PrintJune 22, 2009
What is up with Republicans?
A few weeks ago, Laura Bush came out and gushed about Obama's Supreme Court nominee. I thought, "Why? Why must someone like Laura Bush come out and be so effusive about this?" I let it go. It's hard to keep up with political outrageousness these days.
But yesterday, an AP piece quoted John McCain from an appearance on "Face the Nation" as stating that, in evaluating Obama's presidency thus far, Obama has "done well." McCain apparently used as a measuring stick how much Obama has achieved in terms of Obama's goals. McCain did note that Obama has advanced his goals without Republican support. The former is my greater concern, though surely the latter point could likely be debated, as well.
As to his view that Obama has been successful, why apply a measuring stick of success that takes Obama's goals as a starting point? McCain could have applied his own set of values and priorities and said that Obama has done a horrible job, citing a litany of horrendous policy issues. Or, he could have stated, as he did, the ways Obama has met his goals but then gone on to say how bad for the country these "achievements" are.
I did not see the "Face the Nation" interview so perhaps McCain did expand on these issues in important ways. If he did, then I would still take issue with the fact that the Associated Press extracted the part that they did.
