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

[Budokan]

Yet another GOPer who wants to try and redeem himself. Too late, crook.

[ktomas]

Bill Milliken is NOT a crook. He was one of the best governors the state of Michigan ever had, and is still well loved by those who remember his LONG and popular tenure, wherein he displayed a knack for bipartisanship that got many progressive things done. He definately wasn't a hardliner.

I really appreciate Milliken's candor in this matter, and I also find it sad that McCain has now completely abandoned any moral priciple he might have had in this year's presidential race. It seems like even old school Republicans are becoming shocked at his campaign's behavior.

[tesselator]

Milliken endorsed John Kerry in 2004.

[Lynette]

Write a note to John McCain and tell him to please stop the personal attacks against Obama. Run a respectable campaign, not one that incites riot. http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/

[MaryanneAZ]

Thanks for the link. Sometimes the best solutions are not the ones that immediately spring to mind. If they get enough emails, then perhaps they might come to understand that this hate mongering is no way to win the job of president and vice president of this great Nation. Obama/Biden '08

[bostonbuilder]

been writing him every night. seems to make no difference at all..............

[aege8th]

Aside from the fact that their hate-filled speeches might actually incite someone to violence, I'd say let 'em continue. Clearly, this tactic is backfiring. It's turning the stomachs of decent Americans, as well it should, and it shows Mc-P's true colors.

There was an email going around about a week ago from a woman's group demanding that McCain drop Palin from the ticket . I say wrote back and said, why would you push for that? Palin's done wonders for the Democrats! She's so toxic and so hateful and so well, "uppity" (in the true meaning of the word!) she's turned off a lot of people who might have otherwise supported a GOP ticket.

I say, let 'em keep doing what they've been doing. They are just digging their own political graves! Of course, the thought that one of their supporters might actually do Obama harm is a frightening notion, and that is the ONLY reason to make them stop...but I think they have already planted the seeds. Can you imagine Palin telling her rabid,hateful supporters "Hey! We'll have none of that talk!" Boy, if you thought you saw her winking during the debate...!

[Bigbard]

Christopher, thanks. My Dad was a Republican in the Iowa Senate. So, I grew
up with copies of the National Review in our house. Our family would have
debates at the kitchen table and I enjoyed watching Firing Line. What I
found fascinating about Firing Line is how both sides of the issue were
given time and respect. I miss your Dad.

Be that as it may, I have almost always voted Democratic, starting with
Carter. So, I've lost touch, over the years. However, I would vote for a
capable Republican who would refrain from spending our children's future
and mind its own business about our personal life.

As for the election:

Had Hillary Clinton won the nomination and McCain kept his integrity, I
could have voted for him. Ironically, my justification was that HRC was
engaging in the kind of smear politics that McCain is engaging in now.
Integrity matters and McCain has lost his. I no longer know what McCain
stands for.

[mirandawilde]

This man is brave to say what so many in the GOP must be thinking. I'm sure it's devasting for many of them to witness what's happened to their party over the past decade. I've never been a fan of either Reagan or George H.W. Bush, but they both seem downright reasonable compared to McCain and Palin.
Palin is a fascist at her very core.

[NotMcCain]

All Republican leaders with any principles and sense of decency need to stand up and repudiate McCain and Palin.

They are sowing hatred against a Democratic Senator of the United States--and they are using every dirty trick and smear they can to divide Americans.

We have SERIOUS problems and we need to come TOGETHER, calmly and rationally, as a nation to solve them.

Obama-Biden are providing EXACTLY this kind of calm, unifying, high-minded leadership. McCain and Palin are NOT.

It's up to Republicans of conscience to help ensure that Obama will be the next president. I despair for our country if the leadership is the (moral and intellectually) bankrupt ideas and cronies of McCain and Palin.

[Spesabsquemetu]

I truly believe they are out there, NotMcCain ( that being republicans of conscience).

The level of unethical perverted conduct by McCain/Palin is beyond belief, particularly as they stand before the American people aspiring for the highest office in the land.
I can only echo what another poster said as I have met other republicans saying the exact same thing as Bigbard, above.

There can never be a time in America where INTEGRITY, HONOR, ETHICS, TRUTHFULNESS, AND HONORING OF THE PEOPLE'S TRUST - is NOT an issue of fundamental importance in ANY election.

