McCain's POW Defense: Devaluing Our Service and His Own

The McCain campaign has spent weeks trying to portray Obama as out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans. Today, an interviewer at Politico.com asked McCain how many homes he and his wife owned, to which he responded that he was not sure but would get someone from his staff to answer.

Contrary to what many will tell you, this does not make McCain out of touch with ordinary Americans, as many families today are in trouble with their banks and trying to figure out how many homes they have - zero or one.

Still, it's the campaign's defense we find deeply troubling:

"This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison."

We obviously honor and respect McCain's service and the five-and-a-half years of horror that he went through at the hands of the North Vietnamese; but it's not an excuse for everything. He has already used it to explain away his infidelities in his first marriage. He's used it to defend his healthcare plan. He just the other day used it to deflect accusations of having skirted the rules of the Saddleback forum.

It's time for the Senator to stop cheapening the war experiences of thousands of vets and his fellow POWs, and his own as well, by stretching the boundaries of logic to make his POW status a wild-card rebuttal to all accusations or an answer to all difficult questions.

We are veterans who like John McCain, who served honorably, but and we continue to serve our country honorably by not using our military experiences as unjustifiable necessary shields or stepping stones. John McCain has faced and will continue to face many difficult questions that he does not have an answer for, and problems to which that he will provide no solutions to, in the 70 days between now and the election. When he uses his status as a veteran to deflect legitimate questions and concerns, it devalues not just his service to our country but ours as well.

So today, we ask not as Veterans for Obama, but as Veterans of America that Sen. McCain respect the service of his fellow POWs and combat veterans, and stop cheapening their service by hiding behind his own.

Lt. General Robert G. Gard Jr. (USA, Ret.) is the steering committee chairman of Vets for Obama. Visit their official site or join them on Facebook.

Comments

[JusticiaParaTodos]

General Gard hits the nail on the head! McCain's only claim to glory is his status as a former POW in another war that the U.S. should never had been involved in!

The problem with McCain is he is not ordinary people. He's a millionaire and all he relates to is money and people with money! His refusal to improve the VA Healthcare system is an indication of his disdain for people who do not have six or seven figure incomes! It also shows the hypocrisy of this man who uses his status as a veteran and former POW, yet does not give a damn about vets who are sick, injured and in need of REAL healthcare benefits!

His position on Iraq is also an indication that he is not living in reality! No real war vet likes war and in fact most will tell you that war is ugly and hardly anything to gloat over!

[Kwaayesnama]

I live in Arizona and I will not be voting to send McLazy back to the senate. His call to fame is that he has never asked for an earmark for the state of Arizona. Wow! I guess this state is so wealthy that there are no needs in Arizona such a roads in rural areas, employment opportunities in Indian Country. A few museums in rural areas to bring much needed tourism from Scottsdale to our beautiful rural Arizona would be nice. So thank you John McCain for reminding me that you have never done anything for Arizona. I"ll vote for president Obama, and then I hope the Democrats find someone willing to work for Arizona to replace you in the Senate.

[JimLarkin]

" he mentions 3 things. a verb a noun and 911" ...joe biden on giulianni
"he mentions 3 things. a verb , a noun and P.O.W" ...everyone by now on mccain

[MLGaree]

I agree with General Gard: McCain needs to stop using his POW past to explain away every faux pas and/or gaffe he has made (and continues to make) in his political life. He is hardly the only American to suffer at the hands of our enemies, and surely he won't be the last, unfortunately.
Personally, I have trouble with the way the word "hero" has been bandied about so loosely ever since 9/11. That term should be reserved for people who have indeed done something . . . well . . . heroic!
The crux of the present matter is whether or not Senator McCain has what it takes to make a good president. Is he honorable? Decisive? Intelligent? Trustworthy? You get the idea.
In my opinion, Senator McCain's reply to the question about how many houses he and his wife own says a great deal about him. Whatever he was before he got into politics, since that time he has joined the legions of politicians who have become completely out of touch with the average American. Too bad.
Oh, and by the way, I also am a veteran of Vietnam, having served there in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1966 and 1967. I am proud of my service (ten years total on active duty), but I've never felt comfortable using it to justify every stupid thing I've said and done since leaving the service. McCain shouldn't either.

Michael Garee

[DrGandalf]

John McCain's continual reference to his prisoner-of-war status reminds me of a movie, "White Christmas", starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kay. It takes place first in a war zone in WWII. Danny saves Bing's life, and in the process injures his arm. Danny manipulates Bing for the next ten years by always referring to his "bad" arm, reminding Bing of Danny saving Bing's life.

In watching this classic film, the viewer enjoys the obvious scam going on, finds it comical that Bing continues to fall for it.

Today, John McCain is pulling this manipulation on the American voters. How long will Americans fall for it? I do indeed admire the Senator's honor, but I no longer respect the way he campaigns. Is this John McCain's mantra, like GW Bush's 9-11 mantra? When will the media point this out?

[DrDemon]

'When will the media point this out?"

That's the $1,000,000 question!

