One Interview, Two Gaffes

John McCain gave an interview to Newsweek and screwed the pooch twice, which may be a single-interview record.

John Cole caught the first one.

Background: McCain in Kenner, Louisiana (falsely advertised as New Orleans) just this past Tuesday night:

Senator Clinton has earned great respect for her tenacity and courage. The media often overlooked how compassionately she spoke to the concerns and dreams of millions of Americans, and she deserves a lot more appreciation than she sometimes received.

That's the version in the text still up on his campaign website. It matches the video (at the 40-55 second mark).

But here's a segment of the Newsweek interview:

Q. Want to back up a little bit and talk about press coverage. One of the things that you mentioned in your speech in New Orleans was that you felt that the media hadn't recognized or had overlooked some of the attributes that Hillary Clinton had brought to the race. And I wondered —

A. I did not [say that]--that was in prepared remarks, and I did not [say it]--I'm not in the business of commenting on the press and their coverage or not coverage ... My supporters and friends can comment all they want about the press coverage, and that's their right. They're American citizens. I will not because I believe it's not a profitable enterprise for me to do so. I can't change any of the coverage that I know of except to just campaign as hard as I can and try to seek the approval of the majority of my fellow citizens.

Jonathan Martin chooses to believe McCain rather than using his ears, saying that McCain "killed the line," but John Cole says of McCain, "He is either lying, or he does not remember what he said."

My money is on "does not remember." It's quite possible that McCain saw the line in his prepared text, decided that it was inconsistent of his lifetime policy of sucking up to the press, decided to leave it out, got so fussed trying to read his teleprompter (never McCain's best event) that he read the line anyway, and then remembered what he wanted to say rather than what he said.

In either case, not a reassuring performance.

The other whopper is less obvious but more substantial. It's either a flip-flop-flip or a simple flip-flop plus a weasel.

Background: On the question of warrantless communications monitoring, which underlies the argument about retroactive immunity (one might even call it "amnesty") for the telcos that complied with the Bush administration's possibly illegal requests, McCain six months ago came down squarely against Bush.

There are some areas where the statutes don't apply, such as in the surveillance of overseas communications. Where they do apply, however, I think that presidents have the obligation to obey and enforce laws that are passed by Congress and signed into law by the president, no matter what the situation is.

"No matter what" seems reasonably air-tight. But the reporter followed up by asking whether the powers of the Commander in Chief might sometimes over-ride statute. Again, McCain was unequivocal: "I don't think the president has the right to disobey any law."

But this week, under pressure from the Corner at National Review, McCain flipped (or is it flopped?). His official spokesman, in a written response, said that the president had authority to "collect intelligence against foreign threats to the United States as authorized by Article II of the Constitution" and that "most people, except for the ACLU and the trial lawyers, understand" that warrantless monitoring was "Constitutional and appropriate in the wake of the attacks on September 11, 2001." Note that the claim is of Constitutional authority, not statutory authorization. Warrants were clearly required under the (criminal) statute, and the administration claim for the legality of its actions is that Congress had no authority to bind the president in the exercise of his Article II "Commander in Chief" power in wartime.

At the same time, another spokesman for McCain denied that his stance had changed. I'd count that as a flop (or is it a flip)?

So the Newsweek reporters asked about it.

Q. Have you changed your thinking on wiretapping?

A. Of course not. My position has been exactly the same. I have always said the president should obey the law. I still believe the president should obey the law.

So that's a flip-flop-flip. He thought the president had to obey the law, then he didn't, now he does again.

Or maybe it's just a flip-flop plus a weasel. Of course everyone but a few monarchists think that the president should obey the law. Bush's sycophants simply claim that the (Constitutional) law is that in wartime his national security powers override (statutory) laws, and that any statutes that intend to control that power are void. So McCain could say that he's always thought the president should obey the law, but has decided that his earlier actions were lawful.

