Stick a big-ass fork in McCain.

[smoogatz]

He's done.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/23/42829/0722/340/462397

The big question is, who ratfucked him? Who handed all of these juicy details to the NYT? Was it Obama's campaign? Hillary's? Huckabee's? Once he officially drops out, who gets the nom? Will Huck walk off with it, or will Romney restart his "dormant" campaign, assuming it's possible for him to do that now? Good lord—is there any precedent for the current Republican implosion? Will there be any Republicans left to run for president by the time the convention rolls around?

[John Q. Citizen]

1. I hope the OP is wrong. I want a damaged McCain to run against.

[WinkyDink]

3. If he's still standing in November, he's not damaged.

[Demeter]

2. Nonsense! They've Going With McCain

He's just proved his Republican credentials with these revelations and rumors. The Great White Father, potent and masterful, etc., etc. Well connected, corporate cronies, yadda yadda

[smoogatz]

5. I don't think so.

I think it goes to the heart of his stand-up-guy persona. It really makes him (gulp!) worse than Clinton, if you think about it. I think this isn't just the end of his presidential run, it's probably the end of his political life, and could lead to his indictment. And wouldn't THAT be something?

[aquart]

13. Dream on.

The Republican is a sacrificial lamb this year. No real reason not to run him. It ain't like he's gonna win.

[gateley]

4. Who ratfucked him? Is it possible it was Bloomberg?

Do you really think he'll drop out?

Man - on BOTH sides - what a ride this has been!

[smoogatz]

8. I think the Kos diarist is probably right—that there's a lot more

where this came from. Somebody's got the goods on McCain, big time. It's interesting, because it appears to be following exactly the same kind of narrative arc as the carefully-timed revelations about Rudy and his girlfriend. If this is coming from Huckabee, you have to admire both his sources and his utter ruthlessness. More likely it's info from one of McCain's senate colleagues, or staffers thereof, or former staffers who've decided to take him and the Republicans down. But yeah—I think it's the end of the line for McCain.

[CTyankee]

15. When he lawyered up with Bob Bennett I thought "uh oh, the guy's in deep doo doo."

You don't hire a big gun like Bennett to have a chat with the NY Times. Bennett is a big time fixer but I don't think he can fix this one.

[rocktivity]

6. "Today the NY Times is reporting that:

In late 1998, Senator John McCain sent an unusually blunt letter to the head of the Federal Communications Commission, warning that he would try to overhaul the agency if it closed a broadcast ownership loophole (link)."

Yum!

:P
rocknation

[Swamp Rat]

7. Leave us rats out of it!

No rat would stoop so low.

[smoogatz]

10. Sorry!

No offense intended to rats or their partners!

[Tresalisa]

14. LOL!

Good to see ya here, Swamp Rat! I've wondered where you've been! I love the pictures you post! :hi:

[Swamp Rat]

16. I've been busy lately

thanks :hi:

[NewJeffCT]

9. will this revelation make the Sunday talk shows?

and then the Monday newspapers?

If it keeps going into next week, then I might believe McCain is damaged.

Right now, however, the media is portraying it as a big W for McCain because it helped to rally the RW base towards him and both McCain & Iseman denied the affair. Has his contradicting himself on lobbying on Paxson's behalf made much of a story in the media yet? Will it be picked up without the salacious sex details?

[smoogatz]

12. They said the same thing as Rudy was going down in flames.

We'll see.

[NewJeffCT]

28. well, I'll admit I was wrong on Rudy

I thought he'd be the Republican nominee, too.

[aquart]

11. Well, I'm not sure this is a negative in his circles.

But me, I thank you the link and I'm passing it on.

[L. Coyote]

17. LOL In all likelihod, in their world--Ronderland--where Up is Down,

this was a 2000 scheme and someone forgot to turn off the back burner!
Bush/Rove cooked this, if not pulled strings on said juicy entrapment,
back during the run up to 2000. Then, in the ultimate sham hypocriscy
of a pretend investigation, McCain had to cover up Abramoff to save George
in the Fall and, hence, earning the ring in 2008. Then, sweet irony,
only to have George's 2000 trap suddenly start a big fire there on the back burner.

Sometimes, where up is down, and especially in Ronderland, truth cannot but be
stranger than fiction, because these bunglers and dolts are stranger than our imagination.

Enter Alice ......

[AlinPA]

18. No way. He will be standing in front of gigantic flags with a fundamentalist

VP candidate, waving crosses, bibles and flags in October. 'murcans don't read newspapers. They only know what they see on the TeeVee.

[The Straight Story]

19. At first read I thought this said "Stick a fork in McCain's big ass"

:rofl:

[smoogatz]

24. Actually, I like that better.

Can I steal it?

[The Straight Story]

25. Yeah, but don't count on me in on sticking anything at all in his ass

:)

[MiniMe]

20. If the Times were a liberal rag as the pukes claim, the Times would have

held this story until after the republican convention. By publishing it now, they are giving Johnny time to drop out and pledge his delegates to somebody. Not that I think that he will, he is going to run on the platform of "Waaaaah, they are trying to smear me and be mean to me".

[TahitiNut]

23. Actually, I think the timing was perfect.

The GOPhers finally arrived at the point that they've "settled" on McCain for all intents and purposes. Romney and Huckabee split the opposition and Romney's departure was AFTER the handwriting was on the wall. They are just committed enough that there's no viable alternative to McCain ... and the notion that some 'Savior' will come galloping to their rescue is confabulist thnking. It's like defending in basketball - they were nailed as soon as they committed in going for the basket ... and at the point where they're damned if the do and damned if they don't. There's just enough active and funded opposition in the primary process to do damage to McCain and not enoough to swing away from him.

[walldude]

21. Doesn't matter.. the Repugs could run Jesus and still

get their asses kicked...

[Warren Stupidity]

22. Caught red handed and he just got finished lying about it.

I had a mild suspicion that the NYT knew exactly what they were up to. They have played this very well indeed, letting McCain put himself on the record this week lying about exactly what the NYT had as a followup. Nice. Implosion, disarry, excellent.

[Virginia Dare]

26. Agreed, Day Three Of Vicki-gate..

and the headlines continue to roll. He's toast. I have two theories about the rat fuck who rat fucked on him.

1) Rat fuck extraordinaire Mittsy Romney

2) One or a group of the repub rat fucks who populate K Street

[knight_of_the_star]

29. I would say both

#2 to benefit #1

[DainBramaged]

27. ok