How About Some Basic Decency?
One of the current anti-Obama right-wing talking points is that he accused our military of killing innocent civilians. John McCain even put out an ad making this claim. Of course, what Obama actually said was, “We’ve got to get the job done there [Afghanistan], and that requires us to have enough troops so that we’re not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians.”
As Think Progress notes, John McCain made a similar comment in 2000 about the war in Kosovo.
In the most obscene chapter in recent American history is the conduct of the Kosovo conflict when the president of the United States refused to prepare for ground operations, refused to have air power used effectively because he wanted them flying — he had them flying at 15,000 feet where they killed innocent civilians because they were dropping bombs from such — in high altitude.
But the left didn’t use that statement to malign John McCain. Democrats and liberals knew what he meant. They didn’t lift a sentence out of a broader statement to make it seem as though John McCain disdains the military and thinks they purposely kill civilians. Does anyone actually believe that’s how Barack Obama regards our military?
It seems to me decency is no longer in too many people’s vocabulary any more.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Well, I think the public has the right to hear both comments. It’s not about decency. It’s about getting the facts out to the public to make their own decision.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
This is so typical of conservatives… truth is not important, they will twist the evidence and the facts to suit whatever argument they wish to make. They smear and slur for their own ends. In this case, they show a total disrespect for the INNOCENT men, women and children who get hurt in war! Obama WAS NOT attacking the US/Coalition military (including that of my own country), nor was he attacking the motives of the campaign in Afghanistan. He was simply stating that wining the war in Afghanistan requires military, policing, humanitarian, AND POLITICAL approaches to win.
The Republican Bush/Chaney/McCain/Palin “bomb the crap out of the enemy” approach will NEVER lead to victory!
America! Please, please, please… see the truth… The World needs a new approach. The World needs an Obama/Biden victory. This will help restore America’s dignity and standing in the World. This is desperately needed if you are to achieve victory and increase the support and number of your allies.
Terry.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
“It seems to me decency is no longer in too many people’s vocabulary any more.”
Did you see any Dem attack ads when mccain made his statement. no you didnt. Decency is there, you are just blind.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
There are ground troops out there. But Obama uses the word JUST which makes it sound like US troops are JUST bombing and nothing else. That is not the case.
Had Obama not used the word JUST, it would not be such a damaging statement.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
~WTF- You know what you need to chill out, I was making a blanket statement about everywhere you look. Man are you touchy or what. I wasn’t saying anything negative about the Dems.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I believe this is better addressed in Alan’s October 4 entry–”Palin Becoming McCain’s Hit Person.”
October 7th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Frank Marshall Davis
October 7th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Army Maj. Gen. John Singlaub
October 7th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Council for World Freedom
October 7th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Joe Vogler
October 7th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
John “Jack” Donahue
October 7th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Ill take all those names over Frank Marshall Davis anyday
October 7th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
~WTF- Again I’ll ask you, when did I say anything negative about Dems. in my post?
October 7th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
McCain is using McCarthy tactics on the road, but doesn’t show the courage to use them to Obama’s face.
Even McCarthy did it in person.
October 8th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“It’s about getting the facts out to the public to make their own decision.”
No, it’s not.
And, in fact, nothing ever is.
October 8th, 2008 at 1:27 am
And McCain did say: “bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran!”
Carpet bombing kills civilians.
Even pin point bombing kills civilians.
Conservatives call them: ‘collateral damage’.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:30 am
Now wait a minute. I remember reports early in the war that the U.S. bombed a wedding party, and that there have various, sporadic, similar instances all along.
I mean, civilian casualties are going to happen, but surely the Republicans have to agree, it’s not a good thing to kill civilians.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
The remoteness of the air attack provides a multitude of possibilies for error. It is usually awkward. In every single war we have included air power, there are many many instances of bombing errors. It is one reason we use extreme caution in employing air attacks rather than calling them in “helter skelter”.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I noticed that the personality attacks were not part of the McCain campaign, today. The McCarthy techniques used last weekend brought only disdain from the electorate as reflected in the polls. They also did not re introduce the Rev. Wright old news based on the information provided by the polls plus the obvious loss in the debate. The American public is tired of the type of indecent attacks on character. The want and demand substance. Unfortunately for McCain, that means staying with the economy….almost certain defeat.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I guess character has gone out of the window for Sen. McCain. I find it disturbing to hear the things that are being yelled at these McCain/Palin rallies. this is bordering on KKK like frenzy. They are already yelling “Kill em”. Neither Ms Palin or Mr McCain tell the crowd they are going too far. I wonder how they will feel if one of those idiots follows through!.. I guess they will be proud of taking down a terrorists.
October 9th, 2008 at 12:48 am