The Rhetoric of McCain

[Singularity]

OK, full disclosure time. One of the reasons I'm so interested in following McCain and being honest about him is because I'll be following his rhetoric for the next four months as part of a class. Now if you discount the BS Lipstick on a Pig attack, here's what he has going for him in terms of his accomplishments in the senate.

- He helped push through a bill that made it possible for satellite TV companies to show local channels. Before the bill, it was not allowed. His rationale was that it would introduce competition to cable companies and would help American consumers. I would say that this was a success. In fact, it's a success that I'm directly benefiting from. The price for Time/Warner cable locally is about $55. The price for a slightly better Dishnet package is $35. Cable was ripping people off, and as a result, this area is about 30% Dish customers now. If there's a downside here, it's that the owner of Dishnet happens to be one of his friends.

- He told the Bog Tobacco lobby not to bother him, he wasn't going to accept their donations under any circumstances.

- He believes that human activities contribute to global warming. He's against ANWR (which is actually a surprise to me).

- He supports offshore drilling instead of biofuel. On the subject of biofuel, I was reading an article in TIME today that stated that it is one of the least friendly forms of fuel to the environment. The biofuel that we're using in this country is made from corn, most of which is being grown in what used to be rain forest. In fact, they're demolishing rain forest to make room for corn. So they're taking one area that stores carbon rather well and replacing it with a crop that doesn't hardly store it at all. Burning biofuel causes just as much CO2 as oil. Worse still, it isn't a very efficient use of land - you could give a man enough corn to feed him for a year, or you could fill the tank of an SUV once. Finally, because so much corn is being used to make fuel, the price of corn has gone up - now people are growing less soy so they can make more on corn, which causes a soy shortage. The end result is a massive hike in the price of corn and soy, and as a result, the world's hungry are now short of food. Bio fuel is not the answer, but it's popular because of all the bio fuel refineries that are creating jobs in Iowa. The only crop that can make fuel efficiently enough for our needs, with reasonable land consumption is sugar cane, and right now, we aren't doing that for some reason.

He also supports new nuke plants, which I also support, because they are a good source of cheap energy. Just build the damn things safe, because we really don't want them melting down.

- He doesn't want to pull out of Iraq until the job is done. I agree with that position. We broke it, we bought it. Also, the troop surge, which he helped push through, has been very effective in dealing with the violence over there.

- On the issue of the economy, his message seems kind of murky. I don't think either candidate has given us enough information to show how they can really change it. Honestly, I think the economy is a lot like the weather - anyone who claims they can change it is little more than a rain dancer, making people believe that their little dance and shaking of the rain stick is actually causing it to rain - nevermind the fact that it has been clouding up for days....

- Foreign policy, McCain definitely has buttload more experience than Obama or Palin. I also believe him when he says that he would work to exercise all diplomatic options before going to war. That's a hell of a lot better than the BS we got from Chicke-hawk in chief Bush.

- Public Service - no contest, McCain wins. No need to reiterate his war stories.

[Harry]

- Public Service - no contest, McCain wins. No need to reiterate his war stories.

I get really tired of that. You know, there are tons of war vets out there. There are still POWs from WWII alive and well. Going to war doesn't "win" the public service contest for me. Fwiw, while I know there are thousands upon thousands of war vets out there who are great men and women, smart and on top of it, capable of setting the world on fire, in my little slice of the world most people who wear their military service on their sleeves and expect something back for it are the janitors, the deli clerks, or the homeless guys I kick off the parking lot.

[Singularity]

I get really tired of that. You know, there are tons of war vets out there. There are still POWs from WWII alive and well. Going to war doesn't "win" the public service contest for me. Fwiw, while I know there are thousands upon thousands of war vets out there who are great men and women, smart and on top of it, capable of setting the world on fire, in my little slice of the world most people who wear their military service on their sleeves and expect something back for it are the janitors, the deli clerks, or the homeless guys I kick off the parking lot.

Sure, but his public service after he came home from war, you know, the whole 30 years of it, counts for just a little here. But anyway, like I said, no need to reiterate his war stories. He's hyped those enough himself.

[Random Encounter]

OK, full disclosure time. One of the reasons I'm so interested in following McCain and being honest about him is because I'll be following his rhetoric for the next four months as part of a class. Now if you discount the BS Lipstick on a Pig attack, here's what he has going for him in terms of his accomplishments in the senate.

