As a victim/veteran of the Nixon-Kissinger Fig Leaf Contingent (Vietnam 1970-1972), I would like to set the record straight here. Michael Kinsley should know that, actually, the North Vietnamese did break John McBush. He made many propaganda statements on their behalf and has admitted doing so a very long, long time ago. He has said himself that the North Vietnamese tested him and that he came up short. The United States Naval Academy had that same experience with the foreign-born Panama John. He failed most of his tests there, too. If not for his elite family connections, he would probably not even have made it into the school. Only three other cadets at the academy did worse.

As an additional point of fact, the ultra-right-wing nutjobs of the fascist Republican Party -- the feral faction that gave America Sheriff Dick Cheney and Deputy Dubya Bush -- also tested Grandpa Simpson McBush and found him more than willing to grovel when put under minimal pressure. The silly and sophomoric nomination of a former Alaska beauty-princess (some better looking woman won the crown of "queen") for a running mate testifies to how easily John McBomb caves in a mini-crisis like a political campaign.

In all fairness to the hapless neophyte pick, however, she does have a native-born American birth certificate, which makes her at least "constitutionally" qualified for the job of President, something Panama John cannot say. Perhaps if the Republicans inverted their ticket ... No? ... Oh, well ...

The Democratic Party team of U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden has played this whole tempest-in-a-teapot Republican Party meltdown correctly by largely ignoring it. One cannot say anything about nothing without making it look like at least something. Thus, the Republican Party convention has suspended itself due to nearly complete lack of interest. Very few Republican elected officials wanted to attend, anyway; and having wingnut favorites Dick and Dubya appear would have amounted to political suicide. Better just get this embarrassing non-event over as quickly as possible.

Grandpa Simpson McBush and his new trophy nurse will have their fifteen minutes of fame, of course, but then everyone -- as Andy Warhol told us long ago -- gets that much notoriety these days. The North Vietnamese gave John McPOW his only claim to fame decades ago but now not even a noun plus a verb to go with his "experience" will do much to help him. Nothing + Nothing = Nothing.

i was in the navy

the military changed their training for pilots (and others who go "over teh beach" into enemy territory) -- they no longer teach our warfighters to hold to a "zero tolerance" policy, its a simple fact that everyone (EVERYone) *will* break

and then what do you have - a demoralized soldier airman or marine, down on himself for "selling out" his country and his servicemembers - making a bad situation worse

if you're going to break, do it in a controlled fashion - lie to the enemy - falsify details - give up details that don't matter

we learned alot in vietnam - mccain was part of that lesson

i'm former military - and i don't hold any of his behavior while in captivity against him

jane fonda on the other hand......

The ignorance, insensitivity, and blatantly partisan misrepresentation of McCain's life experience evinced by this post are simply astounding. I could easily go on for several pages correcting your lies, half-truths, ignorant remarks, and senseless name-calling, but is really isn't worth it. Your post speaks for itself.

I am an independent and his name is John McCain not McBush. I noticed you used the word fascist. All dictatorships typically are run in socialist goverments. Mr. Obama is a collectivist and alterist. This is evident in his disire for socialized medicine, socialized 401k's and wealth redistribution. Therefore, Mr. Obama is socialist and even flirts with marxist ideals.

The tide is turning...thanks to the military men and women whose postings are setting the lefties straight. Keep it up Semper Fi!

No, Ethan, you cannot correct the "lies"--McCain was a terrible pilot. He would never be given the keys to a jet in todays USAF. In fact, his behavior in the Navy was so degenerate, he was refused an admiralcy in spite of his father and his POW experience,

His character was revealed in his treatment of his first wife.

I would like to see your evidence that he was a "terrible pilot." Regardless, his skill with aircraft was not the question. He was never "refused an admiralcy," but he in fact left the Navy pursue a political career long before the question came up - and in all likelihood, he would have been made a rear admiral, but not a full admiral (which is still nothing to scoff at).

And yes, his treatment of his wife after he returned from the war was wrong, which he has admitted and taken full responsibility for. He is still on good terms with her, and I don't think a poor personal decision made decades ago should have much impact on this race.

