Cindy McCain's drug addiction...

[rideit]

Anyone else following this story?
Not that she had an addiction (who cares) but that John claims to have 'not seen it'...for twelve years?

[Buster Highmen]

More bullshit that detracts from the real issues.

[rideit]

You don't find it problematic that he was in denial of something that blatant?
What else could he be so out of touch about as well?
Or be able to lie straight faced to others about?
I would call that tendency a 'real issue', all things considered.

[GoldMember]

You don't find it problematic that he was in denial of something that blatant?
What else could he be so out of touch about as well?
Or be able to lie straight faced to others about?
I would call that tendency a 'real issue', all things considered.

In the firstplace, Buster's right; it's more bullshit to distract from the main issues. But moving on, who is anyone outside of their family to judge what happened? People of addictive natures who fall into a trap become very good at masking behaviors and hiding their weaknesses and enablement. Considering the amount of time spent apart with McCain in DC and Cindy doing her thing, it's not inconceivable that she could hide an addiction for a very long time. Closet alcoholics are numerous with members of their families that they're around a lot not recognizing their problems. That Cindy has come forward to the world with this and is apparently over it takes fortitude that most would never gather. It's a non-issue at this point.

[Buster Highmen]

You don't find it problematic that he was in denial of something that blatant?
What else could he be so out of touch about as well?
Or be able to lie straight faced to others about?
I would call that tendency a 'real issue', all things considered.

No, I don't call it problematic, it's just human. It's not a political issue. Neither was Lewinsky or Obamas drug use or any of that shit. We're only human.

[Tippster]

We see what we want to see. She wasn't addicted to Alcohol, Crack, or Meth so there was no physical manifestation to he addiction.

This is a non-story. His using his connections to keep her ass out of Jail, even some country club type, is worthy of some scrutiny. The law is the law for all of us, even those of us who do not wear $300k worth of jewelry & clothing.

[Adolf Allerbush]

It shouldn't have anything to do with the election but when the McCain campaign uses his wife's work with her charity as a political talking point then he opens himself up to scrutiny in this regard. Especially when she was steeling pain killers from said charity.

Personally I couldn't care less if she has a raging drug problem...she's not the one that might be running the country. I think her accomplishments or lack of accomplishments should be a non-issue...but unfortunately the McCain campaign is using her charity work as a positive for the campaign and her potentially being the next First Lady. Maybe if they had not gone with that approach this wouldn't be as much of a talking point.

[Buster Highmen]

I heard Rush was boning her when they traded codeine.

[GoldMember]

I heard Rush was boning her when they traded codeine.
That's all wrong. She was using a strap-on so technically, she was boning him...

[Buster Highmen]

That's all wrong. She was using a strap-on so technically, she was boning him...

Sheesh, your party contributions pay off way more than mine in that "insider" info.

[bklyn]

Cindy McCain's drug addiction...
.
.
.
.
.
is pretty much irrelevant.

People with means can get out of going to jail. They almost always have connections, good lawyers, etc. pretty much a non story also.

[David Witherspoon]

Hey, what would you be using if you were married to McCain?

Leeeaaave Cinnnndddeeee Aloooonnnne! *sob*

[rideit]

Good point.
When ol' man comes lunging into bed hopped up on Viagra, I would imagine Cindy's indulging in pain killers would have been good for their marraige.

[PNWbrit]

No, I don't call it problematic, it's just human. It's not a political issue. Neither was Lewinsky or Obamas drug use or any of that shit. We're only human.

I find the deal she managed to buy thus avoiding prosecution more than slightly disturbing.... also the subsequent strong arming of Gosinski seems typically McCainist.

[YetiMan]

i think it's bullshit that she didn't get sent to sheriff joe's tent city for that shit like anybody else. fuck the double standard. fuck the hypocrisy...these republicans will defend her and rush limbaugh out of one side of their mouths and talk about sending some pothead to prison out of the other. fuck them, fuck that.

