McCain-Out of both sides of his mouth

So, just as with Social Security, we find that John McCain is not the man all his starry eyed fans have thought him to be.  

He went with Bush on his Bamboozlelapalooza tour and lied with statistics.

And from these comments to Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation we see that he is not above talking out of both sides of his mouth and probably eventually doing what Bush, Rove and Frist want which is to do the wrong thing.

He will vote for the "nuclear option" but try to make it seem like he understands how bad it is.
I have always thought John McCain was a garden variety right wing Republican.  Somehow he gave the media the "straight talk" they craved to hear.  He played on their expectations but now that he's trying to flatter the extreme right wing base of the Republican party he is not the independent thinker or actor he has been touted to be.

Read the weasel words below.  

Some of you may be disappointed but this is what I have always expected of him.  If he really had principles he'd be a Democrat.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Would you oppose this if Senator Frist decides to do it, Senator McCain?

McCAIN: I would listen to my leaders.

I believe that these judges should be confirmed. I think that they are good people. And as I said, elections have consequences.

Having said that, the Senate is different ... We have traditionally protected the rights of the minority...

...and if we don't protect the rights of the minority, someday history shows that we won't always be in the majority...

SCHIEFFER: Well, can I just ask you the direct question? Are you opposed to doing away with the filibuster, Senator?

McCAIN: Yes.

SCHIEFFER: You are.

McCAIN: Yes, but I will listen to our leadership.

•  Not out of both sides of his mouth...

  ...at this point he's just talking out of his ass.

  by cvcobb01 on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:09:23 PM PDT

•  Is it McCain or his schtick?

  I have always thought John McCain was a garden variety right wing Republican.  

  Doesn't take too many brain cells to think this one through to the correct conclusion as you have done.  How pathetic is it that so many Democrats keep mistaking the schtick for the real McCain?  Republicans never fell for Clinton's schtick -- maybe I've had it wrong all these years and it's the GOP and not the DEM that are the smart ones.  

  by Marie on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:31:12 PM PDT

  •  He seems to be running

    roughly the same schtick as Biden. Pretend to be Mr. Straightshooter and then weasel like crazy.

    If McCain votes to end the filibuster and/or keeps going along with the rest of the Republican power mania, I think it can be used against him in the long run. If he wants to lie down with dogs, he should expect to get fleas.

    by Noisy Democrat on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:36:08 PM PDT

    •  Why would this be any different?

      He's been a flea infested scumbag for a couple of decades and it hasn't hurt him yet.  Somehow I can't really see that Americans or Democrats care all that much about or even understand filibuster rules.  My god, we marched off to war for no reason, are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on it and sacrificing more than a soldier a day to keep it going and they don't care.  Suddenly they are going to rouse themselves and reject the real McCain over Senate filibuster rules?  I don't think so.  

      by Marie on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 12:03:03 AM PDT

  •  some Republicans did

    The hardcore Republicans didn't, but Clinton did win over a lot of the middle of the road Republicans.  I mean he decimated Dole in the 1996 elections, getting a lot of moderate Republican votes in the process.  Of course, he was helped by the fact that as a politician, Dole was ridiculously outclassed by Clinton.

    by Delirium on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 01:12:23 AM PDT

•  He

  is an ass.

  by nargel on Sun Apr 10, 2005 at 11:31:41 PM PDT

•  McCain is a hypocrite.

  You stand by fascists? You're a fascist.

  by DrReason on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 12:25:57 AM PDT

•  he has no choice

  The Enron account crew, Arthur ANdersen, raped his state's pnesion under the watch of McCain and Ashcroft. They wedge him with that fact. He's a lame duck and knows it, they' drown him for Jeb and Ahhhnold...

  by Mr Murder on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 12:48:14 AM PDT

•  trying to become a wingnut

  mccain wants to run for president and if he defies the leadership he will have no chance of  getting the nomination.he is in a box,by kissing the right rings ass he is losing the moderate and
  democratic voter who would vote for him in a general election.
  i actually don`t think they have the votes to get the  fillibuster banned,quite a few moderate republicans are against it, one day they will be in the minority and a lot of republicans know this will come back to haunt them.mccain lost any chance of ever getting my vote.

  by JOEL1954 on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 03:24:00 AM PDT

  •  Well, if he gets the nomination

    ..it'll come back to haunt him.

    How many people voted for Bush for reasons of 'leadership'? Yes, they were misguided, but 'leadership' seems to be a big thing.

    So, if he gets the nomination, he just gave the Dems a freakin' commercial opportunity that will come back to haunt him. "I listen to my leaders" over and over and over again. "I'm opposed to ending the filibuster." "I listen to my leaders." On a loop for thirty seconds. And they called Kerry a flip-flopper?

    MoveOn et al, you'd better keep this tape in the back of your mind. McCain just doomed himself. And I couldn't be happier.

    by ChurchofBruce on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 07:37:49 AM PDT

•  He was one of the few republicans I respected.

  Until he was silent about the Bush/Rove smear against him in the primaries. Now he goes merrily along in lock step with fascists.

  He survived a POW camp just to turn into Gumby and try to weasel his way into electability?

  by nuttymango on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 05:10:34 AM PDT

  •  I'm in that boat, too.

    I HAD some respect for him, but that capital has been long spent now.

    by beemerr90s on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 05:32:51 AM PDT

•  I heard that interview.

  And I came away with the distinct impression that McCain would vote against the nuclear option.  He may have said he would listen to his leaders, but he didn't say that he would vote their way.  And he distinctly said that he was opposed to doing away with the filibuster.

  by lysias on Mon Apr 11, 2005 at 06:47:54 AM PDT