Trump stirs new controversy by criticizing McCain war record

[geriatrickid]

American reality TV would have a field day with the Trumps in DC. If by some off chance he is elected, the USA would have a lavish spender on self promotion in office with little compassion for the poor just as the world heads into another recession.

Sadly, the shine on a Trump presidency would wear off a few short months. The man would be unable to manage let alone work with his his Congress and the Governors of the states. Trump's negotiating style would fail with other countries' leaders and his inability to grasp that a majority of US citizens are now in the have not demographic could lead to civil disorder. He might be the President impeached before a year of his term passed.

On a plus side, the man doesn't drink and doesn't have a history of drug use. His alcoholic brother who died at a young age sealed the deal on that view, and he genuinely understands the issues of drug addiction. He would leave the Affordable Care Act alone because it is good for business and good for the poor. As much as he is pro oil exploration and development, he has a decent track record on the environment compared to other developers, He's not a gun nut. There will be no shortage of eye candy around the White House if he wins and if he nominates some of the former Miss America contestants to cabinet posts everyone might be a winner,

He's a pragmatic person and I genuinely believe that he is one of the few GOP candidates who can attract cross over Democrat voters.

One shouldn't make the assumption that his is hated by Hispanics and afro americans. His message resonates with a lot of them. Afro Americans blame Hispanics for taking jobs and many Hispanics still subscribe to the national hierarchy where some countries are considered superior, e.g. Spain,. Chile, Panama are superior. Mexico, Honduras, Bolivia, are not.

I think it is great Trump is playing. It will liven up the process. He represents the views of millions. The campaign will be an opportunity to perhaps correct those views. He is certainly more viable than Palin that sloppy trailer trash bigot with her clan of children born out of wedlock despite espousing holy roller religious views.

[Publicus]

Well let's see. In two weeks, Trump has royally offended Mexicans, Latinos, and now veterans. Keep it up Trump, it's selling a lot of newspapers, and talk-show hosts love you. who's next in line to offend? pre-schoolers? nurses? janitors? I guess anyone who makes less money than Trump is, by definition, inferior to him. Disregard that he's declared bankruptcy four times. Even if he were running for head of a business college, his credentials would be tarnished.

This may well be the beginning of the end of Donald Trump in the Republican party.

Attacking Sen John McCain regardless of what people may think of McCain's history has turned the Republican establishment against Trump as well as the broader American political establishment besides.

The fringe political types in the society who love Donald Trump for his madness and who admire Trump for it remain small in number and on the margin. They are of no consequence to anyone to include McCain's very conservative establishment Republican party opposition in Arizona, where McCain will be 80 years old on the reelection ballot next fall.

IMHO John McCain is an Eddie Haskell in Eddie's advanced senior years after having the kind of career one would expect Eddie Haskell to have had. The US Naval Academy could not put a shine on this admiral's fumbling son that crashed fighter jets and sang prolifically while in Hanoi. This the the guy who thought Sarah Palin was a good idea and who would mount bombs in the bombay if he thought he could do that. This is the guy who wrote a letter of advice and consent to the ayatollah and who welcomed to Washington the new Republican Senator from Israel.

There are many factors influencing McCain's reelection prospects next year but we need to keep in mind that, as always, everyone in Arizona is against McCain except for the large majority of voters. McCain won reelection in 2010 with 59% of the vote. That was then, this is now so let's see how all this plays out.

McCain already has an R tea party lady state senator challenging him in the R party primary, a woman who has been guaranteed big bucks by the right wing Lords of Money. While McCain will need $20m big ones to get reelected, and he has $6m on hand, he'll have to raise the balance of it for his first serious fundraising since 2008 which many political pros are waiting to see happen.

McCain has a Democratic party congress woman running against him in the general election in November next year and she is guaranteed the big bucks she'll need to win if she can win in a deeply red state. With two opponents standing between McCain and another reelection, there is doubt McCain has the all around resources to include money and personal stamina to do it.

