McCain gets an endorsement!

[Tigermike 3,078]

Thanks Howard!

"Who would you rather have in charge of the defense of the United States of America, a group of people who never served a day overseas in their life, or a guy who served his country honorably and has three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star on the battlefields of Vietnam?" Howard Dean, March 2004.

McCain, by the way, has been awarded the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

ABC NEWS

Here's the new John McCain ad, btw, launched in New Mexico for the general election.

[WinCrimson 61]

Oh, he's a hero. You'll never hear me say otherwise.

I just disagree with the guy on policy issues. I appreciate his service in Vietnam and have immense respect for him. That's where we differ -- I, a person who rarely agrees with Republicans, can give props to the opposing party when it's necessary while the right wing partisan hacks felt the need to tear down Kerry's character.

“John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can’t change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush the last seven years. While we honor McCain’s military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn’t understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years.”

I don't agree with the "opportunist" quote, but I think Dean is spot on with the rest of his statement. McCain and Bush have become bed fellows over the last couple of years.

[Ranger12 46]

I, a person who rarely agrees with Republicans, can give props to the opposing party when it's necessary while the right wing partisan hacks felt the need to tear down Kerry's character.

Your memory fails you. Those "right wing partisan hacks" you are slamming were other Vietnam vets that attacked Kerry's character. Not to bring up an old debate, but there was a lot of controversy surrounding how Kerry got his Purple Hearts. Whether they were right or wrong, you really can't compare Kerry and McCain when it comes that because McCain's situation is a bit more obvious on how and why he got his medals.

However, I don't agree with him on a lot of things either. As a conservative, I would prefer a candidate that is closer to the conservatism that I believe in. Yet, given the choices of the if the final three candidates left, McCain is still by far the most conservative choice left, so he will get my vote. My other choice is not to vote at all, but then I might as well be voting for the liberal choice if I am going to do that, because by not voting for the most conservative candidate, I am giving the liberal a +1 vote in the final tally.

[lukeduke 8]

And I'm gonna throw my support behind McCain, we're gonna bust through the election and run down that road all the way to Washington

BYYYAAAH

[WinCrimson 61]

I, a person who rarely agrees with Republicans, can give props to the opposing party when it's necessary while the right wing partisan hacks felt the need to tear down Kerry's character.

Your memory fails you. Those "right wing partisan hacks" you are slamming were other Vietnam vets that attacked Kerry's character. Not to bring up an old debate, but there was a lot of controversy surrounding how Kerry got his Purple Hearts. Whether they were right or wrong, you really can't compare Kerry and McCain when it comes that because McCain's situation is a bit more obvious on how and why he got his medals.

My memory doesn't fail me. Quite sharp, in fact.

You can be a partisan hack and be a veteran at the same time, no? Simply being a veteran doesn't disqualify you from being a sleaze bag. John O'Neill is just that. I do, however, thank McCain for quickly condemning their trash.

[Tigermike 3,078]

I, a person who rarely agrees with Republicans, can give props to the opposing party when it's necessary while the right wing partisan hacks felt the need to tear down Kerry's character.

Your memory fails you. Those "right wing partisan hacks" you are slamming were other Vietnam vets that attacked Kerry's character. Not to bring up an old debate, but there was a lot of controversy surrounding how Kerry got his Purple Hearts. Whether they were right or wrong, you really can't compare Kerry and McCain when it comes that because McCain's situation is a bit more obvious on how and why he got his medals.

My memory doesn't fail me. Quite sharp, in fact.

You can be a partisan hack and be a veteran at the same time, no? Simply being a veteran doesn't disqualify you from being a sleaze bag. John O'Neill is just that. I do, however, thank McCain for quickly condemning their trash.

What you fail to realize is that the rancor, animosity and animus of Vietnam veterans toward John Kerry is deep and has been festering for many years. On top of that, they just don't like the pampas asswipe.

It is your opinion and you are free to call John O'Neill a sleaze bag all you want. But he did tell the truth. As for John Kerry,,,,,,,,,, we are still waiting for him to open his entire service record. But at this point there is no reason since he will not be running again for president. But he did endorse Obama. Which is yet another reason to vote against Obama.

[WinCrimson 61]

I doubt many Vietnam Veterans go to sleep with John Kerry on their mind. There were many former veterans against further occupation of 'Nam and Kerry just happened to be the one out of many to later run for President. The fact that he had the courage to enlist on his own will and then speak out for what he thought was right shouldn't have doomed his run against such a sniveling little prick.

