McCain's Blue Dress

We will probably never know if John McCain had an affair with that pretty blonde lobbyist, as suggested by the New York Times today, and in my heart of hearts I don't give a damn. I know there are some out there who are still worrying about the sex life of Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy, but I am not among them. In the case of McCain and his lady lobbyist, they will both deny it and there is no way of proving it. It will probably remain more of a smudge than a stain on the McCain name. But, of course, as a committed Democrat I do care, in so far as it punches a hole in his egregious campaign as flag-bearer of Republican morality. Personally, I think his physical and political embrace of George W. Bush was the most lewd and obscene act this guy could commit, proving that it was easier for him to withstand years of torture by the Viet Cong than resist his own tortured political ambitions. I wouldn't care about McCain's sex life if he wasn't the soon-to-be nominee of the Republican Party; the party who cared more about the stains on Monica's blue dress than about Americans who couldn't afford a new dress or shoes for their kid's first day at school.

So, if, like McCain, you're the guy who knows better, but you turn your back on your own moderate beliefs and swallow whole the right's agenda on social, economic and foreign policy, indeed, if you contribute to that agenda, you leave yourself open to newspapers and ordinary folks like me saying, "John, we hardly knew ye!" Or did we know you? And do you know better? Weren't you one of the Keating Five, a politician who took big favors from and advanced the cause of a corrupt Savings and Loan company and barely escaped the fallout of its wreckage? Weren't you the guy who made ugly jokes about the looks of the young Chelsea Clinton? Weren't you the guy who left his wife to marry the beer heiress, Stepford Cindy, who is so proud to be an American that she was obliged to break her long vow of silence and take a whack at the words of Michelle Obama? As Henry Kissinger proved to us when he went about with beautiful starlets, power is a great aphrodisiac, and McCain, having reached great power in the Senate, should be allowed the usual senatorial hanky-panky as part of the perks that come with his arduous job: the free airplane rides, hot tickets to sporting events, and charming a gullible mainstream press on the campaign trail, while back-tracking on former political beliefs in the greater cause of making John McCain POTUS.

Comments

[alamo]

Great work and congratulations to the New York Times. Glad to see the Times back after the Blair and Judith Miller fumbles.

For months now, I have been screaming for our decliningly effective main stream media--that rapidly disappearing industry--to do their job.
And the Times has awaken thank God.

John McCain has been involved in shady dealings all through his public career. Anyone with his sense of propriety certainly has no business being president of the United States.
Selling out to Paxson Communications or Charlie Keating (see Lincoln Savings and Loan/ Keating 5 scandal) isn't someone we want getting his tentacles into the military/industrial complex all the while talking about a 100 year involvement in Iraq.

He TOOK $20,000.00 from Paxson and was "Lent" the use of their corporate jet on 4 occasions (At least "that" was admitted). Keating coughed up $100,000. The likes of ExxonMobil, Boeing, Halliburton, Bechtel and other war profiteers, have scads of money and jet aircraft by the hundreds. (If that kind of power ends up getting him elected he won't have to worry about corporate jets, as he'll let the American tax payers pick up the bill for the grandest carriage ever, Air Force 1)

This behavior by our "public servants", is exactly what Barack Obama is alluding to when he says, "they say I'm too young, too inexperienced, too concerned with hope. They say, I need to come to Washington and be boiled to the point that hope is stewed out of me and hope is gone"! Well, we need to elect him or Hiliary while there is still room left in the American people to hope for a better day than we have experienced with these Washington "public servants".

The American people are fed up with the "SERVICING", Washington has been providing for way, way too long. Where's the KY jelly? Things must CHANGE!

If you want McCain to listen to your "problems", show him the money (or whatever, Vicki Iseman showed him). Honor my ass: another Republican misfit hack, seeking a larger pasture of operation!

