That is a beautiful thing. I'm sending a little of my hard-earned money to Democracy for America to help pay for airing it and I hope others here will do the same.

I'm not real sure about this. I watched part of one film at Kos on this subject and I just don't know.

This is the first time I've been unsure of something like this. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not real crazy about it. I'm going to wait and see what the response is before I make a firm decision on this line of attack.

Only another POW could say this and get away with it. McCain's temperament is the one thing everybody knows is bad but are afraid to go after. I'm glad someone said it out loud!

This is terrible and I really hope there is someone in the Obama campaign who can get this pulled asap.

Obama had a gift on economy today and he should grab it and run with it.

Attacking McCain's honor and character only shows Obama as a typical bitter partisan and gives McCain an opening to keep talking about bi-partisanship, reform and all the sweet things that independents love to hear and that made Obama what he is today.

W00T! Perfect, and Obama has nothing to do with it. And, I agree that the issue of McSame's temperament hasn't been brought up nearly enough....

John McCain, who would not sell his soul to win his party’s nomination, is ready to sell every piece of his soul to win the presidency.

Obama can have it both ways. Call a press conference, and loudly and forcefully denounce this ad. Everyone will go, "What ad?" and look it up for themselves. So that's good for Obama - get as many people as possible and the cable news networks to show it. But in addition, he takes the high road and explicitly and publicly makes a big issue about the ad, and how it's wrong and there's no place for it in politics. Win-win.

I think this is a distraction, for a lot of reasons. We'll eventually want to attack McCain as a risky choice, temperamentally unsuited to have his finger on the red button. But this ain't how you do it. You don't do it with a single source, and you don't link the charge in this vague way to his experience as a POW.

I largely agree with Lalo. This is cheesy, and unhelpful.

Check out this find from The Jed Report - It's a Bush re-election campaign ad starring John McCain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_yRlLn2LGs

If Obama could just run this as is...

In fact, this ad has made me understand why Obama initially put the kibosh on 527s.

This is very badly timed, because it's going to give McCain something to point at so he can say our ads are just as "vile" as his.

Is it really "vile"? No, it's not. And it's not one of our ads, either! But none of that matters. The comparison to swiftboating would be plausible enough to distract the media for five seconds. And that's all you need to change the subject.

Incredibly stupid. Just what McCain wants: a huge distraction to fire up the base with empty indignation. Meanwhile the economy tanks...

Greenwald must be an idiot.

The only reason I don't like this is because it's going to distract from McCain's economy gaffe and what I'm sure is Obama's forthcoming ad on it.

It's not swiftboating and it has no connection to Obama. But wanting to focus on the economy, it is poorly timed.

Don't like it at all.

Just as McGoo's lies are beginning to catch up to him, and clear lines of attack are opening regarding GOP mishandling of the economy, this distraction appears. McGoo will snap this up, accuse Obama of being behind it, and turn this week's headlines into a discussion of his POW days... his only issue.

Howard Dean needs to slap his brother up.

Here's Obama's hardest hitting ad yet, just released:

"What happened to John McCain?" a female announcer asks. "He's running 'the sleaziest ads ever.' ... 'Dishonest smears' ... a 'disgraceful, dishonorable campaign.'"

It's a beauty. Now what do you think the coverage is going to do--continue to discuss McCain's lies, an issue that is just getting good traction, or put Obama's claim up against this incredibly misguided ad?

But it doesn't contradict Obama's honoring of McCain's service. One can have all the respect in the world for McCain's service and deplore that he was a POW and still question his temperament and qualifications for the presidency. McCain's service is not the issue in this ad--his ability to govern is. As Wesley Clark sagely pointed out, having served time as a POW is not a sufficient qualification for the job. If this issue is to be raised (and I believe it must), the raising must be done by from someone with POW bona fides; that the guy knew him at the Naval Academy as well is a bonus.

