TheAgitator.com
Why Cindy McCain’s Drug Addiction Is a Legitimate News Story
Monday, September 15th, 2008Commentary’s Jennifer Rubin wonders why the Washington Post would run a front-page story about Cindy McCain’s past painkiller addiction, and the crimes she committed to support it.
I can think of a couple of reasons.
- John and Cindy McCain have touted her addiction an example in overcoming adversity. That presents quite the contrast to McCain’s legislative history as an ardent drug warrior. People accused of crimes similar to those Cindy McCain was accused of committing usually go to prison (even when they’re innocent). Her crimes haven’t been well-reported in the media. And they show how John McCain (who, by the way, is running for president) believes in one set of rules for the friends and family of powerful politicians, and a different set of rules for everyone else.
- While Cindy McCain’s addiction and theft from her children’s charity to support that addiction were lightly covered at the time, there has yet to be much coverage of it at all during this campaign. And one aspect of the case that’s been covered even less is John and Cindy McCain’s attempt to railroad Tom Gosinski, the guy who blew the whistle on Cindy McCain’s theft from her children’s charity. The Post story is one of the first to get his version of what happened.
So here we have a U.S. senator who tried to destroy the guy who blew the whistle on his wife’s crimes, who then used his political power to work out a sweetheart deal with prosecutors to get his wife a slap on the wrist for those crimes (which often send others to prison), and who has then spent his entire career fighting for longer sentences and less leniency for people who commit similar crimes. And he’s now running for president.
How can Rubin argue with a straight face that this isn’t a legitimate story?
IOKIYAR
[...] Cindy McCain’s Drug Use (and Criminal Behavior) are Legitimate News Stories [...]
Because she’s a shameless hack?
The McCains’ behavior and their impunity are their rewards for holding high political power and serving the ruling elite.
Why the surprise? Hasn’t it occurred to everyone by now that humans are divided into de facto subspecies? The politically powerful and wealthy are one such subspecies. The poor and enslaved are another. Neither one cares much for the other, and that’s putting it mildly.
It’s gone on forever and forever it will go on.
(Going for -20 … )
Legitimate news story? Maybe. But if you push it, all you’ll do is create sympathy for McCain. Yes, really. Don’t be tone deaf on this.
Sydney, if they don’t push it then the McCains get away with it.
There’s nothing that Dems, independents or people who just hate rich assholes getting special breaks can do about the media spin, at least at first. If the public outcry is wide and deep enough then even that narrative will change somewhat.
PS And by the way, could you see yourself typing “if you push it, all you’ll do is create sympathy for Obama. Yes, really. Don’t be tone deaf on this” if the situation were reversed? Not a hope in hell. You’d be talking about how it impacted on Obama, how it finished him as a candidate, and so on.
Can’t you see how your post is a perfect reflection of just how distorted free thinking in the USA has become in the past eight years. Not only are corruption and cronyism so commonplace within the GOP that it’s even a question as to whether it’s a story or not, you have actually reached the point where you openly counsel not even mentioning such things at all!!!
Palin paraded her 17 year old, pregnant, unmarried daughter, Bristol, and Bristol’s boyfriend around the stage at the RNC. In fact, Sarah Palin’s first child, Track, was born when she had been married about seven months. Her admitted marijuana smoking, the abuse of office accusations. All of the above happened while Sarah Palin professed to be a Christian.
John McCain, fifth from the bottom of his Naval Academy class of 899 members, and widely known as an adulterer, married Cindy one month after he divorced his first family. Cindy’s drug theft charge.
These two families in the White House would provide fodder for the tabloids for years to come.
Such a terrible example for our young people.
For centuries we had one law for the powerful and a different law for the poor. Now we have one law for both, it just gets ignored for the powerful.
So the doctor’s own actions aren’t responsible for his troubles? Check.
Sidney –
I can see where you are coming from in regards to creating sympathy for Cindy, but I think the bigger point, which Radley mentioned, is John is in favor of putting the screws to any other folk not named Cindy McCain for the same behavior. I know there are different sets of rules for different folks in this country, but it doesn’t mean it’s right.
I’m sorry, but it is very difficult for me to take this, or anyother topic discussing beahviors of anyone within either of the parties seriously. I see no real difference. Sure…there are some basic policy issues, but when viewed without a predisposition to either side, they sound remarkably the same. Without a doubt, the tactics they use are identical…then they slam each other for the same underhanded tactics. My view of the whole process and the candidates and the sheep that continually support and defend them can be summed up with this Mad TV skit:
http://www.jibjab.com/view/154381
I’m not sure how we can say the Republicans are this and that without saying the Democrats are same this and the same that. Cindy got a slap on the wrist for her addiction, but Ted Kennedy killed someone and Patrick Kennedy went to AA for a DUI. Larry Craig tried to proposition a cop for gay sex, but Barney Frank ran a defacto prositution ring out of his house in 1990. It’s not ok for either party to get away with these things, but it’s an issue of pots and kettles. Obama and McCain are guilty for an equal amount of shady things. So let’s not pretend that this anymore of issue than Jeramiah Wright or lapel pins.
