Countdown: Why Doesn't McCain Respect The Troops?
By Nicole Belle Wednesday Jun 11, 2008 1:30pm
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Brandon Friedman of VoteVets appeared on Countdown on Wednesday to give his reaction to McCain's comments that it wasn't "too important" to consider bringing home the troops from Iraq. Normally, the military is a pretty safe demographic for the Republican party at election time, but if Friedman is at all representative, I think it's safe to say all bets are off this year. The tone-deaf and callous way in which McCain refers to the sacrifices made by the troops can't win him any votes from those stop-lossed from coming home to their families.
We’ve come to not expect a lot from George W. Bush. But when you have a veteran like John McCain, who has gone through so much in Vietnam, you really expect a lot more out of him because the way you see it, as a soldier, or Marine or Airman or whatever, is that John McCain should know better. You know, he’s been in our shoes. He’s had it worst than most of us. You know? But he should know better. And for those of us who’ve been there, who’ve lived through this, we just would expect a lot more and it really saddens us you know, to see this happen. Because there are thousands and thousands of veterans who just disagree with him on this.
[..]We’ve been in war too. And we know what it’s like. And he doesn’t get a free pass, especially from us, because we hold him to a higher standard and all I can say is, is we respect John McCain’s service, all we ask in return is that he respect ours. And for many of the people I talk to, who are on active-duty or who have just come off active-duty, who have served over there, we don’t feel we’re getting that a lot of the time.
Transcripts below the fold:
OLBERMANN: How do veterans, how do veterans’ families feel when they hear that the man who wants to be the next Commander in Chief does not think it’s too important when they come home?
FRIEDMAN: Keith, this is a morale crusher. Um, you know, if you can imagine, say a sergeant, whose on his third tour, and he’s in the fourteenth month of that tour, and he hears the potential president saying something like this. It kills morale. Um, you know, the troops are over there--and you know, I’ve been there, I’ve had to deal with this—but the troops over there hang on every word they hear from a leader, you know especially the Commander in Chief, but also someone who could be the Commander in Chief. And when they hear something like this, you know, it really…it really kills them on the inside, because you know, their families want them home, they want to come home, or you know, focus on the real Global War on Terror elsewhere. But this is…this is really killer when you hear something like this.
OLBERMANN: What I hear, when I hear from servicemen or I talk to vets, more than anything else is their astonishment when generals or veterans like McCain or “the brass” to use the general term there, don’t get it. That of all people, these are the ones they naively thought would understand risk and sacrifice. Does it, does it matter more that they are abandoned by a John McCain, who did serve as opposed to a George Bush, who did not?
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely, Keith. We’ve come to not expect a lot from George W. Bush. But when you have a veteran like John McCain, who has gone through so much in Vietnam, you really expect a lot more out of him because the way you see it, as a soldier, or Marine or Airman or whatever, is that John McCain should know better. You know, he’s been in our shoes. He’s had it worst than most of us. You know? But he should know better. And for those of us who’ve been there, who’ve lived through this, we just would expect a lot more and it really saddens us you know, to see this happen. Because there are thousands and thousands of veterans who just disagree with him on this.
OLBERMANN: And the Lieberman reaction—or the reaction to his reaction, where basically he referenced McCain’s status as veteran, as POW, as war hero as carte blanche for the excuse for this, as if McCain is immune to military criticism simply because he was a POW, that the merits can’t even be discussed. Then that reminds me of every bit of Army red tape I’ve ever heard of or every bit of censorship that a military sometimes invokes in a times of war, relative to its own personnel.
FRIEDMAN: Absolutely. You know, we all respect John McCain’s service, but he’s not the only person who’s suffered in war. We have troops coming back from this war who are quadriplegics, who’ve been maimed, who’ve had to go through so much. And you know, it doesn’t give him a carte blanche reason to say something like that. He doesn’t get a free pass. You know, we’ve been over there too. We’ve been in war too. And we know what it’s like. And he doesn’t get a free pass, especially from us, because we hold him to a higher standard and all I can say is, is we respect John McCain’s service, all we ask in return is that he respect ours. And for many of the people I talk to, who are on active-duty or who have just come off active-duty, who have served over there, we don’t feel we’re getting that a lot of the time.
