OpEdNews » Interview: McCain Fellow Hanoi Hilton POW & Naval Academy Dorm-mate; Why He Won't Vote For McCain

Home

Hot News

Economic Crisis

Barack Obama

Rights Justice Democracy

Obama transition

Veterans Military

Torture Guantanamo

Barack Obama Family, et

Iraq Afghanistan Pakista

MiddleEast

Support OEN
With Your
Tax-Deductible Donation

Tags for This Article:

McCain-John (3909) Anger (139) POW (13) Naval Officer (7) Military Academy (3) Naval Academy (1)

Populum
Tag Cloud
Control Panel

Fine tune your search to access content

Articles	Links
Diaries	Products
Events	All

All time
Last 6 mos
Last month
Last week
Last 24 hrs

From:
Month Day Year

To:
Month Day Year

Alphabet Popularity	Count ON Count OFF
This Level	Sub-levels

Classics of Liberal Thinking
Progressive Radio Links

Tag(s): Anger; McCain-John; Military Academy; Naval Academy; Naval Officer; POW
Add to My Group

October 27, 2008 at 17:42:50

9 4 2 View Ratings | Rate It

Promoted to Headline (H2) on 10/27/08:
Interview: McCain Fellow Hanoi Hilton POW & Naval Academy Dorm-mate; Why He Won't Vote For McCain

by Rob Kall Page 1 of 8 page(s)

www.opednews.com

SAVE FAVORITES

VIEW FAVORITES

Transcript of Interview with CDR, USN, Phil Butler on the Rob Kall Bottom-up Radio Show (1360 AM WNJC)

Transcription by Jay Farrington and Paul Hawley

Kall: Great to have you with us here on the Rob Kall Show at 1360 AM.

Butler: Thank you.

Kall: It's interesting; I've had a couple of emails. Now you wrote this article, "Why I won't Vote for John McCain" and you talk about your experience having been a POW for eight years, huh?

Butler: Yes, that's right.

Kall: Oh! I'll bet you know exactly how many days after eight years it was, too.

Butler: Well, two thousand eight hundred and fifty five days and nights—as a POW.

Kall: Oh my God, it's hard to imagine; it's mind boggling; thank you for your service!

You know, a couple of people have said, "This guy's doing to John McCain what John Kerry had done to him by the 'Swiftboaters'."

Butler: No, that's not true, because I think the swiftboaters got some preconceived lies that they were pushing about John Kerry's service; that he was not a bona fide veteran; his medals weren't real and so forth, and in my article that I've written here, Why I Won't Vote for John McCain, I say clearly that I respect John (McCain) and I respect his service as a naval officer and also as a POW.

Kall: Yeah, let me read what you wrote: "Senator John Sidney McCain III is a remarkable man who's made enormous personal achievement. He's a man that I'm proud to call a POW who returned with honor."

Butler: Absolutely.

Kall: So you're not any way like a Swiftboater; I just wanted to kind of clear that up right from the beginning.

Butler: No, I'm not in any way in concert with the Swiftboat Liars.

Kall: Yes. OK, what I wanted to do was kind of go into some of the things you said in your article, and kind of go into them in a little more detail. Sound OK?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com and is a columnist with Northstarwriters.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.

To learn more about me and OpEdNews.com, check out this article.

and there are Rob's quotes, here. To Watch me on youtube, having a lively conversation with John Conyers, Chair of the House Judiciary committee, click here Now, wouldn't you like to see me on the political news shows, representing progressives. If so, tell your favorite shows to bring me on and refer them to this youtube video

My radio show, The Rob Kall Show, runs 9-10 PM EST Wednesday evenings, on AM 1360, WNJC and is archived on www.whiterosesociety.org Or listen to it streaming, live at either www.wnjc1360.com or here.

Or check the archived interviews at: whiterosesociety.org

Follow me on Twitter

A few declarations. -While I'm registered as a Democrat, I consider myself to be a dynamic critic of the Democratic party, just as, well, not quite as much, but almost as much as I am a critic of republicans. -My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.

