The Lies Of John McCain And Mike Huckabee

As expected, Sunday night's FOX News debate was awesomely ridiculous. After a few minutes, this is all I heard:

GIULIANI: "9/11, 9/11, 9/11, Reagan, Hillary!"
DING DONG!
ROMNEY UNIT: "Hillary, Hillary, Hillary, Beep-boop-beep-beep, Reagan?"
DING DONG!
THOMPSON: (smacks lips) "Reagan, Reagan, Reagan, I'm old and sleepy! 9/11."
DING DONG!
RON PAUL: "When it comes to Iraq I don't---"
AUDIENCE: "BOOOO! Hissss! You make Hannity cry!"
DING DONG!

What struck me as particularly farcical was Senator McCain's post-debate assertion on Hannity & Colmes that America is a "right of center" nation.

Republicans try to sneak this one by us quite a bit and, when it's repeated, the full implication is that the United States has always been right of center. It's a lie that fits nicely with the "America was founded as a Judeo-Christian Nation" lie.

The United States of America is composed of around 300 million mostly good people who are sometimes misguided, destructive, religious, arrogant, ignorant and self-important -- conditioned to consume everything. We're fat, prone to addiction and we love awful things like Steve Doocy and BK Stackers. We're a lot of crazy things, Senator McCain, but America is definitely not "right of center."

Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee (actual Microsoft Word spell check suggestions: chickadee, huskies, hoecake) tried to tell us this week that the signers of the Declaration of Independence were "mostly clergymen." That's another lie -- a corollary to the Judeo-Christian Nation lie. At most, five of the 56 signers of the Declaration were clergymen. And that's a generous accounting.

America was founded by men of the Enlightenment: a movement which emphasized reason, rationality, liberalism, anti-authoritarianism and political equality. The founders were revolutionary liberals who believed strongly in secular government. This is nowhere near "right of center" or indicative of a Judeo-Christian Nation.

Many of the founding fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson, while claiming to believe in God, were deists and didn't believe in the resurrection or the divinity of Jesus Christ; they didn't believe in Christ's miracles or the holy trinity. Bill O'Reilly would've poked their eyes out with his pointy fingers.

Thomas Paine, whose writing inspired the Declaration of Independence, rejected all religions: "I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church." (The Age of Reason, 1794)

John Adams, as president, signed a treaty in 1796 which stated unequivocally: "As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion." There's no gray area there.

And, naturally, we have the First Amendment which includes that pesky Establishment Clause, defining the separation between church and state. That, and Article VI which forbids a religious test for holding public office. Clearly a section of the Constitution the Republican candidates have overlooked.

Make no mistake, the founders absolutely believed in the existence of a God or a Creator. George Washington often spoke of "Providence." But they were fighting and dying to escape the tyranny of a theocratic government. Why would they risk everything only to establish -- hell, to establish exactly what today's Republican Party wants: an imperial, conquering superpower fronted by a strong executive who legislates Judeo-Christian dogma?

The founders knew that theocracy and authoritarianism were the weapons of tyrants. Likewise, in establishing a constitutional democracy, they knew that if they sanctioned a national religion, then government would be able to tax and regulate religion -- suppressing religious expression. So the founders created a secular nation in which any and all religions would be free to prosper without government intrusion -- and vice versa.

As for the political and ideological views of the founders, you can't get much more liberal than instigating a rebellion and engaging in revolutionary warfare against a standing imperial army, a monarch (unitary executive) and a monopolistic mega-corporation (the East India Company, which received the most infamous corporate tax cut of all time -- triggering the Boston Tea Party).

