McCain Exploits Troops For Ad

[VADem11]

From Politico:

Signaling a new aggressiveness, aides to Sen. John McCain (D-Ariz.) said Saturday that he is going up immediately with an ad called "Troops" criticizing Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for canceling plans to visit wounded troops at a U.S. military hospital in Germany.

The 30-second ad is to run during NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in Denver. Colorado is one of this election's most important swing states.

The spot is to begin Sunday in the Washington market and in Harrisburg, Pa., another key swing state.

An announcer says: "Barack Obama never held a single Senate hearing on Afghanistan. He hadn't been to Iraq in years. He voted against funding our troops. And now, he made time to go to the gym, but cancelled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras. John McCain is always there for our troops. McCain. Country first."

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0708/12072.html

This is absolutely disgusting. The freaking Republican Pentagon leadership didn't want Obama to visit the troops. McCain is a scumbag, right up there with the Shrub. He'd probably be worse than Bush if he became President.

[anonymous171]

1. Obama needs to smack him down.

McCain's really starting to piss me off with these bitter ad buys.

[RichGirl]

7. But he won't.

It's not in him to be nasty.

He needs a tough, go for the jugular VP. Wonder who that would be.........

[Arkana]

12. I agree. Biden's an excellent choice.

[VolcanoJen]

17. Absolutely!

:-)

[JackORoses]

13. certainly not Hillary, she just doesn't deserve it

[TwilightGardener]

2. He's overreaching here. This has "backlash" written all over it. I hope

McNasty goes there. Obama is as solid as anyone on veterans' affairs, while McCain fucked them over every chance he got.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

27. Yep. It's all adding up to epic weaksauce. I don't think it's selling.

[MidwestTransplant]

3. John McCain against supporting our troops when they return. Against getting them an education

and voted against funding them repeatedly in the Senate where he could have brought a responsible end to the War in Iraq and brought them home.

[Supersedeas]

28. and yet the GoP Media Establishment gives him a Free Pass on all those issues

[TwilightGardener]

4. BTW, Reed and Hagel need to step up here. They were with him on his visit

to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they are veterans. They need to put the smackdown on McCain. Well, I guess Hagel isn't obligated to do anything (being an R), but I hope he does.

[Fleshdancer]

5. Good point n/t

[Inuca]

6. They will both be

on Face the Nation tomorrow. We shall see...

And the ad is beyond despicable, it's.. it's... I really can't find words how mean, false, and disgusting it is :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:. As to the never held a hearing bit, Biden has talked about that nonsense already, but he will have to do it again. Forcefully, and maybe they should incorporate his comments in a response ad. The went to the gym instead of visiting the troops part is so abominable, I for one have no idea how you can respond to it without degenerating in a mean and ugly schoolyard-like war of words.

[TwilightGardener]

8. I agree--out of all things that happened so far, this makes me the angriest.

Obama has a wonderful heart and attitude toward our military and veterans, and yet just like Kerry he is going to be swiftboated, apparently. They are making up total lies--I mean, what the hell does the GYM have to do with anything? Or the other RW lie--"shopping in Berlin". As if the gym and the military base were next door to each other (instead of a different part of Germany) and Obama could casually stroll into one or the other, and said, "I have a half and hour to kill, fuck those troops"--it's beyond logic. Next they'll accuse him of EATING DINNER instead of spending those twenty minutes on a supersonic jet speeding to Landstuhl. Or TAKING AN EXTRA LONG SHOWER instead of visiting the troops. He couldn't go because they pulled out the regulation rug from under him, and he didn't want to be seen using the troops as a political prop--so instead McCain decides to use the troops as a political prop against him. This is sickening.

[Inuca]

9. I was going to use "swiftboating"

in my other message, typed it, then erased it. It was like not wanting to conjure old demons... :cry:

[VolcanoJen]

19. Trolling around RW sites, it's clear "the gym" is their big talking point

They searched high and low for some "gaffe" that Obama would make during his travels, so, when absolutely none materialized and he was being praised high and low for an extraordinary, historic trip, they went with "he went to the gym!!!!111!!"

