IL-06: McCain Praises Veteran Amputees -- While Endorsing Roskam!
This is a good one. Yesterday John McCain did an event with GOP House candidate Peter Roskam, who's running against Dem Iraq vet Tammy Duckworth. McCain spoke at length about wounded soldiers at the event. In a reference to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, McCain said: "I go out to Walter Reed quite often and see these brave young [soldiers] who have served and sacrificed so much. Many of them have lost limbs, as you know. And it's a very sad thing to see. But at the same time it's very uplifting. Because these young people are so proud of what they've done...This generation of men and women who are serving in the military are the very, very, very best of us." Watch it below:
Though the event was for Roskam, you'd think it should have been for Duckworth: After all, she is one of the people who, as McCain put it, "lost limbs" -- she lost both legs in Iraq. And here's the kicker: She recovered at the hospital McCain mentioned -- Walter Reed -- and continues to go there for follow-up treatment. So one of the "brave" vets McCain said he sees there and is saddened by could have been Duckworth herself.
The other oddity in this case is that Roskam is a big ATR/Grover Norquist guy and McCain and Norquist aren't exactly close.
October 31, 2006 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to mention that Roskam's entire campaign has been predicated on attacking the Senate version of the immigration reform bill as the "Ted Kennedy amnesty bill", which McCain supports.
October 31, 2006 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did anyone ask McCain whether it was appropriate for Roskam to say that Duckworth wanted to "cut and run" from Iraq?
Seems like the obvious question. Maybe someone can email his press people.
After all, according to McCain himself, Duckworth is "uplifting" and among "the very, very, very best of us."
How embarrassing for McCain. He should be more careful about the company he keeps.
October 31, 2006 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
"the immigration reform bill as the "Ted Kennedy amnesty bill", which McCain supports."
Uh no. Which McCain wrote. Kennedy and Obama have signed on co-sponsors.
October 31, 2006 5:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Roskam's emailed that video of David Beamer out again today. I guess McCain demurred at making a personal one for him in a studio like that for him to send out. I saw the long verison of this and frankly McCain looks like he's swallowing his gorge the whole time. Neither one answered questions afterward and looked like they couldn't wait to get out of there. It just makes them both look like hypocrits.
October 31, 2006 6:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've seen this before. Roskam? No. Rosenkam? NO! Rosencrantz? Yes. And Guildenstern. They too had a problem at times distinguishing themselves from one the other. And they were often confused about other things too, like what the Prince was really up to.
Guildenstern: What's the first thing you remember?
Rosencrantz: [thinks] No, it's no good. It was a long time ago.
Guildenstern: No, you don't take my meaning. What's the first thing you remember after all the things you've forgotten?
Rosencrantz: Oh, I see... I've forgotten the question.
("Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead.")
October 31, 2006 7:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Roskam is just the kind of weasel that would have been hiding behind his mom's apron back in the seventies when the selective service would have been looking for him (hiding right next to cheney and bush). McCain is a true hero compared to these cowards. It is unfortunate that he has to sleep in the same bed as this scum.
November 1, 2006 10:01 PM | Reply | Permalink