Interesting (not Kerry-related)

[ProSense]

Text of the letter from Sen. McCain to Sen. Obama

Published February 6, 2006, 6:04 PM CST


WASHINGTON -- Following is the text of the letter from U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), as released by McCain's press secretary, Andrea Jones:

February 6, 2006

The Honorable Barack Obama

United States Senate

SH-713

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Obama:

I would like to apologize to you for assuming that your private assurances to me regarding your desire to cooperate in our efforts to negotiate bipartisan lobbying reform legislation were sincere. When you approached me and insisted that despite your leadership's preference to use the issue to gain a political advantage in the 2006 elections, you were personally committed to achieving a result that would reflect credit on the entire Senate and offer the country a better example of political leadership, I concluded your professed concern for the institution and the public interest was genuine and admirable. Thank you for disabusing me of such notions with your letter to me dated February 2, 2006, which explained your decision to withdraw from our bipartisan discussions. I'm embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble. Again, sorry for the confusion, but please be assured I won't make the same mistake again.

As you know, the Majority Leader has asked Chairman Collins to hold hearings and mark up a bill for floor consideration in early March. I fully support such timely action and I am confident that, together with Senator Lieberman, the Committee on Governmental Affairs will report out a meaningful, bipartisan bill.

You commented in your letter about my "interest in creating a task force to further study" this issue, as if to suggest I support delaying the consideration of much-needed reforms rather than allowing the committees of jurisdiction to hold hearings on the matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. The timely findings of a bipartisan working group could be very helpful to the committee in formulating legislation that will be reported to the full Senate. Since you are new to the Senate, you may not be aware of the fact that I have always supported fully the regular committee and legislative process in the Senate, and routinely urge Committee Chairmen to hold hearings on important issues. In fact, I urged Senator Collins to schedule a hearing upon the Senate's return in January.

Snip...

As I noted, I initially believed you shared that goal. But I understand how important the opportunity to lead your party's effort to exploit this issue must seem to a freshman Senator, and I hold no hard feelings over your earlier disingenuousness. Again, I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics the public interest isn't always a priority for every one of us. Good luck to you, Senator.

Sincerely,

John McCain United States Senate

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-060206mcainlettertext,1,7970470.story?coll=chi-news-hed

McCain is an effing hypocrite: not one word to Bush about the signing statements or a single comment about Alito.

[jenndar]

1. EW!

That letter is pretty bitchy.

[_dynamicdems]

6. Bitchy sounds about right. He sounds like a high school girl in a snit

with another high school girl.

[jenndar]

20. I'm so sick of politicians who act mortally wounded

and take it personally every time somebody else does his or her job. Nobody could question Alito because he was a nice man and didn't deserve it. Nobody could filibuster his nomination because the President can't be sad before the SOTU. And you're a crappy Senator if you call a Republican scandal a Republican scandal.

People need to grow up.

[karynnj]

2. I think McCain is one of the creepiest people in power.

I absolutely despise the fact that he smiles at the media, turning his round little face into a "smilie face", when in fact there is this really nasty streak inside him. I don't know what exactly happened with Obama, but this really seems over kill just because Obama doesn't want to be on his team - maybe Obama noticed how well he treated a friend in 2004.

[_dynamicdems]

17. He is creepy and a hypocrite too.

And I think you're right about the nasty streak. Whatever Obama did, I've got little sympathy for McCain who votes like a Nazi most of the time and then grandstands by crossing party lines on issues that are politically advantageous to him. Guess he doesn't like playing politics unless he's the one doing it. He also is awfully high and mighty for such a backstabbing MOFO, IMHO.

:evilgrin:

[FreedomAngel82]

18. Right

That pissed me off too. How disgusting. And I can't believe some democrats buy his nonsense too.

[Mass]

3. McCain is an hypocrite,

Sadly, it is possible that part of the fault for this smackdown may also be attributed to Reid and his total lack of leadership.

He gave the role of pointman in something that important to a freshman Senator not necessarily ready for that. I cant say I have been thrilled each time I have seen him on TV concerning these issues.

