BETHLEHEM, Pennsylvania - Republican John McCain’s military history is famous, but the service of his sons is less well known. And until recently, that’s exactly how the presidential candidate and his wife, Cindy, wanted it.
But on Wednesday, Mrs. McCain made a rare reference to her sons when criticizing the Illinois senator for his 2007 vote against a war funding bill. McCain has two sons in the military, and one has served in Iraq. “The day that Sen. Obama decided to cast a vote to not fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body,” McCain told a crowded rally in Pennsylvania, an electoral battleground state.
“I would suggest that Sen. Obama change shoes with me for just one day and see what it means … to have a loved one serving in the armed forces and more importantly, serving in harm’s way,” she said. “I suggest he take a day and go watch our fine young men…and women deploy, get on those buses and leave with a smile.”
McCain also invoked vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s son, who recently deployed to Iraq.
”We have a lot in common, the McCain family and the Palin family,” she said. “We represent between us the Army, the Navy and the United States Marine Corps.”
Obama voted against the funding bill in 2007 but supported a version that included a timetable for withdrawal for U.S. troops from Iraq.
The son of Obama’s vice presidential running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, has just been sent to Iraq with the Army National Guard, and will be there for about a year. Obama has two young daughters.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
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Cindy McCain should stay in the background. As I saw it, she made a fool of herself and the McCain campaign with her inaccurate comments. Desperate is the only way to describe the republican ticket and pathetic is the word to describe Cindy McCain.
- Posted by MIKE LAKE WORTH FLORIDAObama will certainly help the middle class with unemployment. After he raises taxes on those who supply jobs. When they no longer invest in industry which produces jobs. As for honor, John McCain has more honor and character in his little finger than Obama has in his entire body. Wake up we need change yes but not that promised by Obama.
- Posted by C WalkerIcarus: “So said by two women (McCain and Palin) who’ve both raised sons dumb enough to put their lives on the line for the Bush Doctrine”
This is a disgusting statement against our men and women fighting for our country. I really hope you don’t live on US soil and are able to reap the benefits and freedom of a US citizen. I also hope that the divisive talk and anger shown by so many people will subside once this election is over. I’m voting for the man whose character I trust more - McCain. But I will give the benefit of the doubt and support Obama if he wins until his actions prevent me from doing so. (Made me laugh when someone said please dont call him Hussein. That request should go to Obama so he can take it off his birth notice.)
- Posted by PaulThis is what comes out of a losing campaign …a campaign that’s in the toilet.
No weapon forged against you [ Barack Obama] will prevail, and you [ Barack Obama] will refute every tongue that accuses you [ Barack Obama] . This is the heritage of the servants [ Barack Obama] of the LORD, and this is their [ Barack Obama] vindication from me,” declares the LORD. - Isaiah 54:17
” I [ God ] will send my terror ahead of you [ Barack Obama] and throw into confusion every nation you [ Barack Obama] encounter. I [ God ] will make all your [ Barack Obama] enemies turn their backs and run.” - Exodus 23:27
The Lord will rescue me [ Barack Obama] from every evil attack and will bring me [ Barack Obama] safely to his heavenly kingdom. - 2 Timothy 4:18
11 For he will command his angels concerning you [ Barack Obama] to guard you [ Barack Obama ] in all your ways; 12 they will lift you [ Barack Obama ] up in their hands, so that you [ Barack Obama ] will not strike your [his] foot against a stone. 13 You [ Barack Obama ] will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you [ Barack Obama ] will trample the great lion and the serpent. - Psalm 91:11-13
I have given you [ Barack Obama ] authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you [ Barack Obama ]. - Luke 10:19
It’s time for the American people to get it right and NOT vote for McCain-Palin, instead vote for change. It’s time for this country to turn the page and seek a new and better future for ourselves and our children.It’s time for REAL change in Washington, it’s time to elect Barack Obama for president !
Obama-Biden are the wiser and stronger team to solve the crucial challenges we have in this nation and abroad !
Amen.
- Posted by Obama44thpresident !I am baffled how Sarah, Cindy and John have the audacity to stand before their base and attack Obama’s ties to Ayers when they all have very concerning “pals”.
