Last night, we mentioned some early buzz in the blogosphere surrounding the anecdote Sen. John McCain uses about a North Vietnamese prison guard making a cross in the dirt while he was a captive. He apparently first told the story in his 1999 memoirs. However, similarities to McCain's story and an accounting by Alexander Solzhenitsyn were striking. Others have noted how McCain's version of the story has changed over time.
Interestingly, though it was a post on the liberal DailyKos that brought the story to life yesterday, the conservative Free Republic site raised the same charges back in 2005.
Here are some more reactions across the blogosphere:
The Carpetbagger Report: "Is it possible that Solzhenitsyn and McCain had extremely similar experiences? Of course it is. Coincidences happen. But there's reason to be suspicious about whether McCain's powerful anecdote is apocryphal."
Ezra Klein: "The enthusiasm with which he repeats this story in his presidential
incarnation contrasts oddly with his apparent reticence to mention the
moment -- even when talking about religion and captivity -- in the
thirty years before his presidential run. That said, he deserves an
opportunity to explain the genesis of his own story, and I expect that
he will."
Mark Nicholas: "Isn't it odd that McCain and Solzhenitsyn would have experienced such
nearly identical events during their respective captivities? And note
that Solzhenitsyn's event happened well before McCain's but wasn't
published until after his release."
Megan McArdle: "There is no way of proving what the bloggers hope, which is that no
mention of this story was made until after the book's publication. And
even if that were the case, all it would prove is that John McCain
didn't tell this story until after the book's publication, not that it
didn't happen."
We've also asked the McCain campaign for their reaction and would be happy to include it as well.
Update: The McCain releases a statement: "The only similarity between the two stories is a cross in the dirt, but
it is hardly an unlikely coincidence that there were practicing
Christians in both Russia and Vietnam, or that in the prisons of those
two Communist countries the only crosses to be found were etched in the
dirt, as easily disappeared as the Christians who drew them."
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Comments
McCain is a liar. What the guard was actually drawing in the dirt was a symbol well-known among gay republicans: a phallic symbol. And the guard's name was Rarry Craig.
Posted by: bushgirlsgonewild
| August 20, 2008 12:25 AM
There is a story out there on the blogs that the MSM is not reporting on regarding a story that John McCain is telling that is possibly false while he was a POW -- the cross in the sand story. This story goes to credibility. Americans are tired of being lied to. After all we were lied into a war. We demand more from our politicians -- truth, honesty, integrity? Is that too much to ask from someone who would be leading our nation? After all do we like being lied to from our spouse, lover, children? I think not. This is the same kind of relationship. If there are any investigative journalists out there, they need to get to the truth or falsity of this story. Americans have the right to know the character and morals of the people they will be electing into office. We already know that McCain was not in the so-called "cone of silence" and therefore possibly had an unfair advantage.
And, you don't need Washington experience to be experienced. You need to be smart, forward thinking, independent of big business and oil companies, knowledgeable about economics and the Constitution. This election is about taking back the American Dream and getting back to the American way -- values - sharing, cooperation, and our Government investing in people again; not Corporations. It doesn't take a rocket scientest to know how to get along with other people around the world -- just treat others like you would want them to treat you.
'The massed power of goodwill,
the dynamic effect of intelligent and active understanding, and
the potency of a trained and alive public opinion,
which desires the greatest good of the greatest number
are beyond belief.
This dynamic power has never been employed.
It can today save the world.'
Djwhal Khul
Posted by: bacaangel
| August 20, 2008 12:26 PM
The Below link exposes and reveals John McCain's really bad lack of knowledge regarding foreign affairs -- supposedly his strong point!
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-john-mccain-and-his-secretive-plot-to-kill-the-un-903998.html
Unfoturnately, we have to get the truth from other countries rather than our Republican-owned main stream media -- which is a derelict of duty to the American public.
Posted by: bacaangel
| August 21, 2008 9:35 AM
The "cross in the dirt" story reminds me of Reagan's telling the story of a WWII bomber pilot who decided to ride his mortally crippled aircraft down because one of the gunners couldn't get out (I may have some of the details wrong). Turned out it was from a movie, not reality. Like Reagan, McCain is not above some hyperbole and suspect stories. This time let's not elect the truth-stretcher.
Posted by: 66kicks
| August 25, 2008 3:59 PM
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