By:
John Amato on Monday, March 31st, 2008 at 7:31 PM - PDT
…are we allowed to examine it? I’m not talking about a swiftboating, but actually take a look at his flight record as a pilot before Vietnam. Is that fair game? I’m just asking because the Media will report on what his campaign feeds them and call it the ‘Re-branding of John McCain‘ or something like that instead of a political maneuver before the general election.
Here’s the full text of the speech.
Matt hears a little dog whistle politics.
Update: Jane writes about his speech:
He goes on to admit that he was “surprised” by developments in Iraq. Kind of like Dick Cheney was “surprised” when we weren’t greeted as liberators.
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If a “maverick” strays off the ranch, he needs to be “rebranded” to make sure he doesn’t stray again, no?
We don’t need to attack his service record.
We just need to point out how old he is.
If McSame has something in his military record that’s unambiguously bad (or good), then it’s fair game. It doesn’t become Swift-boating to me until someone tries to connect dots to wage political war by implying something that probably isn’t true.
However, under this RoE, it’s unlikely that there’s much to find. He’s been in politics long enough that, if there were something, someone else would have found it. But you never know.
That was way too easy!
The guy was a P.O.W.; he has been conditioned to be agreeable to anyone that sways power over him. Just look how he kisses up to Chimpy!
Well, he flew A4s, which were ground attack aircraft.
So, the real question is: Who did he drop bombs & napalm on?
Personally, I see nothing heroic in what he did.
And given his long term cozy relationship with lobbyists, I see the main differences between him & Duke Cunningham is that Cunningham is a better pilot and McCain hasn’t gotten caught yet.
McCain got shot down. In corporate America that would be a blemish on your job performance record. In politics if you’re a Republican you can brag about it and use it in your campaign commercials. The Swiftboaters would come up with something like this if McCain were a Democrat: “John McCain, if he can’t steer a plane out of harms way how can he steer America out of harms way”.
No one seems to mention the fact FIVE aircraft piloted by McCain were damaged or destroyed during his service. The fact that his father was a Admiral probably had something to do with why they kept putting him into the cockpit.
Near the end of his stinking bravado he has the guts to make this remark: “A welfare check can’t give a parent a sense of purpose. And among the most important things children can inherit from their parents is a sense of purpose, and an aspiration to be part of something bigger than themselves.”
Today, due to the failed policies of the Republican and Bush adminstration, 23 million Americans are on food stamps. The greatest amount since 1960 record keeping. Nah, a welfare check can’t give a parent a sense of purpose, especially when that parent has lost his/her job, home, and income since the great Bush robbery took place. That’s one helluva thing to say, but once again it shows where the Republicans are in the world of reality.
He was shot down and imprisoned, but he lost 2 other planes before that without being fired on . Being imprisoned makes him an expert on torture not military strategy. He makes noises about being against torture but voted against measures to make it illegal for the USA … one of many examples of how his voting record does not match his public statements.
Here’s my brother who didn’t come home from Vietnam.
he got into flight school because of his daddy. another bush similarity.
Apparently John McCain crashed 3 planes in training, and that should have ended his piloting career, but his dad was the admiral.
Then his plane was accidentally shot in the Forrestal disaster, and he was shot down over Hanoi, That’s 5 planes, that makes him an all American ace, 5 planes destroyed, all American.
Steve
Please God tell me this great blog is not going down this route. Please do not be Karl Rove. I cannot take it if I have to be disgusted by the left as well as the right.
There is a truck load of stuff to go after McSame about, so please dear god don’t go down the Neo-con route! He is a supply sider, warmongering, middle class destroying flip flopping, anti-choicing SOB.
Why, oh why, would you all lower yourself to this when it is not even neccessary. If you all become them, I may have to go to Canada.
I don’t think McCain should have started this “re introduce” himself campaign. Is this for the voters or himself? After all, every time you meet someone with Alzheimers don’t you have to reintroduce yourself? It could also be called “this is who I am this week” since he flip flops around so much.
