February 21, 2008

If / when McCain drops out, will the GOP turn to Huckabee, Romney or someone new?


Just asking...

And if/when McCain does drop out, we've got ourselves a whole new race - it would be the best thing to happen to the GOP and they know it. It simply wouldn't be the lambasting that was gonna happen if he was the candidate...


Watch for more lobbyist scandals, a reintroduction of Keating Five (especially in the context of more failing banks) or even the raising of health issues between now and the convention as the GOP becomes convinced that they're nominating a sure-loser.

The Washington Post quoted longtime aide John Weaver, who split with McCain last year, as saying he met with Vicki Iseman and urged her to stay away from McCain.

The New York Times suggested an inappropriate relationship between the Arizona senator and Iseman, a Washington lobbyist. The New York Times quoted anonymous aides saying they had confronted McCain and Iseman, urging them to stay away from each other, before his failed presidential campaign in 2000.

The published reports said McCain and Iseman each denied having a romantic relationship, and the paper offered no evidence that they had, saying only that aides worried about the appearance of McCain having close ties to a lobbyist with business before the Senate Commerce Committee on which McCain served.

52 comments:

Princess Mononoke said...

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I was listening to how the MSM was going to handle this McCain situation tonight. I noticed that they made sure to say repeatedly I might add, that the McCain campaign URGED the New York Times to hold off on publishing this article. The NY Times has been sitting on this news for WEEKS! Hhmmm....

The NY Times also endorsed McCain's candidacy. If I were Romney or Huckabee I would be livid!!!

Anonymous said...

He's been fighting this since December

http://www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2007/12/20/20071220_155408_flashnyt.htm


MEDIA FIREWORKS: MCCAIN PLEADS WITH NY TIMES TO SPIKE STORY
Thu Dec 20 2007 10:49:27 ET

Just weeks away from a possible surprise victory in the primaries, Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz has been waging a ferocious behind the scenes battle with the NEW YORK TIMES, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, and has hired DC power lawyer Bob Bennett to mount a bold defense against charges of giving special treatment to a lobbyist!

McCain has personally pleaded with NY TIMES editor Bill Keller not to publish the high-impact report involving key telecom legislation before the Senate Commerce Committee, newsroom insiders tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

The paper's Jim Rutenberg has been leading the investigation and is described as beyond frustrated with McCain's aggressive and angry efforts to stop any and all publication.

The drama involves a woman lobbyist who may have helped to write key telecom legislation. The woman in question has retained counsel and strongly denies receiving any special treatment from McCain.

MORE

Frank R said...

The NY Times thing is b.s. ... do you seriously believe anyone would have an affair with THAT guy?

What's going to sink McCain is his wifebeating when that finally comes out of the woodwork.

Anonymous said...

Gingrich

blogger said...

I'm also wondering if Hillary will divorce Bill after the election, since he was the one who cost her the election. What a pair those two are...

http://tinyurl.com/2nlyzq

Is Bill Deliberately Sabotaging Hillary's Campaign?

The question of motivation, always a minefield, will very likely go unanswered -- but consider this possibility:

Bill Clinton either does not want his wife to become president, or he is deeply ambivalent about the prospect of Hillary taking over the Oval Office where he once held court.

Anonymous said...

Bill will dump that bitch in a second when she loses, he is only staying on for the media attention and then it's off to hollywood.

Frank R said...

"Is Bill Deliberately Sabotaging Hillary's Campaign?"

Nah, he wants to live in ultra-luxury in the White House again. I remember an interview with the White House doctor when she was asked about the toll the stress of the job takes on the Prez - she said "If you saw the level of luxury in which the President lives, you'd understand how little stress he really has."

Bill wants that back. He's bored up in NY state.

Princess Mononoke said...

Come on Keith, Hillary has proven that SHE is committed to her husband.

Behind every successful man is a strong woman and behind every successful woman is a strong man!

He did NOT cost her the election in the LEAST.

First off, the election is NOT over.

Secondly, the Republican owned MEDIA-mill gave it their best shot at MASSIVE biased attacks against her. But I most definitely believe in Karma!!!