But six months ago he specifically referred to "laws passed by Congress." So if it's McCain's current position that Bush's actions were lawful, then he has obviously changed his views, while denying that he has done so: a flip-flop plus a weasel.

I suspect that there's a deeper story here. McCain's advisers appear to have urged him to display his physical vigor at every possible moment in order to allay the fear that he may be too old for the job. At seventy-two, McCain has displayed only the aerobic capacity to perform high-degree-of-difficulty acrobatic position-changing without breathing hard, but also the limberness required to bring both feet at once all the way to his mouth.

Impressive, isn't it?

Comments

[Tremonius]

I think the assumption the old fool isn't lying is common, and there's no evidence to support it other than signs of dementia and the name of his bus. On Countdown they play with the notion he is just not acquainted with the YouTube generation where his flip-flops can be easily displayed. (You saw that in spades when he mused one day about razing the 9th Ward and the next said, "I don't remember saying that.")

Either he's suffering from dementia or he's a pathological liar. That's the option.

[Kenji]

Apart from the flippity-f­loppities, his locutions speak twisted volumes:

Apparently, "the ACLU and the trial lawyers" are not actual people, and that warrantless monitoring becomes Constitutional simply because he deems it "appropriate". Obviously, it doesn't take a 9/11 to make abuse of powers look attractive to this or any other president -- let alone to the Plane-Cras­her-in-Chi­ef.

[DeMaria]

I think McCain is showing signs of senility. Pass it on.

[DallasMike]

NoFactsJustTruth,

The same can be said about Obama.

[lennix]

the msm is not doing its job whats wrong with them and when are we going to say enough is a enough

[lungwort]

At least he knows how many states there are.

[ghot]

Anyone catch Sen. McCain's statement broadcast on PBS' Newshour in which he mentioned:
"that there is questions that are winding their way through the courts"
about the legality of these wiretaps.
While his stumbling over "is" and "are" is forgivable, i *don't* understand why he pronounced
"wind" as in "which way the wind blows" and not "wind your watch".
At first i thought he must have been reading a teleprompter, but latter saw a clip of him furiously going over some notes in what looked like preparation for the statement.
In any case it scares me that he seemed to be parroting without processing what he was saying.

I did try to give Sen. McCain the benefit of the doubt and looked up other homophones which might make sense and so far the closest thing would read:
"there is questions that are resting (as a horse, in order to allow the breath to be recovered) their way through the courts".

[PhillyJack]

McCain wants to be many things for different groups. It is up to a diligent and responsible media to press him on his flip flops, if in fact they are willing to be the means through which the American people get a real look into the candidates positions.

[robynuva]

When will the media begin to cover this? At some point, it is a matter of the security of the nation. I mean, there is a man running for President who can no longer remember things he said less than 72 hours ago, or was asked to vote on (Obama-Cantor) or who we are fighting in Iraq, or how many soldiers we have there, or . . . . . .

When does this move from the political arena to just hard news.

[booksnmore4you]

Fish out of their element normally flip and flop a lot. After a while they start to bake under light of the sun.

[SamiNJ]

There is really something awfully wrong with him I think. "I didn't say that. It was in a perpared statement." But he DID say it, so EITHER he forgot,.. which is Reaganesque but in a good way for the Republican fans out there, but instead from the bad latter years when you don't want that man running things.... OR he thinks to read a prepared statement isn't the same as saying it... like "I can't control what's on the prompter... it was just a prepared remark! It's not like I meant it!" which would be terrifying if the people who will have input are Bushies or the like. Hmmm, let me just check this out,... and... Oh NO.... Holtz-Eakin, Kagan. Ugh. Let's hope that's not the case with names like these.

I think his age might actually be a factor. I didn't think so, but now I wonder. He may have the physical energy for the campaign,... but what about mentally ? It's as though he has lost his faculties since 2000.... or maybe he really does want to deliver HOT WATER TO DEHYDRATING BABIES. The point at which someone sees a word and the time it takes to get to the brain is kind of important. Just saying. :)

[Liberoservative]

"I didn't say that. It was in a prepared statement."

