I was watching Sen.and Mrs. McCain (disembark) take the stairs off an airplane...

[Ilsa]

She was holding his arm, and at first glance, it looks like he is doing the gentlemanly thing in assisting her. But as they move down the steps, he was so stiff that it became apparent to me that she is steadying him.

One has to wonder how correct Chuck Norris might be in his comments about the senator.

[gateley]

1. I'm not familiar with Chuck's comments, but it's possible that years of

being cramped in a cell in Viet Nam may have taken their toll. :shrug:

[earthlover]

17. I am not a McCain fan, but your comment was un called for....

McCain's service to his country should not be the subject for jokes...

[gateley]

23. Are you serious? I said that in DEFENSE of McCain after what sounded like a

jab regarding something Chuck Norris said.

Look at my sig line -- does that look like I take our military men and women lightly?

You're incorrect in your assumption and I resent it.

[TexasObserver]

25. Please inform yourself instead of making such judgments

The poster is right. Senator McCain does not have the full use of his arms and cannot raise them up like a normal person because of his treatment while a POW. It's one reason he is against torture. He was tortured, and he broke, and signed whatever they wanted him to sign.

The poster made no inappropriate statement about McCain, and did not impugn him in any sense.

As for McCain, he's nuts, his service notwithstanding.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Oops, I misread your title.

I read it as literally removing the (built-in) stairs from an airplane, which is sort of difficult if you're as old and creaky as McCain. Also, you need power tools. Come to think of it, McCain IS a power tool.

[Ilsa]

4. Sorry, didn't think anyone would think those two would be doing

airfield work. I guess need a better way to describe it, maybe "disembarking"?

[Squatch]

3. Don't you need to be a mechanic to take the stairs off an airplane?

:shrug:

[Ilsa]

5. Sorry. Should have used "didembarking?" nt

[Squatch]

6. Maybe you should quit while you're ahead.

:rofl:

[Ilsa]

8. Okay, okay! Uncle! I'm a lousy typist. But even my husband hates

this keyboard -- says the space key only works half the time, which I have found to be reasonably true.

This being the witching hour in a home with little children is also an issue. I shouldn't even bother reading DU until they've gone to bed.

[TahitiNut]

7. Yep. That'd work. Uh-huh.

:rofl:

Why not "I was watching Sen.and Mrs. McCain descending the stairs from an airliner..."?

[postulater]

9. I can imagine poor diet while imprisoned was hard on his

entire system.

I knew a Holocaust survivor who said she was so malnourished that her spine collapsed on her in later life.

(It's chilling to see the numbers tattooed on someone's arm, hard to not tear up.)

[no_hypocrisy]

10. John McCain has an arm that is more or less useless and he cannot

raise that arm above his waist. Cindy McCain has to help dress and groom him.

I'm giving him a free pass on needing help disembarking the stairs of an airplane among other thing activities that require assistance.

[bbinacan]

11. It's from the broken bones and

years of beatings and torture that have resulted in the limited use of his arms. Besides, 72 these days is not that old.

[knitter4democracy]

12. It's from injuries from his time in the box.

Screw Chuck Norris, even he could understand that. McCain's wife helps him with his hair and tie, too.

[Ilsa]

20. I knew how badly he had been injured and tortured, but didn't realize

he was so stiff over such a large area from it.

It's just an observation, not a critique.

[knitter4democracy]

22. I saw him at a rally in Cleveland once.

It was really obvious as he went through the crowd after the talk from how he held his arms. That, and the guy is really short. Tiny. Obviously, since he was a pilot, but you just don't realize how short he is until you see him in person.

[rodeodance]

13. old war wound--people have noticed it when he gets off buses also.

[notadmblnd]

14. A local psychic on the radio this morning said

that McCain would die in office and leave us with Huckabee as president.

[Ishoutandscream2]

15. Please, never speak that again!

Oh, God, the horror!!!!

[JerseygirlCT]

16. I've watched that, too. They're BOTH

very slow and cautious.

He's older,for sure. And has been pretty badly abused, physically. I'm not sure what her deal is, but she looked like an older woman concerned about a fall and broken hip.

[karlrschneider]

18. She had a stroke a couple years back, I believe

...

[JerseygirlCT]

19. That might explain it, then.

They both looked pretty nervous. I thought: oh, dear, they are getting old now.

[AlCzervik]

21. yeah she did, she's made a pretty good recovery as well. My Nana had a major stroke

when she was only 50, she came back to around 90%.

[UTUSN]

24. YES, he's physically impaired. Yes, he was tortured. NO, he is not ENTITLED!1 n/t