As for Trump, the R party establishment has taken this brazen assault against McCain as Trump's statement that if he does not get his way in the party, he will definitely run for president as an independent candidate. The R party had feared this most so had gone easy on Trump because a Trump independent campaign would nuke whoever does become the R party nominee for prez.

However, if Trump is going to run as an independent no matter what, the R party establishment would see no reason to pussyfoot with him any longer. The R party now has to minimize Trump's voter appeal which is strong among a certain activist core and xenophobic Republicans and also to the all around fierce rightwingers who continually have an axe to grind.

[Lex Talionis]

This billionaire buffoon draft dodger knows less than zero about serving in combat and is thus singularly unqualified to make judgments about war heroes.

As any veteran will tell you: being "captured" is one of the attendant risks of serving in a war zone and can sometimes be worse than KIA. Having never served this braying ass would know nothing about that.

John McCain was shot down over the Hanoi skies and suffered serious injuries. After recovering he was tortured and gave up nothing. He then refused early release because of his military connections.

War hero? I'll leave that up to you.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Lex Talionis

[losworld]

This billionaire buffoon draft dodger knows less than zero about serving in combat and is thus singularly unqualified to make judgments about war heroes.

As any veteran will tell you: being "captured" is one of the attendant risks of serving in a war zone and can sometimes be worse than KIA. Having never served this braying ass would know nothing about that.

John McCain was shot down over the Hanoi skies and suffered serious injuries. After recovering he was tortured and gave up nothing. He then refused early release because of his military connections.

War hero? I'll leave that up to you.

War hero or not he is clearly not in control of all his faculties and should retire for the good of the country.

Edited July 19, 2015 by losworld

[SpokaneAl]

This billionaire buffoon draft dodger knows less than zero about serving in combat and is thus singularly unqualified to make judgments about war heroes.

As any veteran will tell you: being "captured" is one of the attendant risks of serving in a war zone and can sometimes be worse than KIA. Having never served this braying ass would know nothing about that.

John McCain was shot down over the Hanoi skies and suffered serious injuries. After recovering he was tortured and gave up nothing. He then refused early release because of his military connections.

War hero? I'll leave that up to you.

War hero or not he is clearly not in control of all his faculties and should retire for the good of the country.

This is not about Senator McCain who is not running for president. It is about the loud mouthed, self serving Donald Trump who will seemingly do anything to remain the lead story on the evening news.

[NeverSure]

Trump is focusing on nationalism. He's raising the patriotic sense of many patriotic voters who didn't even realize they had lost their voice. The typical American has been hammered into PC speech and can't say what they believe without being criticized and they don't like it. Here comes this guy with enough money that he doesn't need a single thing not even the presidency, and shoots off his mouth on behalf of many people who were thinking the same things.

McCain isn't popular. Whether he's a hero is moot because he's soft on immigration and some other things in addition to losing the Republicans a presidential race. McCain is a political hack - a has been - Trump knows that, and when McCain called Trump names Trump shot back. I don't think Trump hurt himself at all. At first I didn't but the more I think about it, no.

There is a political party in France that has made big inroads based on nationalism. Seal borders, kick them out, get out of the EU... They've done well.

Time will tell.

[simple1]

Trump is focusing on nationalism. He's raising the patriotic sense of many patriotic voters who didn't even realize they had lost their voice. The typical American has been hammered into PC speech and can't say what they believe without being criticized and they don't like it. Here comes this guy with enough money that he doesn't need a single thing not even the presidency, and shoots off his mouth on behalf of many people who were thinking the same things.

McCain isn't popular. Whether he's a hero is moot because he's soft on immigration and some other things in addition to losing the Republicans a presidential race. McCain is a political hack - a has been - Trump knows that, and when McCain called Trump names Trump shot back. I don't think Trump hurt himself at all. At first I didn't but the more I think about it, no.

There is a political party in France that has made big inroads based on nationalism. Seal borders, kick them out, get out of the EU... They've done well.

Time will tell.

The political party you're referring to in France is far right with a long history of anti antisemitism, currently on the back burner, to attract more supporters. Do you believe far right ideology is suitable for the US national interest?

