Change? McCain Says Dems Are Just Like GOP

While Senate Democrats and some journalists have called the Senate's agreement on a difficult economic stimulus bill as "bipartisan," John McCain thinks it is anything but.

On Face The Nation Sunday, the Republican Senator argued, "This agreement is not bipartisan. I have been in bipartisan agreements, many. This [bill] is three Republican senators. Every Republican congressman voted against it in the House, plus eleven Democrats, and all but three Republicans stayed together [in opposition] on this. That's not bipartisanship; that's just picking off a couple of Senators."

Host Bob Schieffer asked McCain what he thinks has to change in the bill in order to garner more Republican support, the senator answered, "I think from the beginning when the Speaker of the House [Pelosi] said, 'We won, so we're writing the bill,' that set the stage."

The bill (which McCain said was delivered to senators last night and is 778 pages long) is currently being poured over by Democratic staffers. "They will come up with a bill. But unfortunately, Republicans will not be involved in those negotiations. I regret that," he said.

In a tone reminiscent of the 2008 presidential election, McCain criticized the Obama administration. "In the interest of full disclosure, that's the way the Bush administration [operated] when we Republicans were in charge. That's the way we did business, but I thought we were going to have change, that change meant we work together.

"This is a set-back for all Americans" the senator said, "because we promised that we would work together in a more bipartisan, inclusive fashion … that has certainly not been the case with this bill."

McCain also said that he would not vote for the stimulus bill as it now stands, referring to the spending package as "generational theft." He said that the Senate version of the package (which, even after some pruning by Republicans and Democrats, currently stands at $827 billion) would lead to a $1.2 trillion budget deficit, which he said marks only the beginning of a greater downward spiral. "We are going to amass the largest debt in the history of this country and we are going to ask our kids and grandkids to pay for it," he said.

"I know America needs a stimulus," McCain admitted, "but this is not it."

Schieffer began his interview with a question likely on many people's minds, asking the Arizona senator how he has gotten right back to work after a devastating presidential election loss.

"I think the best cure for defeat, as hard as it may be, is to get back in the arena," McCain said. "I love what we do in the Senate. I'm honored to serve. I am honored to represent the people of Arizona and have some voice in major crises we face both at home and abroad. So best cure, I am happy to be back and I am happy to back on this program."

Sunday's appearance marked the 68th time McCain has been a guest on Face The Nation. He holds the record for the number of interviews on the long-running CBS program.



Also on the program, Democratic Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota disputed McCain's remarks dismissing the stimulus bill, saying passage of a stimulus package is "absolutely essential."

Conrad also said he believed support for the bill could be built among House Republicans who had voted lock-step against it. "I think it is possible," he said, adding that he thinks the Republicans' insistence on not supporting the package is politically motivated.

"I think most of them have made a political calculation that it's better to be in opposition," he told Schieffer. "You can see that on a political basis because, look, this economy is in desperately serious shape. It is going to get worse before it gets better. So they will be able to argue 'This package was ineffective.'"

To download or view the full transcript of the program click here.

[annaamed]

Yes, I agree that Obama is following the loser (Bush) path. Helping fail banks CITI And Bank of America is unethical.
? Nobody has ever won Afghanistan (read history) and will never be able to win. But we will have more $$ Billions pump in like Bush and have more soldiers dead or broken legs and arms. Mark my word you will fail there, unless you want to be remembered as Bush (loser).

[cdlopez2]

The Democrats seem to be trying to get the nation out of this mess. This is not going to be easy, the greed of the last administration has raped the middle class.
This country will stay in the red until the middle class comes back.
That trickle down theory that Bush and Reagan dreamed up might work in Wally World but in the real world the middle class supports the world.
The majority in this world right now are having it tough.
My wife has been a RN for 42 years and she is afraid to retire.
I am disabled or I would be working, I worked for Honeywell and other large contractors for 36 years.
We have prepared for retirement, I am 67 so how can we start over?
The people that have run off with all of the money with no bid contracts and millions in bonus money should pay it back or go to "Jail."
When someone steals a candy bar in a store and ends up in jail for shoplifting and Madoff is still in a 7 million dollar apartment after a Billion dollar scam.
The Justice system needs a overhaul first.

