I just read the article, and it absolutely encompasses my fears about McCain. It's completely spot-on. The fact is that most voters think they know McCain because he's been around so long. But they only know the McCain that McCain (and maybe the media) wants them to know.

It boggles my mind how more people aren't asking themselves (and others) how Obama would be treated and perceived if he made the kinds of continuing gaffes that McCain has made. Let's hope these issues get more attention. They really deserve it.

I've heard more than one commentator laugh off accusations of bias toward McCain, by claiming they get the same accusations from McCain supporters that they're biased toward Obama.

According to them, if they're getting complaints from both sides, then they must be doing something right!

Oh ha ha! Those talking assholes are SO funny!

Tiz about time that MSM begin to dig back into what became known as the Keating Five -- and what that was really all about.

Charles Keating was the President of several Savings and Loans in the SW -- California, Arizona, etc -- perhaps Texas, that went on a merger mania in the first wave of deregulation. Eventually his S&L business "plan" began to go south, so he sought the assistance of Five Senators to protect him from the Regulators, and to sponser additional deregulation. These Five got caught taking big time campaign contributions for these requested favors. McCain was one of the Five.

The S&L crisis cost taxpayers Billions, and many small savers lost life savings in the mess. And in fact the crisis killed many of these small institutions that since the great depression had been the backbone of how employed working and middle class Americans bought the family house. They dealt primarily in "small passbook savings accounts" and Government Insured FHA and GI mortgates. What deregulation amounted to was allowing S&L's to get into loans to much more risky clients (shopping centers, golf courses, tennis clubs, oil drilling, even financing movies,) investments they had no skill managing, no ability to assess as to risk, but operate under the Government Insurance Guarentee -- which end up sticking the Treasury with the bill when these S&L's collapsed.

The current sub-prime crisis with all its complications is the second wave of all this.

And John McCain was one of the Senators (and it was bi-partisian) willing to sell his position on Regulation of the S&L's as the backbone financing for American's middle income housing for a campaign contribution.

But as a potential President, it is a little less important that he once "sold his vote" -- a little more important that he be asked about who got stung with his "deregulatory" efforts. It was the small savers, the small family home buyers, and ultimately the Taxpayers who had to clean up the mess.

A-Freakin'-men.

McCain needs to be called out for his Desperado tactics, and I am glad that Herbert has actually mentioned the elephant in the room (no pun intended).

Will the rest of the media dare speak of the double standard or maintain it?

I'm not holding my breath.

Thank you for pointing this out. Not to mention that a Bush brother was also involved in the S&l scandal, during the first Bush administration.

No additives or preservatives. Just a straight-up smackdown of McCaintBeBotheredWithFacts.

I'm guessing Herbert won't get a pass to the McCain Museum of Mavericky Maverickness™.

I concur. Great post.

When the diarist says he has mixed feelings about Herbert, he means that he only likes Herberts during the 95% of the time when he praises Obama and bashes a Republican.

I'm at work and can't get anything done these posts are so damned good...

Any thoughts about how Obama can deal with McCain in the upcoming debates. It is the opinion of most he can put old "temper tantrum" out for good if done the right way.

thoughts ?