WASHINGTON - Republican White House hopeful John McCain tried to use a bracelet of a fallen U.S. soldier given on the campaign trail to drive home his point that he would not withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq based on an arbitrary timeline.
The mother of a soldier gave him a bracelet and asked him to promise “that you will do everything in your power to make sure my son’s death was not in vain,” McCain said in the first presidential debate, contrasting his views with Democratic rival Barack Obama, who has said he would withdraw forces within 16 months.
Obama shot back that he too had a bracelet from the mother of a soldier who asked that no other mother endure the loss she was experiencing.
“She asked me ‘can you please make sure that another mother is not going through what I’m going through,’” Obama said. “No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they are carrying out the missions of their commander in chief.”
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Bourg (McCain and Obama gesture during presidential debate)
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How skillfully Pelofsky writes his headline: “McCain, Obama fight over soldiers’ bracelets.” It wasn’t a “fight” for McCain–it was very meaningful. How deceptively this reporter evades the irony of this particular interchange between the two candidates. Barack Obama popped up like kindergartner: “I have a bracelet, too. From, uh, uh…” (what was that guy’s name? Oh, yeah…) Obama is not real.
- Posted by DebbieHow skillfully Pelofsky writes his headline to make this a “fight” over a bracelet, implying that McCain started a fight. How deceptively he evades the obvious fake sentiment behind Obama’s response: “I have a bracelet, too, uh, uh…” (let’s see, what was that guy’s name? uh?)
- Posted by DeborahWe all knew the bracelet story was coming. Anyone who has followed McCains camp has heard him trot it out more than once. Wearing a bracelet means nothing to me for supporting the troops.
McCain needs to be questioned on why he’s failed to support the troops and has voted against supporting them over 27 times.
- Posted by IndieThe problem that I have is that Sen. Obama could not recall the soldier’s name on his bracelet. It fits an existing pattern…whenever it comes to communicating with active duty troops/veterans and with working class folk, the wheels come off. Sen. Obama does much better in reaching out to highly educated voters and committed progressives.
- Posted by KevinHey you Reuter you forgot to mention,
OBAMA FORGOT THE SOLDIERS NAME. HE HAD TO READ IT OFF THE BRACLET.
How disgraceful…….
- Posted by LMI’m an Iraq Veteran, and the only way the lives of those who’ve died in Iraq and Afghanistan are wasted or ’spent in vain’ is when gutless whiners try and force a defeat by leaving before the job is done.
Mike, I couldn’t agree with you more!
Thank you and God Bless
- Posted by JudyI’m an Iraq Veteran, and the only way the lives of those who’ve died in Iraq and Afghanistan are wasted or ’spent in vain’ is when gutless whiners try and force a defeat by leaving before the job is done. The only thing that can beat us in the long run is our own public. Regardless of what you see reported, the vast majority of Iraqis are grateful for the chance to become a strong free people. They just don’t want to be set up and then left high and dry when we loose our nerve and run home. How many millions died in Vietnam and Cambodia after we chickened out there? 3 million? Oh yeah, that’s ok, because they weren’t Americans, right? How many Kurds died when we encourages them to fight Saddam, then left them to die in the desert? How many Sunni and Kurds would die if we ran away from Iraq and left it to be overrun by Iran? From 1942 to 1945, we lost 403,000 service members. Three years. I invested a potion of my life in Iraq. Some invested all of their lives in it. The only way it would have been for not is if we don’t finish the job.
- Posted by MikeI think you can anticipate a McCain future and an Obama future based purely on the bracelet comments.
Moving forward, what can McCain do such that those who have died in war, will… thanks to McCain’s actions… have not died in vain? If he is not elected does that mean, too bad… they died in vain?
What’s his plan? Does he want to go out and kill? And then we all sleep better at night knowing our kids, now and thanks to McCain, have not died in vain.
Or is this more simply, he’s making sure they did not die in vain. If he wins the game we all win… even the dead. If he looses the dead loose.
- Posted by Phila FreeReuters didn’t do an explosive story on Obama looking at his bracelet while talking about it? Proof of the vast liberal media conspiracy? Give me a break. I’m sure Rush and Bill will blather on for hours about braceletgate.
- Posted by JonObama’s fumbling for the soldier’s bracelet was the gaffe of the night. It was painful to watch. And of course you have to go to blogs or web comments to read about it. Noticed by everyone I spoke to who saw the debates. McCain clearly understands the loss any war causes and his words were eloquent and heartfelt. The Obama search for the bracelet to read the name spoke volumes in contrast.
