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Is This the Kind of Military "Experience" John McCain Says is Necessary?
The late, but still unsinkable, Molly Ivins once counseled: "Never get into a mud wrestling contest with a pig; you get all muddy and the pig loves it." Still I can't help but wonder why McCain is attacking the experience of Barack Obama.
Even more shocking, given the military history he has taken pains to bury, is his assertion that Obama does not have McCain's military experience, repeatedly claiming that McCain is by far the most experienced and therefore the most trustworthy candidate to fill the role of Commander-In-Chief.
Therefore, since McCain has announced today that he will stick by his recent ads featuring a classic presentation of the fallacy, argumentum ad hominem (by association), some Dems think it only fair to examine his claim that he has the military experience that we need in these trying times of "war."
McCain's 1967 USS Forrestal Incident
August 1-3, 2008 -- With McCain's campaign firing off anti-Obama videos, there is one video John McCain doesn't want anyone to see:
Courtesy of The Wayne Madsen Report:
"The John McCain campaign is releasing a series of anti-Barack Obama videos. However, there is one video that Johnny "Wet Start" McCain, as he was known after the disastrous USS Forrestal fire in 1967, does not want America to see."
From WMR, November 20, 2007: WMR has learned additional details regarding the deadly fire aboard the Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Forrestal, on July 19, 1967 in the Gulf of Tonkin. The additional details point to then-Lieut. Commander John McCain playing more of a role in triggering the fire and explosions than previously reported.
WMR also cited the potential that McCain's Navy records were used against him by the neocons in control of the Pentagon, "The neo-cons, who have had five years to examine every file within the Department of Defense, have likely accessed documents that could prove embarrassing to McCain, who was on board the USS Forrestal on July 29, 1967, and whose A-4 Skyhawk was struck by an air-to-ground Zuni missile that had misfired from an F-4 Phantom."
In McCain's case, the "wet-start" apparently "cooked off" and launched the Zuni rocket from the rear F-4 that touched off the explosions and massive fire. The F-4 pilot was reportedly killed in the conflagration.
"Wet starting" was apparently a common practice among young "hot-dog" pilots. McCain was quickly transferred to the USS Oriskany (the only Forrestal crewman to be immediately transferred). After the disaster, McCain was shot down over North Vietnam on October 26, 1967.
"McCain
was confronted by Forrestal fire survivors with his role in starting
the Forrestal fire during his 2000 presidential campaign, particularly
in South Carolina. McCain was visibly shaken by the encounter with the
survivors, according to some who contacted WMR. WMR is pleased to
present the video that causes McCain to turn whiter than his usual wan
complexion. Watch the following video and McCain's reaction to any
mention of the Forrestal is understandable." -Wayne Madsen
Comments (1)
Well, Bailey... this is a post that will truly pain me to write. Particularly in-light of the despicable, low-ball conduct of the McCain campaign of late.
However, first and foremost: I, too, am a US Naval veteran. And, like every such person who has cycled through the Navy's basic training (officer and enlisted), have definitely been familiarized with the story of the tragedy which befell the USS Forrestal.
That tragedy really shook the Navy brass to their core (not unlike the attack on Pearl Harbor had done a generation prior). Amongst their responses was to institute a mandatory, fleet-wide, no-bullshit-every-single-sailor-HAS-to-learn comprehensive shipboard damage control response. Period. Part & parcel of that (rudimentary) education involves studying every aspect of what went right (very little, unfortunately), and what went egregiously wrong (too fucking much) on that day aboard the Forrestal.
In addition to my initial training, I went on to be trained in advanced NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) & firefighting in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleet NTC's (our tax dollars at work). Further, I augmented my hands-on learning with as much disparate reading as I could get my hands on - from every conceivable source. I've come across "wet start" rumors previously - but none that have been corroborated. Am I 100% convinced of McCain's stalwart innocence (and, ergo, his commensurate status as Pure Victim)?? No. But I still believe, when things boil down, as to the maxim of: who ya' gonna' believe -- me, or your lyin' eyes??
Like I started this response: pending incontrovertible evidence to the contrary --for now-- I'm sticking with my lying eyes.
And, seeing as the 'righties surely have people in their vanguard in possession of my knowledge & background, is this a horse we really want to ride??
Pax, dude.
August 2, 2008 12:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
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