Obama hits back at McCain cheap shots in VFW speech
Just as McCain did Monday, Barack Obama addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars today, and didn't pull any punches in his response to McCain's attacks, especially when it came to the cheap shot that he would rather win the Presidency than win the war. It's welcoming to see a Democrat eager to go before traditionally Republican-friendly audiences and knock it out of the park.
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In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, I warned that war would fan the flames of extremism in the Middle East, create new centers of terrorism, and tie us down in a costly and open-ended occupation. Senator McCain predicted that we’d be greeted as liberators, and that the Iraqis would bear the cost of rebuilding through their bountiful oil revenues. For the good of our country, I wish he had been right, and I had been wrong. But that’s not what history shows. [...]
These are the judgments I’ve made and the policies that we have to debate, because we do have differences in this election. But one of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can’t disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism. I have never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America’s national interest. Now, it’s time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.
Full transcript below the fold:
Thank you, Commander Lisicki, for your leadership. Let me also acknowledge the leadership of Virginia Carman, the president of the VFW ladies auxiliary, as well as my friend Jim Webb who will be speaking here later today. Finally, let me thank all of the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States of America for inviting me back to this convention. It is a privilege to be among so many who have given so much for our country.
I stand before you today at a defining moment in our history. We are in the midst of two wars. The terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large. Russia has invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia. Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. The next Commander-in-Chief is going to have to exercise the best possible judgment in getting us through these difficult times.
Yesterday, Senator McCain came before you. He is a man who has served this nation honorably, and he correctly stated that one of the chief criteria for the American people in this election is going to be who can exercise the best judgment as Commander in Chief. But instead of just offering policy answers, he turned to a typical laundry list of political attacks. He said that I have changed my position on Iraq when I have not. He said that I am for a path of “retreat and failure.” And he declared, “Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president” – suggesting, as he has so many times, that I put personal ambition before my country.
That is John McCain’s prerogative. He can run that kind of campaign, and – frankly – that’s how political campaigns have been run in recent years. But I believe the American people are better than that. I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us.
If we think that we can secure our country by just talking tough without acting tough and smart, then we will misunderstand this moment and miss its opportunities. If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent’s patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of politics. The calamity left behind by the last eight years is too great. So let me begin by offering my judgment about what we’ve done, where we are, and where we need to go.
Six years ago, I stood up at a time when it was politically difficult to oppose going to war in Iraq, and argued that our first priority had to be finishing the fight against Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Senator McCain was already turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, and he became a leading supporter of an invasion and occupation of a country that had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks, and that – as despicable as Saddam Hussein was – posed no imminent threat to the American people. Two of the biggest beneficiaries of that decision were al Qaeda’s leadership, which no longer faced the pressure of America’s focused attention; and Iran, which has advanced its nuclear program, continued its support for terror, and increased its influence in Iraq and the region.
In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, I warned that war would fan the flames of extremism in the Middle East, create new centers of terrorism, and tie us down in a costly and open-ended occupation. Senator McCain predicted that we’d be greeted as liberators, and that the Iraqis would bear the cost of rebuilding through their bountiful oil revenues. For the good of our country, I wish he had been right, and I had been wrong. But that’s not what history shows.
Senator McCain now argues that despite these costly strategic errors, his judgment has been vindicated due to the results of the surge. Let me once again praise General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker – they are outstanding Americans. In Iraq, gains have been made in lowering the level of violence thanks to the outstanding efforts of our military, the increasing capability of Iraq’s Security Forces, the ceasefire of Shiite militias, and the decision taken by Sunni tribes to take the fight to al Qaeda. Those are the facts, and all Americans welcome them.
But understand what the essential argument was about. Before the surge, I argued that the long-term solution in Iraq is political – the Iraqi government must reconcile its differences and take responsibility for its future. That holds true today. We have lost over a thousand American lives and spent hundreds of billions of dollars since the surge began, but Iraq’s leaders still haven’t made hard compromises or substantial investments in rebuilding their country. Our military is badly overstretched – a fact that has surely been noted in capitals around the world. And while we pay a heavy price in Iraq – and Americans pay record prices at the pump – Iraq’s government is sitting on a $79 billion dollar budget surplus from windfall oil profits.
Let’s be clear: our troops have completed every mission they’ve been given. They have created the space for political reconciliation. Now it must be filled by an Iraqi government that reconciles its differences and spends its oil profits to meet the needs of its people. Iraqi inaction threatens the progress we’ve made and creates an opening for Iran and the “special groups” it supports. It’s time to press the Iraqis to take responsibility for their future. The best way to do that is a responsible redeployment of our combat brigades, carried out in close consultation with commanders on the ground. We can safely redeploy at a pace that removes our combat brigades in 16 months. That would be well into 2010 – seven years after the war began. After this redeployment, we’ll keep a residual force to target remnants of al Qaeda; to protect our service members and diplomats; and to train Iraq's Security Forces if the Iraqis make political progress.
Iraq’s democratically-elected Prime Minister has embraced this timeframe. Now it’s time to succeed in Iraq by turning Iraq over to its sovereign government. We should not keep sending our troops to fight tour after tour of duty while our military is overstretched. We should not keep spending $10 billion a month in Iraq while Americans struggle in a sluggish economy. Ending the war will allow us to invest in America, to strengthen our military, and to finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and the border region of Pakistan.
This is the central front in the war on terrorism. This is where the Taliban is gaining strength and launching new attacks, including one that just took the life of ten French soldiers. This is where Osama bin Laden and the same terrorists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans on our own soil are hiding and plotting seven years after 9/11. This is a war that we have to win. And as Commander-in-Chief, I will have no greater priority than taking out these terrorists who threaten America, and finishing the job against the Taliban.
