McCain Camp Lies About VA Crowd Size

WVEC reports:

Republican John McCain pledged to fight for a new direction for the country in an energetic new campaign stump speech Monday that sought to distance him from the economic policies of President Bush.

...

The Virginia Beach Fire Marshal's office estimated the size of the crowd to be 12,000. A McCain campaign spokeswoman claimed the crowd size was 25,000, but the Convention Center's capacity is only 16,000.

It's not the first time, either:

Senator John McCain has drawn some of the biggest crowds of his presidential campaign since adding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to his ticket on Aug. 29. Now officials say they can't substantiate the figures McCain's aides are claiming.

McCain aide Kimmie Lipscomb told reporters on Sept. 10 that an outdoor rally in Fairfax City, Virginia, drew 23,000 people, attributing the crowd estimate to a fire marshal.

Fairfax City Fire Marshal Andrew Wilson said his office did not supply that number to the campaign and could not confirm it. Wilson, in an interview, said the fire department does not monitor attendance at outdoor events.

In recent days, journalists attending the rallies have been raising questions about the crowd estimates with the campaign. In a story on Sept. 11 about Palin's attraction for some Virginia women voters, Washington Post reporter Marc Fisher estimated the crowd to be 8,000, not the 23,000 cited by the campaign.

Comments

[mrJJ]

Every Republican & GOP candidate on this years electoral down ticket must be voted down or out.

ALL Poilitics are LOCAL... every McBush enabler need to be voted down & out

McCain Says To Stand Up For Him...And George Bush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CJWXCEr-zY

[munki]

Perhaps if they incorporate an "Oktoberfest" may have been a value added to draw to justify the camp claim...

[zendem1]

When asked about the size, Mccain campaign spokesman Nancy Pfartanhour said, "Oh well, I don't really like them big anyway. The concept of size is so overrated. I've always preferred small, enthusiastic, and not overly bright. But the real issue here is that Obama will raise taxes and he's a terrorist.­"

[jackjack]

as gomer pile would say...sur-­prise sur-prise!

[LiberTLover]

It would actually be news if they told the truth. About anything. Amything at all.

[GoBarryGo]

Sad but true.

[NotMcCain]

Why not? They lie about everything and never have even the basic facts of a situation (like how many people a venue actually CAN hold).

Why change now? It's their one strategy that is still succeeding.

[daveincolorado]

this is getting to be sad. Not that i'm going to be crying for mccain, however.

[BiGnBulKY]

"I can look you in the eye and tell you , we have drawn down to pre-surge troop levels..." McCain has no care for facts or reality...­.

[CharlesJ]

This is a problem with McCain. He and his camp lie about the most insignificant things and that brings me to a very deep concern about him. If he has the capacity to lie about such small trivial things what else will he lie about. I do not recall one single day where McCain, his surrogates or his campaign have not lied about something and I personally find that very troubling. It all takes me back to the long, so very long list of lies the current administration has told these past eight years, and now look where we are. I just wish that McCain would and could spend the rest of his campaign telling the truth for a change. Granted we all have the ability to embelish the facts from time to time, you know that fish that was so huge, but this is getting silly. Truth Man, TRUTH, is that too much to expect from a potential president?

[rmreddicks]

It may be that he doesn't lie. He simply doesn't know the truth. Shite/Sunni. Iraq/Pakistan. Czechoslovakia.

[bpowell1]

Twelve thousand is nothing to sneeze at why lie about it. That is just silly.

[Grunty1]

They are jealous that Obama DOES in fact exceed the capacity of venues. He often has as many people side as in (and the outside people outnumber McCain's entire outing!)

[Grannysue]

Yesterday my husband, who passed away in February, received a letter from the McCain campaign?
Both of us are, were Independents, so I don't know why they are contacting us, anyway, this letter said "My friend, the last thing we Republicans can afford is to have our hands tied behind our backs due to the fact that their candiate broke his promise to the American people and refused to accept the presidential campaign spending limit-WHICH MEANS THEY WILL HAVE NO LIMIT AS TO WHAT THEY CAN RAISE AND SPEND. " Then it goes on to beg for money, every other word was emergency, in bold letters, if you don't send money then your taxes will be raised, more government spending, socialized medicine and surrender in Iraq. It ended with "I hope you will stand with us in this struggle by rushing an Emergency Membership Contribution!
LOL, now I see where the GOP might have to loan it'self some money! I'm going to tape a penny to the letter and mail it back with some really nice words!

[athenasword]

Love the sending them a penny part!

[zendem1]

I sent them a picture of my middle finger.

[blaqntelligence]

What a great idea!

[GoBarryGo]

And the "My friend" thing again -- AAAAAAAAAA­AGGGGGGGGG­GHHHHHHH!

[GoBarryGo]

And Grannysue, condolences on the loss of your husband. You're doing him proud by looking out for his country by supporting Obama.

[bygollymissmolly]

McCain says:

"Sen. Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and Sen. (Harry) Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, take away your right to vote by secret ballot in labor elections, and concede defeat in Iraq," McCain said, targeting the prospect of one-party government with references to the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate.
----------­----------­----------­----------­---

Maybe he should rethink using that line since the other two Republicans who used the line ended up in losing:

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush told a Houston rally when he went to the Oval Office he expected to find Democratic candidate Bill Clinton "there measuring the drapes. Put those drapes on hold, it's going to be curtain time." Clinton unseated Bush.

In October 2006, President George W. Bush said congressional Democrats "were measuring the drapes" and planning to take control of Congress. A month later, Democrats won the House and Senate.

[BrandyBee]

Thats not all their Ly'in about
You Betcha

[DebM]

Noun verb LIE

[SpencersMom]

Size matters, John. Especially when it can and will be verified.

This is not a "fish story", John, so don't try to tell us how big you "crowd" is. You should see the size of the "crowd" that got away!

PEACE

[juzcuz]

Exaggeration, mmmmmmm. Maybe that's why Sugar Mama Cindy got interested in Johnny-boy at the beginning; he lied and exaggerated about the size of his>>>>>. Interesting. Of course we know that Johnny's nose is getting longer by the minute, looks so much like Pinnochio.