McCain wants to make this election about judgment and trust. He has called into question Obama’s trustworthiness. McCain claims that he will "keep his word" to Americans and declares himself a person we "can trust."
Of course this is more double talk by McCain, who reminds us every day about his similarities with George Bush.
When it comes to the group, known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (here referred to as Swift Liars), who smeared John Kerry by grossly distorting his military record in 2004, John McCain’s word means nothing and his judgment should disqualify him from holding the highest elected office in our nation.
Here are McCain’s 2004 statements about the Swift Liars:
"I wish they hadn't done it," McCain said of his former advisers. "I don't know if they knew all the facts."
Asked if the White House knew about the ad or helped find financing for it, McCain said, "I hope not, but I don't know. But I think the Bush campaign should specifically condemn the ad."
Later, McCain said the Bush campaign has denied any involvement and added, "I can't believe the president would pull such a cheap stunt."
The White House did not immediately address McCain's call that they repudiate the spot.
Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, said Kerry's record and statements on the war on terrorism – not his service in Vietnam – are fair game. "The Bush campaign never has and will never question John Kerry's service in Vietnam," he said.
In 2000, Bush's supporters sponsored a rumor campaign against McCain in the South Carolina primary, helping Bush win the primary and the nomination. McCain's supporters have never forgiven the Bush team.
McCain said that's all in the past to him, but he's speaking out against the anti-Kerry ad because he believes it's bad for the political system. "It reopens all the old wounds of the Vietnam War, which I spent the last 35 years trying to heal," he said.
Yes, that Steve Schmidt, who was just put in charge of McCain's campaign
McCain wants respect as a Veteran, war hero and former POW, but has no problem climbing in bed with the despicable, cowardly Swift Liars to further his own political ambitions.
In response to General Wesley Clark’s recent comments on Face The Nation, McCain dispatched Swift Liar Bud Day to rebuke Clark.
When questioned about his role in the 2004 Swift Liars' despicable smear, Day said:
"The Swift Boat 'attacks' were simply revelation of the truth. The similarity does not exist here...One was about laying out the truth. This one is about attempting to cast a new shadow on John McCain."
Truth?
From one of the Liars’ ads in 2004:
"How can you expect our sons and daughters to follow you when you condemned their fathers and grandfathers?" asked former Air Force Col. Bud Day, who was a prisoner of war with McCain in Vietnam, in a 2004 Swift Boat Vets spot.
Let’s check the facts surrounding this claim: A war based on a lie, atrocities committed by U.S. military service members, and a young war hero willing to stand up and speak the truth, confirmed by the historical records.
My questions to Bud Day:
*How dare you ask such a question in the face of truth?
*Have you no shame?
Day is horrible human being, but what does McCain’s embrace of him and other Swift Liars say about McCain?
McCain has officially brought the Liars on board as surrogates. He has also accepted more than $70,000 in donations from members and supporters of the group, including $11,000 from Sam Fox, whose nomination by George Bush to serve as ambassador to Belgium sparked an uproar.
Who can forget Sam "Senator, you're a hero" Fox during his confirmation hearings: Senator Kerry Confronts Swift Boat Funder.
A typical, cowardly Swift Liar.
The Swift Liars thrive on distorting the facts---their questions posed as if honorable and their assertions and challenges repeated with bravado. In truth they are dishonorable men backed by pathetic cowards like Sam Fox. Take the case of T. Boone "Chicken" Pickens: When John Kerry took him up on a challenge to prove the Liars wrong, Pickens weaseled out of the $1 million bet in typical chickenshit style.
McCain's hypocrisy hasn't gone unnoticed by the men who served with John Kerry in Vietnam and who rose to his defense against the Swift Liars in 2004. Kerry's peers wrote to John McCain, demanding that he fire and denounce Bud Day:
"[W]e are deeply concerned over the comments of your campaign surrogate Bud Day, whom you tapped to represent your campaign the day after General Clark's comments. Your campaign provided a platform for Mr. Day to continue spreading the false and malicious smears of the so-called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT).
[Snip]
"In 2004, you yourself called the SBVT campaign "dishonest and dishonorable," and said that you "deplored this type of politics," but your actions in providing a platform for Mr. Day persuaded us that perhaps you needed a reminder just how dishonest and dishonorable the campaign was.
"With this information in mind, we respectfully request that you and Mr. Day disown the proven lies and shameful tactics of the SBVT, or, failing that, we ask that you disassociate your campaign from Bud Day and from anyone who was a part of the SBVT. We understand that there are decisions made in haste during the heat of the campaign that do not reflect the underlying values of the candidate. We sincerely hope and believe that this was one of them, and we look forward to your announcement that your campaign has renounced this action."
Dear John McCain, add worth to your words. Do the honorable thing: fire the Swift Liars and return their contributions.