McCain Was The Most Reprehensible Of The Keating Five And He Hasn’t Changed
McCain & Keating Bahama Boondoggle
Teddy at the Campaign Silo pointed out yesterday, citing a damning new article in The New Republic, that John McCain was almost certainly the source for a set of illegal leaks during the Keating Five investigation — leaks that, if proven, would have been cause for his expulsion from the United States Senate for perjury, not to mention the underlying corruption and malfeasance from his relationship with Charlie Keating.
As The New Republic related:
One day in early March 1986, John McCain, an Arizona congressman, sat down to write a letter. McCain had heard that a long-time friend and donor, Charles Keating, was upset for being listed as a member of McCain’s campaign finance committee when a more prominent position would seem more appropriate. So McCain apologized. Needlessly it turned out, for "Charlie," as he signed his letter, would reply a few days later: "John, don’t be silly. You can call me anything…I’m yours until death do us part."
The entire article is a must read; it is a brutally clear exhibition of John McCain’s deeply ingrained, pathological, self serving dishonesty and soulless backstabbing lack of honor.
Now the thing that most, if not all, have overlooked here is the timing of Charlie Keating’s retort; it is not just that it was before McCain was sworn in as a United States Senator, it was right as Keating was pumping big money into McCain’s general election campaign for his first run at Barry Goldwater’s old Senate seat.
Charlie Keating wasn’t helping a friend, he was buying what he considered to be a future President. And they both knew it.
As Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Tom Fitzpatrick, who knew McCain intimately, both socially and professionally, presciently said back in 1989:
You’re John McCain, a fallen hero who wanted to become president so desperately that you sold yourself to Charlie Keating, the wealthy con man who bears such an incredible resemblance to The Joker. Obviously, Keating thought you could make it to the White House, too.
He poured $112,000 [amount later shown to be far greater] into your political campaigns. He became your friend. He threw fund raisers in your honor. He even made a sweet shopping-center investment deal for your wife, Cindy. Your father-in-law, Jim Hensley, was cut in on the deal, too.
Nothing was too good for you. Why not? Keating saw you as a prime investment that would pay off in the future.
So he flew you and your family around the country in his private jets. Time after time, he put you up for serene, private vacations at his vast, palatial spa in the Bahamas. All of this was so grand. You were protected from what Thomas Hardy refers to as "the madding crowd." It was almost as though you were already staying at a presidential retreat.
Twenty years later and Fitzpatrick’s words still drill right into the dishonorable heart of John Sidney McCain III.
What kind of man was Charlie Keating buying? A man just like himself; a man who was all ambition and no conscience. A man completely self centered and who had no compunction bleeding senior citizens dry, bullying and berating adversaries and corrupting the process of government. A man like John McCain.
It was a Faustian bargain. It was also a bad joke on the rest of us and a disaster for many old people who lost their life’s savings to Keating.
The money was never really Keating’s to give. But he never would have got his hands on it if you and the rest of the Keating Five didn’t halt the government takeover for two long years while Keating’s people continued their looting.
And now, the tab for the Savings and Loan heist must be paid from taxpayer pockets.
But the most telling part about John McCain is not that he was centrally involved in the Keating Savings & Loan scandal, many politicians get involved in political corruption scandals. Four others, although to a far lesser extent, were indeed involved alongside McCain in the Keating scandal. As bad as that was, the worse, and telling part about John McCain, was the lying and backstabbing of his friends and associates for the sole reason of saving his own pitiful skin. John Sidney McCain did not hesitate for one split second to plant and twist the shiv in the back of everybody around him, from Charlie Keating himself to his fellow Senators.
It was, and is to this date, classic John McCain. More from the late, great Tom Fitzpatrick in 1989:
Since Keating’s collapse, you find yourself doing obscene things to save yourself from the Senate Ethics Committee’s investigation. As a matter of course, you engage in backbiting behavior that will turn you into an outcast in the Senate if you do survive.
…
Those who survive will be the sociopaths who can tell a lie with the most sincere, straight face. You are especially adept at this.
…
You sought out a master criminal like Keating and became his friend. Now you’ve discarded him. It shouldn’t be surprising that you are now in the process of selling out your senatorial accomplices.You’re John McCain, clearly the guiltiest, most culpable and reprehensible of the Keating Five. (emphasis added)
Pat Murphy, the former editor and publisher of McCain’s hometown newspaper, The Arizona Republic, is another man who knew McCain well, as both a close friend and professional subject. Murphy had these words of wisdom and caution on the eve of McCain’s last Presidential run in 2000:
Those of us who’ve known John McCain since he began his Arizona political career made two mistakes.
First, overestimating the Washington media’s willingness to look beyond a politician’s self-serving façade.
