The Left's Vendetta Against John McCain

Liberals from far and wide have attacked Senator John McCain this year whenever he has dared to criticize the Obama administration. It would behoove all of us, Democrats and Republican, to take a breath, stop and give real consideration to the views of an American with over 50 years of military and public service on everything from health care to jobs to the prevention of a nuclear Iran. However, Democrats, and those in the media who support them, have chosen to dismiss Senator McCain’s views and to continue the personal attacks that were used against Senator McCain throughout the 2008 presidential campaign.

Does McCain disagree with Democrats on health care? They scream: “He’s not the same McCain as in 2000!!!” Does McCain mention that the current administration has no concise plan to deal with a nuclear Iran? Democrats cry: “McCain is a sore loser!” Does the Arizona senator put forth the logical viewpoint that the president’s time would be better spent trying to provide Americans with jobs rather than polishing his global image at the recent nuclear security summit? Lefty-journalist Mike Barnicle, formerly of The Boston Globe and someone who could learn a thing or two about integrity from John McCain, says the following in response:

“The ultimate sadness is that, here, in the 21st century, running for re-election, he shows more fear of J.D. Hayworth than he showed toward his captors in North Vietnam.”

It appears that some on the left have a vendetta against Senator McCain and are rooting for him to lose the Republican primary in Arizona against J.D. Hayworth.

Liberals, wrongly, believed that John McCain was somehow one of them because he ran and lost against George W. Bush in 2000. They seem to believe that McCain changed during and after his 2008 presidential run compared to the 2000 McCain version. That misguided belief is as far from reality as the Democrats’ conviction that a majority of Americans support the health care overhaul. John McCain has always been a conservative, he has run in election after election campaigning to put an end to pork barrel spending and promising to cut taxes. His sponsorship of McCain – Feingold campaign finance overhaul made him as much of a liberal as Ted Kennedy’s sponsorship of No Child Left Behind made him a conservative. McCain ran against George W. Bush in 2000 in the Republican primary because he believed he would make a good Republican president, not because he wanted to be a more liberal president.

Senator McCain is not the one who changed from 2000 to 2008 and ever after. It is the left who has changed. They have become so blind in their disdain for anything and anyone conservative. They have decided that Senator McCain is no longer deserving of their respect. Liberals have not been able to let go of their shock and disbelief when a Republican, whom they so admired for opposing President Bush in 2000, actually dared to run against their anointed savior, Barack Obama. Meanwhile, McCain has continued to do his job in representing Arizona voters in Arizona and working to better of the lives of all Americans. He has fought against a drastic overhaul of our health care system and an increase in taxes. Just this past week he sponsored a resolution against the value added tax (VAT) which passed by a 85 – 13 margin.

Whether he wins or loses in the upcoming Arizona Republican primary -- and I am confident and hopeful that he will win -- John McCain will continue to be an example of dignity, conservatism and perseverance. It is his failure to quit -- exemplified at every step of his career -- that bothers the left so deeply and makes them act like something even worse than sore losers, it makes them sore winners.

Boris Epshteyn is a political strategist, attorney and business consultant in New York City. He served as a communications aide on the McCain – Palin 2008 presidential campaign. He is a frequent guest on Foxnews.com's "The Strategy Room" and appears occasionally on other Fox News Channel programs. Contact him at boris@strategy-llc.com.