Sanford: McCain ‘Doesn’t Talk About’ His POW Experience
Sanford: McCain ‘Doesn’t Talk About’ His POW Experience
Late yesterday, former President Jimmy Carter, said in an interview with USA Today that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been “‘milking every possible drop of advantage‘ from his time served as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.” Throughout his campaign for president, McCain has been “able to weave in his experience in a Vietnam prison camp, no matter what the question was,” Carter added.
Today, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) responded to Carter’s comments, calling them “absurd.” McCain’s POW experience is “something he doesn’t talk about,” Sanford claimed:
SANFORD: I’ve spent a lot of time with John McCain over the years and it’s something he doesn’t bring up in personal conversation. It’s something that you have to pull out of him just because it’s something that he doesn’t talk about. And so, does he have admirers that talk about that searing life experience and the character that it would develop? Absolutely. […]
With all do respect, I think it’s a crazy claim.
Watch it:
Sandford’s view that McCain doesn’t like talking about his experience as a POW is laughable. McCain has a long history of not just discussing his POW experience, but bringing it up in conversations entirely unrelated to the subject. In addition, on the campaign trail, McCain often volunteers anecdotes from his POW experience in campaign ads, speeches, and question-and-answer sessions. A few of Mccain’s more strained attempts to “weave” his POW experience into his public image include:
– Raising his POW experience to justify not remembering how many houses he owns. “Could I just mention to you Jay, that in a moment of seriousness, I spent five and a half years in a prison cell, I didn’t have a house, I didn’t have a kitchen table, I didn’t have a table, I didn’t have a chair,” McCain said to Jay Leno in response to a question about his housing gaffe.
– Raising his POW experience to justify his love of the song ‘Take a Chance on Me’ by Abba. “A lot of my taste in music stopped about the time I impacted a surface to air missile with my own airplane,” McCain said to Walter Issacson at the Aspen Institute. (In fact, Abba began recording years after he was shot down.)
– Raising his POW experience to justify his opposition to universal healthcare. “I did have a period of time where I didn’t have very good healthcare, I had it from another government. Look, I know what it’s like not to have healthcare,” McCain said on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
– Raising his POW experience to attack political opponents. “Senator Clinton tried to spend $1 million on the Woodstock concert museum. Now, my friends, I wasn’t there…I was tied up at the time,’” McCain said during a primary debate.
Indeed, Carter’s suggestion that McCain views his POW experience as politically advantageous is nothing if not the opinion of McCain himself. As McCain wrote in his 2002 book Worth Fighting For, “Thanks to my prisoner of war experience, I had, as they say in politics, a good first story to sell.”
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The same Mark Sanford who when questioned on TV embarrassingly couldn’t come up with one new idea that McCain had proposed. I don’t think Sanford knows who John McCain is.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:48 pmGov. Sanford is most likely correct when he says that McCain doesn’t talk about his POW experience in personal conversation. Why would he? One doesn’t usually need to exploit for political purposes in private conversations.
Stump speeches, interviews, press conferences, and other campaign activities are another story. Sanford is trying to convince us that an apple is an orange.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:49 pmProof that these guys don’t even listen to each other!
August 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pmBadmoonman said:
The same Mark Sanford who when questioned on TV embarrassingly couldn’t come up with one new idea that McCain had proposed. I don’t think Sanford knows who John McCain is.
I don’t think Sanford or the GOP in general really care. It’s all about perception with these people because the substance of what makes the GOP what it is goes on behind closed doors. For example, talking about energy independence in public when the actual policies were decided in secret meetings with Cheney.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pmJohn McCain was a POW?!?!?!
First I’ve heard of it!
/snark
August 29th, 2008 at 2:00 pmAll McCain all the time: Noun, verb, POW.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:00 pmOh, he talks enough about his POW experience;
just not the PTSS aspect of it; which he probably still has.
¶ AIO
August 29th, 2008 at 2:01 pmThis proves my allegation that the GOP just makes sh&t up as they go. They lie, cheat, and steal and have no ethics whatsoever. Look at the past eight years and tell my why they should be trusted.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pmWait: the retired Admiral and former President criticizes the conduct of the reckless ‘fly-boy’ and they trot our Governor Sanford to strike back?
