McCain mocks Obama's premature inauguration plans, but...
John McCain has mocked Democrat Barack Obama all week as so cocky that he is already “measuring the drapes” in the White House Oval Office. The Republican's audience usually boos on cue.
On Saturday, McCain found new ammunition (see video by clicking on the Read more line below) in a newspaper story on White House transition planning that every presidential campaign begins by now (inlcuding the 
Republican's).
Campaigns, however, are usually careful to keep such planning behind-the-scenes to avoid inconvenient accusations of being presumptuous or over-confident.
Today's erroneous New York Times story said that part of Obama's transition team, John Podesta, who was President Bill Clinton's fourth chief of staff and now is an Obama advisor, already has drafted a sample inaugural address for the Democrat .
Obama aides quickly pointed out that Podesta wrote the speech even more prematurely -- when he was still working for rival Hillary Clinton's doomed campaign -- and published his offering in a book last summer.
A statement posted on the website of Podesta's think-tank....
...says the suggested speech was written last spring for inclusion in a book on progressive policies and that Podesta re-wrote the foreword, but not the speech, in June when Obama's Democratic nomination victory was confirmed.
Addressing a sun-washed rally in the Old West plaza of historic Mesilla, in southern New Mexico today, (see video below) McCain did not address when the speech was written and happily twisted the news to his advantage.
“We just learned from a newspaper today that Sen. Obama’s inaugural address is already written,” McCain declared, as a crowd of about 1,200 responded with jeers. “I’m not making it up.”
“My friends, when I pull this off, I have a request for my opponent,” McCain continued, a broad grin etched on his face. “I want him to save that manuscript of his inaugural address and donate it to the Smithsonian. And they can put it right next to the Chicago paper that says ‘Dewey defeats Truman.’”
That would be the famously premature 1948 early edition wishfully announcing in a banner headline on page one of the Chicago Daily Tribune that Republican Thomas E. Dewey had beaten incumbent Democrat Harry S Truman. Truman's reelection victory was confirmed later that night (the famous photo was taken the next day), and he's been hailed ever since as a patron saint of underdog political campaigns.
“I’m a little old-fashioned about these things," McCain added today with a laugh. "But I prefer to let the voters weigh in before presuming the outcome.”
Obama’s campaign did not laugh back. “While this charge is...
completely false and there is no draft of an inaugural address for Senator Obama, the last thing we need is a candidate like John McCain who just plans on re-reading George Bush’s,” campaign spokesman Bill Burton snorted in an e-mail.
Burton's statement, some might note, does not dispute other details from the Times story, including reports that campaign staff members are already reviewing resumes for job applicants in an Obama administration, drafting policy options and choosing the location of Obama's first news conference as president-elect when his victory becomes certain.
--Bob Drogin
But it's not premature to register here for automatic alerts of every new Ticket item sent straight to your cellphone.
Photo credit: Associated Press
"Mock's"? That's the state of journalism these days? You might as well make the headline
"McCain mock's Obama's premature inauguration plans LOL!!!1!11!!"
Posted by: brodriguez | October 25, 2008 at 07:12 PM
Why would we expect McCain to get straight whether Sen. Obama has written his Inaugural address yet? He hasn't gotten much else right either. Let's see if he keeps making the claim even after the Podesta speech has been explained...Oy vey.
Posted by: margaret | October 25, 2008 at 07:12 PM
I would probably fall out of my chair with laughter if McCain won after Obama put the finishing touches on his so-called "victory stage." If indeed Obama does win, the whole country will wait for him to pull a rabbit out of his hat while trying to make "Obama Math" actually add up. Look for a four year Carter-type presidency and hopefully a 21st century Ronald Reagan on the horizon for 2012. Of course the numbers in the polls have closed and are still closing. We just might see a Truman-Dewey finish on the morning of November 5th. In the mean time, listen and read the frantic and hateful Obamanites pound frantically on their keyboards at the slightest hint of a coming McCain victory.
