McCain: 'What we did was perfectly legal and appropriate'

[sabra]

Source: CNN

(CNN) — Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, didn't waste a lot of verbiage reacting to the New York Times report on his use of a private jet belonging to his wife's company for campaign trips — at less cost than normal charter flights

At a news conference in Coral Gables, Florida, McCain used just eight words to respond to a reporter's question before moving on. "What we did was perfectly legal and appropriate," McCain said. The Arizona senator didn't answer the part of the reporter's question about whether the use of plane contradicted McCain's stance on campaign finance reform.

There is nothing illegal about what McCain did. Under a law which McCain supported, presidential candidates are now required to pay charter rates rather than just less expensive commercial first class rates when they use corporate jets. But under an FEC exemption, candidates don't have TO reimburse full costs if the plane is owned BY a candidate, a candidate's family, or by a privately held company controlled by a candidate or a candidate's family member. (The FEC has tried to end the family exemption, but didn't have enough sitting commissioners to change the rule, according to the Times report.)

The Times story said McCain used the jet over a 7-month period starting last summer, mostly for campaign trips. The campaign paid $241,149 for the trips.far less than the cost for normal charter trips.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/28/mccain-what-we-did-was-perfectly-legal-and-appropriate/

[Supersedeas]

1. meanwhile on Television, the free-ride continues

[OwnedByFerrets]

2. The illegality isn't the question....

the proper question is "How can you preach to Barack about being elitist, while riding around in ONE of your family jets?"

[Better Believe It]

3. Delete

[rasputin1952]

4. McCain is about 'elitist' as they come...

Son and Grandson of prominent Admirals, he got into the USNA, not on merit, but on family affiliations.

After he crashed several jets, he was shot out of the sky and spent years in th "Hanoi hilton", where he was offered a sweet deal for a POW, (he didn't take the deal), but everything about him has nothing to do with personal achievement, it has all been based on family and friends who have paved the way for him...precisely what an "elitist" does.

The man is a complete fraud.

[Igel]

5. It makes him a member of the elite.

Which is different from being an elitist.

One's a state, having some attribute. The other's a belief, the belief that having that attribute not only qualifies, but entitles you, to rule (or have some authority).

My aunt was lower middle-class. She wasn't elite, in any meaningful sense of the word. But she was certainly elitist.

Most politicians are too self-centeredly arrogant to be proper elitists. Their belief in their inherent right to rule isn't based on their money, intellect, or other attributes, inherent or acquired, on anything that can define them as a member of a group. Their belief isn't based on some attribute they possess, but upon who they are.

I guess if you put HRC or JM each in their own group of one, and make HRC-ness or JM-ness an attribute, they could be considered elitist.

[heliarc]

6. Sure it was!

Everybody owns a plane that they can use to help prop up their political campaigns! Anything else would be undemocratic! --sarcasm--

[yellowcanine]

7. Remember how the Pubbies beat up Gore for saying " no controlling legal authority?"

How is this any different? Someone should ask McCain that.

[Supersedeas]

8. if he is this dismissive as a candidate--imagine him following in Bush/Cheaty's shoes

[xyouth]

9. Let him fly it himself.

He has great luck with planes. Come on 6!!!:applause:

[rcsl1998]

10. Yep - A Bush Clone Response...