McCain: Dictators 'get started by suppressing free press'

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/18/politics/john-mccain-donald-trump-dictators/index.html

Of course they have but some folks believe in American Exceptionalism so much they want to think our country is immune to such things.

so that's what the college kids are doing nowadays...

McCain is a sour old loser, he needed to retire after he ran for President and blew that election.

Just a quick mention here that the lap dogs will now vilify one of the greatest most dedicated Americans we have. I was heart broken in 08 when his campaign pulled out of Michigan. He's right of corse, but the idiots will run him down like they've done to the journalist on Fox News who recently told us the emperor has no clothes. McCain knows what he's talking about. I'll watch how the right, not conservatives run him down now. Guaranteed.

LooseGoose wrote:McCain is a sour old loser, he needed to retire after he ran for President and blew that election.

I'm sorry you hate the voice of reason. Maybe someday you'll see that you are caught up in the cult of Trump. Maybe after he's kicked out of office.

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

LooseGoose wrote:McCain is a sour old loser, he needed to retire after he ran for President and blew that election.

I'm sorry you hate the voice of reason. Maybe someday you'll see that you are caught up in the cult of Trump. Maybe after he's kicked out of office.

LOL - I remember when McCain was the devil incarnate back in '08 when he was running against the LightBringer. Now that he opposes Trump he's "the voice of reason". What a shocker.

LooseGoose wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

I'm sorry you hate the voice of reason. Maybe someday you'll see that you are caught up in the cult of Trump. Maybe after he's kicked out of office.

LOL - I remember when McCain was the devil incarnate back in '08 when he was running against the LightBringer. Now that he opposes Trump he's "the voice of reason". What a shocker.

How does he oppose trump? You've changed you're opinion on him not me. Typical.

McCain lost in '08 because the conservative activists of the GOP put an unprepared first term governor of Alaska on the ticket as VP and she scared the hell out of enough of the electorate to give Obama The White House.

LooseGoose wrote:McCain is a sour old loser, he needed to retire after he ran for President and blew that election.

That's incredibly disrespectful.

My guess is you would have taken McCain over Trump in a heartbeat...at least back when you were calling Trump an "asshole".

Now, you're just a lapdog.

Rand Paul has joined in.

DWags wrote:Just a quick mention here that the lap dogs will now vilify one of the greatest most dedicated Americans we have. I was heart broken in 08 when his campaign pulled out of Michigan. He's right of corse, but the idiots will run him down like they've done to the journalist on Fox News who recently told us the emperor has no clothes. McCain knows what he's talking about. I'll watch how the right, not conservatives run him down now. Guaranteed.

if mccain is so great, why didn't he ever run for governor? would have helped him beat barry...

LooseGoose wrote:

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

I'm sorry you hate the voice of reason. Maybe someday you'll see that you are caught up in the cult of Trump. Maybe after he's kicked out of office.

LOL - I remember when McCain was the devil incarnate back in '08 when he was running against the LightBringer. Now that he opposes Trump he's "the voice of reason". What a shocker.

I voted for McCain, so...

Watch Out Pylon! wrote:

LooseGoose wrote:

LOL - I remember when McCain was the devil incarnate back in '08 when he was running against the LightBringer. Now that he opposes Trump he's "the voice of reason". What a shocker.

I voted for McCain, so...

McCain over bush is an easy one.

McCain. Lol

While I greatly respect his service to our country over 40 years ago, I can't abide him going to Europe and ripping our country and President. If you have a problem, there are plenty of eager news outlets to take your statement here, or gee, maybe speak directly to the person you have a problem with.
You don't talk bad about your SO to the neighbors and expect anything to change at home-for the better.
McCain has become an embarrassment.
Even if you think he's the biggest hero ever, picture Willie Mays falling down at home plate.....

I.B. Fine wrote:While I greatly respect his service to our country over 40 years ago, I can't abide him going to Europe and ripping our country and President. If you have a problem, there are plenty of eager news outlets to take your statement here, or gee, maybe speak directly to the person you have a problem with.
You don't talk bad about your SO to the neighbors and expect anything to change at home-for the better.
McCain has become an embarrassment.
Even if you think he's the biggest hero ever, picture Willie Mays falling down at home plate.....

Or, picture him stepping up as a grand old veteran and hitting it out of the park and people who don't like it calling him an embarrassment.

If you're confident in your programs and believe in what you are doing you move the fuck on. Why waste time with the press? Why bother with them? Why even make one comment?

I used to have a lot more respect for McCain as a senator - of course I respect his service to the country..

but, as a senator, he often says all of the right things in front of TV cameras - then when it comes time to get in line with republicans and their contempt for America, he lines right up with them 95% of the time.

so, that said, I appreciate these comments - and, of course, he's 100% correct - but I'd appreciate it even more if he'd work to do something about it.

DWags wrote:

I.B. Fine wrote:While I greatly respect his service to our country over 40 years ago, I can't abide him going to Europe and ripping our country and President. If you have a problem, there are plenty of eager news outlets to take your statement here, or gee, maybe speak directly to the person you have a problem with.
You don't talk bad about your SO to the neighbors and expect anything to change at home-for the better.
McCain has become an embarrassment.
Even if you think he's the biggest hero ever, picture Willie Mays falling down at home plate.....