For years, I have called for more resources and more troops to finish the fight in Afghanistan. With his overwhelming focus on Iraq, Senator McCain argued that we could just “muddle through” in Afghanistan, and only came around to supporting my call for more troops last month. Now, we need a policy of “more for more” – more from America and our NATO allies, and more from the Afghan government. That's why I've called for at least two additional U.S. combat brigades and an additional $1 billion in non-military assistance for Afghanistan, with a demand for more action from the Afghan government to take on corruption and counternarcotics, and to improve the lives of the Afghan people.
We must also recognize that we cannot succeed in Afghanistan or secure America as long as there is a terrorist safe-haven in northwest Pakistan. A year ago, I said that we must take action against bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights and Pakistan cannot or will not act. Senator McCain criticized me and claimed that I was for “bombing our ally.” So for all of his talk about following Osama bin Laden to the Gates of Hell, Senator McCain refused to join my call to take out bin Laden across the Afghan border. Instead, he spent years backing a dictator in Pakistan who failed to serve the interests of his own people.
I argued for years that we need to move from a “Musharraf policy” to a “Pakistan policy.” We must move beyond an alliance built on mere convenience or a relationship with one man. Now, with President Musharraf’s resignation, we have the opportunity to do just that. That’s why I’ve cosponsored a bill to triple non-military aid to the Pakistani people, while ensuring that the military assistance we do provide is used to take the fight to the Taliban and al Qaeda in the tribal regions of Pakistan.
Today, our attention is also on the Republic of Georgia, and Senator McCain and I both strongly support the people of Georgia and the Americans delivering humanitarian aid. There is no possible justification for Russia’s actions. Russian troops have yet to begin the withdrawal required by the cease-fire signed by their president, and we are hearing reports of Russian atrocities: burning wheat fields, brutal killing, and the destruction of Georgia’s infrastructure and military assets.
This crisis underscores the need for engaged U.S. leadership in the world. We failed to head off this conflict and lost leverage in our ability to contain it because our leaders have been distracted, our resources overstretched, and our alliances frayed. American leadership means getting engaged earlier to shape events so that we’re not merely responding to them. That’s why I’m committed to renewing our leadership and rebuilding our alliances as President of the United States.
For months, I have called for active international engagement to resolve the disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. I made it crystal clear before, at the beginning of, and during this conflict that Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected, and that Georgia should be integrated into transatlantic institutions. I have condemned Russian aggression, and today I reiterate my demand that Russia abide by the cease-fire. Russia must know that its actions will have consequences. They will imperil the Civil Nuclear Agreement, and Russia’s standing in the international community – including the NATO-Russia Council, and Russia’s desire to participate in organizations like the WTO and the OECD. Finally, we must help Georgia rebuild what has been destroyed. That is why I’m proud to join my friend, Senator Joe Biden, in calling for an additional $1 billion in reconstruction assistance for the people of Georgia.
These are the judgments I’ve made and the policies that we have to debate, because we do have differences in this election. But one of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can’t disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism. I have never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America’s national interest. Now, it’s time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.
Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country. I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views. You are Democrats and Republicans and Independents. But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a Red America or a Blue America – you served the United States of America.
So let’s have a serious debate, and let’s debate our disagreements on the merits of policy – not personal attacks. And no matter how heated it gets or what kind of campaign he chooses to run, I will honor Senator McCain’s service, just like I honor the service of every veteran in this room, and every American who has worn the uniform of the United States.
One of those Americans was my grandfather, Stanley Dunham.
My father left when I was 2, so my grandfather was the man who helped raise me. He grew up in El Dorado, Kansas – a town too small to warrant boldface on a road map. He worked on oil rigs and drifted from town to town during the Depression. Then he met my grandmother and enlisted after Pearl Harbor. He would go on to march across Europe in Patton’s Army, while my great uncle fought with the 89th Infantry Division to liberate Buchenwald, my grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line, and my mother was born at Fort Leavenworth. After my grandfather left the Army, he went to college on the GI Bill, bought his home with help from the Federal Housing Authority, and he and my grandmother moved west in a restless pursuit of their dreams.
They were among the men and women of our Greatest Generation. They came from ordinary places, and went on to do extraordinary things. They survived a Depression and faced down fascism. And when the guns fell silent, America stood by them, because they had a government that didn’t just ask them to win a war – it helped them to live their dreams in peace, and to become the backbone of the largest middle class that the world has ever known. In the five years after World War II, the GI Bill helped 15 million veterans get an education. Two million went to college. Millions more learned a trade in factories or on farms. Four million veterans received help in buying a home, leading to the biggest home construction boom in our history.
And these veterans didn’t just receive a hand from Washington – they did their part to lift up America, just as they’d done their duty in defending it. They became teachers and doctors, cops and firefighters who were the foundation of our communities. They became the innovators and small business owners who helped drive the American economy. They became the scientists and engineers who helped us win the space race against the Soviets. They won a Cold War, and left a legacy to their children and grandchildren who reached new horizons of opportunity.
I am a part of that legacy. Without it, I would not be standing on this stage today. And as President, I will do everything that I can to keep the promise, to advance the American Dream for all our veterans, and to enlist them in the cause of building a stronger America.
Our young men and women in uniform have proven that they are the equal of the Greatest Generation on the battlefield. Now, we must ensure that our brave troops serving abroad today become the backbone of our middle class at home tomorrow. Those who fight to defend America abroad must have the chance to live their dreams at home – through education and their ability to make a good living; through affordable health care; and through a retirement that is dignified and secure. That is the promise that we must keep with all who serve.
It starts with those who choose to remain in uniform, as well as their families. My wife Michelle has net with military families in North Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia over the last several months. Every time, she passes on their stories – stories of lives filled with patriotism and purpose, but also stories of spouses struggling to pay the bills, kids dealing with an absent parent, and the unique burden of multiple deployments. The message that Michelle has heard is what you all know and have lived: when a loved one is deployed, the whole family goes to war.
