GOP Former Gov: "He Is Not The McCain I Endorsed"

Former Republican Governor of Michigan William Milliken tells the Grand Rapids Press that he's "disappointed" in John McCain and the campaign he is running:

He endorsed John McCain in the presidential primary, but now former Republican Gov. William Milliken is expressing doubts about his party's nominee.

"He is not the McCain I endorsed," said Milliken, reached at his Traverse City home Thursday. "He keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me.

"I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[detwob]

Bill Milliken was a decent Republican back when such existed. His party left him in its horrible rightward lunge over the past thirty years. He succeeded George Romney, father of the rabid Mitt.

Milliken was followed in office by the bland Democrat Jim Blanchard who is now most remembered for splitting the primary vote to keep David Bonior out of office and stick bland Jennifer Granholm (a product of the same corrupt county machine that produced the kleptocracy of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his corrupt mother Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (who Nancy Pelosi calls a visionary, which is really a comment on Pelosi's own limited sense of vision).

Michigan also gave the world former governor John Engler, an evil fat pig who now serves as the head of the National Association of Manufacturers, an anti-union lobby that works hard to increase welfare payments to corporations.

[SgtLucifer]

Rolling Stones Mag. - Make-Believe Maverick
A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty

By TIM DICKINSON Posted Oct 16, 2008

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

[lindy1968]

it is a really good article. It shows that the McCain we see IS the McCain ... there is no other. He has a life long history of no regard for others, reckless decisions, and poor judgment. He has always swayed with the wind and this grab for power is all about out doing his daddy.

[applescruff]

Excellent Rolling Stone peice on McCain. Much was well documented and an eye opening portrait of a man not suited for the position he aspires to. Actually the picture that you take away is that of a man who thrived on being the center of attention,cruel to those no longer of use to him, a celf centered man who took his personal inadequacies he felt toward his father and grand father out on anyone withinthe range of his rage. There are so many reasons not to elect this man and now we find there are many more horrible ones to add.

[glamorous1908]

This was a very good and insightful article. I appreciate you posting it.

It definitely showed me who the REAL McCain is....

[roybattyjunior]

Palin is the QVC mom agitprop artist non pareil...

[obamagal]

There are some pretty incredible comments below the linked article in the Grand Rapids Press. The majority of them are written by Republicans (or past Republicans). Not one of the 25 or so comments I read supported McCain. It was so lovely to see.

[Katherineo]

Its very sad that McCain's supporters don't realize what he is doing.
He's redirecting their rage and targeting Obama instead of holding Bush accountable.

If we all stopped and looked over to Bush ...

Feel that rage?

[CostaDelBarto]

I think a lot of his former supporters know exactly what he's doing. Those who still strongly support him probably want him to keep going.

Most republicans, however, will be screaming on the inside because this does tremendous damage to their party. McCain has all but divided the Republican party, and he did that just before federal elections. More and more republicans are going to step out and publicly distance themselves from McCain and Palin, as well as Bush.

[TheDude72]

McCain was NEVER beloved by the GOP. It's well known he's not popular even among the GOP senators. And, he has nothing but his obnoxious temper and personality to thank for that. The GOP doesn't look at his claims to be a maverick with any delight - they despise this. And, so now McCain has only further damaged the GOP brand with these hateful tactics. The GOP is soon to go into the political wilderness, thanks to W, McCain and all the other lying hacks who philosophically bankrupted their party. THE REAGAN ERA IS DEAD COME NOV. 4th!!!!!!!!!!

[kadene]

I just watched Pat Buchanan trying to pretend that McCain has a right to pursue the Ayers case, and Chris Matthews did not have the presence of mind to ask him why then doesn't he ask Obama to his face? Also, I'm sick of hearing how much of a terrorist Ayers was (while Obama was 8 years old). Ask Sarah Palin why she addressed the Alaskan Independent Party as recently as in the summer -- a party that wanted Alaska to seperate from the Union, one where her husband had membership until very recently. Google the Alaskan Independent Party to find out the details.

chris should have asked Pat about her connections. But sometimes they're so slow, and Buchanan is such a hypocrite.

[applescruff]

Why is it that if Ayers was such a horrible person he went on to be accepted as a honored professor being awarded Citizen of the Year for helping to reform Chicago's Public Schools and was supported and respected by Conservative players belonging to the Ragen Adminstration? Ayers was Never convicted of a crime. Can Mccain's buddies Charles Keaton and J.Gordon Liddy make that claim?
In the wake of her Abuse of Power Even St. Sarah is finding it hard to keep throwing stones in her increasingly fragile glass house.
Mccain is preparing to crash his last campaign ,but good. My fellow Prisoners?

[leggs67]

Sorry. He is exactly - John McCain - as you endorsed him.

[tottie2001]

Its quite amusing that the Rethugs who have praised these Rove like tactics in previous elections now have concern about the personal attacks on O, the only reason they care about the attacks is because they are not working, if McSame had gotten the lead back they would all be silent.

