In last night’s debate, McCain again strutted out the fact of his POW status during the Vietnam war.
A servile media has long allowed this to be the primary part of McCain’s halo.
But instead, it should raise questions that go to the heart of McCain’s willingness to betray his fellow soldiers and countrymen in pursuit of political profit.
Sydney Schanberg won a Pulitzer prize while risking his life covering Cambodia for the New York Times in the 1970s. The Nation just published a Schanberg expose that proves that McCain intentionally pulled strings to bury U.S. government information on American soldiers left behind in Vietnam. Upon returning from Vietnam, McCain “pulled himself up by his bootstraps” by burnishing Richard Nixon’s boots – and denying the existence of POWs left behind was Obligatory Lie #1.
Schanberg’s sources are 10-karat, if not better.
Here is the shorter version that appears in the October 6 version of Nation.
Here is the longer version that appears in a study at the Nation Institute webpage.
The media never cares enough about American soldiers to even ask McCain about his role in covering up info about American POWs left behind. But the press turns into his boot burnishers whenever he struts out his tale of suffering.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBiti-ZbeO0 Here’s a YouTube of McCain(and the wimp John Kerry) walking out of hearings to find out more on POW/MIA’s back in 1992.
Here’s an actual film clip of the great “war hero” and “former POW” John McCain making an ass out of himself in front of Dolores Alfond, with POW/MIA, courtesy of Peter Brimelow. Note St John walking out of the hearing.
http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2008/09/22/mccain-vs-mias-on-youtube/print/
McCain is not only a traitor in my opinion, but a first rate jerk.
Jim,
I’m being negligent in my old age. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, so I need to add McCain’s father was involved in helping LBJ in covering up the Israelis’ deliberate attack on the USN Liberty.
How does that old saw go? The one about an (rotten) apple doesn’t roll far from the tree?
Jean and Ryan – thanks for the links to the McCain performances.
Geez, this campaign season is proving to be hell on my idealism.
Ryan – perhaps McCain has the same Code of Honor as his father. Maybe it all comes down to assuming that the word of the President must be treated as the Word of God.
Jim,
If McCain has a “sense of honor” at all it is the type portrayed in the movie The Godfather. Maybe that is what is meant by those signs we see at his rallies that say “honor”. I still have yet to figure out the “country first” signs as to which country he is talking about. Is it Israel or Mexico? It sure as hell isn’t America.
As you can see I really hold the “senior snowy haired senator” from AZ, as Charles Goyette would put it, in high regard. Damn, I miss him.
I swore a similar oath that McCain swore to, the difference being that for officers it is a lot tighter due to the responsibilities a commission carries. McCain violated his, in my opinion. We can say this for him. He has kept this tradition of breaking oaths from the Naval Academy all the way through to today.
McCain no doubt does believe in the false doctrine of the “unitary executive”, so I would say you are correct. That reminds me of what Nixon said on the subject back, I sorry to say, better times.
My idealism is taking a serious hit as well from this election campaign. Fortunately, I have a case of beer to restore my moral. I may need it after the wealth transfer vote that may happen today.
As a side note about something totally off topic, is it me or does not Barney Frank in that brown suit look like one of Khrushchev’s diplomats at the time of his visit to the US?
Ryan – I hope you can refill that case of beer before election day. We have quite a few more weeks of doggerel to endure.
And maybe even a wedding, if the rumors from the McCain campaign are true.
On Barney Frank wearing a brown suit — amazing to see how the Mainstream Media is treating him like a saint and wise man of this bailout. Is it because he can make quips, or has he influenced media folks otherwise?
Jeff Jacoby of the Boston Globe has a very good column today on Frank’s culpability for this debacle: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/09/28/franks_fingerprints_are_all_over_the_financial_fiasco/
Jim,
I was aware of this, but I didn’t know just how much Frank was involved. You’re right, the media is treating him far better than he deserves. In the past such people were best dealt with with tar and feathers.
