Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

This morning's faux mini-scandals, as outrageous as they might be, are just further evidence that McCain has essentially abdicated all control over his own campaign, and handed the candidacy over to Rove, Bush and the hard right. The Republicans never really wanted McCain as their candidate, and now he's allowed them to substitute Governor Palin in his place.

I think it's time that we start asking why McCain, whose entire life and career is based on the honorable way he endured his POW experience, has allowed the Bush administration and now his own campaign to behave so dishonorably. Where is the McCain of 2000? Why is he hiding behind Rovian politics? Why is he hiding behind the skirts of Governor Palin? Why has he allowed himself to be usurped by the hockey mom, when clearly his preference was for Lieberman or some other more sober candidate.

For all intents and purposes, McCain is now just a figure head in a campaign to reentrench the positions of the Bushies, the neocons, and the hard right.

His campaign is a disgrace. Built brick by brick on lies, smears, misrepresentations, and false cries of victimization. He has dishonored himself by not condemning these practices, and he has dishonored the country by selling it out to those same Republicans who for the last eight years have shown no regard for truth, justice, or the law. By putting country first, whatever that means, he has only opened the door to those same interests that send men to war and put their own interests above all else.

McCain is now a tragic figure: pathetic as an individual and terrifying as a harbinger of the next four years.