Republicans are apparently shooting blanks.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pmI think this is the extreme version of ‘repeat a lie long enough, and people will begin to believe it as truth’. Of course, it becomes somewhat ridiculous when the claim you are lying about get’s refuted everytime McCain opens his mouth….
August 29th, 2008 at 2:04 pmAnd Sarah will probably frequently refer to her POW experience, too. You know . . . when she was Princess of Wasilla.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pmSure, go ahead, point out just a few of the instances when John McCain used his POW story for political purposes. Facts, shmacts! This is about imagination here baby! Imagine you have health care, imagine you’ve got a saving, imagine you’ve won the powerball, see - things aren’t so bad.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pmGrampy McSame says - My friends back in the day I was a POW, bet you didn’t know that, yes sir, and I am going to remind you that some how being a POW answers all questions asked by reporters, those little jerks, now being a POW qualifies me to be president, because being a POW all I had time for was studying about being a POW President, they both start with the letter P, so does Pander, so does Palin, we are the “P” Party, Pander, POW, Palin, and President all “P’s”, now when I kick the bucket in the first couple of months in office I would have Phucked America by having a unqualified creationist barbie doll as VP, which has a P also, did I mention I was a POW?….I think I sat on some paste.
You butt is pasty white mr POW McShitstain, keep it up Pander Bear.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:10 pmtom Says:
Princess of Wasilla.
I heard they have some great Beaver hunts there.
¶ AIO
August 29th, 2008 at 2:12 pmparaphrasing joe biden:
a noun, a verb and p.o.w.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:12 pmha zooey! imagine that…
August 29th, 2008 at 2:14 pmLeno joked with the Republican nominee that, “for one million dollars, how many houses do you have?”
“Could I just mention to you Jay, that in a moment of seriousness, I spent five and a half years in a prison cell, I didn’t have a house, I didn’t have a kitchen table, I didn’t have a table, I didn’t have a chair…”
watch
August 29th, 2008 at 2:15 pmIt looks like Mark Sanford borrowed McCain’s Ginshu Knife Word Parser. At least the old man can’t hurt anyone with it. But woe to those nearby, when Mark returns the Republican question dodging tool.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:17 pmSanford: McCain ‘Doesn’t Talk About’ His POW Experience»
And Larry Craig , Linsey Graham and Charlie Crist aren’t in the closet , either……..
August 29th, 2008 at 2:18 pmIt’s the only thing he has to run on. He hasn’t shown any leadership, so he has to run on something that can be a catch-all but, at the same time, will be easy to demonize anyone that tries to question how that qualifies him to be President. It doesn’t qualify him to be President, but it makes a great red herring.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pm.
POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW
.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:21 pmMedia Myths of McCain
‘But for someone who supposedly doesn’t want to talk about his experience as a POW, McCain sure does bring it up a lot. The truth is that he mentions it all the time. He talks about it seriously, he jokes about it, and he uses it to his political advantage.’
August 29th, 2008 at 2:22 pmI’m sure McCain doesn’t talk about his POW experience at the dinner table, but Carter wasn’t saying that. He was talking about how McCain talks about his POW experience at every interview. Look at the Tonight Show appearance for a case in point. Leno asks how many houses McCain owns and McCain talks about being a POW. Talk about a non sequitur.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:23 pmNoun, Verb, POW.
- - Hmmm, Noun, Verb, POW. Like, North VietnamesePOW.
McCaininites are insidious.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pmCan these people get any more desperate. This is hilarious!
August 29th, 2008 at 2:24 pmTypical Repub. Jedi mind trick.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:27 pmJust say the opposite of what reality is…
and everyone will believe it.
Bunny2 Says:
——————————————————————————–
So when Kerry was running, all we heard was, “Vietnam this, and Vietnam that”. Kerry ran on his Vietnam service, and that was ok then. Now, you have another war hero, and now it means nothing because he is a republican? HYPOCRISY!!! Most inteligent people see through this. That’s why Mc Cain will defeat the Mesiah….in a landslide.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
You monumentally ignorant partisan stooge ; McDepends chastised/criticized Kerry for that VERY THING.