[tangerinesong]

let me try one more time here......

McCain's POW status works with 80 percent of American voters if not more....regardless.


TS

[ByersL]

speak for yourself, not the 80% you seem to know will fall for it. Not one of my friends believes his crap about being a POW making him presidential material. We all know that he was treated very differently because of his father's status and was a high profile prisoner who didn't suffer nearly as much as others there at the same time. Still, he was very brave and I thank him for his service. However, he claims he doesn't want to run on his POW status, so why does he continue to bring it up EVERY DAY. It's meaningless now, this guy is right!

[lanshark]

Not if he keeps using it over and over and over again. And that's the point people are making. And he can't keep using it as an dodge to get out of answering difficult or uncomfortable questions.

A perfect example of this is McCain's performance in one of the Republican candidate primary debates, when McCain is asked why he was more qualified than Mitt Romney to manage the economy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT6h0Ni-pxA

Note that he never answers the question. Nothing on the economy. He's just more patriotic than Mitt. And he knows how to lead. Sorry, John, that's not good enough.

[csavage]

You know, I'm really tired with the way we are handling John McCain with kid gloves...

Forget he's a veteran, Americans obviously don't care or they wouldn't have believe the swiftboat campaign "hook, line and sinker" that cost Kerry the election in 2004.

I think EVERY time McCain brings up his war record-SOMEONE should bring up the Keating 5/Savings and Loan scandal from the 80's...without fail...

Howard Dean---are you reading???? You are obviously the one to do this....

It goes like this
"I don't have to answer this-I was a POW..."
"How many of your houses were purchased with those ill-gotten gains from the S and L crisis 20 years ago, Senator M?"
Et cetera....

[halfnhalf]

The general speaks the truth. McCain is misusing his P.O.W. status. And it is an out and out shame.

Sure, McCain's refusing to be released early is admirable. But he obviously didn't learn from that experience. Of all of our senators, he is the one who should have shouted out his stance against torture. He knows what torture can do every time he gets dressed. He knows that torture led him to confess that he was evil and so was his country.

I supported him financially when he ran against Bush because I believed he was an outspoken, truth-telling maverick. The day he embraced Bush at the convention was the day I questioned that. The things he has done since have embittered me.

[gage]

"Of all of our senators, he is the one who should have shouted out his stance against torture"

He did, and he p*ssed off his party doing it.

[1stThron]

Senator Kerry promised the late Tim Russert on Meet The Press that he would sign a Form 180 which would authorize the Department of Defense to release his military record. The information in the Kerry's military record would either prove the Swiftboaters right or wrong. Why Kerry has not fulfilled this promise should give you pause to think the Swiftboaters were wrong.

[liz]

That was then. This is now.
Has John McCain signed the form that allows the voters to have access to all of his military records? If so , When? If not, Why not?
Obviously all of you guys know exactly how it is done. Let's get McCain's records out this week!

[LawrenceL]

Thank you, Gen. Gard, for saying what had to be said.

[1stThron]

What I did not hear from the General was, "as I am on record denouncing John Kerry's use of his military record when he ran for the presidency..." Prior to the mortgage crisis up to 40% of home sales were second homes. The typical American who bought a second home made less than $90,000. Second homes represent hundreds of thousands of jobs for the building industry. If Democrats want to put a politically correct quota on second, third or more homes then thousands of Amercians can kiss their jobs go bye and thousands of K-12 schools will either be cutting their budgets or demanding property taxes increases. Since Barry is introducing politically correct quotas, then he can pledge that when he reaches Cindy McCain's age and wealth, he will still only own one house and will not have any houses as real estate investments, no houses for his daughters or aunt or any of his half brothers etc. And he will ask his fellow Democrats that have homes on Martha's Vineyard, the Hamptons, Mount Desert Island etc. to sell so they can be in harmony with political correctness. Again, in the tradition of socialism, Democrats can not be up without putting something or someone down.

[dhairston]

Why is it that every time money is concerned, Repukicans bring up socialism?

The problem is that here is a man who commented that a person is considered "rich" once they reach 5 million dollars. Furthermore, your argument is a far fetched as your attempt to tie it to socialism. Let's see... 7 or 8 house compared to 1 or 2? Call me crazy, but there seems to be a big gap between the two. If McCain would have said that he in fact had two houses (or even remembered his seven) we probably wouldn't have made a big deal. However, what it boils down to is that you can't call someone "out of touch with the American people" when you have more homes than you can keep track of. This is the argument at hand. I (and most Democrats) could care less how many homes you have, but don't try to play the role of "common man" when you spend more on household help than most people make in a year (even by flipping their 2nd house).

And please don't defend him by saying that he is a P.O.W. - that is getting played way out.

[liz]

This is completely irrational. Where did you get the "fact" that the average salary of Americans buying second homes is $90,000. I find that hard to believe, and until I see a reference to a reliable source, I cana't believe what you say
Obama is not introducing any idea of any quotas on anything that I know of and I follow thing pretty closely.
Where is the evidence that Cindy McCain is buying homes or making investments for any relatives except her and John's children? I read that she and her father cut everyone else off, including cancelling credit cards of college student grandchildren when her father died, without notice.
You are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts.

