Independent group launches televised attack on McCain's POW record
An independent group's Swift Boat-style attack on John McCain's Vietnam record has hit the airwaves: a 30-second spot featuring Philip Butler describing his fellow POW as "unfit to lead" is now appearing on national cable.
"The prisoner of war experience is not a good prerequisite for president of the United States," Butler says in the ad, produced by Brave New PAC and Democracy for America. "He was known as a very volatile guy and he would blow up and go like a Roman candle. John McCain is not someone I would like to see with his finger near the red button."
The McCain campaign issued this response to the POW ad: "It's unfortunate that Senator Obama has fallen so far, from opposing outside expenditures and supporting public financing at the beginning of this race to opting out of public financing and now "looking the other way" on independent expenditures -- no matter how vile.
"But this comes after a week in which Senator Obama openly questioned Senator McCain's patriotism and his honor as part of a new series of "tough" attacks that have been dutifully echoed by the press. But it should be clear by now that Senator Obama will say anything, and do anything, in order to get elected."
I had rather see John McCain's finger closer to that Red Button than Barack Obama's especially after his remark about Pakistan.
A former military officer is a person who absolutely hates going into any type of war because he knows what the stakes are going in while a civilian only looks for fast results.
Senator John McCain's experience as a POW and choice to stay behind, is a strength that is needed to be in charge of this country. We face Russia and terrorists who are challenging our freedom and others.
What experience does Senator Obama have? "None"
Dotty Fahey
Milton
Wow. Republicans REALLY hate it when they get a taste of their own medicine.
McCain the POW was a brave and honorable man. However, being a POW has no bearing on whether someone is qualified to be president. If it did, we have an entire military base full of potential candidates: Guantanamo Bay.
McCain the 2008 version is practically the opposite. He has sold out his ideals and essentially his country with the past 4 years of reversals and reckless judgement (how else can you describe putting someone so monumentally incompetent in the VP slot?)
McCain can't run on a bunch of failed policies. So, you see a GOP convention that was so nasty, so derisive and lacking any specificity with a huge emphasis on McCain's personal story, because pretty much everything else about the man is repugnant.
Commentor #1, isn't it amazing that the current administration AGREES with Senator Obama about Pakistan? Pakistan has done NOTHING to stop the terrorists from crossing over the borders from Afganistan. Do you think that it is okay to "support" Pakistan when they clearly have not been supporting the US? I suppose you also agree with McCain's statement "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran"? Comment #2, McCain did choose to stay behind, but that doesn't give him the clear minded intelligence to think things over VERY carefully before going in to fight yet more wars. John McCain will not be satisfied until we "WIN" a war, because we did not win in Vietnam, and that just eats away at him. Both of you commentors are looking at McCain through rose-colored glasses.....take them off and see the real warmonger that he is.
If you can't take the heat....
Hey, Number One,
That POW in the ad did harder time than McCain and he came forward unasked with his statement last July. He seems credible to me. What was it that Gen. McPeak said? "You get to be a hero by shooting down the other guy, not by getting shot down." From what I know of Ex-POWs, I'd tend to agree that at best POW experience is irrelevant to being President and at worst it's a detriment--McCain is 5 to 10 years older than his clock age due to the abuse, and it hasn't helped his judgement. Also, his isolation kept him out of the loop about the endgame in Viet Nam--he thinks that's a war we could have won, not a popular view among the thinking military.
I don't believe John McCain's POW internment makes him eligible to be "ruler of the universe." Ironically, from what I have read, didn't he cop out at the end and sign a paper of lies? I'm not berating his unspeakable torture, but why haven't we heard of any of the other POW's who were tortured as well. I don't know of any celebrity status by them, don't know of any books being written. Even the guy sewing the flags................are they that loyal to McCain they wouldn't want to spoil his story? I don't get it, they swiftboated Kerry until he doubted himself, or at best, didn't fight back, and everyone's afraid to question McCain's story. Nice guys finish last, but if its not the nature of a good man or woman to be so callous and hurtful as the Republicans, someone needs to ask or research some of the other POW's like the one stated in this blog. I can only imagine what pills McCain must be taking to control his temper, as he smiles through his anger when talking in a drone-ful voice. Again, he's one of thousands of POW's, where are their stories. There may even be a few Democrats who were POW's, or do the Republicans have a monopoly on that too. This is about as sickening as Palin's publicity over her son's military send-off. John Kennedy's military story wasn't used as propaganda during his campaign. His story was publicized by others than himself. That's a real hero.
Mccain had a very bad reputation in the army. He will not dare to make an ad with former soldiers defending him because then he will risk that all the angry ones will come after him.
Come on! McCain bravely and heroically got shot down five times. He was finally caught and treated like every other POW. Horribly! He made it out . Congrats!! So we know you're a lousy pilot. You think that your more special than all the others that lived to talk about it and you think somehow that makes you a hero??? There were heros in that prison and I don't know anyone that says you were one of em. News flash. Bad judgement and bad flying doesn't make you a hero, just like selling out and flipflopping like a fish on a dock doesn't show great character. Running a smear campaign, then telling everyone you run a clean one makes you a liar. You get no free ride anymore Mr. McCain.
Bombing innocent people and then getting shot down does not make one a hero it sure does not make McCain a specialist on foreign policy. As far as his experience goes, I ask you to name one accomplishment he has made as a senator. As far as Obama goes, he's drifted more to the center since corporations have filled up his wallet for his campaign. Don't get your hopes up, either way American foreign policy will be entrenched in constant warfare. The Russians are simply following the same policy the US has been doing in the last 60 years since it became a world power after world war 2. Except this time the Russians have a strong military, economy and have a lot of money, whereas the US is weak and desperate to hold on to its hegemony. It's going to be an interesting decade, so sit back and get your pop corn.
Why does people say that Senator McCain knows how to win a war. The man was captured and held prisoner for numerous years. Where I come from that indicates a loss. So unless they taught advanced war tactics or something in the POW camp, I don't feel he knows anything about winning a war.
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