Vicious South Carolina Flyer Attacks McCain's Vietnam Service

[jefferson_dem]

Vicious South Carolina Flyer Attacks McCain's Vietnam Service
By Greg Sargent - January 16, 2008, 10:26AM

This is ugly even by South Carolina standards: John McCain is being targeted by a nasty flyer that lampoons McCain's POW captivity in Vietnam. The flyer, which was sent to local newspaper editors, depicts a manacled McCain in a cell with the phrase "POW for President," and "elect me" scrawled on the walls, suggesting that McCain is trying to ride his POW status into the White House.

The mailer also accuses McCain of collaborating with his captors and betraying his fellow POWs.



Late yesterday, the McCain campaign publicly denounced the flyer, which appears to be the work of a group of unknown size and origin called " Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain."

The fact that the McCain camp has moved so aggressively to publicize and push back against the flyer suggests that the McCain campaign is taking a new approach in a state where such dirty tricks stopped his campaign in 2000. McCain advisers don't appear to believe that a rival campaign is behind the flyer. But nonetheless, this time around McCain is reacting much more quickly to such smears in hopes of knocking them down before they gain traction.

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/vicious_south_carolina_mailer_attacks_mccains_vietnam_service.php

[bigdarryl]

1. Who cares fuck him

[abburdlen]

6. who cares?

Yes, John McCain is a Bush-lovin' republican scum but my opposition to him is from what he's done in elected office.
His military service is beyond reproach.

Ads like this are bullshit whether its against our guys or theirs.

[TwilightGardener]

11. I second that--fuck him. I cared 8 years ago--he's such a pathetic

sellout who never stands up for anybody else, I just don't care anymore. And the fact that he's running on his Vietnam record now, after accusing Kerry of doing it four short years ago, is another appalling example of his craven anything-to-win attitude. Take him down, swiftboaters--he's all yours.

[Colobo]

24. You are wrong. There are lines that should not be crossed

and just as it would be pathetic to make fun of John Edwards's dead son, Hillary's marital problems with Bill, or of Obama's race, McCain's service and sacrifice is out of bounds, and it is sad to see how blind partisanship can't let some people see that.

[redqueen]

2. Romney?

[beachmom]

4. I doubt it. This is the cottage industry to prey on families of POW/MIA soldiers

They created a site called "Vietnam Veterans against John Kerry" in '04. They don't like that we normalized relations with Vietnam, and have been targeting McCain and Kerry for years for their work on that POW/MIA committee.

They're not as sophisticated as the Swiftboaters, although I am curious where they're getting their money from.

[beachmom]

3. McCain would get more sympathy from me if he hadn't taken swiftboat money

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080107/hayes

The most notable recipient of Swift Boat largesse is John McCain, erstwhile front-runner and Stand Up Guy. When the Swift Boat ads were first unleashed, McCain was alone among his Republican colleagues to condemn them. A fellow Vietnam veteran, a good friend of Kerry's and a former target of smears about his own service, McCain called the ads "dishonest and dishonorable," a "cheap stunt," and he urged Bush to condemn them. But in pursuit of the GOP nomination, McCain ditched the mantle of maverick for that of hack, and his once-floundering, possibly rejuvenated campaign has been aided along the way by $61,650 from Swift Boat donors and their associates. "There is such a thing as dirty money," said Senator Kerry in a statement, after The Nation informed him of McCain's FEC records. "I'm surprised that the John McCain I knew who was smeared in 2000 and thought so-called Swift Boating was wrong in 2004 would feel comfortable taking their money after seeing the way it was used to hurt the veterans I know he loves." (McCain's office did not return calls for comment.)

[abburdlen]

7. no doubt McCain is slime

but the flyer is still disgusting.

[FredScuttle]

5. John McCain must love going down to South Carolina to get smeared

First, Karl Rove's whisper campaign in 2000 that he fathered a black girl out of wedlock (he actually adopted an Indonesian child). Now, the defining moment of his life is so much political fodder.

I think it's disgusting, disgraceful and a stark commentary on the "heart and soul" of the Republican party. However, I also think this is the pigsty Senator McCain has chosen to cast his lot with. Four years ago, when members of his own party were openly questioning Senator Kerry's service for his country, when a slanderous book and media campaign was launched and propped up with GOP cash, when attendees to his party's convention wore "purple heart" band-aids to mock the service of his fellow soldier, McCain should have taken a long look in the mirror and asked "Is this the party I belong to?".

Ever hear of chicken(hawk)s coming home to roost?

