First of all, I do not think John McCain is a hero. He even says he's not a hero. His record as a Naval aviator is less than heroic. He graduated at the bottom of his class from the Naval Academy. His poor flying skills cost the Navy several planes. He was shot down over North Vietnam because he disobeyed orders not to fly that day. To be shot down doth not a hero make.Nevertheless, he spent five years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. No matter what happened in those five years, he suffered through them as a military officer of the United States Navy.
It is, therefore, less than stupid to cast aspersions on the man for getting captured as The Donald has done recently. Does Mr. Trump have any military record whatsoever? Does Mr. Trump have the wherewithall to give up five years of his life, to be treated harshly, beaten on numerous occasions, with no hope on the horizon? My god, what would happen to his hair?
Republicans, especially those other 15 running for president, don't seem to hold much affection for Mr. Trump. Why, they've been literally falling all ass over heels to suggest that Mr. Trump should never say such nasty things about Mr. McCain. One should never castigate a veteran of the US military. It's just terrible, what Mr. Trump has done!
Ho, ho. What a crock! What a flock of hypocrites! When little Buski the 2nd was running for a 2nd term, his opponent, Mr. John Kerry, was vilified by the Republicans as a phony, as a faux hero, as one who had doctored records, one who was using his military service as a means of gaining votes.
And the president's brother, the guv of Florida supported them!
On January 1, 2005, Governor Jeb Bush wrote a letter to Colonel Day of the Swift Boaters on his official stationary. It said, in part:
"Colonel Day, I know you'll be joining other Swifties--POWs in Orlando soon. Please let them know that I am personally appreciative of their service to our nation. As someone who truly understands the risk of standing up for something, I simply cannot express in words how much I value their willingness to stand up against John Kerry. Their efforts, like their service to our country, speak volumes about what matters most."
[An aside: I don't know what the hell ol' Jeb risked to stand up for other except the chance of going to jail for doing everything legal and illegal in his power to get his brother elected four years earlier! Other than that, he led a charmed life with more money than he knew what to do with.]
If you were around in 2004-2005 you may remember "the vicious campaign Republicans waged against John Kerry for his service in Vietnam ... Secretary of State Kerry received not one, not two, but three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star during his combat time in Vietnam. [I'd add he served in a particularly difficult situation in that war.] Nevertheless, Republicans mocked and belittled his military service throughout the campaign. It was a key feature of the 2004 Republican National Convention, when delegates and supporters wore cutesy purple bandages in an effort to degrade the Purple Hearts Kerry was awarded."
None of this should surprise anyone. Lies, deceit, gaming the system - this characterizes the Republican Party as a whole.
Thanks for Daily Kos for some of the above material.