[Summit]

All these people screaming about "Why isn't Cindy in Jail?"

Well...
Should Obama be in Jail for coke? no
Should Bush be in jail for coke? no (just for many other reasons)
Should Clinton have been in jail for marijuana? no

Mind you, these are the actually candidates, not their distant trophy wives. C'mon... you can't just scream "TAKE THEM AWAY" only when you find someone (married to someone who is) politically distasteful.

This issue is distracting and irrelevant.

[Buster Highmen]

I find the deal she managed to buy thus avoiding prosecution more than slightly disturbing.... also the subsequent strong arming of Gosinski seems typically McCainist.
I read that too. But this is just derigeur for the wealthy. How many Hollywood types and pathetic Paris Hiltons do we want to consider.

Anyway, I really think this detracts from the real issues of the economy and religion that are much more important in the election.

[doughboyshredder]

^^^^
none of them were investigated by the DEA for stealing drugs from a non profit organization.

This is yet another example of McCain's true colors.





How Cindy McCain was outed for drug addiction
When an attempt to get tough with a whistleblower backfired in 1994, the McCain spin machine went into overdrive, and the candidate's wife confessed to problems the media was already poised to reveal.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Amy Silverman GOP presidential candidate John McCain's (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/05/14/mccain/index.html) wife Cindy took to the airwaves last week, recounting for Jane Pauley (on "Dateline") and Diane Sawyer (on "Good Morning America") the tale of her onetime addiction to Percocet and Vicodin, and the fact that she stole the drugs from her own nonprofit medical relief organization.
It was a brave and obviously painful thing to do.
It was also vintage McCain media manipulation. (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/12/salter/index.html)

I had d�j� vu watching Cindy McCain on television, perky in a purple suit with tinted pearls to match. It was so reminiscent of the summer day in 1994 when suddenly, years after she'd claimed to have kicked her habit, McCain decided to come clean to the world about her addiction to prescription painkillers.
I believe she wore red that day. She granted semi-exclusive interviews to one TV station and three daily newspaper reporters in Arizona, tearfully recalling her addiction, which came about after painful back and knee problems and was exacerbated by the stress of the Keating Five banking scandal that had ensnared her husband. To make matters worse, McCain admitted, she had stolen the drugs from the American Voluntary Medical Team, her own charity, and had been investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The local press cooed over her hard-luck story. One of the four journalists spoon-fed the story -- Doug McEachern, then a reporter for Tribune Newspapers, now a columnist with the Arizona Republic (and, it must be added, normally much more acerbic) -- wrote this rather typical lead:
"She was blonde and beautiful. A rich man's daughter who became a politically powerful man's wife. She had it all, including an insidious addiction to drugs that sapped the beauty from her life like a spider on a butterfly."
What McEachern and the others didn't know was that, far from being a simple, honest admission designed to clear her conscience and help other addicts, Cindy McCain's storytelling had been orchestrated by Jay Smith, then John McCain's Washington campaign media advisor. And it was intended to divert attention from a different story, a story that was getting quite messy.
I know, because I had been working on that story for months at Phoenix New Times. I had finally tracked down the public records that confirmed Cindy McCain's addiction and much more, and the McCains knew I was about to get them. Cindy's tale was released on the day the records were made public.
But the story I was pursuing was not so much about Cindy McCain's unfortunate addiction. It was much more about her efforts to keep that story from coming to light, and the possible manipulation of the criminal justice system by her husband and his cohorts. ----------------------------------But both of Cindy McCain's staged, teary drug-addiction confessions have been vintage (http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/18/arizona/index.html) John McCain. His MO is this: Get the story out -- even if it's a negative story. Get it out first, with the spin you want, with the details you want and without the details you don't want.
McCain did it with the Keating Five, and with the story of the failure of his first marriage (Cindy is his second wife). So what you recall after the humble, honest interview, is not that McCain did favors for savings and loan failure Charlie Keating, or that he cheated on his wife, but instead what an upfront, righteous guy he is.
Candor is the McCain trademark, but what the journalists who slobber over the senator fail to realize is that the candor is premeditated and polished. John McCain shoots from the hip -- but only after carefully rehearsing the battle plan, to be sure he won't get shot himself.
This is the story of a time that strategy backfired, and yet the McCain machine still managed to contain the damage.


