In the time since the 2008 presidential campaign ended I have had a chance to reflect on many things.

You wouldn't know it from what follows. After all this reflection, he lists a bunch of trite cliches from the campaign. He says he's going to help bring "real reform". Was there anything he said in the last two years that sounded like real reform? A tax cut for health care? Vetoing earmarks? I'm drawing a complete blank.

"Country First will allow us to strengthen OUR PARTY, better define OUR REPUBLICAN ideals and message..."

Funny... By "Country First" is sounds like McCain is really saying "Republican Party First"... typical McCain - still doesn't get it. It's getting a bit sad really.

I would argue that the McCain campaign did start a national "movement"; unfortunately for them, it was a bowel movement.

And as I said on election night, I truly cannot adequately express how indebted I am to you, my entire campaign team and my running mate, Governor Sarah Palin.

Yeah, without all of his fantastic supporters like Ashley Todd, and PJTV correspondant "Joe the Plumber" and Sarah Palin, he might have won and then he'd have to do some real work.

John McCain: Don't you forget about me.

This business about Joe the Plumber becoming a war correspondent must be wrong. Despite Joe's expressly stated desires to become a country music star, sell crap on TV and run for Congress, Joe modestly flees from the cruel glare of publicity, MatthewRMarler assures us.

Second, now isn't exactly a good time to start a new "grassroots organization." The national economy is abysmal, the far-right base is dispirited, and other conservative grassroots organizations are closing their doors.

Actually, I'd disagree with this point. Now is probably the perfect time to start a new "grassroots organization." There's a vacuum of leadership, the rank and file are dispirited, the party doesn't really stand for anything anymore, and if you could put together a coalition of people at the grassroots level who could agree to a common vision of what the GOP should be, you could probably yank that brass ring.

But probably more importantly, it would need to be a real "grassroots organization" to have that kind of mojo. Not an astroturf organization centered on fundraising for a Senator of middling skills who just lost a presidential bid.

I find the Ron Paul folks more credible. At least they have a real grassroots movement to work with.

I don't mean to kick a guy when he's down,

Heh, heh, heh. Big smile.

Sadly, McCain is still touting his idiot running mate, who, in case he didn't notice, was probably one of the major reasons he lost in this election. Oh yes, and he's a Republican, when even many Republicans are hating their own party. Judging by the last eight years, especially, of what Republican values are and how much they truly believe in the "noble ideals" that America stands for, he's beating one very dead horse.

This business about Joe the Plumber becoming a war correspondent must be wrong. Despite Joe's expressly stated desires to become a country music star, sell crap on TV and run for Congress, Joe modestly flees from the cruel glare of publicity, MatthewRMarler assures us.

Joe the Plumber is taking better advantage of his initial allotment of 15 minutes of fame than I gave him credit for. Has he earned enough yet to pay his back taxes?

Another GOP organization? It's interesting how those oraganizations, once so effective at dispersing GOP talking points to a variety of audiences has devolved into a pack of petty fiefdoms.
In their hayday, the GOP used such groups to create the illusion of a groundswell for thier policies. They don't seem to get much traction with it anymore. I guess everything has a shelf life.

I have a bunch of emails from John Kerry dated february of 2005 that are equally if not more pathetic.

McCain doesn't need the money himself, but he may have been persuaded to do this by others who just can't bring themselves to get a real job.

Ah, how I love the smell of wingnut welfare in the morning.....

'Country First' still sounds to me like a tagline for a radio station that plays way too much Toby Keith.

Country First will allow us to strengthen our Party, better define our Republican ideals and message, recruit and back strong, dedicated candidates and continue our efforts to bring real reform to government by always putting our country and the noble ideals she stands for first.

As B.Mick said above, this is some stunningly bad writing. They could have just said something like "Country First will allow us to get this great nation back to its noble ideals and its position of strength in the world by refocusing on our traditional conservative heritage...", etc.