The VFW has done an extraordinary job of standing by our military families – helping out with everything from a phone card for a soldier who is overseas, to an extra hand around the house. As President, I will stand with you. We need a Military Families Advisory Board to identify new ways to ease the burden. We need more official support for the volunteer networks that help military spouses get by. And we need to make sure that military pay does not lag behind the private sector, so that those who serve can raise their families and live the life they’ve earned.
For those who return to civilian life, I will support their American Dream in this 21st century just as we supported generations of veterans in the 20th. That starts with education. Everyone who serves this country should have the same opportunity that my grandfather had under the GI Bill. That’s why, unlike my opponent, I was a strong and early supporter of Jim Webb’s GI Bill for the 21st Century – a bill that Senator McCain called too generous. At a time when the skyrocketing cost of tuition is pricing thousands of Americans out of a college education, this bill provides every veteran with a real chance to afford a world-class college education. And that’s what I’ll continue to stand up for as President.
We must also stand up for affordable health care for every single veteran. That's why I've pledged to build a 21st century VA. We need to cut through the red tape – every service-member should get electronic copies of medical and service records upon discharge. We need to close shortfalls – it’s time to fully fund VA health care, and to add more Vet Centers. We need to get rid of means-testing - every veteran should be allowed into the VA system. My opponent takes a different view. He wants to ration care so the VA only serves combat injuries, while everyone else gets an insurance card. While the VA needs some real reform to better serve those who have worn the uniform, privatization is just not the answer. We cannot risk our veterans’ health care by turning the VA into just another health insurer. We need to make sure the VA is strong enough to treat every veteran who depends on it. That’s what I’ll do as President.
And we must expand and enhance our ability to identify and treat PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury at all levels: from enlistment, to deployment, to civilian life. No one should suffer in silence, or slip through the cracks in the system. That's why I've passed measures to increase screening for these unseen wounds, and helped lead a bipartisan effort to stop the unfair practice of kicking out troops who suffer from them. This is something I’ve fought for in the Senate, and it’s something that I’ll make a priority as President.
Economic security for our veterans also depends on revamping an overburdened benefits system. I congratulate the VFW for what you’ve done to help veterans navigate a broken VBA bureaucracy. Now it’s time for the government to do a better job. We need more workers, and a 21st century electronic system that is fully linked up to military records and the VA’s health network. It’s time to ensure that those who’ve served get the benefits that they’ve earned.
Just as we give veterans the support they deserve, we must also engage them and all Americans in a new cause: renewing America. I am running for President because I believe that there is no challenge too great for the American people to meet if they are called upon to come together. In America, each of us is free to seek our dreams, but we must also serve a common purpose, a higher purpose. No one embodies that commitment like a veteran.
Just think of the skills that our troops have developed through their service. They have not simply waged war in Afghanistan and Iraq – they have rebuilt infrastructure, supported new agriculture, trained police forces, and developed health care systems. For those leaving military service, it’s time to apply those skills to our great national challenges here at home.
That means expanding programs like Troops-to-Teachers that put veterans at the front of the classroom. That means tapping the talent of engineers who’ve served as we make a substantial investment to rebuild our infrastructure and create millions of new jobs. That means dramatically expanding national service programs to give Americans of all ages, skills and stations the chance to give back to their communities and their country. I’ll also enlist veterans in forging a new American energy economy. That’s why I’ve proposed a Green Veterans initiative to give our veterans the training they need to succeed in the Green Jobs of the future – so that they put themselves on a pathway to a successful career, while ensuring that our national security is never held hostage to hostile nations.
This is how we can help our veterans live their dreams while helping our country meet the challenges of the 21st century. And this is what we have learned from so many generations of veterans, including those of you here today – that your contribution to the American story does not end when the uniform comes off. We need those who serve in our military to live their dreams – and to continue serving the cause of America – when the guns fall silent. That’s what the VFW stands for, and if I have the honor of being your President, that’s what my Administration will work for every single day. Because I believe that we have a sacred trust with those who serve in our military. That trust is simple: America will be there for you just as you have been there for America. It’s a trust that begins at enlistment, and it never ends.
I thought of that trust last week when I visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial. I saw where the bombs fell on the USS Arizona, and where a war began that would reshape the world order while reshaping the lives of all who served in it – from our great generals and admirals, to the enlisted men like my grandfather. Then I visited his grave at the Punchbowl, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
I still remember the day that we laid my grandfather to rest. In a cemetery lined with the graves of Americans who have sacrificed for our country, we heard the solemn notes of Taps and the crack of guns fired in salute; we watched as a folded flag was handed to my grandmother and my grandfather was laid to rest. It was a nation's final act of service and gratitude to Stanley Dunham - an America that stood by my grandfather when he took off the uniform, and never left his side.
This is what we owe our troops and our veterans. Because in every note of Taps and in every folded flag, we hear and see an unwavering belief in the idea of America. The idea that no matter where you come from, or what you look like, or who your parents are, this is a place where anything is possible; where anyone can make it; where we look out for each other, and take care of each other; where we rise and fall as one nation - as one people. It's an idea that's worth fighting for - an idea for which so many Americans have given that last full measure of devotion. Now it falls to us to advance that idea just as so many generations have before.
Buh-ZING.
If only he'd do this more often...
If only he had spoken this way and voted correctly on FISA...
Still got my vote, but will be watching him carefully after he (hopefully) wins...
As long as Obama puts himself in the position of responding to McCain (rather than attacking him and everything he stands for) he will be percieved as the weaker candidate. (I've seen better, more hard hitting, effective Obama ads on Youtube, created by people who have nothing to do with his campaign. Not an encouraging sign.)
