SOMEONE Told McCain to KNOCK IT OFF.. WOnder WHO it was..

[symbolman]

He has the haunted look of someone who's doing something they don't agree with but have been WARNED in no uncertain terms to DO IT, OR ELSE.

McCain was CHOKING on this back-peddling today, he looked like a Broken man. But I feel exactly ZERO SYMPATHY for him.

How is it, as usual, that a Republican creates GARBAGE and GRIEF, and THEN when they act as if they are "Fixing" the problem, all of a sudden they are some kind of HERO?

FUCK McCain and the ROVE he ROde IN ON.

But who laid down the Law to him? Secret Service? Repig Heads? LAWYER telling him that if Obama was assassinated that McCAIN COULD GO TO JAIL, and NO Amount of Cindy's Money could get him out of it?

Congress? Did all the folks that I urged to write to Congress and Demand Censure actually MOVE THE BALL?

SOMEONE DID IT, I can tell that.. it's written all over his face.

And how is PALIN going to act now, esp on the heels of her CRIME?

[polichick]

1. I would guess it was members of the Senate - he could be censured, right?

[rufus dog]

19. That would be my guess

The Senate Repukes up for reelection along with the RNC probably got on a call and told he and Sista Sarah were killing them.

[MindMatter]

55. Maybe the Secret Service

"Excuse me. Senator McCain. I hate to trouble you, but I wanted to make you aware that the number of credible death threats on Senator McCain have quadrupled in the past 10 days. We're having to work some long hours running down those threats to try to keep Senator Obama from being shot. The guys were kinda wondering if maybe you'd, I don't know, consider maybe saying something nice about the Senator. The guys would appreciate it. You're the man."

[symbolman]

66. LOL

Now THAT is funny :)

[niceypoo]

79. Imagining McCain and Palin being handcuffed on stage...

...and led away by the Secret Service for questioning into making threats against Obama.

[Dawgs]

2. www.realclearpolitics.com

It's all about the points.

[Bigleaf]

44. WINNER! His internals indicated that this smear job was backfiring in a very bad way. That's the

ONLY reason he stopped on a dime.

[Laelth]

80. Hear, hear! n/t

The whole party is in disarray. Nobody has the power to tell McCain to do anything. He changed tactics because his tactics weren't working. That's about all there is to it, imho.

Then, of course, the spin machine went into overdrive. To Faux News, John McCain is a hero when he takes a dump.

-Laelth

[Liberalboy]

3. I bet it was the SS, and maybe an ex-president or two

[Stellabella]

38. That would be my guess.

[David Zephyr]

52. I think you are right. The Secret Service must know about a lot of threats and told McCain.

I think you got it.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

60. I concur in your opinion, Liberalboy

The SS has no sense of humor in dealing with shit like this, nor should they. Probably GHWB and Senate leadership as well. The latter do not want to be reduced to an irrelevant rump bloc. I'd love to see what Grampy's internal polling looks like; it has to be an unmitigated disaster. Combine the three and he had no choice.

[galaxy21]

4. Powell? Some of the republican congressmen were pretty pissed.

It probably wasn't one person. Rather, it was the reaction of a lot of people.

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. Powell was in Court Today defending Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska

telling the court that Stevens was honest and trustworthy.

He was busy lying again.

[beac]

76. Colin Powell sold off his last shred of credibility.

And now watch him come out and endorse Obama so that McInsane can make an ad saying Obama is "associated with disgraced Senator Ted Stevens." :eyes"

[gateley]

5. I'm saying it's a result of his internal polling indicating this approach was

hurting him badly. He wouldn't be trying so hard unless he thought his campaign would benefit. If he was just chastised or threatened, he wouldn't spend as much time responding.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

15. Someone else suggested good cop, bad cop. Mooseburger is full steam ahead

as is the rest of the campaign it seems...

[mrJJ]

6. Down Ticket R Candidates

My guess... The entire Republican Down ticket for 08... they are toast and they know it.

[grantcart]

36. exactly right

[ecstatic]

74. and his ex-governor republican friend un-endorsed him!

GRAND RAPIDS -- He endorsed John McCain in the presidential primary, but now former Republican Gov. William Milliken is expressing doubts about his party's nominee.

"He is not the McCain I endorsed," said Milliken, reached at his Traverse City home Thursday. "He keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me.

"I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."

Milliken, a lifelong Republican, is among some past leaders from the party's moderate wing voicing reservations and, in some cases, opposition to McCain's candidacy.

http://www.mlive.com/grpress/news/index.ssf/2008/10/former_governor_milliken_backs.html

[livetohike]

7. Those are all very good questions

I can't imagine who would have that effect on McCain. Maybe Bush, Sr?