Sorry Republicans. The founding fathers were secular liberals. And so are a majority of Americans right here and now. According to Gallup:

-Americans are pro-choice (67 percent)
-Americans support the Geneva Conventions with regards to torture (57 percent)
-Americans don't want the government snooping in their bank and internet records (67 percent)
-Americans want the USA Patriot Act changed or eliminated entirely (81 percent)
-Americans support protecting the environment at the expense of economic growth (55 percent)
-Americans believe that global warming is happening (86 percent)
-Americans believe that it's the government's responsibility to provide health care (69 percent)
-Americans support the decriminalization of marijuana (55 percent) and support the legalization of medical marijuana (78 percent)
-Americans think we've lost the war in Iraq (64 percent)
-Americans are opposed to attacking Iran (68 percent, according to a CNN Poll)
-Americans support labor unions (60 percent)
-Americans want government funding of embryonic stem cell research (56 percent)
-Americans believe that free trade hurts American workers (65 percent)
-Americans believe rich people and corporations aren't paying enough taxes (66 and 71 percent respectively)
-And overall party affiliation? 54 percent of Americans are Democrats (with leaners) and 39 percent are Republicans (with leaners).

That's "right of center"? I call bullshit aboard the Straight Talk Express.

And even if the numbers aren't so convincing, at the very least our political leaders are supposed to be well-educated, rational, reasoned, forward-thinking, progressive and, yes, secular... so we the people don't always have to be.

We can be religious zealots or we can be atheists. We can be rednecks, wingnuts, wonks, hoopleheads or layabout geeks. Just so long as our leaders aren't. Our American leaders ought to reflect not necessarily who we are, but who we ought to be. Senator Chris Dodd, for example, is representative of who we ought to be.

Before Reagan came along, Republicans were political moderates -- even liberal -- by today's standards. President Eisenhower established the Department of Education, Health and Welfare. And President Nixon, despite shitting all over the country, ended the war in Vietnam, established OSHA, the EPA and the first government affirmative action program.

Conversely, the most liberal of all modern presidents, Franklin Roosevelt, built the mightiest army the world has ever known. He built this army from scratch and used it to simultaneously defeat Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan.

Yet somehow liberal is a bad word.

At some point in the last 30 years, the Republican Party totally flew off the rails, and in doing so must've sustained a blunt force trauma to the brain. The neoconservative movement decided that an imperialist, preemptive foreign policy combined with a deliberately moronic, Larry the Cable Guy, Wrestlemania, knee-jerk, warmongering, fearmongering style of politics would make the GOP more relatable to "Middle Americans."

And it's worked out, more or less. There are Republican voters watching FOX News at this very minute who, if they knew what the Enlightenment was, would probably think it was somehow "faggy."

I wonder what Thomas Paine or Thomas Jefferson or James Madison (a Christian who vetoed a faith-based initiative, by the way) would've said about a president who boasted that God told him to invade and occupy another country? Jefferson would probably convene an emergency meeting about authoring a brand new, shall we say, declarative document.

But I don't think Senator McCain, President Bush or Mike Huckabee would be allowed within a hundred miles of that meeting. Then again, I suppose they wouldn't have to be. They'd probably just wiretap the meeting and render the participants to secret overseas torture dungeons.

Comments

[Lute]

postscript, since I was needlessly verbose:

One wouldn't want to instigate a revolt, now would one? Pointless anyway. I don't suppose it is illegal for Blackwater "employees" to carry automatic weapons? The difference between Hitler's SS and Blackwater is that the SS believed in something beyond the mundane and had a twisted sense of Honor. Typically, Blackwater believes in higher profits, which in turn means that their services would be offered to the highest bidder, rhetoric notwithstanding, since the truth might be inconvenient, or taste something like History.

[Lute]

Caesar:
Let me have men about me that are fat,
Sleek-headed men and such as sleep a-nights.
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look,
He thinks too much; such men are dangerous.


Julius Caesar Act 1, scene 2, 190"195

History is often inconvenient, as is truth--
neither are they profitable.

If you will note the above polls, you will find that they do not reflect the actions taken by government in our name. It is rather asinine to assume that any of the presidential timbers actually believe any of the swill they preach, they say just exactly what is needed to get them closer to the golden throne; if you swallow any of the hogwash they spew, you are deluding yourself, it means nothing more than that they like to hear the sound of their own voices. If they misspeak what of it? The only bad publicity is no publicity.


