Pittsburgh Post - On Cross-Gate - Notes Attempts to Justify Story

[Median Democrat]

Here it is:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08232/905292-153.stm

/snip

It's an interesting story and a moving one -- if true. But as an armada of lefty bloggers have gleefully pointed out, the anecdote bears more than a supernatural resemblance to a story by Soviet-era dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn about his encounter with a Christian guard in Stalin's gulags decades ago.

The story of how Solzhenitsyn's guard, obviously Russian Orthodox in his sympathies, drew a cross in the dirt has been in the air ever since the former dissident's death earlier this month unleashed a torrent of fascinating anecdotes and tributes about his life.

Because Vietnam is an overwhelmingly Buddhist country, the likelihood of John McCain "worshipping" with a secret Christian among the atheistic Viet Cong strikes many as being as big a miracle as the Virgin Birth the holiday is based upon.

But as one of my colleagues reminded me yesterday, the Catholic Church has had an enormous presence in Vietnam for decades. Just because it happened to Solzhenitsyn doesn't mean it didn't happen to Mr. McCain, too -- that's the miracle of religious dissent in the face of totalitarianism.

Fair enough, but as an anecdote in a highly charged political season, a cross-in-the-dirt story from a guy not known for his piety sounds opportunistic. Because the McCain campaign has been cynical about so many things, the candidate may not be getting the benefit of the doubt he may be entitled to.

Further complicating belief in Mr. McCain's story is the fact that this dramatic tale is missing from his lengthy first-person recap of his experience in the May 14, 1973, issue of U.S. News & World Report. Again, just because he has only seen fit to mention it decades later in the heat of a presidential race steeped in civic religiosity doesn't mean it didn't happen. Perhaps he didn't consider it important enough to recount at the time.

/snip

[SoonerPride]

1. the candidate may not be getting the benefit of the doubt he may be entitled to

all he does is get free passes from the press.

who are they kidding?

[Median Democrat]

2. Exact;y, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, ABC and CBS Cover Corsi, But No Mention Of This?

Is it just a coincidence or is the MSM in the tank for John McCain? Maybe this is why Obama is investing so much on the ground game. Because Big Media cannot be trusted.

[SurfingAtWork]

3. Well he DESERVES free passes on everything

In case you haven't heard, he is an ex POW!

(probably not nescessary, but just in case)
:sarcasm:

[Celebration]

11. just keep them coming

Honestly, seeds of doubt are all we can hope for here. The story cannot be disproven. Let's try to ensure the press keeps talking about it, though.

[JackORoses]

4. The Power of the Cross!!

McCain fucked up when he lied about God.
Set the God-Ray to SMITE!

[WCGreen]

5. Yes Vietnam had a large Catholic contingent...

But they were in the South and had little to no effect outside of the major cities.

Could it have happened? Well yea, but it's doubtful that a Viet Cong guard would be a secret Christian. It doesn't make sense. Unless the guard was forced into his job. I don't know, all that kind of stuff is just bull shit anyway. Can't be proved and can't be disproved. But it is curious that McCain only started to talk about this little miracle after the death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

[Median Democrat]

7. Just Coincidence That McCain Was Pandering to the Evangelical Right

Recollection is remarkable. Perhap's McCain quip about hiding his own Easter Eggs is correct.

[tigervalentine]

10. I find it odd that that guard

doesn't seemed to have loosened the bonds of, or revealed his religion to, any of the other POWs. Handsome Johnny was the only one treated kindly by this guy? The only one he drew a cross in the dirt for? I wonder why.

[eleny]

6. What you quote here sounds quite skeptical of McCain

Nice that it's made it to a Pennsylvania paper. I wonder if it appeared in the paper version?

I especially like how he reminds his readers of the Steelers Packers switch.

I give it 3 thumbs up! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Spazito]

8. Good to see this!

Yet another drip into the cauldron of questions about the ghost writer's creation "John McCain, the sacrosanct POW". I actually prefer the drip, drip, drip that is occurring as opposed to one day headlines. It will be the continuous questions, the drips, that will increase the doubts already in place. Cumulative is good.

[berni_mccoy]

9. Off to the greatest!

[global1]

12. What Are The Options Here?......

1. Solzhenitsyn stole the story from McCain and put it in his book.
2. It was the same fellow that drew the cross in the dirt for both McCain and Solzhenitsyn.
3. McCain read about this in Solzhenitsyn's book and thought he might use it to his advantage.

[Median Democrat]

13. Here is the odd thing. At Saddleback, McCain Describes This As A Very Profound Event

Yet, McCain does not mention it in 1973 when he wrote an article about his POW experience, which did discuss religion. McCain's numerous flip flops illustrates his willingness to bend the facts and his position to match the circumstances. The story McCain so powerfully told at Saddleback involved a sandle. McCain's commercial depicted a stick. In a speech, McCain described the incident as though it happened to a third person. All reported instances occurred as McCain was trying to capture the evangelical right's vote.

So, I find the story just a little too convenient, and there are just too many coincidences between the story and Solzhenitsyn and the fact that McCain is a fan, and disparities in McCain's own telling of the story. At best, McCain needs to do a better job of proofing his campaign commericials.