Game Change, the HBO film about 2008 presidential election campaign, won't change many minds about the little known Alaskan governor picked by John McCain to be his running mate.
Many people made up their minds a long time ago that Sarah Palin was woefully unprepared to become president. And in the ensuing three and a half years, a lot more have soured on her.
There certainly were some moments in the film when Palin was portrayed sympathetically -- missing her baby, talking to her deployed son as he left on a mission, dealing with a pregnant teen daughter.
But the context of what Palin has done in the time since the campaign supports the overall portrait of her that emerges in the film -- someone with great political skills but who is unwilling to do the hard work necessary to be the leader of a government, someone who seems to connect with average voters but who is ultimately obsessed with herself. The film is sort of a prequel to Palin's later actions.
Seeing Palin portrayed on the screen refusing to prep for her media interviews or debate brought to mind her decision to step down as governor of Alaska after the campaign was over.
Listening to her obsess about her poll numbers in Alaska during the midst of the national campaign and trying to hog the limelight by delivering her own concession speech on election night was a reminder of her ham-handed response to the shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Palin made herself out as the victim, calling it a "blood libel" that people suggested Palin's use of a gun site to designate Giffords' district as a high priority for Republicans contributed to a climate of violent political rhetoric.
In short, Palin's actions after the campaign confirmed many of her flaws showcased in the film. Sure, McCain aide Steve Schmidt and others take a lot of the blame for the decision to pick Palin and the way she was vetted for the job, but the way Palin reacted after joining the ticket is all her own doing.
It could have been a brilliant pick, but at the end of the day Palin could not make it work.
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Monday, March 12, 2012
Saturday, September 27, 2008
In First Debate, McCain's Foreign Policy Seemed Like Yesterday's News
The first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain is over and we are left with the question -- Was that the best he can do?
McCain, the supposed master of foreign policy, tried to come across as more learned and accomplished than the younger Obama, saying repeatedly that Obama was naive or didn't understand.
But most of the time, the 72-year-old senator seemed not to understand. McCain gave rambling answers to questions, getting lost in long lists of countries he visited and foreign leaders he met that seemed to have no relevance to the question he was trying to answer.
Obama, meanwhile, gave crisp, sharp answers as to how he would deal with the war in Afghanistan and with countries such as Pakistan and Iran. He demonstrated superior judgment on the war in Iraq, insisting that the U.S. should stop spending $10 billion a month there while the Iraqi government sits on a $79 billion surplus from oil profits.
While McCain was talking about Alexander the Great, Obama was connecting to average Americans with his positions on cutting taxes for 95 percent of Americans, dealing with the financial crisis, and weaning the country away from dependence on foreign oil.
Obama went a long way toward reassuring undecided voters that he is ready to lead.
In the post-debate interviews, Sen. Joe Biden summed up McCain's performance, saying he was shown to be "dead wrong" on issue after issue.
McCain's running mate Sarah Palin said .... Well, she didn't say anything. She didn't do any post-debate interviews.
And that about sums that up.
McCain, the supposed master of foreign policy, tried to come across as more learned and accomplished than the younger Obama, saying repeatedly that Obama was naive or didn't understand.
But most of the time, the 72-year-old senator seemed not to understand. McCain gave rambling answers to questions, getting lost in long lists of countries he visited and foreign leaders he met that seemed to have no relevance to the question he was trying to answer.
Obama, meanwhile, gave crisp, sharp answers as to how he would deal with the war in Afghanistan and with countries such as Pakistan and Iran. He demonstrated superior judgment on the war in Iraq, insisting that the U.S. should stop spending $10 billion a month there while the Iraqi government sits on a $79 billion surplus from oil profits.
While McCain was talking about Alexander the Great, Obama was connecting to average Americans with his positions on cutting taxes for 95 percent of Americans, dealing with the financial crisis, and weaning the country away from dependence on foreign oil.
Obama went a long way toward reassuring undecided voters that he is ready to lead.
In the post-debate interviews, Sen. Joe Biden summed up McCain's performance, saying he was shown to be "dead wrong" on issue after issue.
McCain's running mate Sarah Palin said .... Well, she didn't say anything. She didn't do any post-debate interviews.
And that about sums that up.
Monday, September 22, 2008
McCain Trying to Fool Michigan Voters with Lies About His Cars
John McCain, who doesn't know how many houses he owns, now has been caught lying about what kind of cars he drives in order to fool Michigan voters.
The Detroit Free Press, in editions for Monday (Sept. 22, 2008), notes that McCain told Michigan workers that he has always bought American cars. But Newsweek revealed recently that he owns 13 cars, including some foreign-made models.
