The McCain Mutiny

There was a little dust-up between McCain and talk show host Bill Cunningham yesterday. FoxNews has coverage.

Seems that Cunningham spoke at a McCain rally, and said some things about Obama that McCain didn’t like:

At a rally in Cincinnati Tuesday, McCain denounced the remarks of local radio talk show host Bill Cunningham, who introduced the candidate with several attacks on Obama, including suggesting he is a “hack” who would sit down for tea with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah terror leaders.

Cunningham also called Obama by his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, during the on-stage introduction. McCain immediately denounced the remarks and promised a civil debate should Obama become the Democratic presidential nominee.

McCain didn’t care for that kind of talk (notice that he’s always quick to rush to the defense of a liberal - even his probable opposition in November). But most interestingly, McCain took advantage of the opportunity to slap the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth again. Here’s what McCain said in 2004:

Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry’s military service “dishonest and dishonorable” and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well.

and also McCain said this - with a response from Retired Adm. Roy Hoffmann, head of the Swiftboat group:

“I deplore this kind of politics,” McCain said. “I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam. I think George Bush served honorably in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.”

Retired Adm. Roy Hoffmann, head of the Swift Boat group, said they respected McCain’s “right to express his opinion and we hope he extends to us the same respect and courtesy, particularly since we served with John Kerry, we knew him well and Sen. McCain did not.”

Now, just what did John McCain find so offensive back in 2004?

Here’s a link to a couple of the Swiftboat Vets ads:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ngjUkPbGwAg

and this one also

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6bS627KVMCU

Now, what has McCain said most recently?

But speaking to reporters aboard his campaign tour bus late Tuesday, McCain acknowledged that conservative independent groups pursuing a similar line to Cunningham’s could be impossible to control.

“I think you have to worry about that, particularly the 527s,” McCain said, referring to the independent advocacy groups that are not subject to contributor limits.

“We’re aware of many of the things that 527s have done … where unlimited amounts of money can pour into negative campaigns such as we saw against John Kerry and his combat record, as we saw against (former Georgia Sen.) Max Cleland … they’re really very not accountable to anyone. At least I have to say ‘I’m John McCain and I approve this message.’”

So again, this time without mentioning them by name - but the reference is unmistakable - John McCain takes another swipe at the Swiftboat Vets.

Let’s analyze all this and make some conclusions:

• It is apparently permissible for John Kerry to exercise his free speech to claim that American soldiers in Vietnam were committing terrible atrocities.
• It is apparently not permissible for other Vietnam veterans to exercise their free speech to claim that one particular Vietnam soldier (John Kerry) was lying.
• This falls right in line with John McCain’s thinking that groups of citizens and voters, should have limits placed on their ability to band together and speak out against politicians.
• McCain seems to have a pathalogical predisposition to average citizens standing up and interfering with the desires of politicians.
• McCain also draws a false comparison when he says, “At least I have to say ‘I’m John McCain and I approve this message.’”
• McCain apparently doesn’t realize that the Swiftboat ads against John Kerry were not put out in the public markeplace without any attribution. Those ads ended with clear acknowledgment of who was behind them, who paid for them, who did not pay for them, and a website address for more details.
• All of this sort of ridiculous criticism from McCain toward a group of voters who have expressed their free speech rights gives further evidence of why conservatives don’t trust John McCain. He continues to prove that he elevates the rights of government to bridle free speech over the constitutional rights of individuals to exercise it.

 

 

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