Charles Krauthammer is upset that Americans just aren't listening to all this discussion of Bill Ayers. But he really steps in it with this opening paragraph:
Convicted felon Tony Rezko. Unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers. And the race-baiting Rev. Jeremiah Wright. It is hard to think of any presidential candidate before Barack Obama sporting associations with three more execrable characters. Yet let the McCain campaign raise the issue, and the mainstream media begin fulminating about dirty campaigning tinged with racism and McCarthyite guilt by association.
You know what? Let's just agree, right now, that guilt by association is OK for this campaign. Sure. Bill Ayers is fair game, so's Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But John McCain forgets - two can play this game. And here's a run-down of 6 people "associated" with John McCain he wants us to forget about.
Rev. John Hagee
Rev. Hagee has called the Roman Catholic Church "the Great Whore", "The Anti-Christ" (hey, I thought that was supposed to be Obama!) and "The Great Apostate."
And let's take a look at his views on the effects (and causes) of Hurricane Katrina in 2005:
On March 21, host Dan Abrams of MSNBC's Verdict with Dan Abrams took note of the media's overall inattention to McCain's most controversial endorsees by nicknaming the presidential hopeful "Teflon John." Abrams called particular attention to the revelation in the March 23 issue of The New York Times Magazine that McCain's campaign sought the endorsement of anti-gay televangelist John Hagee. Though Hagee dodged a question in the Times interview about his allegation that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for a New Orleans gay pride parade, Abrams provided viewers with the audio clip of his incendiary statement. With so much invested in the 2008 election, it will be interesting to see whether there will be a national conversation about Hagee's anti-gay rhetoric and his endorsement of McCain if the media follow the lead of Abrams and others by continuing to confront the public with the audio of his inflammatory comments.
Rod Parsley
The same Rod Parsely...
who has written of Islam: "The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed."
From ABC News:
Despite his call for the U.S. to win the "hearts and minds of the Islamic world," Sen. John McCain recruited the support of an evangelical minister who describes Islam as "anti-Christ" and Mohammed as "the mouthpiece of a conspiracy of spiritual evil."
Now, just because John McCain rejected the endorsement (after he begged for it), using the Rev. Wright Rule, that doesn't matter. If you EVER supported someone, you're stuck with them. Them's the rules.
Rev. Sun Myung Moon
John McCain may not have much of a replationship with the good reverend, but his staff sure does. Charlie Black, one of John McCain's top advisers, allowed the use of his name in conjunction with Rev. Moon's self-proclaimed "coronation" a few years back. So, you're thinking, Rev. Moon named himself a king, did he? Oh no, it gets much stranger than that...
More than a dozen lawmakers attended a congressional reception this year honoring the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in which Moon declared himself the Messiah and said his teachings have helped Hitler and Stalin be "reborn as new persons."
At the March 23 ceremony in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) wore white gloves and carried a pillow holding an ornate crown that was placed on Moon's head. The Korean-born businessman and religious leader then delivered a long speech saying he was "sent to Earth . . . to save the world's six billion people. . . . Emperors, kings and presidents . . . have declared to all Heaven and Earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent."
According to firedoglake,
"The same principle is at work regarding the media's allergy to reporting on the way Republicans and the Moonies have their hands so deeply into each others' pockets that they're making their coins jingle. Of course, as John Gorenfeld explores in detail in his new book, Bad Moon Rising: How Reverend Moon Created the Washington Times, Seduced the Religious Right, and Built an American Kingdom, this has been going on a long time. There was a brief exception back in 2004 -- when Moon held his coronation as the "King of America" in the Senate Dirksen Building.
Gorenfeld had an e-mail exchange with Black about his role in the affair:
Before the crowning became a scandal, I e-mailed Black questions about his role. "I lent my name and sent invitations to a few friends," he replied. "Unfortunately, I had a conflict and couldn't go to the event." Was it a common kind of "event"? Black said, "I don't know if it is annual, but they have done similar events. I don't know Reverend Moon, but work with the management of the Washington Times and their foundation occasionally on conservative causes. I think the dinner committee list included a number of us 'secular' conservatives."