The newspaper quotes UAW President Ron Gettelfinger as saying autoworkers will be reminded of the facts of the matter:
"People are free to buy any kind of car they want, but 'Buy American' can't be a slogan that he just rolls out when he's in Michigan."
OK, maybe McCain just "forgot" about the 12 cars besides the Cadillac he owns.
Is that more comforting than thinking that he just lied?
BTW, Barack Obama owns one car -- an American hybrid.
The Detroit Free Press, in editions for Monday (Sept. 22, 2008), notes that McCain told Michigan workers that he has always bought American cars. But Newsweek revealed recently that he owns 13 cars, including some foreign-made models.
The newspaper quotes UAW President Ron Gettelfinger as saying autoworkers will be reminded of the facts of the matter:
"People are free to buy any kind of car they want, but 'Buy American' can't be a slogan that he just rolls out when he's in Michigan."
OK, maybe McCain just "forgot" about the 12 cars besides the Cadillac he owns.
Is that more comforting than thinking that he just lied?
BTW, Barack Obama owns one car -- an American hybrid.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Michigan Auto Workers Make Voices Heard
Michigan workers are not being fooled, that much is clear from the coverage of John McCain's visit to a GM Assembly Plant at Lake Orion, Michigan on Wednesday (Sept. 17, 2008).
MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" featured McCain's visit to the plant, in which the GOP presidential nominee made a lame attempt to connect with the "fundamentals" of the U.S. economy that he says are so strong.
But workers in the crowd wore their Obama '08 tee-shirts, buttons, and stickers. And when McCain finished, some of them chanted, "Obama '08, Obama '08."
That takes guts, don't think it doesn't.
Here's the video from Countdown. (Somebody needs to tell Keith how to pronounce Lake Orion.)
MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" featured McCain's visit to the plant, in which the GOP presidential nominee made a lame attempt to connect with the "fundamentals" of the U.S. economy that he says are so strong.
But workers in the crowd wore their Obama '08 tee-shirts, buttons, and stickers. And when McCain finished, some of them chanted, "Obama '08, Obama '08."
That takes guts, don't think it doesn't.
Here's the video from Countdown. (Somebody needs to tell Keith how to pronounce Lake Orion.)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Don't be Dumb, Baby, Dumb, About Drill, Baby, Drill
For all the havoc that $4-plus gasoline has wreaked on Michigan's economy, one would think that a sustained analysis of the energy policies of Sen. Barack Obama and John McCain would have been part of the campaign coverage of our major media.
But with the state of journalism today, that would be like wishing pigs could fly.
The New York Times has come to the rescue with an outstanding analysis of why McCain's drill-drill=drill policy is a dead-end. Tom Friedman's column, titled "Making America Stupid," sums it up excellently.
Here are a few key grafs:
"Imagine for a minute that attending the Republican convention in St. Paul, sitting in a skybox overlooking the convention floor, were observers from Russia, Iran and Venezuela. And imagine for a minute what these observers would have been doing when Rudy Giuliani led the delegates in a chant of 'drill, baby, drill!'
"I’ll tell you what they would have been doing: the Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan observers would have been up out of their seats, exchanging high-fives and joining in the chant louder than anyone in the hall — 'Yes! Yes! Drill, America, drill!' — because an America that is focused first and foremost on drilling for oil is an America more focused on feeding its oil habit than kicking it.
"Why would Republicans, the party of business, want to focus our country on breathing life into a 19th-century technology — fossil fuels — rather than giving birth to a 21st-century technology — renewable energy? As I have argued before, it reminds me of someone who, on the eve of the I.T. revolution — on the eve of PCs and the Internet — is pounding the table for America to make more I.B.M. typewriters and carbon paper. 'Typewriters, baby, typewriters.'"
Exactly.
The Detroit Free Press, in its edition for Sunday (Sept. 14, 2008), offered a useful, if much less eloquent, analysis of Obama and McCain's energy policies, at least as they pertain to the auto industry.
What is striking is how specific Obama's plans are compared to the other guy's.
Beyond a piddling $300 million prize for a battery and a "clean car challenge," McCain says he will "promote" alternative fuels and encourage a faster switch to flex-fuel vehicles.
Obama laid out his energy plan in a speech in Lansing last month, in which he called for spending $15 billion a year for the next 10 years to eliminate the need for oil from the Middle East and Venezuela.
The Free Press summarized the rest of Obama's plans thusly:
"Increase CAFE standards 4% per year while providing $4billion for domestic automakers to retool their manufacturing facilities in America to produce these vehicles.
