Democrats Let McCain Off Hook on "Cone of Silence"
I was startled at Sen. McCain's formidable presentation at the Saddleback College debate because he seemed so obviously...prepared. It turns out that McCain was not sequestered in a "cone of silence" but was in a automobile where he could well have been... prepared.
It began to be a huge issue, raised by Larry King and alleged sources in the Obama headquarters.
But given an opening to raise serious questions about McCain, Democratic spokespersons like Sen. Claire McCaskill and others dismissed it as a non-story, thus making it a non-story. Instead they put themselves on the defensive by nuanced explanations of Obama's nuanced answers to Pastor Rick Warren's questions.
This was a time to raise questions, not go meek. If McCain was indeed in an automobile, if he was not in a "cone of silence", how will we ever know whether he cheated, perhaps with the help of staff? Pastor Warren's answer was "I have to take him at his word." That is not acceptable. Again and again in recent years, politicians of both parties have paraded before cameras to give us their "word" that they have not lied and cheated -- usually on sexual matters -- only to be exposed as lying about their lies.
This election will be settled more on character questions than policy issues, and McCain is especially vulnerable on questions of personal veracity. But if Democrats, including Obama, keep on lauding him as a war hero, a maverick and a straight-shooter, they are contributing to just those qualities Americans are looking for in a president.
The Saddleback debate was a crucial opening to establish doubt about McCain and Republican/Rove campaign tactics. Defensive Democrats lacked the toughness to show that McCain was not sequestered from beginning to end of the Obama portion of the debate. Republicans, looking for every opportunity to cast doubts on Obama's character, would never have let that opportunity pass.
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Obama showed that he was carefully considering each question and giving a fair amount of thought to his sensitive and intelligent response.
McCain showed that he had memorized the party line response with his short stacato answers sounding like the "no think", "no speak", big brother advocate that he is.
Tom, it taks Testimony of Rita L. Schwerner (Zinn/Arnove) tonight to remind even me.
I can't say thank you enough.
Transcript shows Warren TOLD McCain, DURING the event, that McCain knew ALL the questions!
Read the transcript:
McCain: Are we going to get back to the importance of Supreme Court justices, or should I mention it?
REV. WARREN: We will get to that.
SEN. MCCAIN: Okay. All right. (Laughter.
REV. WARREN: Man, you're jumping ahead. You know all my questions.
Check that out, "You know ALL my questions.
Read Transcript:
http://blo
EVIDENCE THAT WARREN THOUGHT McCAIN CHEATED ... and in the House of God ... typical GOP.
McCain studied the exact questions in the car. His staff worked over time to get the best answers possible put in McCain's head. Why would he or his staff not listen to the questions and turn down such a golden oppertunity?
Because his "staff" is a wanted fugitive from the law on at least Congressional contempt and likely war crimes against humaniity. Is The john aiding and abbetting a felon, or not?
Um, just for starters..
Have a ninethgrader explain it to you.
The important part is the listening.
You can do it !!!!
John McCain might get "off the hook".
However, much like the OJ verdict, in our heart, we know the truth.
I do feel sorry for Rick Warren. He doesn't seem like a bad guy.
Too bad he's going to spend the rest of his life living with a cloud over his head.
I don't think there's anything to be gained. NBC and the NY Times are covering the story fairly objectively, as is the blogoverse. Anybody who's paying attention knows McCain cheated, and they won't be MORE likely to chastise him just because of partisan attacks. The shrill denials from GOP stalwarts aren't having any real influence, after all.
Instead, we are left to wonder why a man running such a professional campaign felt compelled to resort to underhanded tactics. Was it McCain or his staff that doubted he could present himself well in an interview with Warren? Either way, that lack of confidence is likely to be more telling to undecided voters than anything the Democrats can pin on him.
http://oba
Right on target.
The Democrats are beginning to piss me off. What the hell is wrong with them? What about bringing a gun to a knife fight (to paraphrase Obama)?
