Political Punch

Hey there anon, I beg to differ in regards to the gov't. not run'n the police dept., fire dept., or schools. One or all may be way down on the gov't. food chain, but they're by the gov't. at some level. If they're not, I'm sure there a load of teachers out there that would love for you or someone to explain the train wreck known as "No child left behind" to them. I won't argue the fact that the gov't. has a difficult time implementing this, that and the other, but that's not an excuse or reason not to do the right thing AND get it right for a nice change. Reagan did a great job convincing the public that gov't. is bad and if you make the programs that might help people look bad, inefficient, etc... you can convince them to let it be privatized where everything goes south for the people it's supposed to be there for. On top of that---the gov't writes a check backed up by tax dollars to the people that are run'n the privatized version so a lovely bunch of middle men can deposit the money off shore somewhere. Not to go way off the subject here, but the privatized part of the war is the biggest mess. Our socialized military is underpaid and honorable, while the farmed out work to Haliburton, Blackwater and the like is corrupt and very much money pit like. I may be a minority, but the government's problem implementing something successfully should not be an excuse to not do anything. I just get the feeling that the powers that be look upon the "For The People" part of the foundation the Founding Fathers laid down way back when as a burden that needs to be overlooked. When the gov't. can't get something right, it's not the gov't as an institution that has the problem, it's the people running it (Dem or Rep). They gotta go. Any organization: charity, corporation, etc... that is failing or is being mismanaged makes a change. I'm rambling, so I'll let you go. Take care. One more thing: It's nice to have a rational discussion about this type of thing with someone without all of the name calling, insults and, or attacks. Be well, Scott

Senator Jay Rockefeller is D-WV not R-WV.

McCain would make a dangerous
world many times more so.

From the confirmed hothead,
expect world disorder and
instability, not peace and
prosperity.

I'd rather take McCain any day than a young man with only 143 actual days in the senate thinking he can suddenly be president of the U.S.A. Obama has tooo much baggage to even be senator. In the dangerous times we live in - we don't need a president with trial-and-error leading our country. Dumb, dumb and dumber!!

McCain has lost his bearings.
They cannot be replaced.
They are too old,
discontinued - no longer
being made.

As a life long Dem........it is pathetic to see them grovel in defense of their "wimp" nominee. If Harkin and DNC think they can go after McCain et al with this nonsense they better think again.

I have never seen a more pathetic state of the affairs in the Democratic party......from the three stooges Pelosi, Dean and Reid to the ridciculous party nominee.

They truly deserve to loose....just pathetic.

I don't know if it's a Karl Rove tactic to go after a candidate's strengths, but he had nothing to do with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who lied about Kerry's combat experience in 04. They were a "527" political group. 527 designates a tax provision. Anyway, they were separate from the Bush campaigning.

No, it's very doubtful there will be similar attacks from the Obama campaign. Obama has stressed that all support needs to come through his campaign in order to avoid "swiftboarding."

Bush-McCain foreign policy is
little more than fist-punching
the air and railing at a host
of little countries of not
much consequence like Iran and
North Korea and terror groups
like the Al Quaida and the
Hamas. Myanamar has been
newly added to the list. When
they temporarily run out of
countries there is always
Cuba for some grandstanding
and freedom rhetoric.

In their worldview these
countries are the only
problems facing the nation
and the world.

Scott, there is nothing wrong with social programs. The problem lies when the federal government runs and has full control of the program. The federal government does not control the police and fire departments. Nor does it control the school systems. The federal government may provide funding for these programs but it does not make the everyday decisions involved in running the departments or systems.

The Liberals (i.e., Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton) want the federal government to be the end all answer to everything. They want the federal government to control all aspects of our lives. The quickest means to that end will be through a government take over of our health care system. Once the federal government has the control, then in the name of preventative health care, the bureaucrats will mandate what we can or cannot eat and drink and which products we can or cannot purchase. But it won't stop there. Eventually the bureaucrats will make the decision on who may or may not have children (over population is unhealthy) and who shall live (when the cost of health care for one individual takes away from others).