"Get a million plug-in hybrid cars, built in America, on the road by 2015.
"Create a new $7,000 tax credit for purchasing advanced vehicles.
"Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce the carbon in fuels 10% by 2020.
"Require 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels to be phased into the fuel supply by 2030."
It's pretty clear which energy policy would be better for Michigan workers and families.
But with the state of journalism today, that would be like wishing pigs could fly.
The New York Times has come to the rescue with an outstanding analysis of why McCain's drill-drill=drill policy is a dead-end. Tom Friedman's column, titled "Making America Stupid," sums it up excellently.
Here are a few key grafs:
"Imagine for a minute that attending the Republican convention in St. Paul, sitting in a skybox overlooking the convention floor, were observers from Russia, Iran and Venezuela. And imagine for a minute what these observers would have been doing when Rudy Giuliani led the delegates in a chant of 'drill, baby, drill!'
"I’ll tell you what they would have been doing: the Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan observers would have been up out of their seats, exchanging high-fives and joining in the chant louder than anyone in the hall — 'Yes! Yes! Drill, America, drill!' — because an America that is focused first and foremost on drilling for oil is an America more focused on feeding its oil habit than kicking it.
"Why would Republicans, the party of business, want to focus our country on breathing life into a 19th-century technology — fossil fuels — rather than giving birth to a 21st-century technology — renewable energy? As I have argued before, it reminds me of someone who, on the eve of the I.T. revolution — on the eve of PCs and the Internet — is pounding the table for America to make more I.B.M. typewriters and carbon paper. 'Typewriters, baby, typewriters.'"
Exactly.
The Detroit Free Press, in its edition for Sunday (Sept. 14, 2008), offered a useful, if much less eloquent, analysis of Obama and McCain's energy policies, at least as they pertain to the auto industry.
What is striking is how specific Obama's plans are compared to the other guy's.
Beyond a piddling $300 million prize for a battery and a "clean car challenge," McCain says he will "promote" alternative fuels and encourage a faster switch to flex-fuel vehicles.
Obama laid out his energy plan in a speech in Lansing last month, in which he called for spending $15 billion a year for the next 10 years to eliminate the need for oil from the Middle East and Venezuela.
The Free Press summarized the rest of Obama's plans thusly:
"Increase CAFE standards 4% per year while providing $4billion for domestic automakers to retool their manufacturing facilities in America to produce these vehicles.
"Get a million plug-in hybrid cars, built in America, on the road by 2015.
"Create a new $7,000 tax credit for purchasing advanced vehicles.
"Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce the carbon in fuels 10% by 2020.
"Require 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels to be phased into the fuel supply by 2030."
It's pretty clear which energy policy would be better for Michigan workers and families.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
So How Do They REALLY Feel About Palin?
The last two weeks we've seen plenty of political consultants show up on television and gush about whatever is going on at the convention. More than once, you've probably wondered if they really believed what they were saying.
Thanks to the marvel of open mics, we now know how two Republican consultants -- Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan -- really feel about John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate.
They think it was B.S.
Watch it below:
Murphy, of course, is the political consultant who engineered John Engler's gubernatorial victories in Michigan.
I wonder how Michigan residents felt watching Palin's speech, especially the part about Alaska having a budget surplus and rebating oil and gas profits back to Alaska taxpayers.
Where does she think that money came from? Right out of the hides of Michigan workers, of course. While Michigan motorists struggle to pay for $4 gas, Alaska residents are rolling in dough and bragging about how easy it is to balance the state budget. She wants to drill in the fragile Alaska National Wildife Refuge, which even John McCain opposes, even though it would bring down the price of gas at most a few pennies. Alaska, of course, would rake in even more money as the nation continued to be hooked on a dwindling resource that will only become increasingly expensive.
Later in the speech, Palin made an appeal to Michigan workers struggling to keep their jobs. How does keeping the economy tied to a 20th century energy source help Michigan autoworkers keep their jobs? It doesn't. It only makes oil companies -- and Alaska -- richer at the expense of the rest of us and delays the day when we switch to alternatives.
Thanks to the marvel of open mics, we now know how two Republican consultants -- Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan -- really feel about John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate.
They think it was B.S.
Watch it below:
Murphy, of course, is the political consultant who engineered John Engler's gubernatorial victories in Michigan.
I wonder how Michigan residents felt watching Palin's speech, especially the part about Alaska having a budget surplus and rebating oil and gas profits back to Alaska taxpayers.
