John McCain Got 99 Problems, And White Nationalism Is One Of Them

Here’s something everyone should know about politicians: they conveniently have short-term memories, like Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Nikita Vladimirov of the Hill reports Sen. John McCain chided his primary challenger, Kelli Ward, for having a phone conversation with a white nationalist.

“Unfortunately, this appears to be part of a pattern for Kelli Ward, who has cozied up to multiple individuals who have made racist comments such as Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, not to mention her association with numerous conspiracy theorists. It is clear Arizona cannot afford Kelli Ward’s bad judgment,” the campaign said in a statement Saturday.

Vladimirov writes that 3TV said Kelli Ward made calls to several prospective donors, including one associated with white nationalism to raise money for her candidacy. The man in question claims he was transparent with Ward about his affiliation to white supremacism, according to Vladimirov, who referenced the man’s interview with The Daily Beast.

“On Friday, I got a call for Dr. Kelli Ward seeking my support. I told her I would support her financially, but she needs to understand that I am a white nationalist.”

That’s all fine and dandy, maybe Kelli Ward is telling the truth that she didn’t know the man was a white supremacist or maybe she is lying, with politicians, often you never know who’s speaking the truth and who isn’t. It’s like a ‘Where’s Waldo?”

Usually, this would be the end of it, until another tale or controversy surfaced to add to the already provocative nature of politics and racism in America. However, for me, this story is from for over.

The audacity of Sen. John McCain to point his finger at Kelli Ward for her bad behavior makes my mouth drop. How dare he? First of all, Sen. John McCain has endorsed Donald Trump for president, choosing party over country and party over his moral compass. White supremacists like David Duke were giddy with glee to support the candidacy of Donald Trump. Why? Perhaps it might be his disdain for American Muslims, his affinity to overcharge blacks with criminality, his false prophecy that he will be the candidate to protect gay Americans while simultaneously supporting anti-gay legislation and his wink to white Americans that he will “Make America Great Again.”

Make It Unequivocal: McCain backs Donald Trump, says GOP must back voters' wishes https://t.co/dUJDTQcNuG via @WSJ #MakeAmericaGreatAgain

— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) May 9, 2016

McCain, without any sign of remorse, is endorsing this man, Donald Trump. Trump, whose life is so ingrained with racism and affiliation to white supremacy. Trump legacy is surrounded with allegations that his family was members of the KKK. Trump’s past consist of being sued by black people because he refused to rent apartments to them. But no, Kelli Ward is the despicable person and shame on her for ever speaking to a man associated with a hate group.

McCain has no right to judge Kelli Ward for her alleged association with a white supremacist when he’s endorsing a man who it took pulling teeth not to accept the endorsement from David Duke. A man who said McCain wasn’t a war hero because he was captured. A man who speaks indignantly about a Muslim father and mother who are Gold Star parents. A man who “speaks in code,” that it’s ok to assassinate a politician and judges if the election doesn’t go his way.

Just like Kelli Ward, John McCain has no moral grit in this game.

He can't run on his record. #RetireMcCain
Go Dr #KelliWardAZ 4 #AZSen pic.twitter.com/oD25v2zg2C

— Team Ward Pima (@TeamWardPima) June 9, 2016

Besides, McCain needs to check his ego because his record isn’t clean, either. Back in March, his daughter, Meghan McCain, said her father’s campaigns never associated with white supremacists. She was wrong, very wrong.

Cliff Schecter of the Huffington Post wrote that Richard Quinn was hired by John McCain to be a political advisor to his 2000 presidential campaign. Quinn was known to sell T-shirts that celebrated the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and he wrote and edited the magazine Southern Partisan, which stated slave masters weren’t that bad. McCain refused to disavow Quinn after this revelation. In fact, Quinn was also very present in McCain’s 2008 candidacy for president.

McCain declined to repudiate then-Sen. Jesse Helms, who was a provocateur in dog whistle politics. When Helms, a Republican, used “a racist ad during the 2008 presidential election in North Carolina,” McCain just shrugged it off in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN.

“I cannot enforce my will [but] I can make it clear to them that I will have no part of it.”

Vox said John McCain supported the Confederate flag, then he disavowed, then he went back to supporting, then he denied it again. Honestly, it depends on the election cycle and its atmosphere for Sen. John McCain.

In Irwin Tang‘s “Gook: John McCain’s Racism and Why It Matters,” he alleges McCain is closely associated with Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), a known white supremacist group.

John McCain is no different than Kelli Ward. It’s the same old story, never knowing how the racism got into the inner circle to begin, but of course, when called out they disavow it, while simultaneously seeking or endorsing it still (hint hint: former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin). That’s Republican politics for you.

[Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images]