Posted by: OIFVetsForMcCain | October 25, 2008 at 07:18 PM
yeah, and I heard that the LA Times ran the McCain obit this morning, too... and I will bet you anything that the LA Ti8mes and NYT and the Guardian and the Telegraph and the WashPost and every single paper with its pulp has an obit ready for Senator John McCain, including Times, London and Reuters will have a little box under the article requesting the reader to spread the story.
Posted by: pogo | October 25, 2008 at 07:19 PM
McCain and Palin should spend some of their time talking about important issues ...instead they have spent 90% of their time pointing fingers and keeping Palin from making a fool of herself by answering REAL questions..
If they win I am leaving the country for awhile...I,m proud to be an American ...but if they win .....it's gonna be a bumpy road...
This is not American Idol.......This is the President Of The United States...
Posted by: Micheli | October 25, 2008 at 07:25 PM
McCain's going to get kind of embarassed when Obama does win, isn't he?
Posted by: lisa | October 25, 2008 at 07:34 PM
McCain wrong again.
Why do I envision a knee-jerk McCain administration invading some country searching for non-existant weapons. You can't blame John, he's old and confused.
Posted by: Old Man McCain | October 25, 2008 at 07:42 PM
If John McCain loses, they should donate *HIM* to the Smithsonian. I'm sure they must have an antiquities wing, full of weathered old relics. He's gotta be older than half of them.
Posted by: C in MT | October 25, 2008 at 07:43 PM
Maybe if McCain started offering real substance, I could take him seriously and consider voting for him.
Posted by: Steve | October 25, 2008 at 07:45 PM
People are sick of McCain not being able to talk about issues, America wants to hear the truth and how he would fix our problem, not childish negative politics. After picking Palin for a running mate who can have faith in the Republican party.
Posted by: Darrell | October 25, 2008 at 07:46 PM
No this is not American Idol. Wish it were. Obama would have been booted so fast the door would have it hiom in the arsffffffff.
Posted by: Kim | October 25, 2008 at 07:46 PM
I don't know about you but a plan is a plan; and it is better to have a plan then none.
I see this as a different light and I hope that Obama is truly planning his office. This means that Obama will be able to execute at an amazing speed and bring about the much needed change faster. Think about how fast Obama was able to reorg the DNC. Many was stunned by how fast it happened.
If McCain hasn't plan anything with 2 less than 2 weeks to voting, then McCain will clearly NOT BE READY on day one.
Posted by: DNick | October 25, 2008 at 07:48 PM
Many have known for a long time Obama is a megalomaniac. Seems to me Obama is no different than George Bush.
This type of egotistical over-confidence is precisely what led Bush to become the worst president of our American history. Bush is so egotistical, so smug, he has not sense enough to critique himself, not sense enough to question his decisions. What a mess Bush has made of America and of our world.
I am deeply concerned Obama is more egotistical, more arrogant than Bush. My deep concern is when, not if, when Obama makes a bad decision none of his advisors nor Americans will be able to persuade him to change his mind or, at least, give more thought to his bad decision.
I sincerely believe Obama will lead America down a path to self-destruction for no reason other than ego satiation, Obama's own ego.
With a Democratic party controlled Congress, House and Oval Office, Obama will become America’s first despot. There will be no checks and balances, no balance of power. These are circumstances ripe for abuse by and mistakes by a megalomaniac president who sees only one vision for America; his own egotistical vision.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Posted by: Purl Gurl | October 25, 2008 at 07:56 PM
our government really has our millitary brainwashed, a 21st century ronald regan whoever says stuff like that need their head examined, ronald regan was a horrible human being and whoever voted for him may god have mercy on their soul, for they are truly lost.
Posted by: Chris | October 25, 2008 at 07:59 PM
What is particularly laughable about this is the notion that Obama needs Podesta or anyone else to write his inaugural speech.
Has the old man already forgotten that it was a speech that Obama wrote and gave at the Dem convention in 2004 that put him on this path?
Obama could give a better speech talking in his sleep than McCain could on the best day of his life.
Besides, the last time someone made charges about an opponent that was jumping the gun, he ended up getting caught flat-footed and far too many positions were left vacant long after the inauguration.
