Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose...

A problem the GOP will have from now into the foreseeable future: Job 1 for any Republican candidate for president will be demonstrating why (s)he isn't another George W. Bush. Bush's catastrophic tenure will define presidential undesirability for decades to come. Eventually it may even become a Godwin type of situation in which likening an opponent to George W Bush will be seen as an insult of such depth that it must be hyperbole.

As the first election of the post-dubya era, 2008 will also be the first to demonstrate the new paradigm. McCain, never the sharpest blade, is starting to discern the new political landscape.

What is it with these Republican jerks named Tucker? This is the third one...Carlson, Bounds, Eskew.

Great idea for a visual:

100 portrait shots of Bush staffers vs. 100 portraits shots of same people working in the McCain campaign

text:

Change we can believe in!
This one has a different tie.
This one a new shirt
This one a haircut.
This one new makeup........

Great idea for a visual:

100 portrait shots of Bush staffers vs. 100 portraits shots of same people working in the McCain campaign

text:

Change we can believe in!
This one has a different tie.
This one a new shirt
This one a haircut.
This one new makeup........

Sidekick. Heh good one.

Now who out there can photoshop Dubya as Batman and McCain into Robin's hot pants and leprechaun shoes?

Ben - I asked the same question before. Why are all people named Tucker dicks? Jes askin'

If McCain actually said "[O]n the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush."

Where's that commercial?!!!! We need that one, preferably with the pic of him hugging Dear Leader.

I recall that McCain led a write-in campaign at the 2006 Southern Republican Leadership conference to choose George W. Bush as the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee! Here's the best link I could find quickly: http://www.nationaljournal.com/srlc/. It seems like this could be used against McCain in an ad... "In 2006, John McCain began a grassroots campaign to nominate George W. Bush for a third term. Someone then must've informed John that the Constitution forbids a third term for George Bush. So John McCain decided to run for that third term himself..."

It's blunt and a little stupid, but that's what everyone seems to think works in ads!

That second comment is from a second "Ben," just to clarify. I'll go by Ben G to distinguish, sorry for the confusion.

A recently published article I found this morning on McCain's market-based healthcare plan and a video of him expressing his stand on deregulation along with a bonus! He mentions the bridge to nowhere!!!!

Not surprising that they'd send the Bush team to coax Palin into shape. They already have broad experience in training a completely inappropriate candidate to pass for someone that a staggering number of Americans will vote for. This (getting Palin ready) job calls for experts.

With that said, I saw a "Sarah" bumper sticker yesterday with her name above the star (McCain's usual position). How pissed do you think Grumpy Grampa is that the little lady has surpassed him in popularity -- it's his turn dammit!

just curious to know why there is a McCain banner ad that has been running at the top of the page for at least a week.

"Invest in victory"...lolz

Wasn't there a candidate who is widely credited with having put together an astoundingly effective campaign team that largely hailed from well outside the political establishment of his party?

Oh yeah, I remember now! His name was Obama or something.

This team theme has some legs--and I've been saying for weeks that Obama surrogates need to talk about how Palin people ARE Bush people, right down to the speechwriting and foreign policy flashcarding--but an emphasis on who McCain and Palin keep company with isn't enough, because voters have a tendency to go, "Oh, all politicians hang with lobbyists, etc."

We need to use McCain's own words in support of Bush against him over and over and over.

I want to alert you to a new foreign relations gaffe by McCain, in which he suggests he may refuse to welcome Zapatero, Spain's Prime Minister, as an ally to the White House. Spain is the NATO country hardest hit by Islamic terrorism after the United States (the Madrid Antocha train station bombing on March 11, 2004)--isn't the struggle against Islamic terrorism the center of McCain's pitch for the White House? How can McCain consider not receiving one of our main partners in misery? The man, and his presumably more clear-thinking campaign handlers, are unbelievable.

For Immediate Release
September 19, 2008

Contact
John Neurohr, 202.481.8182
jneurohr@americanprogressaction.org

STATEMENT: Spencer Boyer on John McCain and Spain

WASHINGTON, DC—Earlier this week, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) made an inexplicable statement regarding Spain’s prime minister, which signals that he intends to continue President George W. Bush’s ill-conceived strategy of refusing to meet with leaders with whom he disagrees.

