McCain’s muddled and meandering message

April 21, 2008

A few days ago, I saw someone note that John McCain is so popular with television producers, he obviously prefers appearing on Sunday morning shows to going to church. The obvious joke, of course, is that for McCain, appearing on Sunday morning shows is going to church.

McCain took his show to ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” yesterday, which drew a little more attention than the routine McCain interview, in part because he hasn’t been on in a while, and in part because Stephanopoulos was partially responsible for the train-wreck Democratic debate just a few days prior.

So, how did it go? I won’t rehash the entire interview, but there were a few noteworthy highlights. Stephanopoulos began, for example, by confronting McCain with the front-page WaPo piece from yesterday about the senator’s heated, sometimes nearly violent, confrontations with colleagues in DC and Arizona.

“[T]he point is, look, those — many — all — the majority of those stories 15, 20, 25 years ago…. I mean, look, I am very happy to be a passionate man. I love this country. I love what we stand for and believe in, and many times I deal passionately when I find things that are not in the best interests of the American people.”

First, lots of politicians passionately love this country; very few of them scream obscenities and get in their colleagues’ faces when they don’t get their way. Second, some of these stories were older, but at least one came from late last year. And third, it’s jarring to hear McCain ask us to forget his record from 20 years ago, given that he also asks us to vote for him based on his record from 40 years ago.

“Senator Obama says that he doesn’t want to raise taxes on anybody over — making over $200,000 a year, yet he wants to nearly double the capital gains tax. Nearly double it, which 100 million Americans have investments in — mutual funds, 401(k)s — policemen, firemen, nurses. He wants to increase their taxes. And he obviously doesn’t understand the economy, because history shows every time you have cut capital gains taxes, revenues have increased, going back to Jack Kennedy.”

This was demonstrably false when ABC’s Charlie Gibson made the argument on Republicans’ behalf on Wednesday, and it was equally false yesterday.

STEPHANOPOULOS: During the campaign, you said that you voted against President Bush’s tax cuts because the spending constraints weren’t there.

MCCAIN: Yes. And they weren’t.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Now you say you’re going to have tax cuts even if you don’t get the spending cuts. Back in 2001, you said that tax cuts…

MCCAIN: And could I respond to that? Because if we increase people’s taxes today, which will be a massive tax increase, it will exacerbate the recession that we’re in, and that is a fact, a historical fact, that when economies are rough, then you’ve got to reduce the tax burden on people.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But it seems like you have had an evolving position on tax cuts. 2001, you said the Bush tax cuts violated your conscience. 2003, you said you opposed them because we didn’t figure out how to pay for the war yet. 2008, you said you opposed them because there were no spending constraints. Now you’re saying it’s tax cuts even if the spending cuts aren’t there. Basically, no matter what the economic problem is, you say tax cuts are the solution.

MCCAIN: Because I can change the way we do business and cut spending.

Please.

STEPHANOPOULOS: What’s wrong with government — what’s wrong with government-run health care?

MCCAIN: And we continue to have these debates — what’s wrong with it? Go to Canada. Go to England and you can find out what’s wrong with it. Governments don’t make the right decisions. Families make the right decisions.

STEPHANOPOULOS: One of the points Mrs. Edwards made in the Wall Street Journal, she said that your whole life, you had government health care. You were the son of a Naval officer, a Naval officer, now a member of Congress. And her point is, why shouldn’t every American be able to get the kind of health care that members of Congress get or members of the military get?

MCCAIN: It’s a cheap shot, but I did have a period of time where I didn’t have very good government health care. I had it from another government.

First, it wasn’t a cheap shot; McCain’s been in Congress for a quarter-century, enjoying publicly-financed health care. Second, it’s a dumb way to phrase the question; no one is proposing “government-run health care.” And third, the POW joke doesn’t answer the question.

And finally, moments after trashing Obama for knowing Bill Ayers, there was this enlightening exchange.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of Senator Obama’s allies and others say that you should condemn the comments of Reverend John Hagee, an evangelical pastor…

MCCAIN: Oh, I do. And I did. I said, any comments that he made about the Catholic church I strongly condemn, of course.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet you solicited and accepted his endorsement?

MCCAIN: Yes, indeed. I did. And I condemned the comments that he made concerning the Catholic church.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you’re going to hold onto his endorsement? Your own campaign acknowledged that you should have done a better job of vetting Pastor Hagee.

MCCAIN: Oh, sure.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So was it a mistake to solicit and accept his endorsement?