Here’s more Frank with a supporting cast of liars and idiots.
http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2008/09/27/wachovia-latest-diversity-debauched-bank-to-seek-help/print/
I didn’t mean to take us off stride with my comment about Barney’s bad appearance. This subject deserves its own thread as it is, as we said in the military, “a target rich environment.” I’ll leave at this, there is plenty of blame to go around with both political crime families and other parties.
Have you noted the media always has some sort of theme music for some disaster? Think of the Iraqi invasion and Hurricane Ike. Why don’t they have any for this financial ripoff?
I have a suggestion. The End, by the Doors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbI5K0AzNHI
I’m kidding here. The best way to handle this problem is to say no to Wall Street. As things stand, what they intend to do might make this song reality.
About McCain and Kerry. They should both be keelhauled for their sorry and cowardly performance.
Another youtube clip on McCain and Vietnam POW’s is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFM1xqqTX_g
Check out ol’ B-1 Bomber, Dornan’s rant against McCain.
McCain may be one of the most pompous, duplicitous asses to sniff the White House since LBJ.
Wes – was LBJ as pompous as McCain?
He was certainly a Texas-sized liar and con man.
I read Schanberg’s piece (short version) the other day and the whole thing raises so many questions. But the one thing that is totally incomprehensible to me about the McCain POW hero myth – and it is another one of those attention deficit things – is the part about how his jailers wanted to free him but he refused. In what world does a prisoner tell his jailer what to do? Did McCain have the key to his own shackles? Am I missing something about this? If I am not missing something, why has nobody asked McCain WTF he is talking about?
Alexander Cockburn had an interesting piece the other day that mentioned McCain in connection with spousal abuse back during the Keating 5 scandal. Why has nobody asked McCain when he stopped beating his wife?
He also needs to be asked if he was for the $700 bailout before he was against it. Is McCain’s campaign still suspended as he straightens out the global economy?
Wow, the YouTube clip above is heavy stuff. I don’t know about Dornan’s credibility, but Bob Smith was usually pretty straight up. It makes you wonder if the Dems want to lose this time by not whipping McCain with this stuff.
Tom – on the question of “why has nobody asked McCain WTF he is taking about” – that applies to at least half of his positions and claims.
On him not being released from prison – I heard or read recently that it would be up to the senior US commander in captivity (Adm. Stockdale?) to determine whether or not a lower officer could depart the prison out of sequence in which they were captured. Thus, even if the NV had offered McCain early release, he could no do so without disobeying a superior’s orders – and probably ending both his military career and undermining future endeavors.
I had not heard the spousal abuse allegations. That would have been around the same time that Cindy McCain was heavy into stealing narcotics for personal use.
From CounterPunch:
According to two emergency room physicians in Phoenix, , who tell us they don’t want their names used, interviewed by CounterPunch, it was at this time that Cindy McCain sought medical attention in the Phoenix area for injuries consistent with physical violence: bruises, contusions and a black eye . There were at least two more visits for medical attention in the Phoenix area by Cindy, with similar injuriesi, between 1988 and 1993.
http://www.counterpunch.com/cockburn09272008.html
We’re all hypocrites – me too. Maybe I’m the biggest one here. So what.
Tom’s post was dissappointing news. Was not trivial either.
Both sides are destroying this country. They’ve been doing it since United Fruit Company. (Henry Thoreau would laugh at me). Liberals are the worst.
Libertarians won’t vote for either of them. But they’ll tell you they support the 2nd amendment. That’s their hypocrisy. I’ve learned to vote for the most pro-gun candidate. At least I can protect myself. That amendment is connected to all the others; it’s related to the concept of limited govt too. Imagine me preaching to the folks here.
I’m from Illinois – you should see what they do there. Bovard describes what goes on in Europe, all the socialism and the lies. Just like Illinois.
Liberals are the worst.
Jim,
As to which, con-man, LBJ, or egoist, McCain is the biggest ass is a debate that requires a bar stool and good,copious amounts of beer/booze!
I suspect the conclusion might be that although McCain would keep his clothes on in the Oval Office while verbally and/or physically beating the hell out of someone, he might not drop as many expletives as LBJ. Or something along those lines.
As for mundane matters like war, spending the country’s treasure, and general political ‘reach arounds’, I suspect they’re equally asinine!