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by Jill Zuckman
Charleston, S.C. – The McCain campaign moved quickly this evening to stamp out an attempt by a group calling itself "Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain" to paint the Arizona senator as a "songbird" who "left behind" other prisoners of war in North Vietnam.
Mailers were sent out to South Carolina newspaper editors with a caricature of McCain with puffed out cheeks and handwriting behind him that said "Elect me" and "POW for president." Other words and phrases included: "An enormous crime," "The POWS I helped leave behind," and "collaborations."
McCain's campaign is on high alert in South Carolina, the scene of a smear campaign against the senator in 2000 when he was running against then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush. The campaign has put together a "truth squad" of well-known South Carolinians to denounce any and all untruths leveled against McCain this time around.
In 2004, a group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth managed to malign Sen. John Kerry's war record in Vietnam, calling into question his honesty and integrity. Those attacks helped lead to Kerry's defeat in the election against President Bush.
In a conference call with reporters, Orson Swindle, who shared a cell in the infamous Hanoi Hilton for over two years, attributed the mailer to "a few zealous conspiracy theory people" who still believe there are American prisoners of war left in North Vietnam.
"It's very inappropriate in an election process and it's a bit crazy, too," said Swindle, a retired Marine aviator who was shot down while on his last mission and spent the next six years and four months as a prisoner of war. He said that he gets death threats from conspiracy sorts of groups a couple times a year.
"These two pieces of paper are a collection of half truths and misinformation and are simply done to destroy John McCain in the election Saturday," said Swindle.
The group's organizer, Jerry Kiley, who said he also is a Vietnam veteran, told the Associated Press that he has been trying for years to spread what he said is the truth about McCain's record.
"John McCain has created this myth that he is a hero and he is not," Kiley said in a telephone interview from his home in Garnerville, N.Y.
But South Carolina House Speaker Bobby Harrell called the tactic "absolutely despicable."
And Attorney General Henry McMaster said he didn't expect that the same sort of insidious, personal attacks against McCain would happen in 2008 the way they did in 2000.
"Some of these folks out there will do anything to make a point," McMaster said. "This is totally unconscionable and the really harmful thing about it is that nothing in here is true. None of it is true."
While in prison, McCain and his fellow prisoners all memorized each other's names – often using a tap code system against the walls – to be sure that everyone was accounted for whenever they were released.
Comments
What is unconscionable is Mc Cains teaming with John Kerry and Dick Cheney to deny the possibility POWs were left behind. Mc Cains treatment of the families of those POWS during the hearings of the Senate Comittee on the POW issue was despicable. A political sellout of the American fighting man!
Posted by: Dale Parker | January 15, 2008 10:11 PM
Michigan has been called for Plastic Mitt, the flip-floping serial liar.
I wonder if we're going to hear a concession speech tonight from Bill/Jeff...I mean McCain?
The Republic Party is a mess, they don't want any of these loser GOP candidates of theirs and I don't blame them.
Posted by: John E | January 15, 2008 10:20 PM
Meanwhile, in the news the Swamp doesn't want to report, Romney has won the Michigan primary handily.
Posted by: Bruce | January 15, 2008 11:09 PM
Meanwhile, in the news the Swamp doesn't want to report, Romney has won the Michigan primary handily.
Posted by: Bruce | January 15, 2008 11:09 PM
Democrats of Michigan, on January 15th you have a unique and wonderful opportunity to screw over the Republican Party....MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!
For more on why your voting for Romney in your primary--however counterintuitive it may have been to vote for that flip-flopping, say-anything-to-get-elected, neocon-of-convenience hack--wasn't such a crazy idea, check out:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/15/22445/2952/771/437550
You're welcome, RNC Brucie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiCqxKLIVDY
Posted by: John E | January 16, 2008 12:29 AM
There is an issue most people don’t understand. Dick Chaney chaired the CFR for years and did not disclose this fact in his district. The influence of the CFR is deep. The NAU and SPP are organizations that take their marching orders from the CRF. Our news media and newscasters are CFR members. Hillary and Bill are long time members. Obama, Fred, Rudy, Huckster, Romey and Edwards etc...there is only one clear choice for freedom...Ron Paul....We are slaves by indentured servitude... There is only one candidate that will turn our nation around and end the TAX freedom day that Hillary wants to put around Thanksgiving.....Hillary found her tear jerking voice last week but it was the same old SOS sinking message for this nation... The CFR is why you will not learn the truth about Ron Paul and how his plan get us out of foreign entanglements and pay off our nation debt....its ok if you haven't came to Ron Paul as your conclusion....keep doing your homework because you will be enlightened when you see that all roads do lead to Dr. Ron Paul. Why do you celebrate the Fourth of July...its not just a day off....Freedom, money and politicians don’t come with instructions, learn about a man that will help you understand all of these issues. Grass roots, more money from our troops. Donations by individuals and not large corporations. A record to prove it…support from men such as Ronald Regan, Barry Goldwater Jr., ..there is a reason why intellectuals support Ron Paul…..his message is easy to understand at first but the man requires homework and understanding real freedom. Remember when we support Isreal we support a nation that drafts 15 year children into their armed forces. Why not sign your kids or grandchildren up in the USA. Congress has designed a draft for the USA on Jan 10th 2008 that will take our nations finest up to age 43….wake up…forget about Britney Spears and learn how the FED is sinking our elderly living on a fixed income by creating money out of thin air, fiat money, lowering interest rates creates real inflation. Don't forget that Clinton changed the idex which now excludes many things in the inflation index.
