McCain’s War Stories

McCain's Christmas story about the cross in the dirt is touching. Like the account of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's, a Russian author he has professed to admire. Solzhentisyn released a novel in 1973 about his experience as a prisoner in the Gulag of Siberia, and it contains a very similar recollection of a cross drawn surreptitiously in the dirt. Recently, there was concern about McCain plagiarizing the Wikepedia on Georgia. Then earlier there was a problem with Cindy McCain plagiarizing cookies from Nestle. There's a pronounced pattern here of a lack of originality.

this cone of silence accusastion against McCain is absurd. Whassa matter, you're embarrassed that your Obama went first, and didn't have Hillary to copy off of like in other debates? ".....uhh, what she said..."

If you want to talk about desperate unfair cheating, how about Obama handing out a booklet about his "Christian Journey" to all members of the congregation as they streamed in? talk about desperate, he wants to make sure everyone knows he is Christian!

notafool,

"What suffering? The GNP continues to expand. No terrorist attacks since 9/11. Average home ownership and home size continues to expand."

Foreclosures. What world do you live in? Oh, Bush isn't special regarding the 9/11 attacks EXCEPT that he was the president when it happened. There weren't any terrorist attacks on the U.S. BEFORE 9/11 either, you know. That covers a lot of former presidents that kept us safer than Bush.

McCain's new friend Saakashvili
would make a good running mate
for him.

Two misguided, erratic hotheads.

I thought it was transparent last night that McCain had already had the answers before the questions was asked.

If McCain wasn't in the "cone of silence" Rick Warren should have come clean last night. What a disgrace and a slap in the face to people that put trust in him to keep this meeting above board.

Tim & Jeanie, I thought I was one of the few that had picked up on that! Wonder IF the MSM will catch on, or does someone need to draw them a picture?

One of the better descriptions of Obama's performance was from a MSM talking head who described it as nuanced.

Nuance here being code for he was blowing smoke ---------!

Mandelaybay3 said: "Anyone who watched McCain last night had to have been impressed or, if they oppose him, afraid." I am VERY AFRAID!

Actually, anyone who watched McCain last night got the impression he had advance knowledge of the questions! Half the time he didn't even wait until the whole question was asked before he jumped in.

Also, for someone who claims he doesn't like talking about his POW years, you'd never know it by watching him last night. He pandered shamelessly.

Look, John McCain has a compelling life story that cannot be disputed, but being a POW really doesn't qualify him for the office of POTUS. Nor do his proclamations of being pro-life, when he relishes all the trappings of war which - hello! - involves killing actual living, breathing human beings!

No, last night John McCain was able to make the same talking points he does on the stump, while Sen Obama was told repeatedly not to use "stump speech" points in his answers.

But, on the whole, I thought Rick Warren's Forum was Fair and Balanced -
just like FOX News is!

" My view is we deserved Bush and ALL the suffering he brings "

What suffering? The GNP continues to expand. No terrorist attacks since 9/11. Average home ownership and home size continues to expand. Average family now has multiple computers, Ipods, DVD players, multiple cars/SUVs. Life span continues to increase. People flock to this country. Some die trying to get in. People who can't get health care in other countries come here. This country continues to create 90% of new life-saving medications.

You must be reading the newspapers instead of paying attention to how people live.

Aaron,

It bothers me greatly that this was a heartwrenching and difficult decision for John McCain to make. It was the only honorable AND legal AND frankly, political acceptable decision he could ahve made. Had he made any other what exactly would the US government and military say to the people they were drafting to fight that war, we bring home the Admiral's son but leave yours dying in prison camps?

Why wasn't leaving a crippled wife who had waited for you to return from war and your children with her for a rich cocialite half your age the most gut wrenching choice. Yeah, well I know real character when I see it and I know manufactured character too. So please, go and support McCain because every country gets the leader it deserves. My view is we deserved Bush and ALL the suffering he brings and if we let it happen we will deserved McCain and the final fall will happen. It will be fast and far and you and yours will be at teh BOTTOM of the heap. Yeah, someplace you have never been in America.

Why do people liek you an Lou Dobbs LIE...yes...LIE and say you have no dog in this fight. You fool (maybe) yourself and no one else because I know if you don't that you would **** your pants when you see that black guy take the Office of President of These (once your) United States.

Religious conservatives who don't vote for McCain as a form of protest have no idea what a possible Obama victory can cost this nation. Wake up. Waiting for an Obama presidency to crash and burn so that another Ronald Regan can come riding to the rescue is totally unrealistic.