[BandsofBlack]

That's exactly right. If it was working you wouldn't be hearing a peep out of these folks.

[chicagoexpat]

& joins a long list of Republicans who are either jumping ship or at least denouncing these tactics.

One list at
http://loomisnews.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/more-republicans-for-obama-john-mccain-is-not-a-principled-man/

[hukkahukkabirninglove]

You don't know Bill Milliken. He was the governor of Michigan after George Romney--both were moderate Republicans and Gov. Milliken was really a pretty good guy, well thought of, and effective. If you do your homework, you'd see that Bill Milliken bailed on the Bushies years ago, and, tho a lifelong Republican, he's not been a happy one for some years. He dates from the time when Dems and Republicans could work together to get things done--much less dogma on both sides and a lot more cooperation and effectiveness.

I'm a lifelong Democrat, I think Bill Milliken may have been the last (and only?) Republican I ever voted for.

[ExpatNL]

I would never vote for somone who napalmed innocent women and kids and ratted out his country.

[virto]

I don't know about the napalm, but there's no escaping the fact that he flipped over on his country while others did not. (See "The Imaginary Maverick" in the latest Rolling Stone.) For some reason, however, everyone deems such "service" to be "heroic."

Calling McSame a hero denigrates those who endured much worse (some of whom did not make it) and never turned on their country. It may even be too generous to call him a victim, but it's a lot closer to the truth.

[gerrysue]

What happened to the idea if you don't wear the flag pin you are not patriotic? I could not see that pin on John McCain in the debates. I believe Senator Obama was wearing one in both debates. Am I wrong?
It may prove that waving the flag and talking about the symbol is just another distraction to take you away from the real issues. Or does it mean McCain isn't really patriotic?

[MadeinAmericaProud]

where in world have you been. If you took about 10 minutes on youtube(political) and few any of the many speaking clips of Mr Mccain, you will find he has never worn a flag pin.

The white votes will defend him because he served and a hero POW he does not have to. Obama never served therefore, he must. I personally think, McPalin will be setting a new standard for American men who may consider politics in the future. Must have military service in order to be president.

[anniegirl9]

Does that mean we get to suit Palin up and send her off to Iraq before she can become VP?

[NotMcCain]

Why hasn't anyone ever asked him WHY he doesn't wear one?

I don't care, personally, one way or the other. But, given all the hoopla over it by his base--and his constant pandering to the conventional--you'd think he WOULD wear one, maybe two or three.

I wonder why he doesn't.

[CostaDelBarto]

How does wearing a flag pin make you patriotic? I makes you *look* patriotic maybe.

I once saw an Australian politician who authorised locking up children in detention centres (against all kinds of international laws) wearing an Amnesty International pin in his lapel. Amnesty told him to stop doing that and pleaded for the release of children.

McCain not wearing a flag pin... that means nothing. McCain refusing to talk about the economy while smearing Obama is not the actions of a man whose patriotic motto is "Country First", however, and that is of high significance. That tells you everything you need to know about McCain's "patriotism".

[kadene]

You got that right. It was never about America. If it were, why are they now hell-bent on fomenting division and hatred? People keep saying this is not the John McCain they knew. But the truth is this may be the real John McCain -- he's just coming out.

[glamorous1908]

you could not have said it any better....

[Whinger]

The man who would be President, reduced to nothing more than a common rabble rouser!

[pjburns11]

Behold the hypocrisy.

McCain Already Scheming to Play Bush-Style Politics

http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/10/10/mccain-already-scheming-to-play-bush-style-politics/

[memphispaul]

McCain and the republican party have no other issue to run upon other than reconstituting the lynch mob.

[MadeinAmericaProud]

see the pictures on google for the L mobs, it shows that they grew up that way, it was a family outing

[serena1313]

Obama has run a decent, respectable campaign. He does not allow the audience to boo or shout-out ugly epithets about his opponents in his presence. Highlighting differences and criticizing an opponent's policies are not attacks. The people attending Obama's rallies are happy and smiling. Their facial expressions of hope are uplifting.

In contrast in the midst of a world-wide epic economic melt-down McCain and Palin are attacking Obama's character, telling lies about him thus making him the scape-goat of people's anger, hatred and rage which can be clearly seen on the the people's faces and heard in their voices.

Although I have not attended either an Obama or a McCain rally I've read enough personal accounts and watched enough videos to note the difference.

Right now we need calm, clear-headed thinking not a mob-mentality.

[BARRY08]

Like I have been saying to you all

Sarah Chavez knows what she is doing and she will push John SIDNEY McCain to one side when convenient to her... just like she did to last Alaskan's governor before stepping into his shoes

she pretends to be this nice little innocent person but she is to be scared of

her husband and his political party were trying to cut away from the USA
they called America worse things than Reverend Wright
and she told them in public " keep up the good work "

what is she talking about associations
when she knows what her own agenda is...

she is the one we must fear not Senator Obama

[CCverve]

You are so correct...read in Salon.com

Meet Sarah Palins right wing buddies http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/index.html

Fabulous affilations with John Birch society and a host of others...