Want a Taste of the McCain Presidency? You've Already Had One

Our country is facing two serious crises right now, one foreign -- the disastrous war in Iraq -- and one domestic -- a mismanaged economy on the brink of collapse.

This is obviously why the right track/wrong track polling numbers are at such stunning extremes: 22 percent "satisfied" to 72 percent "dissatisfied" in the latest Pew poll, 19 percent/80 percent in Gallup.

John McCain may not have a clue about what's going on in Iraq, but he's certainly seen those poll numbers. That's why he's suddenly running as fast as he can from the Bush presidency, telling ABC, "The point is, I'm not running on the Bush presidency, I'm running on my own service to the country, my own record in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate and my vision for the future."

Well, he can run, but he can't hide because running on his own record isn't going to put much distance between him and Bush either. That's because it's the policies of McCain and those most closely associated with his campaign that got us into both our foreign and domestic disasters in the first place.

Two important pieces explained the roles played by McCain and his advisors in creating our current foreign and domestic crises.

In Politico, Lisa Lerer detailed how former Senator Phil Gramm, the general co-chair of McCain's campaign and one of his top financial advisors, was the primary force behind the banking deregulation bill in 1999 that helped pave the way for the current subprime meltdown.

Two years after Gramm dutifully did the banks' bidding, he was rewarded, after a quick trip through the revolving door, with the title of vice chairman at UBS and, along with two others, with $750,000 in lobbying fees. UBS investors weren't as lucky as Phil: the bank has written off over $18 billion in subprime loans, while 8,000 UBS employees were laid off.

And McCain has hinted that Gramm might be his Treasury Secretary.

The new McCain has started backing away even from campaign finance reform, his signature maverick issue. And with his buddy Phil best-friend-the-banks-ever-had Gramm right behind him, the idea that McCain is some sort of financial reformer is absurd.

But don't tell that to the media -- it would be like telling an 8 year-old there's no Santa Claus. They worked hard constructing their McCain narrative, and dammit, they're going to keep believing in it.

It's much the same on the foreign policy front. In the great new site The Washington Independent, Spencer Ackerman has a dead-on analysis of Mccain's foreign policy. The money shot:

"Since he began running for president, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has embraced President George W. Bush's foreign policy. He has done so for a simple and understandable reason: it was McCain's policy first."

That's right -- the reason McCain will be a continuation of George Bush's foreign policy is because George Bush was following McCainism all along. Or, as Ackerman puts it: " McCain represents not a break from the Bush Doctrine, but rather its intensification."

Here's John McCain circa 2000:

"I'd institute a policy that I call 'rogue state rollback'...I would arm, train, equip, both from without and from within, forces that would eventually overthrow the governments and install free and democratically elected governments."

Now over seventy percent of Americans believe that "rogue state rollback" has not worked out that well.

McCain, of course, sees the same numbers. So he's careful to throw in a few qualifiers for the media -- the equivalent of dangling keys in front of them -- as he did in a foreign policy speech last week. Did it work? Sadly, all too well.

As Ackerman notes, CNN's Dana Bash called it a world view "quite different from the president's." And Gail Collins in the New York Times said that McCain "broke dramatically with the administration."

What was this "dramatic break?" That we should "listen to the views" of our allies.

Yeah, sure, we should "listen" to them. And after they say they vehemently disagree with us, as they surely will (good luck getting a coalition together for that invasion of Iran), what then?

Much was -- rightly -- made last week of McCain's "McCain Moment" which shone a spotlight on how clueless he is about the region. But given McCain's foreign policy views, it's hard to know whether we should be more afraid when he's confused and clueless or when he's thinking clearly and coherently.