[stevenl]

Trump is focusing on nationalism. He's raising the patriotic sense of many patriotic voters who didn't even realize they had lost their voice. The typical American has been hammered into PC speech and can't say what they believe without being criticized and they don't like it. Here comes this guy with enough money that he doesn't need a single thing not even the presidency, and shoots off his mouth on behalf of many people who were thinking the same things.

McCain isn't popular. Whether he's a hero is moot because he's soft on immigration and some other things in addition to losing the Republicans a presidential race. McCain is a political hack - a has been - Trump knows that, and when McCain called Trump names Trump shot back. I don't think Trump hurt himself at all. At first I didn't but the more I think about it, no.

There is a political party in France that has made big inroads based on nationalism. Seal borders, kick them out, get out of the EU... They've done well.

Time will tell.

The political party you're referring to in France is far right with a long history of anti antisemitism, currently on the back burner, to attract more supporters. Do you believe far right ideology is suitable for the US national interest?

France's (and the rest of Europe) far right is comparable to the very moderate Republicans and conservative Democrats.

[Publicus]

The thing about Sen John McCain speaking out as he did against Trump is that McCain was the R party's nominee for president and that McCain continues to be a serving US Senator, elected from Arizona by popular vote. McCain is additionally chairman of the Armed Services committee of the Republican controlled Senate.

Trump has never been elected to anything, nor had Trump ever tried to present himself to an electorate for a win. Each fact is true for the valid reason he'd lose. Trump would in fact lose any election anywhere and at any time and he'd lose big time.

Getting votes in a party's nominating primary balloting proves nothing besides. One either wins the nomination or s/he does not. Former Senator Rick Santorum last time around finished the 2012 R presidential primary season second behind Romney but who knows or remembers the fact. Everyone remembers Hillary Clinton lost to Barack Obama by a whisker but despite winning 18m votes in the D party primary balloting she lost out

The point is not that even Trump must know he has a snowball's chance in climate change of getting the R party nomination.

The point is rather that Trump cannot possibly believe he can participate in the Republican party in any way after assaulting Sen McCain in these ways. Not to mention Trump has 81 percent of Hispanics in a poll last week saying they disapprove of him, and that in the same poll only 36 percent of Hispanics said they approve of the Republican party per se, overall. (HRC meanwhile has huge leads among Hispanic voters against either Bush, Rubio, Walker et al.)

With R party strategists acknowledging they need 46% of the Hispanic vote to win the presidency, the Republican party is looking at oblivion and at the highway to extinction. The R for president in this election won't get the pathetic 27% of the Hispanic vote Romney managed so badly to get after the Mitt trumpeted a self-deportation policy that now appears to be almost a mild approach contrasted to Trump's carpet bombing and his full speed ahead tanktop flame throwing.

Trump is not solely responsible for the present Republican party reality, but Trump certainly has driven matters from terrible to hopeless for the R party going into this election of the president.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-finds-hispanic-disapproval-of-trump-rhetoric-on-illegal-immigrants/2015/07/15/a39f53fc-2b05-11e5-a250-42bd812efc09_story.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-gop-problem-with-latinos-2015-7

[boomerangutang]

This is not about Senator McCain who is not running for president. It is about the loud mouthed, self serving Donald Trump who will seemingly do anything to remain the lead story on the evening news.

Different type of buffoonery, but it reminds me of Thaksin who, for a dozen years after his ouster, kept his name in the Thai headlines. There are some types of hyper-inflated egos (who also happen to be filthy rich) which cherish making headlines, no matter what. Another Republican candidate said of Trump: "If a man wrestles a pig, both get muddy, and the pig likes it."

[Berkshire]

The problem with Trump (well, one of many) is that he's incredibly sensitive to any criticism. So he's going after McCain just because McCain said this:

"Trump's reaction came after McCain told an interviewer that the businessman had "fired up the crazies" with his inflammatory remarks about Mexican immigrants."

The thing is McCain is just as hawkish as Trump is and is happy to send US troops anywhere and everywhere. They're on the same team, for Christ's sake. Oh nevermind, Trump doesn't believe in teams. It's just him and no one else.

