The DNC should make a commercial out of this, pronto...

First I thought that McCain brought up the "pledge" to influence the democratic primary since Hillary Clinton does seem to be a better opponent for him in the presidential election than Barack Obama.

Not sure about when he had to disclose the information about the loan to the FEC, but now it seems more likely to me that he brought the "pledge" up to deflect any criticism about how he got the loan.

So the bank gave Honest John an UNSECURED loan for millions, even though (wink, wink), it really WAS secured.

I guess the Right-Wingers have had McCain all wrong.
He's as dirty as all of their other heros.

Can you really blame McCain?? I mean, he was dead in the water otherwise.

I'm no McCain supporter (I've logged MANY volunteer hours for Obama), but nothing any politician does surprises me anymore.

The Dems can and should make as much hay of this as possible (all's fair in love, war, and politics), but personally -- McCain's maneuver doesn't surprise me one bit. And it bothers me less than a LOT of other things he's done -- propping up Bush these past several years, for instance, especially on Iraq.

So did Hillary step in a pile of doodoo by seeming to elevate McCain as a paragon of (funding) virtue over Obama? If so it is her fault for jumping into this dust up between Mac and Obama, which was none of her business to begin with.

On top of this, Schmitt says Obama's response was exactly correct:

"Obama's precise statement was, and has always been, "If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election." That's an artful statement, and it's not artful in a "meaning of 'is'" sense -- it's exactly the right answer. A commitment to "preserve a publicly financed election" would have to mean much more than whether both participate in the system. It would require some significant agreement about how to handle outside money, 527s, "Swift Boat"-type attack groups, party money, etc., and other factors that have undermined the last two publicly financed elections, from both sides. It is hardly an evasion to describe this as an agreement to be negotiated, rather than a simple pledge."

McCain is and has been a phony on every issue of significance except for his unrelenting advocacy (Bosnia excepted) for mass murder and more war as a way of demonstrating honor and principles.

McCain was gaming campaign finance from the beginning even in the wording of the legislationl.

Though difficult with such a highly controlled media, it seems the way for democrats to call back tempted independents and democratic crossovers would be to repeatedly expose McCain’s supposed strengths, for the counterfeits they are. The most important myth to expose is his pretense of principled character and willingness to put himself at risk to uphold principles. Both of these are media creations.

McCain hasn't been a maverick since he almost flunked out of the US Naval Academy squeaking by in the bottom 5 of his large class.

Throughout his life he has shown profound weakness of character. He has a pattern of revealing that he knows what the principled, honorable, or ethical position or path to take is, only to do the opposite as his consistently weak character gives way to corruption, calculation and expediency.

After seeing over 130 shipmates burn to death from napalm and high explosives. He said it opened his eyes to the horrific suffering of napalm and that he didn't think he could any longer bomb the civilian areas of North Viet Nam. But within 3 weeks a few brave North Vietnamese saved his life of the vengeful crowd that had seen the mass murder of hundreds of thousands from his bombs and others. That flip against what he recognized as right is his life-long pattern.

Last year he allowed amendments to his anti-torture bill which reversed the effect of the legislation so as to allow its use, ban any civil suits for its use and thus any ability to expose it, allow torture coerced statements and confessions in kangaroo trials, provide de facto impunity for using torture including allowing the use of reliance on (bogus criminal) legal opinions allowing it as a defense. He said not one word, allowed it to be portrayed as a successful thankless campaign against torture, and did not expose that the bill had become the torturers dream.

Though his imaginary positive character traits like GW’s are media creations, the difference seems to be that McCain often knows what is right before he betrays the principle.

McCain has flipped on almost every issue of substance in order to cynically pander to the worst elements of the political sphere. (This list includes but is not limited to campaign finance, torture, taxes, domestic surveillance, immigration and much more.) On the 3 trillion dollar disaster in mass murder adventurism however his has not wavered. Escalate any war the U.S. is in and wage as many wars against the weak as possible.

A man of principles to which he adheres regardless of consequence, he is not.
A man of honor, he is not.
A rogue bucking the system he is not.
A phony who with the media cultivates his false image is what he remains.

JK

Back in 2000 , here in Travis County Texas ,when were organizing for McCain the insurgent we would have argued that our straight talking candidate would never have stooped to this type of chicanery.
This is a total betrayal of the 2000 ideals -McCain is just another pol , very very sad & SHAMEFUL ...I cry for my Country , where have all our honest statesman gone ...

Once again a Republican promises tax payer dollars to the banks if they will give him money. Sadly, this is not at all that surprising other than it was not better hidden from public scrutiny. John "Keating 5" McCain strikes again!

So when can I barrow money against public funds to finance my personal interest?

This just goes to show the true alliance that McBush has made with the other bedfellows in Washington and throughout the nation. As they go on the campaign they will pledge that the only offices of government that benefit the people are the Department of defense(which can gather intelligence and strong arm enemies at their behest) and the military(which can impose itself on any region thus creating an opportunity for business investment and semi-permanent treatise that favor their backers). All the while decrying regulation and taxes which they believe cut against their bases bottom line. This creates the highly favorable situation where they can strengthen their party financially/privately away from government eyes while at the same time not taking the hit on government failures by blaming the system as it was set up. This last part backs up the theory that Bush ignores those laws that get in his way by re-interpreting them to minimize damage or consolidating their authority in the process.

It just amazes me that the Republican mantra still has teeth in the working class in middle and the South parts of this country. From the 80's onward the working class has seen this country shift and ships many of its previously respectably high paying blue collar jobs over-seas without directly ensuring that this workforce had something to turn to. I am oversimplifying the affects but other than 2nd amendment issues and Tax issue what benefit has the Republican Party brought to working class Americans in the middle and south?

I saw Time Magazine's article on McCain's inner circle.

Steve Schmidt, former Dick Cheney communications guy is McCain's communications advisor.

There's no question that Schmidt is linked to Jeff Gannon's comings and goings from the White House way-back-when.

Any chance he'll be called out on this?