Obama has more or less suggested that Reid told him not to find a bi-partisan solution to the issue and I am always amazed how he seems to get people angry at nothing (see the altercation between Reid and Specter on the Senate floor).

[WildEyedLiberal]

4. What's that slurping sound?

Ah, the sound of John McCain busily fellating his masters. You've been a good little whore, Johnny - Bush and Cheney thank you for all you do to advance their agenda while parading around beneath a veneer of moderation. Now open wide and get ready to swallow! A whore's work is never done.

[Mass]

5. LOL - and the sound of Reid's total incompetence as a leader.

You dont put the freshman and least experienced Senator against somebody like McCain.

[Island Blue]

7. This must be slurping foreplay then.

I swear, if John McCain is the Republician candidate in '08, then WHOEVER the Democratic candidate is should be required to use this photo in every single campaign add they run, no matter what the medium.

[Mass]

8. Here is another article on the subject

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/020706/mccain.html

McCain counters Obama with sharp rebuttal on lobbying reform
By Elana Schor
...

Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), seeking to leverage recent Republican influence-peddling scandals into election-year gains, has tapped the photogenic Obama to coordinate the minority message on public corruption. But Obama’s eagerness to promote the Democratic line appears to have incensed McCain, whose record on campaign-finance reform gives him considerable political capital to expend on cleaning up K Street.

...
While McCain and Obama have participated in preliminary bipartisan negotiations on lobbying and ethics reform, which Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has indicated he wants to pursue by the beginning of March, McCain interpreted Obama’s letter from Thursday as a decision to pull out of the talks.

Reid criticized Frist last week for scheduling the asbestos trust-fund bill, a key priority of business interests, for Senate floor consideration over lobbying and ethics reform. Frist responded with a formal request to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chairwoman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, asking that she mark up a reform bill.

Meanwhile, Obama and McCain sat down with Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), the original Democratic co-sponsor of McCain’s lobbying reform bill, Collins, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Rules Committee Chairman Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and freshman Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) to confer on a bipartisan solution, using the McCain bill as a framework. McCain has discussed formally convening a task force to produce legislation, and the bipartisan meeting was seen as a first step.

...


Obama sent a third letter to McCain late yesterday, reiterating Gibbs’s puzzled reaction and paying homage to McCain’s seniority.

“The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity and my desire to put politics aside for the public interest is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you,” Obama wrote.

Obama’s letter does dismiss the idea of a bipartisan task force on lobbying reform, however.

...

[globalvillage]

9. What is he, like 12 years old?

I don't know which is more atrocious, his juvenile behavior or horrific writing skills.
This is the kind of letter you write when you're angry, set aside until you've calmed down, then shred before anyone has a chance to see it.
What a freaking baby. I can't believe this is someone who wants to be POTUS. I guess he's using bush* as a role model.

Here's Obama's letter.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/acrobat/2006-02/21818867.pdf

[Mass]

10. Obama was taken between forces he could not control

Reid made it clear earlier he did not want a bi-partisan taskforce (both because he did not want to let the pugs an escape door and because he knows it is a stalling tactic).

However, remember the question asked to Obama on This Week, on how Reid had refused a proposal from a Democrat about a bi-partisan solution. Could it be possible that Obama had already said to McCain he thought it was a good idea and then had to backtrack because of Reid.

[globalvillage]

21. I can't even get past the letter to the issue.

McCain's a scary dude. A temper tantrum is not a good reaction from someone who has presidential aspirations.
Seriously, there must have been some damage done back in the day.
If he runs, this will haunt him.

[karynnj]

11. Well remember in his own book,

he spoke about how when he was attacked during the POW/MIA committee hearings, he needed Senator Kerry to put his hand on McCain's arm so McCain wouldn't explode! I love that chapture of the book - it shows exactly why one of those two men would be a fantastic President for a nation that needs to heal it's rifts - and it sure wasn't the author.

