Patterico's Pontifications

4/8/2008

Jay Rockefeller Disses McCain (Updated)

Filed under: 2008 Election,Politics — DRJ @ 10:00 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Today’s hot political topic were these less-than-complimentary statements by Jay Rockefeller about John McCain’s temper. JustOneMinute derides Rockefeller so I don’t have to, but my favorite part was this response to those “laser-guided missiles” that Rockefeller claims McCain used in Vietnam (amazing because they weren’t around yet * ):

“So, the Dem Chair of the Senate Intel Committee thinks we had laser guided weapons in VietNam. I wonder what else he has gleaned from various intel reports over the years.”

UPDATE: * This link says primitive laser-guided missiles requiring two planes were used by the Air Force in Vietnam but not until 1968, the year after McCain was shot down.

Hot Air discusses why Rockefeller’s statements also evidence a disdain for today’s military.

— DRJ

23 Responses to “Jay Rockefeller Disses McCain (Updated)”

  1. Rockefeller claims McCain used in Vietnam (amazing because they weren’t around yet)

    You’d have thought Rockefella would have at least realized that the laser guided missiles would have not created a whole lot of collateral damage. But since he probably heard it from Ms. Clinton, well……

    J. Peden (0717d3)

  2. No matter how much the Democrats state that they love our troops, periodically, one of them comes out with some statement that demonstrates that many of them (not all) actually have disdain for the institution of the American military. In recent times, we have seen Democratic members of Congress compare our military to Nazis, Soviets, and Genghis Khan in their conduct of the war in Iraq. Names? Ted Kennedy, John Murtha, Dick Durbin, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. (Murtha and Kerry are combat veterans themselves, which must be pointed out.)

    The latest is West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller. This is what he stated this week about John McCain:

    “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”.

    Here is the response from the McCain side:

    “Senator Rockefeller’s statement is an insult to all the men and women who are serving or have served in America’s military. Had Senator Rockefeller served himself, he would appreciate and understand that most who have been to war emerge with a much deeper concern for humanity than they otherwise might. If he knew what he was talking about, he would know that John McCain wasn’t dropping laser-guided missiles at 35,000 feet in 1967.”

    Today, Rockefeller issued a statement saying, “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.

    While we differ a great deal on policy issues, I profoundly respect and appreciate his dedication to our country, and I regret my very poor choice of words.”

    So, Senator Rockefeller, what was your innacurate and wrong analogy, plus your very poor choice of words? Was it the fact that laser-guided bombs were not used until after McCain was a POW? Was it the fact that he was shot down at 4,500 feet, an altitude used in order to decrease collateral damage? Was it the fact that on the last occasion, McCain was not “long gone”, rather was shot down and taken prisoner? Or was it, perhaps that you condemned McCain for merely carrying out his duty as a pilot?

    As has been pointed out, Rockefeller, who is almost the same age as McCain, did not serve in the military during that era-nor any other era. (He was in the Peace Corps.) Yet, he joins oher prominent hypocrites like Michael Moore, Bill Maher and Howard Dean, none of whom ever served in the military, yet had the gumption to call President George W. Bush words like “draftdodger”, “deserter” and “AWOL” because of his National Guard service.

    It is fine that Rockefeller apologized, but is this what he really feels about military pilots? Why did he say this to begin with? I hope the voters of West Virginia remember this statement the next time Rockefeller runs for re-election.

    gary fouse
    fousesquawk

    fouse, gary c (7b7c7c)

  3. maybe Jay is confusing McCain with James T. Kirk, who was ordering phaser fire from the bridge of the Enterprise in 1967

    Darleen (187edc)

  4. I’ve updated the post after reading more about laser-guided missiles.

    DRJ (a431ca)

  5. So the Dem Chair of the Senate Intel Committee has passed everything he read/heard during intel briefings to the enemy. Caught at it and not jailed. Who would think a democrat (super rich Rock e feller) could get away with that?

    Scrapiron (c36902)

  6. Hey, I have a question. How did dear old Jay feel about missiles, laser guided or otherwise, shot into Iraq and other countries by Clinton?

    My guess is that that was different.

    I don’t think that this is about disdain for the military (there is money to be made, after all, and lots of perks for congresscritters). I think it is entirely about a “D” or an “R” after someone’s name.

    And that is the part I find despicable.

    Eric Blair (32cb22)

  7. I find this incredibly offensive. Obama is totally unable to get anyone of his supporters to lay off the embarassing and extreme comments. What as Obama fails to say anything about this.

    Mccain condemned a supporter for saying the middle name (and that was wise from a political standpoint at the time). Obama won’t condemn a man who clearly hates all combat aviators, all artillerymen, all officers from ADC-M to the butter bar.

    It is truly obscene to take the military record of Mccain and claim it is a reason to dislike him. Mccain has more in common with those who have felt the FULL BRUNT of war than any other presidential candidate in modern history (if not all history). The man has his teeth kicked in, his legs broken, his body viciously beaten, starved, and fouled. Mccain does actually have the ability to empathize with the victims of war in a way no Rockefeller could ever.

    you know, Mccain is actually a unique candidate. Immune to chickenhawk arguments, immune to “culture of corruption” charges, and immune to GOP-servant charges. He’s criticized Bush and actually paid political cost for his reaching across the aisle. Lord knows I disagree with him on so many issues, from free speech to immigration, but this crap from Obama’s supporters really helps make Mccain acceptable to me.