Where does she think that money came from? Right out of the hides of Michigan workers, of course. While Michigan motorists struggle to pay for $4 gas, Alaska residents are rolling in dough and bragging about how easy it is to balance the state budget. She wants to drill in the fragile Alaska National Wildife Refuge, which even John McCain opposes, even though it would bring down the price of gas at most a few pennies. Alaska, of course, would rake in even more money as the nation continued to be hooked on a dwindling resource that will only become increasingly expensive.
Later in the speech, Palin made an appeal to Michigan workers struggling to keep their jobs. How does keeping the economy tied to a 20th century energy source help Michigan autoworkers keep their jobs? It doesn't. It only makes oil companies -- and Alaska -- richer at the expense of the rest of us and delays the day when we switch to alternatives.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Even Local Republicans Say Palin is a Ploy
This from Saul in St. Paul:
"Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is the talk of the GOP Convention. She has reinvigorated the campaign and we need to keep this energy going in Michigan. Please help me tell our Republican activists about Governor Palin by making an online contribution today.
"I have never seen so much excitement around a candidate’s pick of running mate that (sic) what’s going on here at in St. Paul over Senator McCain’s selection of Governor Palin."
I'll bet there's a lot of talk in St. Paul about Palin. And I wonder if Saul Anuzis, the chair of the Michigan Republican Party, is confusing "reinvigoration" with turmoil and screams of dismay with "excitement."
How do I know Republicans might be a little upset with McCain's surprise decision to put Palin on the ticket? Livinston County Republicans were bold enough to put the statement in print, via the Livingston Press and Argus on Sunday (August 31, 2008):
"Bill Rogers, chairman of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners and a Republican candidate for the state House, was skeptical of the pick and would have preferred someone with more of a business background, such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
"'To me, this is all a political ploy,' Rogers said. 'They're going to say she's a novice, which then we ... see that the (Democratic) presidential hopeful is a novice, so it kind of killed that argument.'"
Yes, it certainly did. When the person your party wants to put a heartbeat away from the presidency was mayor of a town less than half the size of Brighton 18 months ago, it really kills the argument that a U.S. senator is a novice.
For another local view of the pick, check out Conservative Media's piece.
But the really interesting thing about Anuzis' statement is the comment that Palin's pick has "reinvigorated" the campaign. I didn't know it was in need of reinvigorating. According to Saul, things have been going swimmingly all along, except for that need to pay "volunteers" 10 percent of the money they raise for McCain that he floated a few weeks ago. And I really doubt people in Michigan are all that fired up for a mayor from Alaska when they could have had the Romney name on the ticket.
Speaking of Romney, I would like to have been a fly on the wall when Romney got the call that it wasn't him and it was Palin instead.
At this point, no one should say that Palin is another Dan Quayle. We don't know enough about her. I'm sure she is a loving mother to her five children and that she is rapidly learning how to be the governor of a small state. But the way this decision was made -- after meeting McCain casually once at a meeting and then receiving a phone call on Sunday in which she was offered the job -- says a lot about the random way McCain makes decisions. You can't get hired at most jobs after just one interview.
P.S. Thanks to the friend who let me know about Anuzis' email.
"Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is the talk of the GOP Convention. She has reinvigorated the campaign and we need to keep this energy going in Michigan. Please help me tell our Republican activists about Governor Palin by making an online contribution today.
"I have never seen so much excitement around a candidate’s pick of running mate that (sic) what’s going on here at in St. Paul over Senator McCain’s selection of Governor Palin."
I'll bet there's a lot of talk in St. Paul about Palin. And I wonder if Saul Anuzis, the chair of the Michigan Republican Party, is confusing "reinvigoration" with turmoil and screams of dismay with "excitement."
How do I know Republicans might be a little upset with McCain's surprise decision to put Palin on the ticket? Livinston County Republicans were bold enough to put the statement in print, via the Livingston Press and Argus on Sunday (August 31, 2008):
"Bill Rogers, chairman of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners and a Republican candidate for the state House, was skeptical of the pick and would have preferred someone with more of a business background, such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
"'To me, this is all a political ploy,' Rogers said. 'They're going to say she's a novice, which then we ... see that the (Democratic) presidential hopeful is a novice, so it kind of killed that argument.'"
Yes, it certainly did. When the person your party wants to put a heartbeat away from the presidency was mayor of a town less than half the size of Brighton 18 months ago, it really kills the argument that a U.S. senator is a novice.
For another local view of the pick, check out Conservative Media's piece.