- He helped push through a bill that made it possible for satellite TV companies to show local channels. Before the bill, it was not allowed. His rationale was that it would introduce competition to cable companies and would help American consumers. I would say that this was a success. In fact, it's a success that I'm directly benefiting from. The price for Time/Warner cable locally is about $55. The price for a slightly better Dishnet package is $35. Cable was ripping people off, and as a result, this area is about 30% Dish customers now. If there's a downside here, it's that the owner of Dishnet happens to be one of his friends.

- He told the Bog Tobacco lobby not to bother him, he wasn't going to accept their donations under any circumstances.

- He believes that human activities contribute to global warming. He's against ANWR (which is actually a surprise to me).

- He supports offshore drilling instead of biofuel. On the subject of biofuel, I was reading an article in TIME today that stated that it is one of the least friendly forms of fuel to the environment. The biofuel that we're using in this country is made from corn, most of which is being grown in what used to be rain forest. In fact, they're demolishing rain forest to make room for corn. So they're taking one area that stores carbon rather well and replacing it with a crop that doesn't hardly store it at all. Burning biofuel causes just as much CO2 as oil. Worse still, it isn't a very efficient use of land - you could give a man enough corn to feed him for a year, or you could fill the tank of an SUV once. Finally, because so much corn is being used to make fuel, the price of corn has gone up - now people are growing less soy so they can make more on corn, which causes a soy shortage. The end result is a massive hike in the price of corn and soy, and as a result, the world's hungry are now short of food. Bio fuel is not the answer, but it's popular because of all the bio fuel refineries that are creating jobs in Iowa. The only crop that can make fuel efficiently enough for our needs, with reasonable land consumption is sugar cane, and right now, we aren't doing that for some reason.

He also supports new nuke plants, which I also support, because they are a good source of cheap energy. Just build the damn things safe, because we really don't want them melting down.

- He doesn't want to pull out of Iraq until the job is done. I agree with that position. We broke it, we bought it. Also, the troop surge, which he helped push through, has been very effective in dealing with the violence over there.

- On the issue of the economy, his message seems kind of murky. I don't think either candidate has given us enough information to show how they can really change it. Honestly, I think the economy is a lot like the weather - anyone who claims they can change it is little more than a rain dancer, making people believe that their little dance and shaking of the rain stick is actually causing it to rain - nevermind the fact that it has been clouding up for days....

- Foreign policy, McCain definitely has buttload more experience than Obama or Palin. I also believe him when he says that he would work to exercise all diplomatic options before going to war. That's a hell of a lot better than the BS we got from Chicke-hawk in chief Bush.

- Public Service - no contest, McCain wins. No need to reiterate his war stories.

Nice information. I did not know most of this.
And when this election season started I said that McCain and Obama would have to fight for my vote because I liked them both, for different reasons.
But McCain disappointed me when he picked Palin as his VP. Her views are the polar opposite of what I think and feel America is all about and I would never cast a vote that would bring her closer to the power she craves and scrapes for.
That, and while McCain can be sensible and is experienced enough to not make the blunders on the world stage that our current monkey-in-chief has, he will be viewed by the nations of the world with suspicion at best and as a continuation of the Bush presidency at worst.
On the other hand Obama is charismatic and even as a senator traveled enough to lay the groundwork for some pro-American sentiment in parts of the world that currently wish we would just disappear or collapse under our own ego. I agree that we can't pick our leaders based solely on what the rest of the world wants but if the U.S. wants to keep being a world leader we need to start acting like it and developing actual relations with the rest of the world again instead of acting like we can just do whatever we want because we're bigger than everyone.

It's totally unfair to McCain, who is probably very sensible and would make a fine president in any other global political climate, but perception means more than we like to give it credit for and McCain would not be accepted as a change in American foreign policy by the rest of the world the way Obama would be. We need allies that are on our side because they like us, not because their government fears us (coughPakistancough). Barring that I would settle for people of nations we consider allies not actively hating us.

[obryn]

I was happy to have a choice between McCain and Obama. But ever since then, all the stuff with which I agree with McCain?

He's more or less systematically dismantled it bit by bit during the campaign.