------------------------------------I have always wondered why John McCain has done nothing to fix the problem. He must either not see that a problem exists or ... not choose to do anything about it. It would seem that it would be in everyone's best interest to come to terms with the situation. And do whatever is necessary to fix it. -----------------------------------------------------------------------Among the questions asked: Did Cindy McCain get preferential treatment by the feds? True, Cindy was a first-time offender, which partially explains the fact that she did no prison time; instead, she entered a diversion program. But at the time, defense lawyers told New Times that if Cindy McCain had been a poor minority and not married to a U.S. senator, she likely would have been locked up.
Did Gosinski intend to blackmail Cindy McCain? He told New Times he didn't. Other AVMT employees told county investigators that he did. But the time line makes extortion hard to believe, since Gosinski had already gone to the DEA before he brought his lawsuit against the McCains.
In any case, Tom Gosinski didn't out Cindy McCain. John Dowd did, and then Jay Smith was called in for the clean-up.
A few postscripts: Tom Gosinski left town shortly after Cindy McCain's story broke. By that time, his lawsuit had died, ignored. The county did not pursue the extortion investigation against him.
John Max Johnson, the doctor who had written the prescriptions for Cindy McCain, surrendered his medical license.
Cindy McCain still does relief work and raises the McCains' four children.
John McCain, of course, is running for president.

And only a handful of people remember the details of Cindy McCain's 1994 "outing" for drug addiction and drug pilfering, and the work of the McCain machine to protect her.
salon.com | Oct. 18, 1999



http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/18/drugs/print.html

[timvwcom]

...This issue is distracting and irrelevant.

Thereby becoming an almost PERFECT discussion issue at TGR, right?

^^Oh, and purdy colors!

[hutash]

It is an issue, a minor one, but still an issue. If the GOP is going to run a video on Cindy's wonderful volunteer work, then her drug addiction deserves equal time, no more no less. Just a Troopergate in itself is only a minor issue, any abuse of the system is a valid issue if McCain did work it on Cindy's behalf. Again, not major issues, but worth a little press time.

[CantDog]

All these people screaming about "Why isn't Cindy in Jail?"

Well...
Should Obama be in Jail for coke? no
Should Bush be in jail for coke? no (just for many other reasons)
Should Clinton have been in jail for marijuana? no



Those people werent stealing the drugs from children. If Obama knocked down some kid in the Southside and stole his crack, then it would be a different story.

I mean, if you are worth that much, it is not hard to get a lousy doc to write you a prescription. It just tells me she's lazy. I don't like lazy people.

I gotta say, sometimes Summit, I'd wish you'd take some coke and go pull a Len Bias.

[cloudpeak]

The family stuff should be irrelevant for all the candidates, however, it isn't because they all keep parading their families for political gain.

If Cindy and therefore John McCain take credit for her charity work, the public should know about the drug addition and stealing, too.

If Sarah Palin parades her pregnant teenage daughter and special needs child for political gain to provide evidence of her devotion to an anti-choice and anti-sex education agenda, the public and press should take a look at the family and what her agenda implies for the country.

If Obama's wife is on the campaign trail, her comments should be fair game for dissection by the press and public just like any other spokesperson for a campaign.

Unfortunately, McCain/Palin have succeeded in making this election one giant edition of the Larry Springer show, which, while it sells newspapers, results in distracting the public from real issues.

In recent political contests, the public seems increasingly to prefer to pick its candidates based on what they and their families wear, what kind of dirt we can find out about their families, and less on issues It's kind of like American Idol for politics. Let's just hope they don't start singing.