Second, underestimating McCain’s skill in camouflaging his bullyboy ways and reincarnating himself as a lovable maverick glowing with political virtue.
If McCain becomes President, America will have more than a prickly president with a low boiling point. He carries grudges, fibs rather than admits mistakes, cannot endure criticism, threatens revenge, controls by fear, is consumed with self-importance.
My friends, this is the once and future John Sidney McCain III. It is an angry, unattractive and dishonorable picture, but it is the real deal. The real McCain. The singularly self serving, erratic, say and do anything dishonesty and perfidy exhibited in his campaign against Barack Obama are proof positive that he is indeed the same old McCain.
John McCain hasn’t changed, he never will. And he is not fit to serve as President of the United States.
Hooray for the return of the party hat photo!
Great post bmaz. This man is truly a sociopath. I am looking forward to you writing a post on Wednesday starting the process of saying goodbye to Johnny Mac and hello to Senator Napolitano.
Thanks for your yeoman’s work on this sociopath. I especially enjoyed your Prescott article. Keating and his Senators cost me 10% of the value of my home when I headed back to Iowa.
Dugg
Was not there a Bush involved in a similar scandal?
Neil Bush Silverado Savings
Jeb Bush got a taste also through a connection to a Miami developer who got loans from an S&L based on Jeb’s involvement in the deal, loans that were not secured and were never paid back.
Good investigative reporting…
Love the New Yorker, “John McCain, played the part of a vaudeville illusionist, asking to be regarded as an apostle of change after years of embracing the essentials of the Bush agenda with ever-increasing ardor.”
bmaz or whowever else is a lawyer, I have a pretty important question;
isn’t it illegal to claim you have not been convicted when you have?
at the very least, if there is no specific crime, isn’t it contempt of court?
can a person file a grievance as a friend of the court against stevens?
if so, this needs to be done, we need all the democrats we can get and stevens is going public with his “take it to the people” teevee add
Stevens is within the law. A finding of guilt by a jury is not entered as a formal conviction until the time of sentencing.
aha
thanx, bursted my bubble you did
*goes to sulk*
I must admit to a certain amount of evil admiration for the Old McCain. The most guilty of the bunch, he evaded justice brillantly. Made just the right moves (House to senate, leaking key information, etc) at just the right times, had exactly the right friends (How DID Glenn get included in that bunch?) and a genuinely excellent speech pleading guilty to the minor stuff and begging forgivness which played well nationwide, not just in Az.
9:29 here, and the first McRobocall just hit. Had 17 yesterday, 2 for a local casion issue, one Obama, and the rest all McBush. There is no pit in Hell deep enough for the people who developed robocalls.
Boxturtle (Though Satan might see executive talent)
Casino. *sigh* Robocall woke me up and caffine still hasn’t kicked in.
I know threats of violence are banned, but could we possibly make an exception for those who inflicted the robocalls upon us?
Boxturtle (Only comfort is the GOPers are getting robo’d as badly as we are)
This isn’t over yet. God help us all.
Can’t help myself; gotta go OT. Via Jonathan Turley’s blog, we learn that after over 7 3/4 years as President, Bush doesn’t know what the G20 is! Is it any wonder that this country is in deep economic shit?
After 40 years as a card-carrying Republican, I’ve decided to vote for Obama. I am a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. The party has taken a wrong turn, toward divisiveness and incompetence and fiscal irresponsibility.
Under the current leadership, the size of the federal government has increased and the national debt has doubled. In addition to budget deficits we have off-book spending to finance the war. They’re trying to demonize Obama as tax-and-spend, but borrow-and-spend is even worse in my book.
I think it is pretty clear that total deregulation has failed in every case. The free market system is an appealing ideal, but it has led to unchecked greed and has ruined the economy.
I strongly supported the war in Afghanistan. Going after Bin-Laden in his cave is the right thing to do. Invading Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 or Al-Qaida. Those with dissenting opinions were ignored and smeared. (e.g. Valerie Plame)
To me, true conservatism means less government intervention in our lives. The Republican Party is toward ever more intervention, from wiretaps to Terry Schaivo. Many of these are hot-button issues meant to capture single issue voters. This has led to winning elections but the abandonment of true conservative values.
There is no evidence that trickle-down economics and tax cuts for the wealthy have created jobs or helped grow the economy. On the contrary, history shows little correlation between tax rates and job creation. Under current party leadership, the middle class has jobs and experienced a decline in real income.