As for someone digging into his record before this, McCain had all records sealed. Why does a “hero” want his record a secret? His newest ad talks about his grandfather and father, both admirals, like that means anything. He never became an admiral. He crashed, what, 5 planes? He graduated 5th from the bottom of his class and questioned authority. Not exactly leadership qualities.
As far as his flip flop on torture goes I am undecided what his theory is.
Either he knows from first hand experience that you tell the truth when tortured, because he did so, therefore it is ok, or he just doesn’t care because it makes him look tough. McCain’s buddy, Graham told several times how they all watched the videos from Abu and they were nothing but rape after rape yet they still voted to allow bush to continue.
A former neighbor of mine was at the Naval Academy with McCain. This guy is a loopy neocon who hates everyone who doesn’t believe exactly what he does, but he especially hates John McCain. A lot of it is sour grapes that someone who finished at the bottom of the class and who “fucked up and got his ass shot down” (his words) is a huge big shot, while he’s just a bitter old man. McCain is best known for his time as a prisoner because that is the most remarkable thing he did in the military.
Alec Timmerman @ 14:
ByeBye!
TB @ 6:
THIS is the reality of what McWarhero did to who in vietnam
McCain made over 32 tapes for the Vietnamese. They are all classified and cannot be released.
His fellow prisoners said he cooperated and receive special treatment.
I say attack McCain at his strength and go after his service record.
ferrofluid @ 18:
pretty isnt it, do we really need somebody like this as our supreme leader and moral guardian! NO not in any sane world.
Guys, please. Dissing McCain’s service is (a) mean-spirited and low and (b) won’t work.
Some sh*t that sticks to Democrats just doesn’t stick to Republicans. (e.g., whoring hypocrite Elliott Spitzer eats a dinner plate of crow as his last meal in office, while whoring hypocrite Vitter gets a standing “O” from his GOP colleagues. More to the point: decorated war hero John Kerry gets “Swift Boated,” while the media at large shrugs off very valid questions about W’s dodgy National Guard record.)
Don’t attack the idea that McCain comes from a noble heritage. Show how he cravenly sold it out.
Show how he sold out every single one of his “maverick”* principles in his blindly ambitious, unprincipled drive for the Presidency.
Show how he betrayed our brave young servicemen and women with his reprehensible policies for Iraq.
* PS: Yes, I and everyone here knows that McCain’s “maverick” tendencies are greatly exaggerated. But half his popularity comes from the idea that he’s a “Republican with a difference.” My Mom was a moderate McCain Republican in past years — the same kind of voter who helped buoy McCain to success in the primaries, over the ordained standard-bearers like Giuliani and Romney. She has turned against McCain because she’s seen him sell out all of the principles she thought he stood for. She perceives that he’s no longer the guy she used to like. And right now — I can’t even believe I’m writing this — she thinks she’s going to vote for Obama. Seriously, my mind is blown.
McCain the Liar @ 19:
that film of him being interviewed and giving name rank number etc, the one used in his recent campaign video, treated well enough to be given cigarettes and allowed to smoke one during the bedside interrogation.
Definitely echos of his Vietnamese codename ‘The Crown Prince’
This is a fairly well respected liberal blog. Do not ruin it by going down this path. It is one thing to look at his record for blemishes but do not question the man’s integrity or his status as a war hero. He will not have my vote in november but there is no reason whatsoever to go down this road. Dem’s should be able to handle McCain in the fall without this kind of garbage, he has given both Obama and Clinton the courtesy of running a clean campaign and they have honored that request. You will lose your credibility in the eyes of this reader.
Steve D @ 21:
Ojk how about how McCain obstructed the release of the files of the POWs and MIA files to their familys, is that low enough!
He seemed very keen in the 70s 80s to keep a lid on something, had something to hide by keeping those documents permanently closed from the public eye.