The reason McCain is losing is because he continues to spew this crap instead of talking about what needs to be done. "I have a plan", he says. Of course, that plan changes about every week or so. Moderates have plenty of concerns about Obama, but after all the talk and all the posturing by both sides, I still hope Obama can do at least a decent job. It's utterly obvious that McCain would be another disaster.
Posted by: Bob | October 25, 2008 at 08:01 PM
The writers of this blog are almost as clueless as John McCain.
Posted by: James Sweet | October 25, 2008 at 08:03 PM
Obama is already measuring the drapes? I've forgotten all about the economy.
Posted by: David | October 25, 2008 at 08:04 PM
Hmmmm. McCain compares himself to Truman - the man with the lowest approval rating in presidential history - just above ....... George W. You are known by the company you keep.....
Posted by: Dianesef | October 25, 2008 at 08:11 PM
If Obama actually gets in the White House, the real joke is on the American People. The UNinformed American people.
Thank you Media. Obama must say that every hour.
Posted by: DEm voting McCain | October 25, 2008 at 08:20 PM
Absolute nonsense that Mr. Obama has already appointed himself as President of the USA.
It's about as UnAmerican as his ties to Ayers/Wright/Kilpatrick/
I hope Mr. Obama loses by a landslide for being such an arrogant Pr***!
Just imagine... if Obama becomes President, he won't do it his job then either, because then he'll be spending all his time on being elected WORLD LEADER!
NOBAMA!!!
Posted by: Bill | October 25, 2008 at 08:21 PM
This whole Joe the Plumber schtick is so far out of context. Obama is so very well spoken yet so many don't understand Obamanomic's. He said "spread the wealth" but it's obvious he means " to seed the wealth". Instead of giving back $150B he wants to create jobs to get $150B of WORK thus creating "living wage" jobs (where one can buy a house & support a family) and producing perhaps a windmill or other alt energy mean of production and reduce $'s sent abroad to fuel America. These wages will be spent on workers' needs creating more jobs as they spend and before long $1 turns 4x or 5x rippling through the economy! This is the multiplier effect of government capital expenditures. Like a many tiered totem pole, by shoring up the bottom tier the entire structure benefits and grows stronger as time goes on such that even the top tier can go higher. In essence, by "seeding the wealth" as Obama advocates we will ultimately produce greater wealth. Those who say he will rob Peter to pay Paul , i.e. redistribute wealth, are thinking in only finite terms. There is only one way to go and that is forward. I wish the R's get off the 8yr negative kick & quit trying to buffalo the people!
Posted by: BasilP | October 25, 2008 at 08:23 PM
More desperation from a bunch of losers. This is why they're losing! Losers lose! Winners win. Obama worked for everything he got. McCain had everything handed to him by his influential relatives. I am 4 months younger than McCain and spent 6 years in the carrier navy. He is a disgrace!
Posted by: Al | October 25, 2008 at 09:03 PM
America is mocking mccain for his stupidity in naming palin vp......mccain is irrelevant foolish and mighy sad, Does he have solutions? NO.
Mccian is so sad. Empty, sour, bitter, and sad. Thank heavens we have a real leader ready to serve---go obama!!!\
Mccain is a fool, and a very mean and ugly man. palin is WORSE....she is brainless AND ARROGANT.
Posted by: sallievoter | October 25, 2008 at 09:34 PM
Hey Liberal media LA Times, thanks for once again reminding us that the Messiah can do no wrong!
Posted by: steve rodriguez | October 25, 2008 at 09:59 PM
"OOOoohhh! He's measuring the drapes", says John McCain. "We can't have that." "How dare he MEASURE THE DRAPES?" "Now you have to elect me, I'm not measuring the drapes."
"MEASURING THE DRAPES!?'
This is what is on John McCain's mind as we lose our homes and our futures because of Bush, McCain and the Republicans? The tired "measuring the drapes" cliche, that cry of desperation? It's time for McCain to "measure the drapes in a retirement home".
Posted by: d Miner | October 25, 2008 at 10:10 PM