Regarding a comment way, way up on the list: I have just a quickie comment about womb-to-womb socialized health coverage mentioned earlier. I am so tired of people that love to let fly with the end of America---socialism, communism, end of capitalism....comments. The argument is ridicules. The police dept. is a social program. The fire dept. is a social program. The school system is a social program. The military is a social program. Blackwater & Halliburton are paid with tax dollars. Social program. Hell, the whole government is a social program. If you have a plan, share it. "The sky will fall" is not a plan. If you find no gray area when it comes to social programs, then Anarchy is the only proper form of government----I guess.

"He will not keep us in Iraq any longer than he feels is necesary." - Blue Bird

That's the problem. When does "necessary" end? What if McCain feels it is necessary for the US to remain in Iraq for a hundred years?

McCain's criteria and timeline (to end in 2013) for making the war unnecessary are just too fantastic.

Mccain has been a senator longer than he's been in the army.

Today's 70 is yesterday's 60 according to Oprah.... and besides, there was a time when the wisdom which came with experience and age was revered!

The best of all candidates is definitely Hillary.... but should you not be fortunate to have her.... then go for a President who has the experience and knowledge to work with both sides of our legislature to get whatever needs to be done D O N E!

He will not keep us in Iraq any longer than he feels is necesary. Look how we've fared with our non military Bush!!

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR COUNTRY!
The following quote is from News-Leader.com, May 24,2008:
"Obama admits to having studied, at one point, the theology of Malcolm X. What attraction did the radical and violent teachings of Malcolm X hold for Obama, and why was the attorney for Malcolm X, Percy Sutton, interested in Obama to the point he assisted him in gaining entrance into Harvard?

Upon beginning his political career, Obama was endorsed by the Socialist Party. With his designation as the most liberal U.S. senator, I would suppose he remains in their favor.

Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, homegrown terrorists who belonged to the Weather Underground, a group that advocated the violent overthrow of the U.S. government and successfully bombed federal buildings, hosted a campaign event for Obama, which he personally attended, in their home. Additionally, Ayers and Obama served together on the Woods Foundation, a foundation which made grants to the Arab-American Action Network, which was founded by the extremely anti-Israel professor, Rashid Khalidi, a man who was connected to the PLO and Hamas."

"ACORN, an organization that has been tied to voter fraud and fined for the same, has worked restlessly in getting black voters to the voting booth for Obama.

The Democratic Party appears to believe that because George W. Bush has set the bar for president so low, Americans will overlook both the thin résumé of Obama on experience and his thick file on connections to some of the most radical and hate-filled elements in our society."

It's not enough just to be Black!

Be careful who you put into office;
Be very very careful.

I think he's dumb as a post, dumb as a post, dumb as a post. Finished fifth from the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy, fifth from the bottom . . . fifth from the bottom.

Can't wait for the debates . . .

Senator McCain has served his country in wartime and paid a steep price. But that was many years ago and he has overcome hist raumas. As a Senator he has flip-flopped as a politician and survived many embarassing situations. When he, as a member of the Senate Arms Committee did not intervene with his knowledge of how to go to war, with the right arms and troops and vehicles and never pressed for supplying what our troops needs wereand after cars medicl and family support systems. He is anti the GI bill and has no regard for non military folk. He shamed himself as Colin Powell did when he shilled for Bush in his stroll in Bagdad. His cowering when his wife was insulted by Bush and his own temper tirade at his wife. He does not deserve the post he seeks. In fact he should retire from public office.

This Administration has abused every single person posting on this forum, yet only a few have the sense enough to know it. They just sit waiting, salivating for the figment of their imaginations' to throw them some more red meat, and poor them another glass of human blood. Meanwhile, this once great country is being shred apart, and this Administration's apologists are its pathetic and hapless victims.