[BlueOnBlue]

Thank you General.

I served in Vietnam and kept a public silence about my service until this year. I felt I had to make note of my service in order to be credible in my responses to McCain's misuse of his own. His frequent use of it to defend himself from unrelated charges is unseemly, at best. At worst, it discredits the many who served and sacrificed even more than McCain.

Every time I'm in Washington, I make the trip to the Wall to silently salute absent friends who gave so much more than myself. I wish McCain would honor them, too.

We know he's a veteran. We know he was a POW. If he would just shut up, I could go back to doing the same.

[BlueStateKelly]

Thank you, sir, for your service and for your candor.

I am not a military brat; my father served in the Navy for a few years and cousins have served, but I do not come from a military background, per se.

However, I become FURIOUS when McCain and his advisors use his POW status as an excuse for not being to answer questions, even the most basic. He cheapens the horrific experience others who served endured, and that should offend ALL Americans, regardless of their political leanings.

Please keep speaking out - we need to more from veterans such as yourself what McCain is realy about.

[stateretiree]

What about all the Vietnam Vets that came home to suffer PTSD and all the indignities that were heaped upon them when they returned. I have experienced the flashbacks that a loved one has suffered after their service. We as a country should honor all men/women that serve.

[suntzu]

There are at least two scenarios to explain McCain's constant use of the POW defense.
(1) The POW defense is a deliberate ploy to bamboozle the press and the voters into allowing McCain to do and say anything he wants, because anything less than outright approval and adulation means someone is demeaning his war experience. It this is true, it is cheap and cynical and plays the American people for gullible fools.
(2) The POW defense is not a deliberate ploy but some kind if deeply instilled attitude and defense mechanism that McCain deploys whenever he is in trouble. It is as if he cannot help it, in a similar way that Tourette's Syndrome sufferers have tics other kinds of uncontrollable behavior. This second scenario, if true, is much scarier and more worrisome than the first one, because it suggests that McCain cannot deal with situations in a calm and detached manner, but reflexively reaches for a defense mechanism that he has used to get him where he is. In other words, in Scenario 2, McCain just can't help himself, and if that is true it is very worrisome indeed.

[Austintatious]

It is incomprehensible to me that anyone with average or better intellect and opportunity to observe McCain's conduct does not conclude that he is mentally unstable. Clearly, McCain is still fighting the Viet Nam war and has a driving need to have a war of his own to win. The problem is, he will do so with the blood of someone else's children, and someone else's money. His will be an Administration more dangerous and harmful than that of George Bush.

I don't know enough of McCain's experiences in Viet Nam to judge, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt unless and until I know that he's not worthy in that regard. Regarding his political career, especially of late, he has repeatedly shown himself to be unworthy of our respect or support. He jettisons principle whenever politically expedient. He is uninformed, misinformed, confused, belligerent and incompetent. He is also very dangerous for our nation and the world.

Again, anyone with reasonable intellect and ability to observe knows that McCain will literally say and do anything to become President. If you are not yet convinced, just watch, because you ain't seen nothin' yet. It will get much worse as November draws closer. The thought of McCain in the White House should make you afraid.

[liz]

Pat Buchana says McCain will make Cheney look like Ghandi. I believe him. He is nuts about a lot of things but has been right about the war from the beginning.

[ObserverinVancouver]

Sen. McCain was a POW in 1968 so he does not have a visceral understanding of how traumatizing that year was in the US. King's assassination, Kennedy's assassination, riots, the Democratic convention in Chicago. And those are just the highlights. Sen. McCain thinks the US wimped out in leaving Vietnam and keeps trying to restore the country's honour by "winning" now. Has anyone heard Sen. McCain explain his definition of winning?

[Brenbooks]

THANK YOU SIR for speaking out. After MSM vilified Ge, Wes Clark it is great to hear your take too. McCain is UNFIT for the presidency based on his anger issues and poor judgment.

It's not his age but his muddledness that makes him a scary choice.

The Obama-Bien ticket is a great step in reclaiming America!

[bhatsor]

POW is the master key.

POW sum, ergo sum. I am a POW, then I am.

[valleygent]

Wesley Clark had said it best...and was giving Obama a real strategy to deconstruct McCain's war hero status without appearing to ignore his great personal sacrifice. Of course Obama lableled that strategy "Inartful".

[suntzu]

Oh come on. You fail to understand that Gen. Clark is a 4-star general who served heroically in Vietnam. He has the standing and the service record (two Silver Stars) to say what he did. Obama clearly does not.
However, Clark speaking the truth did put Obama on the spot. If Obama did not disavow what Clark said, the Swift Boaters would have taken off after Obama for something he did not say. Clearly that was something he had to avoid, and he did the only thing he could, which was to distance himself from the remark. But you fail to note that Obama DID NOT DISAGREE with what Clark said. He just said, "not invented here." That was smart and proper.