Truth Alert: McCain's Freudian Slip is Showing (and Very Telling)

At the same time that former West Wingers Brad Whitford and Richard Schiff were stepping forward to say that they too had heard John McCain say that he didn't vote for George Bush in 2000, McCain was grabbing a shovel and digging himself deeper with yet another denial.

Appearing on The O'Reilly Factor, McCain told O'Reilly, "I voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004."

But on the way to that unequivocal refutation, his unconscious mind jumped up, started waving its hands and yelled: "Not so fast!"

O'REILLY: Did you vote for President bush?

MCCAIN: Of course not. I campaigned all over this country for him.

As dear old Dr. Freud would tell you, the unconscious is a powerful thing. And the new, do-and-say-anything-to-be-president McCain clearly couldn't keep the old, give-it-to-you-straight McCain - and the truth - from slipping out. "Of course not."

There was another interesting wrinkle in the McCain/O'Reilly Bush vote exchange: after asserting that he'd twice voted for Bush, McCain added, "And not only that, far more important than a vote, I campaigned everywhere in America for him." [emphasis added]

Do I see a fallback position coming? "Okay, look my friends, I was angry, I was contemptuous of him, I knew I was better than him, he'd attacked my family, and I couldn't bring myself to pull the lever next to his name. But I campaigned everywhere in America for him - and that's far more important than one little vote, right? Right? Isn't it..? My friends..?

Check out the video and transcript below.

UPDATE: I've said before that when it comes to the love affair between John McCain and the media, old loves die hard. The latest proof of this comes courtesy of The New Republic's Michael Crowley. Faced with the mounting evidence that McCain is lying about not saying that he didn't vote for Bush, Crowley scrapes the bottom of the logic barrel and wonders: "Is it possible McCain was talking to Arianna about the Arizona primary?"

Talk about bending over backwards to give McCain some wiggle room! The media-McCain dynamic is pure high school: the nerds are always so grateful when one of the jocks is nice to them.

Transcript:

O'REILLY: OK. Arianna Huffington says you didn't vote for Bush in 2000. She's one of these people who is going to come after you.

MCCAIN: Yes.

O'REILLY: On her website yesterday, somebody blogged that you collaborated with the North Vietnamese, and they didn't torture you. This is Arianna Huffington. Now Arianna Huffington flat out said you did not vote for President Bush in 2000.

MCCAIN: What can you say?

O'REILLY: Did you vote for President bush?

MCCAIN: Of course not. I campaigned all over this country for him.

O'REILLY: So you voted for President Bush.

MCCAIN: Of course. I mean, that's a ridiculous question.

O'REILLY: So she lied?

MCCAIN: Well, I don't -- frankly, I do not read Huffington Post. I spare myself from having that experience.

O'REILLY: You voted for Bush in 2000?

MCCAIN: I voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004.

O'REILLY: OK.

MCCAIN: And not only that, far more important than a vote, I campaigned everywhere in America for him.

O'REILLY: (INAUDIBLE).

MCCAIN: I enjoyed it. I campaigned with him. I did everything I could to get him elected and reelected president.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[bluesman49]

I'm telling you he's Uncle Junior

[McSameisthegame]

Arianna-I knew you had back-up to your side of this story-or it would have been a"he said-she said" gossip story-nothing more! Glad you nailed this liar!!!

[elr50]

O'Reilly and McCain in the same studio? Get out the Bushit spray. Just the thought of it makes me want to puke. Good thing I never watch Faux News, I'd have to constantly clean up the mess in front of my TV if I did.

[tgh86]

I have a feeling Reagan could have done better with questions in '88 than McCain can now. Pathetic. How many gaffes per week is this guy up to now?

[MizLiz]

The old fool is laughing and giggling so much, he has to be lying. What a spectacle.

[NuOrigin]

Who cares if he is lying and his wife is a blood money multi-millionare. It's not like he's the President of the United States or anything. Wait a minute...

[breakspear]

Just look at McCain, flailing in the wind with this story. the only reason its a story is because his over-reacting minions and McCain himself are making it a story. what, with their unequivocal tripping over themselves denials. i mean really. sir, you look foolish. actually, sir, i believe it. because that's the McCain 2000, the real one, and not the McCain 2008: the version who will do anything and say anything to be elected president. sir, McCain was not a Senator of mine, and you, sir, are no McCain.
his ego really has gotten the better of him, and his age, with his frequent misstatements, is showing. he tolerates no dissent. i thought bush was petulant and mean like this. mccain clearly is worse.

[live]

McCain looks really nutty.

I know the republicans have to scrape the bottom of the barrel but he is terrible

How long has this guy been in politics I would have thought he would have been better at denouncing something by now-BUT HE ISNT!

If i was a republican and watching this i would be cringing

[BlueOnBlue]

"Ingratiating" is the word for McCain.

He tends to say whatever his current audience would like to hear. It's why he's always been so popular with the press, which thinks he is a cool guy because they go to his barbecues and he tells them how swell they are and makes jokes with them about the other politicians. It's why Arianna and her friends once liked him, because he told them what they wanted to hear.

These days, he's being ingratiating with people like O'Reilly and is busy making himself into as much of an asshole as those he seeks to impress.

The thing is, he always was an asshole. He just was one who said what you probably wanted to hear at the time.

[MrJoyboy]

I can't believe it. The Republicans found a presidential candidate even more sickening than Bush.

[Bigeasy]

Can't wait for Barack to eat him up in a face to face debate. One thing Hillary did do was get Barack ready to take on McCain in debates. I assure you McCain won't know which way is up after Barack gets through with him.

[unscum]

Kerry beat Bush in every debate in 2004. Didn't change anyones mind and he lost. Debates at this stage are meaningless. Sure it's good entertainment, but it's not going to change anyones mind.

[soonerdru]

I agree with Bigeasy. I'll make a prediction now, the '08 election will turn out to be one of the most lopsided in history. Remember those 'polls' that said Obama couldn't beat this guy if he was elected the democratic nominee? History will likely show those polls to not be worth the paper they're printed on. This guy (McLiberman) is going to make it easy. And by the way, why does McCain seem to need Liberman as an interpreter? It seems a little creepy.

[geneven]

He probably said, "I did not vote for that man George Bush!"

[filo]

or ...It depends on what the meaning of vote is.

[shadow322]

"Flipper" - wish I had thought of that! I have been pointing out his flip-flops for two + years now.

[bos123]

McCain and Hillary had the same laugh when they are not telling the truth.

[wmg57]

As someone said earlier, he may come to regret being quoted as saying he "did everything he could to get him elected and reelected". I was under the assumption, certainly during the GOP primaries, that he was trying to distance himself from the lapel pin that walks like a man. Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows. Nice to see O'Reilly cozying up so lip-smackingly. I'm just a thick Canadian, but isn't calling someone a liar slander in the US?

[BlueOnBlue]

"Truth is a defense to libel and slander"

[cityprof]

When I was accused of lying, at work by my boss, I took a lie detector test and made him and everyone else look like a fool. Ariana, take the lie detector test on this and then challenge McCain to do the same.