And it doesn't help when Obama praises McCain as a war hero as he did in Reno yesterday.
Come September, the McCain camp will fully take the gloves off and make what they have done so far seem like child's play. The Republicans will do anything not to lose this election.
Too bad nobody but political junkies will ever see that VFW speech. The media certainly won't report on it. Obama needs to do some innovative advertising and do it quickly.
theWalrus @ 2:
Right.
"Mommy, make Johnny stop calling me names".
Jeez.
Obama can't hold his breath waiting for McInsane to start acting like a responsible adult. As Keith said last night, he(McInsane) needs to grow up. He will continue to be an attack dog because that is all that Repuklics know. Hit hard Barack and hit him often. Again, I ask where are all the other dems when it comes to backing Obama up?
liberal traitor @ 1:
Oh, "watching him carefully after he wins". Interesting strategy.
I for one DON'T believe that McCain and the majority of national Republican office holders want what's best for the country. They want what's best for themselves and or the powerbrokers they serve. If that interest happens to coincide with what's best for the country, that's fine. If it doesn't, naked self interest trumps all.
He should have said:
"No matter who stood before you now, be it Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, John Kerry, etc. We would defending ourselves from the same constant screech from the Republicans of being unpatriotic. This from a party full of people who refused to serve and have destroyed our military. To them, no one is better up to the task of running this country, even though they have been running this country into the ground since Reagen left office."
The Walrus@2
Respectfully disagree. Obama is simply a cool rational guy, appealing first to those of us who use common sense and are fairly reasonable. He will patiently wait, allowing the old man to hang himself with his own lies and then slap McGeezer silly with those contridictions at the proper time...this is a strategy.
L&L, I was just thinking that same thing. I can easily imagine Obama reducing McCain to an incoherent, spittle-launching tantrum with very little effort.
This speech has both good and bad in it. A good attitude about Iraq,
but a very, very, bad approach to Georgia. Strange how such heavily
opposing points of view about the very same stuff could be uttered by
anyone, not to mention within seconds of each other.
Yea -- Obama is better than McCain. But, sadly, that isn't saying a hell
of a lot about how good unto himself Obama is.
"My father served"...."My grandfather served"..."Pearl Harbor"..."Marching across Europe with Patton"... "Michelle meeting with families".
This is a strange way to go at this. He can't get close to McCain on this so why are they even bringing it up service? Really odd. Plus, I guarantee you that dog won't hunt with these older vets. They're gonna be sayin, yeah...ok, great. Your family served but where were you?
John the Elder @ 5:
They're all covering their asses just like on FISA, impeachment and funding the war. You think they're going to stick necks out on this?
Democrats make me laugh. They show up to a dark alley with a copy of the Marquis of Queensbury Rules and express shock and outrage when someone jumps them with a switchlade and brass knuckles.
Until Democratic candidates start bringing a constitutionally protected gun to these knife fights, the Republicans Brownshirts are going to chew them up and spit them out every four years.
Man, that was an excellent speech. Bravo, Senator.
I don't think Obama has really "hit back" at McCain with these remarks. Simply saying that McCain should acknowledge that Obama wants to serve his country doesn't seem nearly strong enough.
McCain has, in effect, accused Obama of treason. I think Obama should point out that it is McCain who has altered his positions in order to win the campaign. It is McCain who is more concerned about winning the race than in adhering to his principles. If Obama doesn't draw these distinctions, he is going to get Swiftboated bigtime.
Get and distribute these John McCain NOPE T-Shirts & Stickers!
Wow, i can see everyone is cranky today
You should start.
Ask the American people why they should support a party that has supported Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Musharraf, Saakashvili, George Bush and The Taliban.
Is the GOP the real enemy.
Damn that Obama, there he goes again, looking very presidential and being a leader. Now you don't want to vote for that, do you. Why would anyone want to vote for that?
Ok. Lets settle this once and for all. Is there any body left who doesn't know mccain is a "great american who loves his country"? Geez....How many times do we have to hear this crap? Makes me want to puke every time I hear it....Let me get this straight.....mccain is a hero, Obama believes in infanticide and Wesley Clake has no honor. Why do the Demovrats even bother to have a candidate?.......... And i won't even get started on the lowlife Clintons, who think the country should revolve around them and are feeling pretty good about now contributing to the downfall of America and looking forward to Hillary's 2012 run. Hey Bill.....One could argue that you are not qualified to be a human being!
mccain has a high school jock mentality and he is an angry, dangerous war monger, who has turned into a liar and manipulator. I personally couldn't care less what he did 40 years ago and if I want to hear made up war stories, I'll pick up a novel at the library. I've heard more stories from Mr MCgoo than my father-in-law who spent all of WW2 in the South Pacific. He told tall fish tales, but when it came to the war, he had much more class than old war hero mccain
One thing’s for sure. McSenile doesn’t stand a snowballs chance in hell against this guy in a debate. Unless he’s fed the questions in advance through that cone of silence thingy.
Obama asking for decency, integrity and maturity from the GOP. Yeah, about as likely as snow in July in NYC.
Limbaugh was on the radio reigniting the great "tire inflation" debate. Of course, since that was two weeks ago, he feels free to distort the facts and the truth because he knows that the stenographers posing as journalists in this country will never go back and check nor will anyone, including the radio station owners that transmit his BULLSHIT, else.
There is no political debate in America. The GOP isn't content with destroying the country, now they have their sights set on everything decent about human beings.
Anyone supporting these pathetic pigs is as much a pathetic pig as they are. Where are the CONSTRUCTIVE policies of the GOP. Where is a willingness to debate issues on their merits, rather than wrapping themselves in the flag, and screaming traitor at anyone that disagrees with them
Pathetic swine, the whole lot of them. YES, all of them...find me ONE that has openly and CONSISTENTLY criticized the antics of the GOP and I will retract my statement. Not some soundbite launched against a cacophony of lies, so no one hears it. I mean consistent statements and declarations not to partake of such pig sty wallowing bullshit. ONE. Simply one.
