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McCain Says He Did Vote For George W. Bush
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ShareMay 09, 2008 1:13 PM
ABC News' Jan Simmonds and Jennifer Parker report: Heightening a he-said she-said brouhaha, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., today disputed liberal blogger Arianna Huffington's assertion that the presumptive Republican nominee voted against George W. Bush during the 2000 election.
"It's nonsense," said McCain, whose campaign has suggested Huffington made up the story to promote her new book. Huffington, a former Republican, supports the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
In a blog posting on her Huffington Post website, Huffington said that she and the McCains attended a dinner party after the 2000 election at the home of actress Candice Bergen where she heard McCain say he did not vote for Bush.
Huffington said McCain's wife, Cindy, told her personally she wrote in her husband's name on the ballot in the 2000 election. In her blog post, Huffington criticized McCain for abandoning his principles now that he's running for the White House.
McCain lost the 2000 Republican nomination to Bush in a bitter battle that saw the former prisoner-of-war's character and family viciously attacked in ads in South Carolina.
Two other guests at Bergen's party, former "West Wing" actors Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff, have come forward this week in the media to say that they, too, heard McCain say he didn't vote for Bush.
Campaigning today in New Jersey, McCain disputed the story.
"I voted, campaigned for, worked as hard as I could for President Bush's election in 2000 and 2004," McCain told reporters. "I voted for President Bush, I said so at the time. I know we're already in silly season, but my record stands very clearly of campaigning all over this nation on behalf of the candidacy of President Bush."
McCain also admonished the media.
"In all due respect, this is all not worth our time ...this happened eight years ago."
May 9, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (50)
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I think he is USING his age as an EXCUSE for not remembering anything! And it happened so long ago it doesn't matter won't go both ways with him, as obviously the character debates being silly for oneside, but not the other! He has been called out as a liar by quite a few accounts of that party, but they better watch it the man has a temper.
Posted by: seg | May 9, 2008 1:57:33 PM
Do you think he would really vote for someone who smeared his name in South Carolina and who made him lose in 2000.
Remember it was George Bush's campaign that was saying that he had an illegitimate black child. It would be only human for him not to vote for someone who was spreading lies about him, especially if he knows that no one will really know who you voted for.
Posted by: lovy | May 9, 2008 2:04:03 PM
Obama for Present! Empty suits unite!
Posted by: Mack | May 9, 2008 2:45:19 PM
Non-story it may be, but it shows that McCain is continuing to flip-flop and has added out-and-out lying to his other detrimental qualities. When lots of people hear you say something and aren't afraid to tell the truth, you get the truth.
Posted by: Vicki | May 9, 2008 3:00:47 PM
I'm not going to vote for McCain, but I wouldn't stoop so low as to criticize anything he did while being tortured for four years by N. Vietnam. It's not about his age either. Wonder what we could accomplish if we spent all this energy talking about issues. Our country has a few problems to deal with, if you haven't noticed.
Posted by: louielouie | May 9, 2008 3:19:22 PM
McOldguy:
You need to do some serious fact checking. McCain did not "allow" himself to get captured (whatever that means), he was shot down. He didn't give information to the enemy, which is why he was tortured. And he was offered early release by the north Vietnamese more than once, but refused, telling the enemy he would leave AFTER the other American prisoners of war who were held captive longer were released. I'll vote for an "old guy" with integrity like that anytime.
Posted by: RottieLover | May 9, 2008 3:35:31 PM
So just who is John McCain? A double-talk express that voted against George Bush in 2000 and 2004, or a straight talking conservative has stood shoulder to shoulder with President George Bush since 2000?
Posted by: john | May 9, 2008 3:59:35 PM
Exactly john - if McCain was smart, he'd agree with the story and try to distance himself as far as possible from Bush.
Posted by: Deep Release | May 9, 2008 4:05:49 PM
Boy - talk about ripped. Did ABC just kill all the anti Obama posts and keep the anti McCain posts? Even Im shocked! Talk about keeping the press in check.
Posted by: NYCStylez | May 9, 2008 4:08:22 PM
American media is runin crazy . there are a lot of people very crazy in this contry , the first is the useless and worthless and a brutish media . your support for Obama will finally destroy the DNC. I will evr in my life regret being a member of this party . I am finally going away for ever from this party it is filled up senseless people like Pelosi etc .
Posted by: A True black American | May 9, 2008 4:13:35 PM
McCain IS smart, which is exactly why he's disputing the nonsense that he didn't vote for Bush.
He wants to shore up the conservative base for the general election. Saying he voted against Bush isn't going to help him with conservatives, it's only going to hurt him.
Good Lord, who would want to admit anyway that they voted for either Gore or Kerry?!
Posted by: RottieLover | May 9, 2008 4:14:22 PM
If McCain did not vote for Bush in 2000 he should be proud of it and not deny it.
Posted by: Bill | May 9, 2008 4:17:25 PM
American media is runing crazy .There are a lot of people that are very cray in this contry , the first is the useless , worthless and a brutish media . your support for Obama will finally destroy the DNC. I will ever in my life regret being a member of this party . I am finally going away for ever from this useless party it is filled up senseless people like Pelosi etc .
Posted by: A True black American | May 9, 2008 4:18:12 PM
By the way who is this useless woman called Huffington
Posted by: A True black American | May 9, 2008 4:20:39 PM
Please, like at his age John McCain can really remember.
Posted by: Sean | May 9, 2008 4:25:47 PM
McCain and his Straight Talk Express have to suck up to the conservatives and Republicans and even Rush Limbaugh who hates him but carries a radio show popular among the extreme right wing. So McCain will have to pander to these idiots. I guess some Americans will never be changed from red to blue no matter what happens to this country. I just hope it isn't a 50-50 election again this November. Obama has to paint McCain has an old, out of touch, war mongering neocon out of touch with America.
Posted by: Bob | May 9, 2008 4:28:30 PM
I'm surprise there are so many people believe this crap. Someday, some of you will hear Sen.McCain worked for Vietnamese communiste during VN war !!!
Do you believe Sen. Obama worked for Hussein before?
Posted by: Allison | May 9, 2008 4:29:41 PM
Huffington is some crazed Austrian who decided to start a political website after here husband turned Gay. Talk about wacked.
Posted by: NYCStylez | May 9, 2008 4:31:09 PM
Huffington is some crazed Austrian who decided to start a political website after here husband turned Gay. Talk about wacked.
Posted by: NYCStylez | May 9, 2008 4:31:14 PM
huffington is more worse than a brutish
Posted by: A True black American | May 9, 2008 4:32:51 PM
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