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January 23, 2008
Not So Fast There, McCain!
Not So Fast There, McCain!
Contributed by Russ Vaughn
Up front, as a Vietnam veteran, I will readily concede that I respect John McCain for his service to his country, first as a naval aviator and POW in Vietnam, then for his long years in our national Congress. I even will admit to the fact that I somewhat admire McCain’s desire to effect some sort of political reconciliation with the Democrat party. That being said, I must also make it very clear that I do not support certain decisions McCain has chosen on his pathways to political advancement.
Now that the Senator has won primaries in New Hampshire and South Carolina and the network pundits are proclaiming he may well be the Republican “Comeback Kid,” I am reminded of an old Army joke about a platoon sergeant faced with the prospect of breaking the terrible news to one of his young charges, Private Jones, that the soldier’s mother has just passed away. The sergeant calls his platoon into formation and barks out the order, “All of you with living mothers take one step forward.” Then after a momentary pause, he mutters, “Not so fast there, Jones.” That’s my take as a veteran and a conservative Republican on this new political development: “Not so fast there, McCain.”
My first and biggest beef with John McCain is that when a very brave group of Vietnam veterans who had served with John Kerry stood up to say that Kerry’s self-serving portrayal of his war record was patently false, that his blanket charges of war crimes against them were absurd, and that his testimony in Congress was used by the North Vietnamese to further torture McCain’s fellow POW’s, Senator McCain airily dismissed these courageous men and sided with his Senate pal. Playing conciliator in the national media, McCain despicably denounced the Swift boat veterans’ ad as dishonest and dishonorable, hinting that they were pawns of George Bush and the Republican right.
Like all the leftists in the MSM, John McCain never gave these true American heroes even the least opportunity to defend their claims. As a veteran who had suffered more than most to defend our constitutional right of free speech, McCain inexplicably used his powerful office and national presence to ally himself with the repressive forces of mainstream media to suppress that right to men who had risked their lives in combat to preserve it. It was one of the bitterest betrayals the Swift boat vets and the millions of us Vietnam veterans supporting them would have to endure. We expected treachery from the MSM and Kerry’s campaign, but not from John McCain.
What I can never reconcile in my mind, my heart or my soul, is how this naval aviator, POW and true war hero, could so easily turn his back on his fellow sailors, combat veterans all. In the name of political expediency, and a sorely misguided attempt to lay to rest all the troubled ghosts of Vietnam that his treasonous Senate colleague was primarily responsible for creating, John McCain turned his back on the true heroes and sided with a phony vet with phony medals and a suspect discharge.
Never mind that I disagree with McCain on immigration, taxes and his unconstitutional McCain-Feingold bill; that’s all merely politics and has nothing to do with honor and loyalty to those who served bravely alongside you in combat. Nope, that’s not the issue. But I’m putting the Senator on notice right now; if you should somehow get the Republican nomination, you are gambling with the votes of millions of veterans like me unless you repudiate your reprehensible siding with the traitorous, treasonous John Kerry. I have never stayed home on Election Day in protest of a distasteful candidate, but this could be the first time for me and many Vietnam vets, again turning our backs on a fellow vet who turned his first.
The Senator should read the excellent recounting of how a determined few veterans, whom he disgracefully defamed, defeated his old buddy, John Kerry, in the 2004 campaign. In ‘To Set the Record Straight,” authors Scott Swett and Tim Ziegler, lay it out, page by page, what the concerted efforts of a few honorable patriots with an unrelenting resolve can accomplish in the arena of national politics.
Like the old platoon sergeant, I would caution, “Not so fast there, McCain!
Russ Vaughn
Vietnam 65-66
Presidential Campaign 2004
....Thank you Russ for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 01:47 AM
Comments
Seems weird him being a Nam Vet.
I do wish there was someone more like the Gipper who won't give up and back out.
Thompson came in late, and seemed to me to not 'advertise' himself enough. Not enough effort.
Posted by: patrickdaniel at January 23, 2008 05:01 AM
Well said! Russ,
Posted by: John 5 (VN69/70) at January 23, 2008 05:56 AM
McCain has taught us that political expediency comes before honor, integrity, and truth.
Posted by: BobF at January 23, 2008 09:31 AM
Russ has stated my feelings about McCain quite explicitly. Even if John McCain repudiates his stance I cannot forgive his duplicity nor can I support him. Count me amongst those Veterans that will turn their back on McCain. I step on my porch every morning and look at the POW flag flying there and I'm reminded of my brothers who never came home and of what McCain and Kerry stand for.
Thank you WT for posting this and thank you Russ Vaughn for the courage to print the truth.
Posted by: Jack at January 23, 2008 12:03 PM
Russ is always at his best.
Another factor the MSM overlooks is McCain's lack of support from his fellow POW's. He is very unpopular and disrespected by the bulk of that group.
McCain's siding with John "Winter Soldier" Kerry was an act of treason against the rest of us Vietnam vets.
Posted by: TomR at January 23, 2008 12:29 PM
Patrick, we are lucky to have had one really good President, Reagan. If nothing else it is eomeone to compare others to as well.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 05:19 PM
John 5 (VN69/70) , I am glad you got to see it too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 05:25 PM
Bob, yes he sure has.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 05:25 PM
Jack, I have always been so blessed to feel the closeness of the brotherhood of those who served. Even as a person that is aware of it from not being a Veteran I will always be shocked at how little regard McCain has had for Veterans, for POW families and the POW's themselves.
What a feeling to do like you said, and see the POW Flag flying at your home like that.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 05:28 PM
Tom it sure was, I agree so much. There is no other name for it, then Treason.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 05:29 PM
John McCain will never get my vote. So, if the Republican Party is foolish enough to nominate him they will lose and lose big time.
Posted by: Les at January 23, 2008 08:05 PM
Jack pretty much summed it up for me.
No support "then" equals no support "now".
Posted by: Rick at January 23, 2008 09:53 PM
Les I feel the same way.
We had early voting here in Florida so our vote we did last week is erased now because it was for Fred Thompson.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 11:53 PM
Rick exactly I agree so much.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 23, 2008 11:53 PM
Senator Lindsay 'RINO' Graham, an illegal immigration amnesty advocate, is sucking up to McCain and is seen as one of his Palmetto State supporters... surely stabbed Fred Thompson in the back a few weeks ago. If 'Dem Three Stooges' coronated McCain as the GOP presidential candidate during their Myrtle Beach debate... you're right WT.... "Thrust Reversers ON!!!"
Posted by: darthcrUSAderworldtour07 at January 24, 2008 12:45 AM
Darth your right, Graham has been so horrible.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 24, 2008 04:32 AM