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

Comments

[Soosan a disgusted American]

Well;
Here is a link to a 4 minute clip. I warn you it is very disturbing however it is a little window to reality of war and extent of human hatred for each other. Please don't tell me this kind of behavior is just an isolated case and/or this clip just depicts a small group of bad apples. Because truly no one knows for a fact the frequency of these despicable acts. One thing is for sure "Iraqi's don't hate us for our freedom"!
I want the soldiers back home before they all go insane and embarrass me not only as an American but as a Human.
Have we failed in Iraq? The answer is yes in many ways, it is time to stop this insanity!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq5_vG3cYGM

[Zankee]

The shame of it is that the attitudes expressed were not born from the Iraq exposure.., they are examples of inbred attitudes that were nurtured -in the USA- to this outrageous expression of low-lifes attempting to imitate warriors. This is what you get with mercineries -in for the money and benifits- that don't give a damm...save for the massaging of their egos and genitals....

We. are our worst enemy.., and, that "Mr Hyde", is winning the Battle.., shame, shame. shame.., on US!

[therhinocard]

these guys are war criminals.

[GrainOSand]

John McCain reminds me of the grey, damp, dingy mist of conspiracy that was the assassination of John F. Kennedy. I believe the single assassin theory is plausible but I also conceive of at least the possibility of duplicity being engaged in by certain people, and people are government last I checked. This means that to me John McCain does not represent translucency in Government but more secrets and more intrigue. He reminds me of the murky image and foul smell that was the collapse of Enron where the rich got richer and the normal, average, everyday human beings got something but it was not anywhere near what they wanted or intended. He has the deceptive feel of Watergate about him and the clandestine and subversive persona of Iran Contra or CoIntelPro (America’s clandestine, insurgency thwarting program to detect, track, and neutralize target groups deemed to be subversive to American interest and yet at the same those groups existed as groups of American citizen supposedly protected under the constitution from such governmental intrigue and assailment). He projects the ideas of greed; ethnic hubris, false pride, cloak and dagger, misplaced priorities based on protecting the status quo which is code speak for insuring those in control stay in control. That is what stay the course really means.

John McCain –not good for America!

[hrholmes]

Another great view from you Arianna. I would still be as big a fan even if you were not so pretty!! lol Keep us informed please. I am still amazed that women like you, Randi Rhodes, Rachael Maddow etc are so far ahead of the bubblehead morons on MSM tv. You are the ones that may help turn this country back from becoming totally open Nazi's.

[MSF31538]

Ariana:

It is worse than that. McCain's father and grandfather were both 4 star admirals. McCain, when he bailed out and was put in the Hanoi Hilton, was wounded. In order to receive medical treatment he told his captors that his father was an Admiral in the US Navy and was CINPAC, i.e., Commander of all navy forces in the Pacific during the Viet Nam war. Yes,McCain was tortured, and spent most of his 5 1/2 years in captivity in solitary confinement. After he was freed, he was passed over 3 times for promotion to rear admiral. He was unstable to command. He was forced to retire under Navy regulations at the time. If he was too unstable to command then, unless he made a miraculous recovery, he is too unstable to be President. I would not want this man to have control of the button. He is not my friend, even though he addresses us all as his friend. Stop-loss McCain, and extend his Senate term, but under no circumstances, vote him President. None of us speak Farsi or Arabic. Ariana, start the drum beat rolling for McCain to produce his medical history from the Navy along with his 201 file. Who cares about his tax returns.

Martin S. Friedlander, Esq.

[GrainOSand]

You made a powerful case for no McCain. I did not know all of the facts you presented yet I arrived at the same conclusion based on some facts and my gut-feeling that there is something about the guy that suggests he is dangerous to the interests of a stable country.

Thank you for filling in the gaps for me.

[moderationsmuse]

Nevertheless, he was rehabilitated to the extent of having his flight status restored. And he held important command positions afterwards during his Navy service. He retired a Captain, which is not an insignificant rank. And contrary to what you would have us believe, deary, most members of the Navy don't become Admirals! And if that's the worst you can toss at him, well more fool you!