Expect to hear a lot of this kind of stretching of the truth in the coming weeks. McCain's desperately trying to change the subject, and he knows if he puts out the as-yet most scurrilous ad of the campaign, he's going to get some attention for it.

[VolcanoJen]

15. Proof positive that McCain will run an even dirtier campaign than Rove/Bush in 2004.

This ad is the opening shot, and shows their clear intent to "go there."

It's maddening. But, here we go. :grr:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. Since they are now calling the trip "grandstanding", they would accuse Obama of using the troops

if he had gone to see them in the hospital. Since they are now criticizing him for making a trip they taunted him into making, what difference should it make to them what he does during that trip?

All they have are smears, preparing to trash Obama if he does one thing, and trashing him if he doesn't do that thing. It's dirty politics as usual. McCain is running a disgusting campaign, with no positive agenda other than to continue the quagmire in Iraq and the trickle down nonsense at home.

[VolcanoJen]

11. Umm, SNL is a repeat tonight.

Impressive ad buy, Gramps! :rofl:

[VolcanoJen]

14. Ol' "Double Standards" McCain got the DoD smackdown for the same thing in April.

I'm sure Our Awesome Liberal Media will report this fact. Of course, right? :eyes:

VetVoice: McCain's Double Standard on Campaign Visits to Military Bases

VIA CNN: With Department of Defense rules prohibiting political campaigning on military bases, it was determined that in some cases McCain could visit the installations as a senator but could not engage in any political activity or have news media present.
McCain campaign officials said Thursday they intentionally did not campaign on military property.

"We follow the rules," said senior McCain adviser Steve Schmidt.

VetVoice's Brandon Friedman adds:
I understand that the McCain campaign is disorganized and pathologically clueless when it comes to utilizing the media, but they're clearly being dishonest in this case. McCain is demonstrably criticizing Obama for following a Pentagon rule to which the McCain campaign itself has been subjected recently. That's a fact. So this seems to be a simple cheap shot at Obama, in the hopes that the media won't be internet savvy enough (i.e., able to use Google) to figure out the whole story.

"We follow the rules," Steve Schmidt from the McCain campaign said.

Exactly. And they have no problem attacking Obama for doing the same. That's the very definition of "double standard."

[Gabi Hayes]

39. THANKS for this, because he really RANTED his ass off about it:

''....if I had been told by the Pentagon that I couldn't visit those troops, and I was there and wanted to be there, I guarantee you, there would have been a seismic event."


he's quoted as saying this on This Week tomorrow! want to bet your life savings that they will NOT confront him with your article

I will


here's one of many links:

http://www.kansascity.com/445/story/721780.html

[boomerbust]

16. They are doing everything

In their power to goad Obama into bashing the "war hero". If you ask me MCcain is acting just as cowardly as all the chickenhawk Bush Republicans.

[AtomicKitten]

18. Obama needs to smack this sh*t down when he gets back.

Gawd I hate Republicans.

[EC]

20. If this ad had already been made and ready to go

doesn't that mean the whole episode was a set up with John McCain using the Pentagon for political reasons?

[writes3000]

22. Ding, ding, ding!!!! Disgusting, ain't it? n/t

[seasat]

21. Obama visited the troops in the Iraq hospital during his Senate funded leg

He obviously wasn't worried about getting a photo-op, if he took the time to visit the wounded troops in Iraq during the Senate sponsored leg of his trip. He knew that either way he'd be criticized by the McCain campaign for his visit once the DOD dropped that it would be considered a campaign visit during his European leg of the tour. If he'd gone to visit the troops despite not bringing press or his staff, McCain accuse him of using the troops during a campaign event. It's the only angle they have left since the rest of Obama's trip was so successful.

[Inuca]

23. You can see the abomination here

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/26/17188/9947/875/557468

[high density]

24. Yay, let's politicize wounded troops!

Classy one, McCain.

