Gruesome Twosome – Senators McCain and Liebermann

MEET THE PRESS was unable to snag new congressional leadership, Representative Pelosi or Senator Reid, for its Sunday talk show; instead, the public got Senators McCain and Liebermann. Both senators are known as 15 minute senators by TV talk show producers who believe the Senators eagerly will interrupt their schedule, with just 15 minutes notice, for a TV appearance. I was prepared to switch the channel to Looney Tunes, but out of habit stayed tuned anyway; both blowhards at the same time was a kinda historical event, and host Tim Russet usually asks well researched hardball questions.

For the two Senators of mediocre talent to be chasing TV gigs, however, seems to work well in their self promotion. They are both national level figures propelled by cynical media attention, that is always desperate to schedule talking heads of any quality – both senators have successfully gamed the system.

Despite polls to the contrary, it is beyond me how McCain can be taken as a serious presidential candidate in the Republican Party. His military record does not merit it. Sure he was a prisoner of war for nearly six years, beaten and starved and his sacrifice should be appreciated by the American people; his physical and mental heath has to be marked by the experience. While a POW, he signed an air piracy confession for the Communist Vietnamese; he was a prime target for the Vietnamese to break and they succeeded. His father was a naval admiral in charge of the Pacific fleet (CINCPACFLT) at the time, so his capture was considered a propaganda prize. The Vietnamese even built a monument to his capture that still stands outside Hanoi on the Lake of Tranquillity where he was shot down. When offered an early release by his captors, he refused to accept; nothing heroic about that as this is expected in the military code of honor; you do not step to the head of the line to end the suffering even if your daddy is an admiral. McCain understood that. McCain has regretted signing the air piracy statement, but the US Presidency is not the Oprah Winfrey show where salvation comes by saying I am sorry. At the time of McCain’s captivity, Admiral Stockdale was also detained by the Vietnamese. He was the senior US officer in captivity and was beaten unmercifully. He never broke and was awarded the Medal of Honor. Ross Perot selected him as his vice presidential candidate as recognition for a real hero. Stockdale was so battered by his incarceration, he could barely speak. This was witnessed on national TV in the vice presidential debates where Stockdale, bewildered, confessed: "What am I doing here?" Same question for McCain should be asked. What is he doing running for President of the US?

McCain's record as a politician can be characterized as more opportunistic than most. His terms in office are marked by problems. First the Keating Five Scandal and then was crushed by GW Bush in the Republican primaries in 2000. Bush operatives kept shouting at his campaign stops in the Carolinas: “John, put your hands in the air.” The Vietnamese monument depicts in stone a stylized McCain on his knees with his hands in the air. Bush operatives compared McCain's genuine military service to that of the draft dodging GW Bush; now that took hubris. McCain has flip flopped on the his courtship of the religious right. His much ballyhooed campaign reform bill was much ado about nothing. He wants open borders and amnesty for illegal aliens. He has problems supporting ethanol as an alternate fuel, a stand which smells of big oil connections. He loves the Iraq war; his position is to send more troops right now. By most standards he is in the neocon/pro Israeli bag, and he worked hard for the Republicans and Bush in the last campaign. Made over 300 campaign stops crisscrossing the country with no impact. Using Republican talking points, he took the time to stab his old pal Senator Kerry in the back when Kerry recently miscued with his whacko nuances on the Iraq war. Time to give it up John, just fade away. Even his fellow Arizonian, Barry Goldwater, who understood him more than the American public, would not talk to him while he was alive.

Senator Joe Liebermann has reached his pinnacle of power now as the Republican Trojan Horse in the Senate. Has designated himself as an Independent Democrat, even though 70% of the Republicans in Connecticut elected him to the US Senate. Previously, he rose to national attention as Gore's Vice Presidential running mate; he was a drag on the ticket – a deadly bore who fell apart against Cheney in the debates; Cheney wiped the floor with him. Joe is a belt and suspenders guy, and he would not give up his senate seat even when he ran for VEEP. Once beaten in the recent Connecticut Democratic primary, rather than accept party discipline, he switched parties and was elected. Like his biblical counterpart Joseph, Joe has a coat of many colors. He is a non-secular devout Jew; pro Israeli to the core. I wonder if he can keep his priorities straight as he will caucus with the Democrats, and head the powerful Homeland Security Committee in the Senate. Hope we do not hear him say: "What is good for Israel is good for the USA”. He wants the US to stay the course in Iraq – so does Israel. He has leverage with the Democratic Senate because, if he changes parties, the Democrats loose control. Mark my words, he will change parties if he sees an advantage. At this stage he owes the Republicans more than the Democrats, but loyalty is not his strong suit, so the Democrats may hold on to his slippery soul.

Both McCain and Liebermann are cookies laced with arsenic when it comes to ending the Iraq war. People of Arizona and Connecticut voted them into power. Do you think these people would also vote to commit their State National Guards to be nationalized for the duration of the Iraq war while the US pursues victory or success? Or for standing up Iraq security forces, or for democracy in Iraq, or until the shrimps begin to whistle, or, whatever? Doubt it. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA RET