Biden Lowers Boom On McCain: Not A Maverick

Presented with the contention that John McCain represented a set of "maverick" possibilities in governance, Senator Joe Biden offered up a spirited and lengthy rebuttal, citing numerous examples from McCain's voting record that cast the Arizona Senator in a decidedly different light.

[WATCH]

Biden: Can I respond to that? Look, let's talk about the maverick John McCain is. And again I love him, he's been a maverick on some issues but he's been no maverick on things that a matter people's lives. He voted four out of five times for George Bush's budget which put us half a trillion in debt this year and over three trillion in debt since he got there. He has not been a maverick in providing health care for people. He voted against including another 3.6 million children in coverage of an existing health care plan in the United States Senate. He's not been a maverick when it comes to education. He has not supported tax cuts and significant changes for people being able to send their kids to college, he's not been a maverick on the war, not been a maverick on virtually anything that generally affects the things people really talk about around the kitchen table. Can we get mom's MRI? Can we send Mary back to school next semester? We can't make it. How will we heat the house this winter? He even voted against what they call LIHEAP, for assistance for people with oil prices going through the roof in the winter. So a maverick he is not, on the important critical issues that affect people at the kitchen table.

Comments

[Rasengan]

Original definition of Maverick - 1867, "calf or yearling found without an owner's brand," in allusion to Samuel A. Maverick (1803-70), Texas cattle owner who was negligent in branding his calves. Or.. I prefer this wording - Mav"er*ick, n. In the southwestern part of the united States, a bullock or heifer that has not been branded, and is unclaimed or wild; -- said to be from Maverick, the name of a cattle owner in Texas who neglected to brand his cattle.

I guess in this election cycle McCain (bullock?) and Palin (heifer?) have been branded by so many lobbyists and special interest groups (political ranchers?) that there is still a dispute as to which one owns them.

Mavericks indeed!!

[SouthAustinite]

There is much more to the Maverick tradition. Check out this article from The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/weekinreview/05schwartz.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin
Who You Callin’ a Maverick?
By JOHN SCHWARTZ
Published: October 4, 2008

"... But to those who know the history of the word, applying it to Mr. McCain is a bit of a stretch — and to one Texas family in particular it is even a bit offensive.

“I’m just enraged that McCain calls himself a maverick,” said Terrellita Maverick, 82, a San Antonio native who proudly carries the name of a family that has been known for its progressive politics since the 1600s, when an early ancestor in Boston got into trouble with the law over his agitation for the rights of indentured servants. [snip]
,,,Maury Jr., was a firebrand civil libertarian and lawyer who defended draft resisters, atheists and others scorned by society. He served in the Texas Legislature during the McCarthy era and wrote fiery columns for The San Antonio Express-News. His final column, published on Feb. 2, 2003, just after he died at 82, was an attack on the coming war in Iraq. "

Read the whole thing; it's a great story!

[OldUncleDave]

If McCain is a Maverick, that makes Palin a Pinto.

(Ford joke)

[TrooAmerican]

Biden is Awesome. Everyone should watch his youtube videos on his channel.
hes got great speeches especially during the primary campaign

[RobertHewson]

"Joe Sixpack" Speaks:
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/10/joe-sixpack-speaks.html

[SBlackmun]

Even if McCain were a maverick (I agree he isn't), would we want him? Don't we need and want a cooperative, collaborative leader who is able to play well with others? This doesn't mean that he or she doesn't have integrity, but simply that he or she realizes that lone rangers don't get much done in large organizations.

[LAB11]

Common Knowledge: Biden is the real deal and Palin is still in the swim suit competition.

[ILOVELOSANGELES]

I felt that Biden debunking the myth of McCain as a maverick was the next best moment of the debate. The best was 'branding' Cheney as the" most dangerous VP in the history of our country " .

[stryker]

The only real Maverick is James Garner. I'd vote for him before I'd vote for mccain.

[ElectricSlim]

Did you hear that, Mathews, Blitzer, Broakaw? MSM morons.

[simkmer]

Thanks to Joe for having the guts to say Mccain is no maverick. McCain is a "Crasher" and only a self-proclaimed maverick. Thank you Joe!!!

"Drill Baby Drill" is like saying "IBM stylist typewriters! IBM stylist typewriters! Talk about going backwards. Oil will always be around we need CLEAN energy. Let's go forward with
SMART GOVERNMENT! OBAMA/BIDEN

[ohio4obama]

If being a "maverick" means that all of your colleagues hate you because you are insulting and condescending, let's give it to McCain--he is a maverick.

[jmpurser]

Outside of Hollywood a "maverick" is a steer no one thought was worth branding. This means that it can be owned by anybody.

Does this sound like the man you want to be the President of the United States of America?

[BethStuart]

It seems to me the word "maverick" in McCain's lexicon really means bull in a china shop. It does not bode well for McCain working with Congress or with anyone else.

[gladys46]

Was Palin's mission to stop her own bleeding & turn the spotlight onto Mc ... what's the difference! Mc is just as unacceptable as she is! May as well turn off the electric .. as was done in Michigan!

[jmpfjoy]

I love Joe Biden! I told you he was a great choice!

[normathumb]

Calling themselves "maverick" is pure marketing pablum. When they proclaim it ten times every speech it is unbecoming, like proclaiming themselves pretty. We generally don't get to decide what adjectives apply to ourselves. And we ought not keep insisting on it, Okay, your mavericks. So what? Can we please talk about something else. It is also akin to the Spinal Tap guys who keep saying their amps go to eleven. "I like chocolate more then you do" also comes to mind. It's new. It's improved. It comes in new fun shapes. You betcha.

[Zingaro Zorro]

A maverick is an aging loner, not a leader.

Grumpy Old Man.

[tuckerboundsisadouchebag]

The image of a "Maverick" is of a gambler-- a lone wolf-- a "my-way-or­-the-highw­ay", me-against the world mentality.

McCain is a Maverick in this sense.

As is George Bush.