January 17, 2008
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- John McCain's Republican presidential run collapsed in South Carolina eight years ago after what his campaign later acknowledged was a critical mistake: hesitating before responding to false accusations that the candidate's wife was a drug addict and that he fathered an illegitimate child.With South Carolina again emerging as a pivotal battleground in McCain's campaign for the presidency, his campaign is moving aggressively -- too aggressively, critics say -- to make sure the Arizona senator doesn't fall victim to personal smears again.
The centerpiece of its strategy is a group that calls itself the "truth squad." It was established this month to preempt or blunt any new political dirty tricks, such as a recent mailing sent to several dozen South Carolina newspapers accusing McCain of betraying fellow prisoners during the Vietnam War.
McCain's truth squad is headed by South Carolina Atty. Gen. Henry McMaster, state Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell and state Adjutant General Stan Spears. Even as the McCain campaign was preparing a mailer last week critical of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's record on abortion and taxes, McCain promised that his group would swing back hard if it saw anything reminiscent of the 2000 attacks against him.
The squad's role was evident Wednesday when Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a state co-chairman for the McCain campaign, appeared at a McCain rally in Greenville, S.C., and told the crowd to watch for "some garbage in the mail out there and the phone." He asked the veterans in the audience to "watch John's back."
At the next event, in Spartanburg, McMaster, another campaign co-chairman, said the political season was beginning to look like "Halloween with a full moon" where "people will do most anything.""Don't pay attention to that stuff," he said.
McCain told reporters on his campaign bus that "scurrilous stuff" had started again, referring to the mailing about his prisoner-of-war experience, among other things. "We will not let it go this time," he said.
2 comments:
How are the American people not tired of his 'I was a POW' whine by now? He is a one trick pony, and he has used is for all it's worth. It is an insult to everyone that he beleives we are all so stupid as to forget that women were not allowed in the millitary (yet it doesn't stop his digs toward Hillary for not being a Vet) and Obama is too damn young to have been there.
I am a Republican, but McCains ridiculous and tiresome tirades just make me wonder if I wouldn't be better off with a candidate with more than one trick.
To my children,
I will do all I can to make sure that "McCain the Insane" will not reach a higher office. I will write blogs, letters, commentaries and run him down in every conversation of a political nature I can.
A man who truely believes in his heart that 100 years in Iraq is a good thing for America should not even see the vice-presidency as an option.
McCain would sell out all our souls to get what he wants. He would spend what ever he can get to see that we the American People are rulers of the world.
That is why I call him "McCain the Insane".
South Carolina please hide your sons, lest they be drafted to fight in an illegal war.
Some one please find a Republican I can vote for who is all about peace, security and financial wisdom.
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