Former POW Mangles McCain's POW Power

I'm not the only one who thinks McCain's milking his POW status to the point of absurdity. And this guy's got a fuck of a lot better street cred than I do:

As some of you might know, John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States.

This isn't going to be pretty, now, is it?

People often ask if I was a Prisoner of War with John McCain. My answer is always "No - John McCain was a POW with me." The reason is I was there for 8 years and John got there 2 ½ years later, so he was a POW for 5 ½ years. And we have our own seniority system, based on time as a POW.

Oh, dear. I think Johnny got up the wrong vet's nose with his World's Greatest POW act.

John was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for heroism and wounds in combat. This heroism has been played up in the press and in his various political campaigns. But it should be known that there were approximately 600 military POW's in Vietnam. Among all of us, decorations awarded have recently been totaled to the following: Medals of Honor - 8, Service Crosses - 42, Silver Stars - 590, Bronze Stars - 958 and Purple Hearts - 1,249. John certainly performed courageously and well. But it must be remembered that he was one hero among many - not uniquely so as his campaigns would have people believe.

Is that wind I hear? Only it sounds like something's being sucked out of someone's sails.

John McCain served his time as a POW with great courage, loyalty and tenacity. More that 600 of us did the same. After our repatriation a census showed that 95% of us had been tortured at least once. The Vietnamese were quite democratic about it. There were many heroes in North Vietnam. I saw heroism every day there. And we motivated each other to endure and succeed far beyond what any of us thought we had in ourselves. Succeeding as a POW is a group sport, not an individual one. We all supported and encouraged each other to survive and succeed. John knows that. He was not an individual POW hero. He was a POW who surmounted the odds with the help of many comrades, as all of us did.

And that meaty sound would be someone getting cut down to size.

I furthermore believe that having been a POW is no special qualification for being President of the United States. The two jobs are not the same, and POW experience is not, in my opinion, something I would look for in a presidential candidate.

Heh. That's what I keep saying, too.

And there's a lot more where that came from. Believe it or not, I've given you only a taste.

Phillip Butler, who served this country with honor and distinction and then didn't go around turning his experience into cheap political currency, does not denigrate McCain's achievements. He respects McCain's service. He doesn't minimize the sacrifices McCain made for this country. But he puts it into context, and he looks at the whole of the man, and comes to the conclusion that this is one of the last fucking people on earth we should be voting into office.

I think we'd do well to listen to him.

(Tip o' the shot glass to dday over at Digby's, as well as Atheist Chaplain. Thanks for sending me backup.)