This is ASIDE from McCain’s character/honor problem which has been getting so worrisome and on which I’m writing a big post. I had seen this essay a while back on military.com, from a Dr. Philip Butler (1961 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, former light-attack carrier pilot, POW 1965-73, two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merits, two Bronze Stars and two Purple Heart medals) and was waiting for an occasion to share it with you; now he has filmed a little spot with the Brave New Films folks so here you go:
I Spent Years as a POW with John McCain, and His Finger Should Not Be Near the Red Button
By Phillip Butler, Military.com. Posted August 21, 2008.
John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.
When I was a Plebe (4th classman, or freshman) at the Naval Academy in 1957-58, I was assigned to the 17th Company for my four years there. In those days we had about 3,600 midshipmen spread among 24 companies, thus about 150 midshipmen to a company. As fortune would have it, John, a First Classman (senior) and his room mate lived directly across the hall from me and my two room mates. Believe me when I say that back then I would never in a million or more years have dreamed that the crazy guy across the hall would someday be a Senator and candidate for President!
John was a wild man. He was funny, with a quick wit and he was intelligent. But he was intent on breaking every USNA regulation in our 4 inch thick USNA Regulations book. And I believe he must have come as close to his goal as any midshipman who ever attended the Academy. John had me “coming around” to his room frequently during my plebe year. And on one occasion he took me with him to escape “over the wall” in the dead of night. He had a taxi cab waiting for us that took us to a bar some 7 miles away. John had a few beers, but forbid me to drink (watching out for me I guess) and made me drink cokes. I could tell many other midshipman stories about John that year and he unbelievably managed to graduate though he spent the majority of his first class year on restriction for the stuff he did get caught doing. In fact he barely managed to graduate, standing 5th from the bottom of his 800 man graduating class. I and many others have speculated that the main reason he did graduate was because his father was an Admiral, and also his grandfather, both U.S. Naval Academy graduates.
People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always “No – John McCain was a POW with me.” The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 1/2 years later, so he was a POW for 5 1/2 years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.
John’s treatment as a POW:
1) Was he tortured for 5 years? No. He was subjected to torture and maltreatment during his first 2 years, from September of 1967 to September of 1969. After September of 1969 the Vietnamese stopped the torture and gave us increased food and rudimentary health care. Several hundred of us were captured much earlier. I got there April 20, 1965 so my bad treatment period lasted 4 1/2 years. President Ho Chi Minh died on September 9, 1969, and the new regime that replaced him and his policies was more pragmatic. They realized we were worth a lot as bargaining chips if we were alive. And they were right because eventually Americans gave up on the war and agreed to trade our POW’s for their country. A damn good trade in my opinion! But my point here is that John allows the media to make him out to be THE hero POW, which he knows is absolutely not true, to further his political goals.
2) John was badly injured when he was shot down. Both arms were broken and he had other wounds from his ejection. Unfortunately this was often the case — new POW’s arriving with broken bones and serious combat injuries. Many died from their wounds. Medical care was non-existent to rudimentary. Relief from pain was almost never given and often the wounds were used as an available way to torture the POW. Because John’s father was the Naval Commander in the Pacific theater, he was exploited with TV interviews while wounded. These film clips have now been widely seen. But it must be known that many POW’s suffered similarly, not just John. And many were similarly exploited for political propaganda.
3) John was offered, and refused, “early release.” Many of us were given this offer. It meant speaking out against your country and lying about your treatment to the press. You had to “admit” that the U.S. was criminal and that our treatment was “lenient and humane.” So I, like numerous others, refused the offer. This was obviously something none of us could accept. Besides, we were bound by our service regulations, Geneva Conventions and loyalties to refuse early release until all the POW’s were released, with the sick and wounded going first.
4) John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 600 military POW’s in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled to the following: Medals of Honor — 8, Service Crosses — 42, Silver Stars — 590, Bronze Stars — 958 and Purple Hearts — 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many — not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe.
John McCain served his time as a POW with great courage, loyalty and tenacity. More than 600 of us did the same. After our repatriation a census showed that 95% of us had been tortured at least once. The Vietnamese were quite democratic about it. There were many heroes in North Vietnam. I saw heroism every day there. And we motivated each other to endure and succeed far beyond what any of us thought we had in ourselves. Succeeding as a POW is a group sport, not an individual one. We all supported and encouraged each other to survive and succeed. John knows that. He was not an individual POW hero. He was a POW who surmounted the odds with the help of many comrades, as all of us did.
