As he reminded us the other day, John Cole nailed it way back in February, when he noted the number of GOP rats bailing from the sinking ship of Congress and McCain in a move they hoped would inoculate them from blame when, among other things, the subprime time bomb blew up:
So here is why they are sabotaging McCain- they want him to lose, or at the very least are hedging their bets. They want and need to paint him as not conservative, not pure enough to really represent the wildly successful (in their minds) conservatism that makes up the Bush dead-enders. That way, when they are blown out of the water in 2008, they don’t have to do any reflection, they don’t have to assess, re-prioritize, or re-think their policies. They can simply pin it all on McCain, claim he lost because he didn’t offer the voters a “real” conservative alternative, and get back to championing the end of the “death tax” and other important issues without skipping a beat.
In other words, McCain is the fall guy, and they are just distancing themselves from him.
Well, surprise, surprise, surprise! Doggie Daddy Mitt Romney, the GOP’s lead prospect for 2012 for the simple reason that he’s the only guy with enough cash to self-finance a campaign, is already trying (along with Tommy "Are You Freaking Kidding Me?" Thompson) to boost his street cred among the Fundies by kicking McCain when he’s drooling helplessly on the curb:
Two former rivals for the party nomination, Mitt Romney and Tommy Thompson, went on the record over the weekend about the disarray in the Republican camp. And a string of other senior party figures said Mr McCain’s erratic performance risks taking the party down to heavy losses not just in the presidential race but also in contests for Congressional seats. Mr Thompson, a former governor of the swing state of Wisconsin, said he thought Mr McCain, on his present trajectory, would lose the state, and he told a New York Times reporter he was unhappy with the campaign. "I don’t know who is," he added.
And in case it wasn’t clear what was happening, here’s a Romney surrogate stepping up to the microphone:
"He doesn’t need an attack strategy, he needs a comeback strategy," said Alex Castellanos, a longtime national GOP media consultant who worked for McCain primary rival Mitt Romney.
That’s nice. But how will your guy, the Mittster, make it through the primary when the Fundies are going to be lying in ambush for him with Huckabee and Hunter and several other favored sons?
This ought to be interesting.
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sacrificial altering of history….
Romney knows that for every loser- there’s a winner ready to rip off his uniform.
Great post PW!!!
McFlameout has been running an Inca-herent campaign.
…other important issues without skipping a beat.
Tort reform!!!!!!!!
Query:
Who, if anybody, would have given them a better chance at winning than Mccain?
Avoiding McCain only works if the economy stays down. 4 more years of this economy and there might not be a country, same with 4 years of the GOP trying to stop Obama.
I’m surprised Romney has time to talk politics right now. I thought Bain Capital was a leader in vulture capitalism and would be taking all his time as he strips assets out of once flourishing businesses.
This is critical because the next Prez will likely be a one termer, given the state of the State. Few voters in 2012 will remember the confluence of budget deficit, recession and financial sector implosion as a GOP and neo liberal problem. The DINO’s in Congress will continue their ineffectiveness, but will add the excesses attributed to their past GOPers in graft and personal morals and continue low approval rating by the public.
Mitt must know that running a hedgefund will be election poison for a decade.
In four years the first books about what really is happening now with the bank bailout should have been out.
That’s the gooper dream alright- and it may come true.
Goopers may re-invent themselves and come up with a candidate who is not one of the usual suspects.
I’m not ready for 2012. I’m barely able to contemplate November.
http://freewayblogger.blogspot…..inued.html
I think I’ll just keep doing peace signs ’til then.
Bain bought Home Depot the housing market has only gotten worse since then. Bain bought ClearChannel Rush Limbaugh’s employer at a stock price so high Bain had to threaten to sue his banks into lending him the money.
Then the Dow crashed 777 points and now banks are not lending anyone money.
I wonder how Bain is really doing? I need a laugh.
With apologies for being off-topic, there are strong indications here that Mr. Harper will be held to a minority government:
http://www.electionprediction……/index.php
Harper is a despicable wretch. He will still, however, be The Right Honourable Prime Minister Despicable Wretch.
If I were the gooper talent scouts, I’d be lookin for a gooper governor in a blue state who has had fiscal success in the current climate.