I have no dog in this fight, but Obama seemed to really damage his November chances last night. McCain will appeal to more independents than Bush - everyone knows this. Obama needs to chip away a large number of Republicans or right leaning moderates in order to win. Last night he pretty much lost any evangelical that cares about abortion or the safety of America from evil, such as Al Qaeda. Obama never even mentioned terrorism in connection with evil. Instead he chose to focus on domestic crime and the blame America first argument - VERY WEAK STUFF.

Too many beers on vacation in Hawaii, I suppose.

In my opinion, Obama is an empty suit and his lack of life experiences was really on display. He is likeable - enough - but clearly not smart and/or experienced enough to be President. He is just not ready.

I'm really not a John McCain fan, but I thought he smeared Obami big time at that debate last night! One of the aabove bloggers wrote that McCain must have made up the story about the Vietnam Gun Guard marking a cross in the dirt in front of him on Christmas day - guess what???? That actually happened to my US Army brother in 1961 (therabouts) when he was in Germany standing guard at the Berlin Wall - both he and the German Guard had orders to shoot if provoked -and they had to pass each other face to face at one point. This was Christmas Day and upon passing my brother, the German Guard mouthed "Merry Christmas" and my brother smiled at him. So, what makes the above blogger think that McCain "made up" that story? Were they there? Another blogger said that McCain wasn't tortured - well, anytime you are held, beat up and starved to me is the same as torture. Bet that blogger couldn't/wouldn't endure that kind of treatment. McCain is a true patriot - Obami is an empty suit. McCain called the Russians bullies and Obamma wants to sing kumbaya. What a moroon! (thanks to Bugs Bunny for that statement)

It was a blow out alright - When asked about taxes and the rich, McCain responded that he didn't want to tax anyone because he wants everyone to be rich. Of course, only in McSame's fantasy land can everyone be rich. Further, we heard from McSame that Bush was wrong in telling everyone to go out and spend and have a good time after 9/11. According to McSame, Bush should have told everyone we would have to sacrifice by volunteering for the Peace Corps, and Americorps, and doing other such things to pull together. Of course, there was no mention from McSame as to how we would pay for the continuing war against al-Qaeda with the enactment of Bush's tax cuts before 9/11 occurred, tax cuts that McSame wants to make permanent. He also gave no clue whatever as to how he would pay for the pursuit against Osama Bin Laden, which he stated would go to the ends of the Earth. Simply stated, like Bush McSame lives in a fantasy world that is destroying our country.

So McCaint knows WAR, has much experience with WAR? lol

McCaint needs to know PEACE for a change!

That is why McCaint-Bush started an UNPROVOKED war in Iraq, while Afghanistan-Pakistan war UNFINISHED.

And that is why McCaint-Bush sent Georgians to poke and prod the Russians into yet ANOTHER WAR, while wars are still raging in Afghanistan-Pakistan and Iraq, and war threatening in Iran!

A world of WARS is what McCaint and his apologists care for. And they do care for these witless WARS because they have no LOVED ONES losing lives and limbs in those wars.

With McCaint-Bush and their apologists, it is FOUR MORE WARS!

Keith:Have you punched out of an A-4?How would you know if he broke his arms upon eject or in camp?did you read the afteraction on his shootdown.How much combat time do you have? Ever flown up north? Ever gone "downtown"..didn't think so..you might want to keep your mouth shut....If you have talked ato any of them(obviously not) they all gave it up...

"David Gergen, who has been around the political block and who is no conservative partisan, also believes McCain was surprisingly good"

McCain has a unique edge. He doesn't have to misrepresent his positions to try to trick the public into thinking he loves his country and wants the best for it.

David Gergen, who has been around the political block and who is no conservative partisan, also believes McCain was surprisingly good. The Democrats are underestimating John McCain. Anyone who watched McCain last night had to have been impressed or, if they oppose him, afraid. McCain was solid. You can't spin it any other way.

Penn of Penn and Teller said the other day that the Republicans are the party of fear and the Democrats are the party of hate. I see a lot of what I would classify as hate speech here today from people knocking McCain's performance.

As a thoughtful voter, one has to say that in this forum McCain's virtues played well. He came across as a principled and sincere leader.

I think Obama also came across well as a reasoned if some what nuanced parser of the questions. I liked his dodge of the question "that is above my pay grade", but I realize it was not a good answer.