Obama: I would not have appointed Clarence Thomas

[ramseya]

Oerdin:

The story is not in The Gulag Archipelago. Colson's references say as much, saying that he got the story from Billy Graham, who recounted Solzhenitsyn's story to a group of Christian leaders. Solzhenitsyn apparently told the story, but did not write it in The Gulag Archipelago.

I'm searching in vain right now for a searchable full-text English translation of the books online

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Keep repeating that it "was obviously a joke" because it wasn't. I honestly think this is what happens when you have hundreds of millions of dollars from marrying an heiress and live for decades as a Senator. You forget what it is like for the average man.

So what's your excuse?

[Zkribbler]

Here's a curious except from a 2/28/00 speech by McCain:

THE 2000 CAMPAIGN; Excerpt From McCain's Speech on Religious Conservatives

Following are excerpts from a speech that Senator John McCain of Arizona delivered yesterday in Virginia Beach as provided by his campaign's Web site:

I run for president, my friends, because I believe deeply in the greatness of America's destiny.

We are the world's lantern of freedom and opportunity, the bright beacon of hope that our fathers fought to bequeath us and our children were born to inherit. But I know that unless we restore the people's sovereignty over government and their pride in public service, unless we reform our public institutions to meet the demands of a new day and unless we renew our sense of national purpose, we will squander our destiny.

Toward that end, I have called for the reform of campaign finance practices that have sacrificed our principles to the demands of big money special interests. I have spoken against forces that have turned politics into a battle of bucks instead of a battle of ideas. And for that, my friends, I have been accused of disloyalty to my party.

I am also proud to help build a bigger Republican Party, a party that can claim a governing majority for a generation or more, by attracting new people to our cause with an appeal to the patriotism that unites us and the promise of a government that we can be proud of again. And for that, I have been accused of consorting with the wrong sort of people.

Well, my friends, I have always acted in what I believe to be the best interests of my country. And I always believed that what is good for America is good for the Republican Party.

I don't believe it's loyal to suggest that the Republican Party cannot stand on its own feet and fight for public opinion without six- and seven-figure contributions from people with interests before government but not necessarily ideas to sustain our country's greatness. I don't believe it's loyal to suggest that the Republican establishment is more important to save than a Republican majority. I believe it is the height of foolishness to build a wall around our party in fear that we are so narrowly defined that new faces and fresh ideas in accord with our basic principles will jeopardize our values.

America is more than the sum of its divided parts, and so our party should be. America is more powerful than its established power centers, and so our party should be. America is greater than the accumulation of wealth, and so our party should be.

This is my message to my party and my country. It is an honest Republican message that threatens none of our party's principles or the social values of any constituency in our party. . . .

I am a conservative, my friends, a proud conservative, who has faith in the people I serve. But those who purport to be defenders of our party, but who in reality have lost confidence in the Republican message are attacking me, they are people who have turned good causes into businesses.

Let me be clear. Evangelical leaders are changing America for the better. Chuck Colson, head of Prison Fellowship, is saving men from a lifetime behind bars by bringing them the good news of redemption. James Dobson, who does not support me, has devoted his life to rebuilding America's families. Others are leading the fight against pornography, cultural decline and for life. I stand with them.

I am a pro-life, pro-family, fiscal conservative, and advocate of a strong defense. And yet, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and a few Washington leaders of the pro-life movement call me an unacceptable presidential candidate. They distort my pro-life positions and smear the reputations of my supporters.

Why? Because I don't pander to them, because I don't ascribe to their failed philosophy that money is our message.

I believe in the cause of conservative reform. I believe that because we are right we will prevail in the battle of ideas, unspoiled by the taint of a corrupt campaign finance scheme that works against the very conservative reform of government that is the object of our labors.

The Republican Party will prevail because of our principles, because that's what it's about, my friends, principles, not special interest money or empire or ego.

The union bosses who have subordinated the interests of working families to their own ambitions, to their desire to preserve their own political power at all costs are mirror images of Pat Robertson. Just as we embrace working people, we embrace the fine members of the religious conservative community. But that does not mean that we will pander to their self-appointed leaders.

Some prefer to build walls and exclude newcomers from our support. Apparently, appeals to patriotism can only be heard by card-carrying Republicans, and only certain Republicans at that, not the kind of Republicans who might dissent from the soft money ethics of a tired party establishment.

Apparently, Republican reformers, independent reformers or Democratic reformers, any group that might, like the Reagan Democrats of 20 years ago, be attracted to our cause of conservative reform and national greatness, are too great a threat to the Washington status quo.

That surprises me, since the essence of evangelism is to seek converts. My campaign is bringing new people into the Republican Party every day. I don't apologize for this. No, I wear it as a badge of honor. I will not padlock the Republican Party, and surrender the future of our nation to Speaker Gephardt and President Al Gore.

My friends, we are building a new Republican majority, a majority to serve the values that have long defined our party and made our country great. Social conservatives should flock to our banner.