Matt, I don’t generally believe the Democrats are better in any way than the Republicans, but Larry Craig has tried to limit the freedom of homosexuals while being one, himself. And the point of Cindy McCain’s drug addiction is the same. It’s about hypocrisy. And while I do think Obama is hypocritical when it comes to drugs, I don’t think he’s been as demonstrably dishonest (on many issues) as McCain.
Matt, you are wrong on the prostitution ring. Wiki’s summary is accurate and useful:
And for those of gassing on about “how the parties are just the same”, how come I never see you saying the same things when there’s a Democratic scandal.
Well obviously because you don’t read everything here. I continually point out the hypocrisy in both parties…as do many others here. I notice that you provided nothing to refute the fact that both parties are equally low, muck racking, hypocrites when it comes to furthering their agendas and use the SAME methods to do so and consider nothing off-limits if it accomplishes what they wish. Your complaint is NOT that they are all those things but that you haven’t seen any posts equally chastising the republicans for dirty politics…..so I guess scrolling down 2 or 4 subjects on the main page is too much for you…you know…about McCain’s dirty politics….wait…that one has a special format making it invisible to democrats….sorry.
This is a lot more of an issue than Jeremiah Wright or lapel pins. This is plain and simple criminal behavior by the candidate and his wife well beyond her simple drug use, which on it sown I would not condemn her for. If Obama has done anything outright criminal like this, lets hear it.
They’re both low, I’ll admit that. That doesn’t mean they’re equally low or that their inequivalent actions should be treated equivalently. Hypocrisy especially burns because it means “one rules for us elites, and another for you plebeians”.
If the kitchen counters of an 11 year old boy and his family are fair game for discussion of one issue, why is Cindy McCain’s drug abuse not valid for another issue.
Google Graeme Frost
Obama and McCain are guilty for an equal amount of shady things. So let’s not pretend that this anymore of issue than Jeramiah Wright or lapel pins.
So, refresh my memory–when exactly did Obama use his political connections to spare Wright a lengthy jail term? Oh yeah, never.
Anyway, this is getting really old. If you’re going to respond to a criticism of something McCain or Palin actually did, you should do so w/ an example of something Obama actually did, not just the mere fact that he knows somebody (Wright, Ayers) with disagreeable views.
I stand corrected on Barney Frank. I should’ve done the research. I also posted that comment missing the second half of what I had written.
My point was to show the hypocrisy of both parties and that the the real subject of our condemnation should be their voting records. Obama is an admitted user of coke and pot. He broke the law. Like Zeb, I don’t hold it against him because…well because it’s a stupid law. So did W and so did Clinton and I’m sure we can go on and on. As far as Obama doing something outright criminal, he did vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act and to protect telecoms from lawsuits for forking over private information the request of the Bush Administration. I think that is criminal. And McCain voted for the War in Iraq, the Patriot Act, his horrid Campaign Reform Act, etc.
What I did not make clear in my first post is that those examples were actions that did not hurt the country as a whole, just a few individuals. But the examples of their voting records as stated above should be the focus of their character flaws and poor judgement because that hurts everyone.
Anyway, I’m at work and rushed through the post and made ass of myself. Sorry.
Huh. Well, that ended up being more thoughtful than I had assumed it would. I guess I’m a little too used to the kneejerk “what about Wright!?!?!” response to any criticism of McCain/Palin.
Point taken that their voting records don’t always reflect so well on either of them.
Radley,
Bad choice of words in the headline IMO.
Her drug addiction isn’t the story at all. The story is the cover up, misuse of authority and unequal treatment under the law.
Matt, I completely agree with you regarding the candidates’ voting records. It sometimes seems like that the thing that matters least.
Oh Jennifer Rubin, what a sheltered world you must inhabit to have the stones to pose such a question. Drug laws, like taxes, are for the little people! Is that what you’re getting at. If you want, Jennifer, you could question Obama about his past drug use and I would declare it to be totally legit (I know Radley’s done that already).
If you are going to assume office in a country where drugs are illegal, some people are going to ask if you and your loved ones have towed the same line that you are asking everyone else to tow. Obviously, the McCains think its ok for important folk to get high and deceive people as long as they issue the “mistakes were made” statement and shuffle off to rehab on cue. Obama, on the other hand, just got high when he was younger. Who do you think fucked up the most, Ms. Rubin.