Yikes.

This is what a Republican -- George Will -- has to say about John McCain:

Although his campaign is run by lobbyists; and although his dealings with lobbyists have generated what he, when judging the behavior of others, calls corrupt appearances; and although he has profited from his manipulation of the taxpayer-funding system that is celebrated by reformers — still, he probably is innocent of insincerity. Such is his towering moral vanity, he seems sincerely to consider it theoretically impossible for him to commit the offenses of appearances that he incessantly ascribes to others.

And that ain't the half of it.

Campaign finance and its reform are a labyrinthine topic, but even if you can't follow all the twists and turns of Will's story, you will not come out of the labyrinth with your admiration for the war hero undamaged.

H/T: Icepick, who adds the coup de grace:

He's got all of Nixon's faults and none of his virtues, plus he's every bit as desperate for attention as Bill Clinton.

Yikes!

Comments

[karen]

Well, this is what we've got now. So many, many RWfolks feel this way about McCain. I just don't see any other way out other than to vote for him. I personally don't feel this way, but i'm not that "educated" when it comes to aaalll the issues.

[karen]

Icepick-- you say you will never vote for McCain. I say i'll never vote for abortion rights. Either you vote BOb or not at all-- i'll never vote BOb, but will not give up my right to vote.

I suppose it could be worse: like, we could live anywhere else in the world where the biggest problem we had was staying alive, say- or finding something to eat for the 1st time in 2 days-- or watching our kids die at the hands of enemies-- or enraged, self-righteous (male)family members.

God bless the USA.

[Icepick]

Karen, I'm not giving up my right to vote, but I probably won't use it in the Presidential election this fall. I'm not going to vote for the Republican candidate just because he's a Republican, nor am I going to vote for him because he's (allegedly) less terrible for the other guy.

[Icepick]

Also, I TOLD you I was unhinged about McCain!

Will's been hard on McCain this cycle. He had this column attacking McCain's "straight talk" a few weeks back, and this column that asks some rather hard foreign policy questions of McCain. (Michael Reynolds would like the second column, I think, as it asks hard questions about the President's constitutional authority.)

[karen]

And the appointments of new SCOTUS Justices(which may be redundancy on my part)?

I don't blame you for not votiong-- you're right, you aren't giving up your right-- just not excercising the right. Have you ever been to MOltenThought? You seem a lot like him when it comes to Conservativism(not a bad thing, to me).

I'm just not that tough, i guess. I can't seem to sacrifice appts of lifelong judges to smite McCain. If smite is a wrong choice of words, i apologize-- not reward. Not acknowledge his bid for Presidency.

[Icepick]

Smite's not a bad choice of word, although not the one I would choose. And there's really no need to apologize.

No, I've not been to MoltenThought. I've actually been trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid politics as much as possible recently - it's more depressing than usual, from my perspective.

As for the lifetime appointment of judges, I don't get the big deal. McCain is likely to appoint judges who agree with him (that's kind of the point), and there is no way he's going to choose people like Alito or Roberts. Those two have voted to overturn aspects of law that McCain is responsible for, after all.

[karen]

MoltenThought isn't just about politics-- and the wit there is as sharp as a knife.

I think you'd appreciate the forwardness and crisp edges of it.

I'll pray you have a change of heart about the vote-- i know it's best not to pressure. i am saddened by this cycle of politics, for sure.

[Spud]

Well, this is what we've got now. So many, many RWfolks feel this way about McCain. I just don't see any other way out other than to vote for him. I personally don't feel this way,

Karen, remember the abortion issue is sufficient for your conservatism, but others put the immigration right up there with it, which goes against your much admired GWB.

It's been a joy to see the right wing fringe unhinged, like Limbaugh endorsing Hillary. I think this is the year America will find it's political center. And it won't be right wing conservatism. There's reason independents are voting democrat heavily. The nation is sick of republicans. Sorry.

[karen]

:0)- i kinda like the thought of Ann Coulter campaigning for Hillary, too. I wonder if she knew that BObama was going to hedge out the Hill? It isn't over yet, though.

Sick of Republicans? That's "projection", spudly:0).