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

[DMHendrix]

Just add his comment to the extraordinarily L-O-N-G list of things that he doesn't know. I think they make some kind of medication for that condition now...check in to it.

[mommamia526]

Socialized Medicine...Ooooyyyy! There was just this week an override of Bush's veto to eliminate another Medicare reimbursement cut . What did this? Joint action by doctors and patients, a.o., who wrote and called their representatives. It was about another proposed reimbursement cut for physicians. I wonder how much influence patients and their doctors have in capitalist decisions by insurance companies, healthcare and risk, to reverse the decisions of those insurers not to allow certain procedures, to proscribe certain procedures and medicines, and to de facto practice medicine instead of doctors doing so. It is not called *socialized medicine*, but we should give it a name, nevertheless. How about CEO-paperpusher medicine? I like my doctor to decide for me. Pharmaceutical companies keep direct track of my prescription meds and how much I use, and when, and I get a reminder from the pharmaceutical company if I am a day late refilling my prescription! This, under *capitalist* medicine. I will take *socialized medicine* where the doctor decides on such issues any time, as well as on procedures used. Doctors have a bargaining position with patients on Medicare. They have no position, whatsoever, with insurers. Oh, and by the way, does McCain use Medicare plus Medicare Advantage when he goes to the doctor? Medicare advantage plans are supplemented out of Medicare. Socialism!!

[OliverTwist]

Oh, how I wish he was a socialist. But alas it is not to be. Fascists are the only ists that get much love here. Too bad.

[KBAR]

The three core principles of The Progressive Promise are:

1. Fighting for economic justice and security for all. (Code for: We're going to 'eliminate poverty and suffering' by taking away all of your possessions and redistributing them.)

2. Protecting and preserving our civil rights and civil liberties. (Code for: We're going to 'eliminate' all differences and pound everyone down to the lowest common denominator).

3. Promoting global peace and security. (Code for: We-your Superiors-will finally feel secure and at peace once agendas 1-2 have been carried out to completion.)

[laocoon]

I always wondered when the initial distribution of wealth happened. It is always talked about as if government were uninvolved with that initial distribution. It is hard to find a transfer of property where government has not given one side or the other superior leverage in one way or another. if you wanted government to stay out of it entirely it would be one thing but you want government giving that leverage in what you then call a free market. i am not against the leverage but if that results in huge differences in people's living standard and leaves almost no real options to the poor then i say a little mitigation of the extreme effects is appropriate. Once government is involved it should act fairly and protect all of its citizens from the sort of coercion that results from a few having the lions share. think about Potterville in Its a Wonderful Life. remember Mr. Potter, without Jimmy Stewart's influence, has gained ownership of most of the town. Are the people in Potterville really free? the government protects Mr. Potter's leverage and with it he can pretty much dictate whatever terms he wants to the people in the town. Capitalism is fine especially at increasing production but we need to use our collective will to mitigate against the extreme results that can and often do occur.

[mabinog]

I love this question, asked just to incense the wing nuts. It would be like someone asking Obama, When did McBush stop beating his wife? Obama: I don't know.

[whiteboyblues]

That's funny, I thought the GOP was moving toward the Socialism platform.

[PrairieDog]

Does someone who thinks there's such a country as Czechoslovakia 15 years after it ceased to exists even know what a socialist is? Or to look at this through another lens, to Vlad the Impaler everybody is a socialist.

[patrickjkiger]

Probably not. But that's okay, because he can have Cindy look it up on the Internet for him.

[BUMbO]

McCain and his minions are still looking for pinko commies.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

The National Review ratings are a joke. If anyone wants 0bama's ratings from a real non-partisan group check the attacked link and bookmark it for future reference. 0bama is liberal but no extremist.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/spectrum.xpd

McBush should worry that his voting record is almost identical to Booshes over the last three years.

[Bettysdad]

Who n the Demo party is an extremist?

None. That's the problem

[mommamia526]

Inuendo, does not make it to the level of *swiftboating*. And, McCain does not know a lot of things, if we may believe his own words. And, what, for heavens' sake, does McCain and do Americans thinks a *socialist* is? The socialists I met in The Netherlands used to be all kinds of people, the sort you would call Democrats in the U.S. They were into human rights, going camping, having a good time, and giving the underdog a chance too. As kids they were members of the AJC, sort of a scout group, they wore almost identical outfits as scouts, except the colors were blue and red. They sang a lot too, and had a great time. I was not attracted to it, but then I am not into clubs. When I studied Economics at an American University I got a lot of lectures about the *socialist countries of western Europe* from professors who had never been there, and like McCain, just were echoboards. Then they wanted me to second their opinion that medical care in Europe was below par. Could not do that. My husband was a doctor there, and is one here. Practices the same medicine. Well, that caused a lot of retaliation. Socialism in Europe is mixed economies. The U.S. has a mixed economy. And, is McCain a *socialist*? I think so, rich as he is, he cashes a socialist social security check each month. Yeah, yeah, yeah! McCain is a socialist!

[Plowboy]

Little John McCain doesn't know a heck of a lot.
He didn't learn much in school by finishing at the bottom of his class.
He admitted not understanding anything about economics.
He has repeatedly demonstrated that he knows nothing of history and geography by referring to nonexisting countries.
He repeatedly confused Sunis with Shia.
And now he asdmits to know nothing of his fellow senator.
Well, he does know -- perhaps -- that he opposes him, whatever he might be.

[Rendon76]

That's on par with Hillary's "As far as I know".

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

Add this to the very long list of things McCain doesn't know.

[camipco]

Socialism is the reason we have schools, roads, an army, police force, fire fighters, social security, and it's socialism that pays John McCain's salary.

Raw Capitalism, by contrast, has brought us the electrocution of our soldiers in showers in Iraq, hundreds of billions of dollars of unprosecuted fraud, and led to the collapse of dozens of economies around the world.

The radical economic theory that society is better off without government has been tested and found to be pathetically and disasterously wrong. The fact that a candidate would be criticized for holding a mainstream, common sense position of promoting a mixed economy which has led to prosperity and stability for every nation on earth that has adopted it is a sign of the deep sickness at the heart of the American political debate.

[laocoon]

I never understood why we have to have socialized police and military. Many people argue that the starving and homeless and sick need to rely on charity as the only solution. I would think that people with money would be far more inclined to contribute generously to causes that benefit them the most like police protection and military etc. Therefore if we relied on charity for these things too we could just about totally eliminate all taxation. We do we need to tax for things that clearly benefit in proportion to ones wealth? Any rational rich person will gladly give to have services that protect his wealth I would think. Instead that is the sort of government service that we all have to involuntarily chip in for.

[Bettysdad]

No, those are all government functions funded by tax dollars.

[OhMy]

That's okay BHO knows that he is.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

You have nothing else on the man so you call him a socialist.

[WoudKano]

and your point is??

[dawp]

Are you saying Obama thinks McCain is a socialist?

[trollsbwild]

A poorly thought out comment by John. After all, bailing out large corps is socialism, no matter what you care to call it.
The real issue is that McCain is losing and is desparate to get attention.