Pretty Ignorant to sat Trump does not believe in TEAMS when he has built a BILLION Dollar business by building Teams

That's a pretty stupid example. Being the owner is not the same as being a part of a team, in the context I was referring to. So you're one of the crazies that McCain was talking about? A rabid Trump supporter? Donald called and says he wants you to know he appreciates your support....but at the end of the day, he's still rich and you're not.

[FangFerang]

Bush voted tom cut veteran's benefits. "Bush tweeted: "Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans — particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration."

And Trump earned most of his money by buying corporations and selling off their assets.

Hypocrisy!

Edited July 20, 2015 by FangFerang

[SpokaneAl]

Bush voted tom cut veteran's benefits. "Bush tweeted: "Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans — particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration."

And Trump earned most of his money by buying corporations and selling off their assets.

Hypocrisy!

That was a Jeb Bush tweet, and not from GWB. Wrong Bush. Nice try. Edited July 20, 2015 by SpokaneAl

[sammygood]

any war, is some political figure, that convinves the masses of country A, to go kill far from home, innocents & people who fight for their rights in country B

and the know it needs a pearl harbour incident or 9 / 11 so awaken the hatred & leading the cows to the slaughter house

never do they send their sons & daughters, but it is more the poor people like blacks in vietnam, that had a choice between jail or go kill for your country that is doing the fighting

in cities where a lot of poor people live with little jobs, the army recruitement centres are a big deal

[Pakboong]

The only way a POW can be heroic is by keeping his/her mouth shut and doing whatever can be done to help the others survive the ordeal. There is evidence that John McCain qualifies in neither of these categories. A hero gives himself up for the good of the team/group/individual. I don't see John McCain as being selfless in any way shape or form.

Edited July 20, 2015 by Pakboong

[losworld]

The only way a POW can be heroic is by keeping his/her mouth shut and doing whatever can be done to help the others survive the ordeal. There is evidence that John McCain qualifies in neither of these categories. A hero gives himself up for the good of the team/group/individual. I don't see John McCain as being selfless in any way shape or form.

It should also be noted that it often takes a bigger hero to walk away from a war then to go killing particularly a war so wrong as Vietnam.

[Credo]

I didn't know that McCain's military record was relevant to the Presidential race.

[jacky54]

One who collaborates with the enemy after a few days is a traitor, not a hero

[Pinot]

What were Clinton's military credentials again? I forget.

That's hilarious. The icing on the cake is you're not trying to be funny.

[samran]

What were Clinton's military credentials again? I forget.

That's hilarious. The icing on the cake is you're not trying to be funny.

I really don't get the American right sometimes.

They are anti big powerful government. Yet they want nothing more than a strong military.

They are running around pooing their pants at the moment in Texas over a military excersise being done there - worries they are there to take their guns.

And yet, they want a president with military experience. Why? Surely the last thing you want is a military insider running the civilian arm of government as well?

[Publicus]

Donald Trump, commander in chief

Non military veteran presidents Clinton and Obama respectively were preferred by the electorate of the time over military veteran opponents GHW Bush or John McCain.

Virtually all the generals and admirals Bill Clinton appointed during his eight years were prudent commanders and later actively opposed from the outset the Bush-Cheney Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell Iraq WMD fraud on the American people and the world, to include against the ME especially.

Prez Obama has outright fired or otherwise quietly retired his generals and admirals who are precipitous and are of ill judgement; wisely so. Prez Obama quietly saw the GW Bush-Cheney generation of gunslinging generals and admirals out the door into retirement, the warmonger JCS Chairman, Gen Peter Pace especially and in particular.

While there is no doubt a Prez H Clinton would command the US military, the Republicans running for president don't know the first thing about command over the military, the prudent and strategic use of force, what makes a good military commander and leader and so on.

Trump most notably exemplifies this.

[Jingthing]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Trump is clearly a false flag for the President Hillary Clinton campaign!

Don't Dump the Trump.

Also the third party Trump run sounds peachy.

He would steal away enough wacko Republicans to give Hillary a historic landslide!

