Confirmed: Obama Dissed McCain Despite POW-related Injuries

Well, if ABC is saying it, despite the McCain camps desire to not push it, I guess it must be true.

Assuredly McCain isn't comfortable talking about this -- and the McCain campaign discouraged me from writing about this -- but the reason the aged Arizonan doesn't use a computer or send email is because of his war wounds.

I realize some of the nastier liberals in the blogosphere will see this as McCain once again "playing the POW card," but it's simply a fact: typing on a regular keyboard for any sustained period of time bothers McCain physically.

As of now, days after many individuals have criticized the ad in question: "Still" - is still on the official Obama website.

Perhaps now they'll get around to taking it down and discontinue insulting an American veteran for a situation directly related to injuries received while being held as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Comments

[Fred Beloit]

It seems that Jumpin' Jack Tapper has the same antediluvian affinity and affection for alliteration that some other folks have. He just must call McC the aged Arizonan:
"-- but the reason the aged Arizonan doesn't use a computer or send email is because of his war wounds."
What up wid that, you young whipper snapper and callow youth?

[Bopper]

This is probably the biggest stretch of a half truth
I have seen. John McCains injuries have nothing to do
with anything about using a computer. Even the fully
disabled use a computer, making a silly statement
that John McCain is too disabled to use one and then
make the statement that the DNC disrespects him and other
veterans because of his disabilities is- well- stupid.
Whoops, there I go disrespecting the writer maybe he can
bend it into disrespecting a sector of our society that he
represents.

[Jamie]

McCain is playing the POW card again. The disabled are perfectly capable of using computers if they want to. And he's not THAT disabled. He's just old and out of touch.

And I find it laughable that Republicans are crying foul over this ad, given the blatant lies they have been spreading about themselves AND Obama. I see the Empty Head was back on the stump claiming again that she said "thanks, but no thanks" and "put that plane on eBay" (she forgets the part that she didn't sell it there, and eventually sold it for a loss). The McCain campaign has been absolutely shameless, so I say Obama should just go for the jugular every freaking day.

[Worst President Ever]

So he was able to come back from Vietnam, regain flight status, fly comabat jets, but he can't master a computer?

[joeb]

You know Bill Clinton did not know how to use a computer either and he had no war injuries.

[Aaron]

I see that the comment thread here is now filled with Andrew Sullivan wannabes; ignore all facts and smear all the time.

[LOL]

are you serious?

That war injury stuff is a load of bullshit.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2008/09/obama-slams-mcc.html

" "John McCain travels with a laptop," said McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds."

Seriously? Are you this fucking stupid? Or are you just this shameless of a liar?

[seekeronos]

"--- typing on a regular keyboard for any sustained period of time bothers McCain physically. ---"

Indeed. The man may not be able to - nor necessarily willing to - spend lengthy amounts of time on a keyboard. He might use a PC (laptop) on a limited basis.

"--- John McCain travels with a laptop," said McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds. ---"

Hey, guess what?

That means that SOMEONE is LYING.

And I think it just *might* be the liberals, spreading a smear that Johnny Mac can't use a PC (or a Mac).

So LOL asks if we are that ****ing stupid?

Well, my LOLligagging friend, methinks you just answered your own question, except that it applies more to thee than to we.

[LOL]

someone can use a computer and even type on it frequently while not knowing a lot about computers.

Besides, John McCain himself is the one who said this.

[Eirik]

I told my 25 year old, tech savvy but politically inactive wife about this ad, that McCain may not be all that tech savvy. Her response?

So...?

Who was this ad supposed to appeal to?

First of all, you don't have to be really good at something to understand its importance. Should world food policies be set down by the cast of Iron Chef?

Second, the argument that McCain knows nothing about computers is pretty stupid. It's been established that he knows about the mythical world wide web, that being on the commerce committee he had to learn about the rise of the internet. There are stories that he grabs other peoples blackberries to browse the internet (at least with a Palm Treo or Centro this isn't hard to do with one finger.) He talks about occasionally browsing the internet. You can almost literally do that all day with a mouse or trackball and without typing a word.

And injuries don't stay static throughout your life. I worked in a VA for a short time while I was training in my field about 10 years ago. I heard, many times, from people with injuries that it was tougher as they got older. Consider this: If he had really bad arthritis, would you basically call him an idiot because he doesn't type all day?

And here's a shocker: I don't care how good and well rounded a person is, there are going to be gaps in their knowledge. We are not living in a world where you can literally have read all the great books of the world and be knowledgeable about every topic before you get elected President. This is true of McCain, Palin, Obama and even Biden (though I suspect he'd dispute it). You think Obama knows significantly more that McCain about military matters? Does that make him unqualified to lead as Commander in Chief in a modern world?

[Aye Chihuahua]

Obie cannot fly a jet.

I guess that's reason enough for me not to vote for him.

[seekeronos]

Certain persons also knew how to fly jets - specifically, into the sides of buildings - and even if they had somehow survived, I'd not be inclined to vote for them either.

That said, both candidates scare the tar out of me -- McCain only slightly less so than Obama.

[jaime]

"Obie cannot fly a jet.

I guess that's reason enough for me not to vote for him."