Why should you fear a candidate who believes we should honor our obligations to the old and the young? Why should you fear a candidate who believes we should first cut taxes for those who need it most? Why should you fear a candidate who wants to reform the practices of politics and government so they fairly reflect your aspirations for your family and country? Why should you fear a candidate who would sign without hesitation a partial-birth abortion ban or who would work tirelessly with anyone to improve adoption and foster care choices for those who might be considering the taking of unborn life. Why should you fear a candidate who shares your values?

My friends, I am a Reagan Republican who will defeat Al Gore. Unfortunately, Governor Bush is a Pat Robertson Republican who will lose to Al Gore.

I recognize and celebrate that our country is founded upon Judeo-Christian values. And I have pledged my life to defend America and all her values, the values that have made us the noblest experiment in history. . . .

The political tactics of division and slander are not our values. They are corrupting influences on religion and politics and those who practice them in the name of religion or in the name of the Republican Party or in the name of America shame our faith, our party and our country.

Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right.

Many years ago a scared American prisoner of war in Vietnam was tied in torture ropes by his tormentors and left alone in an empty room to suffer through the night. Later in the evening a guard he had never spoken to entered the room and silently loosened the ropes to relieve his suffering. Just before morning, that same guard came back and re-tightened the ropes before his less humanitarian comrades returned. He never said a word to the grateful prisoner, but some months later, on a Christmas morning, as the prisoner stood alone in the prison courtyard, the same good Samaritan walked up to him and stood next to him for a few moments. Then with his sandal, the guard drew a cross in the dirt. Both prisoner and guard both stood wordlessly there for a minute or two, venerating the cross, until the guard rubbed it out and walked away.

That is my faith; the faith that unites and never divides; the faith that bridges unbridgeable gaps in humanity.

That is my religious faith, and it is the faith I want my party to serve, and the faith I hold in my country. It is the faith that we are all equal and endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is the faith I would die to defend.

Don't let anyone fool you about me, my friends, or about this crusade we have begun.

If you want to repair the people's confidence in the government that represents us, join us.

If you want to restore the people's pride in America, join us.

If you want to believe in a national purpose that is greater than our individual interests, join us.

We are the party of Ronald Reagan not Pat Robertson. We are the party of Theodore Roosevelt not the party of special interests. We are the party of Abraham Lincoln not Bob Jones. Join us. Join us.

Join us and welcome anyone of good faith to our ranks. We should be, we must be, we will be a party as big as the country we serve.

Thank you, and God bless.

At that time, the cross-in-the-dirt story was not about McCain but about another American serviceman.

[ramseya]

umm... how do you know he wasn't referring to himself in third person for dramatic effect? Everyone knew the story of him as a POW and reading that, it sounded like he was referring to himself. I was expected a "and that prisoner was me" at the end but then maybe he didn't want to elaborate on the obvious.

I seem to remember Obama talking about himself and his family and referring to himself saying that his father and mother would have a child who would go on to Harvard Law... was Obama not talking about himself?

[asleepathewheel]

It sounds like he's talking about himself but trying to avoid naming himself, to avoid detracting from the point of the anecdote. OR he could be senile.

[Jon Miller]

I read that and assumed he was talking about himself.

JM

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Zkribbler

At that time, the cross-in-the-dirt story was not about McCain but about another American serviceman.

Looking at the record it is pretty clear he is a liar. Sure, you could be like some of the posters here trying to concoct elaborate excuses but that's really a giant circle jerk attempting to excuse obvious misbehavior.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by ramseya
umm... how do you know he wasn't referring to himself in third person for dramatic effect?

Dramatic effect would end with the line: "I know because, you see my friends, that scared American prisoner was me." He didn't say that.

[Kuciwalker]

It would only end like that if he were a really terrible storyteller.

[asleepathewheel]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


Dramatic effect would end with the line: "I know because, you see my friends, that scared American prisoner was me." He didn't say that.

Cue the Paul Harvey?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by ramseya
Oerdin:

The story is not in The Gulag Archipelago. Colson's references say as much, saying that he got the story from Billy Graham, who recounted Solzhenitsyn's story to a group of Christian leaders. Solzhenitsyn apparently told the story, but did not write it in The Gulag Archipelago.

I'm searching in vain right now for a searchable full-text English translation of the books online

I ran across what I think is what people are talking about. Solzhenitsyn writes in aother book of a time when he was totally demoralized. He stopped working and sat down, knowing that sooner or later, a guard would come over and beat him to death. Another prisoner came over, drew a cross in the dirt, and the symbol so struck hom with Solzhenitsyn that he picked up his shovel and went back to work.

A vaguely similar story, but nowhere near close enough to claim McCain stole it from Solzhenitsyn.

[FrostyBoy]

His 5 million dollar joke just cost him a lot of votes I bet.

[Theben]

Keep in mind McCain's base. Saying that people who make $200,000/yr are rich doesn't fit well into the republican pysche.

[rah]

Originally posted by FrostyBoy
His 5 million dollar joke just cost him a lot of votes I bet.

Probably not. People that view this the wrong way probably weren't going to vote for him anyway.

[Patroklos]

Looking at the record it is pretty clear he is a liar. Sure, you could be like some of the posters here trying to concoct elaborate excuses but that's really a giant circle jerk attempting to excuse obvious misbehavior.

Thanks for that Oerdin, I really need a laugh after this work day