The 800-lb. president: Trouble for McCain...Today's LA Times

Bush weighs down McCain
McCain can embrace or push away from Bush -- but in any case, he's got an anchor, not a life preserver.
May 17, 2008


The Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans is ground seldom trod by Republican presidential candidates. Yet presumptive party nominee John McCain picked his way through the rubble there last month before launching into a scorching criticism of the Bush administration. "Terrible and disgraceful" was his characterization of the administration's response to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the district in 2005.

The New Orleans stop was part of a sweep through hard-hit factory towns, African American strongholds and other spots where Democrats tend to get a warmer reception than the GOP, in what McCain's campaign dubbed the "America's Forgotten Places" tour. A more apt name might have been the "Ditch Bush" tour, because much of it was spent dumping on the administration that has forgotten those places. Nonetheless, McCain seldom mentions Bush by name unless pressed by reporters, even as he has staked out policy positions on many issues that are nearly identical to the incumbent's.

If Bush is the monkey on McCain's back, he's also the 800-pound gorilla of Republican politics. As dearly as McCain would love to put distance between himself and a president whose approval ratings have gone lower than Richard M. Nixon's at his nadir, he can't possibly abandon the core GOP principles that won Bush two terms in office -- not least because McCain personally shares most of them and has been backing them in the Senate for decades. That puts him in a very tight spot.

"The change this country needs will not come from a third term of George W. Bush, and that's exactly what John McCain is offering in this campaign," said Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama in a recent speech. That has been a constant theme from both Obama and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton even while they've been savaging each other, meaning the cry will get even louder in the general election. It's a smart strategy, given how badly Bush seems to have hurt Republicans in recent congressional races. On Tuesday, a conservative Democrat won a special election in what had been a staunchly GOP district in Mississippi -- the third defeat for a Republican in a special congressional race this year -- prompting senior party officials to warn candidates that if they want to win this fall, they had better do everything possible to cut the chain from the political anchor that is President Bush.

A most thoughtful editorial; more at link:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-mccain17-2008may17,0,1628044.story

tons of it

And we must exploit this to the max in order to get people to see the connection between him and McCain...

I'm not sure Bush could happen to a more deserving party.

Now... why did it take more than 2 1/2 years for McCain to denounce Bush's handling of Katrina?

The answer is clear: The time has come for Republican PanderFest 2008, and denouncing Bush's handling of Katrina is an important part of PanderFest.

They may deserve him...

But do we?

the Germans deserved Hitler.

There will be a ton of crap thrown at the D nominee, both are relatively easy pickings for the braindead R's; but the real key is that there is absolutely nothing that can be said about McCain that is "good", and bush is dragging not just McCain, but the entire GOP down the tubes.

Looking at the "hero" McCain. While languishing in the Hanoi Hilton is not something to be sneezed at...another Naval officer was doing his duty on "Swiftboats", and he got trashed, even though he was well decorated at the time. Kerrey received numerous awards, (Silver and Bronze Stars) for fighting while McCain received the Silver Star for being a POW...:wtf:

Most people never read about Max Cleland's being awarded the Silver Star a few weeks before he went for that grenade that cost him 3 limbs, (a heroic act, as he was trying to save hi fellow soldiers). Cleland was an Army Signal Corps captain when he and some of his men were caught in a firefight. He dragged several wounded soldiers out of the line of fire, treated them for wounds, then went back into the fray. For this, he was awarded the Silver Star. Where was McCain during this, in a cell; granted, not knowing what his fate would be, but he was doing anything "heroic".

Bob Kerry, who would become the Governor of NE, and a NE Senator, received the Medal of Honor for his action in Vietnam, and he lost a leg in that action; however, he saved his SEAL team.

All three of these D's were cast as cowards and undeserving of the awards they received by a noxious group of thugs that never wore the uniform of any branch of service...and then there is bush, who ran out on his TX ANG service because he couldn't pass a piss test...He is the worst of the bunch, and deservedly, the holder of the title: Worst President Ever. He's an anchor alright, and I hope and pray the American people see McCain dragged to the bottom of the abyss called the neo-con GOP.

OK...I'll shut my rant machine off now...

:hug:

You can rant in my threads anytime you want!

This is a most excellent one...

Thank you!

:hug:

while the attention has been on the D's, the R's have been having a field day pulling this turd around on string...and he is absolutely worthless.

I've been paying attention to his little offerings, and he is actually almost as bad as bush, every time I hear about the "war hero" crap, I just go ballisic.



Normally, I would not post something this long, but I want people to know what a real hero is. His name was Roy Benavidez, and I had the honor of meeting him before he died. The Citation speaks for itself, and by talking to the man, you'd never think he had done anything extraordinary:

BENAVIDEZ, ROY P.