Basically, they could have worded it in such a way as to actually at least make it *appear* as if they wanted to put the country first.

How could they fail so badly? And how can they think that they're the people who will reinvigorate Republican messaging when they cant even do a decent job of defining their own PAC?

Maybe in stead of "Country First" he should take some flying lessons, confess his sins for being such a liar and divider, sell some of his houses and cars and donate the proceeds to the poor, and begin to "straight talk" about how he really feels about PALINaroundwithterrorists as the running mate that dragged his sorry ass to oblivion. Nauseating....

I don't mean to kick a guy when he's down

As much as I'm inclined to agree, in McCain's case I remember his shameful campaign and gladly make an exception.

The letterhead is this group's most important, if not only, asset -- it's a sad attempt to associate the concept of "country first" with the plutocrats on the right.

Joe the Plumber is taking better advantage of his initial allotment of 15 minutes of fame than I gave him credit for.

Shorter MatthewRMarler: Yes, I am wrong about everything.

Isn't it cute, though, to see Marler once again with his pretense of good behavior, hoping the commentariat will forget the bad faith with which he presents his vile opinions. No one is fooled. Shame on you, Marler.

And yet, John McCain believes there's room for [one?] more group. -- Steve Benen

And I agree with him, absolutely. The more, the merrier, dear Third, no?. Let's milk all the Repubs for as much as we can, $50 at a time. After all, what with the tax cuts and all the loopholes, they're loaded still and need to be relieved of some of that extra fat, for their own good. You and they know that the fundamentals of economy are strong; don't let's let them become the party of whiners and mental recessionists that your friend Phil Gramm so rightly derided...

Doesn't it completely contradict the meaning of "grassroots" when it's an organization being launched by Senator McCain himself?

Hmmmm, this means I'll need to continue doing something with CountryClubFirst.com.

"Country First" (sadly reminiscent as it is of other past jingoistic sloganeering) was revealed as "McCain First" the moment his campaign evacuated Michigan.

Wealth has never yet sacrificed itself on the altar of patriotism. -Bob LaFollette, congressman, senator, governor (1855-1925)

So much for a Republican style Country First.

I have a bunch of emails from John Kerry dated february of 2005 that are equally if not more pathetic.

You saved emails John Kerry sent you in 2005?

You saved emails John Kerry sent you in 2005?

Why not? I've saved all 44,097 e-mails Barack Obama personally sent me over the past year. He used my first name, which is how I know he wrote them especially for me.

I've saved all 44,097 e-mails Barack Obama personally sent me over the past year. He used my first name, which is how I know he wrote them especially for me. -- Shortstop, @18:11

That's why you're my goddess. If I'd had your savvy, I would have kept all *my* special messages from him and sold them on E-Bay on Inauguration Day. They were autographed, too, so I bet they'd fetch a pretty penny. Enough, maybe, to make up for the dip in my husband's retirement fund.

Oh, well... Once a dumb (half) Polack, always a dumb (half) Polack...

I can only imagine the depth of your chagrin at this missed opportunity, exlibra, but we learn from each other. We learn from each other.

What a joke. McCain wants to "reform" what he and his supporters believe to what he and his supporters believe. Talk about a circle jerk.

"Country First" is an entirely appropriate title for this hypocrisy since it is a name only and is never what they do or profess to believe. Picking Palin was "Country First"...deciding to take the nation into another cold war by declaring we are "all Georgians now" to fulfill his lobbysist's pre-paid obligations...the list is endless for these hypocrites. Even the insult of wrecking our economy under the title of Country First didn't teach them any thing. What country is he referring to? The corporatocracy of the US. All his wealthy supporters. Certainly not America. They learn nothing, admit to nothing, and justify any thing they want to do by claiming Country First. Racists, Totalitarian, hypocritical, self centered bigots. Country First?...just laughable.

McCain started a movement alright - a movement of conservatives to the Democratic side of the ballot for 2008.