Romney was not a bad opportunity- cept that the base thinks mormonism is a cult.
Hunter? You mean Duncan?
This is just hilarious.
And so true.
Hunter? You mean Duncan?
“Vote for Hunter Gatherer in 2012! he invented the wheel!”
Romney playin “King of the Dung Heap”
As I recall Mitt and McCain were in a dead heat for most unscrupulous pandering to whatever audience they were put before.
Sarah Impaler could be their choice. She’s pretty smart, and they really like her in Philly.
But how will your guy, the Mittster, make it through the primary when the Fundies are going to be lying in ambush for him with Huckabee and Hunter and several other favored sons?
I’m still predicting that Mike Pence will be the 2012 candidate.
She’s the darlin of the religious right/populist wing. Unfortunately, the REAL goopers hate her.
Can Mormons get drafted or do they all have a religious reason not to serve? Mitt might not be to popular if the Iraq war is still going on or if the situation in Iraq goes bad.
The GOP has to run somebody for President in that situation who has a son or daughter in combat.
No Mitt, Jeb, Huckabee nope someone else and the GOP will use war as well as the economy as their selling points its all they have.
Don’t forget NounVerb911!
And learned to carry fire, even!!
Hi LooHoo! WeeRog sends wet kisses.
I guess it’s just us Dems who don’t understand things. The headline at Huff Post is
McCain: we have them just where we want them.
Is there something I’m missing or has this man lost his mind? He’s down 10 points in the latest WaPo/ABC poll.
Poor dottering old fool.
Goopers created a bit of a problem when they injected religion into their party—WHICH religions are OK?
NOT mormons, catholics, or “mainstream” religions- they have ta be southern baptists or simulacrum. That narrows the field.
I’d be lookin for a gooper governor in a blue state who has had fiscal success in the current climate.
Mitch Daniels is a Repub Guv who has worked for Lugar, Reagan and Bush. Indiana is far from being a blue state, but he’s got some Repub-conservative-cred too.
good hunch. with eric “the shark” cantor as VP? the fresh young faces of the GOP!!!
I’ve always understood “We’ve got them right where we want them” to be dark humor, essentially admitting that “we’re screwed”. Not that they’d admit it.
Of course Jebidiah has four years to morph into whatever sort of animal he expects to be popular
Mormons can and do serve in the military.
EPU downstairs but does anyone understand my reference when I say “Laces Out!”?
That will be the McCain camp on November 5th and on.
with eric “the shark” cantor as VP?
mmm, maybe.
Problem with Cantor is that he’s so mammothly stupid that
1) I don’t know if Pence could/would stomach the prospect
2) Cantor could easily forget how to find his way to waork on any given morning, and
3) Cantor’s gotta lug all that stoopid around for four more years and still get re-elected.
Nicole Belle shows three republican women duking it out on LKL.
It will be interesting to see how many fractures the GOP will break into…there’s the Palin crowd (they hate government and plan to get raptured soon), the maverick types (
theyHehatehatesgovernmentauthority (except for his own) and justwantwants to win at all costs for entirely egotistical reasons). Then there are the Mittsters..who are just plain anal and into their looks, and also the Bush dynasty who intend for Jeb to rule so Babs and Poppy can be happy….then there are the Ron Pauls, who believe that sink or swim is the best thing for everyone…and they hate government too.Good luck in 2012.
The little scamp! He’s about 18 months now, huh? Can he say Aunt Terry yet?
No, what does it mean?
OT Why is Royal Canadian Air Farce going off the Air?
He has chosen not to speak until after November 4th. Check back then.
Then another Mormon beside Mitt and his sons can run, between none of them serving and Dad being a hedgefund guy I think they got no shot.
That Jim Carey movie?
Laces Out!
In Pet Detective, Ray Finkle is a fictional character goalkicker who missed a kick causing the Dolphins to lose the Super Bowl. He blames his missed kick on Dan Marino who held the ball laces in. His humiliation calls for revenge on Dan Marino and all the Dolphins. Once the Pet Detective, figures out Finkel is his suspect, he visits the Finkel household in the scene linked above.
Yes!!!!