This is no longer a nation of such fine principles as are enumerated above, indeed, it was never so--it was out of their dissension and mistrust that the Constitution arose, at every point it assumes the worst and attempts to make provision for it. At its core it reserves to us the right to resist, and insists that we should be eternally questioning government, they knew, just as well we should, that power corrupts. They knew,
knowing Aristotle far better than we, that Democracies degenerate into tyranny.

The fact of the matter is, we are ruled by a professional political caste system, career demagogues whose primary function is to confuse, lie, and delay. One could cite their overlords, the Banks, the corporate deities,
those who seek the abolition of taxes on profits, porous borders, and slaves, but that would be pointless, and needlessly inflammatory, wouldn't it?

[BRUMALIA]

Great article Bob !!

[mtsggary]

this is just another example of Republicans preying on the fact that a majority of the voting populous comes from those likely unaware of Revolution-era American history. By altering a subject that cannot be directly confirmed nor denied-unless we build a time machine- Huckabee can suggest these long standing conservative values that in reality just did not exist among most patriots. Republicans know that most people are against their party. However they also know that less than 60% of the electorate actually votes and by encouraging the usual blocs that that is the republican electorate to vote they can ensure victory.

[MATeamster]

The Bush/Cheney Administration seems to have more to do with worship of the almighty dollar than truly believing in the Almighty. They have taken every opportunity to diminish individual rights, through scare tactics and heightened terror levels, labeling detractors; or just "Staying the course."
Poor John McCain seems to be suffering from the "Stockholm Syndrome." The "Rove-ites" have convinced this once plain talking man that he is one of them. I have a feeling that Senator McCain is a victim of nano-mites in the brain; placed there sometime after his Rovesque dismantling in South Carolina, in 2000. Then again, he may just have "Presidential Blindness;" an affliction that affects one"s judgment of truthiness.
John Adams, the second President of the United States, was one of the principal framers of the Declaration of Independence, and the son of a Deacon. He was, debatably, a religious agnostic. During his term in office, John Adams resisted the call to war against France.
James Madison, undoubtedly, the major influence for the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, successfully fought valiantly to keep religion from being used as a parameter for political office.
Bush: In the beginning, there was terror. Then there was the erosion of our freedom, with the Patriot Act. Remember "enemy combatants?" What about warrantless wiretaps? Abu Ghraib? Torture?
What about the lies to start a War: Colin Powell holding up a vial of white powder. Where are the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Failed/Non-existent military planning. Diplomats (L. Paul Bremer III) unfamiliar or ignorant of Arabic-Muslim country, making desperately horrendous decisions. Did I mention OIL?
I think the picture is getting clearer for people. The Bush Administration is a clear example of what happens when profits of friends/contributors outweigh the needs of a nation.
These religious right-wing nuts do pray to the God¦"In God they Trust", the dollar.
Maybe I"m idealist; I always believed that we are better than this.
Ben Franklin said, "They that can give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security."

[Garvagh]

John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are all exponents of unilateral use of American military power to enable the right-wing Israeli militarists to attempt to retain the illegal settlements in the West Bank. This posture encourages the squandering of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars, and ironically is contrary to the best interests of Israel itself. The socal issues are a cover for radical militarism.

[Dandrea]

I agree. The Bush administration has only threaten the security of Israel right along with our security. They really screwed us.

[larala4fr]

Right On!! Now if we repeat it as often as the Republicans repeat their BS, Americans might begin to believe in themselves.

[zitlight73]

Washington and Franklin were deisists but weren't athiesists. Washington always referred to Providence but he did have serious doubts about eternal life

[LarryDavid]

and by the way, bush never said god told him to attack iraq. that's a leftie myth/lie.

