In any case, it is a valid point, regardless of how sincere shooter may be about the universality of its application: Those who have sacrificed in the service of their country (in Cleland's case his limbs, in McCain's case his mind) should not be mocked.

Hardly universal. How about the German soldiers of World War II? Why would I celebrate anyone who is willing gun-fodder for an out-of-control military-industrial complex?

Just like religion should be respected except when it should be disrespected, the same holds with military service. I think John Q. Public understands this, because not going to Vietnam did not really hurt Bush, Cheney, Clinton; it was an avoidable war and no real stigma attached to those who avoided it.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11372.html

McCain, GOP unleash anti-Obama plan
By JONATHAN MARTIN | 6/26/08

[...] The strategy: Paint Obama as conventional politician who always takes the safe and easy political road, then amplify the distinction by framing McCain as a patriot, somebody who has put sacrifice above self.

[...] McCain and many of his allies — including Karl Rove and Mitt Romney — are finally working in unison to push one message, and push it aggressively.

[...] In a memo sent to reporters Thursday morning headlined, "Country First Vs. Self-Serving Partisanship," McCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt traces an unbroken line from the physical courage McCain demonstrated in the Hanoi Hilton to the political bravery his supporters say he demonstrated on Capitol Hill. [...]

- - Jonathan Martin 6/26/08

No posts by GG in 48 hours. Argh! I'm going through withdrawal.

Dean's opinion means a lot to Olberman apparently.

Wasn't John Dean involved in the Nixonian White House and Watergate?

Isn't it possible that his advice is coming over a forked tongue?

John Wesley Dean III (born October 14, 1938) was White House Counsel to U.S. President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. As White House Counsel, he became deeply involved in events leading up to the Watergate burglaries and the subsequent Watergate scandal cover up, even referred to as "master manipulator of the cover up" by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was convicted of multiple felonies as a result of Watergate, and went on to become a key witness for the prosecution, resulting in a reduction of his time in jail.

He's lying. Don't trust him. Not now when the stakes are so high... He's giving aid and comfort to the enemies of the constitution like he did in the Nixonian Blight House...

Confession seems to do him well. Will we have to wait long for his confession again this time?

Respect to Reilly. I wish to 'hitchhike' a thought about what you said at 5:44. I blame sysprog.

Let's remember that McCain was carpet-bombing the populated urban sectors of Hanoi. I spent two months in Hanoi in 1990.

The State Department approved.

The idea was to rebuild a clinic.

Help restore trade the relations.

A Friendship Heath Clinic was built in Yien Vien, 6-km outside of Hanoi by volunteer vets and a former Nam, doenut dolly. The interpreter who watched over us like a hawk was very likable. He spoke English better than many Americans. He had wit and talked freely about corruption in his government, and his old war-role as a interpretation of P.O.W.'s who stayed at the Hanoi Hilton. This was 1990, and before formal Normalization of Relations with Vietnam was officially announced. Of course, the poor peasants may have had to Later work 12-hours per day, sniffing (no OSHA laws) rubber sole glue in poorly ventilated sweat shops. Oh, can buy a pair of jogger shoes at $200.00 in America and permit the poor rice-farmers to slave at 11-cents per hour with no tea break in Vietnam's Factories. (Chris Floyd had a excellent, caustic, piece about the war-profiteer merchants of Death.)

There are bad and perverted people in any era and era. So, Discern.

Well, my thumb is limbered up. Whoever picks me up today? My luck?

I hope they don't gaze at ducks aloft in the blue sky or the driver don't gawk.

My luck? The transporter will be drunk. He may be a priest? I pray not. He might look at short mini-skits or boys wearing kilts? Prey for me. He may doze off and hit a oak tree.

P.S. The interpreter was named, Hai. He was wonderful. He took us South to Ho Chi Minh City. Hai insist that the P.O.W captives, who were at the Hani Hilton during the Vietnam War, were fed and treated better than the peasants. I was not at that jail. I was later in a jail for my opposition to a White Collar Crime DoJ coverup. I was arrested in a savings and loan bank. Guess who was in charge of investigating White Collar Crimes in The A.G. John Ashcroft reign? Mr. Chertoff. Serious.

O, Wear a shirt if hitchhiking.

The war postponed planting, singing, and happy harvest seasons. There was starvation everywhere during and after the war. The peasant would glean bamboo, snails, eels, fish, crawdads, and trap birds in nets etc., ,/ The peasant workers were beautiful, delicate, gentle, and they were exploited and bombed. children or adult. Bombs do not discriminate. Humans were killed? murdered? Today! The war was based in the same-same Big Lie. All wars are bloody and barbaric. Depravity.

2. While Ford pardoned Nixon for crimes prior to any actual indictment, this was never tested in court. Do you forsee any constitutional problems with a pro-active pardon, a pardon without any actual indictment attached to it? = dawkinsfan00

I don't know about constitutional problems in the telecom case but our Kentucky Governor (Fletcher) did this very thing when his administration was embroiled in a hiring scandal and his blanket pardon move was upheld by our Kentucky Supreme Court. What's more the Grand Jury was not allowed to continue indicting anyone who was covered by this blanket pardon. The blanket pardon didn't specify particular people but a class of people who had participated in the hiring investigation. The Court also ruled that the Grand Jury could issue a report on their findings but could not name the names of the people pardoned.