McCain afraid to be seen with buddy

May 27, 2008

Almost immediately after securing the Republican presidential nomination in March, John McCain visited the White House for a get-together with the man he hopes to replace.

Thanking Bush for his endorsement, McCain was effusive with praise for the president. “I’m very honored and humbled to have the opportunity to receive the endorsement of the president of the United States, a man who [sic] I have great admiration, respect and affection,” McCain said. “I appreciate his endorsement. I appreciate his service to our country. I intend to have as much possible [sic] campaigning events and — together, in keeping with the president’s heavy schedule. And I look forward to that opportunity…. I hope that the president will find time from his busy schedule to be out on the campaign trail with me.”

At which point, Democrats everywhere quietly said to themselves, “I hope so, too.”

As it happens, Bush and McCain will be together again today for a fundraiser, their first joint appearance in quite a while. Don’t expect to see too many pictures, though — the McCain campaign isn’t anxious to have people see their candidate hanging around with the least popular U.S. president since the dawn of modern polling.

President Bush and John McCain will appear together at a fund-raiser in Phoenix Tuesday, the first time in nearly three months that the Republican presidential candidate will be seen beside the man he hopes to succeed.

With Mr. Bush’s popularity at a record low, the McCain campaign has made sure that television footage of the two men together will be minimal.

Really? What happened to, “I hope that the president will find time from his busy schedule to be out on the campaign trail with me”? Sure, Bush has a “heavy schedule,” but as long as he’s traveling to Arizona on McCain’s behalf, and McCain will be there, why not take a moment to smile for the cameras?

The WSJ added:

The pair will be seen together before TV cameras only fleetingly, at the airport as Mr. Bush departs on Air Force One, and there are no plans for either to formally say anything.

A senior adviser to Sen. McCain said the campaign considered the risk of having the candidate appear with the president at all but concluded there was no way to avoid it given that the event was in Sen. McCain’s home state.

A McCain advisor was sure to also emphasize that the amount of time Bush and McCain will actually spend together during the Arizona visit will be limited.

Ouch.

You know what ought to be fun? Watching the Republican National Convention, and seeing the McCain campaign scramble to figure out what to do with Bush and Cheney. It would be too obvious and too serious a snub to deny them the stage altogether, but at the same time, it’d be foolish and self-defeating to provide Bush and Cheney a high-profile platform during the convention, reminding the nation, while the spotlight is on the GOP, of why Americans are desperate for a change in direction.

Maybe Bush and Cheney can appear together — you know, the way they did for the 9/11 Commission — at, say, 2:30 in the morning the first night of the convention. That ought to help.

I’m looking forward to Bush being hailed by the party faithful with chants of “Four More Years!”

  • “You know what ought to be fun? Watching the Republican National Convention, and seeing the McCain campaign scramble to figure out what to do with Bush and Cheney.”

    Hence the need for a new war with Iran. Can’t be going to conventions with three wars to run.

    It’s depressing to see “[sic]”being used in someone’s verbal quotes — twice! I hope this nation realizes the inability to speak clearly is the result of being unable to think clearly. Bush is the poster boy for that malady and McCain is hot on his heels as his replacement.

  • At TPM they quoted a reader who thinks that Bush, narcissistic sociopath, will insist that the convention be a love note to himself. Here’s hoping.

  • Maybe they’re both just a bit squeamish since Hillary’s “assassination” gaffe.

  • Sorry, George, you know how it is, what with all the legal bill I’ve been incurring. But give John a hug for me, even though he is a lying sack of sh**. You can be sure I’m grateful for the judicial appointments and the capital gains tax breaks. And don’t worry I blama only myself for investing in bonds.

  • I hope there are a lot of flies on the wall at that fund raiser. And the food, for that matter.

  • The Simpering, Strutting, Smirking, Smarmy Chimp’s gonna be in Abq today, raising money for the local GOPhascists’ Aryan boy, Darren White, a wanna-be Joe Arpayo, who’s the “chosen one” for Heather Wilson’s seat–no, not her place on pajama Pete’s lap, his Senate seat.

    He’s doing the gig out here in my end of town (North Valley–Los Ranchos de Abq, at the home of a “supporter”), which is guaranteed to fuuk up beyond belief the already really fuuked-up traffic situation for most of the damn day.

  • @ 3. On May 27th, 2008 at 10:35 am, jimBOB said:
    At TPM they quoted a reader who thinks that Bush, narcissistic sociopath, will insist that the convention be a love note to himself. Here’s hoping.

    The truth of the matter is that, in his way, the strutting, simpering, smirking Chimp has been every bit as effective in the performance of his duties to his constituents as ever was either his father or Raygun.

    Now it’s true that to understand this proclamation, it is necessary to forget a lot of propaganda and to concentrate on evidence. And on the evidence, one must reason that the whole, entire purpose and goal of the GOP since 1968 at least, and with utter certainty the telos of the Busheviks since Day One was to fuck-up beyond any possible recognition or reconstitution any and every instrument or institution of democratic self-governance as possible.

  • While it makes sense strategy-wise for the McCain campaign to distance themselves from Bush, I’m not sure it will do any good. They’re both Republicans, and the populace is not at all happy with that party right now.

    That said, TCR’s usually strong and rational reporting was weakened by the gratuitous [sic]’s. Come on, even the most articulate people — including Obama — occasionally mangle a sentence when speaking extemporaneously. Just quote it as is, and we will assume that it was McCain’s mistake, not an error in transcription (which is the purpose of [sic], after all). The use in this article comes across as childish, well beneath the usual standards of TCR.

  • Please turn your TVs on to McCain’s current speech. The anti war demonstrators are totally taking him down! MSNBC is carrying it. It’s a beautiful thing.

  • A McCain advisor was sure to also emphasize that the amount of time Bush and McCain will actually spend together during the Arizona visit will be limited.

    What? No barbecue?

    Danp said:I hope there are a lot of flies on the wall at that fund raiser. And the food, for that matter.

    Me too. And camera phones.

    TR said:
    I’m looking forward to Bush being hailed by the party faithful with chants of “Four More Years!”

    Perfect!

  • “…Four more years…”
    Isn’t that the new terrorist chant.

    Arizona war protesters and a total lack of support caused them to move their get together away from the convention center to a private residence so why would they want media coverage. To see them sneak Bush in and out as quickly as possible to save further embarrassment pretty much sums up the McCain campaign. He’s turned into McBush and we can’t get rid of the guy fast enough.

  • Hey Woody, did you go to the anti-Bush protest at a park in Albuquerque today? I thought about going but then decided Bush probably wouldn’t see the protesters, anyway.

  • Hey Woody, did you go to the anti-Bush protest at a park in Albuquerque today? I thought about going but then decided Bush probably wouldn’t see the protesters, anyway.

    had there been even a chinchilla of a chance to soak the simpering, strutting, smirking simian with warm, fresh feces, i would have essayed it…

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