But the really interesting thing about Anuzis' statement is the comment that Palin's pick has "reinvigorated" the campaign. I didn't know it was in need of reinvigorating. According to Saul, things have been going swimmingly all along, except for that need to pay "volunteers" 10 percent of the money they raise for McCain that he floated a few weeks ago. And I really doubt people in Michigan are all that fired up for a mayor from Alaska when they could have had the Romney name on the ticket.
Speaking of Romney, I would like to have been a fly on the wall when Romney got the call that it wasn't him and it was Palin instead.
At this point, no one should say that Palin is another Dan Quayle. We don't know enough about her. I'm sure she is a loving mother to her five children and that she is rapidly learning how to be the governor of a small state. But the way this decision was made -- after meeting McCain casually once at a meeting and then receiving a phone call on Sunday in which she was offered the job -- says a lot about the random way McCain makes decisions. You can't get hired at most jobs after just one interview.
P.S. Thanks to the friend who let me know about Anuzis' email.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Elect My Dad! My Dad for President!
I grew up with a great Dad. He worked in a factory. He earned good money. He loved my Mom and he loved all five of us kids. He did fun things with us. He kept us in line. He taught me to love to read. I love him to pieces.
But I never knew he was qualified to be president.
After all, my Dad was a POW. He was beaten. He was starved. He was locked up. He endured horrible conditions -- freezing cold weather for days at a time. He wasn't allowed to communicate with his family. His health was damaged permanently. It was horrible.
But I never knew that qualified him to be president.
Of course, my Dad didn't talk about being a POW. For him, it was no badge of honor. It was no badge of courage. He didn't use it as an excuse. When he got angry about something, or when he forgot something, or when he broke something, Dad never said, "Yeah, but I was a POW so it's OK."
When he wanted a promotion to supervisor in the factory, he never told his boss that he deserved it because he had been a POW.
Nobody ever thanked my Dad for being a POW. Nobody held a parade in his honor, or made a video about him. After World War II, being a POW was no big deal. In fact, it was a sign of dishonor. A sign that you had failed as a soldier. And that's how Dad felt about it. He felt he was a failure. People actually said that to former POWs.
The nation did not give him a hero's welcome. After he was liberated while on a Nazi death march, he and thousands of other POWs were taken to a camp in northern France where they had to stand in line for hours to get chow -- even though many of them were sick and weak. It was a national disgrace at the time and a congressional committee investigated it.
I'm not the only person who wonders why being a POW should serve as a free pass for everything a particular politician does.
Some people who were in the same prison camp as John McCain say exactly the same thing. Read this article in the Military Times by a fellow POW who says he won't vote for McCain. He writes:
"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 that 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."
The point is, McCain was not the only American POW. He was one of more than 600 in the prison camp he was in. Thousands more came before him and McCain's treatment was not much different from anyone else's. They just have not exploited it the way he has.
I'm sorry, but being a former POW is not enough reason to be president.
If it were, I think people should vote for my Dad. He's nicer.
But I never knew he was qualified to be president.
After all, my Dad was a POW. He was beaten. He was starved. He was locked up. He endured horrible conditions -- freezing cold weather for days at a time. He wasn't allowed to communicate with his family. His health was damaged permanently. It was horrible.
But I never knew that qualified him to be president.
Of course, my Dad didn't talk about being a POW. For him, it was no badge of honor. It was no badge of courage. He didn't use it as an excuse. When he got angry about something, or when he forgot something, or when he broke something, Dad never said, "Yeah, but I was a POW so it's OK."
When he wanted a promotion to supervisor in the factory, he never told his boss that he deserved it because he had been a POW.
Nobody ever thanked my Dad for being a POW. Nobody held a parade in his honor, or made a video about him. After World War II, being a POW was no big deal. In fact, it was a sign of dishonor. A sign that you had failed as a soldier. And that's how Dad felt about it. He felt he was a failure. People actually said that to former POWs.
The nation did not give him a hero's welcome. After he was liberated while on a Nazi death march, he and thousands of other POWs were taken to a camp in northern France where they had to stand in line for hours to get chow -- even though many of them were sick and weak. It was a national disgrace at the time and a congressional committee investigated it.
I'm not the only person who wonders why being a POW should serve as a free pass for everything a particular politician does.
Some people who were in the same prison camp as John McCain say exactly the same thing. Read this article in the Military Times by a fellow POW who says he won't vote for McCain. He writes:
"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 that 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."
The point is, McCain was not the only American POW. He was one of more than 600 in the prison camp he was in. Thousands more came before him and McCain's treatment was not much different from anyone else's. They just have not exploited it the way he has.