Anonymous said...

During Mr. McCain’s four years in the House, Mr. Keating, his family and his business associates contributed heavily to his political campaigns. The banker gave Mr. McCain free rides on his private jet, a violation of Congressional ethics rules (he later said it was an oversight and paid for the trips). They vacationed together in the Bahamas. And in 1986, the year Mr. McCain was elected to the Senate, his wife joined Mr. Keating in investing in an Arizona shopping mall.

Mr. Keating had taken over the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association and used its federally insured deposits to gamble on risky real estate and other investments. He pressed Mr. McCain and other lawmakers to help hold back federal banking regulators.

For years, Mr. McCain complied. At Mr. Keating’s request, he wrote several letters to regulators, introduced legislation and helped secure the nomination of a Keating associate to a banking regulatory board.

By early 1987, though, the thrift was careering toward disaster. Mr. McCain agreed to join several senators, eventually known as the Keating Five, for two private meetings with regulators to urge them to ease up.


Where's that Markus Aurelius who was trolling for the dirty McCain here?

Anonymous said...

Which is more nausiating, NAR or Princess Mononoke?

Anonymous said...

That's what I call "an honorable man" a "true hero". Yeah, right.

Mr. McCain promised, for example, never to fly directly from Washington to Phoenix, his hometown, to avoid the impression of self-interest because he sponsored a law that opened the route nearly a decade ago. But like other lawmakers, he often flew on the corporate jets of business executives seeking his support, including the media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Michael R. Bloomberg and Lowell W. Paxson, Ms. Iseman’s client. (Last year he voted to end the practice.)

Mr. McCain helped found a nonprofit group to promote his personal battle for tighter campaign finance rules. But he later resigned as its chairman after news reports disclosed that the group was tapping the same kinds of unlimited corporate contributions he opposed, including those from companies seeking his favor. He has criticized the cozy ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, but is relying on corporate lobbyists to donate their time running his presidential race and recently hired a lobbyist to run his Senate office.

Anonymous said...

If not Ron Paul, then perhaps Mitt would be best. At least Mitt doesn't come across as crazy and ignorant.

I agree with Frank about Bill.

Princess Mononoke said...

Anonymous said...
Which is more nausiating, NAR or Princess Mononoke?
February 21, 2008 10:19 AM
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I for one would have to vote for you ANONYMOUS! For NOT being able to enjoy an open forum discussion and for getting your feelings hurt or angered so easily by MY comments...

And the only way you can deal with your emotions is by LASHING out and trying to insult me. Great show of character!

Anonymous said...

Funny how the paper-pusher Anderson Cooper and his panel of Republican trolls are trying to cover up this McCain scandal, and make it go away fast. Just watch how the corrupt MSM is trying hard to turn this scandal into nothing. Look, look, Britney is over here! Look how bad is Hillary, don't pay attention to McCain.

What, hanging out constantly with a hot blond 30 years younger who happens to be a lobbyist, while ridding up and down in corporate jets with her? That's so innocent! Outrageous if Clinton did it though! But here, here, look how many times Hillary laughed or Bill said the word "I" during a speech. Don't pay attention to McCain...look, look, new Osama Bin Laden sooo scary video.

The MSM is almost done with Hillary and soon the Obama real badass bashing will begin. If NYT has the goods on McCain, imagine what the corrupt MSM and Republican slime machine are holding for Obama. I hope Obama's former drug dealers are all dead because they will show up, just like the Republican funded "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" came out from nowhere.

Anonymous said...

I'm also wondering if Hillary will divorce Bill after the election, since he was the one who cost her the election. What a pair those two are...

Nope, who cost her election was the corrupt MSM that's been bashing her daily for months. Then you have the Blacks, ahhh the blacks, as soon as they had the opportunity, they back stubbed the only candidates who ever gave a f*ck about them in this country. Bill Clinton even set up his office in the Harlem. Nice going Black people...that says a lot about you. Don't come crying when another New Orleans bites you on the arse.