John McCain continues to advocate tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulation, and an indefinite continuation of the war in Iraq. I think we have pretty clear evidence that those policies are wrong. It’s definitely not working for me. I’m voting for Obama
Very well stated. And you know, that is the funny thing; you and I may be from relatively different traditionally perceived ends of the political spectrum, but i agree with everything you just stated. And always have. Increasingly dogmatic petty thought divides many these days when, a lot of times, as here, our core beliefs are really not far apart at all. It is refreshing to realize and remember that every now and then.
I second your comment, bmaz.
BTW, I take it you’re not overly fond of John Sidney McCain III….?
LOL…
Actually, it’s been compelling to watch you unveil this man and see how many things make sense in light of what you say: Rick Davis, Charlie Black, Randy Scheunemann, Charles Keating, Sarah Palin…. Just quite the parade of users and abusers that no honorable person would tolerate on their staff.
Thanks for that. I hope you have had the opportunity to share these thoughts with your friends. The campaign this year, more than any in my memory, is composed of people talking to each other and sharing their experiences. We all have to pull together to get through the many messes our country faces and we are only harmed by drawing artificial barriers between citizens.
I passed your letter on to 20 people. It’s hard to ype with two dogs in your lap
via CNN- attendance at mccain’s rally in Tampa, FL this am???? 1000-1100. bush had 12,000 four years ago near same spot…
OT-via Politico- Rove beats mccain twice–in 2000 and again now
‘The Repudiation of Karl Rove’
http://www.politico.com/news/s…..15177.html
G’morning !
The rest of the World is eagerly awaiting the outcome of this election.
On the heels of Cheney’s endorsement of McCain, Cheney’s hometown paper endorses Obama
And we know how we’d vote, too, don’t we, Petrocelli?
Both of the Bush-era ambassadors to Ottawa have been wandering about here lately mumbling that Canadians will be sorry for liking Obama so much. Ha! like we have enjoyed the finger-wagging and condescension for the last eight years from Cellucci and Wilkins.
Please send us someone nice next time.
You’ve got that right, skdadl … I can’t wait to see Harpuh lick Barack’s boots … karma is incredible.
I hate to say it, but I will. What if this also describes his captivity?
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com…..ing-five/1
Greenspan said Charles Keating’s S@L was sound maybe the Governmet should start drug testing.
Profile of the Sociopath
This website summarizes some of the common features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths.
* Glibness and Superficial Charm
* Manipulative and Conning
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
* Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as “their right.”
* Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
* Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
* Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
* Incapacity for Love
* Need for Stimulation
Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
* Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others’ feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
* Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
* Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet “gets by” by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
* Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others’ lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
* Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
* Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
* Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html
We refer to some people as “successful sociopaths” and they are the folks who “succeed” in life, using their pathological skills. Think of a sociopath as a pathological narcissist.
Bmaz, you have done yeoman’s work in hammering mcShame’s character pathology over and over. I thank you for that!
Their is several posts worth of material on John, Sarah, Bush and Cheney here.
Why is the GOP led by Sociopaths?
McBully is Deboe without the bike!
Just wait ’til he returns to the Senate. The standing ovation will make me retch.
Who got the most applause on SNL … McCain or Tina Fey ?
bmaz,
With everything you have written about McC, I do not trust him.
Here’s the latest in Ohio IRT McC and his trusty computer wiz:
On Friday this report was at Rawstory regarding the 2004 election in Ohio:
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/….._1031.html
And then this was posted as well:
(my bold)
http://www.stumbleupon.com/too…..p%253D6600
and…
More here:
http://thejournal.epluribusmed…..fited-bush
bmaz, does the following affect the outcome of stevens’ trial, or is just the juror who’s subject to penalty?
from roll call:
WTF! I swear, are people this stupid, or is there something in the water that only affects half of us?
IANAL, but I think only the juror … who is in really deep doodoo now.
less than 24 hours
SIXTY SEVEN MUTHERFUCKERD
The editorial from the 2000 Arizona Republic makes one thing perfectly clear.
McCain is Nixon.
Thus the appeal of plumbers…
Yowza!
Bmaz, without (hopefully) sounding obsequious, the McCain work you’ve done the past few months has been incredible. I know it’s helped me really connect the dots in a lot of ways and helped me coherently explain the narrative to others that don’t have the information.
bill kristol thinks the repuglitards are gracious in defeat”
get a grip, bill
repuglitards are gonna greet Obama’s victory with cries of “VOTER FRAUD” and “TREASON”, and “IMPEACHMENT”
if that’s “Cheerful Fatalism” or “Resolute Stoicism”, I’ll eat my hat
here’s my prediction
after the Obama LANDSLIDE, the repuglitard party is gonna stage the biggest suicidal hissy fit the world has ever seen
who ya think is right, bill kristol, or the crazy guy ???
