Wingnuts: Only Bush And Rove Are Allowed To Question McCain’s Military Record

[swag]

Blue Texan at firedoglake:

... Bush surrogates (several later involved in the Kerry swiftboating effort) skillfully turned McCain's service record against him (thereby deflecting questions about Bush's own service record.) They planted stories that the torture McCain suffered as a POW had brought about mental instability, including rumors that he had been programmed as a "Manchurian candidate" who "collaborated with the enemy." No longer could McCain use the fact that he had endured torture as evidence of dedication to serving his country.

...

In the 2000 South Carolina Presidential primary Bush surrogates circulated stories that McCain's five years as a POW had made him "mentally unstable," gave him a "loose screw," that he "committed treason while a POW" and "came home and forgot us."

And McSame blamed Bush for this crap -- personally:

In a barely controlled debate that revealed the depth of their mutual anger, Gov. George W. Bush and Senator John McCain lashed into each other's negative campaign tactics tonight, with Mr. McCain lecturing Mr. Bush that he ''should be ashamed'' that a surrogate had accused Mr. McCain of abandoning veterans.

Mr. Bush refused Mr. McCain's demand that he apologize, instead insisting that Mr. McCain stop impugning his integrity. In seething, indignant accusations, each man tried to portray himself as the victim of gutter politics, with Mr. McCain saying he had been called everything but a fascist.

''You're putting out stuff that is unbelievable, George, and it's got to stop,'' he said. ''And your ads have got to stop.''

more

[Benhurst]

1. And only a Democrat would appoligize for a legitimate statement made by a supporter who

was in no way smearing the opposition.

:argh:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. Obama lost me on that one

He chastised Clark without - obviously - having read the transcript of the show nor seen a video of what Clark was asked and what he said.

Coupled with his stance on FISA, I'm sorely disappointed. Still a supporter, of course, but watching now with a suspicious eye. It's too soon in the game to be rolling over .......................

[crimsonblue]

3. if this doesn't tell you McSame hasn't sold out completely

then nothing will. History shows that you should always fear a person with such a perverse desire for power that they are willing to change positions or contradict them as quickly and often as the winds.

[DCKit]

4. Each original statement needs to be recycled and attributed to it's source.

That'll keep the GOP busy through November. Probably cost them a shitload of $$$ too - money that won't be spent on candidates.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

5. And Clark called McCain a hero and yet was accused of swiftboating

Bush and his band of hoodlums questioned McCain's military record including his sanity.

Clark didn't. He questioned nothing about the content of McCain's record.

He merely stated that given McCain's heroic record, does that itself qualify him as the nation's chief executive over Obama who never served.