I'm sorry, but being a former POW is not enough reason to be president.
If it were, I think people should vote for my Dad. He's nicer.
Friday, August 8, 2008
GOP Sign: Time to Rebuild America! From What, You Might Ask?
Are the Republicans in Livingston County a little off their game right now?
Michigan motorists along I-96 in Livingston County might be a little confused by a sign that urges them: "Help Rebuild America with President John McCain."
First of all, he is not president now, as the sign implies. We are not re-electing a "President" John McCain -- although it could be argued that we are re-electing George Bush if we elect John McCain.
But the bigger question is, after eight years of George Bush and his policies -- supported by John McCain -- why do we need to "rebuild America?"
Shouldn't eight years of George Bush have resulted in a better America? And if it didn't, why should we vote for another Republican? Especially a Republican who supports Bush's policies.
But since Republicans brought up the matter, let's list some of the things we need to rebuild America from:
--A disastrous war in Iraq that has cost thousands of American lives (and many thousands more innocent Iraqi lives), damaged our prestige, and cost of billions of dollars, all while the Iraqi government bickers amongst itself and piles up billions of dollars in oil profit that they won't even spend to rebuild their own country.
--A budget deficit that has skyrocketed out of control and threatens to burden our children and our children's children with interest payments to China.
--Erosion of our constitutional rights to be free of government snooping on innocent civilians who have committed no crime whatsoever.
--Policies that favor the mega-wealthy over working people, such as the Bush tax cuts, which are now the McCain tax cuts.
--The failure to create an energy policy that will protect our planet and keep energy affordable.
--Trade policies that let jobs go overseas and an economic adviser who tells Americans they are whiners to complain about the economy.
--A health care system that costs more than any other one in the world while delivering results that aren't even in the top 25.
Yes, we need to rebuild America -- from Republican policies.
And we need to do it with Barack Obama.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Imagine an America That Doesn't Need Foreign Oil -- Obama Tells Lansing It Can Happen
Can you imagine a world in which the United States needs no foreign oil -- no oil from Middle East dictators, not even any oil from Hugo Chavez's Venezuela?
How different could our foreign policy be? How many troops would we need to protect us against terrorism if we did not feel the need to meddle in Middle Eastern politics?
Those were some of the possibilities that Barack Obama opened up for some 1,700 people who were lucky enough to get tickets to see him at the Lansing Center on Monday (August 4, 2008).
"We must end the Age of Oil in our time," Obama said, as he delivered a message that was tailor-made for job-hungry Michigan and for our auto industry -- a plan to spend $15 billion a year for the next 10 years to wean Americans completely away from foreign oil and create 5 million jobs based on alternative energies. And, he said, he wanted to see 1 million plug-in, fuel-efficient cars built in the U.S. Michigan's history of technological innovation would allow many of those jobs to be created right here, he said.
Obama acknowledged that the switch to alternative fuels will be expensive and difficult, but no more so than answering John Kennedy's call to put an American on the moon or Franklin Roosevelt's call to ramp up industrial production at the start of World War II. He said he knew the nation could do it because "we are Americans. We always do the improbable," he said.
Obama delivered his message in front of at least one Big 3 executive -- Bill Ford -- who undoubtedly appreciated Obama's promise for financial support for helping Michigan automakers retool to turn out cars that will run on alternative fuels.
In response to recent $4 a gallon gasoline, Obama laid out both a short-term and a long-term plan.
In the short run, Obama called for:
--$1,000 energy rebates to ease the pain of high fuel costs.
--A windfall profits tax on excessive oil profits.
--Selling some oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bring down prices.
--Allowing a limited amount of additional oil exploration, including possibly off-shore, if that is necessary to obtain support for alternative fuel measures.
Recently, a bipartisan coalition of members of Congress released an energy plan that includes alternative fuel measures, along with some off-shore drilling. Obama said the measure is not perfect, but he said the nation cannot wait for perfection.
He also chided John McCain for his whole-hearted support for off-shore drilling, which was quickly followed by more than $1 million in contributions to his campaign by oil and natural gas executives, noting that oil companies have oil leases on 68 million acres of American land that they never have used and that off-shore drilling will not provide any relief for seven years. "If they don't use it, they should lose it," he said.
But Obama said he did agree with McCain's recent statement that our nation's dependence on foreign oil has been growing for 30 years. And, Obama noted, McCain has been in Washington for 26 of those years.
Obama also agreed with Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens, who said recently, "This is one emergency we cannot drill our way out of."