If in 2008, it is Kerry vs McCain - I think I will copy that chapter to send to anyone I know on the fence. (If it's McCain vs ? it might still be worth doing)

[Mass]

12. I feel sorry for Obama and for the Democrats running in Illinois in 06.

[karynnj]

15. One of the DU threads links to a Chicago Tribune blog

The Tribune has always been a conservative paper (but not a NY POst or Boston Hearald rag). At least when I looked, there were as many people supporting Obama as McCain. (I think that because Obama for all real purposes had no opponent and because he gave a great speech when Kerry gave him the honor of giving the keynote speech, he was being pushed to meet standards that were impossible. His popularity was due to fall to a more rational level.)

[WildEyedLiberal]

16. Blagojevich may be in trouble

He's not a very popular governor, but the Repubs have a big gubernatorial field so who knows who they'll pick. Unfortunately Blago was the first Dem gov in many years - the first one in my entire lifetime - and he's not been popular, which is only partly his fault, so I am worried he will lose. He has a big war chest so it kind of depends on the Repub. Unfortunately Blago, who won on a platform of ethics and reform (a Dem was pretty much a shoo-in after the scandal-plagued governorship of now-indicted George Ryan) and he has not done a very good job of convincing voters that he is not a part of any sort of Chicago corruption. So we'll see.

[_dynamicdems]

41. He might be using Bsh as a role model, but in all honesty, I believe he'd

be an even worse POTUS. McCain scares the HELL out of me.

To a certain extent, Bsh is a lackey. The one time he tried to think for himself (the Meyers nomination)his handlers had to step in and curtail the practice in due haste. As bad as Bsh is, he's very much controlled by the powerful interests that put him in office. The interests are evil, but not insanely so.

McCain on the other hand, would go on a total power trip. If he was POTUS, I seriously doubt he'd take council from anyone. He'd be Napolean without the humility. If this country were ever stupid enough to elect McCain, forget moving to Canada or anyplace else on this planet. Dr. Strangelove time, for real. In other words, time to bend over and kiss our asses goodby.

Just the feeling McCain gives me.

(For anyone who hasn't seen Dr. Strangelove, it is well worth seeing. There is a character in the movie that reminds me of McCain. I'll say no more.)

[globalvillage]

42. I agree.

He is one scary dude.

[ProSense]

13. Please see this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2442465&mesg_id=2442465

[Mass]

14. Excellent

[ProSense]

19. Thanks! They're all creepy. n/t

[_dynamicdems]

43. Group Of Psychos. They got that right! Very scarey people. n/t

[TayTay]

22. McCain is just pissy because Obama doesn't want to help him.

McCain should grow up. It is not the responsibility of the Democrats to bail the Rethugs out of their corruption scandal. McCain should stop trying to hide behind prominent Democrats and do his own job and stop blaming others when he can't get the job done.

What a whiny little man he is. (Help me. Obama, help me. Rethugs have no idea how to fix this scandal and it might actually hurt us in the fall. Please bail us out.)

[Mass]

23. I think that McCain is crazy and dangerous.

Today he also called to boycott the G8 because it is in Russia.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060204/pl_afp/germanydefenceus;_ylt=AgrSJpSVCvqqUzYjbt9ONOA8KbIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

Granted, Russia is not exactly the ideal democracy, but if we only talk to ideal democracies, we will talk to very few countries in the world.

[Island Blue]

24. If we can only talk to "ideal democracies"

we sadly won't even be able to talk to ourselves. I agree with your assessment of John McCain, Mass.

[karynnj]

27. Maybe Kerry was able to moderate him and calm him

down when they were friends. Saying that Putin shouldn't get a planned conference is a bit strange - especially when Bush just went to China (I think) for a conference. (Where he had a problem with the door.) Is Argentina a perfect democracy?

Does he want to become the John Bolton of the Senate?

[ginnyinWI]

30. stick a fork in him, he's done

He's officially become an OLD CRANK. People don't want an old curmudgeon for president. Just as well, hey?

