When you run for president, it all comes out
After her first series of life-saving operations, Carol was told she may never walk again, but when doctors said they would try to get word to McCain about her injuries, she refused, insisting: ‘He’s got enough problems, I don’t want to tell him.’
H. Ross Perot, a billionaire Texas businessman, future presidential candidate and advocate of prisoners of war, paid for her medical care.
When McCain – his hair turned prematurely white and his body reduced to little more than a skeleton – was released in March 1973, he told reporters he was overjoyed to see Carol again.
But friends say privately he was ‘appalled’ by the change in her appearance. At first, though, he was kind, assuring her: ‘I don’t look so good myself. It’s fine.’
He bought her a bungalow near the sea in Florida and another former PoW helped him to build a railing so she could pull herself over the dunes to the water.
‘I thought, of course, we would live happily ever after,’ says Carol. But as a war hero, McCain was moving in ever-more elevated circles.
Through Ross Perot, he met Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California. A sympathetic Nancy Reagan took Carol under her wing.
But already the McCains’ marriage had begun to fray. ‘John started carousing and running around with women,’ said Robert Timberg.
McCain has acknowledged that he had girlfriends during this time, without going into details. Some friends blame his dissatisfaction with Carol, but others give some credence to her theory of a mid-life crisis.
He was also fiercely ambitious, but it was clear he would never become an admiral like his illustrious father and grandfather and his thoughts were turning to politics.
In 1979 – while still married to Carol – he met Cindy at a cocktail party in Hawaii. Over the next six months he pursued her, flying around the country to see her. Then he began to push to end his marriage.
Carol and her children were devastated. ‘It was a complete surprise,’ says Nancy Reynolds, a former Reagan aide.
‘They never displayed any difficulties between themselves. I know the Reagans were quite shocked because they loved and respected both Carol and John.’
Another friend added: ‘Carol didn’t fight him. She felt her infirmity made her an impediment to him. She justified his actions because of all he had gone through. She used to say, “He just wants to make up for lost time.”’
I guess that’s where the pattern of Sen. McCain waving around his imprisonment in Vietnam as a trump card started.
Blair Hull, Jack Ryan, John McCain:
Three men who stood between Barack Obama and the office he sought. Three men whose personal lives were dragged out and their dirty laundry aired for all to see.
Tell me again how this is the “new” politics. I feel my levels of hopeyness and changefulism slipping.
J.
I don’t see Obama nor his campaign saying anything about McCain’s personal relationships. But nice try there, JT. No, on second thought… it was a pretty feeble attempt.
Newt leaves his wife when she has cancer. McCain after Carol was in an accident. Repubs won’t let gay couples get married even once while their matinee idols trade in wives like cars
Jay, I thought most conservatives agreed that unilateral disarmament is a dumb idea. Since I don’t see any suggestion of a dip in “Jeremiah Wright, Willam Ayres, Tony Rezko, rinse & repeat” from the right, we should refrain from pointing out that McCain is a profoundly flawed, dishonest, and hotheaded human being why again?
Oh, and screw you.
“Three men who stood between Barack Obama and the office he sought …”
Just too dumb for words.
Hmmm…could this be the same Jay ID Tea who claimed Hillary Clinton was “pimping” for her daughter, Chelsea?
Too easy.
“Blair Hull, Jack Ryan, John McCain:
Three men who stood between Barack Obama and the office he sought. Three men whose personal lives were dragged out and their dirty laundry aired for all to see.”
And I suppose you have evidence that Obama himself revealed this “dirty laundry” for “all to see” (the clear implication of the “Three men who stood between..” sentence)? If not, then shut up, you p.o.s.
Well, Jaytea believes that the press should only go into the lives of Democrats and should ignore conservative hypocrisy. At the same time if the press does do this, he blames Democrats. Because we all know how Democratic operatives use the foreign press to float stories about Republicans.
Ooops, its the other way around.
Actually, I’m just looking to level the playing field. The usual response is “the Republicans are hypocrites, so they’re worse!”
I also find it remarkably entertaining to see how many of the attacks on John McCain would have also applied to John Kerry four years ago. And, for that matter, how many attacks on Bush would have (and often were) applied to Bill Clinton.
Times change… and, I guess, so do standards.
Oh, and interesting story, Oliver. Utterly partisan, unsubstantiated and irrelevant, but interesting nonetheless.
J.
Close, Jade. But not quite. I just tied in two Hillary Clinton incidents — her sending out an invitation for “uncommitted” superdelegates to have a meeting with Chelsea at the same time she chose to attack hedge fund managers (Chelsea’s chosen profession) and tied them together into a mildly sarcastic theme.
I still find it interesting that John McCain’s first marriage is getting far, far more attention than John Kerry’s ever did. Perhaps it’s because I know a bit more about Kerry’s past than I do McCain’s or Obama’s.
J.
