The 2008 Democratic National Convention kicks off today. And I'll go ahead and make one fearless prediction about the convention: no one there will mock John McCain's military service.
Speakers at the convention will likely criticize McCain's political agenda and his proposals for America. But no one will say one negative or derogatory word about his military service in Vietnam. Indeed, those who attend the convention will have nothing but respect for McCain's military record.
It's a far cry from what we saw in 2004 at the Republican convention in New York. At that convention, delegates mocked and made fun of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam service record. Kerry, as you might recall, had a distinguished military record and was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts.
At the 2004 Republican convention, GOP delegates wore adhesive bandages with small purple hearts on them to mock Kerry's military record. In doing so, they were echoing a popular GOP talking point at the time (that Kerry's combat wounds were mere "scratches"). That, of course, was a lie: in fact, Kerry received a shrapnel wound in his left arm that caused him pain for years.
Would Democrats do such a thing to mock McCain's military service record? Of course not. It'd be inconceivable. Not even McCain's fiercest critics at the convention would ever dream of disparaging his military service record in any way. One can also be assured that there will never be a Democratic equivalent of the so-called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," which in 2004 accused Kerry of lying to win his Vietnam military decorations.
And there you have it: a key and crucial difference between today's Democratic and Republican parties. The Republicans have shown that they'll do anything to win an election, even viciously smearing the military record of a distinguished combat veteran.
The creator of the progressive site, BeggarsCanBeChoosers.com, Marc McDonald is an award-winning journalist who worked for 15 years for several Texas newspapers, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, before he quit his day job and set up shop in cyberspace in 1995. McDonald's articles have appeared in a number of popular progressive Web sites, including OpEdNews.com, BuzzFlash.com, Crooks and Liars, Salon.com, Progressive Daily Beacon, The Neil Rogers Show and The Raw Story. McDonald's Web articles have also been featured and reviewed by various national and international media, including CNN Headline News, the BBC, the Washington Post, USA Today and many more.
Would you approve of the wear of mock Purple Hearts by Democratic National Conference attendees? And what purpose would it serve other than to continue polarizing the parties?
by
Tom Murphy (3 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1766 comments)
on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 10:35:32 AM
"...Democrats worry more about running an honorable campaign even, as so often the case, if they and the country lose as a result."
Perhaps an individual can be honorable, but I find it quite difficult for an entire group of people (e.g., Democrats) to be "honorable". A few cases in point that support this notion are detailed below:
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Fundraising Scandal - click here
PrMaine, the fact of the matter is that all parties pull out the stops to win when it comes to elections. To single out the Republicans is to profess loudly your own political agenda and biases – this is the point of my comment above.
Go ahead and wear fake purple hearts, but it only complements the continuing polarization the country has experienced over the past couple of decades.
Why do you think the national elections since the late 1990s have been so close? There are operatives in both of the main parties that promote the deep divisions as a means of identifying their party as the "right" party. The purple people eaters are just one of those sets of operatives.
by
Tom Murphy (3 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1766 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 2:52:15 PM
Democrats worry more about running an honorable campaign
This is not the same as saying that all Democrats behave honorably all of the time. I will admit that my statement is cast a bit too broad and that what I really meant was that the Democratic Presidential candidates and their advisers worry too much about appearing to run an honerable campaign.
Judging by recent campaigns, Republican campaigns have pulled out all stops to promote lies about their opponents in order to win. The Bush campaign lied about McCain fathering a black baby and it lied about Kerry's war record. These were patently untrue.
In contrast, Gore was too proud to even bring up Bush's sad history of boozing and drug use, not to mention his military history and his unsavory business record. Kerry did not even bring up Bush's close connections with the Bin Ladin family. It was not even necessary for these Democratic candidates to manufacture false accusations against Bush, they would not even bring up scandalous truths.
To single out the Republicans is to profess loudly your own political agenda and biases.
I tell things the way I see them, just as you seem to. To do otherwise would be to lie.
Why do you think the national elections since the late 1990s have been so close?
The way I see it, the elections have been fixed by the Bush team, just as they fixed the evidence for war against Iraq and they have been trying to fix the evidence for war against Iran. A close election is harder to contest than an improbable landslide.
by
PrMaine (11 articles, 9 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 391 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 7:44:07 PM
I do have a serious question, and I'm just too lazy to Google it.
What exactly IS John McCain's "War Record?" Everybody talks about how he's a hero and a patriot and all that, but as far as I've ever heard talk, he was shot down and taken prisoner. OK, I've got no problem with that being "noble service" (heck, I wouldn't want to do it), but it doesn't constitute a "war record," any more than my serving in the corporate world for 20 years makes me a CEO.
What did he do in Vietnam? Did he take hills? Drag his buddies from burning tanks? Single-handedly burn down a village -- oh, wait, that's bad, never mind. You get the point.
Unless anybody can show me the evidence, JOHN MCCAIN IS NOT A WAR HERO, MERELY ONE OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WHO SERVED AND THOUSANDS WHO WERE POW/MIA, and NOT ONE OF THE 65K+ THAT NEVER CAME HOME OR THE 350K+ WHO CAME HOME LESS THAN THEY WENT.
So, what IS John McCain if he's not a war hero?
He's a liar. He's somebody who will hug people who trashed him. He's somebody without any moral center who will change basic human beliefs for political expediency. He's a liar. He's a fabricator. He's arrogant and hot-headed. He's either incredbily stupid or somewhat senile at times. He's a liar. Oh, and did I mention he's a liar?
by
Charlie L (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 715 comments)
on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 12:48:54 PM
You have to Google "mc cain, crashing five planes", because I don't remember the details.
Part of his war record is crashing five planes. So many, that one might think he was hoping for a self-inflicted injury to remove himself from military service.
