None Dare Call It Treason, None?

In the spring, Senator John McCain claimed he would be so happy to be part of a clean debate on the issues. 'A new brand of politics' was proclaimed! And most Americans said "Thank heaven."

During part of the time between the spring and the first week of October, he was true to his word and - whether you agreed with him on the issues or not - Senator McCain did usually stick to the issues. I think there were some attempts to enter subjects of age, education, and similar personal traits into the mix of issues; these were attempts that ultimately failed.

A self-described gambler, Senator McCain was observed at various times through the political season to seemingly 'roll the dice' and make decisions that appeared questionable to some people.

• He picked an unknown governor from a small (in population) state to be his running mate.
• He suspended his campaign to rush to Washington to contribute to the solution in the budget crisis and related bailout.
• Senator McCain identified his plan to use cuts in Medicare/Medicaid to save $1.3 trillion toward his health care plan.
• Some of his hunches appeared to be 'winners' while some appeared to be 'losers' - some started as winners and evolved into losers.

But, on October 5th and 6th, Senator McCain and Governor Palin squandered any respect I held for them. They ignored the Spring-time promise of an issues-based campaign and began a barrage of mudslinging. A Senator that escaped Federal Prison in the well-documented Keating Five scandal, a Senator that in his own words "wrote that his decision to meet with regulators on Keating's behalf was "the worst mistake of my life'' and that he had learned from the experience" intervened in the judicial process of a man ultimately found guilty and imprisoned. The public record is full of accounts where McCain actively pursued actions the public now considers identical to the perception of big financial fraud and obstructed justice in the instant sub-prime crisis and $700 billion bail out scandals that threaten to hit our collective wallets yet again in a matter of days or weeks.

I think the choice of Sarah "I can see Russia" Palin as his running mate was fool-hearty and reckless. But it was just a bad decision.

I think the decision to cut Medicare/Medicaid by $1.3 trillion to pay for health care was reckless and fool-hearty. (Relating this to a Florida campaign swing was stupid beyond belief or measure.)

But I think that any candidate that slings mud with the intention of labeling an opponent as a terrorist is - listen to this closely - sometimes treasonous.

1. My morals dictate that if a person has proof or even evidence that another person is a terrorist, he must take his information to the Justice Department, directly and discretely so that proper indictments can be prepared.
2. My moral position continues that if a person has proof or even evidence that another person is a terrorist, and he does not take his information to the Justice Department, directly and discretely so that proper indictments can be prepared, he becomes an accomplice.
3. Further, my moral compass indicates that if a person has proof or even evidence that another person is a terrorist, and he does not take his information to the Justice Department, directly and discretely but makes the issue public so that any potential perpetrators can cover up, suppress evidence, and perhaps escape or make the case unsupportable. Again, he becomes an accomplice.

Option 1 did not take place, or going public certainly broke the judicial processes. Both options 2 and 3 may have taken place and if they did, then McCain is as guilty as he indicates Senator Obama is.

There is another scenario. This new scenario is that there is no factual tie between Senator Obama and the old, former, reformed terrorist - or at least no 'terrorist' ties or 'terrorist' activity. In this scenario, McCain (formerly referred to as 'Senator' - but that dignity is discarded), McCain has lied: lied that there is a terrorist link; lied that he would run an issues-based campaign; and lied if this is all a sham to screen the news media from covering his raiding of the $1.3 trillion from Medicare/Medicaid coffers.

So, if there is truth to the McCain claims about Senator Obama, McCain must be tried on aiding and abetting; and for placing the Republic in danger, he should stand to a charge of treason!

If there is no truth to the McCain claims about Senator Obama, then the members of the GOP ticket are liars of the worst order and have earned the loss of the appellations Senator and Governor.

-jb