in yet another place where war will be counterproductive, who wants to make us give up even more of the freedoms and influence we supposedly have in this democratic republic, and who wants to force us to continue paying more for less while his policies increase the gap between the rich and the poor.

[egal]

Allowing the government to control aspects of your life is GOVERNMENT.

The absence of this is known as anarchy, and it is a state in which we have no laws, no justice, no oversight, and certainly no nation.

By definition, a government controls aspects of your life, and McCain does the same thing to an even greater degree--insisting on continuing a war the people don't want, intending to give the rich tax breaks that detract from the national good because they pay his checks, and planning to continue the Bush trend of destroying the American freedoms--and most particularly, its Constitution--for the sake of government-controlled, '1984'-style demolition of privacy, equality, and even freedom of beliefs.

[ElIngeniero]

Sure we allow the government to control our access to drugs. With ample, even enthusiastic conservative support I might add.

It would be nice go down to the corner drug store, show my ID and buy 5 grams of Blueberry (very strong marijuana). If today's so called conservatives really believed in minimizing government interference towards consenting adults, this would be a no brainer.

[loril]

I know what you mean. It is horrible how the government is forcing me to pay all those tax dollars to bail out our corporations and make cover for scandals like Enron. Shouldn't the corporate socialism end now???

And who wants health care anyway? It's a drag being sick...no fun at all. Better to go back to the good old days when you just expired in the back room...the neighbors came over with pies to view your body in the parlor for a couple of days and then your family buried you in the back yard. Simpler and less expensive and no pesky government assistance.

And who likes weekends anyway? No opportunity to make more money to buy crap if you have a day off. (Oh yeah, that's right. We are taking care of this unpleasant socialist problem already. Nobody has weekends anymore because everyone has to work multiple jobs or else spend all weekend connected to the laptop or blackberry. Damn labor laws made all of us soft.)

So its agreed. We all hate socialism, weekends, getting our prescriptions filled and having annoying government stooges "run our lives" with parks, libraries, childrens services, programs for our elderly and other annoying window dressing. So much better to pass the baton of "controlling aspects of our lives" to the rightful meddlers...the churches and the professional moralizers.

[BillKen]

Me: "I don't know" if Mc Cain is a communist. Absurd isn't it, so is Obama being a socialist. What small minded individual would engage in such BS, McBush of course. Semper Fi

[sherbug]

Well what do you call those that exploit everything at the expese of the working class. Hmmm, I think you would call that a communist or a reasonable facsimile of one.

[eastutican]

The list of things McCain doesnt know is very, very, very long.

He does know about S&Ls. He does know his current wife is permanently barred from having anything to do with charities. He does know that he doesnt know, exactly, how he differs from Bush. And, by gum, he knows he is white.

[Phil123]

Of course Obama's a socialist. Look at his platform. What else would you call it?

McCain just understands "the rules." You can't say anything that could be perceived as negative about Obama - even if it's just to quote him. Otherwise, you get accused of "attacks," and sometimes "racism."

[egal]

If McCain were merely quoting Obama, a significant portion of the nation wouldn't believe Obama is Muslim, a black power extremist, a foreigner, and wrong about so many things he's been right about--of course, McCain isn't the one advancing these tactics, but he is claiming that Obama's statements mean things no twisting of the words could possibly mean under any laws where logic still holds sway.

So yes, we call it an attack to insist that Obama's support of new Veterans entitlements is "not supporting the troops" but McCain's votes against it are because he also supported a surge that, numerically, isn't doing as much good as he thinks it is. But McCain doesn't believe in reason, by all apearances, so why should reality have a part in his attacks on Obama, your claims that McCain merely quotes Obama, and your insistence that racism is the accusation whenever McCain is negative when all we've been saying is that it's unfair to accuse Obama of flip-flopping one week and of stubborness the next, on the same issue?

[BatedBreath]

What he meant is that he doesn't know what a socialist is...another reason he was 5th from the bottome of his Annapolis graduating class.

[ffny]

What do we do with garbage we recycle it....send it off to Washington as a Senator and let it run for resident as a Right Wing candidate

[ffny]

If Obama is a Socialist ,and McCain is not sure if he is or not
could be he doesn't want to have the Fascist flag waved in his (McCains) face.

[Jazzcomedian]

We need to stop treating socialism as a bad word. Our negative attitude toward socialism is a relic of the cold war. I lived in Australia for seven years as a permanent resident. Australia is a capitalist based country mixed with socialism. They've had 17 straight years of growth, huge budget surpluses, a 4.2% unemployment rate, booming stock market, and an affluent livestyle that surpasses ours. The minimum wage is $10 an hour, every worker gets six weeks paid vacation, they have universal healthcare, and single parents get a monthly stipend no matter how many jobs they have to keep women, and children from falling below the poverty line. Until recently all education, including college was free. Homeless people are almost non-existent. Their government works very efficiently. Australians are among the happiest people on earth even though they pay more for gas than we do.

While Aussie's are just as rugged and individualistic as we are, they have collectively embraced the concept that everyone's welfare in the society is tied together, and they are willing to do something we won't for their peace of mind--which is pay more taxes.

Our nation and our super stressed mental state could benefit with an introduction of more socialism to balance our darwinian capitalism.

[ruthinking]

McCain is following Hillary Clinton's campaign tactics. Remember "not as far as I know;" "not experienced," "just one speech," etc.. Did someone neglect to tell McCain that Hillary's tactics did NOT work?

[mexicanamerican1948]

The fact it did work,Hillary played to the middle, most people in this country are centrists or conservative. That is how Bill Clinton won, two men from the Bible belt south, yes both Born again Christians. Obama now sees this is heading for the center and staying socialist and liberal never wins. But is Obama a Socialist, Liberal and a progressive, Of course he his, he is just embarssed to say it that's all. Lets get real. Watch your pockets, here come the taxes!!!(Looks like a duck, smells like a duck, etc)