MoveOn: Pack your bags; McCain is deporting you

September 15, 2007

MoveOn’s “betray us” ad was condemned in conservative circles for its “strident” rhetoric, which some Republicans have decided to match with even more over-the-top language.

At a crowded rally at a VFW hall in Hudson, NH last night, McCain — again — used the MoveOn “Betray Us” ad as a emotional crowd-pleaser. It was a boisterous event, so when I thought I heard McCain call for MoveOn to be “thrown out” — and then be drowned out by applause, I first went to the campaign and asked what the candidate said. They were at a loss as well, but said it seemed highly unlikely that he’d call for something so harsh. (“It goes against everything he believes in.”)

Today, a colleague from CBS News with better equipment played a tape from the rally. McCain did, indeed, let his passions run ahead of the First Amendment. The tape is clear. He said:

“It’s disgraceful, it’s got to be retracted and condemned by the Democrats and MoveOn.org ought to be thrown out of this country, my friends.”

Got that? Disagree with the Bush administration policy, question the credibility of a General executing Bush administration policy, and you should no longer be welcome in the United States. Wow.

If MoveOn is shrill, what’s John McCain?

McCain is insane (but we already knew that).

  • It should be pointed out that MoveOn.org did not call Gen. David Petraeus “an ass-kissing little chickenshit”: his boss did. The MoveOn add was a juvenile pun but has an element of truth. When the General carries the Bushie slops-bucket to congress instead of providing an honest military assesment as was promissed and expected then he failed in the performance of his duty to this nation and to congress. Yes, that is a betrayal.

    What’s St. McCain plan to do with Admiral Fallon?

  • An open declaration to John McCain and his collection of thuggish nitwits:

    If the pathetic-excuse-for-patriotism that is John McCain wants to throw MoveOn out of these United States, then he shall first have to get through me.

    I repeat—THROUGH ME.

    Are you reading this, John McCain—you cowardly bag of tarnished medals? If the only way you can get a group to cheer for you is to subvert the Constitution, then you are an enemy of the Constitution.

    That would make you, John McCain—as prescribed under Federal Statutes—an enemy of the United States of America.

    Which, in turn makes you my enemy, as I am a citizen of this nation who has taken an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of these United States from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. The same oath that you, John McCain, once took.

    But—the difference between you, John McCain, and me is that I know how to keep a promise—especially to something so fundamentally sacred as my country, and the Constitution upon which that country operates.

    Period.

  • The Republican Party isn’t a just a political party anymore. What’s left of them are “True Believers” in Eric Hoffer’s sense of the term.

    There’s no compromise, no give-and-take, no debating … none of the stuff which presumably underlies an orderly democracy of the kind our Founding Fathers gave birth to in the Declaration and Constitution and Bill of Rights.

    Republicans today are Fascists, pure and simple. Not an analogy. Reality.

    They should be treated that way before it’s too late.

  • Just another example of a “quality, thoughtful” statement from another “quality, thoughtful” candidate in front of a “quality, thoughtful” electorate.

    Idiots saying idiotic things to more idiots. Tell them this to their face and they will proceed to say even more idiotic things – not seeing that with every stupid word coming out of their grotesque mouths they prove themselves to be that which they are too dumb to see.

    This is getting so old and so sickening to the point of depression!

  • i suppose he’ll wanting to deport admiral fallon for calling petreus a suck-up. OTOH, fallon is a citizen and not a mere civilian.

  • McCain’s insane and we just have to endure the drivel from yet another GOP manipulator. Notice it was a military crowd and the way he framed the ad was intended to get applause…and then comes that smug authoritarian smirk across McCain’s face that is so sickening to see.
    Move ons ad wasn’t just smear. It listed facts and figures to support its headlines. McCain used it to make people more divisive for a temporary self satisfied moment to make himself seem important. Notice he didn’t mention any of the reasons that brought about the ad.
    Just more rabble rousing by McCain who is well past a much needed retirement

    Everytime I hear McCain talk he makes no real sense and just spouts some self righteous rabble rousing comments that are unsupported by the facts. Besides the fact that he is not credible on any stance he takes he obviously has some deep personal issues which makes him unwilling to tolerate or appreciate differing opinions. Thank God they took weapons out of his hands because if you look closely you will see…McCain’s insane.
    As far as attacking a generals integrity and believing he would lie to us, I mention to McCain only 2 words… Colin Powell . Hell even the President and vice president and the sec of state and the attorney general etc., etc., etc., have lied to us directly yet we are to forget all that and trust Betray-us. I wish McCain would have shown his outrage with the swift boat attack on Kerry. Just another rabble rousing hypocrite. McCain has got to go…he’s past being of service any longer as an elected official that’s for sure.

  • New rule:

    When the President lies you into a war…
    And then six years later…
    After failure after failure after failure…
    Cherry picks a General…
    Who cherry-picks the facts…
    And lies at the public in order to continue that same failed war…
    You and I have a right…
    And a duty…
    To call that person:

    GENERAL BETRAYUS

    What irks me more than the pasty-faced McCain beating his sunken old chest…
    Are those “progressives” who condemned MoveOn.org for their ad.
    I mean really: If you are going to shuck the liberal label as spineless…
    Can you at least see to it that the progressive label has a backbone?

    One last thing:
    I’m glad McCain’s son is in Iraq.
    I wish all republicans would send their children there.
    The world would be a better place if they were in Iraq promoting democracy.
    I am sure… most of them would agree with me…

    Like the name says:
    ROTFLMLiberalAO

  • See, this is what happens when a liberal organization behaves like a right-wing group, a double standard prevails. Callings us traitors and murderers, or saying that we should be put in detention centers is acceptable if you’re a right-wing propagandist. Sigh.

