March 31, 2008 12:19

“If I Only Had McCain”

Posted by Michael Scherer | Comments (56) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This

The Washington Post fronts this morning with the tale of Barack Obama and John McCain’s 2006 spat over ethics reform legislation. Long story short, Obama and McCain once tried to work together to impose tougher congressional ethics rules. But then Obama released a letter criticizing McCain’s approach, McCain took offense, and some nasty correspondence between the two was leaked to the press. The two men, who both pride themselves on working across party lines, failed miserably to work together, though in the end most of the ethics restrictions they favored passed into law.

The Post story gives an excellent blow-by-blow of the whole ordeal. But it leaves out the music. What music?, you ask. The song that Barack Obama sang at the 2006 Gridiron Dinner, a white-tie celebrations of self-importance that a select group of press and official Washington hold every year. Lucky for us, the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet blogged the song lyrics at the time.

So take a moment and imagine Barack Obama, in white tie, singing the following lyrics to the tune of “If I Only Had a Brain,” from the Wizard of Oz, just weeks after his highly public blowup with McCain, before a crowd of mostly-drunk big shots.

I'm aspiring to greatness, but somehow I feel weightless
A freshman's sad refrain
I could be a great uniter, making ethics rules much tighter
If I only had McCain

I could bring us all together, no storm we couldn't weather,
We'd feel each other's pain
Red and blue wouldn't matter, party differences would shatter
If I only had McCain

Oh why is it so hard, for honest men of good will to agree,
If we ever found a way to strike a deal, would we survive… politically?

When a wide-eyed young idealist, confronts a seasoned realist
There's bound to be some strain
With the game barely started, I'd be feeling less downhearted
If I only had McCain

Still I hope for the better, though I may rewrite my letter
Cause I gotta have McCain

After singing the song, Obama told the gathered press, according to his prepared remarks, “I should say that I really do get along well with Senator McCain. But as you know, not everyone in politics does. Because of his superstar status, his virtuous image, the kind of hero worship treatment he gets from all of you [the press], some of my colleagues call John a prima donna. Me? I call him a role model. Think of it as affirmative action. Why should the white guys be the only ones who are overhyped?”

Funny? At least for Washington standards, which maybe isn't saying all that much.

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Reader Comments (56)

HH:

You see, Michael, talking about the buzz has become fractal. You are now buzzing about the buzz about the buzz. We want you to be the buzzbuster, or, in other words, a responsible journalist.

Walter Lippman envisioned the end of politics in America because scientific management would move into the government and its administrative agencies, putting technocrats in charge of all the important machinery.

Look at what the plutocratic control of propaganda has put in charge of our government: the Bush administration. This is where the politics of personality buzz and propaganda have taken us: on the road to ruin.

Posted by HH | March 31, 2008 12:35 PM

TomT:

This is bad news for Democrats, clearly.

Posted by TomT | March 31, 2008 12:38 PM

Cliff:

Nice post.

Not really.

I'm gonna go ahead and repost my questions for McCain from your previous post, since I've got nothing to add to Obama's song and dance routine:

1. Do you support the way that the objective of the Iraq War has changed over the past five years?

2. What are your plans for capturing Osama Bin Laden? Do you feel that he should still be brought to justice? Is that at all a priority for you?

3. Is it reasonable to expect the Iraqis to adopt democracy, when they don't have the same philosophical and historical background that we do, which led to the creation of a Constitutional Republic?

4. The money spent per month on the Iraq War (six to twelve billion dollars) could make a sizeable incentive for a federal alternative-energy program, to help us become more oil-independent. Do you think that might be a reasonable investment?

5. What ties do you have to the Saudi Royal family? Is it at all comparable to the ties they have to the Bush family?

Any chance of getting some of these answered? How about the very excellent questions that others have posted?

Posted by Cliff | March 31, 2008 12:45 PM

Jim, Foolish Literalist:

Obama has McCain's number, and he's not afraid to take him on, and he does it with humor.