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.
Most of us who survived that experience are now in our late 60’s and 70’s. Sadly, we have died and are dying off at a greater rate than our non-POW contemporaries. We experienced injuries and malnutrition that are coming home to roost. So I believe John’s age (73) and survival expectation are not good for being elected to serve as our President for 4 or more years.
I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced first hand. Folks, quite honestly that is not the finger I want next to that red button.
It is also disappointing to see him take on and support Bush’s war in Iraq, even stating we might be there for another 100 years. For me John represents the entrenched and bankrupt policies of Washington-as-usual. The past 7 years have proven to be disastrous for our country. And I believe John’s views on war, foreign policy, economics, environment, health care, education, national infrastructure and other important areas are much the same as those of the Bush administration.
I’m disappointed to see John represent himself politically in ways that are not accurate. He is not a moderate Republican. On some issues he is a maverick. But his voting record is far to the right. I fear for his nominations to our Supreme Court, and the consequent continuing loss of individual freedoms, especially regarding moral and religious issues. John is not a religious person, but he has taken every opportunity to ally himself with some really obnoxious and crazy fundamentalist ministers lately. I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he hates that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don’t see that John is the “straight talk express” he markets himself to be.
Senator John Sidney McCain, III is a remarkable man who has made enormous personal achievements. And he is a man that I am proud to call a fellow POW who “Returned With Honor.” That’s our POW motto. But since many of you keep asking what I think of him, I’ve decided to write it out. In short, I think John Sidney McCain, III is a good man, but not someone I will vote for in the upcoming election to be our President of the United States.
Thanks Vern, I enjoyed reading that. Although its just another mans opinion given the fact that we agree on one thing: “I was also disappointed to see him cozy up to Bush because I know he hates that man. He disingenuously and famously put his arm around the guy, even after Bush had intensely disrespected him with lies and slander. So on these and many other instances, I don’t see that John is the “straight talk express” he markets himself to be.” I’ll take his assessment on the things he has witnessed also.
What’s a Roman Candle?
Google, mijo. Hint: Didn’t we meet at a July 4 fireworks party?
This news got little mention, tho the author is a former legislator. Texas, no less. From opednews.com
MCCAINS WAR KILL SCORE: 167 US SAILORS, 15 US JETS, 60 ENEMIES?
When John McCain crashed his fifth navy fighter plane he was captured by the North Vietnamese. That crash gave him his greatest claim to fame and made him a national celebrity. But the in run-up to that incident hides a whole other story.
Acclaimed war hero McCain clearly demonstrated his rating in the lowest 0.5% in his military class of 900 during his tour of duty in Viet Nam. On June 27, 1967 aboard the USS Forrestal 167 US sailors lost their lives in a giant fire and a series of explosions. The crewmen who had to fight that fire for 24 hours to keep the aircraft carrier from sinking were looking for the “hotdog” pilot they thought started the chain reaction disaster. But they were too late to find him.
John McCain, whose dad was a Pentagon bigwig, left the ship the next morning taking up a space on a helicopter meant to evacuate the wounded. He was the only pilot transferred to another ship from the Forrestal after the incident in what is likely the fastest military transfer in recorded history – a kind of “cut and run” that left his grieving shipmates behind.
His evacuation probably kept the death toll from going to 168 if the crewmen could have found the pilot who “wet-started” his A-4E Skyhawk fighter jet and triggered the incident. “Wet-starting” means pooling jet fuel in the engine before starting it to send a flash of flame out the engine exhaust. (XA4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 137812) This was done to shake up the pilot in the F-4 fighter behind him. But in the confusion a rocket went off, bombs were dropped on the ship deck and the chain reaction disaster was underway. The ship was so damaged it had to be taken out of the war effort.
Those 15 US jets lost? Well, McCain outright crashed five from the pilot seat. His whispered nickname was “McCrash”. His fifth crash earned him POW status as his principal claim to heroic fame. The other ten planes lost were casualties of the juvenile ‘hotdogging’ on the Forrestal deck that terrible day. The financial cost for his stint in the service, even in 1967 dollars, was in the tens of millions.
Oh, and his flights before being captured probably amounted to a few casualties on the other side. Sixty is a high side estimate.
(Based on official naval film account, a McCain campaign film adapting the record and testimony of sailors from the ship.)