I wasn't aware of Rove having been a part of the "swift boarding" of Kerry. I don't see Harkin's verbiage very comparable to the swift boarding, which was basically lies, and it's a tremendous leap to turn one Democrat's loose words into a Democratic campaign attack strategy.

I don't get it ! McCain has served in the senate for about 24 years and he served in the military for 21 years , so does Harkin think McCain shouldn't be president because he served in the military too long but doesn't mention that McCain's being in the senate for the last 24 years, what's Harkin ideal President a guy that has no military experience (even thou the next President will be a war president) no experience in business or the economy, no national political experience, a guy who is still finishing his first senate term and was a community organizer a few years ago....... ah that's what will make a good President, find the least accomplished person, throw in no executive experience and you got Harkin's kinda of President.

McCain is versed in nothing but military affairs and his judgment about that is questionable. McCain is poorly prepared for the office he seeks, he is a one dimensional person.

Harkin like many in congress just does not like John McCain and there is nothing more to this than that.

Gina, you are correct. My source indicates that Abraham Lincoln served during the Black Hawk War of 1832. But he should be included in the list of presidents who did not see combat. He was a captain of a company of volunteers during that war. And while they were deployed he did not see combat. Here is the full quote of Rep. Abraham Lincoln on the floor of the House on July 27, 1848: "By the way, Mr. Speaker, did you know I am a military hero? Yes, sir; in the days of the Black Hawk war I fought, bled, and came away. Speaking of General [Lewis] Cass's career reminds me of my own. I was not at Stillman's defeat, but I was about as near it as Cass was to Hull's surrender; and, like him, I saw the place very soon afterward... If he saw any live, fighting Indians, it was more than I did; but I had a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes, and although I never fainted from the loss of blood, I can truly say I was often very hungry."

My original response was to the comment that "it is" or is "close to it" being unconstitutional for the president to be a military man. My response had nothing to do with the discussion of whether there was a connection between a "good president" and military service. If you go down the list that I provided, you can readily see that there is no connection. There are plenty of bad presidents who had military service. Only history tells whether a particular veteran made a good president.

I respect, but strongly disagree, with your opinion that Sen. McCain is not a good choice for president. He was not my first choice (Dr. Condoleezza Rice was my first choice), but at least he doesn't want to "change" our society from a capitalistic, free market society to the socialistic -- bordering on communistic -- society that both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton want. They both advocate wealth redistribution; doing away with our "ownership society;" and they will destroy the free market with government interference (both in added regulations and the windfall tax). In addition, they both want to eliminate private health insurance and replace it with a womb-to-tomb universal health care program run by the federal government.

So if you are in favor of that kind of "change" then, obviously, Sen. McCain is not your candidate.

James,
On the list you shared of military presidents, note that only 6 had military careers.
I know that Lincoln never saw combat (and in fact said the most blood he ever saw was from smacking mosquitos), so I'm not sure how accurate your list is.
At the bottom of this discussion is the fact that there is no connection between a "good president" and his service, career, or lack thereof regarding the military. There's just no connection.
McCain is not a good choice for president, which may be due to the impact of his military career, or might just be who he is. People all process their experiences differently.
One interesting trend I've noted is that Veterans have overwhelming supported McCain AND Obama, but not Hillary.
Not sure if that's a sexist thing or something else.

I don't mind McCain talking about his P.O.W., but, both my parent's in WWll, they didn't brag, put down others for not. McCain should shut up, He was in prison all of his service, nothing later was there? I truly believe this man has some sort of cerebral dementia. I hope he doesn't win.

GunnyJ, first of all I want to thank you for your 20 years of service in the military.

Sen McCain is against Sen. Webb's GI Bill because it creates a new bureaucracy with new rules and it offers the same benefits whether you stay in the military for three years or longer. Sen. McCain is a co-sponsor of the Graham-Burr-McCain GI Bill. which "enhances the existing Montgomery G.I. Bill by significantly improving education benefits for both service members who choose to leave the military as well as those who decide to make military service their career. The legislation will help more military personnel attend college debt-free, and allow them to transfer their education benefits to their spouse or children. It also bolsters recruitment and retention efforts, encouraging service members to continue their military careers."