As far as Palin, since she doesn't talk to the press anyway, I'm guessing she will go on as if nothing is wrong. I hope McCain doesn't boot her from the campaign and pick Pawlenty. It's too late for that, don't you think?

What is in the 1000 pages not released by the commission?

Questions beget more questions :-).

[Lerrad]

53. I think it would be great if McCain booted Palin....

... that would piss off the other half of the Re pugs, and maybe they wouldn't vote.

[tblue37]

56. I think it would be too late to change the ticket in at least

some states.

[newscott]

8. Kinda reminds me of the time he hugged Bush.

[defendandprotect]

9. I hope everyone responded, expressing outrage with Palin/McCain

FEAR/HATE campaign --

[lisa58]

10. The Secret Service - they have to take a bullet for any attack on the candidates.

[Motown_Johnny]

11. i think Obama's "Say it to my face" statement was something he knows he can't measure up to

[POAS]

12. Perhaps the secret service

asked how it would look to have them frog marching McCain supporters out of his rallies?

[democracy1st]

59. You win!!!

[Beetwasher]

13. I Would Think A COMBINATION Of Various Different People

A big part of it being that a decent enough portion of the MEDIA wasn't allowing him to get away with it. They were starting to pay attention and report on the hate. Once that started happening, he really had no choice.

And yes, the Secret Service would not take kindly to his making their job more difficult. And the Republicans in the House and Senate are having a tough enough time this election w/out becoming even MORE radioactive. So, my guess is a combination of numerous people coming to him and telling him to knock it off.

[OhioBlue]

48. me too. I'm thinking Secret Service, Nancy Reagan,

Condoleeza, Colin Powell, Cindy McCain, Lieberman, et al.

[spanone]

14. god?

[symbolman]

18. HIS God?

I don't think HIS God would care. His God is an assassin..

[Omnibus]

58. McCain's god an assassin?

Drop the last five letters.

[symbolman]

16. So NOW he appears WEAK to the very asshats that were screaming for blood

The Maverick is now a lowing calf in the void.

One thing that these THUGS in his Rally's HATE is WEAKNESS. He's BOWING DOWN BEFORE OBAMA..

Some were BOOING their own candidate.

I really think that if they ARRESTED and CHARGED the asshole that screamed "BOMB OBAMA" it would REALLY chill this shit out..

[MindMatter]

57. He keeps painting himself into corners

This is not a very smart man. We all saw this coming. Whether he got the word from the SS or Bush Sr., the Senate Ethics committee or somewhere else, he surely must have started to figure out he had set himself up for a sucker punch next Wednesday.

I don't believe the sumbitch about this any more than I believed him when he said he was suspending his campaign. Palin will be right out there tomorrow doing the same shit. It truly is the only thing they got.

[tigereye]

17. missed this - what did McCain say?

[symbolman]

26. Some frumpy blood letter, an older woman had the mike

and he was REALLY CLOSE, I think he was waiting for someone to blow it so he had his chance nip it in the bud.. she said that she was afraid, that Obama was an ARAB, and McCain took the mike from her hand and said that Obama was a decent family man, they just had differences..

The crowd HATED what he was saying, you could hear a pin drop, and his face was TIGHT, he was actually frightened that he was losing control of the crowd..

I'll post a link when I find one for you..

[tigereye]

37. I looked into it in LBN, thanks though!

wow. I have never seen a Rep campaign self-destruct like this - well, maybe Bush 1.

[CountAllVotes]

21. maybe his confidant Leiberman

she was going anti-semetic already. Maybe Old Joe didn't like it very much and I'm sure he was not the only one.

[OhioBlue]

47. good call. I bet it was him among many others. n/t

[TheDebbieDee]

22. I'm sure the Secret Service gave the McCain campaign

a good talking to about fostering an environment wherein threats and insults are hurled, unchallenged, by the audience against the OTHER candidate!

The McCain campaign was becoming a THREAT to another Presidential candidate and I'd be willing to bet my first born child that the Secret Service told McCain to check that $hit!

[Kahuna]

23. The Secret Service police. They could end up taking a bullet if

McNasty and the Gidge don't knock it off.

[Tatiana]

24. Newt Gingrich. He doesn't want the party too damaged.

Cause he's going to make a run for President, likely in 2012.

[TexasObserver]

25. Republican candidates are at the point where they may have to run AGAINST McCain.

He's unpopular with his own party, particularly now that he voted for the bailout and wants to spend hundreds of billions more on bad debt on homes. All those GOP House members who voted against the bailout have districts they were reflecting. Those voters are livid with McCain.