Take action — click here to contact your local newspaper or congress people:
McCain’s Whole Viet Nam Record
Click here to see the most recent messages sent to congressional reps and local newspapers
http://www.capitoloffense.com
Hill Kemp is a former Texas State Representative and his novel, Capitol Offense, ISBN 1878096702, rips away the Austin facade and reveals a surprising cast of the real players and their cut-throat contentions. In the place where George W. Bush and Karl Rove learned their abc’s of governing, Kemp’s novel exposes the hidden 90% of the governing process which never makes its way into the news. Capitol Offense, is a parody of then governor Bush and virtually a literary political cartoon. The page-turner was labeled “dangerously close to reality” by one Austin, Texas veteran.
An equally gripping sequel A Lone Star Special (ISBN9781935137450) released in August, 2008 drives the legislative thriller path further into the murky depths of Texas politics. His children’s chapter book, Lucky Penny. This e-book is in production.
Hill Kemp lives in the forest and lake country in northwest Louisiana. He is the father of two and grandfather of three.
You can reach Hill Kemp through his website: http://www.capitoloffense.com
So McCain gets one less vote (Phillip Butler), but nothing about any other candidate of choice?.
I see postings, negative on McCain. I hope that dragging down McCain’s name is only temporary, and soon you find something positive about another candidate to post as a reason to vote for the other candidates.
Of course I don’t think anyone who posts here or reads this stuff would change their mind on their vote because of anything posted here.
McCain’s Palin Pick -_The gift that keeps on giving. To Obama/Biden.
Breaking news: MSNBC reports that Palin, who said she “welcomes” the troopergate investigation, will not speak at all with investigators. The McCain camp says this is because the investigation, carried on by 3 Republicans and two Democrats on behalf of the Republican state legislature, is partisan. HUH?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/15/palin-tax-mystery-e…
When news broke last week that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin received more than $17,000 in state-issued per diems for evenings spent in her own home, several tax experts and watchdogs asked whether John McCain’s running mate had ever declared and paid taxes on that money as income. Including travel reimbursements for Palin’s family members, the Washington Post reported that the total amount of potentially taxable income totals over $60,000 for Palin’s first 18 months as governor.
Plainly seeking to capitalize on the potential story, Barack Obama’s campaign quickly issued 10 years of tax records for Joe Biden, daring McCain to do the same with Palin. But as the mystery around those per diems enters its second week, there has been no signal from the McCain campaign as to whether or not it will release Palin’s tax returns.
Without those documents, it’s impossible to say whether or not she skated taxes on some or all of the per diems and travel reimbursements. But, in addition to the multiple law and tax bloggers who have been all over the story, a tax expert interviewed by the Huffington Post said there are several scenarios under which Palin should have been paying taxes on the money in question. What follows is an itemization, if you will, of the issues at stake — and what kind of disclosure would put the respective questions to rest.
1) Where is Palin’s “tax home”?
This is a central question to the mystery. It would make sense, as some have assumed, that Palin’s “tax home” is Juneau, the seat of government in Alaska. Since Palin is granted the use of a state mansion there, her job does not necessarily require transit back and forth to Palin’s other home in Wasilla, where she filed for her personal per diems.
As IRS Publication 463 notes:
“If you (and your family) do not live at your tax home (defined earlier), you cannot deduct the cost of traveling between your tax home and your family home. You also cannot deduct the cost of meals and lodging while at your tax home.”
Palin did not request per diems for lodging in her own home, but did use them for meals. The only exception here would be if the meals were for official state business.
) What about those trips for her family members?
According to John Bogdanski, a tax professor at the Lewis and Clark Law School:
It does not appear that such deductions would have been allowable for any amounts attributable to travel by her husband and children. Section 274(m)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code strictly forbids deductions for bringing spouses and dependents along on business travel unless the spouses and dependents (a) are employees of the taxpayer (here, the taxpayer is the governor), (b) are traveling for a bona fide business purpose, and (c) would otherwise be entitled to deduct the travel on their own tax returns. Unless Palin’s spouse and kids are also her employees and she can show that they were away on their own businesses, their expenses would not be deductible by the governor. And therefore she cannot exclude from income any per diems attributable to any of them. (By the way, since she’s the employee, the income would be required to be reported on her own return, not her kids’.)
More at the URL
If Alaska is like all the other states including California, all the “per diem” is tax free. And travel and auto allowances too.
The government people rake care of themselves first, and lately there seems to be less and less left for the taxpayers at large.
Umm, temperament was the topic? I do not believe McCain is mature enough to lead a fraternity rush, much less our country. Return to topic, RED menace operatives.