Fineman: McCain Is Trivializing His POW Past

Once a remarkable and respected aspect of his biography, John McCain stands on the brink of "trivializing" his past as a prisoner of war, which has become a "crutch in the campaign," Newsweek's Howard Fineman declared Thursday.

"I think they are going to it way too many times. It's the original story that defined John McCain, that still when you read it in his book 'Faith of my Fathers,' when you read about it in 'The Nightingale's Song,' you can't help but have admiration and respect for the guy. And I think he wisely for many years stayed away from it as a political tool, he really did. But now it not only defines him, it's become a crutch in the campaign. And I think he is in danger of trivializing it. By the time they get to the convention in St. Paul, there might not be much of it left to use."

Fineman's remark, made during a segment of Countdown With Keith Olbermann, came after McCain was criticized for being elitist for not knowing how many houses he owned. An aide to the Arizona Republican hit back at the accusation by evoking McCain's service in Vietnam.

"This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison," said spokesman Brian Rogers.

As the Huffington Post documented earlier, Rogers' statement is just one of several recent instances of the McCain camp playing the POW card.

Earlier this week, for instance, amidst speculation that McCain may have received advance notice of questions at a values forum, spokeswoman Nicole Wallace declared, "The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous."

When Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Senator John Edwards, ridiculed McCain's health care policy, his aides didn't respond with a substantive retort. Rather, they declared that their boss knew what it was like to get inadequate care "from another government." Even earlier, when the topic was about earmarks, McCain criticized Sen. Hillary Clinton for proposing funds for a museum celebrating Woodstock. He didn't know what there was to celebrate, he said, because he was "tied up" during the music festival.

Comments

[SEQUOIABISON]

With Romney the Mormon joining his ticket it should help to revitalize polygamy, McCain fits right in with the Mormon culture of having multiple wives.

He will bring tremendous experience to the white house, lying in bed for 5 years as a prisoner of war and trying to get the marriage thing right.

Washington DC should be a new shining city on a hill, like his buddy Reagan envisioned only Obama stands between McCain and another 4 years of disastrous domestic policies and horrific foreign wars everywhere.

Obama/Clark

For a return to sanity in govenment.

[Zhonni]

My two top choices are Clark and Kaine(any order would do).

[Harbinger08]

I like Clark, but I think Obama already has a cabinet post in mind for him. He will be more valuable as Sec of Def or even State than as VP.

[SouthpawSass]

McCain uses being a POW like Giuliani used 9/11 to entice voters...

I don't claim to know what it's like being a POW any more than McCain can claim knowing what average Americans are going through...

McCain, the elitist POW...

[WmC]

Right. Wasn't it Biden who accused Bushco of repeatedly falling back on "a noun, a verb, and 9/11"? For McCainco, it will become "a noun, a verb, and record as a POW."

[danoj]

You know why Libs hate hearing about JMC's past? It';s because when you hold up his life expierences next to O's O looks like a lightweight. That's why you guys try to spin JMC's past, you know O has no military or foriegn policy cred, so JMC should shut up about his expeirences so as not to make O look worse than we all know he is.

[DebM]

And, pray tell, what military and foreign policy cred did the illustrious and oh-so-successful GWB have, compared to Kerry? Could you possibly be any more of a hypocrite?

[PAposter]

About the same as the Professional P.O.W.

[helonias]

The lying adulterer who graduated in the bottom 1% at the NA and doen't know the difference between a Shia and Sunni or ME borders.

But wait he was a POW

All together now bomb,bomb, bomb, bomb,bomb Iran

[PAposter]

Let's be clear on something. McCain started combat duty in the Summer of 1967(late June/early Sept?). He was captured on October 26, 1967 and released March 14, 1973. He barely served, and dropping bombs on concentrated civilian areas, is nothing to be proud of. His EXPERIENCE is as a P.O.W. that's it. By his own admission, he was not tortured like other P.O.W.s. So, what here should we want Obama to emulate?

[ched]

Noun, Verb, POW.

[sherbug]

McCain should visit the Viet Nam Memorial Wall. There he will find the names of the thousands of soilders who were never able to return home and marry a rich heiress and live a life of luxury. There were also thousands who returned home only to die of cancer. There were thousands who returned home who were missing limbs or who suffered mental breakdowns. There were thousands who returned home and were scorned and spat upon rather than the heros welcome that McCain got.

McCain needs to stop acting like he was the only POW or the only one who suffered. His explotation of his years as POW are shameful as is everything about the Republicans.

[rmreddicks]

"(S)corned and spat upon" by the government they served.

I've never met a vet of the War Against Vietnam that was spat upon by anyone other. Some vets believe that some other vets were spat upon by anti-war supporters. I've never met one who personally had it happen or knew of it happening to someone they knew. It's all but urban legend. I would refer you back to the first sentence of this post.

[landmine]

I'm a viet vet from california. I was never spat upon. I have never known a soldier who was spat upon. I met one who said he was a tunnel rat and another who said he was a Medal of Honor winner and a POW. Turned out both were not even vets.

I would not be surprised if there was some spitting going on over protest lines with national guard troops. But to be fair, the national guard also beat and shot unarmed students.

This whole "spitting" thing is nothing but a fake hot button war monger drag out to try to win arguements when directly and honestly answering won't let them "win".

[RobertAndropolis]

The film "Coming Home" depicted a scene between stubbornly jingoistic returning Vietnam Vet Bruce Dern, where a hippie offered a flower to the uniformed Dern and said "Peace Brother." Dern flipped him off and squealed out in his underpowered British sportscar.

