Say Anything Blog

John “let’s accuse Obama for being ambitious” McCain 8/18/2008:

“Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president.”

John “the ambitious” McCain 2002:

“I didn’t decide to run for president to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be president because it had become my ambition to be president. . . . In truth, I’d had the ambition for a long time. ”

Cindy McCain’s past is the latest to be questioned after errors were found.

… The latest embellishments come from the McCain camp. Cindy McCain has repeatedly referred to herself as an “only child.” This week came news that she actually has two half sisters, although apparently she had very little contact with them.

The McCain campaign had also put out the story that Mother Teresa “convinced” Cindy to bring home two orphans from Bangladesh in 1991.

Mrs. McCain, it turns out, never met Mother Teresa on that trip. (Once contacted by the Monitor, the campaign revised the story on its website.)

Must be all the drugs she was stealing and swallowing a few years ago.

We can not trust these people.
Flipper John must be stopped.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City has agreed to pay a $2 million settlement to protesters arrested during a 2003 rally against the Iraq war who said their civil rights had been violated, lawyers for both sides said on Tuesday.

The 52 plaintiffs in the lawsuit were among 94 protesters arrested on April 7, 2003, during a demonstration at the midtown Manhattan offices of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm with holdings in the defense sector.

“The New York Police Department violated core constitutional rights when it arrested a group of peaceful demonstrators who were lawfully protesting against the commencement of the Iraq war and those who stood to profit from it,” said Sarah Netburn, a lawyer for the protesters.

...Two of the protesters, Eva Hageman and Sarah Kunstler, went to trial on charges of disorderly conduct and were acquitted by a jury, said a lawyer for the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, which brought the case.

Charges against the remaining protesters were dismissed without a trial, CCR said.

WASHINGTON—A Bush administration rule barring states and local governments from requiring more air pollution monitoring is illegal, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit threw out a two-year-old rule that may have allowed some refineries, power plants and factories to exceed pollution limits because the Environmental Protection Agency “failed to fix inadequate monitoring requirements ... and prohibited states and local authorities from doing so.”

Since 1990, the Clean Air Act has required permits granted to facilities releasing more than 100 tons of any pollutant a year to include enough monitoring to ensure the company is meeting its emissions targets. Approximately 15,000 to 16,000 permits have been issued under the program, mostly by state and local pollution agencies.

“We can’t have strong enforcement of our clean air laws unless we know what polluters are putting into the air,” said Keri Powell, a staff attorney with Earthjustice, who sued the EPA on behalf of four environmental groups.

The EPA said Tuesday that it was reviewing the court’s decision. But an agency spokesman said the monitoring deficiencies should be remedied on the national level rather than on a case-by-case basis.

Appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh, a former attorney in the Bush White House, wrote the sole dissenting opinion.

He said that while EPA and state and local governments may disagree about whether monitoring requirements will adequately measure compliance, he found “nothing in the statute that prohibits EPA’s approach.”

“I think we would be making a terrible mistake to go back to the ‘80s, where we cut all of those taxes and all of a sudden now we’ve got a debt that we’ve got to pay on an annual basis that is bigger than the amount that we spend on defense.”

December 1994

“There’s one big difference between me and the others–I won’t take every last dime of the surplus and spend it on tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy.”

McCain campaign commercial, January 2000

“I am disappointed that the Senate Finance Committee preferred instead to cut the top tax rate of 39.6% to 36%, thereby granting generous tax relief to the wealthiest individuals of our country at the expense of lower- and middle-income American taxpayers.”

McCain Senate floor statement, May 21, 2001

“I’d like to see much more of this tax cut shared by working Americans. . . . I think it still devotes too much of it to the wealthiest Americans.”

McCain on ABC’s “This Week”, 2001

“I am concerned that repeal of the estate tax would provide massive benefits solely to the wealthiest and highest-income taxpayers in the country. A Treasury Department study found that almost no estate tax has been paid by lower- and middle-income taxpayers. But taxes have been paid on the estates of people who were in the highest 20% of the income distribution at the time of their death. It found that 91% of all estate taxes are paid by the estates of people whose annual income exceeded $190,000 around the time of their death.”

John McCain on the Senate floor statement opposing HR 8, a bill to permanently eliminate the death tax, June 11, 2002

“But when you look at the percentage of the tax cuts that–as the previous tax cuts–that go to the wealthiest Americans, you will find that the bulk of it, again, goes to wealthiest Americans.”

NBC’s “Today,” Jan. 7, 2003

Doctor Phillip Butler ...highly decorated combat veteran who was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals.

As some of you might know, John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.

…People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always “No - John McCain was a POW with me.” The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW. “>...People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always “No - John McCain was a POW with me.” The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.