Sweetie, you wrote: "Democrats must come together and prevent further deaths and injuries to our soldiers."

I would love to know how they will do that? Just bringing our troops home won't stop the deaths. In the last six years more military personnel have died here at home than in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

Oldwiseone, you wrote: "Actually it is unconstitutional for a military man to be commander in chief, or close to it. The whole idea is to NOT have a military man run the country."

Maybe you should pick up a history book! Check out this list of Presidents who were in the military:

George Washington (military career)
James Madison (no combat)
James Monroe
Andrew Jackson (military career)
William Henry Harrison (military career)
John Tyler
James Knox Polk (no combat)
Zachary Taylor (military career)
Millard Fillmore (no combat)
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant (military career)
Rutherford Hayes
James Garfield
Chester Arthur
Benjamin Harrison
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower (military career)
John Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter (no combat)
Ronald Reagan (no combat)
George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush (no combat)

The lack of military experience served us great. Neither Bush nor Cheney had actual experience.

The distorted headline to this article is wrong but Harkin is exactly right. There is only one reason why McCain wants to be president: to start more wars. He's already admitted he doesn't know much about economics -- and he probably couldn't care less about it.

The old saying is that if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. The only tool that McCain has is the hammer of war. It's going to be a very bloody four years if he wins the presidency, even in comparison to the blood-soaked presidency of G. W. Bush.

The title of this article is worded to elicit rage from the right wing. It is not whether McCain has served in the military too much...it is his inability to see the presidency as anything but a military position.

Harkin's comments are stunningly transparent - just the same old "politics of change" that is being offered by the Democrats. I don't care how much packaging they put on it. Their tactic is fling as much mud and see what sticks.

Slogans and sound-bites... empty words from empty suits.

The more the Obama Democrats talk, the better McCain looks!

The problem is not McCain's military service, but his arrogant attitude that because of his service he is always right on military matters and that anyone who questions his policy judgments on military matters in something just short of a traitor.

Patriot

It is nice when you people manufacture your own truth. Guess you can't accept the reality of what your candidate has said and done. Still, it is recorded for posterity so you really are only fooling yourselves. Willingly, of course.

david

| May 26, 2008 2:47:47 PM

Can you only think in terms of 'left' 'right'? lol

McCain IS a warmonger because:

1. McCain cannot appreciate 'victory' except in terms of continuing a WRONG & WORTHLESS WAR.

2. McCain cannot appreciate that;
an army does not lose honor if the commander-in-chief decides to withdraw from a worthless conflict;
if a commander-in-chief seeks to wisely cut his losses in a wasteful war;
if the army fights to the best of his ability and give the enemy all its got in defeat;
that honor once bestowed for 'signing up' CANNOT be lost unless by cowardice, criminality and gross incompetence!

None of the above applies in Iraq. And the only incompetence is in the commander-in-chief for starting a war that increase terrorism and strengthen Iran!

McCain with his public and childish "bombbombboomb bombbomb Iran" is churlish and no saner than the muslim maniac, Akmadenijad, of Iran.
It wouldn't bother McCain't to blow up the Middle East for the heck of it.

BTW, Obama did not suggest to just bomb Pakistan. Obama is PUBLICLY suggesting what the US government is 'PRIVATELY' doing in the bad lands of Pakistan, where Taleban and alkaida maniac muslims are STILL nesting.

To all the angry people who insult the people you disagree with: If you make blanket statements about "the left" or "the right" always doing or all feeling the same thing, then that makes the group you are labeling much less likely to listen to you! I should think that as citizens of this country we would all prefer to influence our fellow citizens to see things they way we do. So do you want to change my mind, or just insult me? If the former, be civil. If the latter, I'll just ignore you, no matter what your politics. We are all in this together, whether we like it or not, and we all, presumably are patriotic citizens. Let's act that way.

