His Lyin' Eyes

In an Op Ed piece in Military.com, Philip Butler relates the story of his experiences as a POW in Vietnam at the same time and in the same POW camp as John McCain. If you would like to read the piece in its entirety, here is the address:

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_2,00.html

Dr. Butler explains that while he respects John McCain, he won't vote for him. He writes that he arrived at the camp two years before McCain did, and he had to endure four years of torture, but McCain only had to go through two years because of the regime change that brough a softening of the treatment. Butler says that virtually everyone was offered early release, and all of them refused, because release was conditioned on the POWs' cooperation in making propaganda tapes, etc. Nevertheless, John McCain made no fewer than 24 propaganda tapes, one of them was made two days after his capture.

His problem with John McCain is that he seems to depict himself as the only one who ever refused early release, and that he has used and embellished his story constantly to further his political career. Dr. Butler says that time in a POW camp over 30 years ago does not make McCain experienced enough to be President.

-----

There was a little story being bandied about that John McCain made up his touching little story about the enemy soldier that loosened his chains and drew a cross in the dirt, on Christmas Eve. Lots of people think that McCain got this story from "Gulag Archepelago", by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, but this apparently is false. McCain is a big fan of Solzhenitsyn, and the story could conceivably have been told in one of his books, but not in "Gulag".

The story has been around for a long time and quoted as an Urban Legend in Christian circles. It originated with Charles Colson. Remember him? Why is it that all those Nixon henchmen keep popping back up in today's Republican Party? Back in 2000, McCain reshaped the story and it was used to "sweet-talk" evangelicals.

McCain has lied, to suit his purpose, as usual.

-----

Cone of Silence, indeed. That's a good one. John McCain answered the Reverend's questions much too quickly, without pausing to think about them. It's the first time I've ever seen him do that.

-----

By the way, did anyone know that Cindy McCain has an older step-sister? Her father had been married twice, and Cindy was his second daughter. You can look it up. You certainly won't hear it from Cindy or John McCain. Why not?

-----

What else are we going to be asked to swallow about this old charlatan? When is the media going to start taking a closer look at him?