John’s treatment as a POW:

1) Was he tortured for 5 years? No. He was subjected to torture and maltreatment during his first 2 years, from September of 1967 to September of 1969. After September of 1969 the Vietnamese stopped the torture and gave us increased food and rudimentary health care. Several hundred of us were captured much earlier. I got there April 20, 1965 so my bad treatment period lasted 4 1/2 years. President Ho Chi Minh died on September 9, 1969, and the new regime that replaced him and his policies was more pragmatic. They realized we were worth a lot as bargaining chips if we were alive. And they were right because eventually Americans gave up on the war and agreed to trade our POW’s for their country. A damn good trade in my opinion! But my point here is that John allows the media to make him out to be THE hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals.

... can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.

It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush’s war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John’s views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.

I’m disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist ministers lately. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he hates that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don’t see that John is the “straight talk express” he markets himself to be.

LAKE FOREST - Pastor Rick Warren is not on Greg Burger’s A-list.

When the 26-year-old Lake Forest resident found out about the John McCain-Barack Obama forum at Saddleback Church this Saturday, he did what a lot of people did: He checked the church Web site as often as he could to get the most up-to-date ticket information.

“I knew my only chance to receive tickets would be to act fast,” Burger said.

...Church officials said they’d hoped to have some tickets available for the public but ran out when they couldn’t satisfy demand among church members, who got the first crack at tickets that sold for $500 to $2,000.

"I like McCain. I respect McCain. But I am a little worried by his knee-jerk response factor," said retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004 and is now campaigning for Clinton. "I think it is a little scary. I think this guy's first reactions are not necessarily the best reactions. I believe that he acts on impulse."

"I studied leadership for a long time during 32 years in the military," said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, a one-time Republican who is supporting Obama. "It is all about character. Who can motivate willing followers? Who has the vision? Who can inspire people?" Gration asked. "I have tremendous respect for John McCain, but I would not follow him."

"One of the things the senior military would like to see when they go visit the president is a kind of consistency, a kind of reliability," explained retired Gen. Merrill McPeak, a former Republican, former chief of staff of the Air Force and former fighter pilot who flew 285 combat missions. McPeak said his perception is that Obama is "not that up when he is up and not that down when he is down. He is kind of a steady Eddie. This is a very important feature," McPeak said. On the other hand, he said, "McCain has got a reputation for being a little volatile." McPeak is campaigning for Obama.

McCain's outbursts have only occasionally been captured by the press. The most recent episode appeared to have occurred last May, when McCain was embroiled in immigration reform negotiations with Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. Cornyn accused McCain of "parachuting" in on the negotiations. During the heated exchange that followed, McCain screamed "Fuck you!" at Cornyn, according to news reports at the time. McCain later apologized.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - An old lawsuit on record at the city courthouse reveals a moment of friction between John McCain’s mother and his ex-wife. Years later, McCain and his former wife presented a united front in a lawsuit of their own.

McCain, the Republican candidate for president, calls the first lawsuit a mistake and says he never authorized the second. Both legal actions were settled out of court before they went to trial.

Curiously, although the records clearly list the plaintiffs, McCain’s campaign says his mother’s 1980 lawsuit was filed “unintentionally” and that the Arizona senator didn’t know about or authorize the 1990 lawsuit with his ex-wife, Carol. And McCain’s 96-year-old mother, Roberta, says she never sued Carol.

..."I have never heard of what you’re talking about. ... I will put my hand on a Bible,” she said, to attest that she had never sued Carol.

Roberta’s denial prompted laughter from her former daughter-in-law.

...In his autobiography, McCain has taken responsibility for the breakup of his marriage. Carol was friendly with prominent Republicans and civic leaders, including the Reagans and billionaire H. Ross Perot, who at times treated John McCain coolly after the divorce.

His campaign reports it raised more than 51 million dollars last month.

Project for the New American Century

ORGANIZATION

Conservative think tank, partly funded by Richard Scaife.