Guess it’s only okay when/that McD0uchebag does it , right you GOP tool ?
McDepends is gonna’ go down like a GOP politician in an airport men’s room………..
August 29th, 2008 at 2:28 pmBunny2 Says:
So when Kerry was running, all we heard was, “Vietnam this, and Vietnam that”. Kerry ran on his Vietnam service, and that was ok then.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
_______
All you heard was “Vietnam this and Vietnam that” because the Swift Boat Veterans of America popped up and started slandering McCain’s service during Vietnam.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:29 pmBunny2 Says:
So when Kerry was running, all we heard was, “Vietnam this, and Vietnam that”. Kerry ran on his Vietnam service, and that was ok then. Now, you have another war hero, and now it means nothing because he is a republican?
- - No dear, the Vietnam issue in 2004 was brought forth by a Swiftboating 527 group out to smear Kerry.
There’s plenty of other reason to not like McCain too. I’d list them for you but I’m sure you’re focusing on a shiny object somewhere else by now.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:30 pmBunny2 Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
You’re confusing Kerry with the swiftboaters — and us for people who give a shit what you have to say.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:30 pmObama is NO MESSIAH.
However, McSeniunatic IS a TRAITOR to the USA, just like the policies of the TRAITOR he supports, MURDERER Bush the COXUCKER punk.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pmStupid Bunny2 says Now, you have another war hero
Getting shot down does not make one a war hero, idiot, I know real Vietnam War Heros, being a POW does not make you a War Hero.
BunnyHole, have you ever went down one of their tunnels with only a 45 and a knife to flush out the VC?
Those were heros, not McShitstain.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pmBunny2 Says:
So when Kerry was running, all we heard was, “Vietnam this, and Vietnam that”. Kerry ran on his Vietnam service, and that was ok then.
yeah, you unamerican, unpatriotic scumbags attacked Kerry and lied about his war record, but that’s ok when your boy was a deserter and a coward.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:33 pmMcCain doesn’t talk about his POW experiences. He may have mentioned his POW experiences one or twice. He may have mentioned his hero status due to POW experiences. Others talk about his POW experiences. Many other talk about his POW experiences. He talks about others talking about POW experiences. Did I mention he was a POW? Did I mention his hero status due to his POW experiences? Why shouldn’t he talk about his POW experiences? Are you denying he had POW experience?…..Good God GOP give it a break….very old news.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pmAnd bunny,
If grampy’s war record is relevant, then so is his behavior when he came home and saw that his wife had become disfigured in a car wreck and cheated on her and then ran off with a rich bimbo. There’s repubican family values for you.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pmThat’s why Mc Cain will defeat the Mesiah [sic]. . . in a landslide.
Ah, you used the word “Messiah” in reference to Obama, bunny2.
Of course, you realize that you just outed yourself as a brain-dead Limpballs ditto-head.
You have been voted off the island. Blow out your torch and leave immediately.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pmYou forgot about this one:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/ politicalpunch/ 2008/ 07/ in-pennsylvania.html
Everyone caught on to it because it was such a blatant pander (and lie), but get a load of how arbitrary his answer was, too.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmAnd Fluffy Bunny2 his fellow POW’s nicknamed him “Songbird McCain” I guess that’s a hero’s name….right?
August 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmIf the Swifboaters were Dems they’d be talking about McCain’s collaborating with the enemy.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pmIf Barak is the Messiah, that must mean that mcgrampy is the edward g robinson character?
August 29th, 2008 at 2:43 pmAccording to Karl Rove McCain has a screw loose from his time as a POW. Are you saying Bush’s brain, The Architect, is a liar?
August 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pmBunny2 Says:
demkiller Says:
The republicans should really be ashamed of setting mccain up for this monumental fall. You can’t help but know they explected to lose in a big way this year.
