Fellow POW: McCain's War Past Makes Him A Presidential Risk

One of John McCain's fellow prisoners of war is making an argument that few if any Democrats are willing to air publicly: the Senator's experience in Vietnam does not qualify him to be president. In fact, it may be a reason to vote against him.

Phillip Butler, a highly decorated combat veteran who was imprisoned for eight years in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton," is proclaiming in a brand new political film that McCain's time as a POW makes him a medical and temperamental risk to be handed the responsibilities of commander in chief.

"I think I can say with authority that the Prisoner Of War experience is not a good prerequisite for President," says Butler. "John McCain is not somebody I would like to see with his finger near the red button."

He only goes on from there. "He was very sensitive and touchy and just easy to anger," Butler says of the Arizona Republican. "John McCain's temperament makes it clear that he is not cut out to be President of the United States."

The commentary comes in a short interview that Butler conducted with Brave New Films, a progressive media outlet that has produced some of the sharpest and most personal attacks on the Republican candidate. And it has the potential to re-introduce one of the campaign's touchier topics. Democrats, with the notable exception of Gen. Wesley Clark, have shied away from directly stating that being a POW is not, in and of itself, a qualification to serve as commander in chief. In the wake of his comments, Clark was publicly rebuked by Barack Obama. Since then, Democrats have been silent on the matter even as McCain and his aides have increasingly resorted to his Vietnam past as a way to rationalize policies or dismiss character criticisms.

Butler, in his Brave New Films debut, demonstrates no such self-restrictions. Pointing to the health risks faced by former POWs, he raises several concerns about a potential McCain presidency.

"The data show that the Prisoner Of War group are dying at an earlier age and that we suffer lots of residual things that the non-P.O.W. group really doesn't have to deal with," he says. "And it's imperative that we have someone who is healthy and can stand the rigors of that job."

Butler, a peace and justice activist with Veterans for Peace, has expressed similar reservations about McCain before. In a Military Times op-ed in late March 2008, he wrote:

"I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate."

The Brave New Films video is likely to bring Butler's comments to an new and much wider audience. The group's political action committee is slated to send Butler's testimony to half a million people and is prepping for a national TV ad buy.

The McCain campaign did not return immediate request for comment.

Comments

[arthur2008]

12:43 PM on 09/02/2008

Thank you, Mr. Butler, for speaking the truth in the face of jingoistic gibberish. John McCain's POW experience prepares him only to be a former POW. Of great concern, however, is the fact that a close look at his biography demonstrates that he was rash and impetuous even BEFORE his war experiences. Add to that the facts that he is 72-years-old, a cancer patient multiple times, and -- as it is appropriate to note -- forgetful and confused far too often for comfort. And how does he reassure the nation? By tapping for VP an inexperienced, apparently vindictive and less than honest "religious" right fanatic who comes out of the gate as a comic soap opera.

[foxflood]

10:28 AM on 09/02/2008

Clark took a hard hit for speaking near this truth, but it is the truth. It's nothing against McCain personally, but it's clear he's an erratic man driven by his demons. He has no vision for this country's future and for solving it's problems. He wants the presidency as a kind of affirmation for what he's been through. He just wants to win. And that isn't a good enough reason for him to be president. We need someone who has a vision to govern. And that's Obama.

[russpix]

10:13 AM on 09/02/2008

Can't find this on the Huffpost home or politics page any longer... ?

Please read and propagate Mr. Butler's great article on the subject from last spring:

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html

They can't do to him what they did to Gen. Clark!

[katzenroehrl]

10:10 AM on 09/02/2008

I hope they are indeed able to spread this great video widely. - John McCain often acts like somebody who cannot control his impulses and no matter what others say about him I would personally feel intimidated finding myself standing next to him. There is something unpredictable, uncomfortable, and eerie about this man. He just gives me the creeps. (In that sense, Pal-in was not a bad choice as a running pal; she is so much more down to earth and seems way less troubled.)