McCain's last duty post before retirement found him in the US Congress where he served as a Navy liaison. That he impressed many of the Senators and Congressmen who met him is testified by the ways they helped him launch his own campaign for Congress immediately after he left the Navy.

You can hear his own account of this period of his life in his book, "Worth Fighting For." But you'll have to get past the many pages of praise McCain bestows on his Democrat colleagues -- such as Mo Udall, Scoop Jackson and Tip O'Neil.

He's a better man than you, Esquire. He's a far better man than you.

Muse

[Purple Girl]

Look at Mac- really Look at Mac- does he not appear to be held Up by a Device , does his movements Not appear Mechanical/ rehearsed. Does He not seem like someone very different to '00 Mac (As a Dem I liked Mac!- admirable Foe). Does it not seem strange he can't remember what Libermann told him earlier about AQ &Iran??? Why does he keep referring to his Age? Wherre are His Recent Medical records- esp the last 4 yrs. He's Had a Stroke!
Could he have a Plan already to NOT finish his , Who will he name VP- so early? Will Cheney be in his Administration Too- as he has been in the last 4 Repub Admins? Why is he taking advice from Rove.
Bush's third Term because He'll be filling the 'Frontman ' role. This will be Dick's 11th term (TheOther 'Tricky Dickie'.,Gerry, Ronny, Hw & W- Juries still out On Bill, but He definitely sucker punched Carter- Iran contra)

[GrandpaMcCain]

Arianna, can I marry you?

[castlerider]

Arianna, I saw you on Larry King last night, and you did very well, except you let that bubble head that they put on there with a very high pitched loud voice to contrast your accented voice get in words edgewise she did not deserve to have.
Please just speak up and don't let them take the floor on what they have to say, everything she seemed to remonstrate so confidently could be shot so full of holes.
For instance, when she said "That's just not true", about McCain saying we would be there 100 years; please, Arianna, you are so good at bringing in the bigger picture.- that being that it DOESN'T MATTER EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANT, HE MADE HIS CHOICES CLEAR.-And that is, that he prefers to continue to see America as an Empire, and that is what is causing America so much difficulty in today's world.
We don't need to be an empire, we need to take care of our own, here at home.
We don't need to be the world leader as a police nation. We need to fix our economy, our healthcare, our infrastructure, and we will never get that done as well with a sold out leader like McCain.
Thanks for a great post, BTW.

[moderationsmuse]

America as an "empire." That's how you see the current American presence in places like Japon, Germany, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere. I don't pretend to know a lot about geo-politics, but even a cursory look at a history book informs one that Germany and France, for instance, were fighting wars with each other up until World War II -- when our US troops began their troop presence in Germany. Arguably, the American presence in these many countries around the globe has contributed immeasurably to peace. This isolationism that you preach would have us turn our backs upon our allies and focus inward upon our "problems," such as the economy, healthcare, etc.
All which prompts me to ask, how rich would the US have to become before we stop whining about our problems? Yes, I'd love to have affordable health care. Medicine puts a huge strain on my family. But contrast that with so much of the world were even clean water is something of a luxury.
You are most unfair to Senator McCain. You seem to be quite comfortable putting words into his mouth and attributing "choices" to him that he never made.
Why not take the time to find out what he really believes. If his real ideas don't suit you, fine don't vote for him. But why not find out the reality rather than this cartoon version?

[Zankee]

Far be it from me to disturb your interpretations of "reality".., however, you would be better informed if you would review at "youtube.com"; Search: "warning to the world parts 1-9.., weigh that with which you have expressed..; we are all -the concerned- trying to comprehend the startling incomprehensible, as it is revealing a contrary and gloomy destiny for ALL.., including, the "masters" of the "new" incorporated design....

Our World, politically and environmentally, is rapidly mutating around us.., and we're still mesmerized.., entertaining ourselves with the same re-cycled political "puppets".., makes one wonder how man got this far....