How embarrassing for you guys that you ran this poor old war vet into the fray without the tools to survive and have now abandoned him. Sad, just sad.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:48 pmDoes he mention how many innocent women and children the bombs he dropped killed?
August 29th, 2008 at 2:48 pmNobody cares pixel. You’ve ensured that no one on this site will watch your crappy documentary. really. You’re worse than the stupidest of trolls here.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:55 pmJohn was a POW? You don’t say.
A Republican friend has the theory that McSame was the only candidate who was willing to go through the motions of an already lost race. All the rest said that they didn’t want the blot of the ass kicking in November to be on their record. John’s old, he is rotting before our eyes, and won’t have long to live with the disgrace.
So naturally, his pick of a dipshit Creationist bubble head follows the path to destruction.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pmfred at 44:
Hammer meet nail. You got it exactly right. This shows how little republicans carry about veterans.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pmMy original thought:
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford obviously cares nothing about his credibility. Even the dumbest Rube heard the words that came out of his mouth and went “Huh?!1!?” It’s getting much harder to find an honorable Republicant these days.
My secondary thought (after the thread was hijacked by a troll):
What kind of heroic experience is garnered from 5-1/2 yrs in a bamboo cage? Oops. No wait. After the Viet Cong discovered McCain was an admiral’s son, I guarantee you that he had a table, a chair, three squares, a roof over his head and video recording equipment. Besides, by Bush’s definition of torture, McSenile was never tortured anyway. Oopsie.
August 29th, 2008 at 3:00 pmIt’s even sadder than you think. I have posted this every time a vets issue comes up but eveyone should see it and have it in thier arsonal.
Mccain himself gets a D from vets on his senate votes on veterans issues.
Who really supports the vets
August 29th, 2008 at 3:01 pmBunny2 Says:
Your champagne will be aged 100 years before you get to use it but it should be really good by then if it hasn’t turned to vinegar…..thanks for the laugh.
August 29th, 2008 at 3:04 pmWill everyone just lay off John and stop asking questions of the Presidential candidate…!
He doesn’t have to explain anything to us.
After all, a POW like John is above reproach because his prior service makes him infallable.
John voluteered to be a POW, how many people do you know would do that for America?
It’s not like John was capture against his own will or anything like that.
August 29th, 2008 at 3:06 pmThe flea infested jackrabbit doesn’t care what we have to say, but spends hours here pissing and moaning.
Keep the Mums cold little one, that shit is bad enough right of the WalMart shelf, what will it be like after aging another 24 years?
I wish these Repugnicunt losers had some money, I could be rich from these suckers.
August 29th, 2008 at 3:14 pmWas McCain telling the truth when he signed the confessionals? War Hero? Torture gets valid info?
August 29th, 2008 at 3:45 pmWith all DUE respect, TP, it’s DUE, not DO.
I see that hare-brained has pooped on this thread, too. Yuck, bunnies are supposed to be cute, not nasty.
August 29th, 2008 at 4:37 pmPaul W Says:
I don’t think Sanford or the GOP in general really care. It’s all about perception with these people because the substance of what makes the GOP what it is goes on behind closed doors. For example, talking about energy independence in public when the actual policies were decided in secret meetings with Cheney.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
You are correct. Case in point: Look at the “Communist China is drilling off the coast of Florida” lie. Dead-Eye Dick got this info from columnist George Will, not from any number of government or energy industry sources who could have easily confirmed whether the story was true.
A few weeks ago, a local (R) columnist made the same claim in our local paper. Never mind that the accusation was proven incorrect over 2 months ago. I sent him an e-mail and advised him the info was wrong. I asked where he sourced his info, and he replied, “I have access to several sources; I don’t recall exactly which one I read it from.” I guarantee that he got it from Cheney, because he too specifically referenced “Communist” China. He did admit that his info was wrong; I requested that he offer a correction in his next column, and over the course of a few more e-mail exchanges, he beat around the bush and never did say, yes, I will correct the error.
August 29th, 2008 at 6:24 pmAnd, we all know that John McCain wasn’t tortured during is imprisonment. He may have been subjected to enhanced interrogation, however….
August 29th, 2008 at 7:01 pm