John McCain wins Primary

[Guest GaySacGuy]

Senator John McCain has won his Arizona primary for the US Senate...but he did it by spending over 20 million dollars on a primary race. McCain, who had been one of the big guns for campaign finance reform, sure turned his back on that idea!!!

[Bob]

In years past, I actually respected the guy a bit. But then, like his buddy Mitt Romney on the east side of the country, he blatantly began to alter his personal convictions just to attempt to get the vote of some right-wing constituency and, at that point, he stood for nothing. For one example only, he previously worked with Sen. Ted Kennedy and the two of them came up with and sponsored a comprehensive immigration reform bill (aptly named the "McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Act") which was quite reasonable and fair; however, McCain, responding to political winds versus any personal convictions he might have, would no longer sponsor that bill again or even vote for his own proposal! And, of course, then he made the absolutely dumbfounding selection of Miss Sarah as his Vice President and that simply shattered any respect I still had for the guy.

[Guest travelerjim]

In years past, I actually respected the guy a bit. But then, like his buddy Mitt Romney on the east side of the country, he blatantly began to alter his personal convictions just to attempt to get the vote of some right-wing constituency and, at that point, he stood for nothing. For one example only, he previously worked with Sen. Ted Kennedy and the two of them came up with and sponsored a comprehensive immigration reform bill (aptly named the "McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Act") which was quite reasonable and fair; however, McCain, responding to political winds versus any personal convictions he might have, would no longer sponsor that bill again or even vote for his own proposal! And, of course, then he made the absolutely dumbfounding selection of Miss Sarah as his Vice President and that simply shattered any respect I still had for the guy.

 

Bob,

 

Sadly, I agree that Senator McCain has lost his way.

And for him to need to spend $20 Million for a primary Election

is incredible as he is the long time sitting incumbent in Arizona.

 

He has had many opportunities to provide real leadership in

bridging the divide among both parties...yet he has failed.

 

Your example of Immigration reform is an excellent one.

Here today, then forgot tomorrow what he proposed.

 

The USA really needs leadership and who will provide it?

 

tj

[Guest GaySacGuy]

 

 

The USA really needs leadership and who will provide it?

 

tj

 

Sadly all our elected officials seem to be working on is keeping their jobs. The day of an election, they start campaigning for the next election, be in 1 year of 10 years away. I don't like term limits, but if every candidate is going to spend all of his time in office running for office, then perhaps term limits should be used in the US Senate!!!

[Bob]

Corruption in Thailand is much more direct - you pay a couple of hundred baht to all the voters who will take it, you take 20% of a government-funded project, or the cop steals your money. In the US, corruption is just as big a problem but it is just more insidious - you buy an election (why anybody spends 20 million to get a job that pays $150,000 would seem to make poor economic sense but, once you've got that job, the 20 million pales in comparison to the billions you can use to benefit your friends) and/or you donate money to politicians who'll pass laws that make you money. As an example of the latter, the oil companies paid close to 900 million to both political parties in the 90's to be rewarded with lower taxes that, between 1999 and 2007, allegedly gave the oil industry a 25 billion dollar tax break (now there's some economic sense!).

 

As the old saying goes, money corrupts. Without a true effort to get it out of politics as much as you can, almost nobody is going to vote their conscience and do what's right. Simple as that.