[willyumiii]

I have never really cared for "The Donald", but recently, he has become somewhat of a hero to me.

All of his recent media coverage and support from the "strange extreme" has put the GOP's bigotry and other distasteful views into the limelight.

The other religious wackos, bigots and money mongers making up the other 20 or so potential republican presidential candidates have not displayed much sensibility, logic or care for the common American either.

All of them, working together have put the republican party in the worst light in my 60+ year life time.

More and more "Red State" voters are jumping ship every day and throwing their support to Bernie Sanders.

Sanders is somewhat of a revolutionary, shunning corporate control of politics and the government and trying to return the U.S. government to the American people.

People, even republican people like his ideas.

If he keeps gaining strength, Sanders could be the leader of the first American revolution since the 1700s'

a much needed nonviolent revolution.

And 2016 could be the over due demise of the republican party.

So, please Donald, keep it up, you are becoming a true American hero and what you are doing could save the country.

[augustwest]

Not one single candidate has raised the issue of term limits. That is what we need NOW. Donald are you listening!

[manarak]

Yeah...in America, anyone who puts on a uniform and gets hurt is a hero. They have redefined the word.

yup. you nailed it.

I pretty much agree. Getting captured makes someone a victim deserving everyone's respect, but not a hero.

[Publicus]

One of the thousand things the pugnacious civilian lifer Donald Trump has no clue of is that when one signs on the dotted line of military service, being killed or captured is a knowing and accepted part of the total duty package.

No one in the military wants either but shit does happen to include the worst shit. It is a part of the duty of military personnel to go forward in full and accepting knowledge of your duty.

Neither occurrence is dishonorable and neither occurrence is to be disrespected.

The Tehran hostages were US foreign service career diplomatic corps personnel or US Marines, so do they deserve more respect than an American POW? Certainly not.

Because John McCain is a natural born screwup in his military life I often wonder about him, but he's never been charged by the government nor has any contemporary POW said anything credible.

Trump himself has no credibility period.

[SheungWan]

I wonder how many Brits getting all high and mighty about Donald Trump are also nervously looking over their shoulder at Jeremy Corbyn.

[lostoday]

The only way a POW can be heroic is by keeping his/her mouth shut and doing whatever can be done to help the others survive the ordeal. There is evidence that John McCain qualifies in neither of these categories. A hero gives himself up for the good of the team/group/individual. I don't see John McCain as being selfless in any way shape or form.

Ever been to Kanchanaburi? You just know you have never been in the military nor your father.

[lostoday]

One who collaborates with the enemy after a few days is a traitor, not a hero

That statement is a lot worse than the one Trump made. You claim to have inside information that McCain was a collaborator. Don't you think if Trump could have made the case that McCain was a collaborator that he would have? Jacky I just don't think you have a clue about what you are talking about.

Having been there in the same situation, if I had been captured I'd have shot myself. I think it takes a brave man to endured captivity in North Vietnam.

A man is a man after all and although I think it was braver to have gone to jail than gone to Vietnam - Trump is still a chicken **it draft dodger. The brave Americans stood up and went to the Federal Penitentiary for their beliefs - the chickensh*** got deferments or ran away to Canada or went to school at Oxford.

[willyumiii]

The only way a POW can be heroic is by keeping his/her mouth shut and doing whatever can be done to help the others survive the ordeal. There is evidence that John McCain qualifies in neither of these categories. A hero gives himself up for the good of the team/group/individual. I don't see John McCain as being selfless in any way shape or form.

Ever been to Kanchanaburi? You just know you have never been in the military nor your father.

Where did some people get the idea that serving in the military qualifies one to lead a country?

Basically it means you have been trained to do what you are told to do and not think about it or question it.

I think free thinkers who question everything are much better suited to make the decisions needed to run a country.

Unless you are looking for a president who blindly follows the instructions of others, like the corporations who now own the political system in the U.S.

I was born during the Eisenhower administration and far more people without military experience have been elected as president in my life time than those with a military history.

I am generalizing, but those without a military history have usually been better presidents.