The country is practically in the gutter and the Democrats are playing "Miss Manners" with people who play dirty. Keep this up and we can say 'bye to the America we love 'cause McCain & Co. will be a continuation of Bush's assault on the country.
Again, the Repubicans, so desperate, that they are willing to cheat, fear monger, attack their opponent with false accusations, and probably have voting machines, certain political officials lined up to try and foist another lemon on the American people. How long and how many repeats of 2000 do we need before we wise up?
Obama needs to take Strong, Consistent stands on the issues that brought him into winning the Democratic primary.
Obama needs to pounce on all of McCain's "misstatements, cheat tactics, negative campiagn stunts, and be forceful.
Let's not let the same people who advised Kerry to be bland and Bushlike, give him his "strategy".
It was Obama's speeches, intellect, willingness to agressively go after Bush, the Republicans, and all their flawed policies that have led our country into one of the deepest darkest holes we have ever found ourselves in. Greed, and power lust have been the goals of the Bush administration. Obama needs to remind voters exactly what it has done to our Nation and the world that witnesses the crimes our leaders have committed.
I never bought it for one nano-second that Mc was in a "Cone of Silence!" I am confused as to why the MSM hasn't gone over this, as they would if it were O instead of Mc. I never bought any of the lies he was spouting at this "forum." Why was it that O had a conversation with the pastor (per the rules) and Mc pandered to the audience without ever looking at the pastor (Rick Warren never ever told him he was cheating)? Yesterday I watched the "pastor" on Larry King Live, again I think he may be somewhat dishonest. This country for all its worth is still somewhat (if not lots) one-sided in how they view people of different hues. IMHO
It seems as if McCain knew the questions so he could prepare his answers, however at one point he answered a question that wasn't asked of him. . .
Here is one question copied and pasted from the CNN website. http://tra
QUESTION: Not good. 80 percent of Americans recently polled said they believe in merit pay. Now, for teachers, do you - I'm not asking do you think all teachers should get a raise. Do you think better teachers should be paid better? They should be paid more than poor teachers?
MCCAIN: Yes, yes, and find bad teachers another line of work. (APPLAUSE).
WARREN: You know, we're going to end this, you're answering so quickly. You want to play a game of poker?
Why did Warren make his comment? McCain just had a quick, concise and eloquent answer to the question. Can you find anything wrong with Mccain's answer?
The question above was for Obama!! Here is McCain's question:
WARREN: About 80 percent of America says they support merit pay for the best teachers. Now, I don't want to hear your stump speech on education.
MCCAIN: Yes, yes, and find bad teachers another line of work. (APPLAUSE).
McCain answered the question posed to Obama perfectly, unfortunately Warren didn't phrase the question for McCain the same as Obama's question.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! To me, this was the clearest give-away of the fact that McCain had the questions (and rehearsed his answers) prior to the forum. Others are talking about McCain's reference to the Supreme Court prematurely; but, IMO, the teachers non-question was the money shot. As usual, MSM and Dem surrogates completely dropped the ball. How could McCain & Co. possibly rationalize his 3-part answer to a 3-part question that Rick Warren NEVER asked him?
I'm kind of tired. But did I just read that correctly?
McCain gave virtually the same answer as Obama - only not to the question Warren gave McCain. He simply repeated Obama's answer to the question Warren had just presented him. ??
The MSM is not interested in bringing McCain down. I personally emailed several of the anchors on MSNBC to ask why the bring out every negative said about Obama and never bring out these issue regarding McCain and of course I got no response.
They spent more time bringing out Edwards dishonesty about his affair and why? He is not even a Senator anymore and no longer a candidate.
McCain's dishonesty is ignored. If Obama had lied and broken this so called code of silence they'd still be talking about it 24/7 with every pundit on every station.
Brill! You caught him out. Three cheers for good ol' textual analysis!
I thought the country abandoned the ol' T. A. with the last mallenium.
Ah, the memories.
I agree Tom.
