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McCain sells legacy of military heroism to the voters

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Published Date: 01 April 2008
By STEVEN HURST
JOHN McCain has begun a campaign to woo voters with his military legacy, defining himself as the presidential candidate who has national security experience lacking in his Democratic rivals.
He emerged victorious in the Republican nomination contest weeks ago. And with seven months remaining before the November presidential election, polls indicate a tight race with either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

Mr McCain mentioned neither of his potential opponents in his speech yesterday, nor did he discuss the war in Iraq or the weakening economy and spike in home repossessions – issues on which he will be hammered by either Democrat.

Instead he portrayed himself as a patriot who was born into a family of warriors.

"I am the son and grandson of admirals," Mr McCain said. "They were my first heroes, and their respect for me has been one of the most lasting ambitions of my life. They showed me how to love my country, and that has made all the difference for me."

A prisoner of war in Vietnam at a time his own father commanded all US forces in the Pacific, Mr McCain said, "He prayed on his knees every night for my safe return. Yet, when duty required it, he gave the order for B-52s to bomb Hanoi, in close proximity to my prison."





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  • Last Updated: 31 March 2008 10:13 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Rozz Fyffe,

Scotland 01/04/2008 03:21:56
At least McCain will see through Chinas false smiles.

and as the USA is being bled dry by the Chinese its time for change
2

GalacticCannibal,

Murrieta, CA........captured from Mexico 1845 01/04/2008 04:55:06
McCain sells legacy of military heroism to the voters
------------------------------------------
Dudes,
This war mongering dude , will bankrupt the US if he gets elected.

WAR WAR and more WAR is his motto.

Still WARS make millions of US REPS rich and they don't care . Its all about money.

GC
3

Pilrig.,

Livingston 01/04/2008 06:30:10
He's had his chips.
4

Logie Almond,

01/04/2008 10:22:32
McCain is a war criminal like the rest of the Americans who tried to bomb Vietnam "back into the stone age" and dropped Agent Orange on Vietnamese men, women and children.
5

Let's have the truth,

Queensland 01/04/2008 12:33:03
"McCain sells legacy of military heroism to the voters"

....That's what screwed the last democratic candidate.

Was McCain at Mai Lai?
6

Carolyn 1,

01/04/2008 14:00:22
@4,5
Are you always this stupid, or did you make an extra attempt at it today?
McCain was in the Hanoi Hilton for 7 years being tortured. - that's why this article states he was a prisoner of war.

Not expected to live more than a week he was then put in solitary confinement for two years. He was in Prison Hellhole- A place where you two fine sissy phonies would not have lasted a nanosecond before crying uncle
7

Logie Almond,

01/04/2008 15:15:03
He was bombing women and children and the Vietnamese would have been quite entitled to shoot him there and then. Anyway, his pal George Bush has just vetoed a law prohibiting the use of torture by US forces.
8

Reckless,

CFR scum 01/04/2008 16:42:19
Vietnamese tell international press that POW McCain was "singled out for softer treatment"

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/
9

Independent,

USA 01/04/2008 17:40:16
#7, McCain is Navy, not a bombadier. The ban on torture was HIS idea, not Bush's.

He doesn't have to sell it, he is a war hero from a family of warriors.

#8, he was singled out for release, which he declined.

You need to know these thing because he is your next President of the United States. That is because my party is busy losing the White House - which it has held only 12 of the last 40 years for the same reason -by nominating a flake who cannot possibly win a general election. I advise you to pray for Senator Clinton if this outcome does not suit you.

For me, anything is better than the recently proven danger of having an inexperienced lightweight at that desk.
10

mike - across the pond,

loogie almond.... reckless.... and truth 01/04/2008 17:48:51
reckless... McCain was offered release from VietNam, because his father was an admiral... an offer he refused because he would not take "special favors"... as far as being treated "special..." well yah... his father was an admiral... if they stuck him in a half submerged rat infested cage, they WOULD be subject to bigger reprisals.... but HE had no influence over that.... and his internment was no picnic...

loogie.... I believe he flew A4's... so yes, he was a light bomber pilot... problem with tieing agent orange to bomber pilots would be 2 fold... 1) a pilot flys missions he is ordered to fly and are thus pretty immune to prosecution.... 2) and most sigificant.. agent orange is SPRAYED not explosively relased... this was done from HELICOPTERS... not bombers... care to think that one over again?

truth... MeLai... no... he may have flown over... but he was in the NAVY and a pilot...
11

Virginian,

USA 02/04/2008 01:11:04
John McCain does not have to "sell" the US electorate his illustrious heritage.

The well informed know his military background and that his father and grandfather were US Navy Admirals.

The international news media has wasted a great deal of time and effort focusing on Obama vs. Clinton.

Obama's father was a Kenyan who went back to that country. Who knows anything about Hilary Clinton's parents...or even cares?

The point is that John McCain is by far the best choice to be the next US President.
12

57Nomad,

california 02/04/2008 04:34:24
#7 LA

LA said:

"He was bombing women and children and the Vietnamese would have been quite entitled to shoot him there and then."

In World War II, Allied air forces deliberately bombed the civilian areas of enemy cities with the explicit intention of killing as many civilians as we could and destroying as much of their property as possible. Would describe the men who directed these attacks as war criminals? Do you think that Allied pilots captured by the Germans or German pilots captured in Britain could morally been killed on the spot as you suggest should have happened to John McCain?

Might you tell us how it is that you have come to know the details of the missions that McCain flew. If you are certain that he is a butcher of women and children, perhaps you will cite your sources. If you can't, then it would seem that you have libeled a courageous and honorable man. Wouldn't you agree?
13

Let's have the truth,

Queensland 03/04/2008 00:20:17
#11

"The well informed know his military background and that his father and grandfather were US Navy Admirals".

....So what? Many a well connected child of illustrious parents turned out to be no good. Just look at George W. Bush.

 

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