Will The Real Elitist Stand Up?
By Cliff Schecter Wednesday Apr 23, 2008 6:00pm
I was heartened when George Stephanopoulos--for all the heat he has taken over the ABC debate--asked John McCain a question on This Week this past Sunday that I have been waiting to hear the media ask the "straight-talker" for a long time now. To paraphrase, Stephanopoulos wondered why if government health care has been good enough for McCain to receive his entire life, it is not good enough for the rest of us?
That's right, John McCain, the son of an Admiral, has had his healthcare taken care of by the government for the last seven decades at taxpayer expense. Yet, when asked this question, he was only able to muster a lame joke in response recounting the years he was being taken care of in a different country (where else but the Hanoi Hilton--which McCain wields like Giuliani did 9/11). In fact, McCain doesn't even feel compelled to explain why he voted against the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), so that countless children would lose the very government health care on which he has relied upon long enough that diapers have become bookends.
This wasn't the first time I heard this question. It was brought up to me when I was speaking to a real straight-talking vet, Paul Hackett, for my book The Real McCain. But it was the first time the media brought it up, that I am aware of. And it shouldn't be the last.
As for the rest of us, just remember this the next time McCain throws out some bogus charge about elitism at any Democrat, while lounging at one of his wife's 8 homes. Or goes on a Barneys bender.
Cliff Schecter is the author of The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him And Why Independent's Shouldn't. It is only $10, and for that low-low price you can help defeat McCain and keep Cliff's kid in diapers--a pretty good deal for all.
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Present. Frist?
You got the tag wrong. . . should be "Would the real elitist please stand up". . .
Unbelievable. Here we have a Senator, who, in his whole life had government healthcare. And not just any health care, he had the best. Probably no co-pays and of course a very good subscription plan. I think I'll barf right about now.
McSame also gets full disability from the Navy. 100%. That's the disability that people who are completely unemployable get. 58K a year. That's on top of his 22K social security. Talk about a welfare queen!
Shame on George S for not calling McSame on his Hanoi nonsense.
Maybe the privatized health care corps. could run their PR behind a front of tortured war vets -- what a great reason not to provide health care to the rest of us... what a non-sequitur.
Does John McCain get a pass on every tough question because he was a POW?
Yet another pitch for this book? Why not just let them have a banner ad already?
I don't get the antipathy toward elitists. Blue Bloods are our greatest Presidents. Washington-Jefferson-FDR-JFK were not exactly blue collar working stiffs. The elites become elites for a very compelling reason...they are much better educated than the average beer swilling palooka toiling on a loading dock.
it's nonsense
it's nonsense
it's nonsense
it's nonsense
it's nonsense
it's nonsense
it's nonsense
it's nonsense
there, now no more questions about that........................ my friends.
drago @ 8:
Bush may be the only true elitist who has mastered beer swilling palooka toiling on a loading dock
What the fuck was that shit with Scalia saying we should get over the Bush V Gore decision. I'm sorry Scalia but you appointed the worst war criminal America has ever had but we're supposed to get over it?
I say Fuck You judge! You shoud be impeached too!
Mike @ 4:
I hear he drives a Cadillac.
Cliff's book, The Real McCain is great. It is easy to read, well laid out, full of valuable information for convincing people that McCain would be a disaster, and extremely well documented. I am reading it for a second time because I'm getting old and I want to remember the good stuff for future conversations with dumb conservatives. If we can define him by his own history, we can win. But we must frame his career before the GOP comes up with a great fiction.
My friends, hard-working patriotic Americans don't mind paying obscene amounts for health insurance.
This is the man America needs! Another beady-eyed, cranky, stubborn, stupid son of a bitch! McSame 08!
Does John McCain get a pass on every tough question because he was a POW?
good point. that really is what it all comes down to as far as where this country is at, isn't it?
if only we had a media populated by people who would hear that response from him,
and immediately say:
'excuse me, that has absolutely nothing to do with what i was
asking you. can you please address the question, or can i just take your non-response
as your way of saying that you're caught?'