TOLEDO, Ohio – ‘Democrat Barack Obama proposed more immediate steps Monday to heal the nation’s ailing economy including a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures at some banks and a two-year tax break for businesses that create new jobs.’
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..l_pr/obama
How can Mitt ever win nationally? Fundies do not like Mormons, so there goes the Republic base.
I’m no authority, but the CBC is on a “must be relevant” tear right now. (Witness what they’ve done to Radio2.) They probably think Air Farce lacks the “appropriate demographic”. Why the national broadcaster should care about demographics is another question.
Based on what I’ve seen at the state level, I think the national GOP will definitely go through at least one more round of “it’s not that voters don’t like conservative government, he just wasn’t conservative enough” before they begin to catch on, maybe more. It will be interesting to see the battle between the partisans of McCain-as-scapegoat and “the Democrats only won because the economy crashed” (which is of course in unfortunate accident that “just happened” and in no way the fault of any Republican policy decisions.)
When McCain says “that he got them right where he wants them” Does McCain think that the American people will give him credit for the Dow going up today?
Is McCain planning on blaming Obama if Obama wins the debate again and the the Dow goes down?
I watch it and I’m in Seattle I’m sure demographics is not a problem. Maybe politics is though.
Cannibals ‘R Us extends business hours. . .
Famous Person and Byron York shoot down the Maverick . . .oh the inanity !!!
Are we missing something here – McShame claims he is just where he wants to be. Besides his numbers are going up!
1. The number of times he lies
2. The number of times he abandons previous positions
3. The number of times he puts out sleazy ads.
4. The number of times he uses POW
/s
It’s mostly bravado on McCain’s part. He’ll still blame Obama for all that he can.
Nah, McCain said that earlier in the day, so it definitely wasn’t a reference to the market. But it does show how delusional a remark it was that that interpretation makes about as much sense as anything else.
Do these republicans have no self-awareness at all? No introspection?
Do they not get the connection between a war run on credit and the damage to the economy?
Do they not understand if one gets a $50,000 loan by just having a pulse, one might not pay it back and the connection to default?
Do they not understand that the CRA was in place of 30 years, and the mortgage melt down happened in the last 2?
Do they really believe when we are in the middle of the greatest depression, which we might, they have a chance of being elected?
Do they really not understand Obama is a superb manager – evidenced by the lack of drama in his election campaign?
Believers change the facts to suit their dogma, and these republicans are really good a changing the facts.
5. The number of “plans” to fix the economy he’s espoused!
As always, Harry Frankfurt’s “On Bullshit” is the best guide to understanding modern Republicans.
God help us all if the architect of the largest deficit in the history of mankind makes the cut in 2012.
Right now, I’m trying to do my part to make sure he doesn’t even get a second term as governor of Indiana.
Agreed however if Obama gets his policies implemented and they work as intended and save society as a whole money and bring prosperity then will the GOP change on these issues or go into denial?
If they change how can they change?
heh – David Shuster just smacked the shit outta David Diaz (McSlime spokesman) on the Palin guilt issue
Shuster -”Oh come on Danny, you know better than that”
Diaz – “blah, partisan blah, unfair, blah….”
Shuster – “Nice Try. Ten Republicans vote to release this – they could have stopped it they’d wanted to…”
And then shut him off.
Next !!
In case you wondered who Mc Cain ”pals” around with, here are a couple of gems from Liddy:
August 26, 1994 – Now if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they’re going to be wearing bulletproof vests.” … ”They’ve got a big target on there, ATF. Don’t shoot at that, because they’ve got a vest on underneath that. Head shots, head shots…. Kill the sons of bitches.
September 15, 1994 – If the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms insists upon a firefight, give them a firefight. Just remember, they’re wearing flak jackets and you’re better off shooting for the head.
If they did, they wouldn’t be Republicans.
One number that doesn’t change is the number of campaign stops McCain makes a day: one. If he has to pace himself like that, especially at this stage, he’s simply too old.
That sounds like a drinking game for the debate.
Stockmarket is
+ 820 and climbing!
Reasons change desire remains the same.