Ed said...

If he drops out, I would be a happy man. I think Romney could jump back in quickly and if it came down to him or Huckabee, he'd win at the convention. Huckabee is after all is said and done a regional candidate. Romney is not everyone's cup of tea, but given a Huck/Mitt choice, I'm pretty sure Mitt would take it.

Ideally I would love to see Thompson, but I know that's not realistic.

Either way talk about an exciting election year. Obama/Hillary and now this. Who says politics are boring.

Ed said...

"Is Bill Deliberately Sabotaging Hillary's Campaign?"

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I've been wondering this myself. Maybe not intentionally but subconsciously. Bill is such a narcissistic fuck he just could not stand to share the spotlight with Hillary.

Contrast that with Bush Sr. Put aside your politics, but you know 41 would never sabotage 43's chances. If Chelsea were running, I think Bill would even sabotage his own daughter just so he could keep the term 'President Clinton' for himself. Hell, Hillary threw Chelsea under the bus when she said that she didn't think Chelsea did any "real work" since she worked on Wall St.

Those two people are evil, pure fucking evil.

blogger said...

From Keating Five to Paxson One

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080221/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_lobbyist

In late 1999, McCain twice wrote letters to the Federal Communications Commission on behalf of Florida-based Paxson Communications — which had paid Iseman as its lobbyist — urging quick consideration of a proposal to buy a television station license in Pittsburgh. At the time, Paxson's chief executive, Lowell W. "Bud" Paxson, also was a major contributor to McCain's 2000 presidential campaign.

McCain did not urge the FCC commissioners to approve the proposal, but he asked for speedy consideration of the deal, which was pending from two years earlier. In an unusual response, then-FCC Chairman William Kennard complained that McCain's request "comes at a sensitive time in the deliberative process" and "could have procedural and substantive impacts on the commission's deliberations and, thus, on the due process rights of the parties."

McCain wrote the letters after he received more than $20,000 in contributions from Paxson executives and lobbyists. Paxson also lent McCain his company's jet at least four times during 1999 for campaign travel.

Anonymous said...

Those two people are evil, pure fucking evil.

No, you're the evil one. And you should see a psychologist about your irrational hatred for the Clintons. It's not your business what Hillary says about her daughter. That's between Hillary and her daughter. I bet that your family is as rotten as you. Oh, and all the biased speculation going on here about what Bill is doing or could do to Hillary is pure evil that only individuals with no principles have the time to fabricate. Bushco and the GOP has destroyed the country in just 7 years and all you trolls talk about is Hillary. Man, you sure are the ugly Americans who embarrass this country abroad. Are you one of those Ron Paul losers or just a Republican bootlicker who has to bash the Clintons all day to make a buck? Oh, and since you like to call any mother a bitch so freely, how's your ugly whore of a mother doing? You know that she's right?

Princess Mononoke said...

Anonymous said...
Funny how the paper-pusher Anderson Cooper and his panel of Republican trolls are trying to cover up this McCain scandal, and make it go away fast.
February 21, 2008 10:38 AM
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You know you just got me thinking that this NY Times ploy was USED to benefit McCain. I mean they've been sitting on this news for years.

They knew that IF Obama won... the Obama campaign would discover it and use it against McCain.

So their thinking is let us wait until McCain has the Republican nomination in the bag, then release this news and make it public.

Let everyone talk about it, use the MSM to make it look like nothing. Then it blows over and Obama campaing can NOT use it against McCain.

This is manipulative genius thinking...

Anonymous said...

Well at least, unlike his Slickness, McCain has some taste in women. Bill just went after everything and anything, e.g. trailer trash Paula Jones, to pie faced Monica etc.

Ed said...

anon 11:51

I've read some stupid shit on this blog, you are up there at the top.

It is my business what she says about her daughter when it is part of the campaign. She said that about her daughter at a campaign speech.

You Clinton supporters are really funny. Your legacy is being flushed down the tubes and you can't take it.

And holy shit can't you people go 5seconds without mentioning Bush? Start a discussion on the weather and you idiots will bring up Bush.