-O

[Name Lips]

I was happy to have a choice between McCain and Obama. But ever since then, all the stuff with which I agree with McCain?

He's more or less systematically dismantled it bit by bit during the campaign.

-O

He realized that if he stuck to his ideals, he didn't have a chance in hell of winning. Ever since he started rolling in the mud and using the same old Republican talking points, he's been shooting up in the polls.

If he wins, I hope he turns back into the old McCain again.

[Utrecht]

I was happy to have a choice between McCain and Obama. But ever since then, all the stuff with which I agree with McCain?

He's more or less systematically dismantled it bit by bit during the campaign.

-O


Obryn,

I agree - in fact I blame him more for taking this election away from issues - and it has gotten especially bad in the past week or so (I am hoping that there is a backlash against it and that he gets back to debating issues).

I am sliding back into voting libertarian again.

[Singularity]

I hope he says something worthwhile today. I'd hate to have to do my paper for Monday on that stupid lipstick on a pig ad.

[obryn]

He realized that if he stuck to his ideals, he didn't have a chance in hell of winning. Ever since he started rolling in the mud and using the same old Republican talking points, he's been shooting up in the polls.

If he wins, I hope he turns back into the old McCain again.
I hope so too, but I have serious doubts at this point. He started swinging way right of center all through the campaign. I respected him for his relatively moderate stands on abortion and his disdain for the Christian Right, as well as his general civility and cool appearances on the Daily Show. :)

But between promising the world to social conservatives through the latter half of the primaries, and the latest rounds of Rovian politics, I don't really like him as a candidate anymore.

Obryn,

I agree - in fact I blame him more for taking this election away from issues - and it has gotten especially bad in the past week or so (I am hoping that there is a backlash against it and that he gets back to debating issues).

I am sliding back into voting libertarian again.
I hope he gets back to the issues, too. And I hope he goes back to being the 'maverick' he claims to be - one who has his own mind, and who doesn't just tow the party line. Maybe we'll see it in the debates, but unless it's tempered with a change in his campaign strategy, I won't much care...

-O

[FeatsofClay]

- He told the Bog Tobacco lobby not to bother him, he wasn't going to accept their donations under any circumstances.

He has been at tbacco's throat for over a decade.

- He believes that human activities contribute to global warming. He's against ANWR (which is actually a surprise to me).

Opposed, but believes in leaving it to the states. AND says he might change his mind.-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19wRs4xLLpw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh-zsuZyx-w&feature=related


- He supports offshore drilling instead of biofuel.

He says he finds biofuels very important.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KazdKO1IHlg&NR=1

and says he is pleased to see ethanol plants springin up all around the country. And supports sugarcane and switchgrass as well-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhf76Z1Pl7g

[Merganser]

If he wins, I hope he turns back into the old McCain again.

If McCain wins, I hope he renames the Straight Talk Express into the Fuck You Bastards Express and drives it right up the asses of all the Republicans and assorted fuckfaced knuckleheads who fucked him over in 2000.

Have him appoint Obama to be secretary of state, don't let Palin do shit except preside over the Senate, and make Lincoln Chafee secretary of defense.

Make Pat Leahy the attorney general, too. God the wailing and gnashing all that would create...

[FeatsofClay]

Have him appoint Obama to be secretary of state, don't let Palin do shit except preside over the Senate, and make Lincoln Chafee secretary of defense.



Chafee is an Obama supporter who just called Palin a "Cocky Wacko". http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CHAFEE_PALIN?SITE=AP I ain't seeing his chair being labelled. :)

[Alpha Ralpha]

I was happy to have a choice between McCain and Obama. But ever since then, all the stuff with which I agree with McCain?

He's more or less systematically dismantled it bit by bit during the campaign.

-O

They both have done this ... Obama's "Hope, Change" theme was gone with the wind as soon as he secured the nomination and the DNC got behind him. (The Clinton's have one REALLY long shit list as a result of all the bandwagon jumpers, and they intend to pay them back, mark my words) I liked Obama until the underhanded bullshit about NAFTA, while sending envoys to the Canadians telling them not to worry, came out. But he became just another cog in the machine, whatever he sounded his base on.

