HoodaThunk?

This has already gotten some play around the blogosphere, but I feel the need to comment upon it here. Have a look at the quote from McCain’s appearance on the Imus Show (thanks to Mark Tapscott for the link). This is Senator McCain – a man who’s sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States – speaking about the First Amendment:

“He [Michael Graham] also mentioned my abridgement of First Amendment rights, i.e. talking about campaign finance reform….I know that money corrupts….I would rather have a clean government than one where quote First Amendment rights are being respected, that has become corrupt. If I had my choice, I’d rather have the clean government.”

Exactly backwards, Senator. Governments may become corrupt for a variety of reasons, including over money. They stay that way when the”quote First Amendment rights” are held as a secondary concern. As a Senator – and even more so as a President – it is of paramount importance to defend the restrictions on government found in the Constitution. The First Amendment is the first for a good reason. The Framers knew that any other right they mentioned from that point on was meaningless without the right to speak out without fear that the government could jail you for it.

The fact that the Senator does not get that – and that fact is enough by itself – makes it clear that he is unfit to be the leader of this country. Just in case anyone was still thinking that the “maverick” Republican still had a ghost of a chance of getting the nomination.