IS JOSEPH LIEBERMAN ON McCAIN'S LIST OF POTENTIAL VP CANDIDATES!?!?!?
Okay, so maybe that's a bit of a rhetorical question, but according to an article in today's Washington Times, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain is going on a trip! England, France, Iraq, Jordan and Israel are all on the list of countries McCain will visit on the six day trip next week along with Independent Republican Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
Oh, and guess who's footing the bill (that is, if you haven't already figured it out by now). Find out after the jump! And no, it's not Senator McCain's campaign.
The trip, which will include meetings with Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, will burnish the senator's already lengthy resume on foreign policy. While some Democrats grumbled that the senator - traveling with Sens. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent, and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, on an official congressional mission - is using taxpayer money for a high-profile trip that will benefit his presidential campaign, others acknowledged that Mr. McCain is making a smart strategic move on several fronts.My first question is, does visiting France still automatically mean you're anti-American among Republicans these days? Second, why is McCain, a so called "anti-pork" Republican asking tax-payers to foot the bill for what is clearly a campaign trip? And my third question is why is John McCain trying to further pad his "foreign policy" resume (so to speak) by visiting these places instead of addressing the number one issue on the minds of Americans: THE ECONOMY. Why is John McCain trying to once again make the top issue of this campaign something to do with foreign policy when the real crisis, thanks to eight years of the most disastrous administration in American history, is right here at home?
"A trip to the Middle East by McCain accomplishes three things: First, it takes the issue he is most associated with and begins to use it to define himself as a presidential candidate," said Democratic strategist Mary Anne Marsh.Wait. So appearing with the most anti-American, hateful, ignorant, disastrous President this country has ever seen makes you look "presidential?" Hardly! I'd say this has more to do with the fact that McCain knows nothing about the economy and a McCain administration will mean a continuation of the failed "Bushenomics" of the past four years. (Video h/t: VB Dems)"Two, the images it creates are intended to make him look presidential just as the orchestrated handoff with President Bush at the White House. Lastly, it keeps him in the presidential coverage during the six-week fight in Pennsylvania the Democrats will be engaged and the media covering," she said.
In a moment of candor for the already straight-talking senator, Mr. McCain said last month that he needs to convince the American people the troop escalation in Iraq is working or "I lose."Sorry John but that ship has sailed and you've been left standing at the dock.
[Cross posted on Daily Kos and Too Progressive]
If McCain is elected, Joe may have to sleep with him to keep him alert during those 3 a.m. phone calls.