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UFB! And the hits just keep on coming!
And yet during every election, it seems the vast majority of our military blindly line up behind the GOP.
Why?
why does mcsame hate the veterans and servicemen?
The Truth Hurts @ 2:
I am in the Military and I believe that a lot of the troops are starting to get it.
There are still some out there that believe that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9-11. I have to politely let them know that it is not the case and that they need to check their facts. Sadly, there are still quite a bit that still have residual effects of the kool-aid.
Something McCain could learn from Senator Obama, is to think before he opens his mouth. He's in a big campaign now, he's not sitting around shooting the shit with the boys. Every word that comes out of his mouth will be important now. Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Can you teach him self control too?
In the introduction to the segment Keith Olbermann was incorrect when he stated “40,000 diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.”
VA data shows that there are in fact 67,717 GWOT veterans with diagnosed PTSD (23% of GWOT patients).
Source: Department of Veterans Affairs, “Analysis of VA Health Care Utilization Among US Global War
on Terrorism (GWOT) Veterans,” March 25, 2008; Obtained by Veterans For Common Sense using the Freedom of Information Act
Great segment nonetheless.
George Stephopotamus (sorry, I couldn't remember how to spell "Stephanopoulos") should ask Cindy McCain the all important question: "Does your husband hate America?"
It's only fair (but then when has the media been fair).
"Why Doesn’t McCain Respect The Troops?"
One reason is probably because his chief foreign policy adviser's attitude toward soldiers SUCKS. That would be the war criminal Henry Kissinger. Here's a quote from him:
“Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy."
I just keep patiently waiting for someone....ANYONE in the media to question McCain: "When are you going to denounce your foreign policy adviser, Henry Kissinger, for his disparaging comment about soldiers?"
After Vietnam, Henry Kissinger said, "Military
men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy. . ."
(from Chapter 5 in the "Final Days" by Woodward and Bernstein).
Listening to MSM is making me crazy. If the polls are to be believed, McCain could win. Just what we need! Another four years of disaster. I thought people were smarter, but then again, I thought Kerry would win.
American troops in Japan, Germany & Korea can walk around Japan, Germany & Korea without worrying about being shot or blown up. American troops in Iraq cannot walk around Iraq with that same sense of security. That's the difference. Even if casualties in Iraq are declining, the possibility that at any moment you may become a casualty is always present; that creates stress, which causes PTSD (which makes you a casualty). McCain is a moron; like Guiliani, he is a victim of untreated PTSD.
P.D. @ 9:
With Lieberman as Vice??!
P.D. @ 9:
Keep heart. Obama is not John Kerry. No offense to Kerry, but Obama has about 110% more charisma than him. McCain is toast. I hate to think that the American public votes on something as pathetic as "charisma" or charm, but they do. More than issues or anything else, the American voter, at least for president, vote from the heart not the mind.
I think even Kerry could beat John McCain. That's how dull he is as a candidate.
Or it could be wishful thinking on my part.
Oops! Got my candidates mixed up!
Well, I guess I have to be strong. The election coverage is making me nuts. The slant for McCain isn't even subtle anymore. For every gaffe, MSM covers everything up. The Iraq comment? Not that big a deal. Obama dropping a staff member? EARTH SHATTERING!
he also mentioned that he will have a special comment on mccains comments tonight on msnbc. very, very excited.
I'm a vet and would never vote for mcsame the immoral freak...he's rude, dumb and a was a manho in his time till the opportunist found his rich crypt keeper wife.
