what is the true story of mccain's wartime record?

[niyad]

(to remind ourselves not to be taken in by bs)

Mary Hershberger: What Is the True Story of McCain’s Wartime Experience?

SOURCE: http://www.womensmediacenter.com (10-28-08)



As we approach the end of an astonishing campaign season, one thing grows clear: John McCain’s campaign has suffered a string of disastrous decisions. These mistakes have overwhelmed even the campaign’s trump card—its image of John McCain as war hero. And not just an ordinary war hero but one who was captured by enemies, imprisoned near death, and “resurrected” to return home with visible wounds that marked his sacrifice.

Aside from the patriotic fervor and powerful religious themes this tale evokes in American Christians who believe that redemptive violence lies at the core of their faith, McCain’s campaign correctly counted on the media treating the image of war hero as if it stood outside history, beyond journalistic scrutiny. The “swift boating” of John Kerry four years ago left the media reluctant to engage in legitimate examination of John McCain’s claims.

As a historian who has studied Vietnam War documents, I read McCain’s Faith of My Fathers with growing concern over the troubling inconsistencies and internal contradictions that I found there. When I sought out official reports, news accounts, film footage and other reliable sources to help resolve these contradictions, I consistently found questionable assertions in McCain’s claims. All memoirs are constrained by the limitations of our memory, but McCain’s accounts are unusually problematic, with many stories grossly exaggerated or simply made up.

. . . . .

http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/56255.html

[navarth]

1. I'd be interested out of mere curiosity at this point, but

is there any good in bashing poor out-of-his-depth John McCain anymore? That's my question. If there's any good in it, then by all means, examine it. But if there really isn't...?

[Fridays Child]

4. The exposure of lies and of media complicity didn't end, for me, on November 4th.

Just saying.

[niyad]

5. see post #4

[navarth]

15. fair enough. fire away at him.

[rasputin1952]

2. For the record, and I've posted this before, McCain was/is no

"hero". He was simply doing his job. He was imprisoned with a few hundred others, many of whom did far more than he ever did.

Another thing that disturbs me about McCain, he speaks of his "dislike" for govt...but he has been reliant upon it since he was 17 and signed into Annapolis, Cindy McCain gave him access to wealth, but other than that, everything he has ever received, he has received from the government he says he does not like. The man is a pile of horse-shit, plain and simple.

[atreides1]

3. One Point

He's been recipient of government largess since his birth, remember his father was active duty and he was born in a US Navy hospital!

[rasputin1952]

7. Excellent point! He's been suckling from the govt since his

birth!

what a miscreant...:grr:

[niyad]

6. it really pissed me off when he said, repeatedly, "I have been fighting for this country since I was

17, and have the scars to prove it"

I didn't realize that being safely tucked in an academic setting was fighting, at least in the sense he seems to be implying.

many of us have been fighting for our country without bombs or missiles or guns of any kind.

[rasputin1952]

9. He's a lazy goomer that has several crashes to his record...

and his record is no where near stellar.

He's certainly no hero. That bar is set rather high, and this pinhead does not even come close.

I respect him for his service, as I do any vet/current servicemember...but "hero", no way.

[kath]

8. This article contains some details:

Make-Believe Maverick
A closer look at the life and career of John McCain reveals a disturbing record of recklessness and dishonesty
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

Also check out this site:
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/

[AZ Criminal JD]

10. The article the OP cites is a whitewash of torture

He implies there was no torture in Vietnam. This means the hundreds of U.S. prisoners must be all lying and the Vietnamese, who have every reason to cover up, are telling the truth. B.S.

[Skittles]

11. I noticed that too - it's crap

DU needs to let McCain go - he stunk but he bowed out gracefully and now it is over

[pretzel4gore]

12. imagine if it was you...

capturing airmen who bombed local hospitals etc, and your country is poor as dirt. Imagine what you'd do to find out anything that could help the AA crews. Or plan evacuations

[AZ Criminal JD]

13. So you are going to justify torture?

You are using the same arguments the Bush administration has used.

[pretzel4gore]

14. Vietnam was being attacked by a nuke power

30/40 years ago. And before that, french thieves had tried to set 'Nam up as an ATM- indeed they stole godknows how much. Torture is wrong, but the more powerful, more 'civilised' contender has less excuse for it then the one under attack. Indeed, one of the purposes of the UN and so on was to establish norms where POW's etc had redress when criminality took place. The bullyboys have been trying to neuter the UN precisely for that reason for years. Mccain, for ex. wants to set up a 'league of democracies' to bypass the UN....

[AZ Criminal JD]

16. You are pathetic

You wish to justify torture as long it is being used by "your" side.