DNC Deliberately Distorts McCain’s Words In Ad…
April 29th, 2008 at 01:21am Matt Margolis
…and now the RNC is demanding networks pull it.
The Republican National Committee demanded Monday that television networks stop running a television ad by the Democratic Party that falsely suggests John McCain wants a 100-year war in Iraq.
The ad says President Bush has talked about staying in Iraq for 50 years, then plays a clip of McCain saying, “Maybe 100. That’d be fine with me.”
The announcer then says: “If all he offers is more of the same, is John McCain the right choice for America’s future?”
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan said the ad deliberately distorts what McCain, the likely GOP presidential nominee, said.
The committee’s chief counsel, Sean Cairncross, said he sent letters Monday to NBC, CNN and MSNBC insisting that they stop airing the commercial.
At issue is McCain’s answer, in January, to a question about Bush’s theory that troops could be in Iraq for 50 years.
[…]
Democratic Party chief Howard Dean said “there’s nothing false” about the ad.
“We deliberately used John McCain’s words. This isn’t some ominous consultant’s voice from Washington. This is John McCain’s own words. And we’ve been very upfront about everything that he’s said.”
The ad put out by the DNC does use McCain’s words, but cuts out a portion of his remarks to alter the meaning. Below is McCain’s full quote, with the portions used in the ad highlighted in blue.
Maybe 100. As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed, that’d be fine with me, and I hope it would be fine with you, if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where al-Qaida is training, recruiting, equipping and motivating people every single day.
What’s really ironic about this is how Howard Dean argues that since the ad uses McCain’s words that there’s no deception… yet, ever since the Jeremiah Wright sermons were exposed in the media, we’ve been hearing his supporters claim that Wright’s racist, anti-American, anti-Semitic comments aren’t so horrible when you consider the context of his sermon. So portions of Wriht’s sermons saying “God damn America” are apparently taken out of context, but editing John McCain’s comments by taking out 14 words form the middle of it is apparently on the level?
Considering the blatant deception going on here, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama should immediately call upon his party to kill the ad. But don’t count on it… they both have been using the “100-year-war” canard on stump — and FactCheck.org has specifically called Obama out on his deliberate distortion back in early February. So he’s as bad a liar Howard Dean.
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Corruption, Democrats
34 Comments
1. congressive | April 29th, 2008 at 8:02 am
YouTube sucks, doesn’t it? You try to deny McCain said something, and there it is, is all it’s glory.
It was soooo much easier in Reagan’s day.
Your attempt to reinterpret McCain is not just weak, it’s laughable. Sure, we’ll stay in Iraq if it’s Disneyland III, all fun and rides and cotton candy and “Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed” - sure, I hope you’d like to vacation outside the Green Zone under such circumstances!
Reality dictates McCain’s got his war on.
2. js | April 29th, 2008 at 8:48 am
omission is a lie
that makes dean a liar
not that he changed recently
he has always been a liar….
3. js | April 29th, 2008 at 8:52 am
i all reality, anyone who endorses the lie is the same as the original liar….repeating a lie doesnt make you any better….but repeating it after you know it omits facts, that if known, would give a totally different meaning….to those who hear it…so repeating a known lie makes you constipated pond scum that thrives in the slimy muck of primordial deception…..or in that scummy part of society that ignorant fools come from…
4. Bigfoot | April 29th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Matt, it looks like the blue print has run amok.
Your attempt to reinterpret McCain is not just weak, it’s laughable.
Re-inserting the context that was dishonestly deleted is “reinterpreting”? I’d call it “restoring the truth”.
5. bagni | April 29th, 2008 at 10:16 am
mattcain:
this is a terra firma tit for tat thing
why don’t you talk about something worthwhile?
6. DBM | April 29th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Look, if the context of the McCain quote is that we’ll only stay 100 years if Americans aren’t being harmed, the obvious question is, “How long will he stay there if Americans are being harmed?”