FTR, O'Neill was caught in his dishonesty many times and there was an undeniable web of connections from the Swift Vets to Bush-Cheney '04.

[Tigermike 3,078]

I doubt many Vietnam Veterans go to sleep with John Kerry on their mind. There were many former veterans against further occupation of 'Nam and Kerry just happened to be the one out of many to later run for President. The fact that he had the courage to enlist on his own will and then speak out for what he thought was right shouldn't have doomed his run against such a sniveling little prick.

FTR, O'Neill was caught in his dishonesty many times and there was an undeniable web of connections from the Swift Vets to Bush-Cheney '04.

Got a link for all that?

You are right in that "many Vietnam Veterans go to sleep with John Kerry on their mind.", but it was always in the back of their minds and festering like a boil. And it didn't take much for their anger and deep dislike of Kerry to show it's self in the last election.

[WinCrimson 61]

I doubt many Vietnam Veterans go to sleep with John Kerry on their mind. There were many former veterans against further occupation of 'Nam and Kerry just happened to be the one out of many to later run for President. The fact that he had the courage to enlist on his own will and then speak out for what he thought was right shouldn't have doomed his run against such a sniveling little prick.

FTR, O'Neill was caught in his dishonesty many times and there was an undeniable web of connections from the Swift Vets to Bush-Cheney '04.

Got a link for all that?

You are right in that "many Vietnam Veterans go to sleep with John Kerry on their mind.", but it was always in the back of their minds and festering like a boil. And it didn't take much for their anger and deep dislike of Kerry to show it's self in the last election.

Link

You mention their "dislike" for him. Don't you think that some of that dislike may stem from his policies? Abortion rights, support for affirmative action, labor unions, universal healthcare, etc? He's not exactly seeing most middle aged white men eye-to-eye on issues.

Also, it's not like the veterans of Georgia ever hoisted Vietnam Veteran and amputee Max Cleland above their heads and lauded them as one of their own. It's hypocrisy at it's finest and it's all done behind the veil of our nation's proudest symbol and most prominent hero -- the flag and the American solider.

In 2002, Cleland was defeated in his bid for a second Senate term by Representative Saxby Chambliss. Voters were allegedly influenced by Chambliss ads that featured Cleland's likeness on the same screen as Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, ads that Cleland's supporters claim questioned his commitment to homeland security.[6] The ads were removed after strong bi-partisan protest from prominent politicians including Republicans like John McCain and Chuck Hagel.

Congrats to McCain once again for not stooping the lowest level of right wing smear campaigns.

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Oh by all means we should all take the word and opinion of Media Matters. If that is the only proof you have to offer, then don't. That is hardly an unbiased source. In fact something from John Kerry himself would hardly be more unbiased.

Would you like a little info on Media Matters?

Self-described "progressive" media "monitor" which tracks content that "forwards a conservative agenda."

Creation of Democratic Party funders and operatives and former conservative writer David Brock

Established in May 2004, Media Matters for America is a "web-based, not-for-profit … progressive research and information center" seeking to "systematically monitor a cross-section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for conservative misinformation." But in addition to "news or commentary that is not accurate, reliable, or credible," the organization's concept of "misinformation" includes anything that "forwards the conservative agenda." Thus political differences of opinion are often portrayed by Media Matters as lies or worse.

Media Matters' founder and CEO is David Brock. A reporter for the conservative magazine The American Spectator in the 1990s, Brock (in the aftermath of his biography of Hillary Clinton that brought disastrous reviews) engaged in a public self-denunciation, characterizing all his past writings critical of liberal figures as a confection of lies and slanders. In Brock's present judgment, the mainstream media have fallen under the sway of conservative ideology. He believes that conservatives have moved the mainstream media "to the right and therefore they've moved American politics to the right. … I wanted to create an institution [Media Matters] to combat what they're doing."

Standing behind Brock was John Podesta, a former chief of staff in the Clinton administration and the head of the "progressive" Washington, DC think tank, the Center for American Progress. In 2004 Podesta provided Brock with office space for his fledgling enterprise. Soon after, Media Matters received over $2 million in seed donations from a roster of affluent donors including Leo Hindery Jr., a former cable magnate; Susie Tompkins Buell, a co-founder of the fashion company Esprit and a close ally of Senator Hillary Clinton; James Hormel, a San Francisco philanthropist who nearly served as ambassador to Luxembourg during the Clinton administration; Bren Simon, a Democratic activist and the wife of shopping-mall developer Mel Simon; and New York psychologist and philanthropist Gail Furman. Media Matters, which can accept tax-deductible contributions under section 501©(3) of the tax code, has also benefited from the patronage of Peter Lewis, chairman of Progressive Corporation and a longtime consort of leftist financier George Soros.

