For myself, I don’t really care who served in the military, who didn’t, who was wounded and who wasn’t, who’s had one wife and who’s had twelve. I care whether it appears that somebody can be a competent executive, is generally honest and will follow more policies with which I agree.

Taking a position against GI benefits seems to me about the Republican equivalent of a Democrat openly taking a pro-gay marriage position – regionally okay, but nationally a loser. I agree with Eric Alterman that it defies explanation why so many servicemen would tilt Republican, but one has to think that McCain isn’t doing himself any favors alienating that demographic.

Whether it’s hypocritical to accept his disability payment while personally wealthy and taking a position against the new bill is a good question. On the one hand he did legitimately earn it, and who the hell am I to tell him what do with his money? On the other, it seems that vet’s benefits is one more thing that is perpetually underfunded and could probably use every penny it could muster, especially in light of the Iraq war.

I’m not certain the author of this comment was intending to make a serious point, so I feel a bit odd responding to it, but here goes. Neither the American Constitution nor any ensuing case law in the two centuries-and-change of which I’m aware makes any sort of requirement or preference that the president have served in the military. If it had, we’d have excluded from the office Thomas Jefferson (of whom I am frankly not a fan, but many are), Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt (unless one counts serving as Secretary of the Navy) and Woodrow Wilson.

“Is that really all you’ve got, bub? Being in war or even uniform has never been a requirement by anyone. One of the many arguments against your Chimp in Chief was that he went AWOL from his plum non-combat TANG job that his family’s friends got for him so he could avoid Vietnam.”

A friend of mine and Vietnam vet told me that the grunts’ disdainful nickname for the Air National Guard was the FANG… I’ll let you guess what the ‘F’ stood for…

He’s not receiving money because he was tortured. He’s receiving $58,000 a year for what his own staff labels as a “technical disability” (and, yes, I know he received this technical disability by being tortured, but your sentence made it sound like he is being paid as compensation for the torture in and of itself). McCain receiving $58,000 a year for a technical disability is pretty darn generous, in my book, which is why, on this issue, the “hypocrisy” label is rightfully affixed to him.

There’s nothing hypocritical about McCain receiving money that he earned through torture. Well, unless you’re really stupid like you guys keep proving.

Like I said before, please keep pushing this meme loudly and often. It’s a sure winner!

McCain recently said giving improved educational benefits for enlisted men was, ‘too generous.’ Yet he’s a multi-millionaire who takes $58,000 a year for something his own team described as a ‘technical disability.’

He’s acting like a hypocrite.

But I guess that’s rarely an issue for you guys.

he can raise his arm above his shoulder

His elbow is clearly BELOW his shoulder, you idiots. Even with a picture you guys can’t get it right.

Please, please, please keep pushing this fake disability meme. Push it hard. I’d recommend an enormous banner across all lefty blogs. It’ll be a huge winner for you guys.

Let’s see… on the one hand, we are talking about a permanent disability that is being described as ‘technical.’

On the other hand, we are talking about one time injuries.

They are not the same.

Bravo on being stupid.

Squid Shark: “Speaking of Cleland,
I wonder how much disability he gets. He seemed to be able to do his job just fine.”

Only a conservative could be this stupid.

he can raise his arm above his shoulder.

A Purple Heart is awarded to those who were wounded. It doesn’t mean they were disabled. But don’t let facts slow you down, there.

One Vietnam veteran Presidential candidate claims 1 Purple Heart and can’t raise his arm above his shoulder.

As bobh already posted, he can raise his arm above his shoulder.

http://www.projo.com/blogs/shenews/photos/purpleheart.jpg

The Code of Conduct is quite clear that you are released in the order you are captured. Anything else would be a gross violation of everything McCain was trained to do.

I would like to see how many propoganda tapes (not videos) you would have made after handing from a chain for 28 hours in excruciating pain.

I wonder how much disability he gets. He seemed to be able to do his job just fine.

One Vietnam veteran Presidential candidate claims 1 Purple Heart and can’t raise his arm above his shoulder. The Left’s reaction: “He’s faking it”!

Bravo for consistency…

Is that really all you’ve got, bub? Being in war or even uniform has never been a requirement by anyone. One of the many arguments against your Chimp in Chief was that he went AWOL from his plum non-combat TANG job that his family’s friends got for him so he could avoid Vietnam.

And now yer boy McSame, who opposed an increase in veteran’s benefits, is shown to be taking more money each year tax-free than most Americans earn, when he himself doesn’t need it. So you see, what he wants for himself as a veteran is something he is happy to deny other veterans.

Here’s how you can wrap your poisonous microcephalic brain around the concept: pretend that we are talking about John Kerry. Now you understand, right?

Is McCain a Manchurian candidate? It would be irresponsible not to speculate.

From Sept. 1999:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=14821

From Jan. 2008:

http://holycoast.blogspot.com/2008/01/veterans-group-attacks-mccains-war.html

Look at the pic of mccain circa 1973 – hes waving – hands above shoudlers – interesting hes not disabled then like he is now. And yet someone said his disability is he cant raise his arms above his shoulders?

Wasn’t that the argument for the past 8 years?”

No. Don’t you wish all of life’s questions had simple, one-word answers?

So it is hypocrisy to point out when someone is being a hypocrite. I don’t think you will find that definition of hypocrisy in any dictionary.

“how can we possibly have a Commander-in-Chief who’s never seen combat?
Wasn’t that the argument for the past 8 years?”

No. I would explain what the actual argument was, but I think it is clear that you are far too stupid to understand.