I know Republicans who sent emails to their elected House and Senate members, and demanded they oppose the bailout, and who are bitter about McCain's support for such things. These are what I would call economic Republicans, the Romney type, or maybe Paul type.

I suspect that it was both Republicans running for office and the Secret Service. A boisterous crowd makes it much harder for them to gauge who might be a threat. At your normal presidential nominee event, everyone is happy, smiling, and they have positive countenance and energy. The SS is looking for the face out of place, the angry person who appears unconnected to the happiness of the crowd. If everyone is angry and people are shouting and gyrating physically, the Secret Service's job protecting McCain is made tougher.

[Kahuna]

29. You are so right. Who could have imagined that McNuts is even more

F@#$!d up in the head then Booosh?

[Jennicut]

30. Great point. Hard for the SS to look for the nut in a sea of nuts

Very dangerous. I bet it was some Rethugs with morals and some Rethugs up for reelection who told him this has to stop. Too late now though. The bloodthirsty crowds have gotten ramped up and I think the damage has been done. McCrap's reputation will never be the same either-now both sides of the aisle equally hate him. He is a piranha and he deserves it.

[1corona4u]

27. Let's hope, at least in part, our letters to our congress critters helped...

[bdamomma]

45. I think it was a combination of alot of people

especially those who are up for re election, McCain is making them crash and burn.

[undeterred]

28. The public criticism from John Kerry might have been a factor.

I was certainly glad to hear it.

[YvonneCa]

31. A scolding by President Kerry...

...My, how times have changed. :7

[ladjf]

32. The answer is one of the ones listed in your post.

[CK_John]

33. Cheney. n/t

[kestrel91316]

34. SS probably sat him down and said he better knock off inciting violence

against a presidential candidate, and if he didn't they would personally arrest and charge him and Palin.

[Raschel]

35. I don't think it was any big secret service sit down.

I think he just got pressure coming from everywhere, including from his party. Too bad so sad.

[Abugface]

39. No one

He is erratic and bordering on schizophrenic. He's basically out of control, jumping from one position to another. He's not going to listen to anyone except the voices in his head.

[Imagevision]

40. Mccain see's Obama's numbers to climb and becomes unstuck on being stupid...

[ShortnFiery]

41. IMO some very important people, perhaps from The Senate or the FBI had "a quiet word" with him. eom

[crossroads]

42. K&R nt

[progressivebydesign]

43. No. Rove reminded him of how Bush did it.. leave the slime-talk to the surrogates and VP candidate..

and keep your candidate clean. Somehow McCain's advisors forgot that little detail that ALL repuke candidates employ. Keep your main candidate out of the cesspool, leave it to the henchmen and women.

Because.. as McCain was trying to play Mr. Rogers (and being smacked down by his angry mob), his aides were on TV blaming OBAMA for insulting McCain's FINE supporters, AND they did a conference call today.. trying to drag Michelle into the Ayers smear, AND Palin was at two fundraisers continuing her attacks.

DO NOT BE FOOLED. McCain is NOT backing down, they are CHANGING TACTICS.

[Cha]

46. Only an idiot would feel sorry for mccain and

you, sir, are no idiot.

[symbolman]

65. Heh

thanks!

I don't feel sorry for that SOB, I wish he'd throw the towel in, be another History making scene.. just QUIT and GO HOME old man! :)

[ClayZ]

49. :-)

K and R

[Lerrad]

50. I don't think anyone told him to knock it off....

Please everyone take a deep breath for one minute, before flaming me.

Before becoming a Democrat, I was an Independent, and I have voted across party lines. I made the biggest mistake of my life in 2000 by voting for Bush. But at least I tried to make up for it in 2004 by voting for Kerry.

I used to like John McCain, the old John McCain that is. McCain has changed and he is not the same person that he was in 2002. Back then he was not that Conservative.

I think John McCain is ashamed and embarrassed. It is easy to see that it is written all over his face. He realizes that the game his party is playing has gotten out of control, way out of control. Deep down I think he is a good person, and the gilt of what has happened is beginning to haunt him, because he knows the allegations being made are not true.

I think he did this on his own, and I admire him for that, but of course my vote has already been cast for Obama.

[AlinPA]

70. I think it was a fake. Later in his speech he in effect called Obama a terrorist

again referring to Ayres. He hates Obama and was just trying to act like a good cop for the media. He, Palin and his campaign will be calling Obama racial names before this is over. The base is just getting fired up and will be expressing their racial hatred in new TV and radio ads.