Robert Altmeyer literally wrote the book on this scourge. all your questions will be answered. Thank you John Dean, Thank you Jane Hamsher
That sounds like a potentially lethal drinking game for the debate.
Adjusted just a little…
We should ask Sarah if only Lefties can be Terrorists.
“Those poor bastards. They’ve got us surrounded. Now we can fire in any direction. They won’t get away this time… They have us right where we want them.” — Col. “Chesty” Puller, USMC, the most decorated Marine of all time, December 1950, Choisin Reservoir
ya’ll didn’t really think this bullshit was original did you?
At least you would not have to hear John lie for to long:)
“…and goodnight Chesty, wherever you are.”
Read a bio of him years ago. Didn’t even know who or what he was until I read it. About the only medal he didn’t receive was the MoH.
Prediction: Then, it’ll go down someday. Then, back up. Then, down again. Never understood why DOW reporting was front and center on the nightly news every single day. “…and from Las Vegas tonight, some people won big, and some people lost big. Now let’s guess about the weather…”
Based on the current Virginia Senate race, I suspect their first attempt will be to simply lie and claim that all credit should go to Paulson and Bush, and especially that any tax increases (such as letting the Bush tax cuts expire) or new programs or regulations were completely unnecessary. It’s a pretty GOP line — everything bad that happens in a Republican administration is the fault of the most recent Democratic administration, everything good that happens in a Democratic administration is due to the actions of the most recent Republican administration.
It’ll be up to people like us to anticipate these zombie lies and smack them down hard.
Kos has a nice photo of McCain attending an ACORN rally in 2006. He was even the featured speaker. I guess he forgot about that when he approved the ACORN attack on Obama. Well, he’s old so being forgetful is understandable.
OT Does anyone know what happened to Jack Cafferty – he hasn’t posted since Oct 2
Even sillier is the daily report from market analysts on “why” the market did what it did.
We should challenge our GOP friends to drink according to those rules and we will drink when Obama does the same
1. The number of times he lies
2. The number of times he abandons previous positions
3. The number of times he puts out sleazy ads.
4. The number of times he uses
POWuses race as an excuse for anythingI think we might have a dry night.
(Foothillsmike comment at 53)
Jane has it over at the Silo
I believe he’s been on the air but IIRC, his wife recently died.
Heard a speaker on the radio this morning who said that this entire financial debacle can be laid right at the feet of one man – Phil Gramm. She was an economics expert, especially oil.
That sounds about right to me.
Thanks. Has a line-of-attack ever been blown out of the water by the attacker’s past like this one has?
Ever read “Fortunate Son” by his son Lewis? he lost both legs and a arm in a phoogas explosion. He ended up working with an orphange effort in the Nam until his suicide.
He was gone for about a week or so when that happened but the came back for a while
Yes! It’s become a joke between my better half and I when we hear an “expert” on gas prices on the radio, and then trying to guess which excuse they’ll pluck out to explain why oil prices just went up or down. Seems like they have about 5 tried and trues. I think all this talk is done to keep the masses from ever really understanding that we’re just at the whimsy of the very small select group that makes up the really BigMoney of the world. The rest is smoke and mirrors.
I read some excerpts but not the whole thing.
I thought the most decorated, turned peace activist and whistleblower on the Military Industrial Complex, was Gen. Smedley Butler.
http://warisaracket.com/
Either way, he was “on of” the most decorated at least…
ugh…”one of the most…”
Mission Accomplised Indeed!
Bush was seen acting quite chipper earlier today after his aides told him that he had set a Presidential record. He was heard to shout “43 is #1!”
I guess Chesty’s five Navy Crosses trumps Butlers 2 MoHs.
Plus Chesty had a lot of other fruit salad to go with the Navy Crosses.
I think you’re right.
I really enjoyed that laugh. :)
Ah, my confusion came from the MoH being the highest award you can get, and that Butler was the most decorated at the time of his death. Either way, they’re all badasses!
I thought his primary business was Bain Consulting, which is not a hedge fund. Bain Consulting has a private equity business today (PE fund, not a hedge fund). To the best of my knowledge, they’re not implicated in anything too evil (other than being run by Mitt).