Official Website:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

Name Occupation Birth Death Known for

Elliott Abrams Government 24-Jan-1948 Asst. Secy. of State involved in Iran-Contra

Ken Adelman Diplomat 9-Jun-1946 Deputy US Ambassador to the UN, 1981-83

Richard V. Allen Government ?  Reagan National Security Advisor

Richard Armitage Government 26-Apr-1945 US Deputy Secretary of State, 2001-05

Gary Bauer Government 4-May-1946 Family Research Council

Peter Beinart Columnist 1971 Washington Post columnist

William Bennett Government 31-Jul-1943 Former Drug Czar and gambling man

John Bolton Government 20-Nov-1948 US Ambassador to the UN, 2005-06

Max Boot Columnist 1969 Conservative pundit

Rudy Boschwitz Business 7-Nov-1930 US Senator from Minnesota, 1978-91

Jeb Bush Politician 11-Feb-1953 Governor of Florida, 1999-2007

Stephen Cambone Government c. 1951 Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence

Linda Chavez Activist 17-Jun-1947 Neoconservative activist, pundit

Dick Cheney Politician 30-Jan-1941 Dubya’s VP, ex-CEO of Halliburton

Eliot A. Cohen Scholar c. 1955 Prominent neoconservative

Midge Decter Journalist 25-Jul-1927 Neoconservative maven

Steve Forbes Business 18-Jul-1947 Owner and publisher of Forbes magazine

Francis Fukuyama Author 27-Oct-1952 The End of History and the Last Man

Frank Gaffney Columnist 5-Apr-1953 Prominent neocon

Reuel Marc Gerecht Government ?  PNAC Middle East Initiative

Bruce Jackson Government ?  Project on Transitional Democracies

Eli S. Jacobs Baseball 5-Oct-1937 Former Baltimore Orioles owner

Donald Kagan Historian 1932 The Great Dialogue

Frederick Kagan Scholar c. 1969 Neocon military historian, now at AEI

Robert Kagan Government 26-Sep-1958 Influential neocon, cofounded PNAC

Max Kampelman Diplomat 7-Nov-1920 US Ambassador to the CSCE

Zalmay Khalilzad Diplomat 22-Mar-1951 US Ambassador to the UN

Jeane Kirkpatrick Government 19-Nov-1926 7-Dec-2006 Reagan’s UN Ambassador

Charles Krauthammer Columnist 13-Mar-1950 Washington Post columnist

Bill Kristol Columnist 23-Dec-1952 Editor of The Weekly Standard

Irving Kristol Columnist 1920 Influential neocon

John F. Lehman Politician 14-Sep-1942 9-11 Commission member

Lewis Libby Government 22-Aug-1950 Cheney’s former Chief of Staff

Michael O’Hanlon Scholar c. 1958 Brookings Institution

Richard Perle Government 16-Sep-1941 Prince of Darkness

Danielle Pletka Pundit 12-Jun-1963 American Enterprise Institute

Dan Quayle Politician 4-Feb-1947 Vice President under George H.W. Bush

Dennis B. Ross Diplomat c. 1949 US Middle East Envoy, 1992-2000

Donald Rumsfeld Government 9-Jul-1932 US Secretary of Defense, 2001-06

Richard Scaife Activist 3-Jul-1932 The Republican George Soros

Randy Scheunemann Government ?  Committee for the Liberation of Iraq

Paul Simon Politician 29-Nov-1928 9-Dec-2003 US Senator, one-time Presidential candidate

Stephen Solarz Politician 12-Sep-1940 Congressman from New York, 1975-93

Dick Thornburgh Politician 16-Jul-1932 US Attorney General, 1988-91

Vin Weber Politician 24-Jul-1952 Congressman from Minnesota, 1981-93

George Weigel Activist 1951 Ethics and Public Policy Center

Caspar Weinberger Government 18-Aug-1917 28-Mar-2006 Iran-Contra figure pardoned by Bush

Leon Wieseltier Editor 14-Jun-1952 The New Republic

Paul Wolfowitz Government 22-Dec-1943 World Bank president, 2005-07

James Woolsey Government 21-Sep-1941 CIA Director, 1993-95

Robert Zoellick Government 25-Jul-1953 World Bank president

BEIJING — On his final stroke of the 100-meter butterfly on Saturday morning, Michael Phelps caught Mark Spitz. Roaring back from seventh at the 50-meter mark, Phelps out-touched Milorad Cavic, a California-born Serb, by one-hundredth of a second to win his seventh gold medal, tying Spitz’s record haul from the 1972 Munich Games.

DES MOINES, Iowa - State records show that a $50,000 judgment has been awarded to two retired school teachers who were strip-searched during a 2004 campaign stop by President Bush.

The State Appeal Board recently approved the out-of-court settlement for Alice McCabe and Christine Nelson.

They brought a claim against the Iowa Department of Public Safety after two state troopers arrested them at a rally in Cedar Rapids in September 2004. The charges were later dropped.

In June, a federal jury awarded the women $750,000 on their claim that their constitutional rights were violated.

Authorities have said the women were arrested because they refused to obey reasonable security restrictions at the rally.

But the women claimed they were taken into custody because they had a dissenting opinion from the Bush administration.

Conservative Andrew Bacevich part 1

Conservative Andrew Bacevich part 2