The Clintons fawn over him and call him a moderate.

That tell anybody anything?

Posted by Jim, Foolish Literalist | March 31, 2008 12:52 PM

grape_crush:

MS: Funny? At least for Washington standards, which maybe isn't saying all that much.

It reads kinda funny; lighthearted. Who wrote the lyrics?

Actually, by reading the title, I was kinda expecting something that didn't show McCain in the bestest light...maybe something like this...But I guess stuff like that is pretty minor.

Posted by grape_crush | March 31, 2008 12:59 PM

Paul Dirks

In case you missed it.

8. How did you manage to get the details in Iraq wrong for a period of one month if you really understand what is going on there? Were you deliberately trying to tie Iran to al qaeda the way Bush ties them to Iraq?

It's really more important than if Obama happened to sing a funny song.

Though I must admit it IS a funny song....

Posted by Paul Dirks | March 31, 2008 1:08 PM

jayackroyd

6. Allawi has remarked that the comparison between the 100 year occupation of Iraq is not Japan or Germany, but the Philippines. Isn't that what it will like? An unending conflict, with American puppets, because there is no pro-American element among the Iraqi citizenry?

And the NYT fronts another McCain fundraising article, without mentioning that he is still opted in to the public financing system, and has spent past the ceiling.

Posted by jayackroyd | March 31, 2008 1:09 PM

Michael Scherer:

Grape_crush,

I love that you posted the link to the question McCain fumbled on HIV prevention in Africa, since I was the reporter who asked that first question, “Should U.S. taxpayer money go to places like Africa to fund contraception to prevent AIDS?” I am pretty sure I asked the first follow-up too, because he came back to me to correct the record after his initial response.

After that the estimable Nagourney from the New York Times piled on with a bunch of other rapid fire questions to throw McCain off guard. I blogged the episode before the Times, but then the Salon blog was not as well read as the Times blog. And Nagourney had the bright idea to blog the whole transcript, which showed McCain confused and grasping for help. So Nagourney's record of the exchange is the definitive one.

And for the record, I did not get fired, or reprimanded, for asking the question that stumped McCain.

As to the questions that others have posted, thanks. I think a lot of them have already been answered, or can easily be answered from the public record. Some of the others are basically argumentative, so I think they fail my requirements. But others are good. I will read them all later today when i have a chance. .

Posted by Michael Scherer | March 31, 2008 1:15 PM

Paul Dirks

others are basically argumentative...

I'm not sure where you place questions concerning the misstating of Al Qaeda as being the main recipient of Iranian aid, but it remains among the most important inquiries you could pursue.

Not to harp on in but the CiC should know who the enemy is. And history has revealed that its rather easy to get distracted by the wrong one.

Posted by Paul Dirks | March 31, 2008 1:22 PM

Cliff:

For the questions that have already been answered, or can easily be answered from the public record, is there a good place to go to find these answers?

For the argumentative questions, are there any that have a glimmer of virtue in them? Could they be rephrased to be less argumentative but still valid?

Posted by Cliff | March 31, 2008 1:26 PM

Michael Scherer:

Paul Dirks, That question is a good example of one I probably would not ask, since he has already addressed it and would be unlikely to say anything different if asked again. According to McCain, he simply made a mistake, and has since corrected the record. (There is a good Kelly O'Donnell interview just a day after the last mistake, where he speaks to this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23697639/)

So he could be asked again, but he would say the same thing. We already have his answer. Now perhaps you think the press should badger him on the point, since the error was so great. But I do not. The record is clear. He said a falsehood repeatedly, and then said it had been a mistake. I don't know what is to be gained by badgering.

Posted by Michael Scherer | March 31, 2008 1:31 PM

grape_crush:

MS: And for the record, I did not get fired, or reprimanded, for asking the question that stumped McCain.

Oooh! Teh snark! It burrrns!

Thanks for the fill-in info, Mike. Hard to tell who's saying what with transcripts reading 'Reporter:' and 'Q:'.