Recent press coverage in the Wall Street Journal: Party's Left Pushes for a Seat at the Table

	Contact Author
	Contact Editor
	View Other Articles by Author

Bookmark this page: (what's this?)

(More...)

Comments: Expand Shrink Hide

7 comments

Nicholas Smith is a former Commissioner for the City of Berkeley, CA. He is currently a law student in New York City, and blogs about the day's headlines at www.smithonpolitics.com
Nicholas SmithNicholas Smith is a former Commissioner for the City of Berkeley, CA. He is currently a law student in New York City, and blogs about the day's headlines at www.smithonpolitics.com

Thank you, Rob.

Thanks for getting this interview! I'll post this on my little blog in a bit. . smithonpolitics.com

by Nicholas Smith (9 articles, 0 quicklinks, 4 diaries, 7 comments) on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 6:32:28 PM

I'm a formerly blue state gal living in a deep red Southern state that was the epi-center of Katrina damage. Daily I am confronted by the closed minds and incorrect perceptions of the local Republican community. I am actively involved in our local Democratic committee and believe that each one of us needs to stand up and be counted.
Laurianne ManchesterI'm a formerly blue state gal living in a deep red Southern state that was the epi-center of Katrina damage. Daily I am confronted by the closed minds and incorrect perceptions of the local Republican community. I am actively involved in our local Democratic committee and believe that each one of us needs to stand up and be counted.

Hard to believe

My niece graduated from the Naval Academy, as did her husband and both are officers and have served in Iraq. They are so proud of the Academy and everything they were able to learn there - it is a part of who they are now as people. It is hard to imagine that anyone who graduated from the Naval Academy could have any respect for the way McCain treated this amazing opportunity (paid for by us, the taxpayers) as a joke. It certainly says something about his character and the difference between really working for it and being the Adm. son.

by Laurianne Manchester (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 6:50:53 PM

People say,"An honest elections cow, I don't get it." So I say back, "Well, it's obvious I am a cow, see, udders, horns, spotted fur, big head, floppy ears. And I happen to think that making our elections honest again is about the most inportant thing we can do for our supposed Democracy. Thus, Honest Elections cow. What's so hard to get?" moo
MJ CreechPeople say,"An honest elections cow, I don't get it." So I say back, "Well, it's obvious I am a cow, see, udders, horns, spotted fur, big head, floppy ears. And I happen to think that making our elections honest again is about the most inportant thing we can do for our supposed Democracy. Thus, Honest Elections cow. What's so hard to get?" moo

it's the ability to see nuances

that defines the differences between the candidates of the major parties. Seeing the complexities is almost a definition of "liberal", and is something tested on IQ tests, and what got Al Gore in trouble with his well thought out answers. Simple minds long for simple answers, and the fact that his base cheers McCain's yes, yes, no, says something about them also. People who are afraid or abused also long for definite, swift answers and leaders who give them. Is McCain stupid, or abused? It's not clear, but you can bet that the Neocons and power elite are not stupid and hope to have a front man--or woman-- like Bush, whom they can control. May we not become so afraid that we go for the simplistic, hair trigger answers and leaders who claim to have them.

by MJ Creech (10 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 21 comments) on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 7:24:58 PM

I'm a John Q. Public of the Cold Y Generation. I stick to facts, but trust nothing of what I hear/read and only half of see. I may live long enough to see another Great Depression and another Cold War.. either way, it's looking to be one hell of a decade. Sooner than later- after Planet X and the Rapture- it will be 2020.. and we'll look back at these years and wonder one of two things: "I hope we never see times like that again" or "When will we ever see times like that again?". At the prime of...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Jeremy NinoI'm a John Q. Public of the Cold Y Generation. I stick to facts, but trust nothing of what I hear/read and only half of see. I may live long enough to see another Great Depression and another Cold War.. either way, it's looking to be one hell of a decade. Sooner than later- after Planet X and the Rapture- it will be 2020.. and we'll look back at these years and wonder one of two things: "I hope we never see times like that again" or "When will we ever see times like that again?". At the prime of...

to see more of bio, click on member name

wow

this is insane. how does anyone have any support in a man who used his silver spoon fed privileges to try to break every rule in the book at school!