Media Matters has not always been forthcoming about its high-profile backers. In particular, the group has long labored to obscure any financial ties to George Soros. But in March 2003, the Cybercast News Service (CNS) detailed the copious links between Media Matters and several Soros "affiliates"—among them MoveOn.org, the Center for American Progress, and Peter Lewis. Confronted with this story, a spokesman for the organization explained that "Media Matters for America has never received funding directly from George Soros" (emphasis added), a transparent evasion.

Nor were groups cited by CNS the only connection between Media Matters and Soros. As investigative journalist Byron York has noted, another Soros affiliate that bankrolled Media Matters was the New Democratic Network. In addition, Soros is reported to be involved in the newly formed Democracy Alliance, a partnership of some 80 affluent financiers who each have vowed to contribute $1 million or more in order to build up an ideological infrastructure of leftist thinks tanks and advocacy groups. News reports list Media Matters as a main beneficiary of the Alliance's funding. By August of 2004, Media Matters' operating budget had already doubled to $4 million.

To summarize, Soros and his Open Society Institute pour millions of dollars into the coffers of MoveOn, the Center for American Progress, and Democracy Alliance. In turn, these organizations funnel some of that money to Media Matters.

Prior to founding Media Matters, David Brock met with a number of leading Democratic Party figures, including Senator Hillary Clinton, former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, and former Vice President Al Gore. Today, more than a few of the organization's roughly 30 staff members are Democratic operatives. Among these are Media Matters' chief communications strategist Dennis Yedwab, who is also the Director of Strategic Resources at Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Brock's personal assistant, Mandy Vlasz, is a Democratic pollster and a veteran consultant to Democratic campaigns, including the 2000 Gore/Lieberman campaign. Katie Barge, the Director of Research at Media Matters, formerly presided over opposition research for Senator John Edwards' unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign.

In 2004 Media Matters reported that its website had elicited some 150,000 comments in its discussion forums and that over 22,000 subscribers had registered to receive its e-mail alerts. Brock has also become a regular feature on leftist radio stations like Air America.

A notable figure at Media Matters is senior fellow Eric Boehlert, who was among the most passionate defenders of University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian after the latter was accused of having been the North American leader of the terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In an article titled "The Prime-time Smearing of Sami Al-Arian," Boehlert charged that: "In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, all four media giants, eagerly tapping into the country's mood of vengeance and fear, latched onto the Al-Arian story, fudging the facts and ignoring the most rudimentary tenets of journalism in their haste to better tell a sinister story about lurking Middle Eastern dangers here at home."

Media Matters' Senior Advisor Jamison Foser wrote on May 26, 2006: "The defining issue of our time is the media. ... The dominant political force of our time is the media. Time after time, the news media have covered progressives and conservatives in wildly different ways -- and, time after time, they do so to the benefit of conservatives."

Media Matters' Editorial Director is Marcia B. Kuntz, who formerly headed the Judicial Selection Project of Alliance for Justice.

In September 2006, Media Matters became the sponsor of Eric Alterman's media, politics, and culture blog, Altercation.

In June 2007, Media Matters released a report titled The Progressive Majority: Why A Conservative America Is a Myth. According to this study, the "conventional wisdom" which "says that the American public is fundamentally conservative," is "fundamentally false." "Americans are progressive across a wide range of controversial issues, and they're growing more progressive all the time," the researchers conclude. The report examines public attitudes regarding the economy, social issues, national security, the environment, energy, health care, and the proper role of government.

On January 14, 2008, the Canada Free Press identified the Treasurer of Media Matters, Rachel Pritzker Hunter, as a Board member of Democracy Alliance (which helps to fund Media Matters). A generous donor to Democratic candidates and causes, Hunter in recent years has given money to the presidential campaigns of Sherrod Brown, John Kerry, Howard Dean, and Wesley Clark.

Media Matters (which in 2005 pulled in contributions, gifts and grants totaling approximately $8.5 million) receives financial support from the Tides Foundation, the Arca Foundation, the Peninsula Community Foundation, and the San Francisco Foundation.

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupPr....asp?grpid=7150

When I asked for a link, I really was thinking you might have something. I should have known better.