Neither could John "Mayday" McCain.

"McCain only slightly less so than Obama."

- Yeah? How's the John McCain plan to borrow money from the red Chinese to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy doing? A McCain presidency will spawn Bear Sterns x 100.

But whatever. Complete economic collapse is only slightly less scary than voting for Hussein Hussein Hussein.

[jaime]

"You think Obama knows significantly more that McCain about military matters? Does that make him unqualified to lead as Commander in Chief in a modern world?"

Not if you're planning to run the Military like your still stuck in a prison cell vowing to win the Vietnam war 35 years after the fact.

[seekeronos]

Obama knows the military like McCain knows the economy.

Blamed if you do, blamed if you don't...?

But then again, behind the political season's "bravo-sierra" storm, we all know that President McCain would have his pick of qualified economic advisers, as much as (heh) Obama would have his pick of generals and admirals to advise him.

What it comes down to is: who will be less likely to roll back even more liberties and bring us down the path to a "New World Order" where American sovereignty is meaningless, pop culture is used to keep us dumb sheep in line, and taxes go up?

I say neither side will, as they both will do nothing to restore our Republic to the greatness our grandfathers knew.

[BobInStamford]

Great. Grandpa is too 'wounded' to use a computer, but you Luddites want his as President. I wonder what else he is too wounded to do?

As Moses said when he climbed the mountain - Yabba Dabba Dooo!!!

[seekeronos]

"--- but you Luddites want his (sic) as President. ---"

Now Bob, if we were all Luddites, we'd never bother with the spell check, no?

I'll certainly confess to being a bit more conservative than average. I'd love to see Robert Taft (or rather, someone with his ideas) as President, and the Hohenzollerns returned to rule on the throne of Prussia, if not simply as the constitutional monarch of Germany.

(I was going to say "German Empire", but that makes your froggy friends squirm a bit...)

[Fred Beloit]

jaime gum writes: "Not if you're planning to run the Military like your still stuck in a prison cell vowing to win the Vietnam war 35 years after the fact."

I'm afraid jaime gum is badly misinformed. McCain has no interest in winning the Vietnam war 35 years later. In fact he has been instrumental in normalizing relations with VN. Why? I cannot imagine, but it is true.

[templar knight]

Complete economic collapse? You liberals assholes wouldn't try to scare anyone, would you? Or could it be you have a PHD in economics? I vote for the former, and will call you a moron, instead of a genius. In any event, who besides you is predicting an economic collapse? Oh, those survivalist types hiding in their holes. And here I thought you liberals couldn't stand them. Now you're one of them, what a turn of events!

[seekeronos]

TK, this talk of "economic collapse" is meant for the low-information voters. It is indeed a scare tactic, part of the old socialist plan to get everyone all ruffled up that there is no hope, we are all gonna die, and that we need to give our hopes, cares, and prayers to the Red revolutionists, those evil Bolshevik Community Organizers in Democrat's clothes...

...the Obama hopey-changey-heads.

Granted, the economy has certainly seen better days, but it is all part of the 60-year cycle, and when the next big speculative bubble comes a-rollin' around, things will pick up once again.

[templar knight]

Sorry for the ill language, seek, but these socialist baboons have me riled up. Nothing but misinformation and propaganda, sure signs of a socialist.

[LOL]

you'd like to see the former governor of ohio, Robert Taft as president?

The man who wasted hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars on a bullshit coin investment? Are you seriously this clouded by your ideology? Has adherence to it made you this stupid?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coingate_Scandal

[seekeronos]

Thou, O churlish knave called "LOL", knowest not of whom I speak:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Taft

That is the Senator Robert Taft (September 8, 1889 - July 31, 1953) of whom I speak. He ran unsuccessfully in a few GOP primaries from 140-1952, where the liberal wing of the party began to be ascendant.

He is one of my favourite politicians, along with "Silent Cal" Coolidge, and Charles Evans Hughes.

I pray that our generation may have the honour of producing great statesmen these, and even like Dr. Paul, who value liberty and put America first.

That lout you referred to, Gov. Bob Taft of "Coingate", apparently did not receive implanted the same teachings and spirit as his grandfather, much to his enduring shame.

[LOL]

ROFL, you would prefer the presidents whose policies lead to the great depression instead? My my, you wingnuts really know when to double down on stupidity

[seekeronos]

I believe that you are the one who needs to hit the history books:

"--- ROFL, you would prefer the presidents whose policies lead to the great depression instead? ---"

Charles Evans Hughes was active mostly during from the turn of the 20th century through the WW1 years and shortly thereafter; later he was a SCOTUS associate justice and later CJ-SCOTUS through much of FDR's regime.

Coolidge and Taft were both small-government classic non-interventionist Republicans, through whose presidency and Congressional careers respectively, saw much of the boom of the "Roaring Twenties".

And although the Crash of '29 and the first leg of the Great Depression occurred on the RiNO Herbert Hoover's watch, it is not fair to blame presidents for economic failures: that falls to Congresses usually, and more importantly, to people's inability to check their shorter-term greed in favour of planning for longer-term prosperity.

Hoover's particular shortcomings lie in his unwillingness at first to work with Congress to legislate effective policies to help curtail or soften the effects of the Depression.