[Shandy]

Nice rebuttal...loved it!

[Rabbin]

As a Christian in the Bible Belt I find all things connected. Even the thoughts of righteousness that often becomes counfused with self-righteousness as witnessed here in the Bible belt often! I feel all are creatures created by our Higher power. Some may call Him or Her God, Allah, Budah, or Mother Nature that has caused all that we see, feel hear and smell!

But because I believe as I do I love all of the above and from that as I was taught, Love thy neighbor as ye do yourself! Too bad the whole world couldn't comprehend the beauty of such a statement. Perhaps then there would be world peace and no one would go without the essencials of life!

Nor would any politican try to figure out out to legislate morality when there is no morality in them! For all they want is to have the power of this world under any spin of any truth!

[duck]

This is the advantage of secularism. Ethics can be apply differently to any given situation. The end justifies the means. The problem is that ethics is not morality. An ethical person nows it is wrong to steal from another but does it anyway, a moral person will not steal.

[jesselee]

thanks for this essay. i'm an atheist, living in the bible belt. you cannot overestimate how much this pep talk means to me.

[dolsac]

Bob Cesca's article was one of the best that has been on the Huffington Post. Kudos to you.
Thomas Paine also wrote the well known "COMMON SENSE' articles that are so well known. They should be must read for all school children.
The reason there is so much turmoil today is because the History of the past is no longer taught in schools. The History that is being taught is either distorted or downright lies.
COMMON SENSE tells us that we must respect all people (and expect respect in return).
What will this country be like with 14 more months of Bush and Cheney who have no respect for American citizens nor citizens of other countries.
I would like to know Bush's definition of Democracy when he has made himself a self-appointed dictator.
Woe to us for another year of this administration.

[luziannagirl]

Bob C, I don't doubt your poll numbers on Americans' viewpoints.

Those attitudes, reflecting a growing "conservative" voter split with the Bush & the NeoCons, are still not translating into voting choices; prime example last week's Louisiana gubernatorial election.

I think a lot of "conservative" voters might be very displeased with BushCo, but are still afraid to buck their preachers & religious leaders for fear of losing their immortal souls.

Perhaps the opposition should tear a page out of BushCo, abandon reason and fact, and appeals to patriotism and human compassion, and just start spitting religious babble right back at them. Maybe a "W is the AntiChrist" smear campaign, along with a lot of sloganeering based on popular apocalyptic phrases from the Book of Revelation. Like, "Cheney: Mark of the Beast" and "W's Hidden Birthmark: 666 " and "Vote Republican; Rot in Hell"

In my few heated discussions with such folks, the ONLY traction I seemed to make was in jest, throwing out the possibility that Bush is the AntiChrist. Got the old double-take and an almost "you think so...", until they realized I was being funny.

I think there's something to it as a tactic.

It speaks their language.

[duck]

Everyone here seems to forget that the Democrats tried to block integration.. The Dixiecrats fought for tears against rights for Blacks and the last gasp of the Dems was to try and introduce 'Separate but equal'...

Public schools have become an indoctrination system to mold kids minds to the Liberal way of thinking...

I personally lost a college scholarship because of a Liberal scheme consisting of 'fairness and grade welfare'

My first summer job at 15 years old, in the 1950s, was working for a Black contractor. He owned his own business, building and refurbishing homes. My high school swimming coach was a black man, we even swam in the same pool at the same time. When I was 17 years old, I worked a summer for a Black cattle rancher. Two grocery stores where I lived was owned and operated by Blacks as was several cafes. No one that lived in the area seemed to mind although there was trouble when some stranger, usually from California drove through and didn't like the idea of paying a Black for services rendered. According to Liberals, [the only people that really count], this could not be...

My mother even owned and operated a restaurant...Gees, a woman in business, well, she was, along with two theaters being owned by females, several farms and ranches, and the most shocking of all, the local Harley Davidson motorcycle sales and repair shop was owned, operated' and worked by a woman.....