[MSGH]

All right, McCain's hypocrisy is disgusting, but after the way the sanctimonious Right (whom I suspect to be composed mostly of jealous, impotent old men and others who aren't getting any) has rabidly attacked the slightest implication of any sexual peccadillo on the part of any politician to the left of Savonarola, I'm pretty tired of using a politician's sex life as the sole criterion of his (or her) suitability for office. I really don't care. What I do care about, however, is what the Times revealed of McCain's long history with lobbyists. It demonstrates, at the very least, poor judgment & a susceptibility to being easily manipulated by "friends"--2 qualities we DON'T need in a president.

[brutus948]

the only reason I care is because its hypocrytical. The republicans put this picture of high morality for themsleves and then get caught with their own pants down all the time. I actually love the fact the ny times caught this. Its funny how many gay and adultrous republicans are out there

[JustMyWords]

It's not just the hypocrisy that's at issue if it's a sexual affair (and let me be clear, I don't much care who sleeps with who - but if conservatives are going to run around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off about the whole Monica thing, then they darned well better shouldn't be hiding the same stained dresses in their own closets. You know, let he who is without sin...)
The bigger problem to me is the fact that the women is a lobbyist. This is someone that makes a living influencing politicians. Even if this relationship is completely platonic, if you're spending so much time with someone under circumstances that make your employees think there's something going on, then you've got a problem.

[BlueOnBlue]

Does anyone think Huckabee KNEW a miracle was just around the corner? Who knew the deus in this deus ex machina would be the NYT?

All of a sudden, it is conceivable Republicans could find a way to force McCain out of the race, releasing his delegates to his friend Huck (he certainly won't leave them to Romney).

Oh, my god!

[Ides]

Can we close on this hypocrite once and for all, or what? We need to put McCain down, his "Maverick" has worn off and peeled away.

[KathleenH]

It's not bedding down with Vicki that bothers me, it's bedding down with George that does. His private life is his own, all "character" issues aside, but what he aspouses publicly is enough to really frighten any peace loving citizen to think about what war their grandchild will be fighting in.

[KarenZipdrive]

Everyone is acting like McCain is a great family man, when in fact he's married to a trophy wife 20 years his junior, for whom he dumped his first wife.
Let's not pretend it's out of the realm of possibilities that he got a little on the side from this lobbyist.
In my former job, our female lobbyist was married with children, but she certainly thought banging an occasional politician was okay, because the end justified the means.

[preatorius]

THis is very sad. His reputation is ruined over a rumor.

[brutus948]

this is not a rumor. Come on. Its the truth and everyone knows it

[LeftRight]

First, his reputation is not ruined yet. The right wing is actually backing him up right now. Second, IF his reputation is eventually ruined it will not be for a rumor. It will be for at least the appearance of conflict of interest.

[MYSTAI]

I think everyone is missing the point of this possible scandal. I have long held that there should be no personal contact between pols and lobbyists - zero -let alone allowing them to write legislation as now too often happens. Lobbyists should be able to present their cases in writing to be considered along with others and nothing more. This, along with public financing of elections, would lessen corruption immeasurably both actual and perceived.

[terril]

Absolutely! It's incredible that this is accepted in a democracy; how is it any different from the corruption found in other regimes?
I'd also favor a shorter campaign season, and having state primaries at the same time (instead potentially depriving later primaries of their voice, this year being an exception)

[peggio]

Yeah, that little Keating five thing....not so little to my 92 (at the time) year old Grandma, who had every penny in Lincoln Bank.
So forgive me if even not giving a damn who the oldest presidential candidate might have boffed or not, I'm not feeling too sorry for All American sell out!

[wm1066]

I don't even want to think about this guys sex life EEEWWWW.
And I don't think we can assume this came out of the Democrats machine. I think McCain has made alot of enemies and thier just beginning to deep six him. Alot of Republicans want to see him replaced as the candidate.

[Hoelder]

Republicans like to put you into classification boxes of good versus evil. We know that the current fiasco of the Republican party was pursuing the impeachment and the ruthless tactics of painting everything in liberal colors that was not falling within a christian paradigm. Since the six years of unchecked power the strategy is back firing. Their disdain of anything science like behavioral studies eluded from the basics of human behavior as an alpha male. I am not getting into the gloating of my fellow liberals, but call upon all of us, to respect privacy and take the high road on this one. Republican hardliners will do the rest.

