Former Ramstein medical chief denounces McCain

[ErinBerin84]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0708/Former_Ramstein_medical_chief_denounces_McCain.html



Former Ramstein medical chief denounces McCain

VoteVets, the pro-Democrat group of retired military personnel, counters McCain's Black Hawk down statement with some outrage from Col. Katherine Scheirman (Ret.), the retired Chief of Medical Operations for United States Air Force in Europe Headquarters at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany:

"John McCain's new ad is dishonest and shameful, and I say that as the former Chief of Medical Operations. Senators Hagel and Reed confirmed to Bob Schieffer yesterday that Senator Obama visited the Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad as a part of their CODEL, with no media present.

"In Germany, Senator Obama made the right decision to respect wounded troops, and the doctors and nurses doing crucial and time-sensitive work, by not making a visit that was characterized as a campaign event by the Pentagon. Senator Obama should be thanked for putting our military above politics. And, I would hope that John McCain would think in those same terms, the next time he is put in a similar situation.

"Senator Obama has voted for the troops when John McCain has not, most recently on the new GI Bill. I am happy that Senator Obama puts the welfare of our troops above politics."

Also, it's notable that Obama's camp, quick to respond to most every charge and ever-conscious of not repeating the mistakes of Kerry, has yet to go on the air with a spot pushing back against McCain's charge on the troop visit. Apparently, they won't unless McCain puts real money behind his spot and goes beyond just gaming it for earned media.

[babylonsister]

1. Big fat Recommend for Col. Katherine Scheirman (Ret.)!

:thumbsup: I hope VoteVets is working on a scathing ad of their own.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Hi Sis!!!

I have a big ole soft spot in my heart for military retirees!!

[babylonsister]

6. Hey, BOSS. Me, TOO! I'm married to one!

I'm glad this woman is defending Obama. All I'm hearing from Dems are crickets.

[BOSSHOG]

8. Hey My Wife is too!!!

I think some source of "cricketness" is the ungodly job conservatives do of confusing any issue which might put them in a bad light.

[ErinBerin84]

10. yup.

Her statement is worded very nicely. I hope it's not true that Obama is not responding forcefully bc it is a small ad buy, it's def meant for the media to give it free advertising.

[Wetzelbill]

36. Wait..wait... wait....

You're married!?!

Seems I have been foiled again. :) Why are all the good ones taken?

[pansypoo53219]

40. I'm not.

so, you still have a chance.

[Wetzelbill]

41. like one in a million

But I'll take those odds. :)

[Scurrilous]

2. K & R

:thumbsup:

[11 Bravo]

3. K&R!

We need to beat Grandpa over the fucking head with this!

[ellacott]

9. Yes we do

K&R

[TwilightGardener]

5. Good stuff!

[tekisui]

7. Politicizing injured troops. New low. Soon to be lowered, no doubt.

KNR.

[Cha]

11. Thank you, Col. Katherine Scheirman!

You'd think mccain couldn't be anymore heinous than he is but you'd be wrong.

[hisownpetard]

29. Ditto! (Huge K&R)

[proReality]

12. K&R n/t

[yellerpup]

13. K&R!

The smarmy ad has been answered by credible defenders. The military isn't fighting for John McCain and he does not speak for them. Many thanks to Col Scheirman for keeping the truth front and center. :kick:

[hootinholler]

14. So we can infer from this and McCainus' remarks that there...

Would have been a seismic event for him to get in the way of time sensitive care.

-Hoot

[Imagevision]

15. "characterized as a campaign event by the Pentagon".

[grantcart]

16. McCain made a mistake. Col Scheirman is the wrong person to get in front of the media on this one

Her she is quoted by babylonsister taking Bush apart http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1028578


http://okbluenotes.blogspot.com/2007/09/september-19-2007-retired-ok-col_5738.html


Retired OK Col Katherine Scheirman
Travels To Washington DC to Push
For Iraq Mission Worthy of
Troops Sacrifices

Oklahoma City, OK —Democratic Senators and Congressmen joined 40 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, including Dr. Katherine Scheirman, USAF (ret.), an Oklahoma City physician, in Washington DC on Tuesday to discuss Democrats’ ongoing efforts toward a strategy that protects our troops, supports our veterans when they return home and keeps America safer while finding a political solution in Iraq.

Dr. Scheirman, who retired in October of 2006 after 20 years of active duty, served as Director of Medical Operations at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where casualties from Iraq are evacuated. She stated, “I enjoyed this tremendous opportunity to meet other military veterans who speak for the troops in Iraq. We delivered their message that we need a responsible redeployment of our troops from Iraq in order to rebuild our military and go after the real Al Qaeda, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our national security is damaged by our occupation of Iraq.”

