why isn't McCain's military record attacked

[luckyleftyme2]

How can someone give up his unit (when captured) for four days and not get court martial ed? does admirals sons get special treatment? did he stay in hanoi because
president Johnson would've given no mercy?
remember the swift boat campaign on Kerry. remember that Gore was the only candidate who served in nam during 2000 race? who's running the media in this country?
Do you really want this man as president?
why was he called the yellow canary? why wouldn't veterans sit with him at chow time?

[mwb970]

1. Look what happened to Wes Clark.

He rightly pointed out that riding in a plane and getting shot down does not qualify a man to be president and was crucified for it, even by Obama!

I would think that someone who successfully completed all their missions without getting shot down and taken prisoner (i.e. failing the mission) would be even better qualified, no?

We also have to consider what being held captive and tortured for five years (the kind of thing we do to our prisoners now!) does to a person's mind. Did it leave mccain better or worse off mentally than dry-drunk bush or Alzheimer's-riddled St. Ronald?

This string of mentally incompetent Republican presidents has to end if America is to have any chance of survival.

[luckyleftyme2]

10. wes clark

He has all the credentials to be commander in chief. He got the medal of honor for
giving commands under fire and after being wounded. HE graduated top of his class
at west point(McCain bottom 5% of his class) Clark attended war college and several other military courses; has a masters degree and commanded forces in BOSNIA.
McCAIN SOLD OUT IN 4 DAYS-HE ISN'T FIT TO LEAD!

[zbdent]

19. and remember, under Republican standards ...

McCain wasn't tortured ... so he sold them out without being tortured ...

[Thothmes]

22. General Clark was not awarded the Medal of Honor

for his action in Vietnam. We was awared the Silver Star.

[Enrique]

2. because the person running against him isn't a slimeball

[JustAnotherGen]

3. And

Why wasn't he made a four star general for his 'service'? Sorry - my dad is a Vet of Vietnam and Korea, former officer, Green Beret . . .

Good questions.

And why hasn't he ever said thanks to the Green Berets that raided the POW Prison down the road? Though unsuccessful - most Sontay and Hanoi prisoners have thanked those Green Berets for at least trying . . . because their treatment did improve when the Vietnamese realized we'd go after everything in our paths (children, elderly, women) if they didn't follow the rules of war.

I'm sorry - but I'm in the camp of being a POW doesn't mean you can drop the word 'gook' after using it publicly for 27 years JUST so you could run for President, and it doesn't erase the fact that said former POW refers to black children as 'tar babies', Hispanics as 'wet backs', and make nasty jokes about Lesbians.

In life there are highs and lows. And every once in awhile you enter The Valley of Comeuppence.

McCain. John McCain. John McCain I'm saying your name. You are a bigot. I intend to tell everyone who says we have to treat you with kid gloves JUST because you were a POW exactly what you are. You are a bigot. And my black/hispanic/white niece's life and QUALITY of life, and access to the best America has to offer depends on you never becoming the President of the United States.

And after his 'militarization' statements? He's a dangerous Fascist.

Truth - Let It Continue To Be Told.

[me b zola]

4. Because there is a vast difference between what a Dem & repug can do

It's just that simple. Welcome to the world of the minority. Please keep in mind that minority status has nothing to do with the numbers of your group (in this case, Dems out number repubes), but has to do with second class citizenship.

Republicans had the audacity to plaster purple heart band aides on their faces to mock a Democratic war hero. Did the media blast the gop for this? Hell no! They helped perpetuate the smearing of the war record of a war hero.

Watch closer the media. We are not on a level playing field. Obama is having to fight many forces just to stay in the race--and we as a nation are all poorer for it.

I'm mad as hell :grr:

[ladjf]

5. In order to win, Obama will have to defeat the media and the rigged

vote counting machines.

[me b zola]

6. Yes, he will

And even though I am to the left of Obama, this is why I support him so strongly--I know the terrain in which he is operating.

[luckyleftyme2]

7. why

Why wasn't he court martialed? I think it was the sameo sameo story. If you come from money or influence even the military justice system is slanted.
I worked with a man who was shot down in nam. he was a col. and after 6 months of torture and injuries from the crash he caved in. He was court martailed and disgraced. McCain folds after 4 days and is a hero?
daddy and grampy were admirals; I say he waited to come home till after he was promised no penalties.
thats why he won't get my vote!

[GoesTo11]

8. Not just that time

Forrestal incident seems to have been immediately whitewashed. Many other parts of his bio in the navy have the same theme.

Come to think of it, this is the story of his life.

Quite a lot like the current president.

[Thothmes]

24. What was the name of the Colonel

that you are refering to. I would like to do more research of this incident.

[treestar]

28. Here's something to start an email with

You know those annoying false emails that the right wingers are always forwarding. If this one is true, then it's even better.

McWar needs to be swiftboated this way. I'm even willing to take the time (which the right wingers always seem to have) to forward the emails!

At least, we should do this stuff if we think it works for the repukes and might work for our side.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. The fact is that McCain served in the military and was honorable discharged.

The fact is that McCain was shot down and held prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese for over 5 years and endured torture. How many of us here can say for sure how we would have acted in the same circumstances? I'm guessing that not many of us could.