Or, picture him stepping up as a grand old veteran and hitting it out of the park and people who don't like it calling him an embarrassment.

If you're confident in your programs and believe in what you are doing you move the fuck on. Why waste time with the press? Why bother with them?  Why even make one comment?  

We seem to be conflating criticism and suppression, the press is not above criticism and to deny we have a polarization of news outlets is ridiculous, but I see no sign whatsoever of suppression.
Maybe if McCain would have done a little criticism himself in '08 he would have won, and he realizes it. Good reason to be bitter.

I.B. Fine wrote:

DWags wrote:

Or, picture him stepping up as a grand old veteran and hitting it out of the park and people who don't like it calling him an embarrassment.

If you're confident in your programs and believe in what you are doing you move the fuck on. Why waste time with the press? Why bother with them?  Why even make one comment?  

We seem to be conflating criticism and suppression, the press is not above criticism and to deny we have a polarization of news outlets is ridiculous, but I see no sign whatsoever of suppression.
Maybe if McCain would have done a little criticism himself in '08 he would have won, and he realizes it. Good reason to be bitter.

"The press is the enemy of the people". That's what was said. to disagree with it is now being bitter about 08?

God love how people can make that jump. It's entertaining as hell. Not even scary.

DWags wrote:

I.B. Fine wrote:
We seem to be conflating criticism and suppression, the press is not above criticism and to deny we have a polarization of news outlets is ridiculous, but I see no sign whatsoever of suppression.
Maybe if McCain would have done a little criticism himself in '08 he would have won, and he realizes it. Good reason to be bitter.

"The press is the enemy of the people". That's what was said. to disagree with it is now being bitter about 08?

God love how people can make that jump. It's entertaining as hell. Not even scary.

it's pretty funny the lengths that republicans go to in order to support their racist, bigoted, misogynistic sexual predator president.

I.B. Fine wrote:

DWags wrote:

Or, picture him stepping up as a grand old veteran and hitting it out of the park and people who don't like it calling him an embarrassment.

If you're confident in your programs and believe in what you are doing you move the fuck on. Why waste time with the press? Why bother with them?  Why even make one comment?  

We seem to be conflating criticism and suppression, the press is not above criticism and to deny we have a polarization of news outlets is ridiculous, but I see no sign whatsoever of suppression.
Maybe if McCain would have done a little criticism himself in '08 he would have won, and he realizes it. Good reason to be bitter.

I would argue that Trump has crossed the line of criticism by labeling virtually every major news outlet not called Breitbart as "Fake News". He can't silence the press, but he's certainly doing everything he can to discredit those that criticize his administration.

I recall Obama getting into it a few times with Fox News but this is just insane.

AnomanderRake wrote:I recall Obama getting into it a few times with Fox News but this is just insane.

Like many others here your recall sucks.   But of course the press wasn't freaking out daily then.

Barack Obama’s press freedom legacy

President Obama took office in 2009 promising to make his administration the most transparent in American history. New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger, for one, says he’s failed.

“This is the most closed, control freak administration I’ve ever covered,” said Sanger in a 2013 CPJ report, “The Obama Administration and the Press.” The report’s author, former Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie, Jr., declared, “The administration’s war on leaks and other efforts to control information are the most aggressive I’ve seen since the Nixon administration.” As journalists often note, the Obama administration has prosecuted more leakers under the 1917 Espionage Act than all former presidents combined.

but.. but.. Obama!!!

Wait the Obamas administration trying to stop leaks in their administration is now being equated to "the press is the enemy of the people"??

How do you guys do that?

DWags wrote:Wait the Obamas administration trying to stop leaks in their administration is now being equated to "the press is the enemy of the people"??

How do you guys do that?

Wasn't me honey. That was the Columbia Journalism Review.....I'm sure they're quite right wing.

Oh....and that was in 2015, long before Trump.

DWags wrote:Wait the Obamas administration trying to stop leaks in their administration is now being equated to "the press is the enemy of the people"??

  How do you guys do that?

Cheeto Hitler likes two kinds of leaks: the ones about Hillary's email account and the ones involving a Russian prostitute

LooseGoose wrote:

DWags wrote:Wait the Obamas administration trying to stop leaks in their administration is now being equated to "the press is the enemy of the people"??

How do you guys do that?

Wasn't me honey. That was the Columbia Journalism Review.....I'm sure they're quite right wing.

Oh....and that was in 2015, long before Trump.

Wasn't you wasn't trump wasn't the Russians wasnt bowling green wasn't Sweden wasn't the right facts at the D.C. Mall wasn't this wasn't that that. It was Hilloray or Obama. He's done the most of any president in history in the first month but it seems Obamas did it more or earlier according to them when it fucks up.

I hope Goose is on someone's payroll for all the work and digging he's doing to show us Trump is doing one helluva job.