I wish Obama would attack McCain's patriotism.
How is it patriotic making propaganda movies for your captors?
How many planes did McCain destroy vs. hours flown in combat?
How many of our own soldiers were killed by McCains involvement in the Forestal disaster?
Walking in lockstep with GWBush is not patriotism.
Making rash judgements to go to war or support war and chest-thumping
are not patriotism.
Obama could also handle MaCain the exact same way Bush handled MacCain in 2000. The Southland was suspicious of McCain because he was a POW in 2000.
That frame already exist in folks minds so why not use it.
Use the GOP playbook against the GOP.
Obama hit some of the key points of veterans issues, but needs to hammer home how many times McCain has voted against support for the VA, or missed the votes entirely. McCain and this administration were quick to send our troops into battle, but when they come home scarred and wounded, both physically and mentally, the support disappears. The support for the families of those killed in these wars also is lacking. As in the 2000 and 2004 elections, how many people in 2008 will vote against their own economic interests, with the media and campaign propaganda focused on peripheral issues. I just watched a documentary last night on PBS on the use of photos taken during the depression which helped to change attitudes. We need journalists and others to go out now and show the real picture of how our veterans are living today.
Was that so hard? The time is 30 years overdue that democrtas stop kowtowing to the GOP (AND the corporate media, for that matter). For all intents and purposes, democrats stopped counter-punching the day after Reagan's landslide in 1980, and grew accustomed to a perverted deference.
And it's a shame Obama couldn't (or wouldn't) retaliate with an equally righteous rejoinder after Wes Clark was pilloried a couple of months ago.
R. Myers @ 24:
Obama seems to think that pointing out McCain's shitty record on veterans issues is questioning Grandpa's service.
He's wrong. If you are going to go down, go down swinging.
Masterfully played, Mr. Obama. McCain is shown to be the unserious, politics-playing candidate that he is by Obama's response.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MUY9S6iCvk
this veteran calls mccain on his voting record....what's mccains comeback i'm proud of my awards....he lies....he record is NOT good at all
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/7/8/142125/0361/907/548283
1st Republic 14th Star @ 7:
Agreed!! and thanks... very well said.
It is wonderful to listen to someone intelligent, laying it right on the line, not giving a bunch of bullshit and shouting slogans. It is time for a real person, like Sen. Obama, to lead America back to what America should have alwys stood for. America has been tarnished greatly by Bush and McCain and their follies and their blunders. Now it is time for real Americans to pick up the pieces and put this great country back together again.
Thank you, Sen. Obama, for taking on this job and responsibilty. If not for you, the job would never be done.
Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s @ 8:
If you said: "... they have been running this country into the ground since Reagan TOOK office.", I'd agree wholeheartedly with your comment. Reagan was a figurehead who did what his handlers demanded... that's pretty much it! He screwed the American people in many ways... let's not forget the Iran-Contra crap, or the economical destruction he wrought.
deployed troops give to obama at 6:1 vs. mccain
http://opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/troops-deployed-abroad-give-61.html
wheeee @ 23:
Jim Webb (he won't) or anyone else who actually served could do that but Obama? That's suicide.
Let's debate the issues...... in one corner OBAMA.... in the other corner JOHN "THE BUSH REPUBLICAN" MCCAIN
give me a break.... if they don't cheat and lie they got nothing to stand on.....
bush economy.... trickle DOWN.... should be TRICKLE UP..... why give corps... GIVE ME!!!!
bush education... leave THAT behind
bush world view.... cant even attack the RIGHT bad guy.... on preemptive attacks we are 0 for 1
AND JOHN MCSAME IS 4 MORE YEARS
constituent @ 33:
This is why the leaders don't want these troops home until AFTER the election, and trust me, if McCain wins...they're not coming home...EVER. Not en masse. Maybe in short stints, but you are not going to see a wide withdrawal, and a return of whole swaths of troops long passsed their tour of duty.
No. The generals want them there, because if they're here, they just might decide that it is the best interest of the country to overthrow the government. A responsibility MANDATED in the Constitution, which gives free right of men to overthrow an unjust and oppressive government.
I think that this was the right speech for Obama to have given *to this crowd*. He was simply trying to connect to the crowd by bringing up his grandfather and visiting Pearl Harbor.
Should McCain be hit for his voting record on veterans' issues? Absitively. Posilutely. But the hits *should* be coming from other Dem surrogates. This has been, IMHO, one of the biggest mistakes made by the Obama campaigns. They've either chosen to minimize the use of surrogates, or there aren't any Dems with the balls to act as surrogates. I'm assuming the former. The way they reacted when Clarks comments were inevitably criticized was really weak.
Biden's been doing a pretty good job, Clark would if they'd let him. Other than that, Hagel's shown Obama more support than most of the other high profile Dems.
What gives?
constituent @ 33:
constituent-
Two things, my friend.
1) Look at the source you cite and the first graph about 3 paragraphs down. That 6-1 ration was taken from a grand total of 164 donations vs. 26 for John McCain. Why the total donations to both candidates is so few I don't know, but I don't think you can assume too much from that ratio.
2) Now look at this Gallup poll released just today: Gallup: Veterans solidly back McCain
Different demographics, but donations don't translate to a sea change in military voting habits, especially when the number of donations is only 134.
Johnny2Bad @ 34:
The AWOL Chimp managed to pull it off aginst McCain in 2000 and turn John Kerrys
service against him in 2004.
