jimbomoron's Blog

Blame Palin?

2008-10-22T21:47:34Z

Josh,

You wrote that John McCain is starting to blame Sarah Palin for his campaign's meltdown. As many rookie mistakes as Palin has made, it's absurd for McCain to do this. After winning his party's nomination, John McCain asked his own running mate -- someone new to the national scene -- to save his party. That takes some hubris. As the Presidential nominee, you should know that your party's primary voters entrusted you -- not your running mate -- to win the election. You have to be incredibly politically unseasoned to ask a neophyte to save your party 60 days before an election. Even someone as politically talented as Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton could not save the Democratic Party as a VP pick. People vote for the top of the ticket.

Besides, the VP pick isn't responsible for the message, strategy, etc. That is the Presidential nominee's job.

It wasn't Sarah Palin who decided that the way to win an election is to win every daily and weekly news cycle instead of establishing a coherent narrative of why you are running for President. That was John McCain's decision.

It wasn't Sarah Palin who couldn't tie all her ideas to some overarching narrative. That was John McCain.

It wasn't Sarah Palin who spent between February and June just trying to get in the news rather than quitely raise money and set up field offices. That was John McCain's decision.

It wasn't Sarah Palin who chose to spend money running celebrity sneer ads during the summer instead of investing in a ground game. That was John McCain's decision.

It wasn't Sarah Palin who picked herself without any testing of her political credentials, i.e., putting her on talk shows before being picked, warning party officials she was on the short list, etc. That's was John McCain's decision.

It wasn't Sarah Palin who couldn't tie all her ideas together at her convention acceptance speech. That was John McCain.

It wasn't Sarah Palin who made a total fool of herself during the financial collapse by careening from one position to another. That was John McCain's decision.

Most important, it wasn't Sarah Palin's decision to vote with George Bush 90 percent of the time. That was John McCain's decision.

I really can't believe that John McCain would lack the political maturity and seasoning to understand this. Then again, that's why he's in the position he is.

Do Republicans really think they'll profit for blocking the bailout bill?

2008-09-23T01:24:07Z

Josh, you wrote about Republicans wanting to skewer Democrats for voting with the administration to bail out Wall Street. With the public's tendency to favor action over inaction during times of crisis, do the Republicans honestly believe they will be elevated for blocking passage of this bailout bill?

John McCain: Consistently wrong

2008-07-20T03:06:31Z

I write this in response to a front page post asking which of John McCain's policy positions has he been consistent over the last 10 years?

Try phasing out Social Security. John McCain can call it whatever he wants, but he has been consistent -- consistently wrong -- on that issue over the last 10 years.

How about the use of military force to spread democracy? On that McCain has clearly been consistent and consistently wrong.

The federal government's role in providing relief to the uninsured? Again, McCain -- like our current President -- has been consistent and consistently wrong on that issue.

Increasing the federal minimum wage? McCain has consistently voted against that, and even voted last year to repeal the landmark law. Again, consistent like Bush, and consistently wrong.

So, yeah, on some significant policy issues John McCain has been consistent -- consistently wrong, too.

John McCain on Gun-Control: Another Flip-Flop

2008-06-26T17:56:52Z

Here's John McCain's record on gun control, and it's anything but consistent: In 1993, John McCain voted against the Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban. In 1999, John McCain voted against closing the gun show loophole -- only a year later to cut a commercial supporting the Colorado ballot initiative to close the gun show loophole. In 2004, John McCain voted against the Feinstein amendment extending the assault weapons ban another 10 years. That's the McCain record. Flip-flop.

Hillary Opposed Gas Tax Repeal As Senate Candiate in 2000

2008-04-28T21:29:24Z

In her 2000 New York Senate race, then-Rep. Rick Lazio (R-Long Island) proposed a temporary suspension of the gas tax. Here is what then-first lady Hillary Clinton had to say in June 2000:

Campaigning in the Hudson Valley, Lazio continued a two-day assault on Clinton's support of maintaining the 18-cent federal gas tax and then used tough rhetoric to declare that "trust" and "character" were campaign issues during an evening fundraiser in Manhattan that raised more that $1 million.
Clinton, meanwhile, lashed out at Lazio's plan to repeal 4.3 cents of the gas tax, calling it "a bad deal for New York and a potential bonanza for the oil companies."
During a visit to a shopping mall in the Buffalo suburbs, Clinton said that "the gas tax is one of the few exceptions where we actually get more money back than we send to Washington."
While New York sends $300 million a year to Washington in gas taxes, Clinton said, it gets back $477 million in highway funding.

Below is Sen. Hillary Clinton today:

My opponent, Senator Obama, opposes giving consumers a break," Clinton said, campaigning in North Carolina. "I understand the American people need some relief."
Clinton said she would make up the difference in revenue by imposing a "windfall profits tax" on oil companies.

"If we suspended it and made up the lost revenues, that's the best of both worlds," she said.