The Maverick changes

I was driving past a gas station/convenience store today and noticed the sign: Maverik.

I guess I'm like most everybody else.  Whenever I hear that word, no matter how it's spelled, I think of one thing: John McCain.

There was a time, in 2000 and again in 2008, when McCain claimed that title.  I think the news media first branded him with it but McCain took it on proudly.  Now . . . he says he never was a maverick.  Huh?

Of course, McCain spent part of his early adulthood bombing the Vietnamese.  Then, after being shot down, he spent quite a few years being mistreated as a prisoner of war.  Now?  Hugs.

Speaking of which, McCain has become quite a hugger.  Here he is with Rudy Giuliani.

And George W. Bush.

And his Independent but mostly Democrat pal Joe Lieberman.

And, of course, his running mate in 2008, loony Sarah Palin.

Even the guy who trounced him in the 2008 election, President Barack Obama.

So, what became of John McCain?  The Maverick?  The lovable hugger?  Well it's a mystery to most everyone but he still seems bitter about losing the presidency.  Twice, if you count Bush knocking him out in the primaries in 2000.  He seems to do nearly nothing except oppose everything Obama proposes.  Many people have said he just seems like a bitter old man.  In short, he has become this:

Election Day 2008

Here it is, folks, the day we finally will find out who our next president will be here in the U.S. of A.

John McCain held a post-midnight rally at the courthouse square in Prescott this morning. He brought Senators Lindsay Graham and Joe Liebermann in with him and Hank Williams Jr. warmed up the crowd. I didn't attend because of the very late hour but the BRD's beau said he was going and might have some pictures for me.

Another note from a friend told me I had neglected to post about Sarah Palin's being cleared of ethics violations up in Alaska yesterday. So there. Now I have. The same day the governor released her long-promised medical records. Surprise. She's in good health.

As for the election, the first returns came in a little after 10 p.m. my time last night from Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Obama had 15 votes, McCain 6. That's from the tiny settlement that hasn't voted for a Democrat since 1968 - - forty years ago.

So the day wears on. As for me, I am proud to say . . .

McCain v. Obama

O.K. I'm sorry. I really meant to keep politics off this blog. For the most part. But I can't hold myself back.

During the primary season, I was a strong backer of Hillary Clinton, which led to a bit of a contretemps with Phoebe Fay, during which we didn't talk for quite awhile. But I'm over that now. Her guy won and I now support him fervidly.

So fervidly, in fact, that I am ready to wring John McCain's neck. This guy, who had a pretty decent reputation except for his temper, the Keating episode, his drinking, his gambling, his disgraceful treatment of his first wife and, of course, his lying ways that pissed off many voters in the Arizona Republican (not to mention Democratic) party. Even McCain has said "Barry Goldwater never liked me. I'm not sure why." Well, hell, John, I think I can tell you. Barry was a man of his word and you never were, in spite of all your politi-speak bullshit about "straight talk" and "maverick". We could trust Barry, whether we agreed with him or not, to say and MEAN what he said. That was REAL straight talk.

Yours - isn't.

But even more so, in this campaign, against a Democratic candidate who seems to be, above all, decent . . . you, John McCain, have been a complete ass. Your arrogant attitude at the first debate. The lies you or your campaign have been spewing forth while you keep talking about how honest and straightforward you are. Your complete rudeness to Barack Obama when he tries to "make nice" with you.

I'm sorry, my fellow Arizonans and Republicans nationwide, this guy (McCain) is running a desperate campaign worthy only of Karl Rove and his numbers are sinking by the day.

O.K. That's enough.

For now.