MCCAIN: Oh, probably, sure. But I admire and respect Dr. Hagee’s leadership of the — of his church. I admire and appreciate his advocacy for the state of Israel, the independence of the state of Israel. I condemn remarks that are made that has anything to do which is condemning of the Catholic church, but — so…

STEPHANOPOULOS: … no longer want his endorsement?

MCCAIN: I’m glad to have his endorsement. I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything. But thanks for asking.

Classic McCain. It was a mistake to accept Hagee’s endorsement, but he’s glad to have it and won’t repudiate it.

McCain’s reasoning is fascinating.
He is a real world troll orating in real time.

I nominate him for a troll Oscar.
Category: Having it both ways always…

  • MCCAIN: It’s a cheap shot, but I did have a period of time where I didn’t have very good government health care. I had it from another government.

    It looks like the old Republican discussion ender:
    nine – eleven, nine – eleven, nine – eleven

    has been replaced by:
    P – O – W, P – O – W, P – O – W

    I wonder if anyone in the corporate-controlled media will have the cojones to ask some of McCain’s fellow P.O.W.s how they feel about McCain exploiting their experience for personal gain? Nah.

    I was pleasantly surprised to see that George grew some journalistic integrity over the weekend. Too bad he didn’t ask McCain about not supporting the new G.I. Bill.

  • Obviously McCain as a government employee does not know that IRAs and 401K’s are not subject to capital gains and that 99+% of Americans don’t have any of their “stock holdings” except in these plans.
    Furthermore recent comment by McCain that we should have a gasoline federal tax holiday over the summer show what is ignorance or pandering or both. The federal gasoline tax has been 18.4 cents a gallon since 1997 when gas was under a dollar per gallon.
    I would argue that it is our patriotic duty and good economic sense to do just the opposite of his proposal.
    Taxes generate revenue, ire and behavioral changes – therefore I offer only a modest proposal:

    Proposal: rebate all income tax paid for individuals up to $2000. Increase federal gasoline tax to $2.18.4 from 18.4 cents

    Rational: 20MPG car driving 20,000 miles a year =1000 gallons =break even = American average.
    Gas use will decrease and revenue will be on wasteful use. More crude oil at cheaper price will help diesel and jet fuel prices (business oriented production).

    Thoughts:
    Most sales taxes are considered regressive – this one is more just. as the wealthy tend to have multiple vehicles and other gas toys. People that pay less than $2000 to the IRS don’t drive much.
    Use more = pay more; use less get skinny walking or bicycling
    $2000 in a lump sum up front = down payment on a Prius.
    Less money for Arabs and Texans – well they can afford a slight downturn. These are the groups that have so egregiously profited since I started pushing this 3 years ago.
    Want to phase it in OK but the effect will be less – make up your own numbers…remember that the gas price with this plan is still below World average and the numbers are worsening so fast that phase-in time has to be short.

    Blogging and other grassroots action is the only way to make this happen. Every politico I’ve presented this to turns ashen at the thought of it.

  • appearing on Sunday morning shows is going to church.

    That would be “Our Lady of the Perpetually Erroneous Talking Point”—yes?

    McSame is a real-life Jeckyl/Hyde personality. There’s no way he can be allowed to gain the position of POTUS. The world will not only hate us, most of it will either boycott us or declare war on us.

    This guy makes orcs look civilized….

  • “Senator Obama says that he doesn’t want to raise taxes on anybody over — making over $200,000 a year

    Interesting slip, since it is actually McCain who is concerned about taxing the wealthy.

  • What is a straight talker to most people? Is he the guy that doesn’t hold back on telling the plain facts, or the guy on bar stool at the end of the neighborhood tap who regardless of facts has no trouble telling you what his honest opinion is about anything. I think McCain is the latter. One president is quite enough to want to have a beer with, thank you.

  • And he obviously doesn’t understand the economy, because history shows every time you have cut capital gains taxes, revenues have increased, going back to Jack Kennedy.”

    Broken record here.

    So let’s lower taxes to ZERO!
    Revenues should skyrocket, right?
    C’mon John! Show some ‘nads! ELIMINATE all taxes and watch the treasury swell!

    Better yet, don’t just tax our people nothing… borrow money from the Chinese and hand out checks to everybody. Call it a tax rebate for next year and…

    What’s that?

    Oh, nevermind.
    Someone remind me again. WHICH party knows how to run an economy like a top?

