McCain is trying to have it both ways. He claims to be a maverick, independent in thought, etc. Yet he is trying to cuddle up to the religious right to get their votes in November. He thinks that to win in November, he will need the right wing of his party to come out in droves for him.
Problem for McCain is that he has never been a really good buddy of the religious right. I have followed McCain closely since he ran for president in 2000. I remember how Bush mutilated McCain in personal attacks. Bush and Co. (Karl Rove and the rest of the mafia) attacked the one thing that was McCains diamond: his military service. Didn't matter that Bush was a wussy and got out of Vietnam. Hypocrisy is the stamp of the Bush administration.
Dallas Morning News (December 2, 1999) Titled "Rivals again fault Bush over rumors":
"In recent weeks, the Bush campaign has been accused of - and has denied - spreading rumors that Mr. McCain may be unstable as a result of being tortured while a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Several Senate Republicans, among them party leaders who favor Mr. Bush for president, have been identified in published reports as being responsible for privately pushing the allegations. Also, James B. Stockdale, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who ran as Ross Perot's running mate in 1992, said he got a call from a friend close to the Bush campaign soliciting comments on Mr. McCain's 'weakness.'"
(from the website: http://www.buzzflash.com/editorial/04/07/edi04049.html)
Truth is, I believe that McCain is a maverick. I believe that he can't stand the religious right. And I believe that he can't stand Bush.
But his desire to be president is greater than all of that. He knows this is his last shot in life. And he is willing, obviously, to set aside his dislike for Bush, and dislike for the religious right for a shot at the Presidency.
This just brings us to the latest 'tryin' to have it both ways' McCain lie. It is being reported that Arianna Huffington and others had been told by John McCain that he didn't vote for Bush in 2000. I believe it! Bush left a bad taste in his mouth back then. ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/09/ny-times-washington-post_n_100955.html )
But John McCain is denying that he ever said that!( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/09/mccain-lies-to-oreilly-sa_n_100978.html ) If the religious right finds out that McCain didn't vote for Bush in 2000, they won't come out in droves for McCain in November. Because the religious right loves Bush. Hell, they are the only ones who still love Bush. His 28% approval rating is the entire religious right!
So McCain has no choice but to lie. Not if he wants a chance to be President.
It's funny to watch the back and forth of McCain. Sad to see, for McCain's sake, that Bush will ultimately be his defeat again.
