McCain Wades Into Email Fight Over Stimulus

Sen. John McCain is now taking his opposition to the stimulus online.

The Arizona senator sent an email on Tuesday urging supporters to sign a petition opposing the Democrats' stimulus plan, a move that comes days after President Obama's new political organization, Organizing for America, launched an effort to build support for the stimulus with house parties around the country. OFA has already sent two emails recruiting supporters for the campaign, including one from President Obama himself, and it is hosting a private, national conference call on Tuesday evening for neighborhood leaders. Democratic activists are already debating whether the massive effort will undermine participatory politics, (as TechPresident's Nancy Scola reports).

McCain's push, on the other hand, is unlikely to have much impact. Politically, Republicans have already been uniting against the stimulus. Organizationally, McCain's campaign email list is very thin, since the majority of addresses were purchased, not organically recruited, according to a senior GOP source.

Still, McCain's bid to mobilize grassroots opposition to Obama's very first initiative -- and solicit PAC donations -- reflects his strong desire lead the fight against Obama's agenda. It also reveals the meager returns of Obama's bipartisan courting. On style and substance, from hosting McCain's inaugural dinner to offering questionable tax cuts, the Republicans return Obama's favors with fire.

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Ari Melber writes for The Nation, where this post first appeared. He twitters politics at Twitter/AriMelber.

Comments

[Freesia2]

Well Mr. Melber, I'm not sure that John McCain is the best test case of the bipartisan issue. It's all right there in this sentence from your article: "reflects his strong desire lead the fight against Obama's agenda"

Desire to lead....against Obama. John McCain may or may not have any real objection, or more importantly - ideas, about the stimulus. But the one thing he is clear on is that he thinks that President John McCain should be on the letterhead. Clearly there was a misprint.

He wants to lead something, even if it's a charge against Obama. Especially if it's a charge against Obama, whose name is on the letterhead. This will, I believe, be his motivation for all behavior in the senate from this point on.

The problem for anyone watching is that if it was worth email lists, and PACs, wouldn't it also be important enough to be around for the vote? As I understand he will be conventiently out of town. So which is it? He's that invested in the stimulus, in which case he should be on the record with his vote. Or he's that invested in revenge?

My money's on the latter.

[lmnop13]

Wow, it appears this bipartisanship thing is overrated. Bullies can never be your friends. I applaud President Obama for attempting to include ALL American's in his decision making, but, if they don't want to play, I see no reason to keep inviting them to the game. It takes away from any actual solutions being implemented, and invites the naysayers to cause huge distractions that do nothing to further the work on the problems facing the American people. And John, your big government, big spending party is a large part of the problem. But, I'm not President, for a reason. I would've punched somebody in the face days ago.

[AnnfromCA]

The majority of junk e-mail I get from either Democrats or Republicans is all exactly the same: a mass e-mail.

Why everyone talks about this like it's some great new marketing tool is beyond me.

I definitely signed the petition, because I'm opposed to this ridiculous and bloated "stimulus" bill.

And the notion that people are going to host "economic recovery" parties made me absolutely laugh. Whose idea was that? It sounded like Obama is trying to create an Amway structure!

Both parties should be cautious about over-using this approach. Pretty soon, they'll all be on the block list if they over-use the technique.

[liberalOrgonian]

Note to Judesuper,
I am so sorry to hear you are from McCain's state. Maybe you could find out, how John McCain would have solved the credit/housing and spending problems? Has he come up with any ideas? After all he could have been elected Pres. Seems like he also wants the presidency and Americans to fail. The new and improved republican party, now dubbed the party of NO. Thank GOD he and his pit bull was not elected. I can hear it now, just get government out of the way, deregulate, tax cuts for the rich etc... Who knows how they would FIX it for us. Clear he does not want Pres Obama to be successful and help Americans.

[meede]

McCain and email in the same sentence. That's a joke in itself. As he was still all mushy over Palin within the last two weeks, tells you his credibility is tanked but he's just too stu.nned to realize it.

[GlenRast]

John is still trying to prove he's relevant. It isn't working. He's not even relevant within his own party where he's been replaced by Joe the plumber

[judesuper]

McCain wants us to email him? This is my email to both him and Kyl, lucky me they are my Arizona senators. They suck.

I sent this message to Senator Kyl. However, I feel the same goes for you. President Obama has gone out of his way to be inclusive to you even though he won the election in a landslide. He has a mandate to get things done. Stop acting like children and get to work already.

It is humiliating to watch our illustrious senators from Arizona whine and cry over the fact that the Democratic Party members are not listening to either of you. Now you are the same senators that marched in lock step for the bush white house. Never did either of you ever counter any thing they wanted. Now all of a sudden you both have found your inner fiscal conservativeness. I don’t believe it. Start helping solve the problem that your party put us in, or get out of the way. You are nothing but a hindrance.

My friends and family are loosing their jobs. We need President Obama’s stimulus package to pass. We don’t need tax cuts or tax rebates. We are not working. We don’t need our representatives to complicate and slow down the process. We need jobs, now. Start listening to your constituents. You work for us, never forget that you have a temp job.

[WillT]

HERE HERE!!!

[liberalOrgonian]

Looks like John McCain wants the people of this country to go DOWN. All his talk about reaching across the isle, and now he shows how little it all meant. John McCain could have been a powerful rep in the senate. Instead he is acting like a looser..

When McCain continued to say Obama will raise your taxes, I now get it, the republicans are the party of the rich. He does not seem to care if America is going to hell in a hand-basket or when American's looses their job or home. Most of us are happy to have one home and one job. For the person who does not know how many home he owns, does not struggle to pay the bills. Seems clear to me, this attitude is of let them eat caKe, right John?

Buy the way, who care if the surge worked or not.
I am SO GLAD to not have to hear that statement!

If the stimulus package is not passed, you and your cohorts (rep) will be to blame.

[hortonhearsawho2]

Figure out them A O L floppies did he...

[bluguy8]

wow--he knows what on-line is. I shocked .

[UWSDave24]

As Michael Ray Richardson once said of his hapless New York Knicks team a few years ago, so let it be said about the Republican party, especially if it looks to John "I did a Google" McCain for leadership on the economy: "The ship be sinking."

[Openeyes]

No worries. Knowing his incompetent campaign staff, he probably purchased an email list of Democratic donors. He's just not used to using those "internet tubes" like Ted Stevens is.

[MC in LV]

Which one of his 11 houses has an interwebitube connection? Is he still using Prodigy or Compuserve? AOL perhaps?

Hey Mr. "Fundamentals are Sound", you are as big an economics expert as Sarah Palin is an "energy expert". Start working on repairing the damage your rubber stamping of everything Bush ever proposed did to this country and really start adhering to your supposed "Country First" pledge.

Maybe he's going through a "mental recession" right now?

[jamesdaddio]

Why did the first package pass so easily with no restrictions, the bank CEO's got huge bonuses from our money the GOP and the Bush administration didn't even bother to write in the clauses to avoid these problems Paulson has his feet up on the desk during the negociations it's crazy bull.
Now we have a plan with restrictions and transparency and the GOP wants tax cuts for people that don't need them to eat.. get out of the way of progress for the poor and middle class aready.

[DoTheMath]

Where can I sign a petition to SUPPORT THE STIMULUS? House parties are nice, but not everyone can attend.

[wineandjazz]

I will sign it too!

PS...who taught McCain how to send an email?

[LeighAnnes]

lol