Chapman joins 'the ENOUGH club'

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_09/014715.php

CHAPMAN JOINS 'THE ENOUGH CLUB'.... The Chicago Tribune's Steve Chapman, who had a column quoted in a McCain campaign ad this week, appears to have grown tired of the Republican nominee's tactics.

{P}oliticians are not saints, and campaigns are not conducted under oath. We all expect a certain amount of deceit from people running for office, in the form of fudging, distortion, exaggeration and omission. But the McCain campaign's approach, as {the "lipstick on a pig"} episode illustrates, is of an entirely different scale and character. It is to normal political attacks what Hurricane Ike is to a drive-through carwash. <...>

Why does McCain insist on running such a mendacious campaign? There is plenty an honest conservative might say in opposition to Obama.... But McCain has concluded that a fact-based case about Obama isn't enough to prevail in November. So he has chosen to smear his opponent with ridiculous claims that he thinks the American people are gullible enough to believe.

He has charged repeatedly that his opponent is willing to lose a war to win an election. What's McCain willing to lose to become president? Nothing so consequential as a war. Just his soul.

The other day, Kevin came up with "The 'Enough' Club," comprised of media figures who went from loving to loathing McCain, after watching his campaign's penchant for smears and lies. I think we can safely add Chapman to the ever-growing list of members.

Update: An alert reader gave me a heads-up on a few others with similar sentiments:

* The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Tony Norman: "You once said you'd rather lose an election than lose a war. Is it worth winning an election if it means forfeiting your soul on the altar of political expediency? How does a man survive five years in a Vietnamese dungeon only to allow himself to be turned into a cynical marionette by the nihilistic disciples of Karl Rove?"

* The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Jay Bookman: "The volume and audacity of lies pouring from the McCain campaign is startling and even historic. That's really something, lying straight out about a FactCheck group, knowing that you're going to get caught but not giving a damn about it. With stuff like this, the McCain camp has cut any remaining tethers to reality and integrity and is now floating wherever the winds of illusion and whimsy may take them. It's quite remarkable, and quite insulting to the intelligence of the American people."

* The Kansas City Star's Barb Shelly: "These are old tricks we've been seeing in local elections for years. Distort. Twist. Deceive. Damage. And the winning candidate drags a load of public contempt into office. I had hoped for better from McCain.... John McCain may win the presidency this way, but he will lose the respect he has acquired over the years."

* The Boston Globe's Scot Lehigh: "Here's the question voters should be asking themselves this week: Just how stupid does the McCain-Palin campaign think I am? The answer: Dumb enough to hoodwink with charges so contrived and cynical they make your teeth ache.... The McCain campaign has shown it's ready and willing to say preposterous things to win."

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Excellent, and a new word "mendacious":

men·da·cious –adjective

1. telling lies, esp. habitually; dishonest; lying; untruthful: a mendacious person.
2. false or untrue: a mendacious report.

[dkf]

4. Sadly McCain's main target group won't have a clue what that word means.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Nor will they care to learn. n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. The Trib's columnist's words made me sit up and say

"Whoa." That rag's been far right wing since the time of the Civil War. The fact that so many folks in papers throughout the country gives me hope that America is waking up. What about the other papers cited? Are they right wing or left wing?

[babylonsister]

3. I don't know; I hope folks who are familiar with these papers might

weigh in. Seems like McBush has finally pissed off his media base, doesn't it.

[AuntPatsy]

5. I cannot forgive them the last eight years but I will accept that they will

finally admit that they were wrong all along.... a penance should be applied to many for all the lives lost and all those almost destroyed..it will take years to undo the harm that people like the above must admit guilt for...

[SeattleGirl]

7. Add Danny Westneat of The Seattle Times

"All candidates spin. And campaigns can get rough. But McCain has crossed into outright lies.

"What happened to McCain? Maybe he has many sides. Or maybe I judged him wrong. But I remember the reason he impressed me was because he showed me, in person, how he believed in something intangible, a principle beyond the game of politics.

"Now I can't tell what he believes in. Beyond winning. Any sleazy way he can."


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008178468_danny14.html

[1Hippiechick]

8. And wouldn't you think that McCain would remember what Shrub did to him ? Yet, he persists in LYING

I guess everyone remembers Shrub's campaign calling voters in SC, telling them that McCain had fathered a black child out of wedlock, which was a boldface lie. The little dark-skinned girl was from another country - don't remember her race.

If THAT's not an indication of the Repukes being DIRTY, ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, nothing is! They will stop at nothing! It's all about winning and maintaining power!

[Cha]

10. mccain's thinking it worked for the fucktard bush..it might

just work for the fucktard mccain.

[Cha]

9. How does a man do it? Easy..

his name is john mccain and he married cindy.