The worse being Sarah Palin’s pals–The ALaska Independence Party. This is an anti american organization that wants to severe all ties with the US. Palin cant deny that she pals around with its members–her husband was a member until 2002. I cant understand why the only media discussing Palin’s anti america pals are blogs and MSNBC Olbermand and Maddow. Yet, all of the media is discussing Ayers–which has been debunked over and over again.
Today, Robert Kennedy on Huffington Post discusses the Palin/Alaskan Independence connection and he asks the same question–why is the media ignoring this story.
Youtubes showing the members bragging how their candidate, Palin, was elected governor–and all they had to do was put a candidate on the republican ticket and have a win. This should be a huge concern to all Americans. McCain is aware of the connection and has shown horrible judgement in chosing Palin.
One thing for sure, McCain is not a Maverick–he nothing more than a typical politician and not very good at that.
- Posted by generalHere is what bothers me the most… The media… People never truly know what a person voted for or against because the candidates will say, he voted for this or I voted for this…
When debates happen, each time they say… I voted for this and he voted against this… go view the website, http://votesmart.org/index.htm and you will see that usually both candidates are lying about what one another voted for…
- Posted by DDMcCain’s campaign should be ashamed of themselves, but they are so desperate to win that they have sunk to an all time low.
They know talking about the issues hasn’t worked. Now they point fingers, make accusations and use their spouses. I had thought Cindy McCain had some class. She doesn’t.
They want the “truth” from Obama. How about the truth from Palin? Troopergate? Gifts for her and Todd? The millions of ear marked dollars she’s requested and spent? The bridge to no where? The pipeline to no where?
What people should really fear is Sarah Palin as vice president, and the real possibility that she could become president. She is just another Dick Chaney.
A person who promotes the killing of wolves from low flying planes.
She strikes Terror in my heart.
- Posted by LorraineFrom a medical perspective…MR. McCain. Have you ever been evaluated for, or treated for PTSD? If so..What was the result? If not..WHY NOT??? You my dear dear sir were locked in a cage for 5 years. You seem to live your life with rage and through the prism of Vietnam. Is it me, or do we all know deep down that this is a shattered man? Now this sad desparate war hero wants the presidency and with it the nuclear codes..THE HORROR!!!
- Posted by michael rossiObama voted against funding the troops, it’s on legislative record.
Joe Biden likes to try and say McCain voted against funding the troops by voting against a timetable bill that also included a troop funding “earmark” or maybe we can call it a funding bill that also included a withdrawal timetable “earmark”. Biden lied according to the legislative record that I saw, as McCain did not vote. Joe Biden lies again. It is reported that McCain, however, did ask the president to veto the timetable bill but Biden lied and said McCain voted against the bill.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/ro ll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?con gress=110&session=1&vote=00147
McCain is quoted as saying, “The bill also appropriates $21 billion more than the President request, at a time when, given the budget deficit, we should be attempting to limit – not increase – government spending. The legislation contains earmarks for programs that are neither wanted nor needed, and whose only effect will be to increase the burden on U.S. taxpayers.” - John McCain
But aside from that a timetable bill is not a bill that is funding the troops, a timetable in this case was a stipulation upon troop funding that incites the mission of the troops to fail. Changing the mission is one thing but keeping the troops funded is a completely separate issue that effects the safety of the troops and civilians as well as the integrity of the mission which the United States has undertaken.
Troop funding is funding of the mission the troops were sent to undertake by their governmental leaders, leaders including Joe Biden.
A “timetable” was not funding for the troops but rather stipulations consisting of “if and only if” demands by manipulative congress-people who don’t have any alternative mission solutions and who don’t want to put the work in to sell an alternative mission plan to gain a majority of votes in congress to change the mission. People like Obama instead act out to hijack funding and convey “then if we don’t get what we say then we damn the U.S. troops to harm and death and the American mission to failure by refusing to fund the work they were sent to undertake by the president and U.S. congress”.
Of course Joe Biden also is the same man who said during the democratic primary that Obama was not qualified to be president and Biden also previously made statements saying John McCain was a good man and implied John McCain would make a great president. So I guess goes to show Biden will say a lot of contradictory things about people to get a promotion.
- Posted by HocusPocus