- Posted by AppalledWhat I thought was funny was that Obama had to look at his wrist to either read the name of the soldier because he didn’t even remember on pretend he had on to best McCain. I know Obama is playing to the ignorant and the unintelligent, but even some of the children picked up on that. I think he should save his tricks for his followers that don’t know any better.
- Posted by Cynthia[...] John McCain and Barack Obama wear “hero bracelets” engraved with the names of fallen soldiers in [...]
- Posted by Obama Bracelet Debate » Right PunditsMATTHEW STANLEY.
yes, mccain DID share the name of the fallen soldier who’s bracelet he wears with pride. how could he forget? after the years of torture and devotion to the service of his country, do you really think that john mccain would not have this name branded on his heart?
of course, the media just lets fall by the wayside obama’s disgraceful “me too!” moment. he was so anxious to share his childish “me too!” that the truth had to come out. with his inability to remember the soldier’s name without looking down to READ it off the bracelet just proves that his bracelet wearing is nothing more than a political stunt…his “secret weapon” he can whip out at the right moment to say “look! me too!.” how sad and disgraceful that this family was dishonored last night by his inability to remember this soldier’s name.
in these unscripted moments we are able to gain small glimpses into the true character of these guys. keep your eyes open…media blinders off!
- Posted by jenMccain did not even try to mention the name of the soldier or the mother who gave him the bracelet, so your point about obama not remebering the soldiers name is really obsolete
- Posted by JOHNNIEMcCain’s lack of character has always been crystal clear.
- Posted by HopeNicknamed “McNasty” in high school; graduated at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy; considered a “hothead” by those in captivity with him in VietNam; crashed FIVE planes in his short career as a pilot; has voted against Veteran bills time and time again in the Senate; voted FOR torture after making a big deal about objecting to it.
The man is morally bankrupt and does not have the temperament to be President. AND he’s still stuck in a time-warp of fighting the VietNam War!
Veterans HATE him: http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmcc ain.com/cin_mccain_lost_five_u.htm
McCain never has actually supported the Vets:
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a non-partisan advocacy group, gave McCain a “D” in 2006, while Obama earned a “B+.” The Vietnam Veterans of America reported that on 31 “key votes” between 2001 and 2008 on issues including veterans’ health-care funding and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, McCain opposed its positions 15 times, while supporting it eight times. In contrast, Obama, since elected to the Senate in 2004, backed the group’s stands 12 out of 13 times. The Disabled Veterans of America said McCain supported its positions 20 percent of the time in 2006, compared to Obama’s 80 percent.
There are several examples of the conflicting McCain and Obama votes, including McCain’s opposition to five bills that would increase funding for veteran healthcare programs and related facilities.
- Posted by HopeIn the most recent bill, McCain voted against increased benefits for Vets with the excuse that if you gave them educational benefits they would not reenlist but go to school instead! Mindblowing logic and very anti-veteran attitude.
Look it up. Do your homework.
America has not had a victory in a war since it started waging immoral wars like Korea,VietNam, Iraq and it never will.
- Posted by HopeIt is not possible to WIN in Iraq. This is not a rah, rah football game.
We are occupying a country not waging a war, anyway.
The idea, which some espouse here, that if your son died in a conflict you would PREFER that his sacrifice be in vain rather than in an important VICTORY is ludicrous in the exreme. It is laughable. McCain said he would rather lose an election than lose a war. Obama has basically said the opposite. Obama has no principles, no moral center, only his craven lust for the Presidency. What is more, for all those “Code Pink” types commenting here—it was you who, in your giving aid and comfort the enemy,to AlQaeda, that caused more deaths to happen. You put bullets into the guns, and explosives into the IUD’s, that killed our soldiers in Iraq. You made the numbers of dead and casualties go up. That is what we mean when we say people are TRAITORS—they help the other side. You have to be careful when you open your mouth during Wartime—”lose lips sink ships”. You would have done better to support the war effort and our troops, rather than stabbing them in the back.
- Posted by PendamonWhat Reuters casually didn’t report is that Obama massively FAILED when when he couldn’t remember the soldier’s name and had to read it. Pathetic, Obama is a prop just like his bracelet
- Posted by Watch Dogi think it looked cheap when obama shot back that he had a bracelet too. i never heard or seen obama during his stumps mention that bracelet. obama new mccain was going to mention that and he had to prepare beforehand by getting his own. cheap shot.
- Posted by braceletman