"John McCain -- Raising Cain"

Last week, I told you about my year long relationship with John McCain when he last ran for president .It began when I was doing a weekend show on KPOP Radio in San Diego,

I happened to look up from my board and spied McCain looking in on me through the big studio window, smiling that indelible McCain smile. I waved him in.

At his request, I played two Jimmy Buffet songs in a row (Not on the CC list) , then took advantage of a rare one on one to complain about the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 that forced travelers to end their trips in Ensenada instead of San Diego.

McCain knew about the Act, having learned about it while stationed in San Diego during his navy years.

He told me that repealing it was a slam dunk, because he was the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee.

I related to you last week how he returned to Washington, and introduced a bill to repeal the Act that was promptly slimed with smothering amendments by his senate colleagues, apparently held captive by various powerful lobbies.

It is said that McCain went ballistic at the betrayal by his senate colleagues who worked their mischief while he was off campaigning for the presidency. Some say that he even used foul language in order to give vent to his rage. Ay caramba!

When I confronted our local lawmakers about their failure to support-McCain in this matter that directly affects San Diego, they collectively shrugged.

Referring to how lawmakers bow down to lobbies, one even told me , “Harry, this is how things are done in Washington.” He was recently re-elected

The unexpected is happening: Major conservatives are beginning to support a more liberal McCain, apparently tired of standing up staunchly for their principles, but losing elections.

Many are even skirting Rush Limbaugh on this. Rush is manic in his attacks on McCain,

This opens Rush up to conjecture about whether he is still relevant or simply riding the wave till it gradually fizzles out on a lonely beach

Some time ago, Rush himself wavered when Washington started to become unhinged by the epidemic of corruption. He was so disillusioned by the moral collapse of some major right wing icons, that he vowed that he was through “carrying their water for those people”.

The water analogy was appropriate because, during the crisis, his ground support began to liquefy under him due to the disillusionment of his core listeners.

Making a firm stand on shaky grounds was not for Rush. He scrambled to his own personal high ground. His audience followed him within a rating period.

If Rush is smart – and he is – If McCain wins the General Election, Rush should show his flexibility by getting on “Dancing with the Stars” and doing “The Limbaugh Rock”

McCain is the most electable candidate against Hillary or Obama. The only thing that interests many of the professionals, not McCain’s credo or lack of it.

The only big negative: He is 71, with a history of melanoma. For this reason, I am sure that the people who run things may have arranged for conservative Mike Huckabee to opt out of the election, take the numbers he has garnered in this election, and cut and paste them to McCain as his running mate.

The scenario is almost Old Testament.. It goes like this. McCain is elected with Huckabee chosen as his Vice President. Then, God smites McCain leaving the Evangelical on the throne.

It has already started, this time in West Virginia where Huckabee won. Romney was threatening to win, but McCain gave his votes to Huckabee when it became clear that Huckabee could beat Romney with McCain’s help.

Romney cried “Foul!” But, in politics, turnabout is foul play.

Politics is like chess, and like it or not, McCain owns the moves and controls the board.

This election is sated with satire, and fraught with farce, and that is why, these days, an increasing number of young people are getting their news, not from Rush or Hannity, but Letterman, O’Brian, Leno, Colbert and Stewart.

Borrowing from Lee Abrams, politics will be the new Rock and Roll.

Humor is a valuable element in the serious thought process. It opens up the brain to more possibilities. In pondering politics, one needs all of the faculties.

I started writing this piece Monday evening, before the election began. I began by playing my well honed morning man shtick instincts about McCain’s chances.

Time is passing between these following sentences. If I am wrong, I have to re-write this whole thing.

It is Tuesday evening and the Super Tuesday results are pouring in. No need to re-write. McCain walked away with it.

More time has elapsed. It is now Wednesday morning The results have held. Let’s pause for a commercial break and I will be back to pay this off.

Breaking News!!! Last Saturday night in San Diego, the San Diego Black Film Festival presented a number of first run quality pictures.

Our very own Picture Palace Films production of “Kings of the Evening” won first prize for The Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor Award went to Glynn Turman, and Best Director Award was won by Andrew P. Jones.

The Producer/writer is Robert Page Jones, Andrew’s father. That’s right, a father/son team.

We are now headed for the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles where “Kings” will be presented on the 17th of this month at 7 PM..

If you are anywhere near Los Angeles during this event, I strongly recommend that you come see the uplifting “Kings of the Evening,” featuring Tyson Beckford, Lynn Whitfield, Linara Washington, Reginald Dorsey, Willard Pugh, and Glynn Turman who was also awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award that evening...

Writer Robert Page Jones creates a story set in the 1930’s. He introduces you to each character individually, engages you with them and then blends them seamlessly into an ensemble whose climactic story of human worth you will not soon forget.

It is as good as it gets to have had a hand in the making of this sensitive and highly atmospheric masterpiece.

Check out info@paff.org

Wednesday morning after the election……The good news is that, with McCain’s success. Rush, Hannity, John and Ken of KFI and other manic right wing hosts will have some ammo to shoot for the coming months.

They will pay scant heed to their failed campaign against McCain, and plow on. McCain’s success will fuel their anger. Maybe, more anger than McCain’s.

Romney did not energize the Talkers. He is a good man who probably is out. They gave him a pass. He’s lucky the morning radio guys didn’t go after him.

There is an old morning guy joke that goes…”Actually there was no such person as Brigham Young. It was all the result of a messed up message the first settlers sent from what is now Salt Lake City. Upon arrival, the leader of the wagon train sent back a note that had a typo in it. The headquarters people in the east thought it was signed Brigham Young It really read, “We are here. Send women. Bringem young.”

My instincts about the new importance of political satire are coming to fruition.

Conan O’Brien, John Stewart and Stephen Colbert are having a faux feud, including a staged “rumble” with a baseball bat, fire extinguisher and oversized trash bin in the hall outside of O’Brian’s NBC studio, fighting over who gets credit for the success of Mike Huckabee who made numerous humorous visits to their shows.

This prophetic piece does not rank with my legendary “Indian Rain Dance” in which I accurately predicted rain in San Diego 18 times in a row, but it’ll do.

One final thought: I notice that Rush Limbaugh is beginning to call himself “El Rushbo” on the air. Could it be that he is doing this to get ahead of the coming Hispanic surge?...nah