John McCain Watch: Senator Jay Rockefeller Apologizes; Update: McCain – Obama Should Repudiate Rockefeller
*****UPDATE*****
McCain calls on Obama to repudiate Rockefeller immediately
Tells Fox News Channel: “If Senator Obama is going to maintain the type of campaign that he says that he is–a respectful campaign–and this is one of his closest and strongest supporters, than I think he should repudiate Senator Rockefeller. Immediately.â€
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US Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) speaks at a Veterans for Rockefeller event in Beckley, WV Friday, Jan. 18, 2008
Today, Senator Jay Rockefeller has apologized to Senator and presumptive GOP nominee for President John McCain for remarks he made about McCain’s military service and character.
Rockefeller criticized Sen. John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee for president. “Senator McCain does have a temper. But today, he speaks in a monotone on the campaign trail.”
Rockefeller believes McCain has become insensitive to many human issues. “McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit.
“What happened when they [the missiles] get to the ground? He doesn’t know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues.”
Rockefeller, who is running for re-election, also talked about a range of major problems confronting the country.
“I have deep respect for John McCain’s honorable and noble service to our country. I made an inaccurate and wrong analogy and I have extended my sincere apology to him…. I regret my very poor choice of words.â€
And, Barack Obama who Rockefeller has endorsed for President has already distanced himself from the remarks.
“Senator Obama has a deep respect for Senator McCain’s service to this country and doesn’t agree with what Senator Rockefeller said.â€
But, the fact is this is NOT the first shot at McCain for his military service and it won’t be the last. Senator Lyndsey Graham has it RIGHT:
“John didn’t drop bombs at 35,000 feet in Vietnam. The bombs were not laser-guided,†he said. “I’m glad Senator Rockefeller apologized, but at the end of the day behavior like this basically comes from wanting to win too badly. We don’t need to manufacture issues in this race.â€
Stay tuned as more Democrat surrogates take shots at the McCain military gravitas.
5 Comments
Adam Hyman
At least McCain served his country!
McCain could have gotten out of Vietnamese prison early because of his father, but he didn’t because he refused to leave the rest of his squadron behind.
(I’m not a huge fan of McCain, but its not cool to mock his military record.)
Jon
So, Senator Rockefeller: What did YOU do in the war? John McCain has
a son in Iraq. One can probably count on the fingers of one hand the members
of Congress (and the Bush administration) who have sons and daughters in
Iraq (or the military). Get a life, Senator. Do something positive for your
country instead of maligning war heroes.
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