Anonymous said...

It's been interesting to watch the Dems change their "villan" alert thru this election.

First all the focus was on demonizing Guliani. And that brought a lot of energy from the nuts.

Then we got some for a while about how Huckabee was just so bad, till he started to fall back.

Never any words about Romney though, BECAUSE THAT'S WHO THEY WANTED TO RUN AGAINST.

Well guess what bitches???
YOU GOT YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE TO RUN AGAINST NOW!!!

Anonymous said...

So, McCain had a lobbyist liason in his closet...imagine that...a Congressional whore hooking up with a K-Street whore.

The good ship USS McCain just got torpedoed...

Boom Boom - Out Go The Lights!

Anonymous said...

This will possibly set the stage for a bloomberg run.

Anonymous said...

AM I missing something? He hangs out with a lobbyist with whom he maybe might have sorta had an affair. And this is important because....

The same people who are screaming about this were defenidng Bill Clinton up and down since it was only about sex and nobody's business.

Nice double standard.

Anonymous said...

Well at least, unlike his Slickness, McCain has some taste in women.

The only taste in women McCain has is bad. Have you seen his wife? She is the June Cleaver hag of the 21 century. The woman is plum ugly!!!

Anonymous said...

at least Mccain is not gay....

Anonymous said...

"The only taste in women McCain has is bad. Have you seen his wife? She is the June Cleaver hag of the 21 century. The woman is plum ugly!!!"

His wife comes from one of the wealthiest families in the west. And in her younger days was pretty smokin'

Contrast that with the trailer trash you date and compare.

Anonymous said...

Complete non-story. Just a smear.

It implies something was wrong but if you read the story carefully, he didn't do anything wrong.

Being friendly with a lobbyist? REally? A crime? Indict all members of the house and senate.

The gov't has the power to destroy companies through their incompetence. Lobbyists are trying to get the companies' point of view accross. It's a natural reaction.

Had an affair with her? He was in his 60s. No evidence of that.

Did her favors? Wrote a letter, but senators do that all the time...and he didn't ask for her stuff to be approved just a decision rendered, which they were doing anyway.

This stuff happened like 10 YEARS AGO.

IS THIS THE BEST THEY CAN DO?

Anonymous said...

We need that cRAzy aSs unpredictable McCain, so other countries will be on edge. They won't know if his crazy ass will nuke their sorry commie asses off the planet.

Anonymous said...

If McCain drops out, for whatever reason, Romney would be the logical candidate - he got at least some votes and is not unacceptable to most of the country as Huckabee who is also too similar to Bush.

I think McCain won't drop out and he shouldn't. His legislative activity in the telecom area, however, should be investigated for its own sake (did he support growth and consumers' choice?); any relationship with a woman eight years ago should be off-limits.

Anonymous said...

what a scam this attempt to get the sex symbol vote and him with a looker like cindi, er good picture tho..... hey maybe they casn trash bloomburg without his having to spend the money running...tightwad mizer

Anonymous said...

I like Huckabee. Why is ok. for a governor of AR to be elected as President twice but not if he is a conservative Republican. Huckabee is more qualified than Mr. Good looks Obama with no real experience but he tells the dumbed down masses what they want to hear.

Anonymous said...

This is a staged event by the NWO.

Better buckle up... my friends...

Anonymous said...

If he were a democrat story would be viewed as a positive.

Anonymous said...

Come on Keith, Hillary has proven that SHE is committed to her husband.

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come on, if she doesn't win the white house the marriage is officially over.

he has made it extremely difficult for her to win because of his current performances and because of his past.

Anonymous said...

Which is more nausiating, NAR or Princess Mononoke?
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hmmm, good question. Keith, you need to take a vote on this.

Anonymous said...

NYT anonymous sources = reporters inventing whatever they want to say about someone.

NYT subscribes to the same journalastic integrity that Dan Rather does. Fake, but accurate.

Anonymous said...