[FeatsofClay]

76 flip-flops. Each cited at the site-
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/flipflops

Jukebox John keeps changing his tune

It’s obvious that the McCain campaign and the RNC have decided to go after Barack Obama as a flip-flopper. What’s equally obvious, though, that Republicans couldn’t have chosen a worse narrative.

McCain & Co. seemed to stumble on this line of attack almost by accident. They’d experimented with a variety of memes in recent months, none of which had any real salience. The right settled on “flip-flopper,” in large part because it’s the closest available, already-written Republican narrative, and in part because McCain staffers haven’t been able to think of anything else.

The irony, of course, is that the McCain campaign couldn’t have picked a more hypocritical line of attack. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of reversals from the Republican nominee, numbered and organized by category for easier reference.

Remember, McCain recently said, “This election is about trust and trusting people’s word.” Just a few days prior, the McCain campaign admonished Obama for trying to “have it both ways” on issues.

I should note that there’s nothing offensive about a political figure changing his or her mind once in a while. Policy makers come to one conclusion, they gain more information, and then they reach a different conclusion. That is, to be sure, a good thing — it reflects a politician with an open mind and a healthy intellectual curiosity. Better to have a leader who changes his or her mind based on new information than one who stubbornly sticks to outmoded policy positions, regardless of facts or circumstances.

So why do McCain’s flip-flops matter? Because all available evidence suggests his reversals aren’t sincere, they’re cynically calculated for political gain. This isn’t indicative of an open mind; it’s actually indicative of a character flaw. And given the premise of McCain’s presidential campaign, it’s an area in desperate need of scrutiny.

The perception people have of McCain is outdated, reflective of a man who no longer has any use for his previous persona. What’s wrong with a politician who changes his or her views? Nothing in particular, but when a politician changes his views so much that he has an entirely different worldview, is it unreasonable to wonder whether it’s entirely sincere? Especially when there’s no other apparent explanation for six dozen significant reversals?

McCain has been in Congress for more than a quarter-century; he’s bound to shift now and then on various controversies. But therein lies the point — McCain was consistent on most of these issues, right up until he started running for president, at which point he conveniently abandoned literally dozens of positions he used to hold. The problem isn’t just the incessant flip-flops — though that’s part of it — it’s more about the shameless pandering and hollow convictions behind the incessant flip-flops. That the media still perceives McCain as some kind of “straight talker” who refuses to sway with the political winds makes this all the more glaring.

Here’s the list.

National Security Policy

1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.

2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite.

3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”

4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.

6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion.

Foreign Policy

7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. Now, he’s for it again.

8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.

9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.

10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.

11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.

12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.

13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.

Military Policy

14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”

15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.

16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he was for it.

17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”

18. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.

19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.

20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”

Domestic Policy

21. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)

22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase in the payroll tax, McCain said there’s “nothing that’s off the table.”

23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.

24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.

25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.

26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.

27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.

28. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.

29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.

30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.

31. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.

32. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.

34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he’d rather let orphans go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after, McCain reversed back.

35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women, and endorsed the Supreme Court’s Ledbetter decision. In July, however, McCain said, “I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That … is my record and you can count on it.”

36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before he was for it.

37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.

38. McCain said the Colorado River compact will “obviously” need to be “renegotiated.” Six days later, McCain said, “Let me be clear that I do not advocate renegotiation of the compact.”

Economic Policy

39. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.

40. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics.

41. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.

42. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.

43. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.

44. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”

45. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.

46. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.

47. McCain was against massive government bailouts of “big banks” that “act irresponsibly.” He then announced his support for a massive government bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Energy Policy

48. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it.

49. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.

50. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.

51. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.

52. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.

53. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was against them.

Immigration Policy

54. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. In 2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched back.

55. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.

56. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”

Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law

57. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.

58. McCain’s position was that the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.

59. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.

60. In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and thought Obama’s reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.

61. In June, McCain described the Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush was “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” In August, he reversed course.

Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform

62. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.

63. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.

64. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.

65. In May 2008, McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his campaign. In July 2008, his campaign reversed course and said lobbyists could work for his campaign.

Politics and Associations

66. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)

67. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.

68. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.

69. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.

70. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.

71. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

72. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

73. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

74. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.

75. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign countries before he was against it.

76. McCain has been both for and against considering a pro-choice running mate for the Republican presidential ticket.