Which he hasn’t answered other to say nebulous things about “completing the mission” and “as long as it takes”. So until he answers that question, it’s perfectly acceptable to assume he’ll have us there indefinitely.
It’s McCain’s “omission” that’s causing the problem. If McCain doesn’t want Dean to use this quote, he should be honest enough to provide a quote that is in context.
Which he won’t do. Why? It’ll lose him the election.
7. Amanda | April 29th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
You’d have a point, Matt, if only McCain hadn’t said the same thing several more times after the townhall meeting that this clip comes from:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/191902.php
8. Percy Beezer | April 29th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
McCain’s not a lawyer, isn’t married to a lawyer is married to a trophy wife that owns a beer distributorship. What else do we need to know?
9. InDaVa | April 29th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
This election cycle is going to get very ugly. But since the N.C. GOP sees fit to run an extremely negative add against Barack Obama, and there isn’t even a contest between the GOP and DEMs - I can’t feel sorry when its “payback”. McCain says he doesn’t support the Obama ad - but has no “clout” to get it withdrawn. If he can’t do that - what about when he is in office?
10. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Part of the utterly laughable nature of the RNC’s complaint is the fact that Senator John McCain’s current spin on his “100 years” remark contradicts………Senator John McCain! (emphasis added)
Once again, John McCain makes a firm declarative statement just like his assessment of waterboarding (”It is torture”) only to execute a graceful flip-flop when he feels it will advance his burning ambition to be President. What will his next position be and how soon will it come?
John McCain would be a lot more believable when he says things if it weren’t for John McCain. Maybe they need to get together and come up with some kind of consistent message about something…anything.
11. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
But, to paraphrase former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, “You go to an election with the candidate you have, not with the candidate you want.”
12. Kurt | April 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Diana,
you are in dire need of an education. Look at what you posted. McCain says he would keep military advisors in Iraq. That has nothing to do with saying he would keep all the troops there…geesh.
You folks sure are desperate, arent you?
13. Kurt | April 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I just though of something. Didnt the DNC have a fit over 16 words in a past State of the Union speech? Why are these 14 words unimportant?
14. js | April 29th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
just another putz moment….
15. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Kurt,
Uh, no. The RNC is upset because the ad quotes from John McCain in New Hampshire where he said, “We’ve been in South Korea…we’ve been in Japan for 60 years…we’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me.” American forces in South Korea and Japan are not there as military advisers. They are garrisoned forces that conduct their own independent activities and I’m confident that Senator McCain is fully aware of the distinction.
Here’s Senator McCain earlier this month on Meet The Press and again drawing an explicit parallel with our military presence in Japan and South Korea:
Now, unless you’re wanting to state that Senator McCain can’t distinguish between advisers and forces in theater, then we can see that what we have is the Senator flip-flopping…yet again.
Care to take a stab at spinning his flip-flop on torture which he called a defining American issue?
16. Horsesense | April 29th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Why don’t cons call up Ken Mehlman and Karl Rove to complain? Their blessing of the Swift-boaters may have changed presidential elections for a very long time. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaah
17. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Diana,
I see your still “painting” McCain in the most contrived negative light possible? I guess you may as well, your candidates have certainly turned off the voters all by themselves.
And you predicted more Democrat House and Senate seats based on the successful record of Pelosi and Reid, right?
18. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
neocon,
Yes, I’m using the “contrived negative light” of actually quoting Senator McCain. Pretty sneaky, eh? Darn that public record of saying things that you later flip-flop on!
I’m predicting the coming Democratic increases in the House and Senate based on the dramatically better financial positions of the DNCC and DSCC versus their GOP counterparts, the large number of Republican retirements and recent actual election results like the flipping of Dennis Hastert’s former seat. Although they try to put a brave face on it, Republicans in Congress are pretty gloomy about things in November. So, as I’ve said, even if the nation has a President McCain inflicted on it, he will face a Congress that has even more Democrats.
19. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
A Congress of even more Democrats! Wow, and to think how effective the current members are.
All of our problems will be resolved then, huh.
20. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
neocon,
Like the Republicans in control of Congress from 2001-2006 resolved “all of our problems”…with a Republican president?
21. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Personally, I am glad they’re out.
I just find it amusing when people expect the government to improve their lives. And when politicans promise they will.
22. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
neocon,
The notion that the government can solve all ills is just as wrong as the notion that government is always the problem. However, someone has to take the lead in repairing the damage to the Constitution, the military and the economy wrought in the last seven and a half years.
23. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
ROTFLMAO
Thanks Diana.
24. Seaweed | April 29th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
21. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
“Personally, I am glad they’re out.”
Such pity you are a member of a Party void of character and ideas. Understandable you have such bitterness since Cons prefer to see the worse in people.
Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton all gave proof that government, while never perfect, has a role in making the lives of its citizens better. When departments such as Agriculture, Defense, Justice, Education, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security are lead by competent individuals rather than political cronies they can make a positive difference in our day to day lives.
25. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
The laughs just keep coming. Thanks again Seaweed.
I for one though can attiribute much of my happiness to the Dept. of Agriculture.
And isn’t the NEA comprised of over 90% Democrats? Wouldn’t that automatically mean a “competent” organization, in your mind?
I am from the government and I am here to help.
26. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
So, neocon, care to address Senator McCain’s being a serial flip-flopper? Against tax cuts. For tax cuts. Against bases in Iraq. For bases in Iraq. Against waterboarding because it’s torture. Voting to allow waterboarding even though it’s torture. Being a veteran with a hard-earned tax-free disability income. Not being willing to cosponsor an update to the GI Bill of Rights.
Anything of Senator McCain’s substance, such as it is?
27. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I don’t care to defend McCain at all. I have never been a big fan. And I live in AZ.
28. Diana Powe | April 29th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
I recently visited Tucson. It was very beautiful.
29. neocon | April 29th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
The desert can be spectacular in that area, specifically the Oro Valley.
30. Kurt | April 29th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Diana,
Mccain did not say anything about having 60,000 troops in Iraq or anywhere else. I know you like to think you can read his mind, but you only look silly doing so.
As for waterboarding, which was used 3 times aginst our enemies (which is a hell of a lot less than we have used it on our own Navy Seals during training), Mccain made clear that he would vote aginst it but did not want to limit the CIA to the Army manual. The Senate leadership proposed it in that flawed form so stupid folks would fall for the idiotic idea that McCain flip-flopped on it. But of course, nobody is that stupid, right?
31. Diana Powe | April 30th, 2008 at 1:13 am
Kurt,
Darn those actual words spoken by John McCain. From the debate last November 28 (emphasis added):
Oh, and that “used 3 times aginst our enemies” line. Waterboarding has been admitted to being used three times. Who said that the people it was used on are our enemies? That would be the government that waterboarded them which includes people who might be subject to being prosecuted for war crimes if they didn’t justify or retroactively legalize their conduct.
Does the word credulous mean anything to you?
32. Kurt | April 30th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Diana,
Catch up….McCain was saying for the Army they were working. McCain stated he did not want to limit the CIA to the Army field manual. What is so hard to understand?
I know it is frustrating for you but you are not catching a flip-flop from Mccain unless take it WAYYY out of context.
Dont be so …as you say, credulous.
33. Diana Powe | April 30th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Kurt,
I suspected you would try that tack. Of course, doing so means that you apparently don’t think that the CIA is part of America given that the Senator stated that torture is a “defining issue” and “what America is all about.”
I wonder. Do you think that John McCain believes that the CIA is sometimes part of America and sometimes part of Burma sort of like the Vice-President thinks that his office is (always very conveniently) sometimes in the Executive Branch and sometimes in the Legislative Branch?
Oh, that darn public record. Care to spin any of his other flip-flops?
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