Cliff, I'm about 2/3 through your book. It is superb because it clearly presents the McCain that the MSM either doesn't know about or refuses to present. I have just finished "Free Ride" and I'm not optimistic about any real change in the MSM. While the substance of "The Real..." terrifies me and clarifies that McCain's personality is so much like that of the president: "My way or the highway," that he is not a decent, open person, and that he probably won't work with Congress. Congress certainly doesn't like him and I think we would be in for even harder times.
The public deserves to know about the record and the persona. And it can't happen too soon. Thanks so much for writing "The Real John McCain."
This is the man who will not vote for decent benefits for the veterans coming home from Iraq. This is the man who takes more money from lobbyists than most.Why then did his wife resort to stealing drugs from a childrens charity?
"My friends; if the average American saved 2% of all the money spent on casino gambling, lottery tickets, beer, cigarettes, junk food, $6 cups of coffee, porn videos, lap dances at strip clubs, cosmetic surgery and Oprah merchandise; they could afford full health insurance from the cradle to the grave...friendo." _John McCain
The only reason shot down pilot McCain got the minimal medical care he did is because the bomb recipients found out his dad was an admiral. Otherwise he would have died.
Later in his captivity McCain broke and taped many propaganda pieces saying the U.S. was intentionally targeting and bombing schools or the like. He later said he just broke under the torture, and I'm in no position to hold it against the man, but helping GWB with torture legislation when the administration was claiming torture yields valid and reliable intel? Bullshit. Everyone has their breaking point under such insane inhuman treatment. It's wrong. It's stupid. And McCain voted in favor of it for political gain when he was seen as being a Repub contender for the presidency. I'd be quite happy to wish him a peaceful retirement. But President of the United States of America? No.
This is what bugs the hell out of me. Politicians like McCain enjoy the very best socialized health care yet their minions continue to write into local newspapers about the dangers of socialized medicine (ooooo, booga-booga, socialism). The media refuses to educate the general public so, who will?
I wish someone would throw a pie in McCain's face.
Cliff Schecter said,
"I was heartened when George Stephanopoulos–for all the heat he has taken over the ABC debate–asked John McCain a question on This Week this past Sunday that I have been waiting to hear the media ask the “straight-talker” for a long time now."
I say yeah, heartening...a little.
It was a good question...and interesting/telling non-answer from McCain...but
If I had 20 questions for McCain...
...the one Stepanoupolis asked would be my 23rd question
Just got back from the free clinic apparently I got what's called American Income Deficiency Syndrome and it may kill me, I did get set up with some clean needles and condoms though.
I've got my copy of the book!
Yeah, it was great that Stephanopoulos asked the question, but why didn't he put some real pressure on McCain to answer with something other than moronic platitudes?
When McCain said he knows what it's like to be without health care in this country, why didn't Stephanopoulos ask him to demonstrate that? McCain is clueless, but he gets away with nonsense like slamming the Canadian and British health care systems without knowing anything about them or how satisfied most Canadians and Brits are with their systems.
Asking McCain (or any politician) a tough question is a waste of time unless the questioner is willing to require a serious answer. Television news shows are about getting through the script, not getting real answers to real questions.
(This looks more like an excuse to plug a book than a justified celebration of tough journalism.)
BTW: I think - correct me if I'm wrong - that VoteVets.Org has a slam-bam TV Ad ready to run when propitious, slamming McCain for his 6 year voting record on veterans legislation. Would be effective, I believe, in certain states, at least. If they don't have this Ad, hey....they've got time to put it together and I'll contribute some cash too.
what's so heroic about being a pow. it tells me that the doddering old fool was a screw up when he was younger too.
McSame sure loves to fall back on his POW days whenever he wants to deflect sensitive questioning.
He has quickly realized that no one would dare question that period of his life...so that gives him a free pass.
May be time for the Dems to find a Karl Rove to dig into McSame's military past. You take a candidate's greatest strength and attack it.
John McCain is still at the Hanoi Hilton, he will always be at the Hanoi Hilton.
