McCain: Only As Strong As His Weakest Lobbyist

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing click to enlargeJohn McCain showed his true strips (again) last week when he came out against the G.I. Bill on the eve of Memorial Day Weekend. He has a history of ignoring the needs of the military even though he was a prisoner of war. One would think he would have a firm grasp of the needs of the military but as my friend, Christine Hall, pointed out, "John McCain can easily be talked out of anything." That had to be the best description of John McCain I have ever heard. The SEIU published a research report exploring John McCain's health care record, policies and campaign plans. From AAP: As the research shows, McCain’s latest ideas for health care would actually make obtaining coverage more difficult for the average working family and cause health care costs to go up for millions of hardworking Americans. Deborah Roberson, a child care worker in Erie, PA, has diabetes and is currently uninsured. Under the McCain plan, she would not be guaranteed coverage because she has a pre-existing condition. Her net pay last year was $14,300 and her out of pocket health care costs were $3,000 – over 20 percent of her income. “I live in fear of getting sick,” said Roberson. “I have to stretch my medication. Sometimes I take one diabetes pill instead of the two my doctor prescribed. God forbid I should have to go to the hospital. I need health insurance so that I can stay healthy and take care of myself, my family and these kids. John McCain has no plan to ensure that people like me get the care we need.” Good grief! How in the world can John McCain believe a health care plan that maintains the idiotic pre-existing condition position? It is easy, he was talked out of it. If you are a woman, it gets worse. From HuffPo, Since 1983, in votes in the House and the Senate (where he has served since 1987), McCain has cast 130 votes on abortion and other reproductive-rights issues. 125 of those votes were anti-choice. Among his voting lowlights: He has repeatedly voted to deny low-income women access to abortion care except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's life (although McCain is now wavering on trying to put these exceptions into the party platform). He voted to shut down the Title X family-planning program, which provides millions of women with health care services ranging from birth control to breast cancer screenings. He voted against legislation that established criminal and civil penalties for those who use threats and violence to keep women from gaining access to reproductive health clinics. He voted to uphold the policy that bans overseas health clinics from receiving aid from America if they use their own funds to provide legal abortion services or even adopt a pro-choice position. Of his anti-choice voting record, McCain has said, "I have many, many votes and it's been consistent," proudly adding: "And I've got a consistent zero from NARAL" through the years. And last month he told Chris Matthews: "The rights of the unborn is one of my most important values." What's more, McCain has made it very clear that if he becomes president he will appoint judges in the Scalia, Roberts, Alito mold. His big judicial speech earlier this month was filled with coded buzz words that make it clear that, if given the chance, he'd replace 88-year-old Justice John Paul Stevens with an anti-choice Justice who would tip the scales against Roe v Wade. Throw in an additional anti-choice replacement for the 75-year-old Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and you can kiss the right to choose good-bye for a long, long time. Why John McCain is so interested in my wife's uterus is beyond me. McCain's problems are deeper than that of course. These are probably not McCain's beliefs, they are the beliefs of his lobbyists and special interest pals. John McCain is nothing more blank sheet of paper where the highest bidder gets to write down their commands for McCain to follow. He has been following orders for years and can't get enough when he figured out there was real money in it. John McCain cannot seem to think for himself. He has to look to one of his moneyed superiors to tell him what to do. When he takes his 3AM phone call, a lobbyist will probably answer for him what to do based on THEIR interests, not the interests of the American people and not what is in the best interest of the United States of America. Simply put, John McCain is only as strong as his weakest lobbyist. SPECIAL REQUEST FOR TCD FANS: The San Francisco Chronicle is pondering the addition of new cartoons for their paper - a process that seems to be initiated by Darren Bell, creator of Candorville (one of my daily reads - highly recommended). You can read the Chronicle article here and please add your thoughts to the comments if you wish. If anything, put in a good word for Darren and Candorville. I am submitting Town Called Dobson to the paper for their consideration. They seem to have given great weight to receiving 200 messages considering Candorville. I am asking TCD fans to try to surpass that amount. (I get more than that many hate mails a day, surely fans can do better?) This is not a race between Darren and I, it is a hope that more progressive strips can be represented in the printed press of America. So if you read the San Francisco Chronicle or live in the Bay Area (Google Analytics tell me there are a lot of you), please send your kind comments (or naked, straining outrage) to David Wiegand at his published addresses below. If you are a subscriber, cut out your mailing label and staple it to a TCD strip and include it in your letter. candorcomment@sfchronicle.com or David Wiegand Executive Datebook Editor The San Francisco Chronicle 901 Mission St. San Francisco, CA 94103