I don't see the point of disagreeing with Obama on his position on Georgia. McCain talks about Georgia all the time but the fact is that he's for a war that weakens the US' ability to do anything about it, so he's actually the weaker candidate on this issue. Being tied up in Iraq is one reason why the US can do very little about the current situation. McCain talks a good game but a deficit-ridden, tied-up-in-Iraq United States is not going to be able to help Georgia all that much.
The situation in Georgia is beyond a simple Democrat/GOP divide, and started a looong time ago in 1931 back when Stalin punished Abkhazia by making it a part of the larger Soviet Republic. Blame him for starting everything.
wheeee @ 39:
Obama outclasses McCain on every level and by such a huge margin that I find it difficult to conceive how any American in their right mind could possibly vote for the GOP candidate. Add Joe Biden into the mix (hopefully as VP) and the Dems have got themselves a dream ticket... well, as far as us Brits are concerned that is.
Be in no doubt though. The Republicans will use every dirty trick in the book, and some, to steal this election. Key members of the Bush administration (Cheney, Rove, Yoo, Addington, to name just a few) will be facing serious criminal charges when the true extent of their crimes are investigated and revealed. They have everything to lose and they know it.
"calling for an additional $1 billion in reconstruction assistance for the people of Georgia."
WTF? Am I missing something? (besides a job, health coverage, full tank of gas etc).
I'll assume by 'the people of Georgia', he means 'the pipelines of Georgia'.
there's a difference between supporting troops/veterans and being a veteran
http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/47317-timeline-mccain-does-not-support-the...
Johnny2Bad @ 12:
In Graneda? I think that would have been the only war that Obama could have served in. The fact is that Obama needs to draw first blood and put McCain on the defense. His campaign also has to call the MSM and demand fair coverage just as the GOP is doing. No more playing nice. It's time to get tough.
Mithridates @ 40:
I'm not qualified to argue the history. It seems pretty clear that Bush and McCain have been catalysts in the current flareup. I don't think the Georgian leader would be stupid enough to do what he did unless he'd been told that the US would have his back. Was encouragement given due to stupidity, recklessness, or deliberate warmongering? I don't know. I don't think it matters much. It certainly seems to have been given.
Every time McCain brings up Georgia, the Obama campaign needs to hit back hard with the facts of McCains prior involvement in Georgia, his ill-conceived first reaction that he was forced to retract days later (which establishes another campaign theme), and the fact that McCain was publicly commenting on the situation before the official White House response.
Obama's good at working some nice sarcastic barbs into his speeches - and his punch lines are often short enough to get picked up by the ADD media. That may be his best way to use the GOP "free publicity" strategy to work for him.
Obama says we must win the war in Afghanistan. Why? How does that threaten America's national security? Oh right - the pipeline.
Obama says we have to help rebuild Georgia. Will that include the South Ossetian capital of Tskinvali? The approx. 2000 dead there were killed when Georgia attacked this inudstrial, non-military town. The Ossetians hid in cellars and greeted the Russians as liberators when they arrived the next day and knocked back the Georgian forces. Obama, like all U.S. media and politicians, paint Russia as the aggressor.
I will say this again: McCain or Obama - nothing will change, except where the fighting goes on, and the nationality of the slaughtered civilians.
Wake up, America.
you can't make a silk purse from
the pig sh*t the repigs are........
they don't understand or want to understand
the American citizens have had enough
of their bullying and threats to shut down
the govt because they(the rethugs) want
to destroy what they can't have.
Dark and Stormy @ 14:
That's strange - you practically quoted an email I wrote to Alan Colmes a couple of years ago in an exchange that became heated. Is that you, Alan? Come on now, buddy...
Johnny2Bad @ 12:
Court Jester @ 37:
I have asked myself the same question and am wondering if they are just playing too respectful, when the other side is showing no respect whatsoever. They need to be hammering McLame and his voting record regarding Vets again and again and again.
There is nothing wrong with what he said about Georgia. I wish he would stop using Tom Brokaw's nonsensical "greatest generation" phrase.
this was a great speech but facts and honesty don't seem to play as well as pandering and attacks. the media doesn't play and round table debate a intellectual speech such as this. sad isn't it? in order to get your share of airtime you need to be more aggressive, a lot more direct and repetitive and have several supporters on message and flooding the news broadcast. the media ratings are in the sound bites and flare ups. the intellectual stuff is for cspan and public radio. it is time for obama to have an attack dog vp running mate. certainly the supporting dems are not capable of an on message attack. taking the high road is inspiring and very much needed in politics today, but it is only effective when the MSM and american people truely appreciate and understand it. we are not there, yet.
Left&Left @ 9:
Agreed, Obama has a whole lot of money left, continues to drastically raise more money than McCain and the debates are coming. Many voters don't solidify their position til a month or so before the election. Obama knows this so stay tuned..
senate roll call vote for increased funding veterans medical
care.....mccain nay obama yeah
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm...
Jersey Jay @ 47:
Another Nader voter heard from....
1) The problem in Afghanistan is that the Taliban has been allowed to regroup, and OBL is still hiding in a cave somewhere. If Obama wins, there's at least a chance that the US *might* actually try to finish the job of cleaning up AQ, and *maybe* even make a real effort to rebuild the country.
The lesson that has been missed all over the world, including the recent examples in Lebanon and Iraq, is that one of the pillars of support for insurgents/militias is that they are willing to provide services. Hezbollah runs schools and hospitals, the militias in Iraq run orphanages and provide food.
No lasting change will occur in Afghanistan until real effort is made to improve the standard of living of ordinary Afghanis. Think about the impact of taking what's spent in Iraq in a month ($10B) and applying it to infrastructure in Afghanistan. The locals might start believing that the international troops are worth supporting.