I think Sen Harkin is making a valuable point. Yes C-in-C is an important part of being President, but it isn't the be all and end all, and other experiences are in some ways as relevant as having experience in the military.

My concerns are w/ his mental stability. I want to hear from his psychologist, because I don't think he is mentally stable after 6yrs of torture.

First the left-wing blames Bush and Cheney for not serving, now they're blaming McCain for serving too much, not very consistent is it? Goldilocks indeed!

I am an independent, so I don't subscribe to either party's beliefs. I don't know much about Harkin, and am not influenced by him.

I have been thinking the same thing, however. It isn't McCain's fault, but he has been raised in a combative military environment where there is the enemy and us. The solution is to go to war. Unfortunately, people die and get injured and disabled in the process. Many vets are coming back and committing suicide.

I want a president that will go to war if necessary, but as a last resort. We need to try other things first. As far as raising this question on Memorial Day, it is the perfect day for it because if we can solve some problems with diplomacy, there will be fewer dead soldiers to honor on Memorial Day. We can honor those who live on Veterans Day and every other day--while they are ALIVE.

Harkin is affiliated with the Obama campaign and this is the exact type of boneheaded comments that will cause Obama to be defeated come November. Obama has surrounded himself with the usual suspects (all of who are salivating about the opportunity to take advantage of the younger, inexperienced Obama). There's no way that Obama will win this thing backed by the likes of Harkin.
========================================
Obama and BitterGate, lest we forget!
========================================

Should we then also blame Eisenhower as well, for winning the war in Europe and being career military? How about Teddy Roosevelt, Ulysses Grant, Andrew Jackson, or George Washington? This kind of argument by the Democrats is only going to lose them votes in November, Harkin must be insane!

I think Harkin's comments are completly uncalled for. I respect McCain even more for having come from a military family/background.

To Jake,

Harkin has also lied about his service. He claimed to have been a combat vet when he wasn't.

Posted by: david | May 26, 2008 9:15:40 AM

Truth is McCain was shot down and captured on his first mission. I always thought a war hero did more than simple survive capture.

Tom Hawkin is just about 'right on' with his assessment of the closed-minded warmonger, John McCain, who as an important American 'leader' would glibly, publicly and foolishly spout, "Bombbombbomb, bombbbomb Iran".

Yet this is the same John McCain who gets his panties in a bunch when the blabbering Akmadenijad of Iran mindlessly and carelessly spout out equally worthless rhetoric against Israel.

There are 3 kinds of veterans returning from military service:

1. Veterans who are too steeped in militarism to 'stand down', the consummate warmonger-type.
John McCain is one example.

2. Veterans who will 'stand down' to a fault; those who have become 'gun shy' and are easily 'swift boated'.
John Kerry is one example.

3. Veterans who are fortunate enough to be able to return to normalcy.
Johnny Depp is one such example. lol

Tom Harkin is correct. "When all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." The only solution McCain feels comfortable with is military, so he sees all problems as needing a military solution. imo that's why he insists the surge is a solution that's working, while ignoring the basic premise that the military surge was to buy time for a political solution.

Tom Harkin’s interpretation on this matter is completely erroneous and based on his partisan support during this elections cycle. Furthermore, Tom Harkin lied about his military service during his 1984 and 1992 Senatorial elections in which he claimed to have flown combat air patrols and photo-recon missions in Vietnam for approximately one year flying the F-4 Phantom and the F-8 Crusader.

He in fact did neither and was only involved as an aircraft ferry pilot stationed in Atsugi, Japan flying aircraft to the Philippines. Tom Harkin even went as far as telling reporters that he flew “in and out of Vietnam” for a year when in fact his military record shows no Vietnam service decorations.

McCain has a son who just came back from Iraq. McCain has another son who will be graduating next year from the navy academy.

