We've been talking this week about Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and a few of her cohorts connecting McCarthyism and Islamophobia. The Obama administration, the argument goes, is allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to "infiltrate" the American government.
As "proof" -- I use the word loosely -- Bachmann pointed to Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is Muslim.
It's cheap, it's ugly, it's offensive, and to his credit, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) did the right thing on the Senate floor this morning.
McCain also issued a press statement, praising Abedin and defending her against the baseless attacks coming from members of his own party.
I've made no secret of disappointments with the senator, but I don't mind saying how heartening it is to see him and do the honorable thing today.
For her part, Bachmann issued a press release of her own, saying her fears about "radical groups' access to top Obama administration officials" are legitimate, no matter what reality says.
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You may want to look at your syntax, and correct it. A Republican may accuse Hillary of being Muslim. "As "proof" -- I use the word loosely -- Bachmann pointed to Huma Abedin, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is Muslim." Is Hillary Muslim or is Abedin Muslim? Of course, the bottom line is: What does it matter? Besides to bigots and Islamophobics.
The thing that helps the sentence keep its original meaning is the ',' after Clinton. The sentence mentions that Huma Abedin, in addition of being a top aide to Clinton, is a Muslim.
Had the comma not been there, the sentence would carry a different meaning. Though I agree with you: the syntax could have been better.
You can never be too careful. Fox, the Romney campaign, Breitbart -- hell, they're all the same -- might pick up on Steve's phrase and manufacture some contextless ambiguity and declare Clinton an America-hating Muslim giving rise to the protests in Cairo. And of course that would be why Obama chose her. And the Fox-educated Useful Idiot, upon hearing this newest Obama outrage, would simply stroke his chin all-knowingly and, with resignation, say "I told you so."
I'm surprised that the usual trolls haven't been here already, spouting garbage and strutting & preening as if they had done something astounding.
Maybe one of them got banned. I hope so.
I'm glad to see McCain not yelling about something and actually standing on principle. About time.
He would've made a good president if he hadn't got caught-up running against a moment in history.
There are a variety of reasons why McCain would have made a very, very bad President, not least his bizarre choice of a running mate.
Stknmov
I am sorry I have to agree with ER. McCain has a very bad temperment for a president. Too hot headed and impulsive. And then there's the whole Sarah Palin thing.
Beautifully said.
good to see mccain speaking up on this
Every once in a while, the old coot steps up and actually is the John McCain he thinks he is. The problem is that those rare outbreaks of integrity, like this, his concession speech and his talkback to the crazed birther lady in the audience during the campaign, allow him to convince himself that that's who he really is, which, in turn, enables stuff like voting against the DISCLOSE Act and not reigning in Palin.
Gee, either Sen. McCain must be retiring after this term, or Bachmann really did sound batshytcrazy to him also. While I applaud him for speaking up this time - he's just been silent enough to let way too much crazy talk continue from the reich.....
Tea baggers need controversy and Hollywood reality shows to stay afloat in politics. They want everything not of their govts must be cut but war profiteers that have close tie with them do even need a real balance sheet explaining expensive overseas war contracts. Their Christian god is just a minor god in both Islam and Mormonism. People's religious freedom in this world includes rights to name their own gods or rename gods from other religions for themselves.
GO MAC!
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
-and McCain has been stopped for some time.
Steve, I totally agree. I wish the senator was willing to challenge the crazies more often, but yes, it's very heartening whenever he does.
If you paid attention to McCain's career in Congress, you'd see he's been one of the crazies for quite some time. A vet that votes against vets and votes against his own bills just to stay the party line isn't sane in my book.
Bachman's "feariness" should be driving her into a padded room some time soon (if only). She's been afeared for quite some time of quite a number of things, including gays in the bathroom (and monsters under the bed).
So tell me again, why does she get press coverage? Oh, right, forgot for a moment that the "news" is about "ratings" not actually about the "news." My bad.
Where's Walter Cronkite when you need him?
I....B..., You may want to find another Blog to which to post. I, personally, do not care to see your name, again.
Baba Bachmann, the republican parties designated psycho is having one of her illusion's again.Her's and Louie Ghomert's families need to have them commited to the nearest insane asylum until they realize where their illusion's end and reality begins.But kudo's to Mccain for exposing these two fraud's.
I voted for McCain in the 2000 Republican primary. It was not simply my first of 3 votes against GWB. I thought he was a reasonable guy, and certainly more centrist than the alternative.
Unfortunately in 2008 he had to bow down to the new GOP in order to get nominated. But since then, he has been free to be himself again, and occasionally he remembers his oath of office. Which, for a GOP senator, is a rarity.
Thanks, Mac.
Uh-what was that last blurb on the tape?Something about "an absence of a qurom" by McCain and then a call for a roll call? If so I wonder if any "tea"publican was there or did they walk out?
Bachmann issued a press release of her own, saying her fears about "radical groups' access to top Obama administration officials" are legitimate...
Michele is correct to have fears about 'radical groups' access to top Obama admin officials. Just to be safe, I believe a list should be published of all Baptists and Catholics who have access to Clinton, Biden, or Obama.
Back when I used to respect McCain, he used to engage reality a lot. Then he ran for President and had to kowtow to the loonyass Useful Idiot right. Of course, he had been veering off the road of reality for a while before that.
Thought you all should see what th right is pushing.
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2012/07/assads-brother-in-law-other-top-syrian-officials-including-the-most-senior-christian-government-offi.html
It's this kind of behavior that makes me believe McCain wouldn't have been the bad president many of us thought he could have been. He still has respect for the office he serves and knows how to break ranks with his party when it goes to far.
You mean like when he votes against bills he wrote or co-sponsored (DREAM Act, campaign finance reform/transparency, LOST)? He did the right thing in this case, but his bitterness stemming from his loss to a half-term senator has consumed him for the last four years.
It was that Cold War II glow in his eyes as he demanded we push the country up to DEFCON 2 to respond to the Russian incursion in Georgia in 2008 that convinced me he would be worse.
Steve, I agree with you about McCain's honorable and courageous actions. However, as one professional writer to another, I would strongly suggest you self-edit your articles a little better.
Credit where credit is due - thank you, John McCain. Most eloquent.
Shorter McCain. "Have you no sense of decency, (Congresswoman)? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"
You might ask the same question of the entire Republican party, at least the dittohead brigade.
Through the most devistating senility, occasionally the light of the original personality can shine. Only to be doused quickly by his tea party benefactors. He is a snake of the most purile kind.
Great speech my McCain! You would think that after such a figure in the republican party tells you to quit the $hit Bachmann would back down. But then again, Bachmann was the person who said on national tv that an injection causes mental retardation lol.. What was Minnesota thinking when they elected this piece of work!!
When you look at the real quality of the cast of characters ( I use the term advisedly) arrayed against Mitt Romney, every day proves how the GOP was forced to settle on such an unelectable candidate.
Gee, what's the matter John?
Did your Republican ANTI-LGBT/BIGOT #1 WHITE GIRL embarrass you and ALL AMERICANS with her crap?
You Republican clowns in Washington getting a little worried about how your freakin' nut case mouthpiece morons are sounding in places like Egypt?
It's about damned time.
You DO-NOTHING REPUBLICAN CLOWNS NEED TO PULL IN YOUR PROPAGANDA PUPPETS, or are "ya'll" just trying to start ANOTHER BOGUS WAR somewhere???
I think this is the "true" John McCaine. I hope he continues being true to himself. I think he is a decent man at his core. I will always remember when he took the microphone from the crazy old bigoted woman and told her that she was wrong about Obama being an Arab. John, come and join us and become a Democrat!