MyDD :: McGaffe Strikes Again!

McGaffe Strikes Again!

by hootie4170, Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 06:57:16 PM EST

As it is playing out it seems Johnny McGaffe cannot go more than a few days without sticking his foot in his mouth. This time on the missile tests performed by the Iranian National Guard.

In one of his latest "Greatst Gaffes" the 71 year old Senator from Arizona tooted his own horn by claiming that he had voted to "condemn" the Iranian National Guard as a terrorist organization and then went on to slam Obama for refusing to vote.

"This is the same organization that I voted to condemn as a terrorist organization when an amendment was on the floor of the United States Senate. Senator Obama refused to vote."

Open mouth insert foot...Again! According to voting records Mr. McGaffe also missed the vote on the Kyl-Liebermann Act...Whoops..

The problem with the critique? McCain also missed that vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment on September 26, 2007. Records show that Obama was in New Hampshire and McCain was in New York instead of being in the Senate chamber for the vote in question.

The gift that just keeps on giving....

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/200 8/07/10/mccain-misfires-on-obama-attack/

Tags: McCain, Obama, Iran, missles, Irainian National Guard (all tags)

Permalink :: 27 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (2.00 / 3)

THE DEBATES...

Is there a slaughter rule, like in softball?

So, after 15 McCain gaffes, Tom Brokaw calls it for Obama in the 6th inning?

I only hope there isn't some massive sympathy thing after Obama slices him into 10,000 pieces.

Our long national nightmare is over...in 17 days!

by WashStateBlue on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 07:02:35 PM EST

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

We need special rules that's for sure. Ha ha

by Politicalslave on Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 02:15:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (2.00 / 2)

along the same line..via our friends at AmericaBlog

http://www.americablog.com/2008/07/on-di sparity-between-viagra-v-birth.html

"harlequin speech of suicide, demanding instantaneous lobotomy"

by nogo postal on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 07:04:48 PM EST

Can we put up a tally board (2.00 / 3)

on MyDD counting the "gaffes"? :)

Washington Woman

Progressive Blue

by kevin22262 on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 07:16:30 PM EST

Re: Can we put up a tally board (2.00 / 2)

Just thinking the same thing, I have a really hard time remembering them, being that there are so many.

by KLRinLA on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 07:49:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Can we put up a tally board (none / 0)

We can't do that it would bring down the site. Ha Ha

by Politicalslave on Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 02:17:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (2.00 / 1)

That's like those videos posted on the front page where McCain claimed that he had a 100 percent rating from the DAV and other veterans's groups.
Right:

2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 20 percent in 2006.

2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a grade of D.

2006 Senator McCain sponsored or co-sponsored 18 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.

2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 25 percent in 2005.

2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004

The Vietnam Veterans of America says he has voted against them 15 times since 2000.

"Who are you for? That is the wrong question. It should be who is for you?" HRC

by skohayes on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 08:06:29 PM EST

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (2.00 / 1)

Rachel Maddow led off Countdown with a segment on Gramm's gaffe. She also covered the viagra/birth control gaffe. I was cooking dinner so I didn't see if she covered any of the other recent ones. Of course, CNN and Faux were focusing on the Jackson comments. I flipped to Bill O for a second and he and Laura Ingram were discussing race. I wanted to keep watching for the sheer comedy of such a thing, but the oven timer went off so I had to go back to the kitchen.

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." Samuel Johnson

by MS01 Indie on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 08:50:10 PM EST

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (2.00 / 1)

Huffington Post has a nice list of the McCain's screw-ups just this week, and its pretty substantial.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-bergma nn/the-week-that-should-have_b_111983.ht ml

And, that doesn't even include the gaffe you describe in this diary. Neither does it include the viagra story nor this new story being reported about McCain changing his POW story to pander to Pennsylvanians. Basically, McCain told a local paper in Pittsburg, after going on and on about how important the Steelers were to him, that he gave his captors the names of the Steelers' starting lineup in order to avoid further torture; however, in multiple previous accounts, he said that he had given names from the Green Bay Packers. The McCain camp is calling it an honest mistake, but I don't really find that believable. Anyway, here's the story.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/ 2008/07/in-pennsylvania.html

by DPW on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 08:59:28 PM EST

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

The POW thing is a really lame gotcha, even lamer than that time Obama messed up the name of the concentration camp.

With all these other gaffes to focus on, I hope folks are smarter than to focus on whether McCain messed up the name of the football team in a story that makes him look really heroic and that we probably don't want people to hear about. Let's say he changed the name of the team on purpose just to pander. Okay, the gotcha is still lame and we still don't want to focus attention on that story.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 09:38:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

In this case, the pandering is crystal clear to anyone. That goes against the 'straight-talker' image McCain has tried to create.

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." Samuel Johnson

by MS01 Indie on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 09:41:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (2.00 / 1)

There are a million pieces of evidence that cut against the straight-talker image and DON'T require us to repeat a story about how McCain was heroic as a POW.