John McCain and Sarah Palin have made a mockery of ethics, integrity and honor.
They are both a disgrace and their conduct goes beyond reprehensible.

[class1]

Bravo! Amen, Amen

[dginki]

@Vtay,
Collin Powell and Rice are too embarrassed to say anything. I don't care who you are and what political beliefs you have, something should rise up in people and say enough is enough. God Bless America. God bless the American people.

[lucite]

They know the truth, but they have made a commitments to their party and they will always be politicians first.

[EndangeredJackalope]

I don't think Powell is hoping for a McCain victory. If he was, he'd probably endorse the man - which he hasn't. He silence actually says a lot.

Looking at the numbers, it may be that Powell does not support McCain and is using Obama's lead to feel that his endorsement doesn't matter for helping Obama win - which will keep his GOP friends off his back, and save his own skin a bit if Obama does win (he wont be in the doghouse w/ Obama, and he can claim stoic bipartisanship.)

[kellygrrrl]

Powell and Rice must do everything in their power to get McCain elected.

It is their only hope of avoiding the TRUTH coming forth
(In Rice's case, it is her only hope of avoiding prison)

[Rumba]

Powell/s big mistake was in not condemning Bush when he chose to leave. He should have put national loyalty ahead of Bush loyalty..

[Spesabsquemetu]

Kellygrrl... I sure hope it is not true.

I hope that Powell and Rice are honorable people.
I always believed they both were....in fact, I think that's why Powell left office.
I think he could no longer reconcile his conscience with what he had learned to be true about this president.

It's going to be a major disappointment if they turn out to have betrayed the trust of the American people as our president has. I keep wanting to give both of them the benefit of the doubt. With Sec. Rice, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so.

President Bush has sealed his own fate concerning how he will be remembered in our history...and to think, he CHOSE this, thinking he could get away with deceiving all of us.
He betrayed the trust of the American people, and his polling numbers show it.

[sadiehawkins]

John Mc Cain and Sarah Palin are an embarrassment to decent Americans, They are hatemongers, rude, disrespectful liars. They are inciting race riots, and will cause the destruction of our great country. We have to stand up to them and prevent this. Remember "United We Stand, Divided We Fall."We have to take our country back and rebuild it . We all have to pull together and do this"

[AnalyzeIT]

Sarah has best start looking over her shoulders.­..........­..........­... So should, Todd, Ma and Pa and that dysfuntical hord of kids of hers.

OBAMA-BIDEN 2008 -2012

[GuyFawkes]

I'm convinced John Sidney McCain III no longer runs his campaign. Scary Sarah has engaged in a coup aided and abetted by Steve Lex Luthor Schmidt, and they just roll the old man out now as a figurehead.

[sadiehawkins]

I agree Guy, you nailed it!!

[Budokan]

exactly right!

[Barackaroo]

Gov Millikin, Can you please let the country know how you feel?

[JT16682]

I do respect Republicans with a conscience. At the end of the day, this is not about Obama vs McCain; or Democrats vs Republicans; etc. It is all about American decency and Great Democracy vs Rovian dirty tactics; demagoguery vs sensibility; grassroot populism vs dirty politics. I am myself a Catholic but am sad that the GOP has been taken hostage by the Christian Talibans. American Voters, choose whether you want to sustain our Democracy or go the Taliban way.

[YooperLib]

Bill Milliken is a true gentleman and one of my political heros. He hails from a time in Michigan politics before he DeVoses and the other wacko Calvinists from the southwest part of the state took over the GOP. He is the last Republican I can recall willingly voting for. There is a nice biography out recently by progressive and environmental activist David Dempsey.

[Cynde]

And dear family values party, what are Palin and McCain (I put her name first as she seems to be running the show don't ya think -- wink wink) teaching the children of America with this garbage.

[Greg285]

Talk about the issues? Like they actually have something to say....

[miffed]

Thank you, Governor Milliken. Every self-respecting, democracy-loving, patriotic conservative should follow your example. As Peggy Noonan said it: 'we should not go there'... McCain/Palin's path should not be travelled by our Nation. It leads to destruction.

[t mout]

Two people on the side of truth, the govenor and you. It's not the number of people but the power within. Hats off to both of you.

[KarateKid]

I only hope no ones gets any ideas from McCain and Palin's hate campaign and tries anything. This kind of campaigning is beneath us, we are not a third world country, although our history is littered with violence against candidates and those in office.