A McCain presidency would be 4 more years of Bush in more ways than one: in this case another president with bad character.
Ah yes. Poor, poor Jack Ryan.
This is the same Jack Ryan who tried to force his wife to have sex. With other men. In a public place.
That Jack Ryan? And it’s Mr. Obama’s fault that this became known to the public?
Jay Tea, your hopeyness may be slipping, but your hackitude remains astonishing.
Man, is that McCain guy a douche-bag or what?
“Actually, I’m just looking to level the playing field.”
Self-aggrandizement aside, leveling the playing field in this particular instance isn’t exactly a very laudable position. It’s one thing to suggest that these kinds of pieces on the personal lives of candidates are damaging to the political discourse in this country and should be roundly condemned no matter who they’re aimed at. It’s quite another to argue that more stories like this need to be aimed at the other side in the interest of “balance.” In other words, Jay Tea, you really ought not to be patting yourself the back.
Filandering freely admitted by him, and a felony under the UCMJ, by the way,
This is the same Jack Ryan who tried to force his wife to have sex.
Be fair. In that context (getting someone to perform a sex act) the word “force” suggests physically compelling someone. In the reports I saw no mention was made of such force being used.
Jay Tea: “Blair Hull, Jack Ryan, John McCain:
Three men who stood between Barack Obama and the office he sought. Three men whose personal lives were dragged out and their dirty laundry aired for all to see.”
Umm…. Blair Hull was involved in a domestic violence case. That’s a criminal case and that makes it public record, not his private life.
Jack Ryan was going through a messy divorce when accusations of… uhhh… private matters taking place in public places came out. Messy divorce means depositions. Depositions mean public record, not private life. And it was his GOP opponents who fought to get those records released, not Obama. By the way, Jack Ryan hired someone to video tape everything Obama did, so it’s hypocritical to complain about Jack Ryan’s private life coming out. And yes, hypocrisy matters.
You are trying to claim this is a pattern for Obama, which is a valid argument. However, your argument would have more merit if there was at least some accuracy held within.
Right, because the right didn’t spend months calling Sen. Kerry a trophy husband and whipped and a slave to THK. We are playing in the world you guys created, the time of liberals being dumb enough to be the better man while cons slice us off at the knees is so over.
Well, we all know Barack Obama used voodoo magic to get Jeri Ryan to file for divorce with Jack Ryan and cause his sexual indiscretions to come out.
Fear the Barack!
“In the reports I saw no mention was made of such force being used.”
Good point, Sean, although Ryan was still asking his wife to have sex with him in public (in other words, to commit a crime). Last time I checked, criminal behavior does not fall under the category of “private life” (well, if you are a Republican like Ryan, I guess it does to Jay).
“Right, because the right didn’t spend months calling Sen. Kerry a trophy husband..”
And a gigolo. This smear was a favorite of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.
Quaker in a Basement:
You didn’t mention who Jack Ryan’s wife was at the time. A Hollywood actress(TV anyway).
You didn’t mention who Jack Ryan’s wife was at the time.
I know. Because it’s not about her.
Sean, you don’t like “force”? How about “coerce”?
daniel rotter: Good point, Sean, although Ryan was still asking his wife to have sex with him in public (in other words, to commit a crime). Last time I checked, criminal behavior does not fall under the category of “private life”
From the divorce records she filed:
Sex in sex clubs: Not a crime.
Qib: Sean, you don’t like “force”? How about “coerce”?
Sounds good to me. I’m not in favor of the guy at all, but “force” makes it sound too much like he raped her.
Of course, the REAL significance of kicking around McCain’s first marriage is that it gives folks something to talk about that is NOT “Barack Obama’s buddy and key fund-raiser Tony Rezko convicted on 16 charges related to political corruption.”
Because, naturally, that’s nowhere near as significant.
J.
Shorter JT: Look over there!
Actually, Jay, the reason Republican marriages get pulled into the public eye is that Republicans are the ones who beat the Family Values drum at every possible moment, whether they’re talking about abortion or gay marriage or even things just peripherally related to “character.”
The point will always be that Republicans have no leg to stand on when they beat this drum, because so many of their best and brightest have a history of being complete bastards to their beloved families.
Actually, I think the McCain’s first wife is the “look over there” ploy. The Rezko thing is considerably more timely.
And Spider, I agree with you. The Republican scumbags are hypocrites. The Democratic scumbags at least don’t pretend to be anything but scumbags.
Another difference is that the Republicans tend to ostracize their worst offenders (Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley, etc. etc.) once they’re exposed. The Democrats tend to brush the whole thing under the rug (William Jefferson, Bill Clinton, Alcee Hastings, Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy, Gerry Studds, etc. etc.) and, once they think the worst has blown over, pretend it never happened. And, in most cases, they end up lionizing their scumbags.
I can see how you’d prefer those scumbags over Republican ones.
J.