Posted by: Bill OK | January 16, 2008 2:23 AM
To smear John McCain is absolutely wrong. Then no one is safe from all you haters out there. Shame on all of you. Its okay to disagree with any of the candidates. But this is ugly and has no place in the Presidential arena.If you don't have anything nice to say "Don't Say Anything".
Posted by: Paul Jaeger | January 16, 2008 8:18 AM
This story making John McCain a victim is typical liberal propaganda.
The New York Times, The Washington Post, Mort Kondracke and National Public Radio and Television and the rest of the driveby media are telling Republicans if we nominate McCain he will win. Baloney! Don't fall for this. McCain is against Bush's tax cuts, for illegal amnesty, will not close our borders, is not pro-second amendment, authored McCain/Feingold to stifle anti-incumbent speech.
This malarky about people ruining his war record is being put out because he got beat by Mitt Romney and the liberals always gin up victims to seek sympathy for their cause. The sadder thing is if McCain won the GOP nomination they would slaughter him with all the ink in their presses and all the airtime available.
Republicans we will win the 08 election if we are for tax cuts, limited government,pro-life and less government regulation. e.g. California wants to take control of your thermostat away in the name of the global warming Al Gore religion.Be brave ignore liberals and all their Stalinist tactics. Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | January 16, 2008 9:21 AM
Looks like Karl Rove is doing some moonlighting.
Posted by: DD | January 16, 2008 9:43 AM
Shameful.
Posted by: Jeff | January 16, 2008 10:48 AM
I'm not clear on who they're smearing McCain in favor of. A better POW who is not running?
Posted by: ClaireZ | January 16, 2008 2:57 PM
Why should I concede anything? Michigan would've been nice for McCain, but it wasn't a must win for him like it was for Romney. South Carolina comes up Saturday and Romney has no prayer of winning in that state and McCain's chances look good there, despite the shameful smear tactics by people who I'm sure are connected to the Romney campaign.
McCain has won a meaningful primary in New Hampshire and could very well have two under his belt by Sunday. Romney has 8 delegates from Wyoming, a second place to Huckabee in Iowa and a half-slate of delegates from Michigan. I'll take New Hampshire over that any day.
Jerry White, why do you have such an antipathy for McCain? He's the strongest on national defense of any of the candidates. Trust me, the democrats want Romney. They REALLY want Romney.
Posted by: Jeff | January 16, 2008 3:34 PM
This story making John McCain a victim is typical liberal propaganda.
The New York Times, The Washington Post, Mort Kondracke and National Public Radio and Television and the rest of the driveby media are telling Republicans if we nominate McCain he will win. Baloney! Don't fall for this. McCain is against Bush's tax cuts, for illegal amnesty, will not close our borders, is not pro-second amendment, authored McCain/Feingold to stifle anti-incumbent speech.
This malarky about people ruining his war record is being put out because he got beat by Mitt Romney and the liberals always gin up victims to seek sympathy for their cause. The sadder thing is if McCain won the GOP nomination they would slaughter him with all the ink in their presses and all the airtime available.
Republicans we will win the 08 election if we are for tax cuts, limited government,pro-life and less government regulation. e.g. California wants to take control of your thermostat away in the name of the global warming Al Gore religion.Be brave ignore liberals and all their Stalinist tactics. Jerry White, Springfield, IL
Posted by: Jerry White | January 16, 2008 9:21 AM
Jerry... Make sure you look under your bed for liberals before you go to bed tonight.
(But don't look in the closet... nothing but Conservatives in there)
Posted by: crafty b | January 16, 2008 5:48 PM
This group illegally copied and modified a caricature from another artist to include it in their mailer;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22888787@N07/2198554830/
Posted by: ElCapitanAmerica | January 16, 2008 7:29 PM