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Can you imagine the outrage if a Democratic presidential candidate skipped President Bush’s State of the Union address Monday in order to stay on the campaign trail to succeed him? The screams from the GOP and conservatives would be bloodcurdling.  TradMed would be up in arms at the perceived insult.  But you’re not seeing that reaction today after the calm announcement from Old Lord John Stanley McCain the Third that he’ll not attend tomorrow’s SOTU festivities — he’s too busy campaigning in Florida.

"We’ll be campaigning here," Sen. McCain of Arizona said Sunday in Florida, where he is locked in a tight campaign for the Republican presidential nomination against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. 

Clamoring as they are for the support of the GOP base — the sole steadfast bulwark of the President and his foreign and domestic policies — I would expect the opposing GOP presidential candidates to make noise about McCain’s decision not to attend. Conveniently, of McCain’s remaining opponents (Mitt Romney, Rudi Giuiliani, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul) only Dr Paul’s attendance is expected due to the office he holds. And given Congressman Paul’s disassociation from our warmongering President, his absence might be excusable.  But shouldn’t John McCain attend, if only as the Senate representative of the Right’s Field?

Old Lord McCain, along with his buddy Short Ride Joey Lieberman, takes credit for changing the President’s war policy in Iraq. He now supports the make-permanent extension of the disastrous Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans in 2010. He’s made a convincing argument to the GOP base that he’s the embodiment of a third Bush term.

Although there are significant differences, and maybe the GOP base needs to be reminded of those differences. Old Lord McCain disrespected this President before, in criticizing his Secretary of Defense’s conduct of The Glorious War On Iraqis.

He disrespected this President before, when he opposed the tax cuts for the most deserving Americans, the President’s base.

He disrespected this President before, when his Senate Committee investigated the Interior Department’s conduct of Indian Affairs, exposing the seamy underside of the Abramoff operation for all Americans to see.

He disrespected this President before, when he joined Senators John Warner and Lindsey Graham to challenge the President’s right to torture terrorists.

He disrespected this President before, when he continually defied the President’s devotion to embryos by supporting federal funds for stem-cell research.  

He disrespected this President before, when he voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment.

For all his apparent devotion to this President (see photo above), John McCain’s disrespect of President Bush transcends policies and pervades his Presidency.  A McCain Administration would be the undoing of many of George Bush’s signature accomplishments.

John McCain’s disrespect of President Bush doesn’t simply begin tomorrow night.  Senator McCain’s planned boycott of tomorrow night’s State of the Union is the culmination of a disturbing pattern of disrespect for the President and his policies.  The GOP base needs to know about the McCain SOTU boycott, and I think I know who needs to tell them. 

Tagg? 

Matt?

Ben?

Craig?

Josh?

C’mon, you guys — the Florida GOP voters need to hear about John McCain’s SOTU boycott. Would your Dad disrespect the President this way?

Update:  

Maybe this is a job for newly announced Mitt Romney supporter Liz Cheney