Posted by grape_crush | March 31, 2008 1:35 PM

grape_crush:

MS: And for the record, I did not get fired, or reprimanded, for asking the question that stumped McCain.

Oooh! Teh snark! It burrrns!

Thanks for the fill-in info, Mike. Hard to tell who's saying what with transcripts reading 'Reporter:' and 'Q:'.

Posted by grape_crush | March 31, 2008 1:35 PM

Paul-no not that one:

Interesting Michael, and I trust that you will extend to the other candidates the same courtesy of having them answer a question once and no matter what the response you will let the issue drop.

Posted by Paul-no not that one | March 31, 2008 1:36 PM

53_2:

Hmm, not directed at you at all MS, but an observation on the "choosiness" of when and when not to ask a question of someone:

"That question is a good example of one I probably would not ask, since he has already addressed it and would be unlikely to say anything different if asked again."

I wonder how many pundits out there adhered to THAT bit 'o wisdom during the Wright/Obama fiasco?

Nevermind. It is really a rhetorical question. The answer is:

"Not very many..."

Posted by 53_2 | March 31, 2008 1:37 PM

grape_crush:

Apologies for the double-post, but I got an 'restricted' message and re-tried.

Posted by grape_crush | March 31, 2008 1:37 PM

53_2:

Hmm, not directed at you at all MS, but an observation on the "choosiness" of when and when not to ask a question of someone:

"That question is a good example of one I probably would not ask, since he has already addressed it and would be unlikely to say anything different if asked again."

I wonder how many pundits out there adhered to THAT bit 'o wisdom during the Wright/Obama fiasco?

Nevermind. It is really a rhetorical question. The answer is:

"Not very many..."

Posted by 53_2 | March 31, 2008 1:37 PM

Time4Tolerance:

Hillary would work much better with McBush than Obama would and this is proof!

Hillary 2008!!!!

Posted by Time4Tolerance | March 31, 2008 1:38 PM

53_2:

grape_crush:

I just got the same, and mine turned into a dbl post, too.

Posted by 53_2 | March 31, 2008 1:38 PM

HH:

Thought experiment: How long would John McCain's candidacy last if he participated on this blog and his responses to our questions were widely circulated?

A. Two days

B. Two weeks

C. Two months

D. No effect

Posted by HH | March 31, 2008 1:45 PM

Southern Bell:

Michael, I'd also like you to press McCain about Reaganomics and how that theory was proven to be a failure.

I just read on the Page that McCain was "surprised" by Maliki's move and "disturbed" by some of Sadr's demands. So, I'd like you to press him on how we can possibly keep our troops in a region for an undetermined amount of time when we are clueless about the situation on the ground.

And what jayacroyd said. Please ask about the funding of his campaign.

The point about McCain's mistakes on Shia/Sunni is that he "explained" himself and then the press let him be. Would any other candidate get the same treatment?

McCain has been handled with kid gloves, it's impossible to tell how he'd react to a crisis or someone's crossing him.

Posted by Southern Bell | March 31, 2008 1:48 PM

Paul Dirks

@Michael Scherer

I had an entire paragraph typed up in response to you which I then had to erase when I followed the MSNBC link.

But when you consider that the entire last 5 years of warfare were enabled by conflating two different enemies (Saddam and OBL) and that even today, the lack of a clear good guy/bad guy divide in Iraq has rendered our mission there confusing and unstable, "badgering" the Senator might be just what is needed to keep the issue fresh. It's certainly not going to go away anytime soon.

(I will note that other commenters have suggested better ways to get to the same question)

Perhaps the simplest way to put it would be "who are we fighting in Iraq and why?" and let the candidate's response speak for itself.

Posted by Paul Dirks | March 31, 2008 1:59 PM

Time4Tolerance:

HH - he would quit because he would see how brillant our liberal groupthink here is realize that being a democrat is the only sane way to be and he would renounce his republican ways and offer to run as Hillary's VP candidate.

