AlonzoMourning23
05-10-2008, 04:01 AM
Two Hollywood actors who dined with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in early 2001 at actress Candice Bergen's home confirmed Thursday that he told the assembled group he did not vote for George W. Bush in the 2000 election.
In separate phone interviews, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff -- both of whom starred in the television political drama "The West Wing" -- said the senator made the remarks after he spoke at length about his reservations about Bush becoming president. Liberal blogger Arianna Huffington first wrote about the incident Monday, asserting neither McCain nor his wife Cindy backed Bush in his first presidential bid, and the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that a woman who was also at the dinner confirmed Huffington's account, though she declined to give her name.
McCain's aides, who could not be reached last night, denied the allegations Tuesday.
Whitford and Schiff said they did not hear Cindy McCain describe her vote, but both recalled how McCain had conveyed his opposition to Bush just a few days before Bush was inaugurated.
"He was going on and on about how horribly unqualified and untested Bush was, how the campaign had attacked his family," said Whitford, a registered Democrat. "Someone said, 'If he's so terrible, why did you support him?'"
McCain replied that as a member of the GOP, Whitford added, he always intended to back the party's nominee. Then, the actor said, someone asked McCain whether he had cast a vote in favor of Bush.
"He put his finger up to his lips, shook his head and mouthed, 'No way,'" Whitford said.
Schiff remembered the conversation the same way. "My memory was he said pretty clearly, no, he did not vote for him," he said. "I discussed it with others afterwards. It was clear to everyone he said no. Did he shout it from the rooftops? No."
Schiff, a registered independent, said he was only discussing the exchange because Huffington had made it public.
"I've thought about that dinner often since then," he said. "In my mind it was private and off the record. That doesn't mean it's permissible to say anything but the truth under those circumstances."
Both men said they were struck by McCain's openness at the dinner, which was -- in Whitford's words -- "deep in the belly of the Hollywood liberal beast." But they added they were disappointed at his subsequent embrace of President Bush.
"It's clear what he's doing; he needs the Republican Party in order to get elected," Whitford said. "The only thing is, that's just being a politician, not being a straight talker."
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/09/west_wing_actors_confirm_accou.html
O'Reilly asked him directly the other day if he voted for Bush in 2000. McCain dodged it multiple times before, unconvincingly, saying he did vote for bush in 2000 and 2004.
In separate phone interviews, Bradley Whitford and Richard Schiff -- both of whom starred in the television political drama "The West Wing" -- said the senator made the remarks after he spoke at length about his reservations about Bush becoming president. Liberal blogger Arianna Huffington first wrote about the incident Monday, asserting neither McCain nor his wife Cindy backed Bush in his first presidential bid, and the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that a woman who was also at the dinner confirmed Huffington's account, though she declined to give her name.
McCain's aides, who could not be reached last night, denied the allegations Tuesday.
Whitford and Schiff said they did not hear Cindy McCain describe her vote, but both recalled how McCain had conveyed his opposition to Bush just a few days before Bush was inaugurated.
"He was going on and on about how horribly unqualified and untested Bush was, how the campaign had attacked his family," said Whitford, a registered Democrat. "Someone said, 'If he's so terrible, why did you support him?'"
McCain replied that as a member of the GOP, Whitford added, he always intended to back the party's nominee. Then, the actor said, someone asked McCain whether he had cast a vote in favor of Bush.
"He put his finger up to his lips, shook his head and mouthed, 'No way,'" Whitford said.
Schiff remembered the conversation the same way. "My memory was he said pretty clearly, no, he did not vote for him," he said. "I discussed it with others afterwards. It was clear to everyone he said no. Did he shout it from the rooftops? No."
Schiff, a registered independent, said he was only discussing the exchange because Huffington had made it public.
"I've thought about that dinner often since then," he said. "In my mind it was private and off the record. That doesn't mean it's permissible to say anything but the truth under those circumstances."
Both men said they were struck by McCain's openness at the dinner, which was -- in Whitford's words -- "deep in the belly of the Hollywood liberal beast." But they added they were disappointed at his subsequent embrace of President Bush.
"It's clear what he's doing; he needs the Republican Party in order to get elected," Whitford said. "The only thing is, that's just being a politician, not being a straight talker."
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/09/west_wing_actors_confirm_accou.html
O'Reilly asked him directly the other day if he voted for Bush in 2000. McCain dodged it multiple times before, unconvincingly, saying he did vote for bush in 2000 and 2004.