McCain hates war. McCain voted against keeping our troops in Lebanon. McCain has said he would turn over areas to the iraqis to deal with the insurgency and bring our troops home.

It seems like to the left that if you serve you are a warmonger.

But if you say bomb pakistan and you never served like Obama you are a messiah.

McCain hates war he has seen the horrors of war.

The left has no understanding of McCain because they have never sacificed anything in their lives.

Seems everybody is "out of touch", being republican or democrat doesn't matter. Maybe it's politcians that are out of touch?

If McCain had HIS way --- that war would resolve here on US soil. Those of you supporting McCain had better look into those medical records more (since he's conveniently hiding them). Notice the records were given exposure to a specific number of minutes. You should ask yourselves --- WHY?

It sounds to me as if Harkin has hit the nail on the head about McCain whose attitude about war is knee jerk and his critical facilities for the effects of war and its aftermath are shut down. I guess his prisoner of war status is McCain's only claim to fame and he has to rely on it because otherwise he is a nobody in comparison to his father.

So you say McCain has a filthy rich wife and this matters? I take it then you voted for Bush over Kerry who also had a filthy rich wife. Good to know. Lol.

McCain just got all of the military vote with this clown Harkin (who made up his own military record not long ago).

Love it. Liberals - they just end up eating their own, while we sit back, watch and LAUGH!

sweetie

Your logic is making me laugh. I have trouble typing while I'm laughing. Please stop!

Perhaps he served so long in the military because he was a POW for almost 6 years...

And this is the non-personal different type of politics that Obama is talking about? Attacking McCain's service in the military (particularily while we have thousands of men and women serving in danger zones and around Memorial Day) will just further drive veterans to McCain and will quite bluntly hurt Obama among those working class whites that he already has problems with.

Arliss

Can't come up with an issue. Can you? So, you revert to stereotyping. Typical!

After seeing Cindy McCain hold onto John's arm to keep him from falling down the stairs, I came to the conclusion that John McCain is way too old to be President!

sweetie

You seem to think in broad generalizations. Don't you?

John McCain is a WAR MONGER. It's all he knows and that it what he will bring to America. More misery, uncertainty, and death to more soldiers as we continue to support this unwinnable war in Iraq. Not once has this war hero once mentioned going after Osama Bin Laden. In fact, he wants to keep the status quo and use the Bush talking points that we are winning in Iraq.

What exactly are we winning? Soldiers continue to die daily as well as Iraqi civilians. The fact that the media does not cover these stories does not mean they don't exist. It means that it not newsworthy unless they die or are injured in massive numbers at one time.

Democrats must come together and prevent further deaths and injuries to our soldiers. Today is the day we remember the sacrifices that have been made based on lie and war that should have never been.

McCain would continue that war and would probably start others with Iran, Syria, and North Korea for a start. We will be doomed for sure and will be left defenseless.

...oh yeah...I got the day off...something about paying respect to those in the military, draft or volunteer, who were killed in service...

D. in Seattle

Opinions -- never facts. The sure sign of an ultra-liberal! Full of hope; without direction.

The left wing liberals who have been brainwashed by Obama are really making themselves look more stupid every day.

John McCain is a veteran, and America owes him a debt of gratitude for keeping our freedom alive.

I hope McCain wins over Obama in a landslide.

McCain is not the ONLY WAR HERO! He is not the only Vietnam POW survivor. He is not deserving of the pedestal he sits on.

I also believe his perspectives are tunneled through military glasses. These men are trained to be fighting machines - not diplomats. The military has taught them that rules are relative and can be twisted, spun and in some cases, completely discarded. The military is its own world ... not in touch with every day America.

McCain is in the sunset of his life - has a beautiful, filthy rich wife, his own military pension, 8 houses, and is living the good life sharing misogynist jokes with his cronies. I get the feeling that he really doesn't care about average Americans -- he doesn't speak their language at all.

Thanks to all the veterans for serving our country and for our freedom.

Thank you John McCain!