[margreta-2009]

THE PRESIDENT MADE HIMSELF VERY CLEAR,WHEN HE SAID YES WE CAN CHANGE,,,,,,WE VOTED HIM IN OFFICE, WE VOTED THE SENATORS, AND CONGRESS IN OFFICE, WITHOUT THE PEOPLE NO ONE WOULD BE IN OFFICE.........THINK ABOUT THE AMERICA PEOPLE,WHAT IF THE SENATORS AND CONGRESS WALKED A MILE IN THE PEOPLE''S SHOES, NO JOB, OR LOSING JOB, NO HOME,OR LOSS HOME,NO FOOD TO BUY,NO MONEY TO BUY FOOD......COME ON PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON D.C. DON''T BE HYPOCRITES, WE SAID YES WE CAN,THE PRESIDENT SAID IT WOULDN''T BE EASY BUT TOGETHER WE CAN HAVE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THE AMERICA DREAM, HAVE A EXCELLENT JOB, A BEAUTIFUL HOME, A NICE AUTOMOBILE,ABLE TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY, GIVE SOME MONEY, TITHE SOME MONEY, AND BE A BLESSING TO ONE ANOTHER...WAKE UP CONGRESS, WAKE UP SENATORS IF YOU ARE TRULY FOR THE PEOPLE,THAN BE FOR THE PEOPLE,THE UNITED STATES IS A RICH COUNTRY,AND EVERYONE HERE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE THE AMERICA DREAM,,,,,,,,MR.PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, YOU ARE A GOOD MAN, I BELIEVE YOU ARE A GOOD PRESIDENT,AND AN EXCELLENT LEADER, GOD BLESS IN JESUS NAME.

[catlady1412]

McCain has no idea what will help the economy so he is still pushing the Bush economic plan. And that worked really well, for China! Since we are now owned by China, I guess it is okay to keep working on their economy and not ours, huh? I think McCain should take what is left of his marbles and go home!

[larrylinn1]

It is ironic that the Republicans in Congress now are dragging their feet as the economy slips into a depression. When the Bush Administration, went to Congress for $700 Billion bailout based upon a 2 1/2 page request, they had no problem. The only delays were photo-ops that McCain needed. Now, the Republican leadership is holding up all efforts based upon tax relief. The tax base is evaporating, and without profits and income, it is becoming a moot issue. The financially secure may benefit, but the consequences will be known as the Republican-Bush Depression. The irony is compounded when McCain''s rhetoric sounds like what his economic advisor, Phil Gram, would call a "whiner".

[raflin0010]

Host Bob Schieffer asked McCain what he thinks has to change in the bill in order to garner more Republican support, the senator answered, "I think from the beginning when the Speaker of the House [Pelosi] said, ''We won, so we''re writing the bill,'' that set the stage."
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Notice how McCain pointedly avoided answering Schieffer''s question? That''s because he doesn''t have anything to offer than to be negatiave.....

[matrixrx2003]

John McCain is just WhatEver !

[repo_man_08]

And yet, he never once Invaded and Occupied Iraq,
Posted by stinginrich at 11:16 PM : Feb 08, 2009

I might have missed it buried in all that BS you posted, but it sounds like now you ADMIT that Clinton REALLY DID say Saddam had WMD.

BILL CLINTON ORIGNINATED THE WMD LIE

CLINTON LIED, THOUSANDS DIED

But in classic style, when proven wrong all you do is CHANGE THE SUBJECT...

LOL!

[armydog2]

No old man the democrats are nothing like you republicans!!!!

[raflin0010]

"McCain Says Dems Are Just Like GOP"

....and Dan Quayle was just like John Kennedy, uh huh. (Republicans seem to operate in a state of fantasy.)