In addition to the short-term plan, Obama called for long-term measures, including:
--Increasing mileage standards by 4 percent a year.
--Extending the $7,000 tax redits for buying alternative fuel vehicles.
--$4 billion in loans and credits to automakers so they can retool their plants to build plug-in hybrids. "Automakers are not going to have to beg and plead to get the attention of the White House because they are going to have a partner in the White House," Obama promised.
--Requiring that 10 percent of American energy come from reneweable sources within four years.
--Extending production tax credits for five years for wind powre and solar power.
--Tax incentives and government contracts to encourage the next generation of biofuels.
--Safer ways to use nuclear power, including finding a solution to storage of nuclear waste.
--Modernizing the nation's utility grid.
--Reducing electrical usage by 15 percent by the end of the next dcade, including making new buildings 50 percent more efficient and basing utility profits on conservation not energy usage.
Overall, this was a different Obama speech from the ones seen on television during the primary. This was not about soaring rhetoric or hope or America's promise. It was a nuts-and-bolts policy speech, filled with plenty of specifics for all those cynics who claim Obama is short on substance. There was plenty of substance -- the kind that allows people to dare to hope.
How different could our foreign policy be? How many troops would we need to protect us against terrorism if we did not feel the need to meddle in Middle Eastern politics?
Those were some of the possibilities that Barack Obama opened up for some 1,700 people who were lucky enough to get tickets to see him at the Lansing Center on Monday (August 4, 2008).
"We must end the Age of Oil in our time," Obama said, as he delivered a message that was tailor-made for job-hungry Michigan and for our auto industry -- a plan to spend $15 billion a year for the next 10 years to wean Americans completely away from foreign oil and create 5 million jobs based on alternative energies. And, he said, he wanted to see 1 million plug-in, fuel-efficient cars built in the U.S. Michigan's history of technological innovation would allow many of those jobs to be created right here, he said.
Obama acknowledged that the switch to alternative fuels will be expensive and difficult, but no more so than answering John Kennedy's call to put an American on the moon or Franklin Roosevelt's call to ramp up industrial production at the start of World War II. He said he knew the nation could do it because "we are Americans. We always do the improbable," he said.
Obama delivered his message in front of at least one Big 3 executive -- Bill Ford -- who undoubtedly appreciated Obama's promise for financial support for helping Michigan automakers retool to turn out cars that will run on alternative fuels.
In response to recent $4 a gallon gasoline, Obama laid out both a short-term and a long-term plan.
In the short run, Obama called for:
--$1,000 energy rebates to ease the pain of high fuel costs.
--A windfall profits tax on excessive oil profits.
--Selling some oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bring down prices.
--Allowing a limited amount of additional oil exploration, including possibly off-shore, if that is necessary to obtain support for alternative fuel measures.
Recently, a bipartisan coalition of members of Congress released an energy plan that includes alternative fuel measures, along with some off-shore drilling. Obama said the measure is not perfect, but he said the nation cannot wait for perfection.
He also chided John McCain for his whole-hearted support for off-shore drilling, which was quickly followed by more than $1 million in contributions to his campaign by oil and natural gas executives, noting that oil companies have oil leases on 68 million acres of American land that they never have used and that off-shore drilling will not provide any relief for seven years. "If they don't use it, they should lose it," he said.
But Obama said he did agree with McCain's recent statement that our nation's dependence on foreign oil has been growing for 30 years. And, Obama noted, McCain has been in Washington for 26 of those years.
Obama also agreed with Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens, who said recently, "This is one emergency we cannot drill our way out of."
In addition to the short-term plan, Obama called for long-term measures, including:
--Increasing mileage standards by 4 percent a year.
--Extending the $7,000 tax redits for buying alternative fuel vehicles.
--$4 billion in loans and credits to automakers so they can retool their plants to build plug-in hybrids. "Automakers are not going to have to beg and plead to get the attention of the White House because they are going to have a partner in the White House," Obama promised.
--Requiring that 10 percent of American energy come from reneweable sources within four years.
--Extending production tax credits for five years for wind powre and solar power.
--Tax incentives and government contracts to encourage the next generation of biofuels.
--Safer ways to use nuclear power, including finding a solution to storage of nuclear waste.
--Modernizing the nation's utility grid.
--Reducing electrical usage by 15 percent by the end of the next dcade, including making new buildings 50 percent more efficient and basing utility profits on conservation not energy usage.
Overall, this was a different Obama speech from the ones seen on television during the primary. This was not about soaring rhetoric or hope or America's promise. It was a nuts-and-bolts policy speech, filled with plenty of specifics for all those cynics who claim Obama is short on substance. There was plenty of substance -- the kind that allows people to dare to hope.