[TwilightGardener]

25. My gloves are off in terms of his POW status and military service now--

I am the wife of a career serviceman, and to see McCain use troops, ANY troops, to score a political hit makes my blood boil. I hope he loved his 5 years in a fucking bamboo cage, because he fucking deserved every minute--he's the most fucking despicable politician I've ever heard of, topping even Chimpy and Dick.

on edit--flame me, alert me, delete this, I don't care.

[boomerbust]

26. I am with you

Weinerdoggie

[BlooInBloo]

29. Tell us again how "help is on the way" - you lying decrepit worthless piece of shit.

[Phoonzang]

30. That's an extremely damaging ad.

Obama needs to hit back hard, and not just with released statements. Take the fucking gloves off and go after McCain on his slime.

[rasputin1952]

31. Typical GOP sleaze campaign maneuver...

it won't work. I think that people have had about as much negativity as this nation can stand since bush went into the WH.

While I think that Obama could have stopped in Weisbaden, (I was stationed there a long, long time ago, beautiful city), or Landstuhl, he decided not to. I don't see this as a faux pas, it was merely a decision he and his staff made. Who knows what kind of constraints on time or resources there are?

For the record, since veterans issues is a key part of my being, I would have stopped, but that's just me. In any case, I don't see McCain running around the halls of any VA hospital talking up pt's.

If we want to talk about manipulating situations, I'd much rather know what is in the Vietnamese papers concerning McCain and his imprisonment and interogation...the papers that McCain allegedly demanded be suppressed.

[Karen O]

32. Sorry, but

McCain is right on this.

[rufus dog]

35. Sorry but

Saying he is right doesn't make it so. Exactly HOW do you feel he is right?

Is the statement that he went to the gym right?

Is the statement saying he canceled because the Pentagon would not let him bring cameras right?

[Karen O]

36. To clarify,

I don't but the gym or camera story, that they're trying to lower Obama with.

But, he should have visited the troops. Period.

Sometimes doing the right thing, is the hardest thing. This is the situation he was in.

[rasputin1952]

37. We have no idea of the time constraints nor do we have any notion

of the logistics involved.

While I would have gone to the hospitals and visited the troops, I would also not be under obligation to do so.

I don't see McCain roaming the halls of VA hospitals, nor do I see any high placed R at any of the memorial services for the soldiers who have fallen in a terrific blunder.

I'm not worried about this in the least, and I am a vet myself. To be blatantly honest about this, if he was going to visit w/the wounded, he would have been far better to go it alone, as the entourage he was dragging w/him would have created havoc in a hospital situation.

Welcome to DU...:hi:

[Gabi Hayes]

41. hello, 'she' must be going

just a matter of time....kinda late, but this one's a real obvioso

[symbolman]

43. Hey genius

if the military says you don't go IN, then you don't GET in..

He wasn't offered a true option.. When he volunteered to go in BY HIMSELF he was Still Turned down...

I hope people realize this.. And this is a Veteran responding to your fantasy call..

Buh bye now.

[Gabi Hayes]

40. I CAN/T believe you're still here...."Karen"

gave you a nod the first time I saw you, but this one, in combination with the other one is a sure indicator

buh bye

[Gabi Hayes]

33. check it....they're covering the AD as a NEWS story. the swiftboating starts NOW

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6545353

[Sparkly]

34. McCain's sure "there" when it comes to sending them into unnecessary wars.

That's how "John McCain is always there for our troops."

This is ridiculous. I think Obama's campaign needs to fight this one post-haste. Get his career military supporters out there vocally!!

[Captain Angry]

38. Convenient timing with the false email going around about this.

I had dinner with my sister tonight and mentioned the fake email about Obama not visiting the troops.

My sister: "Oh, I got that email today!"

Me: "It was totally false, the Pentagon has released a statement explaining it, and the person who sent the email is being investigated."

My sister: "Oh!"

This is why they need to attack back. Set the record straight, even get that Pentagon officer to speak in the ad. Furthermore, explain McCain's voting record on Veterans issues.

[goodgd_yall]

42. McCain is always exploiting U.S. troops

It's his way of playing "I'm more patriotic than you." He's the one that's using the troops to achieve his political ambition.

Scumbag.