[Megaflow]

Yeah, actually that whole "spat on" thing has been disproved, with thousands of interviews turning up no such thing. Most returning from 'Nam were greeted with respect and love, at worst with no reception. My guess is some op-ed somewhere said vets were "spat on" as a metaphor, and that got picked up as a fact and exaggerated from there.

There's a book called "The Spitting Image" which covers this in detail.

[muffler]

There were many people who have served in time of war. Some were POWs and some where GI mud truckers, but many of them don't want to talk about or use there war time actions for gain. They silently served. The republican's use things without regard to the value of the item so as to provide political gain. They don't understand how do anything humble. Too bad that this meme is getting old and worn out. They went with it too early and too much and wore it out.

[Biancadav]

I am so tired of hearing his stories about being a prisoner of war. The individuals who should be most offended are the other prisoners who were there with him. I know someone who was a POW and its not something he shouts from the mountain tops. He never uses it for any type of gain or sympathy he's too proud for that, it would cheapen what he and others went through and sacrificed for our country. This guy has used this so much that when I began to hear the words come out of his mouth I simply turn the channel down or turn the volume down. Its beginning to anger American's he needs to give it a rest and talk about something else.

P.S. McCain its very simple when you make a mistake or say or do something wrong how about just saying " I made a mistake or I was wrong." We would really just appreciate the truth instead of the song and dance.

[dawlishgal]

I used to know a guy who was a prisoner in the Korean war (he died a few years ago). He resented it when people used having been a prisoner as a reason for demanding special privileges. He said that they knew and expected to be treated badly for having killed civilians in enemy territorie­s..

All in all, McCain was in combat for only about 20 hours for which he received over 20 medals. Where are the nefarious Swifties when it comes to checking out McCain's claims of heroism and using any ambiguies in his record to slime HIM? The Democrats could "Swiftboat" McCain and it wouldn't be any more outrageous (probably less so) than what the Republicans did to John Kerry. But they haven't done this. Republicans seem to be expecting Democrats to behave far better than they are willing to behave themselves, and--at the same time, claiming the moral high ground. Too bad so many lazy and gullible people allow them to get away with it.

Am I the only one who is getting damned sick of the trolls who come here all puffed up with bogus outrage over Obama's having accepted a small amount of help with his house purchase from a guy who turned out to be a crook? Yet, these blatant propagandists either are or pretend to be OBLIVIOUS to McCain's involvement in the S and L scandal. Where is their sense of PROPORTION?

[kiddo418]

My friends, do you think that when Pres. Bush and Sen. McCain get together they talk about their service records. McCain would remind Bush that he was a POW for many years and Bush would tell McCain he didn't show up for weekend duty very often. For that matter do you think Bush has ever mentioned his military service to veteran groups or to any group for that matter. My friends, McCain is trivializing his military records for political benefit. After all, he is ambitious and wants to be POTUS because he is ambitious. Vote Obama in 08.

[Whinger]

Sixty thousand plus didn't make it back, they are the real heroes!

And some of those who did were discarded like so much unwanted rubbish, still suffering!

And some of those who are living an elite lifestyle could care less about their comrades of old.

What's wrong with the picture?

[DFutureIsNow]

McCain keeps playing the POW card from the bottom of the deck. As punishment he should draw 1000 crosses in the sand with the tip of his $520 Ferragamo loafers.

[CindyM2008]

LOL

[MyThought]

There were many American POW's.....­.you don't see them out there pounding their chests - saying, look how brave I am. Most veterans don't even talk about it.

He's using this for political gain - this cheapens the whole thing.

To all you other veterans and POW's - you were just a brave and McCain - but you don't make money off of it and you should be proud.

[justobserve]

Agree!

[UtahLady]

Well said

[brushfinch]

So Mc Cain was a prisoner of war, and had a real tough time.... so did many others, still they do not exploit their past experience, and expect to be allowed to lie in order to achieve their goals and ambitions. Being a prisoner of war does not qualify anyone to be president , nor provide expertise in keeping a country secure, or in foreign policy. Mc Cain, and his campaign keep exploiting his past experience, becuase, frankly, he does not have much else to offer the country..a­s far as I know,he has not served as an ambassador, has not negotiated treaties, has not worked at the UN, and so on..Americ­ans need to open their eyes...

[Ipanema]

Go tell this to the 27-percenters drinking the Repug Kool-Aid!

[wanj]

The Fabulous life of JM!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/21/AR2008082103691.html

[AlphaDoc]

>he wisely for many years stayed away from it as a political tool<

Now McCain himself is nothing but a political tool. He will do whatever Rove tells him to do in the name of winning the election, no matter how foolish and pandering it makes him look. Sad.

[partyofone]

All Americans are greatful for John McCain's military service and admire his bravery as a Prisoner of War. While McCain exploits that aspect of his biography to suggest that his character 50 years later is above reproach, we need a respectful discussion of the downside also. Did John McCain suffer post traumatic stress disorder as a result of being a POW? Is that a factor in his legendary quick temper and his obsesion with military victory in Iraq? Is he still fighting the Vietnam war and determined to win it this time? We are being asked to trust McCain with the command of our entire military and our weapons of mass destruction.

Is it wrong to want to know more about his mental capacities as a dimension of his health, as we would with any candidate? Wasn't Tom Eagleton forced to withdraww as a Vice Presidential canidate in 1972 because of concerns about his past mental health?

[sneezyguy]

Apparently it is wrong. A women asked McCain how being a POW qualifies him to be president and he brushed her off with a PLAEEEASE. Is there a person or creature of any ilk who has ever lived that has not had to put up with some kind of crap in there lifetime.

[nocore]

Noun, verb, P.O.W.