[PNWbrit]

I read that too. But this is just derigeur for the wealthy. How many Hollywood types and pathetic Paris Hiltons do we want to consider.

Anyway, I really think this detracts from the real issues of the economy and religion that are much more important in the election.

I'd agree up to a point. This particular one is worth denting St John of McCain's armor with. If only to show that if the dumb asses would look he is just the same as all the other corrupt, privileged ass holes. The millions falling for his continual acting otherwise is what is keeping this thing a contest.

Derigeur sounds like a brand of French Viagra?

[Summit]

I gotta say, sometimes Summit, I'd wish you'd take some coke and go pull a Len Bias.

You wish that I'd die of a heart attack from a drug OD?

Ah.... political threads... so many emotions... so much hatred... civil discourse resulting in death wishes... that gives me a buzz.

[David Witherspoon]

Hey, if it's ok to dish on Palin's daughter's drug habits & her soon-to-be son-in-law's dealing, then it's ok to talk about Cindy McCain's.

[doughboyshredder]

I mean, if you are worth that much, it is not hard to get a lousy doc to write you a prescription. It just tells me she's lazy. I don't like lazy people.

.

Did you even read the article I posted before spouting off.

I don't like lazy people. So, I won't tell you why you're wrong.

[GoldMember]

I'd agree up to a point. This particular one is worth denting St John of McCain's armor with. If only to show that if the dumb asses would look he is just the same as all the other corrupt, privileged ass holes. The millions falling for his continual acting otherwise is what is keeping this thing a contest.

From the 9/12/2008 Washington Post article:

"McCain's conduct left her facing federal charges of obtaining "a controlled substance by misrepresenting, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge." Experts say she could have faced a 20-year prison sentence.
Dowd (her attorney) negotiated a deal with the U.S. attorney's office allowing McCain, as a first-time offender, to avoid charges and enter a diversion program that required community service, drug treatment and reimbursement to the DEA for investigative costs. Johnson (the script-writing doc) agreed to surrender his medical license and retire."

So, as a first time offender, she was granted some leeway and run into a program that allowed her to overcome the addiction. As I see it, this sounds like a fair-minded program and one that the D's would view as a 'step in the right direction' toward legalizing drugs? Am I missing something? Are you suggesting that drug addiciton should be treated criminally, even for a first offender? I personally would like to hear more about McCain's stand on drugs. I would suspect that he would support a more moderate approach, much the same as what she experienced. How is that wrong relative to the even more lenient stand D's support?

Again, this is really a non-issue but puts light on what really is an issue: What are the candidates stands on drugs?

[Buster Highmen]

Unfortunately, McCain/Palin have succeeded in making this election one giant edition of the Larry Springer show, which, while it sells newspapers, results in distracting the public from real issues.

The American public lets it happen, so you can't really blame the carny callers.



In recent political contests, the public seems increasingly to prefer to pick its candidates based on what they and their families wear, what kind of dirt we can find out about their families, and less on issues It's kind of like American Idol for politics. Let's just hope they don't start singing.

G'zactly and precisely the reason why here in our own little stanky grotto of the innerwezb we should make an attempt to focus on the platforms and issues.

[GoldMember]

G'zactly and precisely the reason why here in our own little stanky grotto of the innerwezb we should make an attempt to focus on the platforms and issues.

But it's too haaaaard.... Stop making sense. It's so much more fun to chastise other people's issues without acknowledging our own shortcomings.

[PNWbrit]

Are you suggesting that drug addiciton should be treated criminally?

No. Nothing I've said on the subject should make you think I would :confused: But stealing from your own charity probably should

Basically I don't think the rich and famous, and especially politicans who market themselves largely as cleaner than clean should be offered valet parking in the criminal justice system.