2) I recall Obama saying that Russia must withdraw from Georgia, as promised in the agreement that they signed. He's quoted as saying:
Obama has been very clear about the importance of diplomacy and of working with allies. He has, at least so far, surrounded himself (on balance) with mainly moderate advisors.
To say he's no different that McCain is about as moronic as the folks who actually said that Gore would be no different than Bush. I'm guessing you'd be in that camp
McCains' only campaign strategy. Attack Obama. The Obama campaign needs to wake up.I get the feeling they are all still on vacation.
The Walrus@2
Respectfully disagree. Obama is simply a cool rational guy, appealing first to those of us who use common sense and are fairly reasonable. He will patiently wait, allowing the old man to hang himself with his own lies and then slap McGeezer silly with those contridictions at the proper time…this is a strategy.
i thought the very same thing about john kerry's campaign strategy. i am still waiting.
and as obama waits, mcgeezer is defining him and this makes it possible for undecided voters that have not watched obama over the years get a very distorted image and "understanding" of who he is and what he is made of. the very first lessones that should have been learned over the past 4 elections is that you should never let your republican opponent define you or control/change the issues. remeber the majority of american voters are not wonks and political junkies.
SassySandy @ 56:
Personally, I'm hoping they're smarter than that (for a change), and are just playing the 'low expectations' game at the moment.
The second thing to remember is that this election, like others, will be decided in two weeks during the televised debates.
R. Myers @ 24:
Right on, R. The active military seems much more aware of the McSame voting record and are putting his service in proper prospective. While this surprises me, it really shouldn't, because Bush Co has pushed them far more than is reasonable, and military families are truly suffering. Obama's campaign and outside support have to use really hard hitting ads that pull no punches.
Thanks to the worst Presidency ever the nation may actually be paying attention this time!
marie @ 28:
Thanks Marie,,This is powerful stuff. If this goes public somehow, McCain is finished. Watch this!
marie @ 28:
This is powerful stuff on McCain suppressing info on POW background and what he did in the POW camp. If this goes public somehow, McCain is finished.
Great speech!
Is anyone else starting to get a bad feeling? As bill maher once said the biggest problem for the democrats is that they are pussies.
This is Obama response to effectively being called a traitor??
They have to get of the high ground and roll around in the muck. Its ugly and its dirty but taking the moral high ground does not work.
Its all very well and good to make wonderful speeches like this. Obama is a great speaker. He is intelligent but unfortunately he is going to have to go to their level if he wants to win this. They did it to gore. they did it to kerry and now they are doing it to him and IT IS WORKING.
Obama has to start getting tougher.
dennis @ 38:
I agree, those numbers are a little deceptive. Both sets in fact. But if we use our brains, we can sort out a little more of what they actually mean.
1. The donation numbers favoring Obama are small because those are donations for the PRIMARIES. If you're voting in the primaries, you're usually a member of one party or the other, and are sending money to your preferred candidate for the party nomination. If you view the numbers in that context you get the following:
A) If you're on the front line being shot at every day you can't be bothered with dumbass primary races, since only about 1 in 1000 bothered to send a donation to a candidate in the party primaries.
B) Of all the front line soldiers deployed overseas, 152 sent money to Republican candidates and 140 sent money to Democratic candidates. That's actually a 52% to 48% advantage for the Republicans in terms of donations from frontline soldiers.
C) All those numbers tell you is that, among the overseas troops that back the Democrats, the vast majority of them backed Obama over Clinton. The primary race donation figures tell you NOTHING about an Obama/McCain head to head match in a general election.
2. The Gallup poll numbers don't tell us much either because they're not broken down by age groups. Veterans as a whole include everybody from Iraq war vets to WWI vets. We already know that, as a whole, people tend to get more conservative as they get older. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised to see a massive voting advantage for McCain in the 60+ group, and that advantage get smaller and smaller with the younger veterans. The tilt towards McCain increases with non-veterans too, as you go to older age groups. It's just not as steep a tilt.
So, these numbers don't really tell us anything new. But to me, perhaps the most interesting thing is that the soldiers fighting on the front line of THIS war, and not some war 60 years ago, are evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. The Republicans have always had an advantage among military folks, but that advantage is only 2% for those fighting in the current war. Since Republicans specialize in spinning myths and romantic cultural icons, I'm not surprised they'd appeal more to veterans who fought in WWII and Korea.
Anyway, if you want to REALLY see the Dems pick up an advantage over the Republicans among veterans, you know how what you have to do. WES CLARK!
I'm incredibly UNDER whelmed by Obama's attack machine. Yawn!
McCain and the GOP are easy targets, why isn't the message resonating?
I'm smelling John Kerry all over again.
alfie @ 63:
I'll admit I'd like to see Obama hit back harder, and feel strongly that other Dem surrogates should be relentlessly hitting McCain. The only worry I have right now is that it *looks* like the Obama campaign has decided to muzzle their surrogates, which I think is a BIG mistake.
That said, my guess is that since Obama has a huge advantage in cash, yet has been spending less than McCain; that the strategy is to wait until the debates to really kick into high gear. I don't think any amount of prep will help McCain compete during the debates. Even if all of the non-Leher debates pander to McCain, I don't think McCain has a chance. The themes that are presented in the debates will be repeated over and over in the weeks afterwards.
There he goes again, sounding all presidential. How dare he!
bases loaded. home run..
"I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America’s national interest."
This is where I diagree with Obama...McCain is serving the interests of himself and his lobbyist and corporate sponsors, before the interests of his country.
redratio1 @ 64:
Conventional wisdom is that you don't attack when you're in the lead.
Wonder if those pro-McCain VFW types are aware of this kind of imput about McCAin the POW GOD - from a fellow POW: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html
I wonder if part of the problem of the Dems hitting the GOP as hard as the right wing does to the left is the public perception that the Democrats don't do this sort of thing and if they start doing it it will look worse. Personally I'm not one of those who believe it. Obama is a fantastic speaker and looks very presidential already. I think he's waiting for the debates. On stage, side by side, McCain is going to look like a feeble old man. Obama may not have to stoop low to win the election.
