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Mitch Wright's avatar

John McCain, late in his campaign for president in 2008, did have the moral courage to tell supporters that Barack Obama wasn't someone whom they needed to fear as president. He cut off a woman who called Obama "an Arab" and said, "No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a, he's a, he's a decent, family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign is all about. He's not."

McCain's defense of Obama against an Islamophobic smear was imperfect, but it showed courage, character and humanity.

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Smibo's avatar

I remember watching that live (I think) on TV. He ticked up a couple points on my respect-o-meter that day, though he was still underwater on it because Sarah Palin.

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Old Man Shadow's avatar

Sitting here looking out the window.

Seems nothing has changed. Okay, it's hotter than it used to be. July 4th was always warm, but not blistering. Nights in the 70's or high 60's with fireflies floating about early before the fireworks drove them off. There were still orange groves near my aunt's house in Orange County, CA. Imagine that.

Maybe nothing has changed... maybe it's just my privileged position that kept me blinded to the cruelty happening. There would be riots in Los Angeles in ten years because of police brutality after all. There would be people dying alone in bed from AIDS in a few years, denied the ability to see their partners, by bigoted people. The president and his ilk then mocking them. Preachers telling young me that they deserved it. This president laughs about people dying in his concentration camps. Preachers tell old me that they deserve it.

So yeah, maybe nothing has changed and we've always been this cruel to other people. Doesn't seem like a radical statement to say that we're all human and we ought to be kind to each other and we ought to reject tyrants.

But I suppose that is the change isn't it? We threw off a tyrant once. We listed some noble reasons and we ignored the ignoble reasons that also drove folks. Now, the Congress has surrendered. The courts have been depowered. The Supreme Court has not only surrendered, but embraced the tyranny and legalized it telling us the law and Constitution don't say what they say.

I'm going to spend this weekend with family and friends, but I won't be celebrating America. In my heart, I'm crying over it.

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

💔

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SethTriggs's avatar

I am sure there is a rhetorical reason to try to invoke some sort of possibility for a Republican officeholder to be good. But I suppose it's hard to criticize the malevolence if the electorate finds it to be a winning strategy I guess.

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Myra Donnelley's avatar

I have a slightly different take...Yes, McCain was finally out of fucks because he was dying, but Trump had consistently insulted and personally attacked McCain. McCain finally had the opportunity to massively fuck Trump over with zero real consequences to himself. I simply do not accept that concern for American healthcare access overrode the inner glee Mr. McCain felt at that high profile opportunity to personally blow up Donald's agenda - that it actually helped Americans was just icing on McCain FUCK YOU, DONNIE cupcake.

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Old Man Shadow's avatar

Spite is a powerful motivational tool.

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Linda1961 is woke and proud's avatar

That's a good point. And that look on McCain's face as he gave the thumbs down bears that out. It was a thumbs down, but his face that of someone giving someone else finger.

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Icky Burl's avatar

Hakim is so out of touch and disappointing, which is, I'm sure, why he has reached such heights in the "hey, we're not quite as bad as those mean Republicans" party.

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Major Kong's avatar

Jeffries is useless. AOC for minority leaders and then Speaker.

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

As we sit here now, Hakeem Jeffries has been speaking out for more than three hours on the House floor against the Big Bullshit Bill.

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Linda1961 is woke and proud's avatar

It's up to seven hours now. Leader Jeffries is doing his job - holding up the vote and telling it like it is about the Big Bullshit Bill. He was only going to speak for an hour, but with the backroom deal maga Mike made with the repubs holdouts, Jeffries is going as nuclear as he can as Minority Leader.

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Icky Burl's avatar

Did he vote to impeach Trump last week? No. Did he castigate and say islamophobic stuff about Mamdani? Yes.

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MzNicky in East Jesus, TN's avatar

This whole shitshow is making me sick at my stomach and insanely weepy. The cruelty is only part of the point.

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Linda1961 is woke and proud's avatar

For some, the cruelty is the point, for others, it's a bonus. Either way, they are evil.

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llamaspit's avatar

If the only reason that a Congressman can find to vote yes for a good bill, or no against a bad bill, is that they are quitting politics or dying, they can hardly be called a person with principles, can they?

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lyn Renee kithcart's avatar

This is why revenge, if served at all, is a cold soup. If one has no conscience, they feel nothing.

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ArgieBargie's avatar

How dare you point out Meghan McCain's late father was a just another bang-average Republican opportunistic shitweasel who only did the right thing a handful of times during his politcal career?

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Cateck's avatar

He was dying.

That's exactly what I was yelling at Jefferies through my tv last night. Do they all have amnesia?

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ArgieBargie's avatar

It's a thing Democrats and "Liberals" do often in a failed attempt to appeal to Republicans' non-existent decency. In reality, all they are doing is propagating McCain's "Maverick" myth, while further lowering the bar for despicable Republican behavior.

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BrandoG's avatar

Republicans tend to find their souls when they no longer have to face GOP voters. It says a lot about those voters, and a lot about those who choose to run for office as Republicans.

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Frank Talk, Action Pundit!'s avatar

Republicans tend to find their souls when they no longer have to face the GOP's owner$.

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Smibo's avatar

Makes me wonder; why even bother at that point?

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Frank Talk, Action Pundit!'s avatar

Guilt?

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Smibo's avatar

Guilt implies a conscience, for which there is precious little evidence.

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Frank Talk, Action Pundit!'s avatar

Valid point.

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SethTriggs's avatar

Sometimes the Republican cruelty can hit them personally and then the problem becomes real. That happens with Cheneys for example.

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Frank Talk, Action Pundit!'s avatar

Good example. Not that I have any sympathy for them finally realizing that their crimes have consequences, mind you...

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