Google the USS Forster or USS Forestal, the last time he crashed into an aircraft carrier and was mysteriously whisked away from the "scene of the crime."
There are many unanswered question about that crash.
by
Sandy Sand (165 articles, 0 quicklinks, 220 diaries, 1490 comments)
on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 1:58:09 PM
You know, in my now 43 year lifetime (today is my birthday, thank you), I have to say there's only been a handful of comments (perhaps seven or eight) that I'd call moronic. And the one above has just been added to that distinguished list.
Mr. L, I was wondering if you had spent five+ years as a POW, subjected to repeated physical and mental torture that (along with a lack of adequate medical treatment) resulted in your being permanently disabled...? I'm impressed that you seem to regard a person surviving this type of a life-altering event is "MERELY ONE OF... THOUSANDS WHO WERE POW/MIA..." I wasn't aware of a "grade" for suffering that equated to scale of "the essence of hero"...?
Truly, your comment only exemplifies your ignorance on the matter of military awards issued for distinguished acts, service, or achievement – which McCain's POW experience falls under. I wonder if you ever served in the military, Mr. L? Are you aware that there's an award for being a POW (or as Mr. Sanchez put it – "five and a half years hanging out with a bunch of commies, making films for them" - http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armymedals/ss/powm.htm ?
Let's see if you can redeem yourself... Why does the military you provide a service award to a POW? Please answer the question as honestly as possible and not with a flippant response.
As to Mr. L's and Ms. Sand's muckraking activities with Senator McCain's military record, he flew 22 combat air missions in Vietnam prior to his A-4 being struck by a SAM on October 26, 1967. McCain was awarded a Bronze Star (a service award) for his distinguished service the day before his aircraft was hit. I'm sure L & Sand think Bronze and Silver Stars are given out like candy at the country fair, but they're not. You actually have to earn them!
The USS Forrestal fire had nothing to do with McCain, other than his A-4, along with another that was awaiting clearance to launch was struck by a Zuni missile that was prematurely launched by a parked F-4 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_USS_Forrestal_fire . McCain was "rewarded" for his role in that incident by way of shrapnel wounds to his chest and legs that occurred after he exited the aircraft and one of his 500 pound bombs exploded nearby.
So what did McCain do when the USS Forrestal was placed in dry-dock for repairs... did he follow the ship to perform shore duty? No... McCain volunteered to serve aboard the USS Orinskany, whose initial complement of 15 A-4s had all been shot down as part of Operation Rolling Thunder. From July through November 1967, the USS Oriskany lost 38 pilots and 60 aircraft with Rolling Thunder. 29 of the aircraft lost were A-4s – 50% - http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/o4/oriskany.htm .
Does that sound like a "cake walk" to you Mr. L? Do you think it showed resolve and commitment for McCain to volunteer for the assignment? Also, do you think given the missions assigned to the carrier and the aircraft losses experienced by it, that McCain had an even chance himself of being shot down? Indeed, another A-4 pilot was shot down and taken captive from USS Oriskany on the same day as McCain. I wonder, if you knew these odds, what would YOU have done differently to avoid a SAM, safely eject, and not get yourself killed upon landing or detainment?
No offense, but your comments, Mr. L and Ms. Sand, are sophomoric, at best. Tor Returns Ms. Sand's word to her, "...[Y]ou can do better than that."
by
Tom Murphy (3 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1766 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 4:21:43 PM
Murphy's non-question, question doesn't merit a response. He either knew the answer or didn't read what you wrote, but felt honor-bound to defend his defenseless Pubs.
And he'll probably rip me for saying that when there's no defense, the Republican flag waivers either attack or ask a silly question.
Murph, you can do better than that.
by
Sandy Sand (165 articles, 0 quicklinks, 220 diaries, 1490 comments)
on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 1:53:18 PM
"And he'll probably rip me for saying that when there's no defense, the Republican flag waivers either attack or ask a silly question."
Ms. Sand, I prefer the phrase "brutally frank", as opposed to "rip". Rip has negative connotations associated with it.
Regardless, my comment is not in response to a waivering flag; I think it's a legitimate non-question question (aka a rhetorical question) to ask. Ultimately, if you want to continue the path of deep divides of the American people – go for it. If you're supposedly focused on "change" and "hope", then I find it ironic that you'd want to perform an act that's only going to be greeted with resentment and anger.
by
Tom Murphy (3 articles, 4 quicklinks, 12 diaries, 1766 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 3:05:55 PM
I agree, Dems wouldn't do such a disgusting thing. But I do hope that the fact that McCain came out of that experience, and then turned his back on his fellow veterans again and again in terms of funding and health care for veterans, as well as on torture.
by
Amy Fried (40 articles, 113 quicklinks, 64 diaries, 213 comments)
on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 3:06:47 PM
Johnnie Mac is a hot head. in 1997 he flew apart at a meeting with families of POW.S and MIA'S. He brushed aside a women of a family member of a pow in a wheelchair and knocked her down. like you said he almost sank a aircraft carrier in the war in vietnam. their is many post on him beinga prisoner of war by his buddies. many said they would not vote for him. now for the republican party they are completely despicable. these Nothing but low down tactics. Liers and thiefs. John Kerry show me nothing. he should have tore the swift boat veterans and George Bush a new behind. i would not have taken their bull crap. bush and many more would have more then broken bones and black eyes. it might have cost him the election but who cares, he lost ayway. but these SCUM-BUMS NEED TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON. if you let them get away with there bull crap they will do it all the time. ( BARACK O'BAMA AND JOE BIDEN need to realy attack McShame. if not the republican (BAS) will do their thing again and again. they dont know anything but crap. the republican party have destroyed this country with lies.
by
vincent passiatore (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 172 comments)
on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 12:03:10 AM
13 comments
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