Jeez, Can’t A Guy Pander Anymore? « The Washington Independent
Via TPM. This might come as a shock, but believe it or not, Sen. John McCain’s recent campaign stop at the Sturgis [S.D.] Motorcycle Rally may not be going over so well with the family values set. It’s not so much the bikers or the beer. No, The Wall Street Journal reports the pastor who presided over Jenna Bush’s recent wedding is criticizing McCain for suggesting his wife participate in a rather
“„Caldwell also used the opportunity to contrast Obama and McCain as family men, citing a joke McCain made at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that he had encouraged his wife, Cindy, to compete in the **Miss Buffalo Chip contest **there—a topless beauty pageant.
“„“My personal opinion, and based on my opinion of the Christian faith, that’s not the type of expression a presidential candidate or anyone following the Christian faith ought to make,” Caldwell said, adding that the statement “helps to juxtapose the DNA of Sen. Obama with DNA of Sen. McCain.”
“„Asked by a reporter if Caldwell was making a veiled criticism of McCain’s marital record, the pastor responded, “His marital history has been duly recorded.”
“„“At the end of the day, again, I think the American public deserves full revelation of the candidate’s character and competences,” Caldwell added.
“„****
** **> ****
“„Mara Vanderslice, founder of the Matthew 25 Network, stressed that the ad’s message was positive towards Obama—but also took a shot at McCain’s marital history.
“„‘“Our intent with our ad is to be a positive bio piece on Sen. Obama, understanding that many are still trying to understand his background,” she said, “Many in the Christian community have not forgotten Sen. McCain leaving his first wife for his second wife one month after a disfiguring car accident.” [Vanderslice later corrected her statement. According to The Los Angeles Times, the car accident occurred in 1969.]
“„McCain and his first wife, Carol, were formally divorced in April 1980. He married Cindy in May 1980.
“„“These smears on John McCain’s character and faith expose the utter hypocrisy of Barack Obama’s claim to represent a new kind of politics. It’s disgraceful.” He went on to say that Americans “know that John McCain’s faith and character were tested and forged in ways few can fathom.”
As TPM’s Josh Marshall notes, Rogers is apparently falling back on McCain’s prisoner of war experience during the Vietnam War to defend the Arizona senator against charges of marital infidelity — just as Fox News’ Sean Hannity did recently when his co-host Alan Colmes raised similar questions when Hannity was railing against former Sen. John Edwards affair.
Of course, it’s hard to see what being a POW has to do with faithfulness. However, when it comes to the Miss Buffalo Chip contest, I’d favor giving McCain a pass — he wasn’t necessarily being a bad husband. I was there at Sturgis and I later spoke to one of McCain’s top surrogates, who said McCain genuinely wasn’t aware of the lewd nature of the beauty pageant, and I believe him. I would chalk the gaffe up to good, old-fashioned pandering.