Maybe Nixon and the Republican admin at the time forgot to pay up the ransom so the MIAs were of no more value, and thus never got released !
Rob @ 23:
McCains connection to the forced eviction of the 25,000 Native Americans from their lands in the 90s to allow that mining company to strip mine their ancestral lands !
McCain the Liar @ 19:
Are you f’ing serious? The man REFUSED TO BE RELEASED until every single soldier captured before him was. He was given the opportunity to get out of there because his father was an admiral, he could have taken that and many people would not have questioned him. Yet he did not. There is no reason to attack him on that, are you that much of a bottom feeder that you will attack him on this front? Yet if someone criticizes your boy Obama they are shunned.
McCain has so many skeletons in his closet its laughable that anybody outside the DC beltway and the compliant MSM thinks hes electable or even worthy of being elected.
the question is- did his daddy cooperate with the vietnamese because they had his son.
Rob @ 26:
This isnt Redstate, McCain is the
enemyscumRob @ 23:
Koolaid is optional here, not everybody drinks it.
Alec Timmerman @ 14:
He works for Satan…Go to Canada, my son, and John McSatan’sMcMinion can go to hell!!
Sorry but I cannot go easy on any republican. I will always remember the republican convention handing out purple band-aids and calling them purple hearts. You can not get any lower than this. McCain is open season and I will not hesitate to show any weaknesses of this war-monger. McCain cooperated and received special treatment according to fellow POW’s. Why not ask questions? Lets see him blow his top at reporters.
ferrofluid @ 29:
I’m not sure what redstate is and as I said in a post above I will never vote for McCain. However that doesn’t mean I don’t respect the man and think it’s disgraceful to talk about stuff like this. Both my parents will be voting for him and I don’t think he is a terrible alternative, I just think Obama or even Clinton are much much better candidates. Also why do you feel the need to call him scum? One of the reason’s I visit this site is to have some political conversation, not some name calling free for all. If I want that, I’ll just bring up politics with my friends.
Rob @ 23:
don’t think for a minute that the gop will run a clean campaign. karl rove is advising mccain and karl doesn’t do clean campaigns.
Reminder , besides MCcain there were thousands of guys in Vietnam and many ended up POW and MIA not to mention deceased . It’s not about what or where he was 40 years ago , it’s about his political record , where he’s at and what he is TODAY ( and I don’t think MCcain quite knows anymore ) . He is sure getting a lot of mileage out of this hero nonsense . My humble opinion .
And if McWarhero is so patriot and true red white and blue and uber tweety approved,
how does JC tolerate and let Chimpy the great AWOLer touch him or allow him to come within 20 feet of him.
This greatly puzzles me, Chimpy should be so untouchable and apostate to any Veteran or one who claims that mantle.
Rob @ 26:
No one said McCain had self-inflicted wounds (like the swiftboat assholes did to Kerry) and no body is making shit up about him, the truth is free game. Now ask your self why his records are sealed!
john @ 35:
he actions and behavior then reflect and shape his actions and behavior NOW.
I am perfectly willing to believe that McCain was just another ’silver spooned son’ until his POW times,
then the rot set in due to the nasty experience and the actions needed to survive those times.
His congressional record and dealings with people speaks volumes on his character post mil career.
Let’s all play the Republican game.
McCain surrendered to the Viet Cong.
He’ll surrender to the terrorists.
Does America need a President that’s a quitter.
Seems to me the best way to go is to assess the judgement of the candidates on the military issue of the day, namely Iraq.
We have one candidate who always knew that this war was a bad idea, one who wishes she knew then what she knows now, and McCain, who insists that the Iraq war was a bright idea, but poorly mismanaged by Bush.
The American voters need to make a decision whether the Iraq war was a bright idea, and use that as a guide in evaluating the candidates ability to evaluate future defense issues.
I don’t think McCain has command experience.
I know some Nam vets, they said that he was considered a lame ass loser BECAUSE he was incompetent enough to get shot down in the first place.