Dean calls McCain: “Blatant Opportunist”

By J.R. | March 28, 2008

Filed Under Campaigns and Elections, Democrats, President, Republicans |

Update: Here’s the ad everyone’s been talking about….

(h/t: Red State)

Original post…

Why should I be surprised that the Democrats are trying to ruin the reputation of one of the bravest and heroic men who has walked the earth this generation?

Seriously, politics aside, is calling Sen. John McCain a “blatant opportunist” really necessary? McCain 2008 is doing “Campaign 101″ by introducing their candidate again to the American people; it only makes sense that they are gong to use his background as a POW in an ad.

“Dean’s comments are the latest in what has become a troubling pattern where the chairman of the national party has questioned Senator McCain’s character and integrity,” said Frank Donatelli, RNC’s deputy chairman today in a statement. “Howard Dean owes John McCain an immediate apology and both Senators Clinton and Obama should unequivocally denounce this disgraceful attack.”

Don’t count on it.

From Mr. Dean, it seems he can only be bitter and antagonistic. Recently on BBC America he said that Sen. McCain “cannot be trusted.”

Sad. But should we expect any different?

Comments

10 Responses to “Dean calls McCain: “Blatant Opportunist””

  1. William Bailey on March 28th, 2008 9:14 pm

    ??? What Dean said is nothing compared to what the Bush folks did to McCain in South Carolina in 2000. If the Republican’s attacked McCain and trashed him, what do you think the Democrats are going to do? What has changed between what the Bush folks said in 2000 and today?

    Break out the 2000 South Carolina book if you want to see name calling about McCain… If they did it to one of their own, the Dems are simply going to join the same club.

  2. J.R. on March 28th, 2008 9:26 pm

    The Rove strategy in South Carolina did not include denigrating McCain’s service to America.

    If you can prove otherwise, I’ll stand corrected. But I do not remember them calling McCain an opportunist for serving America.

    But really, that’s not the point. The point is that Democrats are attacking McCain for his service to America and his vision and passion for America. That is very telling.

  3. William Bailey on March 29th, 2008 7:55 am

    Very telling indeed. I guess negative politics is the standard for both parties. Are you really surprised?

  4. J.R. on March 29th, 2008 9:42 am

    Not really, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it, support it, or not call it out when I see it.

  5. Jeremy Hinton on March 29th, 2008 9:48 am

    Am i missing something? If i read the whole Dean quote, i don’t see anything about denigrating his military service. Dean may be blunt, but he’s not that stupid. But if you consider saying anything negative about McCain as disparaging his service, you’re in for long year. Here’s Dean’s whole quote by the way:

    “The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can’t change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain’s military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.”

    As i read it, the “opportunistic” swipe is at McCain’s seeming transformation over the last few years. He refers to McCain as “casting aside his principles”, which implies that he did have some previously. He’s directly challenging the premise of the ad, by trying to draw a contrast between pre-2000 McCain (war hero, maverick) and the current McCain (Bush’s favored son). As someone who liked McCain in 2000 (to the point of seriously wavering between him and Gore early on), i have wondered the same thing, what happened to the guy i liked back then?

  6. J.R. on March 29th, 2008 9:56 am

    Jeremy,
    You’re generally rather rational, which is why your last comment really surprises me. Have you been actually paying attention the last eight years or have you just woken up?

    McCain has been extremely critical of this administration and it’s strategy in Iraq. McCain is hardly Bush’s “favored son.” I see you’re now on the DNC’s talking point distro list.

    But if you don’t think Dean’s quote there means what I think it means (which means it’s moot to argue), try these on for size:

    Dean: “He Doesn’t Seem To Really Have An Ethical Compass. He Doesn’t Seem To Have An Instinct About What Is The Right Thing To Do And What Isn’t The Right Thing To Do.” “Well, now it looks like John McCain is part of the corruption problem in Washington. He has done things that are legally questionable — the Keating Five business back in the ’90s — but he doesn’t seem to really have an ethical compass. He doesn’t seem to have an instinct about what is the right thing to do and what isn’t the right thing to do.” (Howard Dean Interview With National Journal’s Linda Douglass, nationaljournal.com, 2/21/08)

    Dean: “This is a question about John McCain’s integrity …” (MSNBC’s “News Live,” 2/26/08)

    Dean: “But look, John McCain is a flawed candidate. Here’s a guy who has a typical situation ethicist. He runs on his integrity, but he doesn’t seem to have any.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 3/2/08)

    Dean: “John McCain has a history of doing what it takes, regardless of what the ethics of this are.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 3/2/08)

  7. Jeremy Hinton on March 29th, 2008 11:10 am

    I still see a difference in Dean’s statement where you don’t. Dean is attempting to draw a contrast between old McCain and new McCain. He’s playing to the common narrative that McCain is not the same man he was. Yes, it is conventional wisdom on the left that McCain has “changed”, and is not who 2000 McCain was. Of course, maybe its just a common form of disillusionment by a lot of us Libs who liked McCain in 2000. Maybe we were just wrong then, and have since realized this. Maybe it’s our perception of McCain that’s changed, and not McCain itself.

    As far as McCain and Bush, my personal perception is the only two issues with which he’s been at major odds with this administration is Iraq war strategy and stance on global warming. Of course, it could be his cheerleading for the war itself overshadows other more nuanced differences i may have missed.

    I do believe though that its not just the DNC whose accusing McCain of changing his tune for political expediency. I’ve heard the same catcalls echoing from the other side of the isle, from generally more conservative folks. Logically, a lot of them have self-silenced now in the name of conservtaive unity, but the “oppotunistic” line that you’re attacking now is just an echo of what was heard in the primary from a good portion of those on the right.

  8. J.R. on March 29th, 2008 11:29 am

    Well, Jeremy. That’s fine. Keep it up.

    There’s a reason McCain is polling 20% among Democrats. With this line of attacks that you don’t see, I suspect that number will rise.

  9. Jeremy Hinton on March 29th, 2008 11:50 am

    Maybe, who can say at this point, especially if the Dem’s can’t unite behind their winner? After this seemingly endless primary season, it feels like the general will be over almost before it really gets started. A shame really, as if Obama wins the Dem primary, in some ways we’ll have two candidates who are (successfully IMHO) basing a good bit of their campaign on who they are as individuals, and not what they will do. Colliding cults of personality, though of different natures. McCain may not have the rhetorical flair of Obama, but with his personal history and public image of “Straight Talk”, he has his own CoP as well.

  10. axt113 on March 31st, 2008 4:30 am

    McCain has liesd and flip flopped on so many things, Lobbysits, Waterboarding, taxes just to name a few, he is an opportunist who twists with the winds.

    Says he’s for a balanced budget but wants to add 400 billion to the deficit, says he’s aganst torture but opposes a bill banning waterboarding, the man has no ethics and no brain, doesn’t even know who is fighting who in Iraq

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