What would we do without Keith, Stewart and Colbert! I would rather hear the news from them, then overpriced talking heads on CNN, Faux News, and Contessa Brewer any day of the week.
justin @ 15:
Those are enjoyable, I never get enough of hearing them, when bored I pop one of them on the screen.
he is part of the neocon team occupy the region at all cost.......even at the cost of troop morale...next is iran and the public is going to believe we need mccain to continue/handle that situation.....what israel wants israel gets
The Truth Hurts @ 2:
because to kill is American, and generations with John Wayne as a role model. Years of indoctrination that America is about truth (if your deaf), justice (if your rich and white) and the American way.
might makes right because GOD guides our leaders.
and you have the mainstream media force feeding these values to poor and middle class kids that want to be "men" and kill for
GOD and country!!
the largest load of bullshit ever sold to anyone anywhere!!
Abbybwood @ 11:
John Edwards was Kerry's running mate.
I'm sorry but John McCain did not say it's not too important when the others come home. If he had Kieth would most assuredly have played those words coming out of McSames mouth. Please, let's not put words into people's mouths they didn't say. There is more than enough ammunition to harpoon fuck this jack ass. We don't need to make things up.
Did anyone else notice in the segment when the four soldiers greeted each other? They all did the fist bump, the same one that when Barack and Michelle did it, was called a terrorist fist pump by Fox News.
The higher you are, the more people on the ground come to look like ants.
JustSickOfIt @ 22:
Bullshit, KO played it, I believe just prior to the segment with John Kerry.
abbywoods says
"One reason is probably because his chief foreign policy adviser’s attitude toward soldiers SUCKS. That would be the war criminal Henry Kissinger. Here’s a quote from him"
Wow, McCain is being advised by a war criminal? The stench from the Nixon crime family continues. Betcha McBraindead is all excited about the criminal opportunities.
Simple sum-up: Blood 'n' guts McCain respects the brass, not the troops.
Here's the Olbermann clip where McCain says "When the troops come home is not important" ..
It comes just before the clip here at C&L:
Kerry reacts to McCain’s troop comment
By McCain's logic, his as would still be rotting away in the Hanoi Hilton, because it wouldn't be "too important" to get him freed.
What a shit-for-brains, corrupt little soul.
Let me see, what was that all-important question? The Republicans were asking it all the time; I seem to remember it was the most important thing evar ...
Oh yeah:
What kind of message does this send our troops?
Why doesn't Sen. McCain respect the troops?
Well...I'd say that little (R) behind his name may have something to do with it.
Abbybwood @ 8:
Kissinger's statement reflects accurately how the military industrial views "the troops". They are merely fighting animals from their point of view.
We need a real peace movement in America to drive this point home. We need to prevent the "use" of our citizens for immoral purposes such as fighting wars and creating weapons of mass destruction.
I would never expect the MSM to talk about this. They are a key ingredient to waging wars for the military industrial complex.
Well said Brandon. You hit it right on the mark.
I don't care if McCain was a five star general. We have a civilian government that should be responsible for what the military does and should be responsible for taking care of the men that served their country. I don't care if McCain doesn't want to honor the present personnel. I think they should be given excellent medical care and proper rewards for sacrificing for our country.
Underground Pirate @ 32:
Wait a minute - despite the fact that I read C&L, Digby, FDL and Glenzilla are you telling me that Henry Kissinger is McCain's foreign policy adviser? A man that can't travel to several places in the world because he is wanted as a war criminal? Someone should run a campaign slogan - War Criminals R Us - past, present and future!
Abbybwood @ 8:
Now there is a fine and dandy pair. Kissenger who is in dementia and a known hater of the American military, McCain who is acting as if he is on the verge of mental incabability and a war hero, who doesnt act like one....God forbid this man wins the race, in a couple years it will be tea and crumpets in the wheelchair in the sun at Camp David. Out of sight out of mind. Who will be running the country then?... its a frightening scenario people. The country needs to get behind Obama for all our sakes and the free world.
Watch this footage - the troops made 'terrorist fist bumps'.
How dare they. :) I wonder if Fox News Channel will take them to task over it.
korea? when was the treaty signed? when did the "incidents" with the north koreans stop? the check point brush-clearing incident? our boys are not safe overseas.
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