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Ol' Fred Thompson Tells of McCain's Character
September 02, 2008 10:32 PM
Still battling a throat irritant of some sort, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., is right now making the case for his ol' buddy, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Thompson started by describing the McCain family, including McCain's mother Roberta.
“All I gotta say is that if Ms. Roberta had been the McCain captured by the North Vietnamese, they would have surrendered," Thompson quipped.
He then told the story of McCain, with a focus on McCain's time as a POW.
"On October 26, 1967, on his 23rd mission over North Vietnam, a surface-to-air missile slammed into John's A-4 Skyhawk jet, blowing it out of the sky," Thompson said. "When John ejected, part of the plane hit him -- breaking his right knee, his left arm, his right arm in three places. An angry mob got to him. A rifle butt broke his shoulder. A bayonet pierced his ankle and his groin. They took him to the Hanoi Hilton, where he lapsed in and out of consciousness for days. He was offered medical care for his injuries if he would give up military information in return.
"John McCain said 'No.' After days of neglect, covered in grime, lying in his own waste in a filthy room, a doctor attempted to set John's right arm without success and without anesthesia. His other broken bones and injuries were not treated. John developed a high fever and dysentery. He weighed barely a hundred pounds. Expecting him to die, his captors placed him in a cell with two other POWs who also expected him to die. But with their help, John McCain fought on. He persevered.
"So then they put him in solitary confinement. For over two years. Isolation. Incredible heat beating on a tin roof. A light bulb in his cell burning 24 hours a day. Boarded-up cell windows blocking any breath of fresh air. The oppressive heat causing boils the size of baseballs under his arms. The outside world limited to what he could see through a crack in a door.
"We hear a lot of talk about hope these days. John McCain knows about hope. That's all he had. For propaganda purposes, his captors offered to let him go home. John McCain refused. He refused to leave ahead of men who'd been there longer. He refused to abandon his conscience and his honor, even for his freedom. He refused, even though his captors warned him, 'It will be very bad for you.' They were right. It was. The guards cracked ribs, broke teeth off at the gums. They cinched a rope around his arms and painfully drew back his shoulders. Over four days, every two to three hours, the beatings resumed. During one especially fierce beating, he fell, again breaking his arm.
"John was beaten for communicating with other prisoners. He was beaten for not communicating with so-called 'peace delegations.' He was beaten for not giving information during interrogations. When his captors wanted the names of other pilots in his squadron, John gave them the name of the offensive line of the Green Bay Packers. Whenever John was returned to his cell -- walking if he could, dragged if he couldn't -- as he passed his fellow POWs, he would often call out to them. He'd smile, often give them a thumbs-up.
"For five-and-a-half years this went on. John McCain's bones may have been broken but his spirit never was. Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President. But it does reveal character. This is the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders. Strength, courage, humility, wisdom, duty, honor. It's pretty clear there are two questions we will never have to ask ourselves, 'Who is this man?' and 'Can we trust this man with the Presidency?'"
- jpt
September 2, 2008 in 2008: Republicans, John McCain, McCain, John | Permalink | Share | User Comments (52)
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I don't get the snide remarks about Senator Fred Thompson, but the McCain torture story is amazing. By the way, my 18 year old daughter is in basic training in South Carolina and I would much rather McCain be her Commander in Chief than the alternative. Peace....JO
Posted by: Juan Oskar | Sep 2, 2008 11:50:30 PM
Its good to see the Republicans clutch to Reagan....showing memorials 4 years after he passed. Way to make inroads with young voters GOP.
And it was good to see the black delegate. He seemed very happy and had a great convention hat.
Posted by: Ryan C | Sep 2, 2008 11:40:44 PM
Wow, I didn't think John McCain's life story could ever be hurt by its presentation.
And then America saw Fred Thompson.
Posted by: Ryan C | Sep 2, 2008 11:36:53 PM
Great story, needs to be retold now and then
Is it media bias to not cover the part of the speech where Thompson talks of media bias?
Posted by: smith | Sep 2, 2008 11:22:49 PM
So what actor was Fred portraying tonight.
Posted by: o | Sep 2, 2008 11:22:13 PM
Anybody notice that the price of oil has dropped like a stone since a dril ANWAR VP candidate was announced?
Posted by: smith | Sep 2, 2008 11:19:51 PM
Great speech by Fred. So powerful the nets didn't want to show most of it. The truth hurts. Fred really nailed the biased media. No wonder they cut it short.
I use to be worried about Obama beating McCain.
I don't worry anymore. President McCain will win easily.
Posted by: Jo | Sep 2, 2008 11:16:01 PM
I think the ABC coverage of the speeches tonight was pathetic and unprofessional.
To break the Thompson speech for comment does an injustice to the speaker and the audience. While the commentators laugh and jest, show excerpts of outside the convention activities a former senator and presidential candidate is profiling the party nominee. The reason we were watching was to hear those speeches. It stands as nothing less than specious news editing. To cut short the Lieberman speech was downright mean and biased.
I have long been a fan of ABC but not tonight
Posted by: smith | Sep 2, 2008 11:13:58 PM
Peach,
The TRUTH is the TRUTH and shall remain the TRUTH.
MCCain may be responsible for the death of 10000 Americans and counting.
WE WILL NEVER ALLOW THIS TRAITOR TO BE POTUS.
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Sep 2, 2008 11:09:23 PM
It's definitely time to leave when the unmentionable web site posters show up.
JFK must be rolling in his grave at what his party's supporters look like these days.
Posted by: Peach | Sep 2, 2008 11:04:09 PM
When describing McCain's character, Fred forgot to mention how McCain cheated on his first wife. If McCain cannot keep his vow to God and his wife, how can we trust him to be POTUS?
Posted by: Sandra | Sep 2, 2008 11:03:55 PM
Peach,
Like it or not, McCain is single handedly responsibe for the death of about 5000 Americans in Vietnam.
Bush and McCain are responsible for the death of more than 4000 Americans in Iraq.
THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD.
Why are you neocons so afraid of the truth?
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Sep 2, 2008 11:03:31 PM
A packed house for the republicans, overflowing with energy...ZZZZZZZZZZZ
Posted by: Wake Us Up | Sep 2, 2008 11:01:48 PM
A noun, a verb, POW.
Posted by: Jeremy | Sep 2, 2008 10:57:50 PM
Is it me or does Joe Lieberman sound boring--he looks like pacman.
Posted by: DK | Sep 2, 2008 10:57:15 PM
I think Mr. Thompson forgot the part where McCain was brainwashed to the extent where he sold secrets to the enemy Vietcongs.
This simple act of betrayal by McCain may have led to the death of about 5000 Americans.
The whole story needs to be told, not just one side.
Posted by: Steve_NJ | Sep 2, 2008 10:57:06 PM
Does anyone else notice how old, goofy and out of date everyone looks at this convention ? My family cannot stop laughing at them hahaha. I see hardly any young people there! What a joke.
Posted by: Matt | Sep 2, 2008 10:56:17 PM
Lieberman just said "what we need is more national unity." Couldn't agree more...too bad McCain didn't think of that.
Posted by: Amy T | Sep 2, 2008 10:55:13 PM
McCain isn't a mindless crusader. That's my impression.
Posted by: Julian | Sep 2, 2008 10:55:04 PM
By the way i am a Romney supporter for Obama. Romney had a following and he is strong on the economy but McCain made his VP choice out of fear from his own freak!ng base. John McCain Maverick??? or Appeaser???
Posted by: Youn Alexander | Sep 2, 2008 10:53:43 PM
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