Former POW Says McCain Is "Not Cut Out to be President"

Posted by Robert Greenwald, Brave New PAC at 9:45 AM on September 2, 2008.

McCain called out for overplaying POW card.

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"To see McCain resort to playing the POW card when answering legitimate questions, in my mind, cheapens that experience. And by cheapening his own experience in war, he degrades all of our experiences in war. He turns the horrific incidents we've all seen, touched, smelled, and felt into a lame excuse to earn political points. And it dishonors us all."
-- Brandon Friedman, a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan

John McCain has been exploiting his prisoner of war experience every chance he gets. He has used this story to justify everything from not knowing how many homes he has to his healthcare plan to his marital infidelities to his taste in music. The McCain campaign is even using his POW story in paid ads. But now a veteran who was a prisoner with McCain in Vietnam is explaining loud and clear that being a POW does not qualify McCain to lead our country.
We are sure this video will draw an onslaught of right-wing attacks, but we bring it to you because it is our job to continue to convey the truth together and give these issues national attention. As Dr. Butler has said, McCain does not have the temperament to have his finger near the red button. Get this video to everyone you know-friends, family members, coworkers, and especially those who don't share your political views. The video is designed to reach them. Get it on your social networking sites like Digg. And get it to every blog, newspaper, and TV station that has ever overplayed McCain's POW story. It is time to fight back with truth!

The mainstream press has already begun to call out McCain for overusing his POW story. And it's cut across all political persuasions.

"Whether he's deflecting criticism over his health-care plan or mocking a tribute to the Woodstock music festival, Senator John McCain has a trump card: the Hanoi Hilton. - Edwin Chen, Bloomberg
"Noun, Verb, POW" - Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic Monthly
"The McCain campaign's constant invocation of the candidate's POW past is weird bordering on irrational..." - Ana Marie Cox, TIME
"I think they are going to it way too many times." - Howard Fineman, Newsweek

Remember how Joe Biden got the press to refer to Rudy Giuliani as "A noun, a verb, and 9/11"? Well, let's actually take Andrew Sullivan's lead here and get the media to boil McCain down to a similar phrase: "A noun, a verb, and POW." Considering how often the McCain campaign invokes his POW story, isn't that what they're already doing?

Tagged as: john mccain, pow, dr phillip butler, phillip butler, prisoner of war, hanoi

Robert Greenwald is the director/producer of "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price" and "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism."

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McCain's class ranking [Report this comment] Posted by: realveive on Sep 2, 2008 3:06 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] at 894th out of 899 graduates should be enough to preclude him from consideration. How dumb do we want our presidents to be? He may be an improvement over Dubya but that ain't any challenge at all. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: McCain's class ranking Posted by: tap17x Publicity [Report this comment] Posted by: Jeanne on Sep 2, 2008 7:39 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] These opinions need to be heard by the masses of low information voters. These voters need to see and hear the words coming from the mouths of these veterans. Print or internet articles will not reach the awareness of those who need to be exposed to these "alternative" depictions of McCain. As long as the network news repeats the mantra of the "maverick" "pow" who is running for president, this mistaken image of McCain will be reinforced. So, despite the thinking voter's reservations about McCain's suitability and his emotional equilibrium, the masses will continue to believe in the storybook character. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] McChange or McSame? [Report this comment] Posted by: Intellect on Sep 2, 2008 8:50 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] McCain was McChange before he became McSame. McCain has flipped floppped on so many issues, even on those for which he was responsible for writing legislation and only became McSame in the sense of emulating George Bush, our shoot from the hip anti-intellectual pResident. We need a president who carefully considers all the possible consequences of his actions and carefully formulates policy - not another shoot from the hip Bushwacko. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] One Man's Opinion [Report this comment] Posted by: taxidriver on Sep 3, 2008 6:53 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I respect this POW's opinion. The key point is that McCain is volatile and unpredictable--exactly the kind of person you don't want with his finger on the red button. He'll be another Bush in the sense that he'll make blustering "decisions" based on gut instinct, which is shorthand for not working and thinking. Think of this: Patton was a great general, but would you want him to be president? Or would you want someone like Ike or Marshall? Do we really want a notorious hot-head and rule-breaker to be in charge of our national defense? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] thank you Brandon. [Report this comment] Posted by: steven w on Sep 3, 2008 8:02 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] It needed to be said. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] sageblue [Report this comment] Posted by: sageblue on Sep 3, 2008 9:05 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Any chance this can be made into a commercial to reach those who won't be seeing it otherwise?? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Props for the vid [Report this comment] Posted by: DaBear on Sep 3, 2008 9:15 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Best dang reason not to vote for the shithead: his emotional volatility, bellicosity in a dangerous and trigger-happy world. My veteran Grandfather'd be proud of Lt. Butler. He taught me the lesson that all war and use of military force is total shit, and an expression of personal failure. Johnny boy isn't called "McCrazy" for nothin'. Would that 'Merkaaners could even listen to reason. Just look at the RWA comments to the video over at the 'Tube.... a lot of whackjobs out there thing McCrazy is a swell choice. But then they do like to cherry-pick their "authorities," a shared feature with Xtian fundies, their allies. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] James T. Ranney [Report this comment] Posted by: James T. Ranney on Sep 3, 2008 4:20 PM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Actually, if anything, McCain looks DUMBER than Bush. We've tried "stupid" for the past 8 years, why don't we try "smart" instead (Obama was Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Law Review, a post that normally goes to the person who is No. 1 in his class). We've had 8 yrs of Cowboy Diplomacy, and McC looks like even more of a cowboy that Geo. B. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] mcnut [Report this comment] Posted by: willymack on Sep 3, 2008 5:25 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Even as a young man, mcclown displayed a violent and unstable mind. Anybody want to bet the country's future that he's improved over the years when recent events point the other way? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] It's a question of judgement [Report this comment] Posted by: kmcd on Sep 3, 2008 11:13 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] My question is how does a POW, a military man with a long lineage -- pick Sarah Palin as his VIP? Would ANY commander, general -- or soldier -- put his men in harms way by picking an incompetent person to replace him? I think not. I have 3 sons and I'm teaching them that they can't jeopardize their character's to win something. McCain challenged us to stick with him with the changes on taxes, choice, immigration -- we shook our heads when he made those pathetic commercials w/Paris Hilton and Charleston Heston and then scoffed and said that we was just trying to be funny...he left us dumb-founded when he questioned Obama's patriotism -- but he lost America --when he picked Palin who is clearly incompetent for the job of VP especially since McCain is 72 -- because he was willing to put our future generations at risk -- for his win. He lacks judgement -- sounds like McCain has always lacked judgement -- and you can't teach that to even a young dog yet alone an old dog. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Utter Incompetence x Profound Mediocrity [Report this comment] Posted by: mrtshw on Sep 4, 2008 8:53 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] McCain's entire life mirrors Dubya's for eternal incompetence. Had he not been the son and grandson of 4 Star Admirals he would NEVER have been admitted to Annapolis, have been awarded a degree, have been accepted into flight school. He later distinguished himself by " losing " five jets ...but only three were his fault and concluded his carrer as a Flight Instructor. He ditched his crippled,disfigured wife initially for a series of bimbos and later divorced her for a millionare young enough to be his daughter. All 620 POW survivors were accorded hero status, but only McCain has used it as a possible ticket to POTUS and a " get-out-of-jail-free " card for every innumerable despicable act in his repertoire. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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