Furthermore, I think most people - certainly most people who aren't predisposed to think of McCain as a liar - would have no trouble buying the "honest mistake" defense.

"Oh no, he was in Pittsburgh, and he changed a story to be about Pittsburgh!" Worst gotcha ever.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 09:44:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

here are a million pieces of evidence that cut against the straight-talker image and DON'T require us to repeat a story about how McCain was heroic as a POW.

That's a good point, but then again, it's not like his POW history would go away if we don't talk about it. It's better that we not run from it when he blatantly uses it for political gain.

Changing the team in the story to reflect the city you're in doesn't exactly seem like an innocent mistake.

by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 10:40:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (2.00 / 1)

What, you think that if we don't call him on it, he will be emboldened to do the same thing in the next city? Tell you what, if he does it in 4 or 5 cities, that will be about the right time to make a point of it. Right now, there is very little we could do that would be stupider than trying to play gotcha with minor details of McCain's heroic POW experience.

I assure you that it would seem like a totally innocent mistake to most people, especially considering that McCain flubs stuff all the time. For every person who might go "OMG McCain is such a panderer" there will be two who would be offended that we would even go there. Just let it go.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 10:52:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

Just let it go.

No way...I'm going to use my allotted time on Hardball, Countdown, the Situation Room, Race to the White House and Verdict to hammer this point home. You won't stop me.

by Johnny Gentle Famous Crooner on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 11:04:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

Give Pat Buchanan the "stink palm" for me, if you don't mind. (this is only funny if you've seen Mallrats, and even then you might now find it funny.)

by DPW on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 11:11:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

"now" should instead be "not"

by DPW on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 11:16:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

I agree that we would be foolish to try to capitalize on it. But, I do think it's an embarassing story nonetheless.

Similarly, I think that we should pick our battles carefully, in general. Since Obama is currently leading, there's no need for desparate pouncing on every story. Just focus on stories with legs and stories that reinforce consistent and effective narratives (McCain's policies just represent incoherent pandering; McCain is economically dense and out of touch; McCain=Bush, etc.)However, I think there needs to be some additional pressure on the media in general to cover McCain more critically and fairly. I certainly don't need to tell you this, but the media's pattern of forgiveness toward McCain is pathetic. Think Progress offered this sad reminder today:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/07/10/mcca in-regular-guy/

by DPW on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 10:45:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

I thought McCain's joke about Belarus was pretty darn funny. I have no idea why Think Progress feels like it was a horrible thing to say, but whatever, some of that other stuff is pretty sick stuff from the media.

Keep in mind that we just lost two elections to a guy who can't put a sentence together or say "nuclear." There is a certain sympathy factor that will come into play if we keep picking on the old guy. Rather, I agree with your suggestion that we should focus on the meaningful stuff, the stuff that shows he literally doesn't have a clue about policy.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 10:56:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

Yeah, here in South Carolina, well-structured sentences are actually frowned upon. And, I definitely think our endless attacks on Bush's intelligence and integrity in 2004 generated some sympathy for the guy. However, the good news is that Bush's stupidity just goes without saying now, so all we have to do this year is say that McCain plans to maintin Bush's vision of governance. Accordingly, we are able to trash a McCain presidency without resorting to so much personal insult.

by DPW on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 11:09:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

Oh, and while I too found the Belarus comment funny, I don't think the media should have just let that answer stand. It really didn't answer the question, or maybe it did. But, I thought that press conference could have been a bit more informative. For instance, McCain also completely dodged the question regarding his own past statements about the psychological nature of our present economic conditions.

by DPW on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 11:16:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

Yes, I noticed that too, he just gave some speech about Obama's energy policy and brought it around to Iran, of all places. Like a Bush press conference, there are all these good questions utterly ruined by lack of a follow-up.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 11:20:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

The problem is that he learned from Bush that people can just make shit up and never get called on it, or if they do get called, then only a fractoin of the original audience will ever learn of the correction.

by rfahey22 on Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 11:19:58 PM EST

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

I had my Composition class read Machiavelli recently, and let's just say McCain and Bush would both have done pretty well in 16th Century Italy. Cheney too, obviously.

by ProgressiveDL on Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 12:05:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: McGaffe Strikes Again! (none / 0)

When I think of the "bad week" Obama is having, I keep returning to the advice that it's better to take all of the bad things you plan on doing and doing them at once, and taking all the good things you plan to do and spreading them out.

by MeganLocke on Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 04:01:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

McCain is clearly on the doorstep (none / 0)

of senility.

No wonder why he restricted access to his medical records.

by highgrade on Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 12:02:13 AM EST

Re: McCain is clearly on the doorstep (none / 0)

As much as it's hard not to read the "senility" thing as a joke, I think it's actually becoming true. Maybe not quite senile yet, but certainly very forgetful. Add that to the fact that he's meanspirited and an outright liar, and you have the makings of an awful leader.

by ProgressiveDL on Fri Jul 11, 2008 at 12:06:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.