[ProSense]

25. Obama's letters

Original letter:

Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain Exchange Letters on Ethics Reform
Monday, February 6, 2006
February 2, 2006

The Honorable John McCain
United States Senate
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear John:

Thank you for inviting me to participate in the meeting yesterday to discuss lobbying and ethics reform proposals currently before the Senate. I appreciate your willingness to reach out to me and several other Senate Democrats to discuss what should be done to restore public confidence in the way that Congress conducts its business. The discussion clearly underscored the difficult challenge facing Congress.

You and many in the Democratic Caucus have played a major role in reform efforts in the Senate. In fact, the Indian Affairs Committee hearings you led were instrumental in promoting public awareness of the culture of corruption that has permeated the nation's capital.

As you know, Senator Harry Reid and others in the Democratic Caucus have taken an important step by introducing S. 2180, the Honest Leadership Act, which imposes many of the same disclosure requirements for lobbyists that you have proposed, while also strengthening enforcement, eliminating "pay to play" schemes, and imposing more restrictive rules on meals, gifts, and travel that Members and their staff can receive from special interests that advocate before Congress. This bill, which now has the support of 40 members of the Democratic Caucus, represents a significant step in addressing many of the worst aspects of corruption that have come to light as a result of the Justice Department investigation of Jack Abramoff.

I know you have expressed an interest in creating a task force to further study and discuss these matters, but I and others in the Democratic Caucus believe the more effective and timely course is to allow the committees of jurisdiction to roll up their sleeves and get to work on writing ethics and lobbying reform legislation that a majority of the Senate can support. Committee consideration of these matters through the normal course will ensure that these issues are discussed in a public forum and that those within Congress, as well as those on the outside, can express their views, ensuring a thorough review of this matter.

Given the state of affairs in Washington, we have a historic opportunity to make fundamental changes in the way our government operates so that the actions we take as public officials are responsive and transparent to the American people. Thank you again for your interest in this important matter.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

Response to McCain:

February 6, 2006

The Honorable John McCain
United States Senate
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear John:

During my short time in the U.S. Senate, one of the aspects about this institution that I have come to value most is the collegiality and the willingness to put aside partisan differences to work on issues that help the American people. It was in this spirit that I approached you to work on ethics reform, and it was in this spirit that I agreed to attend your bipartisan meeting last week. I appreciated then - and still do appreciate - your willingness to reach out to me and several other Democrats.

For this reason, I am puzzled by your response to my recent letter. Last Wednesday morning, you called to invite me to your meeting that afternoon. I changed my schedule so I could attend the meeting. Afterwards, you thanked me several times for attending the meeting, and we left pledging to work together.

As you will recall, I told everyone present at the meeting that my caucus insisted that the consideration of any ethics reform proposal go through the regular committee process. You didn't indicate any opposition to this position at the time, and I wrote the letter to reiterate this point, as well as the fact that I thought S. 2180 should be the basis for a bipartisan solution.

I confess that I have no idea what has prompted your response. But let me assure you that I am not interested in typical partisan rhetoric or posturing. The fact that you have now questioned my sincerity and my desire to put aside politics for the public interest is regrettable but does not in any way diminish my deep respect for you nor my willingness to find a bipartisan solution to this problem.


Sincerely,

Barack Obama
United States Senator

http://obama.senate.gov/letter/060206-sen_obama_and_sen_mccain_exchange_letters_on_ethics_reform/index.html




Edited to add: McCain certainly is bitchy.

[beachmom]

26. Holy toledo -- I just can't believe it!

And it was released by McCain's press secretary! I mean, this is the kind of thing that you would be embarassed the moment you sent it out. I thought Obama released it (which struck me as out of character), but now I see McCain released it. How does showing you're a weenie help your presidential ambitions?

One word, ladies and gentlemen: UNPRESIDENTIAL

This is a good one to send to Independent friends and family who think the world of McCain.

[karynnj]

28. I almost wonder if he's sick or something

Your logic is right - This would almost be the type of thing he might want to say to Obama and later deny. To write it in a letter is really stupid. To write it and have your secretary release it is beyond stupid.

It also seems too little in terms of provocation to justify it.