Hope it’s not thought off-topic to refer back to Arbusto at #8, and say if Obama keeps making speeches like he did today about jobs and economic recovery — a link to the whole speech is probably a few posts up at FDL or I just read it at TPM —
and if all of us can get off our butts to support him and get a better crop of media-critters and congress-critters going, who will actually work in the interest of the mass of Americans –
Obama is not going to be a one-term President, and who ever he endorses will have a pretty easy time in 2016.
I’ve had those same thoughts and hope they are correct. About the only way we won’t have to worry about Mittmo Romnutz taking over. “Religion requires freedom, and freedom requires religion.” I mean, WTF?!?!
Ian a few flights up
Mitt severed all connections to Bain Capital which he founded for the presidential campaign like Darth did with Haliburtron *wink*.
you left out the front runner, that’s gonna be palin, they actually believe she is viable
/me licks chops
To all who are worrying about the 2012 election:
Born 1932 to a Republican Family. First Memories: 1934 – my mother was literally running a soup kitchen. There was no money! There were no jobs!
There was a muted fear among family members, controlled before children. All were unemployed – four aunts, three uncles, my mother and father. All were in their late 40’s or early 50’s, plus my 90 year old grandmother.
Grandma was an immigrant, but the rest, American-borne. What we had we shared with every neighbor or itinerent that came to the door. There was an intense sense of community. Everyone in my home HATED Roosevelt. I was raised a Republican. Republicans were patriots. Democrats could do no good.
That mind-set lasted until Nixon. When the full extent of that administration was revealed, I became a Democrat. Those were no patriots, they were scoundrels.
I remember so much of the feelings that surrounded and bound us together from those early years. Why do people think that one will forget the sadness and scrimping? Even with the extent of the damage to each of our lives we rescued some family from Germany in 1938; we persevered during WWII with loss of family members, rationing, the draft. We had learned to dumpster dive (garbage picking, then) and count pennies. We picked ourselves up after the war and set about straightening out the mess. Throughout the whole period – 1932 to the 1950’s there was a Democratic administration. Then, Eisenhower was elected, though I don’t think he made much of a dramatic change, except to warn us of the Military-Industrial Complex. We didn’t listen.
I do not know if this election will change the administration or the current one will continue for a third term. I will take Eisenhower’s warning to heart, even though I would vote Democratic in any case. I hope that those of my contemporaries, whether they be North or South, will remember the years of struggle attempting to save the country and put it back together. I hope they, too, will vote for the Democratic Party This year and for many years to come.
I hope that the memory of this experience will last forever for those who experience it and that they will teach their children who may be too young to understand that there is a reason to be a Democrat.
I also think that if we can do one thing well, then we can progress to the next step. First, win the election! Let 2012 come in it’s own good time. Let the Republicans try to dither their way out of the mess they’ve created. They can’t do it now, and I doubt that in 2012 they can do it either. Memory remains.
Absolutely! They’ve abandoned all hope for this election cycle and are already maneuvering to cut their losses and try to build back up come 2012 (or later – they may have already blown the chance of getting anything back in Congress in 2010, nor are they likely to regain the White House in 2012.)
The smoking gun came with the story that the Repugs had prepared an attack ad in case the first ‘bailout bill’ passed, pinning that passage on the Democrats in congress. Imagine that – attacking the opposition for supporting a bill proposed by the (disgraced) Republican president, the (disreputable) Secretary of Finance, and even their own candidate, who purportedly suspended his campaign to push for the bill’s passage. The story was on Countdown, Sept. 30.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22…..7#26963597
If that isn’t the party throwing McCain under the bus, I don’t know nothing about buses.
If Obama is seen as working hard, and being at least somewhat effective at improving people’s lives, the Republicans are going to have a devil of a time running against him. Digby thinks they’re going to nominate David Petraus, but Obama may be canny enough to work with Petraus to the extent that he doesn’t want to run. If I were Romney or Huckabee, I’d start thinking about how to make sure the Republican debates include follow-up questions to take care of Palin. The guy to watch is Bobby Jindal, but he may simply decide he doesn’t want to challenge Obama. Pence is an intriguing choice I hadn’t thought of before–if he can get past the Lamar-Alexander-too-boring problem, he might make the GOP primary a real race.