It is tragic, but it makes him unfit to be the President, among other reasons.
drago @ 8:
I can't understand if you're being funny or are serious. Anyway, as pointed out above, Dubya certainly proves that theory wrong. As do many, many other people have had every advantage in life, yet fail as human beings.
How in the world is this going to fly? He's an elitist because he's worked for the government, thus got health care from his employer? Who's buying this besides the most partisan voter?
This health care and disability benefit is available to any American. Simply join the Army, become a POW who's disabled from being tortured, then become a Congressman.
I'm voting Democrat, but we've really go to do better than this. If we try to attack this man because of his military and congressional service it will be disastrous.
Let them eat cake.
bobaloo @ 32:
Well, maybe you should ask yourself why he is against government funded medical care for every American when he has benefited his entire life from it.
Hypocrisy, thy name is John McInsane
bobaloo @ 32:
– Voted AGAINST an amendment providing $20 billion to the VA’s medical facilities. [5/4/06]
– Voted AGAINST providing $430 million to the VA for outpatient care “and treatment for veterans,” one of only 13 senators to do so. [4/26/06]
– Voted AGAINST increasing VA funding by $1.5 billion by closing corporate loopholes. [3/14/06]
– Voted AGAINST increasing VA funding by $1.8 billion by ending “abusive tax loopholes.” [3/10/04]
– Voted AGAINST a $650 million increase in veterans’ medical care funding. [8/1/01]
this should be a tv ad.
harley @ 35:
Exactly. This is what the post should be about, not some gotcha moment that no one really is going to buy.
i just thought of a new SAT question:
9/11 is to Rudolph Giuliani as
Hanoi Hilton is to________
a. Paris Hilton
b. AWOL George W. Bush
c. Pickles Bush a.k.a. Xanax Annie
d. John McCain
e. Cindy "so that's what an old dried out ex-trophy wife looks like but that her 100 million still makes her almost hot" McCain
odanny @ 34:
The answer is that not every American is EMPLOYED by the government, as he is/has been. Did you not read my original post?
See comment 35 as to what we should be focused on.
Apparently McCains ancestors owned slaves in Mississippi
http://archive.salon.com/politics2000/feature/2000/02/15/mccain/index.html
Mike @ 4:
I understand that after rehab he was able to go back to flying for the Military. Shouldn't his disability have stopped when he was able to resume full time employment as happens to people like us. How can he be fully disabled and yet run for President?
the man is made of paper mache.
please don't smack the pinata too hard, pinatas have feelings too...
There are plenty of questions they haven't asked McCain. He goes on and on about how the Dems are being irresponsible because they ignore the consequences of their desire to leave Iraq. And yet he is NEVER asked to explain why he ignores the consequences for our military, and our overall security, of his desire to stay the course of sustained troop levels there. Why not ask his thoughts of Gen Mullens' testimony about an army that is "badly strained"? How, save a draft, is Mr. "serve a higher cause" going to deal with this reality, instead of telling us what his crystal ball, which was wrong every step of the way, shows about the "certain" future of Iraq if we leave. He really is McSame in that he's getting the same free ride as Cheney/Bush did.
Oops, make that Admiral Mullen, chairman of joint chiefs, my bad.
The idea that McCain can win in November loony. I've been looking over the primary election data, which shows the following UNDISPUTED FACTS:
--- In the 28 states that held both Republican and Democratic primaries (not caucuses), nearly twice as many Dems as Reps voted (27,371,217 vs. 14,617,247) and 26 of these primaries occurred on or BEFORE McCain clinched his nomination on March 4.
