It seems that the spontaneous townhall meetings that John McCain has built his campaign on are becoming less and less inclusive as the November election approaches.  First, a librarian was removed from an event in Denver and cited for trespassing because of a sign that read McCain=Bush.  Now, it seems that a group of abortion rights protesters were refused entry at an event in New Mexico because they were wearing NARAL T-Shirts, according to Ben Smith at The Politico.

As we are all aware, John McCain has made it his business to ensure that we are all perfectly up to date on just how badly Iran wants to nuke the United States.  However, between his Bomb Iran song and shipping cigarettes to kill Iranian civilians, it looks like McCain forgot to check the threat out for himself.

[W]hen ABC’s Charlie Gibson asked McCain yesterday if an Israeli strike against Iran would be "jusified" in light of Iran’s recent missile tests, McCain said that he couldn’t determine "the nature of the threat" from Iran[.]

Yesterday, David Corn of Mother Jones accused the McCain Campaign of screening questions during live conference calls in order to ensure that friendly questions were asked.  It seems that this type of behavior is going to become the norm for the Maverick Press Darling.

Today in Pittsburgh, McCain held a 10 minute full press conference to discuss FISA, Iran, and his pledge to balance the budget.  However, the Washington Post reports what was really going on:

And where was the national press corps?

Sitting on the runway 27 miles away, having been ferried to McCain's charter plane, totally unaware that a press availability was about to take place until one of the handful of "pool reporters" sent an e-mail alert.Sitting on the runway 27 miles away, having been ferried to McCain's charter plane, totally unaware that a press availability was about to take place until one of the handful of "pool reporters" sent an e-mail alert.

Well it has become a popular talking point among conservatives, the McCain campaign does not seem as eager and open to answer questions as it may appear.  Although McCain often spends a great deal of time talking to reporters on his campaign bus, David Corn of Mother Jones has noticed a different approach toward those that pose questions the campaign feels uncomfortable answering.

More after the jump

In McCain's open to the public townhall meeting, a 61 year-old woman was arrested cited for trespassing on orders from the McCain security detail for carrying a sign that read McCain=Bush.  Carol Kreck received a ticket and her court date is set for July 23.

Just as the right-wing outrage machine begins its second round assault on General Wesley Clark, John McCain and his surrogates attack him with the same tactics that they have spent the last 24 hours denouncing.  Talking Points Memo reports that on the McCain camp's latest conference call, fellow POW Orson Swindle dismissed General Clark's service as subpar.

"General Clark probably wouldn't get that much praise from this group. I can't speak for them, but we all know that General Clark, as high-ranking as he is, his record in his last command I think was somewhat less than stellar."

Two weeks ago, Democratic Chairman Henry Waxman, head of the House Oversight Committee, subpoenaed the relevant documents--specifically interviews with President Bush and Vice President Cheney-- related to the outing of CIA Operative Valarie Plame.  According to the Committee, the Justice Department has refused to comply.

The Justice Department has informed the Committee that it will not comply with a congressionally issued subpoena to produce interview documents from the investigation into the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity, including documents from the interviews of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Chairman Waxman wrote to Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to request information regarding the terms under which Fitzgerald interviewed President Bush and Vice President Cheney in the course of his investigation into the leak.

Everyone already know that John McCain "strenuously disagree[s]" with Charlie Black's comments, but new evidence suggests that McCain has flip-flopped on his latest denial.  Proving what?  Terrorism can be politically expedient, of course.  Speaking about terrorism as a tool in George W. Bush's reelection in 2004, McCain said:

    U.S. Sen. John McCain, campaigning in southwestern Connecticut on Saturday, said Osama bin Laden’s video message to Americans will likely energize President Bush’s re-election campaign.

   "I think it’s very helpful to President Bush," said McCain, R-Ariz., while stumping in Stamford for U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays. "It focuses America’s attention on the war on terrorism. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but I think it does have an effect." [AP, 10/30/04]

Top McCain adviser Charlie Black has made a very controversial, really eye-opening statement.  Think Progress reports that Charlie Black told Fortune that another terrorist attack would be a big advantage to McCain.

"But his knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who’s ready to be Commander-in-Chief. And it helped us." As would, Black concedes with startling candor after we raise the issue, another terrorist attack on U.S. soil. "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him," says Black.

In another disclosure of how the Bush administration warped the pre-war intelligence to drive American forces into Iraq, a Senate report cites a recently discovered CIA report that claims Bush's linking information between Saddam and Al-Qeada was not credible.

There is an unbelievable movement going on in right-wing world at the moment, and it is focused primarily on the neoconservatives who are interested in attacking any country their dart hits on the map.  However, sensing that their unquestioned authority may be in its last throe, our friends at Fox News are beginning to pull out all of the stops--ignoring decency and humanity in the process.

For those of you that may have missed it, Bill O'Reilly ambushed Bill Moyers by sending a producer to pester him about coming onto his show.  Moyers, in an attempt to show what real journalism is like, destroyed the producer, Barry Porter Porter Berry, and even offered to give him work as a true journalist.

Moyer's recorded the entire event, knowing that O'Reilly and Fox News were going to edit it and take it completely out of context to try to trash him.  Lo and behold, he was right.

In a brave attempt to push for true journalistic integrity, Boston journalist Barry Nolan staged a protest over the Emmy Award given to Bill O'Reilly by the Boston/New England Chapter.  For his effort, he has been fired by Boston's CN8 following a two week, unpaid suspension:

A CN8 spokeswoman issued this statement: "Effective May 20, Barry Nolan is no longer employed by CN8, The Comcast Network. Backstage will continue to air weeknights at 8:00 p.m. with host, Sara Edwards, and its talented team of reporters and contributors."