While I'm busy giving political advice to McCain, let me repeat some earlier advice:
Dear Sen. McCain,
Shut up!
Okay, seriously, he's personal. He likes to chit chat (or BS as we say). But that leads to Sen. McCain saying some really loose sh*t. Such as taking up Obama's stupid "Nuremburg Trials" concept for Osama bin Laden. As I pointed out, so long ago, Nuremburg is not a good example of the type of trial Obama wanted to have. You know, with a bunch of rights provided to the terrorists like it was a civilian criminal court instead of a military tribunal of an enemy of the United States. No, the Nuremburg trials were not anything about civil rights.
I'm sure that McCain has some residual feelings about how he had no trial and was simply classified a "war criminal" and tortured as a "guest" of the North Vietnamese, but he shouldn't let that over ride the reality: Osama bin Laden is 99.999% unlikely to be captured alive.
Reporters are asking McCain that question to get him to, yes, indeed, say something stupid. Like repeat Obama's point as if McCain had no other idea, was following Obama or shoring up his (Obama's) political positions UPDATE: Even Obama's Team is recognizing those positions. There may, indeed, be some position somewhere that McCain shares with Obama, but he doesn't have to outline them in red and shine a neon light on them. McCain has to be "different" than president Bush, but he's trying way to hard and he's giving things up to Obama that he shouldn't have to.
The other part of the issue is that reporters are trying to get McCain to say he would not hold military tribunals or anything like what is being held down in Guantanamo. In fact, implying those are somehow inappropriate or illegal. Since McCain is going to inherit these trials (maybe), he should try not to give the defense teams any more ammo in trying to have the trials thrown out because the next President doesn't even believe in them.
When asked such an ignorant question about what would McCain do if Osama bin Laden was captured, McCain should not go traipsing off into the trap like Bambi on a flower hunting expedition. He should stick with the simple facts.
Osama bin Laden is more likely to be killed than captured.
If he really must elaborate here, simply say that bin Laden knows that the United States will not forget nor give up on bringing bin Laden to justice. Ambiguous enough no one knows if you mean to capture or kill.
I know, that sounds somewhat like President Bush, but contrary to popular belief, Bush is not totally stupid. Or, at least, Karl Rove wasn't. Now, if only somebody on McCain's Straight Talk Train could reign him in and remind him that he is running for president. McCain's time for rambling on about whatever, even as a man of the people, is about over. Let's hope McCain gets a little discipline and starts staying with a simple straightforward message instead of wondering off into political mine fields.
In the end, McCain needs to have a few satisfactory, bullet point answers to some of these questions; a very clear, definitive, short answer on most questions and have longer, more knowledgeable answers on the main points: Iraq, Afghanistan, Economy, Energy.
That's it. In fact, it is very likely that if McCain can discipline himself to these four topics, the most important topics to the US citizen, and hammers Obama on these items (because he is so weak there), McCain could win walking away in November.
So, somebody grab the good Senator the next time he starts wandering after Bambi in the enchanted forest and stuff a sock in it.
Dear Sen. McCain,
Shut up!
Okay, seriously, he's personal. He likes to chit chat (or BS as we say). But that leads to Sen. McCain saying some really loose sh*t. Such as taking up Obama's stupid "Nuremburg Trials" concept for Osama bin Laden. As I pointed out, so long ago, Nuremburg is not a good example of the type of trial Obama wanted to have. You know, with a bunch of rights provided to the terrorists like it was a civilian criminal court instead of a military tribunal of an enemy of the United States. No, the Nuremburg trials were not anything about civil rights.
I'm sure that McCain has some residual feelings about how he had no trial and was simply classified a "war criminal" and tortured as a "guest" of the North Vietnamese, but he shouldn't let that over ride the reality: Osama bin Laden is 99.999% unlikely to be captured alive.
Reporters are asking McCain that question to get him to, yes, indeed, say something stupid. Like repeat Obama's point as if McCain had no other idea, was following Obama or shoring up his (Obama's) political positions UPDATE: Even Obama's Team is recognizing those positions. There may, indeed, be some position somewhere that McCain shares with Obama, but he doesn't have to outline them in red and shine a neon light on them. McCain has to be "different" than president Bush, but he's trying way to hard and he's giving things up to Obama that he shouldn't have to.
The other part of the issue is that reporters are trying to get McCain to say he would not hold military tribunals or anything like what is being held down in Guantanamo. In fact, implying those are somehow inappropriate or illegal. Since McCain is going to inherit these trials (maybe), he should try not to give the defense teams any more ammo in trying to have the trials thrown out because the next President doesn't even believe in them.
When asked such an ignorant question about what would McCain do if Osama bin Laden was captured, McCain should not go traipsing off into the trap like Bambi on a flower hunting expedition. He should stick with the simple facts.
Osama bin Laden is more likely to be killed than captured.
If he really must elaborate here, simply say that bin Laden knows that the United States will not forget nor give up on bringing bin Laden to justice. Ambiguous enough no one knows if you mean to capture or kill.
I know, that sounds somewhat like President Bush, but contrary to popular belief, Bush is not totally stupid. Or, at least, Karl Rove wasn't. Now, if only somebody on McCain's Straight Talk Train could reign him in and remind him that he is running for president. McCain's time for rambling on about whatever, even as a man of the people, is about over. Let's hope McCain gets a little discipline and starts staying with a simple straightforward message instead of wondering off into political mine fields.
In the end, McCain needs to have a few satisfactory, bullet point answers to some of these questions; a very clear, definitive, short answer on most questions and have longer, more knowledgeable answers on the main points: Iraq, Afghanistan, Economy, Energy.
That's it. In fact, it is very likely that if McCain can discipline himself to these four topics, the most important topics to the US citizen, and hammers Obama on these items (because he is so weak there), McCain could win walking away in November.
So, somebody grab the good Senator the next time he starts wandering after Bambi in the enchanted forest and stuff a sock in it.
You goota take smaller bites, I love reading you but my lips get tired.