During an interview in Miami with Spanish-language station Radio Caracol, McCain was asked whether he, as president, would receive Spanish Prime Minister José Zapatero in the White House. McCain answered, “Honestly, I have to analyze our relationships, situations, and priorities, but I can assure you that I will establish closer relationships with our friends, and I will stand up to those who want to harm the United States.�

Given that McCain had just been asked a series of questions regarding rogue leaders in Latin America, one interpretation of his statement is that he did not realize that Zapatero is prime minister of Spain. However, senior McCain adviser Randy Scheueneman states that McCain knew exactly who Zapatero was, and that he was simply refusing to commit to a meeting with him. Assuming this is true, and not just a face-saving measure, it is a troubling statement.

McCain appears to be taking Bush’s policy of refusing to meet with rogue leaders, such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to the next illogical level—refusing to meet with NATO members and key allies in the struggle against global terrorist networks. With the proper preparation, the United States should be willing to meet with any nation at any time who can help further U.S. interests. Spain is such a country.

Spencer P. Boyer is the Director of International Law and Diplomacy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

The clutch of Bush veterans helping to coach Palin reflects a larger reality about Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign: Far from being a group of outsiders to the Republican Party power structure, it is now run largely by skilled operatives who learned their crafts in successive Bush campaigns and various jobs across the Bush government over the past eight years.

Gee, no wonder the McCain/Palin campaign sucks. The Bush government isn't exactly characterized by even minimal competence. Mendacity and corruption, yes, but competence -- sadly, no!

Let Monday be an indication of McCain's plans this week: They will be mounting a full on offensive.

I expect lots of flying monkey trolls, lots of lies, and a steady stream of attack ads.

Oh... and yeah:

Look over there--> Why it's Rev. Wright!

I happen to know a Tucker who is very nice, and is not a Republican (or a Democrat).

He's a DOG.

Sidekick? That's great! Let's make sure to answer every use of "maverick" with "sidekick" (they even rhyme). What does that make Sarah Palin? A sidekick's sidekick?

I'd love to see a poster with Bush as Batman, McCain as Robin, and Palin as Batgirl...

Steve,

This post finally crystalized a key difference between Democrats and Repubicans when it comes to campaigning. You say that it's probably not a surprise that so many people worked for Bush, given his prominence in politics over the past decade, and that's probably right. But that's for John McCain to explain: Democrats should simply level the charge.

And that's the difference. Democrats always get caught trying to explain things -- pro or con -- and Republicans just make claims and level charges. So what do you say we don't do that anymore? Or only when it's relevant?

And from where I sit, dumping a big pile of shit on John McCain's head isn't really one of those times. So dump away!

Good one, ben g.

If McCain actually said "[O]n the transcendent issues, the most important issues of our day, I've been totally in agreement and support of President Bush."

Where's that commercial?!!!! We need that one, preferably with the pic of him hugging Dear Leader.

Posted by: Frak on September 22, 2008 at 11:26 AM

And followed by Bob Casey's brilliant convention comment, "That's no maverick -- that's a sidekick!"

Gold, Jerry, political gold.

Obama’s not in a perfect position to talk on this one, "Socratic Me" and others.

After all, he’s not ruled out keeping Paulson at Treasury or else hiring Clinton retread Larry Summers. Lemme see, the guy who wants to write blank checks to the big financiers, or one of the Clinton Admin point men on the dereg that let this happen in the first place.

One of the symptoms of Alzheimers is confusing people and things, like the SEC and FTC. Maybe the McCain camp would prefer we think of him as snubbing Spain rather than as a man with Halfzheimers.

Second verse
Same as the first
(but) a little bit louder
And a little bit worse.
Herman Hermits -- Henry VIII

"One could argue, as some McCain backers have, that Bush has been the dominant figure in Republican politics for the past decade, and most staffers who'd join a presidential campaign would have spent some time in the Bush White House in one capacity or another. There's probably some truth to this."

Really? So it's inevitable? How many of Obama's top staffers were Kerry's top staffers? I'm guessing none.

Washington is CRAWLING with political operatives. If you want some fresh blood, it's not hard to find.

Being a person who wears glasses I have to wonder if they'll ditch Sarah's glasses. At this point they'll do any little thing to improve their chances and there are probably as many people opposed to glasses as there are to racists.

Obviously at this point McCain will do whatever he can to bring Palin back into the picture to rev up his (or somebody's) base.