Rob, thanks a lot for this interview.. I wish we could get a little more publicity on this. I don't want another D+ student in the white house

by Jeremy Nino (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments) on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 9:29:50 PM

Hater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired
John HanksHater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired

Fighter Pilots in General

When I was in the patrol bomber VP Navy during the Vietnam era, I learned that fighter pilots were not wanted by civilian airlines because of their hotdog tendencies. A B-52 pilot friend of mine feels the same way about fighter pilots from his Vietnam experiences. They are picked to fly fighters because of their aggressiveness and he would never vote for one for president. Basically, you can be so good at one job that it disqualifies you for another. Considering the fact that other fighter pilots considered McCain to be wild says a lot.

by John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1483 comments) on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 12:15:04 AM

Baby Boomer computer Geekess who is just lately paying attention to politics. Since the "Live and Let Live" philosophy hasn't been working, speaking up just may make a difference. My vote in 2008 for Obama seems to have been counted which gives me hope for a better world.
Hope HofmannBaby Boomer computer Geekess who is just lately paying attention to politics. Since the "Live and Let Live" philosophy hasn't been working, speaking up just may make a difference. My vote in 2008 for Obama seems to have been counted which gives me hope for a better world.

This solidifies

and confirms my gut feelings about Mccain and why I won't vote for him, either. He's a scary little man who is becoming more and more maniacal and illogical as this too long presidential race grinds on. I believe he has PTSD that is coming out from the stress of campaigning. Thank you, Rob, for posting this interview.

by Hope Hofmann (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 17 comments) on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 12:27:40 AM

Rick Wise is an industrial psychologist and retired management consultant. For 15 years, he was managing director of ValueNet International, Inc. Rick was a Vietnam-era Navy Hospital Corpsman.

Rick holds PhD and M.Ed. degrees from Penn State. His BS is from West Chester University. He completed post-doctoral work at Rensselaer, Northwestern, University of Colorado, and Harvard. A native of Pennsylvania, Rick now lives in New England.
Richard WiseRick Wise is an industrial psychologist and retired management consultant. For 15 years, he was managing director of ValueNet International, Inc. Rick was a Vietnam-era Navy Hospital Corpsman.

Rick holds PhD and M.Ed. degrees from Penn State. His BS is from West Chester University. He completed post-doctoral work at Rensselaer, Northwestern, University of Colorado, and Harvard. A native of Pennsylvania, Rick now lives in New England.

Contrarian or maverick?

The interview with CDR Butler points up an important difference between being a contrarian and being a maverick, McCain style.

A contrarian is a person who sees things that others miss – opportunities, connections, or relationships they fail to apprehend or dangers they overlook. Warren Buffett is a good example; so is John Maynard Keynes.

A maverick is one who goes his own way just for the sake of being different, flouting orthodoxy or conventional wisdom, or flaunting his independence. “I am a force to be reckoned with,” says the maverick.

Successful contrarians have a track record of being right much of the time. In the end, such people often become known as visionaries. Mavericks don’t have to be right; they just have to be different. In the end, such people often become known as jerks.

by Richard Wise (25 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 64 comments) on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 4:03:05 AM

7 comments

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/opednews/public_html/populum/database.inc.php on line 48

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/opednews/public_html/populum/database.inc.php on line 48

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/opednews/public_html/populum/database.inc.php on line 48

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/opednews/public_html/populum/database.inc.php on line 48

Warning: mysql_fetch_array(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/opednews/public_html/populum/database.inc.php on line 48