[bullwinkle428]

8. Huckabee the rat bastard was attempting to "condemn" push polling

this morning on an interview on NPR, even though the interviewer was explaining that the groups involved in the push polling were tied into the Huckabee campaign! Fucking slimy bastard!

Here it is, if you think you can stomach it:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18138859

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. I wouldn't be surprised if these were put out by McCain himself

What good could such trash do any other candidate?

[TwilightGardener]

13. I'd bet that too. McCain will stoop to any low to win--if that means pity, so be it.

[China_cat]

15. That's just what crossed my mind when I read

that he jumped on this immediately, MAKING IT PUBLIC.

It's such an ugly, ugly, horrid piece of trash. Denounce the effort, but make sure everybody sees it? Smacks of reaching for a vote from those who would pity someone hated that badly.

[CoffeeCat]

10. The Rovian model...

...always tried to shred candidates on their strongest points, by positioning those points
as something sinister, with a boat load of lies.

I'm so sick of this inhuman, scum-PR tactics.

The people who engage in this sort of deviant behavior, only denigrate themselves.

McCain is a war hero, just as Kerry is a war hero. To so ruthlessly turn his
traumatic POW situation into some mutated, lie-based sideshow to gain votes
for someone else---is pure evil.

Maybe this isn't coming from one of his opponents. Maybe it's just some loose
cannon, who supports another Rep candidate. Whoever it is, it's too bad.

[wyldwolf]

12. absolutely disgusting. There is no doubt about McCain's service and courage

[Bonobo]

14. Not arguing, but why is there no doubt?

[wyldwolf]

17. do you know anyone who doubts it with any reasonable evidence to support the doubt?

Or would you feel more comfortable if I had posted "There is no reasonable documented evidence to support doubt about his service and courage?"

[Bonobo]

20. Thank you for your answer. I am clear on what you meant now.

[abburdlen]

18. you didn't ask me but

I'll give my answer...

In short, it's beyond doubt because there is no reason to doubt his military service or courage. John McCain's military record gives no reason to doubt his honorable service. His Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart are evidence that he went above and beyond the call of duty as a Navy Captain.

Of course his senate record shows the exact opposite of courage and I'll join right in on attacking him on that but it was wrong when Kerry got swiftboated and it is wrong when McCain is swiftboated.


these people are just plain scum and it's wrong no matter who they are going after.

[rox63]

16. The people who put this out are low-class scum

I disagree with McCain on almost everything. But this sort of smear of a decorated veteran and former POW is disgraceful. I only wish McCain had stood up against the folks who used similar tactics against Kerry in 2004.

[Byronic]

21. He didn't go far enough regarding Kerry in 2004 but

To be fair (in a way that could never possibly be found on Free Republic) he did say this:

McCain deplores anti-Kerry ad
White House declines
to repudiate it

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
updated 1:51 p.m. ET Aug. 5, 2004

WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry’s military service “dishonest and dishonorable” and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well.

The White House declined.

“It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me,” McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, comparing the anti-Kerry ad to tactics in his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush.....

“I deplore this kind of politics,” McCain said. “I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam. I think George Bush served honorably in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5612836/

Leaving out his laughable "Bush served honorably" sentence, which stretches credulity to breaking point, of course.

The Vietnam Vets that served in the Senate, people like Kerry, Kerrey, Hagel and McCain usually stick together when nonsense like this is spewed out by the hateful arm of political campaigns.

It was wrong when they did it to John Kerry.

It's wrong when they are doing it to John McCain.

And I bet if Chuck Hagel ran third party, they would do it to him too.

They are shameless.

[OHdem10]

19. This gives a tiny glimpse of what our Candidate has in store.

In the primary, Dems can go into spasms and stop things.

Not in the GE. Truth does not matter. This is the perfect example.

[robbedvoter]

26. Bingo! No matter who the nominee is - this is the treatment

Some Obama supporters dream that somehow he is immune...No Democrat - ever - is immune.

[robbedvoter]

22. Karma for not defending kerry in 2004 (lip service - not good enough)

[tammywammy]

23. Disgusting.

Very disgusting. :puke:

[Colobo]

25. Very sad and disgusting. I respect McCain's service and sacrifice

and that is not something to make fun of.

[cobalt1999]

27. I'll condemn this, just like republicans should have condemn the smear on Kerry's record.

I disagree with McCain politically, but I refuse to drop to the level of republicans and not speak out against this type of crap.

[ladjf]

28. Hmm. That's a great way to get votes for McCain. I can't

imagine any political operative would be that stupid.