I am sick of the damn Democrats being either too timid or too stupid to make a case when they clearly have one. Particularly when you're up against an opponent who will do anything to win.
The only cone of silence is the freaking madame media. The masiah needs to repent.
How could Ricky Warren pretermit the flat evil in Irag, Katrina and any single day of the lame shucks administration? How could life at conception subordinate the enterprise of ending it for someone's oil? If he only knew Christ. Or just America.
Who in the world thought the taller telecom-immunity candidate should validate myopic party pews in the first place?
Karl Rove is about to ring in another ellectoral college while on the lamb of Congressional contempt. He probably was at saddletithe Saturday with the prisoner of war for this society.
Precision sedition gets to pick not only second, but after they turn their OWN lights out.
Have our kids to tell there's we were that stupid.
The Fox Muse: as the carnage of constitution, nations, and equivocation beer-bongs along we are supposed to hurl along. Its party time.
The suggestion that the senator might have cheated in the forum is ridiculous. Firstly, stepping back to view the senators campaign to this point, how does this even compare to the dishonorable, cowardly tactics he and his campaign have employed to distract the electorate from the issues they believe are most important?
Secondly: If you ain't cheatin you ain't trying!
That is right. John McCain should be looking for every advantage he can. He needs the evangelical support as much as Obama, in fact, in light of his selling his soul to the devil, he may need them even more (lying to a pastor about it, well, that is above my pay grade).
Finally, who cares? He sounded like a used car salesman. If America buys his lemon, well, we'll get exactly what we deserve. We all can see the big "AS IS" sign on his vision for America.
Turn yourself in to the law, Karl.
Leave the election alone.
The love ones of the fallen care.
Yeah, right, 4pres. We may look young, but we WEREN'T born yesterday (nor under a cabbage leaf). Go sell your snake-oil at the GOP smear sites.
It is not dirty campaigning to expose lies. Obama and his camp have let McCain slide so many times, yet continually point out McCain's patriotism and war record. You have to be more than a POW or war hero to be president. I question whether Obama even wants to win in November. McCain's point about the guard drawing a cross in the sand has been compared to a similar story by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in a Soviet prison. He could not think of any other forms of evil that Bin Laden. He mocked Governor Schwarzenegger mercilessly! He owns many houses, has tons of money, and says the US economy is fine, yet he tries to make Obama the elitist. He voted against the GI bill so that people would not be tempted to get out of the military in order to use it, He proudly admits that he knows nothing about the US economy or modern technology (If he has either that little intellectual curiosity or ability, how can he be repected worldwide as president of a high tech society?) He was disingenuous about his presence in the "cone of silence," stating "I was trying to hear through the walls." He now admits he was in a motercade.
It is time for surrogate groups like MoveOn to step up and do what Obama is apparently uncomfortable doing - loudly and publicly expose this lying elitist for what he is!
It's not the biggest issue we have to confront. Obama needs more focus and shorter answers to the key questions. McCain lies all the time. That is not new. When he gets caught, he brings up his POW days.
Pretty much sums up his 2-step campaign strategy: a) Deliver soundbite. b) If soundbite faces criticism, ask them how dare they criticize a POW.
I agree with you.
"I have to take him at his word." is not acceptable. And this is a missed opportunity for Democrats, and it would have been a totally fair one. The point of the forum was to sit and have a conversation with the pastor and be hit with questions to which they would respond in the moment. And considering the setting and the audience it was designed to appeal to (and we won't even discuss the idea of "cheating" in a church - that's a discussion in itself) it was necessary it be a level playing field to have any real validity.
McCain opened himself up to the question of real validity. A man who touts his honor and military code bona fides ad nauseum, should never have gone that route. And since he did? Comb through it with the attention of the full military inspection that would appeal to Mr. Military Man.
I don't just question the Democrats missed opportunity. I question the MSM's missing the opportunity to shore up their own credentials. If they want us to take future debates and interviews with the candidates seriously, well someone just left a flaming bag on their doorstep. Find out how it got there.
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