TIMMEH GETS MCCAIN SWEATY

Timmeh didn’t give John McCain a hall pass this morning. I had distractions, but I got this much.

It got pretty good when he turned to McCain’s presidential aspirations. He quoted James Pinkerton, EJ Dionne and Washington Times pieces questioning whether the “straight-talking maverick” Republican is performing his own flip-flops to further his ambitions. Refers to the ugly attacks on McCain in the race for the Rethuglican presidential nomination in 2000. Now he's embracing Bush, after refusing to say to Tim way back when that Dubya ran an honorable campaign?

McCain says he doesn’t believe Bush was behind the offensive things done in campaign 2000. He points out that he supported Bush as president of the U.S. in 2000. He disagreed with Dubya on several issues and still does, but the transcending issue in 2004 was who was best equipped to run the war on terror, and that's why he campaigned for Bush.

Little Russ says you flipped on tax cuts, said we should teach Intelligent Design in our schools, now you’re giving the commencement address at Liberty University. In 2000 you said Jerry Falwell was an “agent of intolerance,” lumped him with Louis Farrakhan and Pat Robertson. Do you still believe he is an agent of intolerance?

McCain wants to back up. Yes, he voted against Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy before he voted for them. But now the tax cuts are there, so to vote not to extend them would be a tax increase, and he’s never voted for a tax increase in his life … except (crosstalk, lost it). He declares, I do things because they’re right. Re Falwell, we agreed to disagree on certain issues and to move forward. Speaking at Liberty is no different from the other colleges I speak at, I’m pleased to speak to young people. I speak at Ivy League colleges, but I disagree with their attempts to bar military recruiting on campus.

Tim asks, do you now think Jerry Falwell’s ideas are good for the GOP?

I believe the Christian right has a right to speak, it’s an important part of the GOP, because they’re so active.

Tim repeats, do you believe Jerry Falwell is still an agent of intolerance?

No, I don’t.

Are you concerned that McCain the straight-talking maverick is trying to make himself more appealing to the GOP base?

I take positions I believe in, my credibility stands on that, most Americans will judge me by my record as a whole.

Tim thanks McCain for his appearance.

“I haven’t had so much fun since my last interrogation,” McCain retorted.

I'll bet. The man came off as a wanker, a waffler, a man whose presidential ambitions are such that he'll ride the tiger's tail just to get a chance to replace him. Where's the uber-patriot now?

Tags: John McCain, Meet the Press, presidential race