McCain Speaks At NAA/ASNE Conference

- McCain notes his early decision to provide open access to the press.

- McCain says he regularly makes himself available to the press. Of course, that wasn’t the case during the Vicky Iseman story that popped up.

- McCain says NY Times disclosure of warrantless wiretapping story came close to hurting national security. You know what else hurt national security? Violating the due process of law.

- McCain announces that he supports the federal shield law. Well, that’s clearly a way to bolster your base by supporting legislation they favor. I guess he learned that from all the lobbyists aboard the Straight Talk Express.

- AP reporter presents McCain with his favorite coffee. Please.

- McCain on the small town comments: Talks about the people of the Great Depression and how they fought WWII. Says that their faith wasn’t hurt by the depression and transposes it to love of hunting. Somehow. Notes that he served in Vietnam. Announces small town tour to tell people living there that there must not be “any forgotten Americans”. Says “time for pandering and false promises is over … it’s time for change, but real change”.

14 Responses to “McCain Speaks At NAA/ASNE Conference”

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1 Duros62
Apr 14th, 2008 at 10:52 am

Says “time for pandering and false promises is over … it’s time for change, but real change”.

Pardon me for pointing this out, but isn’t that exactly what Obama was saying?
2 Enlightened Liberal
Apr 14th, 2008 at 2:07 pm

“Notes that he served in Vietnam.”

LOL. I’m reading David Brock’s new book on St. McCain’s relationship with the press. It’s funny how he brings it up everytime he speaks, but nonetheless gets credit for not bringing it up.
3 merl
Apr 15th, 2008 at 3:58 am

He served for less than 20 hours in combat. He also killed over 100 sailors and injured more than 200 when he started the Forestall fire. Not to mention crashing four planes stateside and making propaganda films for the NVA.
4 jr
Apr 15th, 2008 at 9:50 am

“can we fluff your pillows for you?”-reporters to McCain
5 Enlightened Liberal
Apr 15th, 2008 at 10:40 am

Merl, those are all good points. If he was a Democrat, you can be sure there would be a “Forestall vets for truth” 527 pointing out the problems in his record, mixed with a few lies. Fortunately or unfortunately Democrats don’t play that way. Hope it doesn’t cost us another election.

One question that could be asked- McCain’s story is that he was in a POW camp for 5 1/2 years even after he was allowed to leave, but he wouldn’t leave without his buddies. Was he really serving America by staying in a POW camp rather than getting out and returning to fight the Vietcong?

Personally, I would be happy if the press investigated the circumstances on how Mrs. McCain became the 2nd Mrs. McCain. That could backfire as lots of people are divorced and remarried but it could be the thing that keeps the religious right home on election day.
6 Duros62
Apr 15th, 2008 at 11:13 am

He also killed over 100 sailors and injured more than 200 when he started the Forestall fire.

Dammit, merl, I wish you’d stop saying that he started that fire unless you know something I don’t. From everything I’ve seen, his plane got hit by a loose missile. He was sitting in his plane minding his own business.

I can’t stand the guy either, but come on.
7 Sean D. Martin
Apr 15th, 2008 at 11:37 am

For those (like me) who didn’t get the Forestall reference:

USS FORESTALL

Eight months after the Oriskany fire, there was an accident on the USS Forestall. A ZUNI rocket was fired accidentally from an aircraft being readied for a mission on July 29, 1967. The rocket screamed across the flight deck, struck another aircraft and ignited a fuel fire. The initial fire could have been contained, but 90 seconds after the fire started a bomb detonated, killing or seriously wounding most of the fire fighters.

The detonation ruptured the flight deck, and burning fuel spilled into the lower levels of the ship. Bombs, warheads, and rocket motors exploded with varying egress of intensity in the fire, killing 134 and wounding 161 men. Twenty-one aircraft were destroyed.

and 1967 USS Forrestal fire

an unguided 5-inch Mk-32 “Zuni” rocket, one of four contained in a LAU-10 underwing rocket pod mounted on a F-4 Phantom II, was accidentally fired due to an electrical power surge during the switch from external power to internal power.

The rocket flew across the flight deck, striking a wing-mounted external fuel tank on an A-4 Skyhawk, either Aircraft No. 405 piloted by LCDR Fred D. White or No. 416 piloted by LCDR John McCain, which were waiting to launch. The warhead’s safety mechanism prevented it from detonating, but the impact tore the tank off the wing and ignited the resulting spray of pressurized fuel, causing an instantaneous conflagration. The heat caused additional fuel tanks to overheat, rupture and spew volatile jet fuel onto the deck, feeding the flames. Huge gusts of fire shot into the air along the flight deck, trapping pilots in their aircraft with no recourse but to escape through the flames or be incinerated in their cockpits. LCDR White, waiting to launch in Aircraft No. 405, leaped out of his burning Skyhawk in an attempt to escape the inferno, but was killed instantly by the cooking-off of the first bomb. … With his aircraft surrounded by flames, McCain escaped by climbing out of the cockpit, walking down the nose and jumping off the refueling probe.

Doesn’t look like it was McCain’s fault in any way. He was just there.
8 Sean D. Martin
Apr 15th, 2008 at 12:00 pm

Oh, and merl? “… and injured more than 200 …

Only 161 injured in the fire. Was there ANYTHING in your post that was actually, y’know, true?
9 Duros62
Apr 15th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

About 10:50 (local time) on the 29th,… an unguided 5-inch Mk-32 “Zuni” rocket, one of four contained in a LAU-10 underwing rocket pod mounted on a F-4 Phantom II, was accidentally fired due to an electrical power surge during the switch from external power to internal power.

The rocket flew across the flight deck, striking a wing-mounted external fuel tank on an A-4 Skyhawk, either Aircraft No. 405 piloted by LCDR Fred D. White[1] or No. 416 piloted by future Arizona Senator, LCDR John McCain,[4] which were waiting to launch.[3] The warhead’s safety mechanism prevented it from detonating, but the impact tore the tank off the wing and ignited the resulting spray of pressurized fuel, causing an instantaneous conflagration.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_USS_Forrestal_fire

So, we’re not even sure if it was McCain’s plane that got hit, but it is sure that his plane did not cause the disaster.
10 Duros62
Apr 15th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Woops. I really gotta start reading these things first.
11 Sean D. Martin
Apr 15th, 2008 at 1:30 pm

Nah, Duros. For some reason my first post was held up in mediation for a little bit.
12 Duros62
Apr 15th, 2008 at 11:15 pm

Still and all, merl never comes back to say WHY he keeps saying this. This is not the first time this has been brought up.
13 Sean D. Martin
Apr 16th, 2008 at 12:54 am

Oh, I think the WHY is reasonably obvious. Both the WHY he says it and WHY he never comes back.
14 Duros62
Apr 16th, 2008 at 11:05 am

Again, let it be known that I don’t like McCain either and wouldn’t vote for him for Class President, but I don’t see the need to make shit up about him.

Oliver Willis