For a guy who paints himself as a conservative and is celebrating GOP control in Washington there is a lot of sympathy for the party that won the Electoral vote, maintained a 4 seat majority in the Senate and its majority in the House.

Trump is the first President of over the dozen I've voted for or against whose NSA was in deep shit before the President that named him took the oath of office, was warned by an AG (acting or otherwise) that he had become a security risk, sat on it for over a week then used the VP as the fall guy because allegedly Flynn never lied to Trump.  Was that because Trump only asked him questions where he already knew answers?

Well oiled machine.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:I used to have a lot more respect for McCain as a senator - of course I respect his service to the country..

but, as a senator, he often says all of the right things in front of TV cameras - then when it comes time to get in line with republicans and their contempt for America, he lines right up with them 95% of the time.

so, that said, I appreciate these comments - and, of course, he's 100% correct - but I'd appreciate it even more if he'd work to do something about it.

you mean he's a part of the established political class? you don't say.....

DWags wrote:

I.B. Fine wrote:
We seem to be conflating criticism and suppression, the press is not above criticism and to deny we have a polarization of news outlets is ridiculous, but I see no sign whatsoever of suppression.
Maybe if McCain would have done a little criticism himself in '08 he would have won, and he realizes it. Good reason to be bitter.

"The press is the enemy of the people". That's what was said. to disagree with it is now being bitter about 08?

God love how people can make that jump. It's entertaining as hell. Not even scary.

compared to russia, the press has been a bigger threat to the walfare of this nation for at least 20 years now....

GRR Spartan wrote:I hope Goose is on someone's payroll for all the work and digging he's doing to show us Trump is doing one helluva job.

For a guy who paints himself as a conservative and is celebrating GOP control in Washington there is a lot of sympathy for the party that won the Electoral vote, maintained a 4 seat majority in the Senate and its majority in the House.

Trump is the first President of over the dozen I've voted for or against whose NSA was in deep shit before the President that named him took the oath of office, was warned by an AG (acting or otherwise) that he had become a security risk, sat on it for over a week then used the VP as the fall guy because allegedly Flynn never lied to Trump.  Was that because Trump only asked him questions where he already knew answers?

Well oiled machine.

NSA #1 was fired.
#2 = No thanks
#3 = No thanks
Can you even call the new guy #4? Or did they just pick a guy they knew would take the job?

Fine tuned machine.

NigelUno wrote:

GRR Spartan wrote:I hope Goose is on someone's payroll for all the work and digging he's doing to show us Trump is doing one helluva job.

For a guy who paints himself as a conservative and is celebrating GOP control in Washington there is a lot of sympathy for the party that won the Electoral vote, maintained a 4 seat majority in the Senate and its majority in the House.

Trump is the first President of over the dozen I've voted for or against whose NSA was in deep shit before the President that named him took the oath of office, was warned by an AG (acting or otherwise) that he had become a security risk, sat on it for over a week then used the VP as the fall guy because allegedly Flynn never lied to Trump.  Was that because Trump only asked him questions where he already knew answers?

Well oiled machine.

NSA #1 was fired.
#2 = No thanks
#3 = No thanks
Can you even call the new guy #4? Or did they just pick a guy they knew would take the job?

Fine tuned machine.

I think this guy is pretty good.
Maybe we got lucky.

I hope DWags and Goose are correct. If the reports of the General's wariness of Russia are correct we may have a person who will tell the President his view isn't necessarily the right one.

NigelUno wrote:

GRR Spartan wrote:I hope Goose is on someone's payroll for all the work and digging he's doing to show us Trump is doing one helluva job.

For a guy who paints himself as a conservative and is celebrating GOP control in Washington there is a lot of sympathy for the party that won the Electoral vote, maintained a 4 seat majority in the Senate and its majority in the House.

Trump is the first President of over the dozen I've voted for or against whose NSA was in deep shit before the President that named him took the oath of office, was warned by an AG (acting or otherwise) that he had become a security risk, sat on it for over a week then used the VP as the fall guy because allegedly Flynn never lied to Trump.  Was that because Trump only asked him questions where he already knew answers?

Well oiled machine.

NSA #1 was fired.
#2 = No thanks
#3 = No thanks
Can you even call the new guy #4? Or did they just pick a guy they knew would take the job?

Fine tuned machine.

This morning, they more or less said that he had to take the position. He is active military, so unless he wanted to kill his career, he needed to take it. That being said, it was also reported that he will have full control of who is on staff, unlike the rumors before that the administration wanted to fill the staff. My first impression is that I'm hoping he does a good job.

GRR Spartan wrote:I hope DWags and Goose are correct. If the reports of the General's wariness of Russia are correct we may have a person who will tell the President his view isn't necessarily the right one.

That won't be good for his job security.

NigelUno wrote:

GRR Spartan wrote:I hope DWags and Goose are correct. If the reports of the General's wariness of Russia are correct we may have a person who will tell the President his view isn't necessarily the right one.

That won't be good for his job security.

this is true.

because, as Cheeto Hitler said during the campaign, "I know more about ISIS than the generals do" - so, yeah... he knows more than whoever this guy is.