Senator Harkin: McCain Too "Military"

Des Moines Register:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain's family background as the son and grandson of admirals has given him a worldview shaped by the military, "and he has a hard time thinking beyond that," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., said Friday.

"I think he's trapped in that," Harkin said in a conference call with Iowa reporters. "Everything is looked at from his life experiences, from always having been in the military, and I think that can be pretty dangerous."

Read the whole story: Des Moines Register

Comments

[Kundera]

McCain's family is too military? That is hilarious from a Democrat. What if Repubs say that BHO's family is questionable because his father split and left his white mother to raise him?

[gapanther]

You say that s if they havent.

[CrazyDemocrat]

Are the folks like Pelosi that keep funding the war "too Military"....Time to clean house in both parties

[olderdem]

I'm looking forward to the debate between Obama and McCain when McCain blows up and starts cursing Obama and the moderators.

[Kundera]

There you go again...

[3443649]

HA! HA! And he will blow up! His mental incapability, via senility, will send him into fits of anger over his inability to respond sensibly. I have doubts he has ever had true debating capabilities. Should be interesting though. Hope there is nothing around for him to use as a weapon, during these times!

[BethStuart]

There are many politicians with extensive military experience who are very intelligent. McCain is not one of those politicans. He graduated 894th out of a class of 899. If his father hadn't been an admiral, it's unlikely he would even have been admitted to the Naval Academy let alone been allowed to graduate.

After Bush and Cheney, we should be very wary of electing ignorant politicans.

[PioneerKing]

The McCain family's military history and, McCain's service in the military are to be lauded. It's not McCain's military perspective that's clouded his judgment. It's McCain's arrogance and failure to move beyond "cold war, neo-con, King-Kong ideology" and his trickle down economy blather that's flawed.
McCain's desire to continue the Bush/Cheney legacy of cowboy diplomacy is problematic.
McCain's economic policy, national security and foreign policies are extraneous.
McCain's "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" and "I'm going to sit the Sunnis and Shiites down and tell them to quit the bullsh*%" and other questionable statements that McCain's made over the years lend credence to the fact that McCain is out of touch with what's best for America .
McCain proffers irrelevant sound bites, mirroring failed Bush/Cheney policies.
On these matters McCain is simply wrongheaded, McCain's policies are not what America needs.
What has become crystal clear over the past few months is the “straight talking maverick” is a myth, and pure contrivance of the MSM.
McCain's 28 years in Washington have not produced an erudite politician who exhibits the type of judgment that America needs; McCain’s chronological age does not equate to better experience that supersedes the cogent perspectives of Obama.
Although Obama is younger he's exhibited a far superior acumen on what America needs, more so than McCain has. Obama's finely nuanced judgment on economic, social justice, national security and foreign policy topics is a testament to Obama's wisdom and capability to better serve this nation.

[bikerdude]

Wow, PioneerKing, I think you just picked up another fan. Except for the last paragraph. I think that if Senator Obama doesn't build a strong, intelligent, tuned in cabinet he will be in way over his head. I admire Senator Obama and loved his book, but he still has a lot of learning to do.
Would he be a better candidate than McCain? Of course.

[ann1]

I like Mccain, my concern is what happened during his captivity. Many people who've been held captive are known to have suffered from Stockholm Syndrome. I think he was a prisoner for 4 yrs? Not sure, but that's a long time. I once read that he fought to keep all info regarding his years as a POW sealed. Does anyone have info?

[PioneerKing]

The republican's have a manchurian canidate - ROTFL

My Friends, it is unquestionable that McCain has a horrible temper and, he is foul mouthed. McCain is so out of control that he has spewed profanity on his wife in public and has told ribald jokes about Chelsea Clinton when she was a teenager. McCain has gotten into pushing and shoving matches with members of congress. McCain is famous for telling off color and disparaging jokes about gays, lesbians, Jews, women and minorities.
The 74 year old Senator McCain pretty much behaves like a schoolyard bully.
McCain behaves in a petty, mean spirited, nasty manner that causes one to ponder whether McCain would be better served by spending his twilight years with a psychiatrist rather than having to fulfill the arduous demands of the presidency. My Friends!

[JulieSA]

Five an a half years, and his records are not sealed. He doesn't have Stockholm Syndrome. After the war, he refused to take a Senate delegation to visit Vietnam, because of what the they had done to him. As time passed, and US relations improved with VN, he decided not to let the bitterness own him, and he later became instrumental in the normalization of relations with VN.

There are several books out on the subject. I read Faith of my Fathers, and I'm almost finished with The Nightingale's Song. They're pretty inspiring.

[Turtleluv6]

As a Repulican woman I will not vote for Mc Lame if it was to save my own life. And if you are a woman and believe you have rights you won't vote for him either.

[OhioJan]

Sure do, ann1, and everyone else; Please check out...

ww.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com

There, you will read an article that is TRULY shameful regarding John McCain! Some "war hero"! You ARE correct when you say that he wants his military record to remain sealed! He's ASHAMED of his lack of experience & preferential treatment by the Vietnamese! Truly shameful that he keeps touting his "experience" & desires to further destroy OUR Country!

[ResidentChimp]

The only flag waving that Harkin supports is the white flag. He wants a surrender monkey in the white House and Obama fits the bill. McCain spent more time out of the military than Obama has been alive. So McCain has the best of both world. Obama wants to surrender and McCain wants to push back. That sums it up.

[k6007]

Oooh look, a 22%'er. Your screenname is sooooo discriptive.

[k6007]

*descriptive*

[Drjimmy72296]

"a surrender monkey"

That's kind of racist.

[Turtleluv6]

just as the person who stated.

