Former POW (with McCain) says McCain is

[Guardsman Bass]

With the volume of your anti-military posts, it's not hard to come to that conclusion.

Yes, I hate the truth because I'm not fond of you posting silly hate posts regarding a former POW of this country. How bloody foolish.

You would have come to it even faster had you actually bothered to read the earlier post he had made in this thread.

This doesn't even have anything to do with the election but the fact you're attacking a man who went through pure hell that not a one of us can picture for his men and his country. It's low and shameful.

Why? Assuming the OP is true, then the person being cited is merely stating the obvious - that being a Prisoner of War does not give you some divine sanction to be a Good Leader. I'm sure it changed his character, although I'm not entirely sure for the better, at least right off the bat - he came back and immediately cheated on his wife with Cindi Hensley (now Cindi McCain), then moved on to Arizona to pick up a safe Republican seat first in the House, then in the Senate, before getting nailed in the Keating Five scandal. I'd argue that the Keating Five scandal had more to do with his current character than his POW experience 40 years ago, at least with regards to his political behavior.

This is an anecdote from a professor I had last year (he's a pollster named Dan Jones of Dan Jones and Associates), who met McCain a long while back after the Keating Five scandal. He said that McCain told him that seeing his named dragged through the mud during the trial had hurt worse than when he was in Hanoi.

Edited September 5, 2008 by Guardsman Bass

[Caesar]

John McCain has been exploiting his prisoner of war experience every chance he gets. He has used this story to justify everything from not knowing how many homes he has to his healthcare plan to his marital infidelities to his taste in music. The McCain campaign is even using his POW story in paid ads. But now a veteran who was a prisoner with McCain in Vietnam is explaining loud and clear that being a POW does not qualify McCain to lead our country.

I served in the Marines and I think he is a hero but being a hero doesn't mean you will be a great president. I don't feel he is exploiting the fact that he was a pow but in my opinion it shows leadership in what he did.

[acidhead]

I served in the Marines and I think he is a hero but being a hero doesn't mean you will be a great president. I don't feel he is exploiting the fact that he was a pow but in my opinion it shows leadership in what he did.

how does it show leadership in what he did?

[bathory]

Kokesh, a passionate Ron Paul supporter, is 26 and a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. He served in Fallujah in 2004, grew up in Santa Fe, and currently lives in Washington, D.C. He has a website.

Kokesh is a complete and utter tool who had mis military career all but ended when he was busted for smuggling a handgun home with him

This guy is living in 2006, Iraq is quite different these days, dare I say, the insurgency appears to have been defeated

I think the point about McCain's POW experience is that its supposed to show his strength of character, I don't see how anyone can say thats not the case

Edited September 5, 2008 by bathory

[Teej]

Are you new on the forum? You don't seem to know much about Rip and his hobby.

Ahhh, the irony.

[acidhead]

This guy is living in 2006, Iraq is quite different these days, dare I say, the insurgency appears to have been defeated

Amazing! ..when was the last time you were in Iraq Bathory?

[ninjadude]

I served in the Marines and I think he is a hero but being a hero doesn't mean you will be a great president. I don't feel he is exploiting the fact that he was a pow but in my opinion it shows leadership in what he did.

I see the repubs claiming that he was a hero BECAUSE he was a POW only. How does that work exactly? Maybe I'm just being obtuse but as a serious question and you being a Marine, could you answer? Does being a POW make you a hero automatically. When I think of heros, I don't think of POWs.

[Caesar]

I see the repubs claiming that he was a hero BECAUSE he was a POW only. How does that work exactly? Maybe I'm just being obtuse but as a serious question and you being a Marine, could you answer? Does being a POW make you a hero automatically. When I think of heros, I don't think of POWs.

Obama said McCain was a hero also, what don't you get?

[ninjadude]

Obama said McCain was a hero also, what don't you get?

Immaterial. Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to be snarky. Is a hero a hero just because someone says they are? I guess I'm wondering what someone of your experience consider a hero. To me, a hero is someone who does something over and above what is expected of him, for others. Facing death, for me, does not automatically make a hero. McCain, got shot down and captured. I "guess" many people consider all service members, firefighters, police, etc as heros. But to me that is streaching it a bit. We have a volunteer military. Some Emergency people face death daily. These are jobs. Very important jobs. Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for those doing those jobs. But "heros" are those that go over and above their job to help others - for me at least. You know what I'm saying. To me the label "hero" is something rather special for a select few. I'm just wondering where you (and others) stand in this discussion.

[danielost]

I see the repubs claiming that he was a hero BECAUSE he was a POW only. How does that work exactly? Maybe I'm just being obtuse but as a serious question and you being a Marine, could you answer? Does being a POW make you a hero automatically. When I think of heros, I don't think of POWs.

Perhaps because he could have gone home early. But instead choose to allow the person whose turn it was to go home to go home. That is called sacrifice.

[ninjadude]

Perhaps because he could have gone home early. But instead choose to allow the person whose turn it was to go home to go home. That is called sacrifice.

But see, as an officer, he would be expected to do so. Not over and above what would be expected. I'll grant you that many people think that.

[Caesar]

But see, as an officer, he would be expected to do so. Not over and above what would be expected. I'll grant you that many people think that.

Most of the pow's that were with McCain were fighter pilots and I think only officers could be pilots. so you think with all the injuries he had on top of the turture ect, he still wouldn't speak out against his country why is that not heroic? as being in the marines, I do put firefighters, police, etc in the same field but its rare for someone to go threw pain, torture and solitary confinement for years, not to mention the medical treatment he had.

[bathory]

Amazing! ..when was the last time you were in Iraq Bathory?

I haven't been there, of course, that doesn't change the fact the situation over in Iraq is completely different to that of 2003, 04, 05, 06, or 07...

I mean, the relevance Kokesh brings to the debate regarding the current ground situation is comparable to that of a ww2 veteran telling us how things are in Germany based on his experiences in 1944

[acidhead]

I haven't been there, of course, that doesn't change the fact the situation over in Iraq is completely different to that of 2003, 04, 05, 06, or 07...

I mean, the relevance Kokesh brings to the debate regarding the current ground situation is comparable to that of a ww2 veteran telling us how things are in Germany based on his experiences in 1944

Thanks for your opinion..

Adam Kokesh is stating his opinion.. based on his experience in Iraq from two tours between '04-'06 and that of other friends who are troops there currently..

Kokesh's sign doesn't mention the word war.. notice that? It says 'YOU CAN'T WIN AN OCCUPATION" .. (caps for accuracy)

The President(BUSH), the MSM, pundits, and especially the '08 election candidates are propagandizing the words "win" and "victory"

to suit its real target.. you, me, our families, and friends.