Come on you guys, pleasssse try not to be so obvious. You are republicans trashing Mccain's war record to create sympathy and support. Fine,l but don't give the game away or make me feel guilty and stupid if I fall for the trick. Just some advice.

It is funny to the point of distraction that you would ask me for proof of my assessment of McCain's skill as a pilot yet simultaneously withold your evidence that the original poster is wrong--your behavior is indicative of a McCain supporter (reactionary, fact ignoring, etc.). Regarding his skill, he was not permitted to fly jets initially (because of concerns about his capability) and I will simply point to the number of planes he flew into telephone wires as evidence of his incompetence. I will grant that McCain was a better pilot than Bush.

He left the Navy because he was never going to be an admiral--have you even read his biography?

He was in his 40's when he abandoned his vows to his first wife--it says a great deal about the kind of person he is. Of course, I can understand your denial.

Character? Let's talk about that....Obama doesn't remember 20 years of his life! He NEVER heard ANY outrageous comments by his pastor/ godfather to his children? Let's pretend for a moment that this is true...although no one believes it......Wouldn't some of the same people within his Community organizing neighborhoods have heard this racist pastor? So, the "community" that he supposedly organized, that also went to this church, NEVER ONCE demanded these racial tenants be adhered to from Mr. Obama?

How Do Organizers Do Their Work?

Dr. Otis Johnson, of the Chatham-Savannah Youth Futures Authority , describes three different models that are used in this field:

Collaborative model "where you bring all the different stakeholders together under the assumption that they all have some common interest at heart."

Professional planners model "where you bring experts and planners together to analyze the problem and come up with solutions."

Conflict model "where the assumption is that the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' possess diametrically opposed interests, and that if the 'have-nots' are ever going to get anything from the 'haves,' it will only be through conflict and struggle."

The collaborative and conflict models are the most common. Organizers following a conflict model confront government agencies, corporations, politicians, and others, trying to help the 'have-nots' achieve victories over the 'haves.' In contrast, organizers who follow a collaborative (consensus) model see the 'haves' as potential partners and collaborators and help the community to create joint ventures. Many organizers incorporate elements of several models in their work.

Actually, Ethan, your post speaks for itself. John McCain made 32 propaganda tapes for North Viet Nam, including the famous one with the Cuban psychologist in which he quickly informed him that he knew some Spanish and actually helped with some of the guy's questions. You can find the actual audio if you dig around Google.

Nope, sorry, Ethan. "Songbird" McCain was every bit that if not more.

1973 - New York Daily News labeled POW McCain a “PW SONGBIRD.”

By Nov. 9, 1967 (U.S. government documents) Hanoi press was quoting McCain III describing his mission including the number of aircraft in his flight, information about rescue ships, and the
order of which U.S. attacks would take place.

While still in North Vietnam’s military hospital, McCain III gave an interview to prominent French television reporter Francois Chalais for a series titled Life in Hanoi. Chalais’ interview with
McCain III was aired in Europe.

In May of 1968, McCain III allowed himself to be interviewed by two North Vietnamese generals at separate times.” May 14, 1973 article written by former POW John McCain.

On June 5, 1969, the New York Daily News reported in a article headlined "Reds Say PW Songbird Is Pilot Son of Admiral," 'Hanoi has aired a broadcast in which the pilot son of United States
Commander in the Pacific, Adm. John McCain, purportedly admits to having bombed civilian targets in North Vietnam and praises medical treatment he has received since
being taken prisoner.'"

The Washington Post explained McCain III’s broadcast: “The English-Language broadcast beamed at South Vietnam was one of a series using American prisoners. It was in response to a plea by Defense Secretary Melvin S. Laird, May 19, that North Vietnam treat
prisoners according to the humanitarian standards set forth by the Geneva Convention.”