    Here in “Alabama West” (Arizona) we’ve been trying to get rid of McCain for years. Unfortunately the state has become a magnet for jingoistic, “Capt. America” retirees who help to maintain our conservative image by supporting McCain, Kyl, and others of that ilk.

    Although I have mixed feelings about term limits, I’m becoming more and more in favor of the idea. They seem to be the only way to overcome the power of incumbents who too often seem to devolve into corrupt or screwball behavior after several terms.

  • we’ve been trying to get rid of McCain for years — -jayinge
    It’s a little far out, but McCain has tarnished his reputation so much that Napolitano would handily beat him if his seat were up for reelection today. So don’t give up yet 🙂

  • McCain is pathetic, but he’s speaking the right’s deepest fears – they are loosing control of the message.

    Moveon.org is way more mainstream than McCain and the right wing noise machine. They are afraid when people see the truth.

    Good job, Moveon!

  • That’s what happens when you leave low hanging fruit laying around. Even the short guys can reach it.

  • Why doesn’t the McCainiac hook up with Connecticut’s Lieberphlegm as a VP running-mate. They could form an independent party and that way McCannine can be his party’s front-runner. They could call it the More War Party. I’m sure they could peel off some Republicretin voters that aren’t happy with only two wars going badly.

  • Is anybody beside me, old enough to remember “America, love it or leave it” bumber stickers? The only difference between then and now is that people now take the wingnuts seriously.

  • More propaganda.

    KUT, Iraq – American commanders in southern Iraq say Shiite sheiks are showing interest in joining forces with the U.S. military against extremists, in much the same way that Sunni clansmen in the western part of the country have worked with American forces against al-Qaida.

    Sheik Majid Tahir al-Magsousi, the leader of the Migasees tribe here in Wasit province, acknowledged tribal leaders have discussed creating a brigade of young men trained by the Americans to bolster local security as well as help patrol the border with Iran.

    (snip)

    Similar alliances with Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province helped break the grip of groups such as al-Qaida in Iraq and were widely cited in the Washington hearings as a major military success this year.


    http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/09/15/764436.html

  • CB was being too generous when he summed up what McCain said.

    Got that? Disagree with the Bush administration policy, question the credibility of a General executing Bush administration policy, and you should no longer be welcome in the United States.

    He was telling a cheering audience that dissidents ought to be forcibly (and illegally) expelled from the country. He wasn’t saying they “should no longer be welcome in the United States”. McCain’s campaign obviously knows what he said and how clearly he crossed the line, as evidenced by their desperately bogus “clarification”.

    “What he meant to say was that MoveOn’s smear of General Petraeus’ character should have no place in the American political debate.”

    Yeah, right. And that the entire organization should be “thrown out of the country”. The “Straight Talk Express” is now pushing to silence people who call a liar a liar.

    And really, the fact that McNutjob would say something on camera that “goes against everything he believes in” shouldn’t surprise anyone. He’s flipflopped so many times sucking up to the wingnuts, he wouldn’t know what he used to believe in if it bit him on the ass.

    Which I think is what just happened.

    One more thing: The nerve that the Moveon ad hit is the big one. They went straight at the jugular, namely the credibility of the messengers themselves. I wish that the Dems would play that card more often, there’s no reaon why these guys should not be held to account for all their past lies whenever the latest ones are discussed. The history of their lying is known to all of us, but Joe Sixpack needs to hear a recap of the laundry list OFTEN, otherwise he’ll continue to listen to the latest BS they’re putting out.

  • I belong to MoveOn. I guess I’m supposed to leave the country now. When exactly did we turn into Nazi Germany? (Uh oh, Godwin error, now I really will be deported.)

  • I think we are all being a little hard on McCain here. He clearly wasn’t speaking in literal terms with these comments. There are about 10,000,000 other things that McCain has said or done that deserve criticism, but this isn’t one of them.

  • John McCain, in my opinion is an honorable man and has served well in many aspects. It’s sad that Bush beat him from the nomination in 2000 and will ultimately beat him from it again in 2008, even though he isn’t running this time. I could never consider voting for any lockstep loyalist of Bush. It’s interesting to me how the Reps are screaming bloody murder over the Betray Us hype(even though it may have been a bit extreme)after we’ve obviously been deceived by the loyal soldier Collen Powell, also an honorable man in my opinion. To even suggest a top White House official isn’t subject to constructive scrutiny after what’s transpired in the last five years would be an abject failure to support our troops. Also, this really isn’t a partisan issue, simply common sense.
    Ronald J Ward
    Whitesville, KY

  • Apparently, David Petraeus’s colleagues don’t share McCain’s high opinion of the general, including Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command (CENTCOM) who told Petraeus he considered him an “ass-kissing little chickenshit” for his syncophantic behavior and for advancing his career by currying favor with senior officers and political patrons.

    Compared to the portrait of General Petraeus in a piece by Gareth Porter (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39235), the rhetoric in the MoveOn.org “Betray Us” ad let the general off easy.

  • In all the hooraw about the MoveOn ad, i haven’t seen one mention of the editorial cartoon by Jeff Danziger for 3 September – a weekl before the ad ran.

    It shows two combat troops calling out to Petraeus (as he sets out in dress uniform to deliver hios report): “General – don’t betray us!”

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