Quaker:
I know it is not about her. I wonder if JT knows who it is though. Republicans get a kick out of that kind of thing after all.
Jay Tea: “Another difference is that the Republicans tend to ostracize their worst offenders (Duke Cunningham, Mark Foley, etc. etc.) once they’re exposed.”
Wow, Jay Tea, you are such a fucking liar. Problems with Mark Foley were known for about a decade before ABC broke the story. They stood by him, even convinced him not to resign because he was from a swing district. They only turned on him when it became politically expedient to do so. This is true of Duke Cunningham, who only resigned when he was convicted.
By the way, how many of the Democrats that you mentioned were convicted of criminal offenses?
On another note…
Are you going to answer my large post in this thread…
oliverwillis.com/index.php/2008/06/06/republican-recession-watch-unemployment-goes-through-the-roof/
Or are you going to prove that you are not worthy of being treated with respect?
Not fair C.S. he said “exposed” and you know it. All that unethical, corrupt or criminal behavior is just business as usual for the Republican party. It’s only a problem when its exposed in the press. Which is why they go to great lengths to cover it up.
I’ve seen a bit of Rezko coverage lately. The relevant thing JayTea leaves out is that Obama was clearly not involved in any illegal matters with Rezko. Oops. That makes it like a footnote.
because the right didn’t spend months calling Sen. Kerry a trophy husband and whipped and a slave to THK.
The difference here is that the “objective” news media is the one doing the dirt-slinging. MSM outlets barely made mention of Kerry’s 1st marriage and didn’t even touch the philandering rumors. But the day after McCain clinces the nomination, the NYT runs a Page 1 above-the-fold expose about McCain’s alleged infidelites.
Yeah, that’s the same…
“But the day after McCain clinces the nomination, the NYT runs a Page 1 above-the-fold expose about McCain’s alleged infidelites.”
And they had that story for a while and only published it after another news organization was going to report it first.
But don’t like the facts get in the way of your persecution complex.
“Actually, I think the McCain’s first wife is the “look over there” ploy. The Rezko thing is considerably more timely.”
Why don’t you look at what this thread is about, jackass?
As far as Rezko, I think I speak for most Democrats when I say that I won’t vote for Rezko for President.
C.S.S. if you can point to a NYT Page 1 above-the-fold story about Kerry’s alleged indiscretions, you’d have a point. If you can’t…
This is the same Jack Ryan who tried to force his wife to have sex. With other men. In a public place.
Which Tom Clancy book was this in?
SaveFarris: “C.S.S. if you can point to a NYT Page 1 above-the-fold story about Kerry’s alleged indiscretions, you’d have a point. If you can’t…”
And if you can point out where Kerry made attacking someone else’s marriage a campaign issue, you’d have a point.
By the way, the NYT’s story was about McCain being in bed with lobbyists. The ’sex scandal’ was only a minor part of the story. It was the only part everyone was talking about, but if you actually read the story, it wasn’t the biggest part.
Sean, sex in a public place, even in a “sex club,” is a crime (at least in America, where, last time I checked, New Orleans and New York are located in). If Ryan asked his wife to go with him to one of these places, he was asking her to go to a place where criminal activity was taking place (and, probably, to commit a crime herself, since I doubt he wanted to go to one of these “clubs” just as an observer).
Jay, how exactly did Republicans “ostracize” Foley and Cunningham? That’s right, they didn’t.
McCain has never hid this part of his life, he talks about it openly in his books, giving almost the exact same account.
This is very old news, rehashed from 2000. Carol Shepp and Senator McCain have since reconciled, she supports him in his run for the White House (both times).
A very large number of marriages ended for POW’s, often in adultery and bitterness. This just happens to have the added dimension of the car accident.
“This is the same Jack Ryan who tried to force his wife to have sex. With other men. In a public place.”
Have you seen Jeri Ryan, I dont think I would have needed anything Kinky, she would have been just fine.
McCain has never hid this part of his life, he talks about it openly in his books, giving almost the exact same account.”
So adultery should be excused if one doesn’t “hide” it, if one talks “openly” in books about it.? I’m sure if Bill Clinton, before the 1992 campaign, wrote “openly” about Gennifer Flowers in a book, the right would have refrained from criticizing him in that matter (rolls eyes).
“A very large number of marriages ended for POW’s, often in adultery and bitterness.. This just happens to have the added dimension of the car accident.”
And the fact that a. the former POW in question is running for President of the United States and b. he is the one who engaged in the “adultery” and thus caused the “bitterness” (the above-quoted comment regarding adultery and POW’s was general enough that it could have meant that either the POW or the spouse of the POW was the adulterer).
If McCain left his first wife when it was tough, he will leave the
country when it gets tough. No one in their right mind would leave
a serious injured wife holding the bag. He does not represent of
what I call a man. Huffington report told his first wife had 26
surgeries, lost 4inches in height. He left his first wife when she
needed his help and support. He has no feelings.