Rank and Organization: Master Sergeant, Detachment B-56, 5th Special Forces Group, Republic of Vietnam. Place and Date: West of Loc Ninh on 2 May 1968. Entered Service at: Houston, Texas June 1955. Date and Place of Birth: 5 August 1935, DeWitt County, Cuero, Texas. Master Sergeant (then Staff Sergeant) Roy P. Benavidez United States Army, who distinguished himself by a series of daring and extremely valorous actions on 2 May 1968 while assigned to Detachment B56, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, Republic of Vietnam. On the morning of 2 May 1968, a 12-man Special Forces Reconnaissance Team was inserted by helicopters in a dense jungle area west of Loc Ninh, Vietnam to gather intelligence information about confirmed large-scale enemy activity. This area was controlled and routinely patrolled by the North Vietnamese Army. After a short period of time on the ground, the team met heavy enemy resistance, and requested emergency extraction. Three helicopters attempted extraction, but were unable to land due to intense enemy small arms and anti-aircraft fire. Sergeant Benavidez was at the Forward Operating Base in Loc Ninh monitoring the operation by radio when these helicopters returned to off-load wounded crewmembers and to assess aircraft damage. Sergeant Benavidez voluntarily boarded a returning aircraft to assist in another extraction attempt. Realizing that all the team members were either dead or wounded and unable to move to the pickup zone, he directed the aircraft to a nearby clearing where he jumped from the hovering helicopter, and ran approximately 75 meters under withering small arms fire to the crippled team. Prior to reaching the team's position he was wounded in his right leg, face, and head. Despite these painful injuries, he took charge, repositioning the team members and directing their fire to facilitate the landing of an extraction aircraft, and the loading of wounded and dead team members. He then threw smoke canisters to direct the aircraft to the team's position. Despite his severe wounds and under intense enemy fire, he carried and dragged half of the wounded team members to the awaiting aircraft. He then provided protective fire by running alongside the aircraft as it moved to pick up the remaining team members. As the enemy's fire intensified, he hurried to recover the body and classified documents on the dead team leader. When he reached the leader's body, Sergeant Benavidez was severely wounded by small arms fire in the abdomen and grenade fragments in his back. At nearly the same moment, the aircraft pilot was mortally wounded, and his helicopter crashed. Although in extremely critical condition due to his multiple wounds, Sergeant Benavidez secured the classified documents and made his way back to the wreckage, where he aided the wounded out of the overturned aircraft, and gathered the stunned survivors into a defensive perimeter. Under increasing enemy automatic weapons and grenade fire, he moved around the perimeter distributing water and ammunition to his weary men, reinstilling in them a will to live and fight. Facing a buildup of enemy opposition with a beleaguered team, Sergeant Benavidez mustered his strength, began calling in tactical air strikes and directed the fire from supporting gunships to suppress the enemy's fire and so permit another extraction attempt. He was wounded again in his thigh by small arms fire while administering first aid to a wounded team member just before another extraction helicopter was able to land. His indomitable spirit kept him going as he began to ferry his comrades to the craft. On his second trip with the wounded, he was clubbed from additional wounds to his head and arms before killing his adversary. He then continued under devastating fire to carry the wounded to the helicopter. Upon reaching the aircraft, he spotted and killed two enemy soldiers who were rushing the craft from an angle that prevented the aircraft door gunner from firing upon them. With little strength remaining, he made one last trip to the perimeter to ensure that all classified material had been collected or destroyed, and to bring in the remaining wounded. Only then, in extremely serious condition from numerous wounds and loss of blood, did he allow himself to be pulled into the extraction aircraft. Sergeant Benavidez' gallant choice to join voluntarily his comrades who were in critical straits, to expose himself constantly to withering enemy fire, and his refusal to be stopped despite numerous severe wounds, saved the lives of at least eight men. His fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect the utmost credit on him and the United States Army.



http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html


Addendum: Benavidez spent the rest of his life touring the country talking to school kids about doing the best they could, keeping a foothold on truth and dignity and not letting anyone tell you can't do something..."because they can't do it themselves, they want you to fail as well, don't take the bait".

I am so honored that you chose my thread to post this amazing story in...

Benavidez is a true hero, the likes of which we do not often see...

Thank you for this post...

I wish I could K&R...

:patriot:

had done what anyone else would have done under the circumstances. When they pulled him onto the slick, they thought he was dead, but a Medic got a pulse and they patched him up enough to get him to a hospital. He was not awarded the MOH until 1981, I met him in WA while he was doing a tour of the Tacoma schools. He never, (as far as I know), got paid for any of his travels, but he stayed at military posts when in the areas he visited. He was a quiet man, and he knew what dignity and honor meant.

Here is a pic(ca. 1981):

For the record, he was of Mexican/Yaqui descent.


And why it took so long for the MOH to be awarded: "Benavidez suffered a broken jaw and 37 bullet and bayonet puncture wounds in the fight. He was so mauled that his commanding officer thought he wouldn't live long enough to receive a Medal of Honor. He nominated Benavidez for the Distinguished Service Cross instead, because the No. 2 award would take less time and paperwork to obtain."

I find that, just a little shameful.

Spot on and a great slogan. Obama can ride this one into the White House if he continues to talk about the change he will provide as well.

why he is exactly like bush..no doubt.

knows it. Right now he's running on, "I deserve this"...it is pathetic, and I see him as the sacrificial rat the GOP tossed out there.

:kick:

theres bound to be a backlash.

Noo one seriously looked at what a disaster he'd been his entire life, except here, and they thought we were nuts; now, buyer's remorse will continue on until the R's have such a tiny minority they will not have power again for a generation, if at all...:woohoo:

McCain would be an equal disaster, he has nothing...and people are seeing that.

:kick:

Maybe he had a chance before he embraced Bush, but then again embracing Bush is what the repug base wanted him to do.

That should make for an easy Obama win in Nov.

The one of McCain hugging Bush. They do not need any other ads. Just keep that picture up there for 30 seconds, with a voice saying something like "Do we really need more of this?"