Obama might be reacting idiotically in response to the New Yorker cover, Lew makes a point about if the tables were turned:
No one would do such a cover of McCain, playing into the most damaging rumors, but imagine this: a jaunty young John, in his pilot uniform, sitting comfortably and chatting with his Vietnamese captors. Two gorgeous gals serve his every wish. He is smoking a cigar and drinking a martini. In th next room other POWs are beeing intensively interrogated. Ha ha, Republicans?
Filed under: Barack Obama, John McCain
True: neither should have to put up with this. Of course, considering the kind of bigoted cartoons Condi Rice alone has had to deal with, the GOP has already grown a pretty thick hide about such things
Lew’s point is completely unfounded. There are no equivalent rumors about McCain. No one is saying he wasn’t really tortured, no one is really saying McCain isn’t really a patriot or a hero or whatever. People are, rightfully so, beginning to understand that those qualities don’t necessarily make him the right man for the job.
But the rumors about Obama’s not being a patriot, hating America, and secretly being a muslim are present and widespread. Moreover, they hurt his reputation. Disagree with his politics if you want, but Obama is not a terrorist, an america-hater, or a muslim. In fact, he has more invested in the church than McCain does. Is anyone calling Mac an atheist?
The Internet has had rumors abound for years about McCain not actually being tortured to the degree he claims. I haven’t seen enough to convince me McCain is lying in any way, but others have their doubts.
Those doubts are in no way comparable to the ones regarding Obama being a muslim. Look at your own blog.
Sorry, but since when is ‘being a muslim’ some sort of crime or disqualificiation for the presidency? Any more than rumored infidelity about McCain (which the NYT ran a Page 1 story based on a 20 year-old, ludicrously vapor of a rumor)? Both stories are baseless and even if true, have little to do with the real issues of the day.
Frankly, it would make not one whit of difference to me if he was; it’s Obama’s potential policies I find disasterous, not what beliefs they arise from.
As a reference point of what the GOP deals with; here’s one on Condi. But bigotry and racism is OK if you happen to be a person of color and politically conservative. Ask Michelle Malkin herself.