REACHAROUNDS

MARSHALL "BULLMOOSE" WHITMAN


The Bullmoose was at it again, felating his favorite former Democratic senator from Connecticut, Joe Lieberman, while also expending a little tongue action on his Republican of choice, John McCain. Why all the icky manlove? Well, Bullmoose decided to pen a little piece entitled "Courage" in which he "applauds politicians who sail against the wind", in this case, McCain and Lieberman. He gives Joe a few strokes for standing against the tide of the crazy lefty bloggers (and a majority of the American population) who called Joe on his support of Bush's insane Iraq policies. He then pumped on McCain's chubby a bit by siting his fight against the Bush torture push.
Here's the rub, so to speak. Joe has not mentioned Iraq, nor has he even come close to commenting on Iraq over the last few weeks. He's mum, won't say a word. He gave a freaking foreign policy speech earlier in the week and the word "Iraq" did not depart his mouth the entire time. Then there's McCain, who's principles are so strong that he folded like a tent this past Thursday on the torture issue. Like always, McCain pushed the "Maverick" narrative only so long as it didn't actually obstruct Bush's plans.
After finishing this disgusting display, Bullmoose wipes the spittle from his mouth with these final words: "Joe Lieberman and John McCain serve as role models for all politicians. There is far too much pandering and timidity in American politics. We need leaders with gumption and guts. Like John and Joe." Yes, leaders who so principled that they are afraid to talk about Iraq and leaders with such gumption that they won't stand up to Bush's call to torture, torture early and torture often. With leaders like that, who needs enemies?

MAVERICK MY ASS

JOHN MCCAIN


John McCain once again donned his Maverick star this week as he stood up to Bush on the matter of not violating the Geneva Conventions to allow torture. He was doing his thing, talking all tough about how the Conventions had quite possibly saved his life. McCain was tortured for a time as a prisoner of war during Vietnam, but it was the United States' position of moral authority that convinced the North Vietnamese not to torture POWs. Given this circumstance, McCain seemed to really be standing his ground. Until today.
Here was yet again another example of the bullshit facade that is the McCain Maverick. He'll look strong in facing Bush before it actually matters, but when the chips are down, he folds. Plain and simple. Thursday night was just another example of it. After spending the week as one of three Republicans who steadfastly refused to acquiese to Bush's insane desire to torture, they closed up shop and walked away. Of course, the narrative of the legislation is that it was a compromise with Bush giving a little and McCain getting a little, but upon closer examination, nothing of the sort ever really happened.
From Marty Lederman at Balkinization:

[I]t only takes 30 seconds or so to see that the Senators [McCain, et al] have capitulated entirely, that the U.S. will hereafter violate the Geneva Conventions by engaging in Cold Cell, Long Time Standing, etc., and that there will be very little pretense about it. In addition to the elimination of habeas rights in section 6, the bill would delegate to the President the authority to interpret "the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions" "for the United States," except that the bill itself would define certain "grave breaches" of Common Article 3 to be war crimes.

Follow the link and read the whole piece. Fun stuff. And by "fun" I mean heart-wrenching and upsetting.
I've been sniping at McCain's Maverick bullshit since I started this blog, mostly concerned with the fact that the media has been sucking at the teet of the Maverick since at least 2000 and the manlove has only grown stronger over the years. They use words like "independent" and "principled" to describe a man that time after time has proven to be anything but. Time and again he's mounted his trusty steed and looked like a shining white knight against Bush only to dismount into a pile of horseshit when the camera lights are shut off. Is the media ever going to notice that the Maverick is a sham? Though I have my doubts that he truly is the presumptive front runner going into the '08 GOP primaries, the media has latched onto that narrative. My question is, will they also continue to be married to his Maverick persona this time next year when we're in full primary campaign mode? Or will they begin to open their eyes and realize he's just as devoid of actual principles as the man he pretends to stand up to on occasion?