What the heck does that mean???? He has no idea what his puppet masters are preparing for him? He doesn't read the speeches before he actually delivers them? He does read them but even if he doesn't believe what is in them he just parrots them anyway?

WTF? This man wants to be POTUS? This man has one record.. and that is war war and more war... he has nothing else of substance...
Matt Taibbi says it best right here....

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/13188

[SamiNJ]

LOVE Matt Tiabbi! :) Good call. Thanks for the link. Totally agree.

"He's survived because Onward to Victory is the last great illusion the Republican Party has left to sell in this country, even to its own followers. They can't sell fiscal responsibility, they can't sell "values," they can't sell competence, they can't sell small government, they can't even sell the economy. All they have left to offer is this sad, dwindling, knee-jerk patriotism, a promise to keep selling world politics as a McHale's Navy rerun to a Middle America that wants nothing to do with realizing the world has changed since 1946."

I couldn't have said it better myself.
And I don't like poking at the age factor or whatever it appears to be with him (McCain)... but I honestly DO NOT think he has his faculties in full functioning proper order. Someone else commented (besides my points initially) that he was discussing how some issue was "winding it's way through the courts"... but he pronounced it "wind" as in the wind blows... not winding your watch. It's like he's reading everything he is speaking yet the two are not linking up in the 'ol noggin. I am scared of this guy being POTUS. For policy reasons as well, but COME ON!!!! I would like someone who doesn't need to be lead around by the arm and have him parrot the closest Neocon he can find. Yikes.

[rbenjamin]

Just 2 gaffes? Not bad for a man with his temperament.

As I interpret his long and well documented career, he is a maverick by inclination, not by principle. He simply enjoys pissing off people in authority. Probably has something to do with having 4 star admirals for a father and grandfather. As authority changes, so do his polarized positions.

As much as McCain chafes under authority, he has thrived and even survived on his basically aristocratic connections. A legacy to the Naval Academy. Medical care in captivity (not McCain's doing, but those who weren't the son of the son an admiral didn't fare as well). Big business puts him into politics, and keeps him living very well while he is there.

So, we have the McCain record, like a pinball rebounding between a kicker and a bumper. Lots of noise, scores points, not much net progress. What are McCain's deeply held political views? I'm not sure even he knows. Gaffe prone by his very nature.

[GnitenGoodLk]

I'd like to get our troops out of the psychopath­-factory-f­ormerly-kn­own-as-Ira­q. Victory awaits us when we no longer have the lunatic-fringe in charge of our armed forces sacrificing our men and women to save face.

And that whole "say no to the GI bill, don't waste money" thing was a real eye opener. A bunch of soldiers wanted it, he says they really didn't. Curiouser and curiouser.

Call me silly but our "romantic" mission in Afghanistan was strategically critical. Just like a Republican to rush to start something, underfund it so it fails, and blame underlings for it. Iran would have hated a victory there. A McCain Presidency ensures we keep making them happy happy happy with missteps. The fringe in Iran would be thrilled to cause Armageddon. I think we missed a few strategic mines they left for us, but not to worry, McCain would ensure we forge right into them. Can't wait for the debates.

Meet the candidate for new boss, worse than the old boss.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

McSame has more EXPERIENCE ...at flip-flopping and LYING.

McSame, like EVERY neoCON, doesn't have the HONOR to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the INTEGRITY to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the HONESTY to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the CONTINUITY to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the TEMPERAMENT to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the LONGEVITY to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the DIPLOMACY to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the APPOSITE EXPERIENCE to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame no longer has enough of the MILITARY'S LOYALTY to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the GRASP OF REALITY to be Commander-in-Chief.
McSame doesn't have the MEMORY to be Commander-in-Chief.


McSame doesn't have a chance in ‘he~ll’, of being a GOOD Commander-in-Chief.

[stavros]

Nice snark.