I just witnessed Tom Ridge on CNN with that mouse Biltzer lie his ass off in claiming that his good friend of 25 years, John McCain wouldNEVER
Court Jester @ 65:
I agree. I think the obama campaign is really looking at the convention and the debates to start the hard hitting stuff.
And with the debates I have always felt once they are side by side together on stage and people get a clear look at both them at the same time I don't think McCain stand a chance.
Sorry about the previous comment. My computer screwed up. To complete the thought Ridge said McCain would never question Obama's patriotism. Well Tom, since the mouse didn't play a clip of McCain speaking to the same Veterans group, you may not know that your 'good friend' did just that as recently as yesterday. If you know what McCain said yesterday, that makes you a liar. Your pick. I know what mine is. McCain has constantly made just that statement again and again. He seems to think that his status as a POW thirty years ago gives him the right. That is bullshit. I am glad to see Obama letting him have it for that crap. Ridge needs a good course in truth telling. Oh sorry he is a Rethuglic and they don't do that.
Like Chris Dodd said, "the troops haven't failed, but policy has". Iraq may not just be a Pottery Barn diplomacy, but a meat-grinder policy.
1st Republic 14th Star @ 7:
If we limit ourselves to office holders, are we confident enough to say that the majority of Democrat office holders want what's best for the country? I would like to think so, but I don't know.
What a great orator.
A very skillful and cogent political speech.
[Deleted. The link is bad, Robert. And if it wasn't, this isn't the type of thing we want to link from this site. Thank you. Site Monitor]
You call that hitting back....pretty weak in my book......hitting back is saying the blood of the American soldiers is on the hands of this President and Sen McCain for allowing for this war to be started.....hitting back is showing how he voted against funds for the veterans.....hitting back is saying something smells fishy about the timing of the the "Dog wagging" Georgia incident and the lobbyist on both the Georgian and McCain payroll...
GET IT..!!! Obama fights like a girl.......
McBush wouldn't make a pimple on Obama's butt an when I watch him read everything he says it's laughable. We had one ignorant president now for 8 yrs. We don't need another one!
Obama and those connected with his campaign should continue this type of battle through November. It works. It is real. It is truth.
bobsf @ 77:
Ouch. Orwell had it pretty well sussed, eh?
Obama might gain more traction if he were to put the focus of the attacks more on the Republican Party and its dismal record. Attacking a "war hero" and senior citizen just isn't going to work. Although personal attacks against McCain are long overdue and deserved, Americans don't have the stomach for it.
Jersey Jay @ 49:
Jersey Jay - I'm so far to the left of Alan Colmes that I can't even see him from here. My point is simply this: The GOP will stop at nothing to hold on to power. They will lie, cheat, steal, torture, defame, and kill. And yet Democratic supporters continually wring their hands and cry "Foul!" as if that makes one whit of difference. Let's give the German Communist Party it's due: back in the 1920's and early 1930's they knew there was only one way to fight the Brownshirts and it wasn't by insisting on fair play and civil dialogue. I will be willing to vote Democrat when one of them is willing to stand up the their Republican adversary and rip his / her head off and sh*t down his / her neck (to borrow some dialogue from "Necessary Roughness").
So, no, this isn't Alan Colmes, just another concerned citizen who has had it with Democratic Party capitulation to right wing fascism.
BennyP @ 43:
I can imagine a repug sympathetic country song called 'the pipelines of Georgia'
sort of like 'Rhinestone Cowboy'
Isn't it sad that we even have to worry that the respectful honorable smart guy could lose the election because he behaves as such? It's such a pleasure listening to him speak. My God, is America ready for an intelligent president? How stupid are we? is right.
I for one am sick of Bush, McCain and Obama railing about what's going on in Georiga. Enough railing from all of them. The question is, What are you going to do about it?
just questions
You know what, I'm sick and tired of this Democratic line "The Iraqis have to take responsibility for their own country"
How about we take some responsibility and stop fucking up other countries.
This speech actually has me depressed and pessimistic about Obama's chances of beating McCain. What, exactly, is to be gained by asking McCain to recognize that Obama is a loyal American instead of a traitor? Since we all know McCain will just refuse to do what is asked of him. I can hear it now..."I'd love to say that but I'm such a stright talking Maverick that I just can't say anything that isn't true." And then McCain will deny that he actually accused Obama of being disloyal; McCainwas only stating the honest fact that McCain is simply too honest to ever be dishonest in any way. And if you disagree, well, you shouldn't crap on the patriotism of a war hero...
Rusty The One Shackleford @ 70:
Read the papers today?
This is a good speech and certainly is a great response to McLame. The only problem is the low information voters (nice name for idiots) tune into sound bites of chest pounding and talking tough. Bill Maher on Larry King was dead on when he talked about this the other night. The masses for the most part are asses. This is why McLame's 2 second sound bite speeches are resonating and Obama's nuanced approach is not. Low Info voters dont have time to process complicated stuff like - "it takes years to drill for oil and maybe that will bring the price down" as opposed to "drill more cheap gas".
It also looks like the negative ads from McLame are working as well as made for 3am situations like the one the Bush Crime family cooked up with Georgia and Russia. Obama needs to inject some more clever sound bites that like the Anne Oakely one he threw at Clinton. It was clever and funny. This will get the low info folks to listen. Something as simple as if he walks like a Bush talks like a Bush yup he's a Bush would be just the sort of thing that works with the masses.
Humor would make Obama look less smug and intellectual as well as it would make him seem more human - not so super human as wingnutts are trying to make him out to be.
KISS - keep it simple stupid
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