Return of the Son of Rewarding the Republicans

Folks,

John McCain continues to migrate toward the right wing of the Republican Party.

As I warned in Rewarding the Republicans, now that he has been knighted, McCain is now paying obeisance to the lords and masters of his Republican realm.

Centrists were initially encouraged by McCain’s choice of foreign policy advisors from the “pragmatist”, or “realist” camp: Henry Kissinger; Colin Powell; John Lehman, Jr., Reagan’s Secretary of the Navy; Richard Armitage, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for international security policy under Powell; and Brent Scowcroft, the National Security Advisor to the first President Bush. All these have expressed either concern over the choice to go to war in Iraq, or the poor execution of the war.

But recently added to the short list to advise McCain on foreign policy are: former United Nations ambassador for the George W. Bush administration, John Bolton; columnist and Senior Associate for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Robert Kagan; and former advisor to Trent Lott and founder of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, Randy Scheunemann. These guys are first rate, neo-con assholes, and the fact that McCain is willing to let them into the tent should deeply trouble centrists hoping for a clear change of thinking from the Republican leadership.

“It may be too strong a term to say a fight is going on over John McCain’s soul,” said Lawrence Eagleburger, a secretary of state under the first President George Bush, who is a member of the pragmatist camp. “But if it’s not a fight, I am convinced there is at least going to be an attempt. I can’t prove it, but I’m worried that it’s taking place.” In addition, Mr. Eagleburger said, “there is no question that a lot of my far right friends have now decided that since you can’t beat him, let’s persuade him to slide over as best we can on these critical issues.”

Curiously, Condie Rice’s name is absent from this list of hawkish advisors. Could it be that she is being presently kept out of the limelight in preparation for the announcement that she will be McCain’s Vice Presidential running mate?

To complete the Republican trifecta of influence, look for the addition of domestic policy advisors from the Religious Right and economic advisors from the oil industry to the McCain tent over the next weeks.

This comes on the heels of a number of international developments that may indicate a buildup toward a war with Iran.

It’s obvious to me that a tremendous amount of damage has been done to our country over the last 7 years by the real axis of evil: religious nut-jobs, war-hungry militarists, greedy industrialists, and their political butt-boys. It’s time to show these fuckers that there is no place at the table for them, and work to restore our constitutional process, diplomatic common sense, and respect among the community of nations. It’s time for a wholesale disengagement from the Republican Party.

Your Pal, and Doin' the Left Thing