Thank you Senator.

We have to be careful who we put in office. A lot of military people are unstable.

Thurston - Most active duty donations went to Ron Paul. What are they trying to tell us? I respect the veterans and those serving just as much as the next person, but they see their adventure in the sandlot as utterly pointless and so do I. Besides we need to borrow money from oversees to make it happen. This is just suicidal.

West Coast - How about Hillary in '08, '12, and then after another Clinton rule change, Hillary in '16,'20,'24,'28, and then Chelsea in '32,'36,'40,'44.........

Of all days to be bashing McCain, this should not be it. It is apparent that those who question his time serving this nation are the very ones he gave his time to so tht they could utilize their empty time to think that somehow Sen Harkin will reap what he spews. Give Sen McCain credit for being in a war in the time when some of you would never have stepped up to the plate to fight for this country nor for your own family. Losers always whine, cry and lie!! Thank God for our military and veterans who deserve better than what they are getting from the people who refuse to stand up for this nation.

McCain is a hero - and those who say he is not are the flakes we meet in life, gutless punks. Their logic is child like, they need to grow up. Harkin is a clown with a big mouth and the press are clowns for covering what this idiot has to say. McCain see everything throuh combat eyes - can you imagine the mind that wrote that - you could dream up such a garbage - another idiot - there seems to be no end to these losers.

Point 3: Looks like Harkin was pointing out that McCain is a warhawk and feels thats wrong for America. He knows very little about the economy, but he knows how to threaten a war we cant afford. Seems like a legitimate concern.

Point 4. Obama surrounded himself with people who won him the canidacy. Hillary surrounded herself with people who decided they should try to DESTROY their own party in hopes of getting it. Bad strategy and in the end lost her the campaign. Im not a Reagan fan, but you should always try to uplift your team, which the Clintons have shown historically they cant. Because in the end its all about #1, The Clintons. Sad to see them fail, but what goes around comes around.

If McCain is not going to support the new GI Bill at least have an alternative plan to stand on. He may sit "second to none" in regard to veterans, but even in our ranks (I am a 20 year veteran) you've got the haves and have nots. McCain is a have. We need to take care of the have nots.

Point 1. Obama didnt say this, Harkin did. Everyone who says something about Obama saying this, youre distorting reality to fit your image.

Point 2. Suddenly if you critize your opponent you are being "Republican". Its funny what Republicans have become. You are so used to being the critical attackers with no merit, that if a Democrat does it, youre saying theyre "Swiftboating." Just look at yourself. Your party is so pathetically evil that if you see that quality in your opponent you critize it for being too much life yourself. Sad.

McCain should be commended for his service, but we all need to understand that he is militaristic and wants to tangle with Iran and possibly others. We simply can not afford these oversees adventures, besides the world views us as a big bully. We are more isolated than we have ever been.

The Obama campaign is nothing new in American politics. BHO takes the high road ("We respect John McCain for his military service") and then sends out surrogates like Harkin to do his dirty work. Shame on you, Obama people. John McCain knows the horror of war and wouldn't enter one lightly. On the other hand, he knows this is a dangerous world. Apparently, the very junior senator from Illinois doesn't understand that fact.

reb who can't vote for McCain

Yeah - and Obama is from Venus.

Who cares about facts. Right?

john Warren Gotsch

You should do your homework better.

john Warren Gotsch

You should do your homework better.

a small correction to the post that john McCain was shot down on his first mission. the military facts are as follows:

McCain flew A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft in the Vietnam war. On his 23rd mission, in an October 1967 attack on a Hanoi power plant, his plane was shot down. if we are going to comment on his military records let's try and get it right.

Tom Harkin was only expressing part of his concern. The part he did not express has to do with the fact that McCain has joined with a group of international thugs that regard the U.S. as just another country that they can park their money in, and exploit. McCain has no regard for the "common folk" in America, or anywhere else.

A,
It's people like you that make it easy to understand how bush/chen