McCain Romney-izing Obama [Bryan]

John McCain is recently doing the same despicable thing to Obama that he did to Mitt Romney. Remember when McCain said that Romney had proposed a "timetable for withdrawal," when in fact this was demonstrably false? Somehow, these elections are never about McCain's own ideas, because he never has any. Somehow, they are never about his own character: they are never about his scandal-plagued past, about his cheating on his disabled wife with his wealthy trophy girlfriend, or about his foul mouth and unhinged temper. To win, McCain just has to say something catchy and dishonest, trust that the media won't call him on it much, and then pretend to be the "straight talker." Judging by recent polls, it seems to be working. Wake me up on November 5th -- I can't bear to watch us elect another jerk like this again.

By the way, when Romney was debating McCain, conservative writer Mark Levin had this to say about McCain in the National Review Online. Substitute Obama for Romney, and he could have written the same thing all over again.

I have spent nearly four decades in the conservative movement — from precinct worker to the Reagan White House. I campaigned for Reagan in 1976 and 1980. I served in several top positions during the Reagan administration, including chief of staff to Attorney General Edwin Meese. I have been an active conservative when conservatism was not in high favor....

I don’t pretend to speak for President Reagan or all conservatives. I speak for myself. But I watched the Republican debate last night, which was held at the Reagan library, and I have to say that I fear a McCain candidacy....

Let’s get the largely unspoken part of this out the way first. McCain is an intemperate, stubborn individual, much like Hillary Clinton. These are not good qualities to have in a president. As I watched him last night, I could see his personal contempt for Mitt Romney roiling under the surface. And why?....To the best of my knowledge, Romney’s ads have not been personal. He has not even mentioned the Keating-Five to counter McCain's cheap shots. But the same cannot be said of McCain’s comments about Romney.

Last night McCain, who is the putative frontrunner, resorted to a barrage of personal assaults on Romney that reflect more on the man making them than the target of the attacks. McCain now has a habit of describing Romney as a “manager for profit” and someone who has “laid-off” people, implying that Romney is both unpatriotic and uncaring. Moreover, he complains that Romney is using his “millions” or “fortune” to underwrite his campaign. This is a crass appeal to class warfare. McCain is extremely wealthy through marriage. Romney has never denigrated McCain for his wealth or the manner in which he acquired it. Evidently Romney’s character doesn’t let him to cross certain boundaries of decorum and decency, but McCain’s does.....

Even worse than denying his own record, McCain is flatly lying about Romney’s position on Iraq. As has been discussed for nearly a week now, Romney did not support a specific date to withdraw our forces from Iraq. The evidence is irrefutable. And it’s also irrefutable that McCain is abusing the English language (Romney’s statements) the way Bill Clinton did in front of a grand jury. The problem is that once called on it by everyone from the New York Times to me, he obstinately refuses to admit the truth. So, last night, he lied about it again. This isn’t open to interpretation. But it does give us a window into who he is