[castlerider]

That's not how I see America in places where there is peace; I see it that way in places where we have invaded and caused conflict for the purpose of destabilization, like Iraq.

Remember, that's waht we're talking about here, not France Germany, etc.
And I know all about McCain. His moment was the year 2000. But rethugs invested their all in a twerp who hid behind his daddy's trousers so he wouldn't have to face the enemy in Vietnam. This twerp has destroyed his party and is destroying our country with his idealogical BS. Why dont you take the time to get hip to the reality thats in your face and all around you. Rightwinger's time is done for hopefully at least a full generation.

[democratsaint]

mccains going ot have a problem in nov. he spent months and months saying he was a conservative to win the nomination. trouble is the independents who he counts on will puke,so he now has a choice continue to run as a conservative or run as a maverick in wish case the repuke will puke.

frankly we do need an age limit on office like senate ,house,president and supreme court.we already had 1 brain dead president and several in the supreme court.(one of which is roberts,gee lets pull words from this part of the constitution and this part and this part and make a new one.) the admendment says the right to bear ARMS.( and if any of the idiots actually looked up arms they would include nuclear missles,and frankly handguns and shotguns would not be considered arms.)

[moderationsmuse]

He says he's a conservative which will get him into trouble with independents, to say nothing, presumably about so-called liberals and progressives. Interesting point. When do you suppose American politics can turn peoples' attentions to the candidates as human beings -- not "labels" or policies or other abstractions?
When are we likely to choose a person, someone of leadership, and accept that we've chosen a person? People have great advantages over "policies" -- they can learn, adapt, grow, age, gain experience, see things in a new way.
Get someone honest and experienced. Policies can come and go.
I'm for selecting the person, myself.

[kikiva]

Well Arianna thanks to your blog's constant pushing of Obama (who will lose to McCain) and 100% more attacks on Clinton than on McCain (now is a bit late) , we will have a President McCain.
You still are a Republican, aren't you dear?

[GBeer]

John McCain and other Republicans say that theirs is the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

T.R. was an ardent protector of the environment and foe of income inequality. He was a progressive who believed that the consolidation of power and wealth in the hands of private interests threatened the morality and stability of the nation. He aimed to protect capitalism from its own excesses through prudent government intervention and by enforcing federal antitrust laws.

Lincoln strove, as much as possible, for national unity rather than partisanship. He approved the first imposition of the income tax in the US. Clearly, his base was in what today are the “blue” states..
For both of them the good of the nation, not ideology, was paramount.

It is absurd to imagine that either T.R. or Lincoln would want to join, or would be accepted in, today’s Republican Party, the party of refuge for segregationist after passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act; the party of George Bush, Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh etc.

[GrainOSand]

I wanted to stay away from poltics tonight and give myself a break from the conversation. I ate dinner and then visited a few non-political web sites for a much needed departure from what has been both an inspiring and a disheartening conversation by the American people concerning the presidential campaign. I ran across a blurb that led me to a web site where I found an analysis on America that makes the indictment of Jeremiah Wright look like praise. That would not be so bad if the infomration in the article did not ring so true. The article is titled "IS THIS THE DEATH OF AMERICA?" and it was written in 2005. As I read it, I found myself wanting to deny what I read but in the end I could not deny only affirm what was being stated.

If anybody thinks that America is not at a crossroads and in dire need of new leadership I urge you to read the article. If anyone thinks John McCain is the answer I urge you to read the article twice. Can we afford to continue on this way? I think not.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid%3D16223364&method%3Dfull&siteid%3D94762&headline%3Dis-this-the-death-of-america--name_page.html

[moderationsmuse]

The problem with "new leadership" is that you cannot appreciate the challenges of the future if you are unacquainted with the past. You don't even know what "new" is, if you are unacquainted with the past. Some things appear to be "new" that have been around forever, and only the green newbies don't realize it. Lots of things may appear, disappear, and reappear. And human nature remains remarkably constant.
That said, I too would love to address something besides politics. The constant preoccupation with politics shows us a world through Magoo-like lens. So, GrainOSand, how does one start a dialog on something else, on life more broadly? Any thoughts?