[911review]

Right now its hurting the DEMS more than helping.
It is rallying the right against the NYT, McCain in a fight with the NYT is almost a right of passage to be POTUS.

Now, that said....

actually i think there IS a story, just not a front page one.
If Hillary's aids had come forth to say that they told her to stay away from someone , to
"Protect her from herself"

"O'really", and the rest of the repug machine
would have had a field day.

Same if it was Obama.

I think that the story needed to be told, and it is just part of vetting a candidate, i dont see why the NYT is getting so much bad press ?

Its not the NYT that is making this news, it is the people that are REACTING to the story, thats what made it hot.

Brad

[Dendroica]

Nonsense!!!

This isn't a fight for the Republicans, it is a fight for independents. And this is killing him.

This is the most critical aspect of this story- his OWN EMPLOYEES warned both of them not to get too close, there is email evidence to prove this.

If his own employees didn't trust him to do the right thing, should America?

[rjcrane]

Obviously men still don't get the problems with McCain and this new woman/lobbyist nor does the media. But most women do and all women should be turning against McCain in droves. If men had understood this story, someone would be pointing out the obvious physical similarities between Cindy McCain and Nicki Iseman. That was no stupid coincidence. And men who repeatedly in their life have been womanizers and cheat on woman, don't change their spots. The media also should be discussing the circumstances of McCain's first divorce from his wife, Carol, who had been disfigured in an accident when McCain started cheating on her repeatedly and was cheating on her with his current wife, Cindy while married to Carol.

If anyone recalls, these same issues with current wives also sank the reputations of Bob Dole, Newt Gingrich and recently Rudy Giuliani. So why is McCain getting a free pass? Because he's someone's "war hero?"

While this seems like only an issue of morality better left to right wingers and the Huckabees, it is much more that that. It reflects on a person's character and how they chose to deal with important people in their lives. And it also shows how shallow and inconsiderate these same men are and how they use people for their own advantage and careers and discard them like used toilet paper when these same people no longer serve their purpose. It speaks to people who trade people like commodities. Personally I don't want anyone as my President who has a history of bad character and bad judgment with people. And yes, liberals can have and should have these values and care about them too.

I am waiting for the other shoe to drop on this story and bet there is someone out there - a new Linda Tripp - who can shed more light on their relationship now that this story has come out. And if I were McCain I would be very nervous.

RJ Crane, topplebush.com

[RagingJerseyBoy]

This notion of the Republican Party being the guardians of morality is total b.s., like most of what their leadership spouts off about. It is a party of closed minded, obstinate, old white men, half of whom are blatantly hypocritical adulterous fiends. Whether this situation hurts or helps McCain is a toss-up. Even if the story is true, Republican talking heads will gang up on the New York Times and rant about the media's 'liberal bias,' maybe even somehow try link this to Hillary Clinton.

[americanwhocares]

RaginJerseyBoy, you left out their homosexual tendencies, like Mark Foley, Larry Craig, Mitch McConnell and a whole bevy of hypocrites in the repug party. Their sexual preference means nothing to me until they want to pass legislation against gay people, absolutely disgusting human beings.

[pmhunt]

americanwhocares and RaginJerseyBoy, less we forget Newt Gingrich, David Vitter and Roy Blunt and the list goes on (hypocrites, indeed). But the huge issue, in my opinion, is was there special favors (corruption).

[eliandbo]

OK, NY Times, after his denial, DROP THE HAMMER, PROVE IT!

[benalbanach]

America as usual..Forget everlasting wars and propping up dictators until.
Sex and religion is all that moves the mind.

[carlos45]

As far as I'm concerned, this man lost any "hero" credibility during the 2004 election when he sat on the sidelines, watching the swift boat attacks on his friend and comrade in arms, John Kerry, instead of standing up and defending him. This is NOT a man I want covering my back for four years. What this country needs is a great statesman, not just another sleazy politician

[tdterry1999]

carols45,and who would that be