The only taste in women McCain has is bad. Have you seen his wife? She is the June Cleaver hag of the 21 century. The woman is plum ugly!!!
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she was hot hot hot when she was younger and she has held together pretty well over all.

paula and monica were never hot.

Anonymous said...

Cheating on his wives and going after power is no big deal for Johnny

Hensley met John McCain in 1979 at a military reception in Hawaii.[9] He was the U.S. Navy liaison officer to the United States Senate, eighteen years her senior,[1] and in a somewhat troubled marriage to his first wife, Carol.[15] McCain and Hensley quickly began a relationship;[1] he divorced Carol in April 1980, and he and Cindy were married on May 17, 1980 in Phoenix. Her father's business and political contacts helped gain her husband a foothold into Arizona politics;[15] she campaigned with her husband door-to-door during his successful first bid for U.S. Congress in 1982,[7] with her wealth from an expired trust from her parents providing significant loans to the campaign.[9][16][17]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cindy_Hensley_McCain

brokersleaveyoubroke said...

The NY Times thing is b.s. ... do you seriously believe anyone would have an affair with THAT guy?

Do you remember Henry Kissinger? He looked and sounded like Dr. Strangelove but he always had some hot babe on his arm. His explaination was that "Power is the ultimate aphrodesiac". Money or power will get you a babe way faster then good looks.

As far as Bill costing Hillary the election, that's nonsense. If Bill hadn't been messing with monica, Al Gore would be president now and Hillary would be a historical footnote.

I think the McCain story breaking now is Republican conservatives trying to dump him before the convention. As Rush likes to say, this campaign is between three democrats, Obama, Clinton and McCain. I think the Democrats would prefer to save any scandal story for the campaign.

Frank R said...

"This will possibly set the stage for a Bloomberg run."

I doubt it ... Bloomberg would be a spoiler for the Democrats. He's far more liberal than McCain and he'd only take votes away from the Democratic candidate.

FYI - Bloomberg himself is a lifelong democrat; he only ran republican in NYC because it was easier what with Giuliani's amazingly high popularity at the time. The last thing Bloomberg wants is to help a Republican get elected president.

tater said...

Keefer,
You need to keep that mug shot of McCain in your blog archives.

We'll all need to know what McCain looked like before his wife beats the livin' shit out of him.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

AM I missing something? He hangs out with a lobbyist with whom he maybe might have sorta had an affair. And this is important because....

The same people who are screaming about this were defenidng Bill Clinton up and down since it was only about sex and nobody's business.

Nice double standard.

February 21, 2008 3:42 PM

As usual Republicans miss the WHOLE point, because they can't get past gay marriage. She is a lobbiest. Sex for favors. Bribery, sleaze, corruption. Bill had a fling with the skirt in the office. McCain purchases his affairs. You want legislation honey? Get under my desk.

Republicans are empty walking suits. No morals, no ethics, nothing, but arrogant bags of wind spouting their "family values" distractions whilst they steal from the til and have sex in public bathrooms.

alba said...

It's still early for both sides. Stuff happens. I'd say Gingrich or Delay could be behind the faultering of any Republican candidate. Romney is saving his money for a better day, and a better time to be Prez.

Anonymous said...

Anyone think this story was made up by the conservative right-wing in order to get Mccain to withdraw so Huck or Mitt could become the nominee? Just a thought......

alba said...

Princess, I think W has vetoed 2 bills in 7 years...I hope that's what you meant.

Anonymous said...

Looking for inexperienced con man, endless windbag, biggest idiot, relentless self promoter Obama to drop out, so we have a serious election.

Anonymous said...

Why would the Republicans drop McCain because of his loser status? It didn't stop the Supreme Court from appointing Bush #2 in 2000, nor Diebold from electing him again in 2004. See.....any loser can be the Republican President.

Anonymous said...

Ed -- Man, I am ROTFLMAO -- you're comment to Anon is hysterical. Good job.

Anonymous said...

What will sink McMuffin is that he resembles a mad squirrel on crack driving a Hummer.

He's a walking, talking microcosm of everything that's wrong with AZ.