[Hieronymus]

51. Hell, even Norm Coleman pulled his negative ads.....

[David Zephyr]

54. symbolman, I agree with Liberalboy above: it was the Secret Service

That fucker McCain probably had the Secret Service tell him:

"Listen. People attending your rallies and those of Palin are making threats against the life of Senator Obama. Do you want to have someone that attended your rally trying to harm the Senator or his family? You are reaching a point in your rallies that is close to inciting violence against your opponent and you'd best cool it."

McCain clearly changed his game.

That bitch that said to McCain that Obama was an "Arab" was reacting to all the shit that McMotherFucker has begun.

[symbolman]

64. Agreed

I think it was a combination, but that the SS was the kicker..

Prolly told him that they'd FROGMARCH the next clown at one of his rallys that said anything even remotely dangerous :)

[carnie_sf]

61. I heard it was

Norm Coleman

[lamp_shade]

62. Secret Service.

[Vinca]

63. Either the Secret Service or a large contingent of his fellow Republicans

who are realizing their jobs are about to be outsourced to Democrats. I know many people were calling Congressional offices yesterday complaining and asking for intervention.

[Paladin]

67. The Secret Service Probably Has Data On Increased Death Threats

I'm betting that they were the ones who initiated this......

[johnaries]

68. All of the above, but most importantly he realized it was backfiring.

The swing voters simply DON'T CARE about Ayers (hey, it rhymes!) and the poll numbers were showing a backlash. But it's too late, JOhnny. You've opened Pandora's Box and now you can't close it again.

McCain has already been portrayed as angry, and now his base is rabid. Voters want cooler heads running the country.

[symbolman]

72. When it comes to McCain

I think America has a big bad case of, "I'm just not That INTO YOU.." :)

[livedemocarticordie]

69. who called

before or after the SS? Frank Gallup?

[ecstatic]

71. Exactly. This is a man who was too slow to realize the impact his rallies

were having. He didn't get it, and obviously someone (or a whole lot of someones) ripped into his ass and woke him TF up.

[AlinPA]

73. Nobody. It was an act for TV. He needs that kind of supporter- it's his base..

Things are going to get tougher.

[phoenixriz]

75. I believe all of the above

but I did send an e-mail to Lieberman asking him to talk to McCain as a result of the rallies getting ugly.

[karynnj]

77. My guess is - many people all told him the same thing

You have people who have made public statements - these range from Democrats with long connections to McCain, such as John Kerry to Republicans with even closer connections to McCain including one of his former strategist to Republican moderates who backed him in the primaries like Miliken, former Governor of Michigan. You also had labor leaders and many newspapers.

I suspect that religious leaders have also carefully walked the need not to endorse to speak against it. One of the Yom Kippur sermons at the synagogue I attended was entirely on the wrong of the type of hate speech that exists in the campaign. No examples were given and no party was called out - yet there was no doubt in anyone's mind what the references were. (there were informal conversations at the communal breakfast when Yom Kippur ended. My guess is that this was not unique.

I think that McCain was more reachable on this than Palin. I do think that he has a high standard of honor that he wants to attain - and which he is open about when he failed to live up to that bar - such as with Keating 5. This is different then people who really do feel that "all is fair in love and war". I do think that comments, like Kerry's, are ones that do hit his conscience. What McCain is possibly wrestling with is that people, like Steve Schmidt, were likely telling him that the type of swiftboat campaign that he was a victim of in 2000 is what works. He literally may see the choice as winning or selling his soul - when in fact the choice now may be losing the race or losing the race and his soul.

Already, you wonder where a loss will leave him. He never was loved by the Palin part of the party and his actions in the last month may have horrified the people who have in the past admired him - the moderates in both parties and the libertarian like conservatives. McCain's reputation has been diminished by this campaign. If anything, he will be less respected than he was before the campaign started. What will be interesting will be who the new powers in the Republican party will be. From the convention and the way he was treated in the financial crisis, Bush and his cabinet have little support, McCain is likely to be blamed for turning what likely would have been a Republican loss into a massive loss. The abuse of power declaration may lead to other Palin negatives (like getting 331 per diems for being in her house 19 hrs away from Juneau in 19 months) being examined - not to mention her mind boggling answer as to the VP's role.

That said - I don't really believe this "new" spirit will continue - nothing has in McCain's campaign I suspect that we will vacilate between hearing Mcain, pushed by the "good angels" followed even in the same speech by McCain pushed by the bad forces. He is erratic and his moral core is not strong enough to keep him steady - and Cindy definately doesn't have the moral compass needed to push him to consider his values.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

78. His mother.

[aaaaaa5a]

81. I think it was the bad polls that told him to knock it off!! n/t