    Jem (4cdfb7)

  8. “So, the Dem Chair of the Senate Intel Committee thinks we had laser guided weapons in VietNam. I wonder what else he has gleaned from various intel reports over the years.”

    It just goes to show that he didn’t even read the reports before giving them to the usual suspects. I have to change my opinion of him as a fellow traveller. If he was a fellow traveller he would at least read the reports and only give the suspects the important reports.

    davod (5bdbd3)

  9. PS:

    It seem obvious now the Obamites are trying to bait McCain into an angry outburst.

    davod (5bdbd3)

  10. Jay Rockefeller is a useful idiot to the enemies of America. Rockefeller not only hates himself, he’s a traitor to all causes but the Socialist Democrat party. I do more than question this Rockefeller’s patriotism.

    PCD (5ebd0e)

  11. Rockefeller is a politician who drops ignorant and malicious statements when speaking to the press.

    What happened when they [the statements] get to the news? He doesn’t know. You have to care about the lives of people. Rockefeller never gets into those issues.

    Amphipolis (fdbc48)

  12. Another minor inaccuracy in Senator Rockefeller’s rant: John McCain was an attack pilot, not a “fighter” pilot. He flew the A-4 Skyhawk, not the F-4 Phantom.

    The rivalry between fighter and attack pilots is well known in the service, and this small oversight further underscores Sen. Rockefeller’s lack of experience in that area.

    navyvet (caa794)

  13. jay rockefeller is the same senator who took a ton of telco cash to shill for retroactive immunity for corporations that engaged in illegal, warrantless spying on american citizens.

    he was long gone when they hit…you have to care about the lives of people…

    absolutely. in warfare, you care about the lives of the enemy in the sense that you’re trying to kill as many of them as you can, while sustaining minimum casualties on your side. we developed laser-guided missiles so we wouldn’t have to do it the iraqi/palestinian way with suicide vests.

    assistant devil's advocate (8e8555)

  14. Rockefeller is living proof of the principle of regression to the mean. His fortune is proof that his ancestors were very bright people. His statements and actions are proof that genetics isn’t everything,

    Mike K (86bddb)

  15. I see this as part of a disinformation campaign by the surrogates of Obama.

    Neo (cba5df)

  16. Just more examples of how Democrats are about hatred rather than actual ideas.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  17. A-4s bombing from 35 thousand feet? This guy has no idea what he is talking about.

    Roscoe (a058ca)

  18. Jay once again demonstrates the beauty of freedom of speech. He is free to make a compleat ass of himself without help from anyone else.

    Bar Sinister (3b1790)

  19. If your grandfather controlled 3% of the U.S. GDP, you can say anything you want.

    If it’s only West Virginians who believe you …. Every village needs its idiot and every country needs its idiot state.

    nk (6b7d4f)

  20. Mike K wrote: Rockefeller is living proof of the principle of regression to the mean. His fortune is proof that his ancestors were very bright people. His statements and actions are proof that genetics isn’t everything.

    This appears to be a trend in politics lately. Rockefeller, Kennedy, Bush, and Clinton.

    Think Chelsea won’t run for office in the future? Hah! What else is she gonna do? She was raised by people whose room and board were paid by taxpayers almost throughout her entire upbringing!

    L.N. Smithee (b048eb)

  21. “McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet…”

    1. He wasn’t a fighter pilot – the A-4 was a light attack plane.
    2. You don’t “drop” missiles.
    3. A-4’s didn’t drop anything from 35,000 feet, they were usually down low and depending on speed and manuever to avoid getting shot down.
    4. As has been noted, only the AF had laser-guided missiles in Nam, and only after McCain was taken POW.

    All these details could be moot points if Jay had the balls to stand up and say “I think McCain and any other person who participates in war is a soulless killer!” But Jay needs to have it both ways so he can’t say that, and he has the problem of McCain suffering pain, not just dishing it out. So he makes some half-assed statements that he knows will appeal to his target audience (traitors) who don’t know a thing about the conduct of war, especially by America, and who will start slobbering as soon as they hear the magic word “Viet Nam”.

    Jay was going for the cheapshot, because being a POS, it’s the only kind of shot he knows how to take.

    Jay is a Democrat national security expert, in case you could not tell.

    sherlock (b4bbcc)

  22. 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.

    Rockefeller is an ass. How “insensitive to many human issues” is it when Rockefeller sits in a cushy leather chair in an air conditioned office contemplating eating at his favorite five-star restaurant while he funds the military that drops bombs on people?

    Perfect Sense (b6ec8c)

  23. Jay Rockefeller has known pain, although vicariously, because his cousin Michael was eaten by cannibals. That will give you a complex, even in West Virginia.

    Mike K (6d4fc3)


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