Dick Cheney Bashes John McCain In New Book

[kpete]

On September 24, 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain announced he was suspending his presidential campaign to come back to Washington to deal with the financial crisis. It was a move that frankly surprised many of us in the White House. After all, there really wasn't much John could actually do, and it seemed pretty risky to announce the campaign suspension and head back to Washington without being clear about what you could actually deliver. But we wanted McCain to win, so when he asked the president to convene the congressional leadership in the Cabinet Room of the White House to discuss the financial crisis, the president did it. He called Senator Obama, McCain's opponent, and asked him to be there as well. What unfolded that day in the West Wing was likely unique in the annals of American presidential contests.
<...>

When the president turned to Senator McCain to speak, he passed. Since he had called for the meeting in the first place, that was a surprise. After a few other people expressed their opinions, most of them negative, the president came back to McCain. This time he spoke, but only for himself. It was a marked contrast with Obama, whose words carried the authority of all the Democrats in the room. Senator McCain added nothing of substance. It was entirely unclear why he'd returned to Washington and why he'd wanted the congressional leadership called together. I left the Cabinet Room when the meeting was over thinking the Republican presidential ticket was in trouble.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/30/dick-cheney-book-john-mccain_n_941573.html

[Mz Pip]

1. That's a fairly accurate discription

of the event as described by other accounts. McCain made a big to do about the meeting then contributed nothing. IT seemed to be just another PR stunt by McCain to call attention to himself.

[yellowcanine]

2. It was a desperate attempt by McCain to one-up Obama and jumpstart his flagging campaign.

Unfortunately for McCain it helped Obama more than McCain because Obama actually had some ideas about what to do. Sounds as if it also pissed off the Bush WH crowd a bit as well so that obviously did not help either.

[Historic NY]

5. Showmanship fail.

[msongs]

3. pretty much a misuse of the word 'bashing' though....

statement of fact and observation with analysis hardly qualifies as bashing. Like on DU where even the slighest criticism of obama's policies is automatically "bashing" Obama lol

[SpiralHawk]

4. Chickenhawk Republicon shirker bashes Republicon crony

No one gives a crap what Dickie 'Five-Military-Deferments" Cheney has to whine about...

[hlthe2b]

6. So there is the truthful section upon which Cheney defenders....

will hang their hats, to proclaim the authenticity and "honesty" of the big Dick.

This summary is not news to hardly anyone, but at least he did convey it fairly accurately.

[gratuitous]

7. I don't know that it's bashing

Certainly, McCain doesn't come off looking very good, but the facts of Cheney's account seem to comport with other reports from that time. Although, like most Republicans, McCain doesn't come out looking very good when facts are in the mix. McCain, Cheney, Bush and the rest are far better served by fantasyland depictions that they make up in their own minds. Trafficking in facts just leads to problems.