McCain on Treason and White Supremacy

An absolutely astounding exchange:

MR. GOLER: In 2000, sir, you said yes. You have since called that one of your worst examples of political cowardice. That flag is still flying in front of the Statehouse. Should it come down?

SEN. MCCAIN: It is not flying on top of capitol. It is flying at the --

MR. GOLER: It is flying in front of the Statehouse, sir.

SEN. MCCAIN: It is not flying on top of the capitol.

Yes, I was wrong when I didn't say it -- well, when I said that I believed that it was up to the state of South Carolina. That was a wrong statement on my part.

Now, after long negotiation amongst most parties, there is an agreement that that flag no longer flies on top of the capitol of the state of South Carolina.

Almost all parties involved in those negotiations believe that that's a reasonable solution to this issue. I support it. I still believe that it should not have flown over the capitol, and I was wrong when I said that it was a state issue. But now I think it has been settled, and I think it's time that we all moved on on this issue -- especially the people of South Carolina.

That's just pathetic, as was McCain bizarre answer about why he now supports extending tax cuts he didn't favor enacting.

Comments

The tax cuts thing is not new. He was opposed to them before they were enacted, but as letting them expire would be tantamount to a tax increase, he does not support it. All tax increases are evil, but sometimes tax cuts are wrong. It's sort of the ratchet effect, but slower and inconsistently applied.

Or something. It's obviously stupid and weird, but that is the nature of Republican logic, especially in an election year.

Posted by jhupp | May 16, 2007 9:48 AM

Actually McCain is making sense, but its sort of a confusing backstory. In 2000, the South Carolina legislature did come up with a compromise that removed the Confederate flag from the statehouse dome (it flew on the same mast and under the US and SC flags) and putting it on a flagpole on the Capitol grounds. When it came to a vote, the compromise was supported by a majority of black legislators.

Granted the deal seems sort of half-assed but only 2 years before, a Republican governor had been ousted for trying to remove the flag, so removing it from the dome but keeping it on Capitol grounds was likely the best deal politically possible (people who boycott a state tend not to vote in its elections).

So yeah, I think Mccain's sentiments actually make sense.

Posted by beowulf | May 16, 2007 11:02 AM

Yeah, astounding - a politician pandering for votes. Next thing you know, a black politician might hedge on Affirmative Action and an Iraq War enabler might apologize.

Posted by Gary Sugar | May 16, 2007 11:08 AM

Woops, I should be fair and throw in the "too liberal" candidate who wants to outlaw flag desecration. I should also throw in that Republicans are even bigger liars about everything.

Posted by Gary Sugar | May 16, 2007 11:24 AM

I wonder if the questioner asked bluntly if there was any heinie a candidate wouldn't kiss any principle the candidate wouldn't abandon if we'd get an honest answer?

Posted by Jeffrey Davis | May 16, 2007 11:24 AM

I'm interested to hear where Jeff Davis comes out on the Confederate Flag issue. Seriously, what's up with that name?

Posted by Steve | May 16, 2007 11:37 AM

what's up with that name?

You're not going to commit suicide like Steve Reeves, are you?

Posted by Jeffrey Davis | May 16, 2007 12:03 PM

Actually, what strikes me is that McCain really is very inclined to be honest, but he's already made enough compromises and resolved to himself that honesty isn't always best, so we are left with these sorts of ridiculous answers. I've never agreed with him politically, but he is a good case study of what presidential politics (his choice to enter, mind you) can do to a basically decent guy.

Posted by Mavis Beacon | May 16, 2007 12:29 PM

I'm just saying, no one names their kid Adolf any more. But you have people like George Allen naming their kids after Confederate generals and it's considered patriotic in some quarters. There's a real problem here.

If you wound up with the name Jeff Davis as a pure coincidence, then hey, I apologize for dragging you into this.

Posted by Steve | May 16, 2007 12:34 PM

My name isn't "Jefferson".

Posted by Jeffrey Davis | May 16, 2007 2:20 PM