At various moments in recent weeks, John
McCain has accused Democrats (and some
Republicans including Senators Hagel and
Warner) of voting against the troops.
He has accused war policy opponents of
voting for surrender, advocating defeat, and
doing things that make America's enemies
cheer.
McCain has made sneering references to
those who supported the recent resolutions
in Congress calling for a change in policy,
accusing them of cheering and applauding
legislative victories that, McCain charges,
help our enemies.
There is a great debate in the 2008 campaign.
On one side stands the John McCain of the New Hampshire primary of 2000
advocating
integrity in politics, religious tolerance, and mutual respect across
the aisles in Congress.
His opponent in this debate, is John McCain
running for President in 2008, as the friend
of Falwell, and the partisan heir to Republicans
Richard Nixon and Joe McCarthy.
McCain is Bush 43.5.
It is not enough to disagree with opponents,
he must accuse them of surrender, defeat,
and helping our enemies.
It is not enough to offer a different point of view, McCain makes fun of
the facial expressions of
his opponents, mocking them with the lie that
they laugh and smile to help our enemies.
Sadly for America, and for McCain, the McCain
of McCarthyism has defeated the McCain of the
Straight Talk Express. The McCain who said
American politics should be lifted to causes
greater than our own, lost to the McCain who
sinks our politics, because he will do anything
to win.
McCain is Bush 43.5.
McCain is Joe McCarthy 2.
He would change his middle name to Milhous,
if that would help him win.
McCain is wrong, dead wrong.
Democrats are not laughing. We are trying
to prevent any more Gold Star Mothers from
crying.
It is George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and the
man who used to be John McCain who are
promoting the polices that are playing into
the hands of America's enemies, and doing
damage to America's military that will take
a generation of wiser heads to undo.
The McCain of 2000 would never have hired
consultant who worked the racist and bigoted
ad that defamed Harold Ford.
The McCain of 2008 will do anything to win.
It is not enough to support a war, to win the
Republican base. He must demagogue and
deceive in the darker tradition of others who
have played to that base before.
New Hampshire 2000 was McCain's moment.
Iraq 2007 is McCain's McCarthyism.
McCain 2008 is a sad tale of a man who lost
his soul, to lose an election.