I was always told that a child could grow up and be anything they want. This is no longer true. One can only become what the Liberals allow one to be. The US has become a "Freedom from" society that is quickly plunging towards Liberal socialism, where one can be any type of person that one wants but cannot build their own future unless that future is one approved.

I'm all for democracy but it's one huge failing is that the moment that people start voting that they can receive the fruits of someone else's labor, it is no longer a democracy, it's collective.

[bolderdash]

And did you know, poster duck, that the 'dixiecrat' Demos in the south during those 50's and 60's, switched political parties, to the Republicans, when 'tricky-dickie' Nixon ran for Pesident and won in '68? And the south of this country ever since, is soundly right-wing Republican?

Some how you have the mis-guided viewpoint that LIBERALS are responsible for losing your respect in Democracy and freedom...by working with these black business owners in your youth, and gaining living experiences, how did this connection somehow have anything to do with this big bogeyman Liberal Democrat? I don't see the connection.

The point of Bob Cesca's column is that the Republican right-wing leadership, and their primary candidates for President in '08, like McCain, are completely out of touch with our Founding Father's, like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. And it is true about the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence documents, our nation of United States of America was founded by secular revolutionary Liberals, not by McCain like conservatives that would have supported the Imperial/British Monarchy of King CharlesII...and their Protestant zealots!

[duck]

The point is that they were Dems at the time of their actions.
Working for Blacks in the 50s and 60s and comparing the propaganda that is propagated today shows just one of the lies pushed by Liberals.

I take the Liberal actions personally because from the days I went to school until the present, the liberals have have stepped on both me and relative's lives then they ground us down with their heels for good measure. Due to Liberal agendas, most of my family lost their homes, jobs, and ended up in poverty because of Liberal lies.

My family was dirt poor and America held out 'some' hope at that time. Now, it doesn't.

Liberals create victims too but it doesn't seem to bother them at all...

[obstreperous1]

You forget that those same dixiecrats jumped ship over integration and many became the base for the far right of the Republican party. The rest, you must be proud to have lived in the only such town in the South, if that is where you are implying you grew up. If the truth be known, you've got a few more basic freedoms to worry about at your own heroes hand's before you need to bother with socialism. It's fairly benign compared to fascism, I assure you.

[duck]

Nope, I grew up in the forest of the North West.

Around 1/4 of the population was white, 1/4 Black, 1/4 American Indian, the rest was a mixture of Oriental, East Indian, Hispanic and others, many were small business owners.. Most of us were poor and was working our way out of that situation until the Liberals started to move in and wanted to save us. The Liberals quickly destroyed peoples pride and self respect and saved most right into welfare.

And to repeat, the Dixiecrats were Dems at the time they were against inigration.

I don't 'feel' very free today.

[Johnv3]

Traditionally. the word liberal means to be open to new ideas and tolerant of others. Like the first Christians had to be - and were told to be by Jesus. What happened?

[JoshuasGrandma]

William Gladstone said,
"Liberalism is trust of the people tempered by prudence. Conservatism is distrust of the people tempered by fear."

Rovian strategy recognized that fear of social disintegration was the best way to break up the people's collective power, to divide, drive wedges in the economic interests of the common people and gain power for the elite.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."
Sinclair Lewis

[talkstocoyotes]

This labeling didn't start with Bonzo Ronnie [a/k/a Ronnie Reagan] but at the very least was given a hard push at the top of the bunny slope. It was during Bonzo's first administration that the term "special interest group" underwent a curious sea change: instead of referring to entrenched and already-powerful groups and organizations, as it had previously it now was applied to groups representing the most marginalized groups in society. That was also the era when "liberal" somehow became a dirty word but after all, what can you expect of an electorate that chose Bonzo twice and went in for such theatrical mourning when he finally punched out?

McCain has become the darling of the Bushbots, so maybe he'll be Romney's or Huckabee's running mate.