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

[valleygent]

Let's talk about Charles Keating and the Lincoln Savings debacle...­please. Charles Keating is the convicted felon in McCain's closet.

[geobushono]

For some unfathomable reason, the Democrats refuse to recognize that the repugs are out to win with a scorched earth philosophy.
Barack should have opened an offensive 2 months ago.....he has the money....t­hat is to say, he has the money to hire the best Democratic­/Progressi­ve thinkers..­........so why this ill-advised, poorly executed defense?
The worm has turned for mccain and NOW Barack is forced to play catchup...­.it didn't need to be like this.
Mccain dropped bombs on women and children..­..........­some hero......­........

[valleygent]

I concur completely Geo....Cou­ld Howard Dean be any worse of a leader for the Democrats? I mean this guy hasn't helped Obama fight the Republicans at all. In the meantime the Republicans are waging political warfare...­and its working. Maybe Obama can't slam the Republican party for fear of losing potential votes but the Democrats should have a commercial blitzkrieg with all the stuff they have on the Bush Admin and McCain. Sad and truly UNFATHOMAB­LE...I agree 1000%. The Obama camp itself, for all its cerebrialism cannot close a sale with force. The Clinton machine, for all of its ugliness was at least effective, very effective at waging war and closed the sale with millions..­.I mean you had Obama folk absolutely twisted in anger with the Clinton surrogate machine remember? Catch a clue Obama camp...the American people will believe anything you repeat like a drum beat...sta­rt beating some drums...es­pecially about CHARLES KEATING AND MCCAIN.

[MoeJava]

Such a shame that McCain, who himself was locked up for 5+ yrs, with limited medical care and no legal representation, would doom other soldiers to the same treatment he experienced, when he OKd torture.

I am guessing that he thinks he was tough enough to take this abuse, then all those currently in Gitmo or rendered to black sites, out to just quit their whining.

How can he allow the same treatment of future prisoners during war time that he professes was so awful, demoralizing and a true test of his faith in god.?

He cant rightly say "oh poor me, I was a POW" and get a free pass from the press, when he turns right around and says it was a "defining moment" and makes him qualified as CIC?

Please tell me, when McCain claims "I know how to WIN wars", just exactly which war, which area of expertise he manned, and what actions did he direct, remain in charge of, and just who served "under" him?

He seems to smile like the cat that ate the canary, when he says he will pursue OBL to the gates of hell. If he possesses the needed knowledge to locate and capture OBL, why for gods sake, hasnt he shared that with the current administration? Or with his buddy General Petraeus?

[longbeachmike]

Don't flame me, but i just had a thought. If Obama wins (and i pray he does), doesn't it mean that main street america has (sort of) come to terms with the pickle that we are in?

I mean, in past elections, the conservative republican vote was reliable because the standard of living remained (albeit imaginary) pretty consistent. If the answer to "Are you better off now than 8 years ago?" is now "no" for a majority of Americans, then we are in real trouble. The warnings of the economic over the social issues is coming home to roost, and i just hope we can prevail. what IS the matter with kansas, indeed?

Thanks!

Obama/Whoever '08

[GrainOSand]

The GOP says that no one living today can utilize a historical fact as a reason for the government to act on their behalf. This is their credo and mantra. If you cannot make it, it is your fault, do not look for any help from the government. If you cannot take it, it is your fault, do not look for any help from the government. The GOP claims they are interested in small government in that it benefits the people by giving the power and the money back to the people.

The sensible amongst us know what a pile of digested food this is. The rational amongst us know very well that historical factors do in fact come to bear on how certain individuals fair and how they live. The entire civil rights legislation package is seen by the GOP to be some sort of handout out to people playing victim. They saw welfare as some sort of great and misguided government giveaway (it was misguided and mismanaged) to the undeserving and the lazy. Welfare was a paltry sum of money that people who received it could barely live on anyway, so when it fell by the wayside via Clinton, they were not missing much -- with the exception of free medical care and access to food stamps, which, some of “all hues”, I understand, still receive.