Posted by Time4Tolerance | March 31, 2008 2:02 PM

HH:

our liberal groupthink

I have not detected any filter that screens out brilliant conservatives here. It could be that they are too busy blowing up hedge funds to waste their time asking journalists to serve the public. Swampland has a big enough audience so that the distribution of the rabble should approximate the general (literate) electorate. That probably skews toward the satanic liburls.

As for me, I think all three Presidential candidates, including the liburls, are in the pocket of the plutocracy, so that makes me a populist or worse.

Posted by HH | March 31, 2008 2:08 PM

stringer:

Yeah the fact that the Republican nominee disagrees with Obama and personally dislikes him really doesn't bother me.

News flash, Michael: I'd prefer they do. Hence the notion of having a real choice in this election.

To be honest it just sort of creeps me out when McCain and Bill Clinton push how much Johnny Maverick and Hillary agree on everything. It makes me think, that underneath it all, she's not really that much of a Democrat.

No thank you, I'll take a real choice this time around. I'd prefer to see Obama take on McCain so we can have a real election.

Posted by stringer | March 31, 2008 2:19 PM

Cliff:

Here's a question suggested by Paul Dirk's post above, and by several of Klein's posts:

Why is the US supporting the same faction in Iraq that Iran supports, when you (McCain) and Cheney have made it clear that you view Iran as a severe threat to the West?

The question to Scherer is:
Is the above question
(A) argumentative
(B) already been answered
(C) a valid question?

I ask because I am unclear on your standards.

Posted by Cliff | March 31, 2008 2:20 PM

Time4Tolerance:

HH - the reason why there are no conservatives here is because there are no brillant conservatives. They filter themselves out once they become repugs.

It is ok if you are a populist, like John Edwards, and I think he would be a great Vp for Hillary. You would support that, right?

Posted by Time4Tolerance | March 31, 2008 2:23 PM

53_2:

I for one favor choosing whichever faction is against Iran, which ever faction that is, at least THIS week...

Hells bells! Is this fun! Last month, we were hugging the Sunnis who have this insurgency thing going, because they don't like Al-Queda, now that TEHY went an picked sides.

That's what I think, anyway, if that indeed who they were killing THAT week, but me, I would plunk MY money down on the Kurds. Never mind the fact that they hosted the Al-Queda base that Powell made so famous!

But, of COURSE, what was I thinking? THAT was SO last year!!!!!

Posted by 53_2 | March 31, 2008 3:39 PM

Time4Ignorance:

TFT, I don't know what you are talking about.

You must be an elitist, volvo-driving, latte-sipping librul who likes to read high-falutin' newspapers that use big words like USA Today.

Well, the real measure of a man's intelligence is not whether what he writes on the internets, but how well he can clear brush.

All your book learning will not change the fact that we were right to get the guy who did 9/11, Saddam Hussein, and that Barack Obama is his cousin.

There's one thing we agree on. I'm voting for Hillary. Rush told me I was supposed to.

Posted by Time4Ignorance | March 31, 2008 7:55 PM

Any chance that there is video of Obama singing this tune at the Gridiron dinner? I think that I would fall over LMAO...

Posted by LK | March 31, 2008 8:51 PM

FRANK TELLS:

I WANT TO FIX HILLARY CLINTON FOR STAYING WITH BILL WHEN SHE SHOULD HAVE DIVORCED HIM OVER:
1. HIS ANTIMASTURBATION
2. HIS CHEATING ADULTERY
ALSO IM AGAINST HER NOT LISTENING TO ME ABOUT VOTING AGAINST THE ANTI POKER BILL (PHONE CALLS, LETTERS) AND RECEIVING FUNDING FROM HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES WHEN THEY ARE ALREADY OVERCHARGING AND AGE DISCRIMINATING. I ALSO BELIEVE LIKE JOE LIEBERMAN THAT BILL CLINTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED AFTER ILLEGALLY CHEATING ON HIS WIFE.

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