McCain: ‘I Always Aspire To Be A Dictator’

[cal04]

Discussing the Wall Street bailout yesterday during an interview with the Des Moines Register editorial board, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said the failure of Congress to act is “just not acceptable.” Then — presumably making an attempt at humor — McCain added that, if only he were a dictator, then the bill would be just right:

MCCAIN: I just want to make a comment about the obvious issue and that is the failure of Congress to act yesterday. Its just not acceptable. This is just a not acceptable situation. I’m not saying this is the perfect answer. If I were dictator, which I always aspire to be, I would write it a little bit differently.

Watch it:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/01/mccain-aspire-dictator/

McCain also complained that “people can’t reach across the aisle, you know we give poison speeches” — a seeming reference to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) so-called “partisan” floor speech on Monday that House Republicans cited for the bailout bill’s failure. Many of his House GOP colleagues, however, have since walked away from blaming Pelosi’s speech.

But less than one minute later, McCain said, “et’s not point the finger of blame for a while,” despite the fact that he himself blamed Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) for the bill’s failure.

But McCain isn’t the first U.S. government official to dream of dictatorship. President Bush has said on at least two occasions that a dictatorship “would be a heck of a lot easier.”

UPDATEJosh Marshall has more on McCain's Des Moines Register interview.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/221050.php

[Union Thug]

1. Conservatives = authoritarians. Bush said the same thing...

it was 'just a joke,' of course. Uh huh.

[Mz Pip]

2. George said the same thing

and look how well that worked out.

I think McIdiot is running out of material.

[lonestarnot]

3. There was never a fucking doubt! Now someone make me a new picture to put in my window!

Hurry! Swampie you out there?

[SpiralHawk]

4. McCain = typical republicon. Totally totalitarian

Why do republicons HATE freedom, liberty, and democracy?

[MidwestTransplant]

5. Bush said the same thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD3xfT0c99g

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. McSame! No doubt in my mind.

[liberal N proud]

7. Just like bu$h

Bu$h has said on at least two occasions that a dictatorship “would be a heck of a lot easier.”

[lynnertic]

10. But he had the good sense to wait until after he was selected to say it. n/t

[bdamomma]

8. the video is here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Hcf7Q1Q9A

this should all over the place, distribute this high and low.

[ixion]

9. any pol that even jokes about wanting to be a dictator should be shown the door

with extreme prejudice. This is not a dictatorship, you fascist bastards! :grr:

[emmadoggy]

11. Yeah,

I just watched the video and he doesn't even look like he's joking. Says it in a very serious tone. At least chimpy PRETENDED to be joking on the occasions he said it.

How do people in this country who say something like that end up in some of the most (or THE most) powerful positions in the land??? It's lunacy.

[Bake]

12. He wants us to THINK he's "just joking."

DUers know better. We've heard, and seen, it before.

Bake

[FatDave]

13. Seriously, he's trying to lose now, right?

I mean take one of the stupidest things the guy you;re trying to distance yourself from ever said, and repeat it only with a more serious tone? Good strategy there.

And WTF is he doing in Iowa anyway? Wouldn't his time and money be better spent, oh, I dunno, defending a rapidly slipping lead in North Carolina?

[Greyskye]

14. I just heard this as I was going through that interview

And took notes to make a post about it. :hi:

Here is the Des Moines Register video page, with the McCain interview in all it's ugly glory: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=videonetwork

Gee, where have we heard this sentiment before? :scared:

[sakabatou]

15. Oh shit

"If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator."

McCain is Bush.

[JaneQPublic]

16. Like Maya Angelou says, "Believe what people tell you about themselves." (nt)

[OakCliffDem]

17. McCain wants ot be a Dictator when he grows up - I can believe that