--- Dems outvoted Reps in 25 of the 28 primaries (exceptions: Alaska, Arizona, and Utah)
--- Over all 28 states, Obama alone received twice as many votes as McCain (13,502,540 vs. 6,797,249) and nearly as many votes as ALL THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES COMBINED (Obama: 13,502,540 vs. ALL REPS 14,617,247)
--- Adding together the votes from the so-called "big states" of Illinois, NY, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and California, Obama received MORE TOTAL VOTES than ALL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES COMBINED
....................................... OBAMA ...... ALL REP CANDIDATES
ILLINOIS*........................1,301,954........... 885,009
NEW YORK*..................... 697,914........... 602,747
OHIO............................... 979,025........ 1,010,864
PENNSYLVANIA* ............. .1,045,910.......... 807,122
TEXAS*........................... 1,358,785......... 1,320,653
CALIFORNIA.....................1,890,026......... 2,514,047
........................ TOTAL .... 7,273,614......... 7,140,442
* Individual "big states" (4 of 6) in which Obama received more votes than ALL REP CANDIDATES COMBINED.
Conclusion: Obama landslide in November.
Data Source: CNN Election Central. Numbers subject to changes as states update their results.
I received my health care from the military when I was a kid, and at that time private care was superior, if you had it.
The Vietnam war was taxing the medical corps, and the military hospitals were nightmarish. I had to go to an orthopaedist at Valley Forge, (I had a severe case of frostbite), and vets were lying in beds in the hallways, 'cause there were no rooms available. The Drs were working like dogs, and even though I had a legitimate complaint, it paled next to what seemed like 100's of amputees and injured.
I never forgot how ashamed I was to have taken away any care that could have helped those poor vets.
So, I agree that McCain should ackowledge that he has received susidized medical care his whole life, as we all should, but please don't assume that military supplied care is in any way equal to private care.
Since McCain constantly stammers "look at how bad the British and French health care system are" as specious proof that government-run health care is an evil communist plot, perhaps he would like to tell us about the quality of health care he and his family have enjoyed at taxpayer expense.
"Sen. McCain, you have been an outspoken critic of foreign, government health care systems... do you feel that your government health care has been substandard as well?"
"Well, no of course not... ummm... hehehe... that's a cheap shot, my friends."
"So, you do agree that government run health care can be excellent, then?"
Debating McCain should not be terribly difficult. He's a walking pile of inconsistent and poorly founded ideas.
Elitists don't need to stand up for anybody.
Does John McCain get a pass on every tough question because he was a POW?
Everyone still feels sorry for him.
P-p-p-poor baby, he was so mixed-up and traumatized, he now actually defends torture.
I can only hope that in the months leading up to the general election, we see commercials plastering the airwaves saying..."why does John McCain believe in universal healthcare when it comes to his and his family's healthcare for the past 70 years, but when it comes to you and your family?"
All politicians should be forced to buy their own damned health care on the open market. We'll give them $100.00 / month extra to "help them afford it."
Let's see how fast we get universal health care then.
Hanoi John is a Republican. He don't need to answer no stinkin' questions.
Free healthcare is only for the rich and white - remember that, people. Just like America is trying to be remade for only the rich and white. The rest of us are cannon fodder in McCain's 100 year war.
Wouldn't universal healthcare HELP with vets health care ?Are vets required to get medical care through VA?
As I understand it, members of Congress are covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan. The employee can choose from a number of different providers, such as Blue Cross, Mail Handler's, Kaiser-Permanente - many dependent on locality. From the phrasing in the article, many would get the impression that this health insurance is free to the employee. It is not, there are premiums deducted from each pay check which normally would add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars per year, depending on plan and level of coverage. There are normally co-pays for visits and medication. The government does negotiate the contracts with the providers, and as part of the employee compensation package subsidizes the premiums.
I consider it a good health plan, and that it would benefit many Americans. Saying that it is "taken care of by the government" is misleading and probably would discourage many people from supporting adoption of this as a possible step or solution to universal health care.
McCain has so many weaknesses, it is probably counter-productive to provide misleading information trying to score a point. The right is very good at attacking one weakness and conflating that to negate an entire argument. Case in point, the Dan Rather saga, where controversy over a single document negated the whole strong argument about Bush's negligent service record.
I expect a journalist to provide accurate information. When I know some of that information is misleading, it makes me even more skeptical of other information the journalist provides.
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