[viewfromtheleft]

When my older son was ten, he was asked by a friend what was the difference between a democrat and a republican. In the simple terms of a 10 year old, he said that democrats are concerned about the welfare of the people especially those that unable to help themselves while republicans were selfish! While the correct answer may be far more complex, Ms. Huffington is merely illustrating the simple truth of the words of a 10 year old.

[moderationsmuse]

So your ten year old has learned this prejudice already? Being a Republican is the new black. I wonder what Dr. King would say in this era of present and former Secretaries of State who are African-American.

[jimdog1954]

What would Dr. King say? "Uncle Tom", that's what! Great leaders such as Rice and Powell have not lifted a finger to help the poor, black, or underprivileged people anywhere. Shame.

[ignorantwillyharper]

After all is said and done, it's simple McCain is a crook and we don't need a crook running the country. We've tried that before and it didn't work then and it won't work now.

[viewfromtheleft]

While I am a long way from being a fan of Sen. McCain, I don't see him as a crook, at least not in the real corruption sense (Keating 5 to the contrary notwithstanding). And it is not the possibility of him being a crook that is of greatest concern. When one listens to him, listens to each of his diatribes in the context not only of Iraq today but of his other comments on the present state of the world, one comes away with the clear image of a man who sees himself as a "warrior". And like all warriors, he can only prove his worth in battle, whether literally or metaphorically. Should he become president (a likelihood enhanced by the habit of democrats ability to shoot themselves in the foot at the drop of a hat), Sen. McCain will likely seek to establish his warrior status. An a man who thinks of Beach Boy classic as war music, isn't likely to establish his warrior status by cheering at a footbal game.

[Silknspark]

Regards McCain - please put forth all documented accountings that bring you to arriving at your claim "he's a crook."
Then put forth all documented accountings regards Clinton.
I don't think Barack is a crook - but I am in total contraire to his socialistic bent. Anything that smacks of socialism is unacceptable.
We've seen how ruinous "giving people fish," instead of "teaching them how to fish," is.
Now. Wanna talk about crooks? Mr. Al Gore is a world class crook. Never - in my life have I ever seen such blatant, in-your-face conning.
There's a guy who makes the Flim Flam Man look like a toddler, when it comes to con-artistry.
He knows he's perpetuating a con, so he refuses to debate and defend his position on his global warming fable, for his con would be rapidly exposed and he'd get the grand shunning he deserves.
Now there, "lies" a crook.

[akkadian]

Agreed, there is too much lunacy which passes for 'policy' these days. If you want a war with Iran and more Chinese indebtedness, then vote for McCain.

[MaxTaylor1]

Want a Taste of the McCain Presidency? You've Already Had One-Ariana

And another one awaits. Suck on that one, huffy, not that you're any good at sucking things. That's why your hubby turned gay, i heard.

[LewisWalsh]

I suggest, MaxTaylor1, that if you cannot endure individuals who do not agree with you, refrain from participation. Those of us who are serious about ideas do not appreciate your need to use gutter language. You may need help, perhaps some therapy would do your state of mind some good.

[viewfromtheleft]

I must congratulate MaxTaylor1 on his thoughtful analysis and clear writing style. It is every bit as cogent as that which we have come to expect from the great leadership this country has endured . . . er, enjoyed for going on 8 wonderful years. The only way his comments might have been better would be if Ms. Huffington had posted her silly comments in Comic format so that MaxTaylor1 might have had a better opportunity to fully comprehend the depth of the issues preseneted.

[chlllfactor]

What a terrible, unexcusable thing to say! If you want to participate on a debate of the issues, then do that. Otherwise, all you do is make yourself look like a complete idiot! Go hang you tail somewhere else!