McCain's Campaign Making Fun of Gas Conservation Measures -- Even As GOP Candidate Rogers Promotes Them
Sometimes a campaign can be a little too cute.
John McCain's presidential campaign decided to ridicule Barack Obama as he prepared to deliver a major address on energy and the economy Monday (August 4, 2008) by handing out tire gauges to the media. They were trying to claim that Obama had no plan for energy besides conservation (and what's wrong with conservation?), based on a remark he made about making sure your vehicle's tires are properly inflated.
Supposedly, Michigan Republicans also were handing out tire gauges to the hundreds of people lined up outside the Lansing Center for Obama's speech, although I stood in line close to a half hour and never saw anyone doing any such thing. (I did see one protester. She had to ask someone to take a picture of her with her anti-Obama sign because no one else had even come with her.)
So if handing out tire gauges is such a cute idea, maybe we Democrats in Livingston County should try it.
After all, Bill Rogers, candidate for the Republican nomination for the 66th House seat, has been handing out business cards promoting his candidacy.
On the back, Rogers listed 13 ways to save gas.
At the top of the list?
"Check air pressure in tires."
That Rogers, I knew he was a tree-hugging liberal at heart.
John McCain's presidential campaign decided to ridicule Barack Obama as he prepared to deliver a major address on energy and the economy Monday (August 4, 2008) by handing out tire gauges to the media. They were trying to claim that Obama had no plan for energy besides conservation (and what's wrong with conservation?), based on a remark he made about making sure your vehicle's tires are properly inflated.
Supposedly, Michigan Republicans also were handing out tire gauges to the hundreds of people lined up outside the Lansing Center for Obama's speech, although I stood in line close to a half hour and never saw anyone doing any such thing. (I did see one protester. She had to ask someone to take a picture of her with her anti-Obama sign because no one else had even come with her.)
So if handing out tire gauges is such a cute idea, maybe we Democrats in Livingston County should try it.
After all, Bill Rogers, candidate for the Republican nomination for the 66th House seat, has been handing out business cards promoting his candidacy.
On the back, Rogers listed 13 ways to save gas.
At the top of the list?
"Check air pressure in tires."
That Rogers, I knew he was a tree-hugging liberal at heart.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
McCain Changes His Tune About Michigan Jobs
Funny how things change in just a few months.
Back in January, John McCain was pessimistic about the future of Michigan jobs. Maybe it was the effect of Michigan winter weather on this guy from the Valley of the Sun, but prior to the Michigan primary in January, McCain said the Michigan auto worker jobs were gone forever.
But now that he hopes to carry Michigan in November, McCain is much more optimistic about Michigan's future. At a campaign stop on Wednesday (May 7, 2008),instead of telling people basically to suck it up, McCain was full of ideas about how to create jobs in the auto industry, according to the Detroit News.
The newspaper reported:
"'You have to care for displaced workers, give them education and training that works so they have another chance to be part of the economy,'" McCain said.
"'And you invest in the cradle of the auto industry, new technologies, such as the battery that lets you take a car 100 miles before you have to plug it in. We have to provide all the incentives, for investment in pure R&D as well as R&D tax breaks, worker retraining and education and reduction in any taxes that may give other areas an unfair advantage.'"
What changed from January to May, besides the fact that now McCain is competing not for the the narrow Republican primary vote, but in the field of the much broader electorate which includes many blue collar workers?
Back in January, John McCain was pessimistic about the future of Michigan jobs. Maybe it was the effect of Michigan winter weather on this guy from the Valley of the Sun, but prior to the Michigan primary in January, McCain said the Michigan auto worker jobs were gone forever.
But now that he hopes to carry Michigan in November, McCain is much more optimistic about Michigan's future. At a campaign stop on Wednesday (May 7, 2008),instead of telling people basically to suck it up, McCain was full of ideas about how to create jobs in the auto industry, according to the Detroit News.
The newspaper reported:
"'You have to care for displaced workers, give them education and training that works so they have another chance to be part of the economy,'" McCain said.
"'And you invest in the cradle of the auto industry, new technologies, such as the battery that lets you take a car 100 miles before you have to plug it in. We have to provide all the incentives, for investment in pure R&D as well as R&D tax breaks, worker retraining and education and reduction in any taxes that may give other areas an unfair advantage.'"
What changed from January to May, besides the fact that now McCain is competing not for the the narrow Republican primary vote, but in the field of the much broader electorate which includes many blue collar workers?
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