[bwilder]

10:10 AM on 09/02/2008

This is good stuff and I read this man's views a while back. Being and
eight year POW himself, he has the knowledge and experience to
rebut McCain's whole POW platform.

And I am hopeful that once this hits the MSM ( and it will within a week or two)
that
A) it will make the voting public do some serious thinking about McCain, his life
expectancy and his temper.

and

B) That his campaign will see that using the POW card is no longer to their advantage.

I can hope can't I?

[rankola]

10:05 AM on 09/02/2008

It's a great start. However, what the filmmaker/interviewer left out was statistical data on the life expectations of POW's and the types of conditions POW's would most likely have, versus the general population, plus the psychological issues as well. In order to truly swiftboat mccain, this data is needed, otherwise, it's just opinions. ALSO, after reading his archives on military.com (thanks to the poster who pointed us there), many other things are shed--such as all POW's received numerous awards, not just mccain, other POW's were tortured and filmed with injuries, not just mccain. These things are really important points to get across...otherwise, this is just a video that points out vagaries and opinions, not all facts.

[BCubedReg]

10:03 AM on 09/02/2008

Yes, any intelligent person knows that being a P.O.W. does not qualify you to be president. Now if we can only convince republicans.... hmmmm...

[dayala]

10:01 AM on 09/02/2008

and that "my friends" is what General Wesley Clark was alluding to and got slammed for it.
I like Joe Biden but I still believe Clark should have been given the VP nod, he demonstrated good judgement and courage for speaking out.

[SouthpawSass]

10:01 AM on 09/02/2008

See what they did to Wesley Clark? They'll try to do similar to Mr. Butler. I admire both these men and thank them for their continued service.

No thank you Republicans. Come back when you can offer someone worthy of the office.

[fignozzle]

09:56 AM on 09/02/2008

i wish they would play this at the RNC.
ot everynight on every channel!

[Gary47]

09:53 AM on 09/02/2008

This is exactly one of the places we need to be going. I've been arguing for this for months and am delighted to see someone with courage enough to step to the plate. Barack misjudged this one badly. McCain brings up his POW all the time. Its nonsense for us not to be all over this. We should be ripping McCains' POW claims to shreds. To wit, being a POW is a failure. It grants no leadership skills. It basically removed him from service to his country.

[Avembe]

09:59 AM on 09/02/2008

All of us felt what you said but i don't agree that Obama misjudged, he just can't talk about it imagine the uproar...BUT if this guy could be given more opportunities to be heard,that would be efficient, far more efficient than OObama risking any move

[nomobull]

10:01 AM on 09/02/2008

Barack misjudged this one badly. please explain how. if anyone misjudge it ould be those who decide beina a POW qualified you for president.

[tlgeiger62]

09:52 AM on 09/02/2008

I've felt this way from the beginning and have never understood the rationale for thinking his POW status makes him MORE qualified to be POTUS.

Where are his mental health records - or is it that he never rec'd treatment for PTSD?

[lis60]

09:51 AM on 09/02/2008

Thank you for coming forward. I wish more people would talk about McCains temperament and why he is the absolute worst choice for president because of it. I have read a great deal about his anger and how moody he is. He does not have good judgement-look at the Sarah Palin choice!

[Soothsayer08]

09:51 AM on 09/02/2008

Thank God ! Isn't this the same thing Wesley Clark was trying to draw everyone's attention too? Being a POW isn't a qualification to be president. In fact depending on what happened during the time of imprisonment it might be a reason for disqualification. Since John McCain refuses to release all of his military and health records, they should be demanded. There is something seriously wrong with him if he is hiding them.

[debrouillard]

09:58 AM on 09/02/2008

Plus this guy has got more credibility by haven spent 8 years as opposed to JMC's 5 and 1/2 at the same Hanoi. So JMC,who knows Hanoi better?

[Gary47]

10:03 AM on 09/02/2008

Absolutely! Let's squawk about this loudly to every media outlet in the country until it gets some attention.

[Felicty]

09:50 AM on 09/02/2008

I hope we get to see this film BEFORE the election!