G. Gordon Liddy
Mr. Liddy offered advice on his radio show on how to kill ATF agents - "Go for a head shot," he said. Federally convicted felon. And the Republicans will say, "Yeah, but Liddy's just a radio loudmouth. He hasn't really "palled around" with McCain or done anything like Ayers did for Obama. This is a reach." Not really. It's not only NOT a reach, it's almost a parallel:
How close are McCain and Liddy? At least as close as Obama and Ayers appear to be. In 1998, Liddy's home was the site of a McCain fundraiser. Over the years, he has made at least four contributions totaling $5,000 to the senator's campaigns -- including $1,000 this year.
Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain sounded like one. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family," he gushed. "It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great."
Liddy's home was used for a fundraiser? Why, they MUST be best pals! John McCain is palling around with a convicted felon who has advocated the killing of federal law enforcement agents.
In 1994, after the disastrous federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, he gave some advice to his listeners: "Now if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests. ... Kill the sons of bitches."
Yeah, about that whole "pallin' around with domestic terrorists" meme, John? That's makes TWO presidential candidates, doesn't it?
Charles Keating
The late Charles Keating was ahead of his time in donating $112,000 to Representative and then Sen. John McCain, and McCain went to government agencies to delay or cancel enforcement actions against Keating's S&L. federally convicted felon.
We all know the story, but a quick recap, just for fun:
Keating expected his largesse to be rewarded, and when federal regulators began looking into Lincoln's questionable lending practices and investments in the late 1980s, he turned to five senators whose coffers he had lined — Alan Cranston of California, Donald Riegle of Michigan, John Glenn of Ohio and both Arizona senators, Dennis DeConcini and McCain.
McCain attended two meetings with regulators at Keating's request. McCain's view was that he was seeking information on behalf of a constituent who was an important employer in his state. The regulators' view was that they were being pressured to act favorably for Keating.
Lincoln's collapse, the biggest of many savings and loan failures, cost taxpayers $2.6 billion. Keating spent four years in jail, before his sentence was overturned on a technicality, and the Keating 5, as the senators came to be known, lived under an ethical cloud for years.
So, just to review: Keating gives John McCain $112,0000 in campaign donations. Charles Keating needs teh feds off his back as his S&L is going down. Charles Keating asks John McCain and 4 others to get teh feds off his back. Sen. McCain and four others meet with said feds twice to get them off Keating's back. Senate investigates, finds McCain guilty of exercising "poor judgment." Keating is convicted in federal prison of breaking all kinds of banking laws, and serves time.
Rafaello Follieri
Young Mr. Follieri is best known as Anne Hathaway’s ex, but he’s just been convicted on federal fraud charges for more than $2 million. He also hosted John McCain on his rented yacht on McCain's 70th birthday on 2006.
Never heard of Mr. Follieri, or at least not the details of what he did? Our boy's a real winner, stealing from Roman Catholic priests:
Monsignor William Hodge came forward as a victim of Raffaello Follieri in a letter to federal probation officials.
He says Follieri duped him out of $110,000 by claiming he needed the money to pay nuns. Hodge says his parents left him the money.
Follieri is to be sentenced Oct. 3 to up to 65 years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty this month to wire fraud and money laundering.
Prosecutors say Follieri told investors he wanted to buy unneeded property from Roman Catholic churches but used their money to travel with his then-girlfriend.
NOTE: His sentencing has apparently been delayed to today.
So what's his connection to John McCain? Guess where John spent his 70th birthday...
Yup, that's Sen. John McCain, with (we think) Rick Davis in front of him, walking to meet Raffaello Follieri with Anne Hathaway behind him. The Nation described the McCain-Follieri connection:
A few months after McCain's yacht party, Follieri strengthened his ties to McCain's orbit by retaining Rick Davis's well-connected Washington lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, and offering Davis both an investment deal and help in securing the Catholic vote for McCain's presidential bid.
Six of the most despicable people ever to be associated with a presidential campaign, three of whom have been convicted of federal felonies. Yet, aside from Keating, no mentions at all in the media. Not excuses for them – just no mentions at all. It’s like they don’t exist. Like they’ve been wiped out of John McCain’s history.
Why is that, Mr. Krauthammer? Don't we Americans deserve the truth concerning with whom John McCain associates?