[BlueIris]

33. "It also seems too little in terms of provocation..." Maybe I'm jumping

to conclusions here, but--um. It's beyond stupid if your goal is not to look like an asshole who just insulted Senator Obama for absolutely no good reasons what-so-ever. But I don't think that was McCain's goal. The demographic he's playing to through the release of that letter? Will approve of that goal.

[JI7]

29. McCain is such a disgusting whore

what a vile putrid letter. i seriously with Kerry and/or Obama could go up against him in from of the public so people can see McCain as the jerkoff he is and whose popularity is mostly a result of the media whoring for him.

[ginnyinWI]

31. posted at Dkos

Someone posted: Obama writes a response to McCain's diatribe:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/2/6/222443/3990

[BlueIris]

32. YIKES.

I, too, have been unhappy with some of Obama's decisions of late, but that? Is one of the most disturbing things I've ever read. To call the tone of that letter "inappropriate" would be a major understatement.

[Inuca]

34. Is he NUTS?

That's the first think that popped in my head after reading the first sentence. The tone of the whole letter sounds absolutely unbelievable. That's how senators write to each other when they are upset with each other? I thought it's all "my dear friend" that, and "my dear friend" this. In the old days this would have been an invitation to a duel, don't you think? Interesting to imagine...

[ProSense]

35. And look at what he's upset about to write such a nasty letter

Yes, McCain is nuts.

[Inuca]

36. Moreover...

...the letter is incredibly INSULTING in both form and content. Alluding to his lack of experience and "Good luck to you, Senator"... WTF?!?! Obama's reply shows class, "crazy old fart" would have been highly inappropriate, though probably closer to what he really thinks.

[karynnj]

37. Surprisingly, even the Imus people think this is a pretty

nasty letter. (even the standard striaght talking man sounded really weak). This might really have at least a minor affect on McCain. If the media rethinks McCain, it would hurt a lot. I think this letter may show McCain worse than he really is, but his reputation is definitely better than he deserves. (I assume that other Senators (including Kerry) would not have given him the praise they did if this were typical.)

[beachmom]

38. I think someone as considerate as Kerry knew how to tip toe

around Sen. McCain. Surely, Kerry must have seen this dark side to McCain, but since he thought him such a good friend, he probably made excuses for him at the time. No more. I assume that Kerry has no more illusions about McCain after all that happened in 2004.

On a side bar: did you see in the dKos thread about how Armando was somehow in on how Reid put Obama back in line? Very disturbing how much deference Reid gives Kos and Armando. I'm not talking about the whole Kos community, but to the owners of the site. We all need to be aware of this going forward.

[karynnj]

39. It may also have been that until 2004, McCain's positions

were more reasonable and he hadn't been placed in a position where it was to his advantage to stab people in the back.

There may also be some truth to McCain's comment that he and Kerry were never friends - that Kerry didn't invite him to his house. (The obvious question of whether he ever invited Kerry over wasn't asked.) Kerry may have found him a good ally to work with on a set of issues where they had common values and liked him enough to socialize with him in the Senate.

Given the percent of people in the Senate at any time who see themselves as potential future Presidents, it would seem that real close friendships between Senators might be rarer than it appears. I think there was only one Senator and his wife mentioned as attending Kerry's wedding - although it was small.

I'm beginning to think that Reid is possibly over his head - he seems to have good organizational skills, but he seems to be failing on helping the Democrats define themselves. Also, there is something very wrong when the media immediately jumps on the Senator who nearly half the country voted for and the Senator who has been an articulate leader of the party for over 4 decades - because Senator Reid disagreed. Any Senator has the right to disagree - what's the problem? As it is, Senator Kerry was chosen by the people of the Democratic party to be their nominee. Why does Senator Reid, chosen by the people of Nevada and by his peers as the minority leader have more claim to being a leader of the Democratic party. (and why is this not relevant when the Senator is Hillary.)

[beachmom]

40. Now this has been front paged on AOL

There's also a poll, which Obama is right now losing:

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060206203209990006&ncid=NWS00010000000001