In 1970, McCain III agreed to an interview with Dr. Fernando Barral, a Spanish psychiatrist who was living in Cuba at the time.
The meeting between Barral and McCain III (which was photographed by the Vietnamese) took place away from the prison at the office of the Committee for Foreign Cultural Relations in
Hanoi (declassified government document). During the meeting, POW McCain sipped coffee and ate oranges and cakes with the Cuban. While talking with Barral, McCain III further seriously violated the military Code of Conduct by failing to evade answering questions ”to the utmost of his ability” when he, according government documents, helped Barral by answering questions in Spanish, a language McCain had learned in school. The interview was published in the in January 1970 edition of the Cuban government publication, GRANMA.

I served for almost six years in Uncle Sam's Canoe Club -- a.k.a. the United States Navy. I only enlisted because my own government threatened me with prison if I did not either submit to the Army draft or join one of the alternative military services. As part of my many sub-careers during that awful, wasted period of my life, I graduated from Electricians School, Nuclear Power School, Defense Language Institute (Vietnamese, Southern Dialect) and Counter-Insurgency School (Resistance Escape and Evasion) -- and all that before I shipped out for a complete year deployment to Vietnam plus one voluntary six-month extension "at the request and for the convenience of the government." Eighteen miserable months later, I returned from America's disastrous War on Southeast Asia, took my honorable discharge ("For honest and faithful service") and got the hell out of that military mindlessness forever. It felt so good to get my brains and free will back again.

I therefore do not need any advice or suggestions about how to evaluate either military duty or my fellow veteran Grandpa Simpson McBush and his ostensible military "honor." I served with more honorable sailors swabbing decks on a submarine tender moored for a year at Ballast Point, San Diego. Reckless dick-head pilots who repeatedly crash multi-million dollar planes into aircraft carriers or the North Vietnamese countryside do not impress me in the least. And as a lifelong Democrat who wouldn't vote republican if you put a gun to my head, I say that Panama John.McBush deserves no more consideration for his ostensible military "experience" than either Barack Obama OR the never-heard-of-before lady governor of Alaska. I just have to suspect that at least these last two named individuals realize that America lost the War on Southeast Asia thfiry-three years ago. Panama-John McBush still doesn't seem to have noticed.

A noun plus a verb plus P.O.W. qualifies a person for precisely nothing except the veterans' benefits that McBush regularly votes against in any case. And "nothing" precisely describes what my fellow veteran Grandpa Simpson McBush deserves for his "service." Most of the Vietnamese who survived his bombing of them think he got off light with only a few years in jail. In their aggrieved opinion, he deserved to dance at the end of a rope. Can't say as how I blame them. McPOW's political connections saved his ass back in the day as well as during the Keating-Five scandal but, hopefully, will not do so again. McBush, after all, has less "executive experience" than the nobody prom-queen he selected as his vice presidential running mate.

At any rate, Panama John McBush deserves as much tender respect and treatment for his "service" as he and his pathetic party gave to another of my fellow veterans: John Kerry. I've not forgotten nor forgiven those snarky purple bandaids the repugnant ones so disdainfully adorned themselves with at the last repugnant party convention four years ago mocking a military veteran who deserved respect but got only derision. Fuck republicans. Fuck their credulous cynicism. And fuck their phony hiding behind the troops fascism. And fuck my fellow Vietnam Veteran John McBush. What goes around comes around -- and man, does he ever have a good swift kick in his short, saggy ass coming to him. I only wish that I could deliver it personally..

Sundance007:

All dictatorships typically are run in socialist goverments.

What a ridiculous, ignorant statement to make. How would you explain a certain Adolf Hitler? Or Mr. Pinochet in Chile? How bout Galtieri in Argentina and Franco in Spain? Or the current Burmese junta?

It helps if you engage your brain before putting your mouth in gear Sundance.

"What a ridiculous, ignorant statement to make. How would you explain a certain Adolf Hitler?"

You mean Adolf Hitler of the National Socialist German Workers Party? Yeah, they were socialist. The Nazi's were anti-communist but you're crazy if you think they were right of center fiscally. Your other examples are valid to my knowledge, though (can't say I know much about the fiscal policies of Galtieri or the Burmese junta).