Did he have a stellar military record? Possibly not, and while the facts above do not qualify McCain to be President, I fear that by attacking his service record and his behavior during captivity would alienate a lot of people who have served and are serving now in the military as well as their families. We cannot afford to lose those votes. There are other ways to show that McCain is not suited for the Presidency without stooping to the level of the swiftboaters to achieve our goal.

[luckyleftyme2]

11. the fact is

he stayed in hanoi to avoid a court martial. This is a very good possibility and you can find this information in google.

[Arkansas Granny]

15. There is a very good possibility that you can find information on google

to back up any claim you want to make about John McCain's service and captivity. That doesn't mean that it's a good idea to use it. It also doesn't mean that it's entirely factual.

You cannot change the fact that McCain served in the military and was held POW for over 5 years and that a lot of people, Democrats included, respect him for that service. Does it qualify him for the Presidency? Absolutely not. However, I still believe that attacking him on his experiences in Vietnam would backfire and lose Obama more votes than it would gain him.

There are many more issues with which we can attack McCain and his political record which will not risk turning the negativity back on Obama and the Democratic party.

[luckyleftyme2]

17. this is a fact

This will prevent McCain from winning. And since McCain went to the dredge of the republican mud slingers on how to beat OBAMA i'll be dammed if i'll give him a pass .
my friend spent several years in federal jail for less than McCain did and he out ranked him.
SO granny McCain let the facts evolve and see McCain fade away. even with Lieberman and Karl the smear man ROVE.

[WinkyDink]

21. I guess you weren't around when John Kerry was running.

[Arkansas Granny]

26. I hadn't discovered DU when John Kerry was running, but if you are

referring to the swiftboaters, I remember them well. They ran a despicable campaign against Kerry and I was repulsed by the "purple heart" bandages that showed up at the Republican convention. I don't want to see Democrats accused of resorting to the same tactics. There is much more to use against McCain without risking the alienation of a portion of the population that does not consider him a traitor for his actions in Vietnam. We may very well need those votes in order to get Obama elected.

[JI7]

12. because it always comes down to how the whore media reports things

they will be outraged if there is any question about McCain's service. this is why Obama regularly praises him on service and makes clear that his criticisms are on policy.

[luckyleftyme2]

13. Than its true

Big business controls the media?

[GaYellowDawg]

14. It's kind of funny, we ought to use one of Ann Coulter's arguments on him..

Remember when she was whining about not being able to attack the NYC widows and accused liberals of using spokespeople who were supposed to be immune to criticism? All you heard from conservative radio was agreement with her. So we ought to tell the same hosts that, going by Ann Coulter's principle, McCain is open to attack on all fronts.

So he got tortured in Viet Nam. What he suffered was nothing compared to Max Cleland, who lost three limbs in Viet Nam, and Republicans didn't thank him for his service.

So thanks for your service, John, but it doesn't change that you dumped your wife when you got back for a beer heiress, that you were one of the Keating 5, and that you've turned into a desperate old political hack whose slobbering incompetency is only matched by your desire to get into the White House at any cost. What you did 40 years ago doesn't make you immune to criticism today.

[luckyleftyme2]

18. I agree

His recent meeting with Karl Rove says all things possible will be done by McCain
to win.
Therefore: THE RULE of LAW APPLIES TO BOTH SIDES. YOU CAN NOT SOLVE AN EQUATION WITH OUT BALANCING BOTH SIDES.
Mc CAIN sold out in 4 days. hardly a hero.
who was his wife's father? did he have questionable ties to the underworld?

WE MAY NOT BE THE MEDIA BUT WE CAN GET VOTES!

[pwb]

16. We need to separate McCain's military service from his pow service.

McCain was privileged in both situations.

[WinkyDink]

20. Military record? How about ANY record? Political? Marital? He seems off-limits.

[last_texas_dem]

23. Because he's a Republican

It is only considered acceptable to attack the military records of Democrats.

[Phoonzang]

25. Because that would be an instant lost election.

The media would make it so.

[last_texas_dem]

27. You're probably right

It's sad that it was considered acceptable (and "worth investigating") by the media for Kerry's military service to be attacked on bullshit grounds, but I'm betting that any criticism of McCain's service would turn into an outrage-fest with the media whores.

[bunnies]

29. McCain ratted out his peeps?

Caused them to get captured? :shrug:

[zulchzulu]

30. A 527 will attack Johnny Songbird in the fall

McGaffe is no war hero to many Vietnam veterans.

He is a joke.

I've talked to several and they all say the same thing.

McGaffe denounced his country within 72 hours of being captured, was the willing star and errand boy spilling military information in over 30 Vietnam propaganda films and even was given a cell whore to sleep with him as a gift for being a yellow-bellied turncoat. Other POWs died by execution for not spilling the beans like McGaffe did.

Besides, McGaffe wasn't even born in this country. Last I checked, the Panama Canal is not part of the United States.

Free Pass Johnny... Johnny Songbird... whatever... the guy is a sham.

[sourmilk]

31. Other POWs got promoted while in captivity. Why not McCain?

Anyone know the reason?