Sorry but, which one is the crazy guy ?!! *g*
A little joke, to temper the stress of the next 36 hours or so:
Little Ralphy goes to school, and the teacher says, ‘Today we are going to learn multi-syllable words, class. Does anybody have an example of a multi-syllable word?’
Ralph says ‘Mas-tur-bate.’
Miss Rogers smiles and says, ‘Wow, little Ralphy, that’s a mouthful.’
Little Ralphy says, ‘No, Miss Rogers, you’re thinking of a blowjob.’
mcsame finally sells the last piece of his soul by bringing out the wright ads
and he just manages to look like a BIGGER PUTZ while doing it
every time these idiots take aim, they end up shooting off their own toe, or the whole fucking foot
if john mcsame DID have control of the nuclear codes, based on past performance, he’d probably manage to Bomb boise or Ft Collins Colorado or something like that
I caught the McStain ad with Frank Gaffney … someone should have to pay for such disinformation …
after 45 years of ignoring ads, unless I am specifically reviewing an ad, I couldn’t tell you a thing about them cept for the punch line
I purposely absorb NOTHING from ads, by design
so I can’t really say which ad I saw (if there is more than one)
I just been seein Mr Wright in ads on chicken noodle network
I missed the ad in the football game last night (probably by design too)
and just so youse don’t think I’m lacking in observational skills with ads, I should point out that I could spot small nuances in two similar “FATHEAD” commercials that aired last year about this time
I only evaluate the ads that I like
an that fathead ad was great
I was interested cuz the actor kinda fucked up the pause in one version
jus soes youse know …
ps: I really like the mom who got an M1-A1 Abrams tank fathead for herself …
i have a confession:
I’m a “comments” junky
I like to read the responses to editorials and such
here’s why, from kristol’s responses:
sorry bill, you have been weighed, measured, and found to be a fool
Spew alert on that one!
Wiping coffee from the monitor…
The Senate could, of course, still expel him.
Talk of the Nation focused on election now.
1-800-989 Talk
They are asking if you have been polled
Give a call give a push
calm down folks
we got one more football game to go before we gotta worry about that election thingy
get yer priories straight, people
I used to believe that the Darth/Chimperor admin would never let go of power. It looks now the might just slink out of town with a scalding hot pardon pen in hand.
That said, I really hope Obama wins by such large margins that this election doesn’t end up in court, cause then JSM III will win. There have been a number of ACORN/Voting decisions going agains’t the Gopper’s but when the chips are down they will not let go of power without a huge struggle. Rick Davis has as much as admitted the real election begins Wednesday.
and the US Treasury
I have a question. Make that two.
If Obama is elected, and a fundy loses it next week, and assassinates him during the transition, does Biden take over in January??? Would invoking martial law during the transition mean that the ratfuckers stay???
Thanks.
This was a quote from a piece on the CNN website:
“In McCain’s home state of Arizona, Kyle Aevermann, 21, is preparing to vote in his first presidential election. He is one of the few who has yet to reach a decision on his vote… Aevermann is debating between Obama and Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney.”
WTF? Cynthia McKinney’s tryin’ to Nader Obama?????
OT: nice profile of Rachel Maddow.
spurred by her inquiry into Dadaism, here’s a piece for Joe the plumber.
So, how many pounds of his flesh did McCain sell back in the early primaries when his campaign was on the rocks with no money except what his wife has? Or was it all in promissory notes?
ISTM when McCain’s campaign revived, it could justifiably have been called the Lobbyists Express.
Obama never really exploited this as much as he could have.
Bob in HI
no he didn’t. Guess he didn’t need to but i wish he would have. McCain deserves to be outed.
drivin’ by takin a break from phone banking . . .
y’all seen this ?
NM Dems respond to their yard signs being stolen – me likey
Crazy John McCain is gunna spend eternity in hell, walkin’ through the streets of Hanoi after a bombing and bein forced to pick up the mutialted bodies of children and carry them forever!!
OT Obama’s grandmother has just died
Apparently the source of this info is Obama himself. Our local paper, the Honolulu Star Bulletin, confirms the Bulletin, using an AP story that cites Barack himself, with a dateline from Charlotte, NC
Bob in HI
RIP Mrs. Dunham.
More details on the death of Obama’s Grandmother from a longer article in our local paper online, Obama’s grandmother dies of cancer.
Bob in HI
Great article, bmaz. I despise those who adopt the common wisdom re the “old” McCain, who was such a great guy, such an ethical and moral man, blah blah blah. If those who recently watched him renege on his opposition to torture didn’t figure out who McCain really was, then they should be made to write “opportunist” on the blackboard a hundred times. Or better, they could read you excellent piece and write an essay about the life and times of McCain, portrait of an American bad boy gone even badder.