  • Obama’s campaign is always quick to respond to attacks, but never directly confronts the issues of the attacks. Obama always has some lame diversion to the actual issues. He always trivializes the issues too (bigot, racist Wright is just like a crazy uncle, etc., etc,)

    Watch out for all his weasel-wording too. Obama said this about the terrorist Ayers, “He’s not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis”. Not on a REGULAR basis? Well, how often then? Looks to me like Obama is at least an Ayers sympathizer.

    How about actually confronting the issues and directly ansswering some questions for a CHANGE, Obama???

  • Don Pierce @ 3:

    Obviously McCain as a government employee does not know that IRAs and 401K’s are not subject to capital gains and that 99+% of Americans don’t have any of their “stock holdings” except in these plans.

    That idea, if it fact checks, is like a bomb.
    It bloody well rips and shreds and shards…

  • The dumbest part of McCain’s statement on capital gains tax was how much it was going to cost all those firemen and their 401(k) retirement funds. There are no capital gains or other taxes paid on 401K or IRA funds! That’s the point of tax sheltered retirement funds. But since he’s been on the Government Health Plan and the Government Retirement Plan his whole life he hasn’t a clue about that.

  • McSame’s ignorance of economics and the plight of ordinary people disqualifies him immediately as a serious candidate. But then American voters really don’t want serious candidates so he’ll probably do just fine for many of them. IRAs and 401ks, and 403bs are the poor man’s tax shelter, and aren’t subject to capital gains taxes. They are, however, subject to regular income tax rates, which are much higher. Just another way to screw the little guy. Exempting those plans from the higher rates, and making them subject only to capital gains taxes would be a real benefit for older not-so-well-heeled people.

    The corporate media has already sent out the word that McSame is their guy, and we can expect the coddling to continue. Not questioning him on his opposition to a renewed G.I. bill was inexcusable. Likewise McSame’s lousy arithmetic on permanent tax cuts being paid for by ending earmarks (except to Israel, of course) is such transparent demogogary he should be laughed off the stage.

    To me it’s unbelievable that American voters would go for a third Bush term, only with a much older guy. I guess if you dumb everything down enough democracy becomes stupidocracy. We’re well on our way.

  • Kind word: At least grampy didn’t fall off his stool.

    Observation: No amount of orange makeup can make grampy look healthy.

    Fact check: McCain’s glib reference to teachers and policemen who make $100,000 was a lie that went unchallenged by George.

    Roundtable: ABC’s website describes it as “classic reunion”. It was, in a sense, if by classic you refer to the theater of the ancient Greeks. Will, Cokie and Sam formed the perfect chorus (i.e., sheep) for Stephanopoulos. Not an independent thought in the whole half-hour. Won’t some retirement community please take them in?

  • Answer the questions, Obama! said:
    Obama said this about the terrorist Ayers, “He’s not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis”. Not on a REGULAR basis? Well, how often then? Looks to me like Obama is at least an Ayers sympathizer.

    The problem with answering questions about Ayers, and more so with Tony Rezko, is that an honest answer would piss everyone off.

    The unfortunate fact is that anyone involved with politics in Illinois has to deal with crooks. You can’t avoid it. Everyone in power there is corrupt — the black civil rights establishment, the Chicago machine, the state parties — everyone.

    Maybe it’s setting the bar too low, but I give Obama cudos just for managing to avoid becoming corrupt while coming up through the ranks.

  • toowearyforoutrage (7): What you are describing is called the Laffer curve. And there is a good reason it is often misspelled.

  • It’s a long and meandering road.

    Well one troll makes it easy. I see a comment by someone calling themselves Answer the Questions, Obama! and simply skip the comment. Convenient.

    McCain says, “I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything.” Now there’s integrity.

    Speaking of endorsements, I see that Hillary was endorsed by Scaife over the weekend. Time for some denouncing and rejecting.

  • There’s at least 1 area where Cap Gains hits middle class people – property ownership. I wandered into this when I saw that I couldn’t sell my condo (excpt at a loss) in the late 80’s. And rental properties can be a nightmare.
    There are some rules about getting around it, but they are primarily for residences only, like rolling it into a new property.
    Personally, I’d like to see the income tax code simplified, but this is an area that may call for more rules, especially with many of us Boomers downsizing after the kids are gone.
    BTW, McBush is a jerk.

  • McCain’s tap dancing around the questions would have made Gene Kelly proud. I spent most of my time talking back to my tv while watching this interview.

    I noticed that every time he got a question that made him uncomfortable, he smiles and laughs. Yep, very funny.

  • At least Stephanopoulos asked some pretty good questions this time and didn’t bring donuts on the set. Let’s hope he’s learned his lesson once and for all.

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