[GrainOSand]

The GOP states that any system that provides an unfair advantage based on historical wrongdoing is wrong. What do I see though but John McCain pulling up his stool to the sympathy udder and trying to milk it for all he can to receive the welfare of the sympathy vote or the affirmative action of voter support due to often-cited military service of long ago? What do I see but John McCain trying to use his military service to paint himself as a victim of left-wing attack due to a misstatement on his part, that he is “responsible” for, that fairly projects him as out of touch, if not out of his mind? What do I see but John McCain obfuscating the facts of his faux pas by injecting his historical suffering into the public dialogue as a way to avoid responsibility for his illegitimate candidacy?


What do I see if not a hypocrite?

[nostalgia]

I think his statement "I know how to get him (Osama)...­" in the Saddleback Forum quite ridiculous.
What wouldn't he share this precious information to Bush to spare us all these headaches?
It seems like he is THE ONE who knows how to make such statements, not Obama.

[bikerdude]

Mc c a in is a very trivial candidate.

[fourex]

One must look at Howard Fineman's reports since GW took office, not a pretty picture.

[lovethesinner]

Rudy Giuliani: a noun, a verb, and 9/11

John McCain: a Vietnam vet with $500 loafers and a housing problem.

Obama-Feingold '08

[RayZarukkus]

Noun, verb, POW.

[marthlois]

PLEASE run with this Obama Campaign! Respect it, but make them all realize that there are time constraints for all things:
For the Ayers crap
For the Biden plag. crap
And certainly for the POW pass.

[BlueOnBlue]

McCain uses his POW and veteran status every day he wears that Navy cap. I'm sure he has other choices, but it shows up every time he is outdoors.

Personally, as a Vietnam vet, I find his use of his service to be without class. I wouldn't bring up my own service, but I've found there is always some clown who will try to counter me by saying I don't know anything unless I've served.

If having sacrificed is all it takes to be president, I say give it to one of those guys at the VA hospital, still trying to cope. They gave more than McCain.

[peter777]

The vetting of McCain is just starting. Obama and his staff need a very active campaign to reveal who John McCain really is and what he stands for and doesn't. And, stress how little he has done in Congress. He has defined himself as a maverick, but voted for Bush's stuff on the order of 95 % of the time.

[renatam]

Senator Obama is a master strategist. He has worked very hard to lay a foundation of RESPECT for Senator McCain, who is old enough to be his father and a former POW. While taking pains to do so, Senator McCain - on the other hand - has conducted himself as no elder statesman should, as Barack knew he would.

Hillary Clinton, redux. McCain and Clinton are fused and triangulating together -- against Senator Obama - using the same failed tactics of VICTIMIZATION as a weapon. Hillary, as a woman. McCain, as a former POW. Both are manipulative and old style politics.

Americans are better than this -- circa 2008. Americans deserve better than this. We've changed. Hillary/Bill Clinton, Joe Lieberman and John McCain -- have not.

This will be a BATTLE between the past and the future.

Americans will not tolerate former POWs supporting TORTURE as the American standard. America will not support Senators (or Presidents) -- who are wealthy vets themselves --voting against the new GI Bill -- further proving that wielding the POW cudgel, inappropriately.

John McCain believes ONLY HE is worthy. ONLY HE is special. ONLY HIS POW status is relevant. He never thinks about the fact that many of his fellow POWs may not appreciate this game and have their own memories they would rather not revisit.

[valleygent]

Glad you have faith in the American public Renatam...­I don't, I say fool all of the people all of the time because they are too stupid to know the difference anyway. The more nuanced Obama becomes the less relevant he will be... period. Americans will believe anything that is repeated like a drum beat time and time again. Obama's campaign must find just a few things to beat like a drum. Keating...­.and "are we better off" are great starters. Let's see if they can muster the smarts and the guts.

[thinkofmekindly]

I hope this sticks and more people start realizing McCain is the one with no substance. Really it's laughable. I thought it was hilarious when Alan Colmes questioned why John McCain is qualified to be president even though he was an adulterer but yet John Edwards is automatically disqualified. All Hannity could shout was "5 and 1/2 years!", "5 and 1/2 years that man spent as a prisoner!"

And why isn't anyone asking McCain this question? You criticized Obama for being naive for saying he would go into Pakistan to get Bin Laden but yet McCain, you would follow him to the gates of hell to get him?! WTF?! He is such a tool.

One last thing, McCain calls out Obama for making $4 million a year and having a million dollar house in the latest commercial, well according to his Saddleback answer, that doesn't even make him rich, what maybe upper middle class?!

[z2]

A noun, a verb, and "Hanoi Hilton."