Said Jon Soltz, an Iraq veteran and the Chairman and Co-Founder of Vote Vets: “The President and his supporters continue to present no plan for Iraq. What the President has presented will not move Iraqis towards national reconciliation, or allow us to begin our overextended troops home, to refit and rearm and take the fight to al Qaeda. His plan is nothing but politics, trying to run down the clock and offer some political cover to vulnerable members of his party. This is not supporting the troops, and it is certainly not protecting America.”

[bertman]

17. Having Senators, Hagel and Reed, say what they did is good, as is what Col. Scheirman did,

but this requires a MAJOR ADVERTISING COUNTEROFFENSIVE. This is the first "SWIFTBOAT" attack and Obama had better stand up and fight NOW or he's going to go the way of Kerry.

McAnus will do whatever it takes to undermine Obama. I hope to god that Obama and his handlers don't blow this.

[Coexist]

18. knr

[Narkos]

19. Does anyone think the hospital visit was a RW trap? n/t

[MadMaddie]

27. I have been thinking the same thing....it' interesting that

the McCain add was already ready to push out. It's almost as the Pentagon and McCain collaborated on this...and this is what is allarming to me.

[hisownpetard]

30. Definitely!

[Supersedeas]

39. they were certainly prepped and ready to go

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

20. Blah, Blah, Blah.....BRITTNEY SPEARS!!!!

Continuing proof that a lie can go round the world twice before the truth can get its boots on.

The media will, of course, totally ignore Col.Scheirman's statement and continue repeating John McCain's talking points.

[blm]

21. It's 'notable' that Kerry DID counter the swifts - there was no 'mistake' when corpmedia complicity

was the cause of Martin and other 'pundits' not being aware EVEN FOCKING NOW, of Kerry's counterattacks on the swifts and his challenge to Bush to debate their services instead of hiding behind the swifts.


Fock every Dem 'pundit' who is too underinformed to get the FACTS STRAIGHT. Why should anyone listen to their opinion when they prove everyday how wrong they always get it?

[InternalDialogue]

22. Rec for the message inside the story, however...

politico.com does a disservice to VoteVets by identifying them as "the pro-Democrat group."

From its own website, VoteVets says:

VoteVets.org was founded in January 2006 by Iraq war Veterans Jon Soltz and Jeremy Broussard. Since its inception, VoteVets.org PAC has endorsed eight candidates for office – both Democratic and Republican.

(emphasis mine)

I'm glad they've quoted Col. Scheirman at length here, and the crux of the story is true, but their conservative bias still shows through.

[me b zola]

23. K&R

[NBachers]

24. What about it, NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX?

You've been putting Jacko 'Cain's video into heavy rotation. Time to give Col. Katherine Scheirman some impactful airtime. You're not anti- military, are you?

[mucifer]

26. It sure would be great but it ain't gonna happen

[pansypoo53219]

42. the teevee gnews are the enemy.

they are RICH. they are trying to make money by keeping the race close. an obama blowout makes them NOTHING. FUCK THEM. do not give them your eyes!

[beac]

25. K&R!

[Marrah_G]

28. Wooo- Good for her !

[speedoo]

31. K&R. Thanks for posting this.

Shame on you McWhine.

[HughMoran]

32. K&R for McShameful

Good for him.

[Turner Ashby]

33. Woo Hoo. I was afraid ot ask my guy

a vet of 24 years. He said no way should he have visited. I about fainted. We get by little by little.

[RNdaSilva]

34. An old vet here says...

Thanks!

[opihimoimoi]

35. K&R

:kick:

[skyounkin]

37. No offense to the Col.

But when somebody says something about someone else that turns out to not be true it's called LYING!!!

MCCAIN LIES IN HIS NEW ADD.

How goddamn hard is this to get across to supports of Obama and the truth?

It's lying, call it what it is and make shitheat recant his lies.

It's just that simple.

[lebkuchen]

38. Recall Rep. Tim Murphy's (R-PA) 2005 visit to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center after his accident

I posted about it here:

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/7/29/0120/17395/145#c145

[LesserFool]

43. Is this the real McCain or a desperate McCain?

With some of the low-blows that McCain has dished out recently, it has me wondering if we might be witnessing the real McCain for the first time?

Or is it a desperate McCain who has been convinced by his PR advisors that going negative works, whether you like it or not.

McCain no doubt remembers the hatchet job Shrub did on him, and may be more likely to accept the fact that hitting below the belt makes winners. Staying above the fray makes losers.

Either way, it calls into question McCain's judgment.

For if we are seeing the real McCain for the first time, he's been lying for a very long time; and does not have the temperament to be CiC.

On the other hand, if he has recently converted to Rovian politics, we sure as hell don't want another four or eight years of that hell.