[Buster Highmen]

Basically I don't think the rich and famous, and especially politicans who market themselves largely as cleaner than clean should be offered valet parking in the criminal justice system.
I wholeheartedly agree, but the point is that this rigamarole is elliptic to the real issues at hand. It plays to the whole Fox News Hannity shitspin that extols pill popping conservocolostomies but vilifies pot smoking liberals.

Everyone should read what she did and note that her doctor had to surrender his license (!!!) and remember that McCain is a vicious sob. But let that play second fiddle to the economy, the war, deregulation, lobbyists and a bunch of other real issues that cut across some presumed party platforms.

[Trackhead]

Every day we get a call in the ER about some person who got an RX from a doc for 20 Percocets, but the patient tried to change it to 200. They never get hauled off. And many don't have "white privilege" as was stated in another dumb ass thread.

As far as someone being addicted to narcs and then stealing them to get their fix..........why don't you liberals have a little more compassion? She had a drug problem, who are we to judge? Shouldn't you be setting up a social program to help nuture her back to mental and physical health, vs. just incarcerating her? I though incarceration was frowned upon amongst the liberal crowd because it doesn't do any good for rehabilitation?

Another douchebag diversional thread. Fun stuff though. Best TGR political year ever.

[rideit]

Track, your last sentence sums up precisely why I bothered...I knew this would turn into a long thread.

[Trackhead]

Track, your last sentence sums up precisely why I bothered...I knew this would turn into a long thread.

Yeah, the Political forum is more active this year than any country wide, 2ft dump followed by a bluebird day with excessive hucking and gnar.

Have to admit it's fun to blather non-sense all day long.

[PNWbrit]

but the point is that this rigamarole is elliptic to the real issues at hand.

I'll be very hurt if you think I thunk otherwise.

[Adolf Allerbush]

I'll be very hurt if you think I thunk otherwise.

Butt will you be butthurt?

[Buster Highmen]

Butt will you be butthurt?

Why are you asking?

[PNWbrit]

Butt will you be butthurt?

No need to be so Arsecerbic

[YetiMan]

As far as someone being addicted to narcs and then stealing them to get their fix..........why don't you liberals have a little more compassion? She had a drug problem, who are we to judge? Shouldn't you be setting up a social program to help nuture her back to mental and physical health, vs. just incarcerating her? I though incarceration was frowned upon amongst the liberal crowd because it doesn't do any good for rehabilitation?

Another douchebag diversional thread. Fun stuff though. Best TGR political year ever.

oh shit! fuck you!

I'm calling her ass out because she's part of a republican run for president! What the fuck, this is the party that demonizes drug use and goes out of their way to lock people up for it. that's why it's an issue. I judge her to be a hypocrite because she is!

Of course we ought to do the positive thing and take care of her and everyone else like her. That's what decent human beings do, they care for one another...not sit up high on some pedestal of impunity doing the shit you condemn other people for doing. That's why this is an issue, because the kind of politician who would push an agenda to punish people for doing what his wife does instead of learning from it and proposing to do the right thing is oblivious to the world around him and thus not fit to run my country.

suck a fat one man! suck it long, suck it hard.

[hutash]

Yeah, the Political forum is more active this year than any country wide, 2ft dump followed by a bluebird day with excessive hucking and gnar.

Have to admit it's fun to blather non-sense all day long.

But if those conditions existed tomorrow, this asshattery forum would get real quite. I guess there is a reason most politics occur in the summer.

[Jer]

Anyone else following this story?



Nope - you're it.

[Trackhead]

oh shit! fuck you!



suck a fat one man! suck it long, suck it hard.


Perhaps your angry ass should steal some valium, ativan, xanax, clonazepam to help you through your tough times.

If you can't find any, come to the ER tomorrow between 11a-11p and I'll hook you up. But you need to sign in first. We treat regardless of your ability to pay, so you can give a fake address/name if you want.

Ask for me. I'll give you with all you need, and then some extra. Be sure to bring a ride home, you won't be safe to drive. If you're REALLY angry, we might even give you some Zyprexa or Haldol, maybe Geodon.