[Hare]

kind of racist? you meant to say...TOTALLY RACIST!!!

[Independent007]

Considering that your name is Resident Chimp, I would not be calling anyone a "surrender monkey" CHIMP.

[marc1antony]

I think that being a POW has made McCain an off-balanced man. He is angry, and ready to hit the nuclear button because of his personal experiences. That is really dangerous in light of what we have been through with the two chickenhawks Cheney and Bush - we would be setting ourselves up for WWIII with this man, BOMB IRAN

[ThirdSection]

Waitaminute... Are those Aye-rabs in Iran Sunni or Shi'ite?

I think that if he's going to bomb them, Johnny at least owes it to them to know who they are.

[qdog112]

Harkin is absolutely right. McCain is one dimensional and will be exposed during the campaign.

Just consider all that has been revealed in one news cycle. Add that to the fact he has to cater to the neo cons, suck up to the evangelicals, separate from "Numb Nuts" and try to attract independents

He is on record as not understanding the economy. The world has changed and Johnny cannot adapt. He is done along with his party.

[dumboldfarmer]

In my humble opinion, John McCain will serve as the warm-up act to the selected VP, who may very well turn out to be Jeb Bush. You just never know what will come out of the republican convention.

[IntelligentDesign]

If another Bush gets anywhere near the Whitehouse in the next 1000 years I'll eat my house.

[jatkinson]

If Jeb Bush turns out as McCain's VP then whatever Independents that McCain had managed to attract to his banner will immediately up sticks and run as fast as they can to the Obama campaign. The name Bush on the ticket will definitely not be helpful to McCain, since Dubya has approval ratings of 28% and I seriously doubt any of that percentage are independent voters.

[Toonadude]

McCain needs to suck up to the neocons a bit more. He needs to pick their most batshit crazy posterboy for VP. George Allen is too tainted by the "macaca" incident thus my bet is on Rick Santorum of PA.

[NightRider]

Eactly how is John McCain an American hero, him getting captured aside?

Called his wife a fycking cynt.

Savings and loan scandal

two-face liar, Americans call it flip-flop. Icall him a liar.

In bed with lobbyist. Wants to bomb Iraq.

No hero. Not in my book. Seems like he is looking to settle a score at age 72 before he expire.

[Turtleluv6]

Not even close to a hero in my Book.

A sell out is a sell out and my futre means more to me than Mc Lame.

[srtjsrtj]

THIS MAN HAS A TREMENDOUS TEMPER AND HAS CONSTANTLY EXPRESSED IT IN THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE, POUNDING ON TABLES AND EVEN GOING AFTER ANOTHER SENATOR. AMERICAN NEED DEPLOMACY, NOT AN ATTITUDE. THIS IS SERIOUS AND WE HAD BETTER WAKE UP BEFORE WE MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN.

MCCAIN REFUSES TO SUPPORT A BILL THAT SAYS WOMEN SHOULD MAKE THE SAME SALARY AS MEN ON THE SAME JOB. HE GOES PUBLICLY AND SAYS THAT WOULD MAKE WOMEN FILE LAWSUITS SO HE FIRMLY STANDS ON THE SIDE OF BIG BUSINESS THE EMPLOYERS

WOMEN DON'T BE FOOLED IF MC CAIN WON'T SUPPORT YOU TO GET EQUAL SALARIES IT DOES NOT GET MUCH WORSE THAN THAT. THE CASE INVOLVED A WOMAN WHO HAD WORKED FOR 20 YEARS ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE MEN ON HER JOB MADE 40%.......... MORE THAN SHE DID.

SEN. MC CAIN WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE BILL TO GIVE WOMEN EQUAL WAGES. PLEASE READ AND STAY INVOLVED .

NOT TO MENTION SEN. MCCAIN DOES NOT SUPPORT OUR VETRANS GETTING BETTER BENEFITS, IT'S NOT PERFECT BUT IT'S BETTER THAN NOT GETTING JOBS ONCE OUT OF THE MILITARY AND SOME THOUSANDS, MILLIONS LIVING ON THE STREETS, GETTING POOR LIVING CONDITIONS AT FT. BRAG AND WALTER REED

SEN. MC CAIN JUST TODAY WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE FARM BILL TO HELP OUR FARMERS,

[jatkinson]

Erm I agree, but there's no need for the Caps Lock speech. Screaming at the top of your voice isn't cool and makes you look as if you have the same sort of anger problem that McCain does.

[BatMasterson2]

I never read the post in all caps, too much trouble.

[VSamuels]

Harkin is correct.

One only has to look at the way our MSM would frame similar situations among our allies and friends. We are pleased when our leaders have a strong military background; believing it may help make us safe, but we reject and scorn the same things when other nation-states do the same, calling the elected leadership: military rulers. I can't recall us referring to Isenhower in this way, or Kennedy or Carter or Bush I as military rulers. We employ great double standards here and make it normal for us to embrace military experience in the Whitehouse while being suspecious of others who do the same.

We must get beyond our double standards, because we can't sing the praises of General Wesley Clark and condemn the choices of others, it only makes us weaker in terms of credibility.

[SpoxLogic]

Wow! You know I never thought about it like that. Good insight!

[olivia]

McCain showed he didn't have a spine when he kissed up to Bush in 2004.

It's not enough to have a big stick, you have to have integrity and a brain to know when and how to use it.

[Gary47]

Harkin is absolutely correct of course. But still, the repub response comes off as more direct and forceful. Of course it's bogus but it has appeal to many voters. I'd like to see Democrats hit back harder on multiple fronts with various leaders backing each other up. Let's gang up on them and let's keep up the attacks rather than just responding. That is how we get to set the agenda - something the other side has mastered.