Great Article on McCain from the Rolling Stone

This is a must read.  Here's a snippet:

"In its broad strokes, McCain's life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers' powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives' evangelical churches.

In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot."

Mighty McCain

John McCain has just demonstrated the power of preemption.  What a feat!  McCain suspended his campaign to get back to d.c. to take on the task of saving financial markets (of course with a detour to NYC over to the Clinton Global Initiative so that Bill Clinton could himself be a post-partisan figure/exceedingly ungracious loser).  And whaddya know, the mere threat of McCain's participation has compelled Republicans and Democrats, House and Senate to iron out their differences and finalize bailout legislation. I suppose he can attend that debate after all.  Here is the key graf:

"Democrats were hoping to reach a final agreement on the framework of a bill ahead of that meeting, partly to deny any credit to Mr. McCain, who took the bold step on Wednesday of suspending his campaign and announcing that he would return to Washington to help secure a deal. Democrats said they did not need his help."

That's real power right there.

hat tip: Felix Salmon

McCain Suspends Campaign

McCain is suspending his campaign ostensibly so he can roll up his sleeves and help solve the credit crisis.  Given that any legislation will be coming from the Senate Finance committee, of which McCain is not a member, this seems daft.

George Will on McCain

George Will has never been a McCain fan but in this column he comes just short of endorsing Obama and stating that McCain is unfit for office.

BTW

John McCain invented the blackberry.  Oh, and San Diego is German for a "Whale's Vagina".

McCain's Tax Returns

Or rather Cindy McCain's tax returns. Well, she hasn't disclosed them. Her tax records should be disclosed. I think the public has the right to know such financial information and if there are any potential conflicts of interest. Just as I think Bill Clinton should be releasing donor information with regards to the Clinton library and the Clinton Global Initiative. However, what makes the failure to disclose all the more galling in McCain's case is that he has over the years assumed the mantle of the reformer. He championed that goddawful legislation McCain-Feingold (BCRA) and mentions the elimination of earmarks as his proposed solution to every governance issue.

McCain Video

Some of you may have seen the song and video that was put together by will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas that was inspired by Barack Obama's "Yes We Can" speech (which by the way you can download the full mp3 version by right clicking and saving this link).

Well there is a similar video about John McCain that I thought was hilarious.