But it doesn't contradict Obama's honoring of McCain's service. One can have all the respect in the world for McCain's service and deplore that he was a POW and still question his temperament and qualifications for the presidency. McCain's service is not the issue in this ad--his ability to govern is. As Wesley Clark sagely pointed out, having served time as a POW is not a sufficient qualification for the job. If this issue is to be raised (and I believe it must), the raising must be done by from someone with POW bona fides; that the guy knew him at the Naval Academy as well is a bonus.

It surprises that so few people have taken the time to think about what it means to be a POW -- I mean, aside from the patriotic rhetoric. McCain has been through a lot. We owe him respect for his service (not for his lying; we don't owe him the Presidency. This is a man who may have some form of mental illness. He owes the public more assurance than he's been willing to give.

This is a real, legitimate issue.

Beautiful post.

As I said - this guy is know-nothing, bottom-dwelling Republican Party Loyalist.

You made him look like an ass....

It's a character thing and I think it's legit. It speaks directly to this whole pretense that being a POW somehow makes him a more honorable man than anyone else. 600 others did the same thing and you don't hear them bragging about it. It's called modesty.

Moreover, it supports the whole notion that he has an apparent inability to stop lying and denigratng his way into power.

That is character. And he ain't got it.

For those of u who thinks the ad is good, but the timing is wrong. Ask yourself this question: remember John Kerry? what would the republicans do? Do you think the republicans won't smear Obama?
Wake up!

From a tactical standpoint, this demonstrates why the Obama campaign initially wanted to quash 527s. This may suck all of the oxygen out of their revamped narratives that focus on McCain's "dishonorable" campaign and the economy. It may even destroy the first narrative much faster than anything the McCain campaign could have cooked up. Every Obama surrogate needs to condemn this ad... for both ethical and tactical reasons.

Watch all of McCain's ads and his 527's run for free on cable

If that ad were from a republican, it would be the cleanest ad they ran. As a 527, the republicans wouldnt touch it- its not scandalous enough.

Any ad will draw fire, Im surprised that this rationale surfaces. Perhaps because its new territory. Character issues are on the table, good (POW) and bad. New politics does not need to ignore a lifetime of angry outbursts and potential dangers in button decisions.

And I agree with JMM, you need to fight back or suffer contempt at your pathetic inability to defend yourself. And Kos, Kerry was wrong not to take back to them.

Best of all, its a527 and BHO doesnt need to throw the punches, be seen as officially taking the high road. But he shouldnt denounce either.

Full disclosure: I donated to get this ad on the air.

Agree that it's dicy. The only net plus I see is that it might get some people to raise questions about why POW status is ipso facto considered a qualification for president. The fact that it's another POW has the salutary effect of reminding people that it's not like McCain was the only guy in captivity in Vietnam, and that some people who served with him don't think he's qualified.

I personally wouldn't go there, and if Obama is asked about this, he can say what he always does, which is that he respects McCain's service but he doesn't think that qualifies him by itself to be president. Other people are obviously entitled to their own views.

Wow. I'm glad someone is saying this, but it sure is risky. Obama will be forced to reject AND renounce, of course. But this is one of the doubts about John McCain that deserves to be brought into the public discourse. It's not a trivial issue. He's not only 72 years old, he's survived torture. That HAS to leave lasting emotional and mental scars. How do his experiences as a POW affect his judgment and mental stability? I've known many Vietnam vets who seem normal most of the time, but they have hair triggers. A Vietnam vet friend of mine once pulled a knife on some kids in a movie theater because they were talking during the film. He's not the kind of guy who does stuff like that. He's a gentle, funny guy most of the time. But he flipped. Personally, I'm scared to death of McCain.

Interesting. I just Googled post traumatic stress disorder. According to the experts, symptoms of PTSD include:

1). Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Part of McCain's stump speech used to include the following line:

"I sleep like a baby. I sleep two hours, wake up and cry, sleep two hours, wake up and cry..."

2). Irritability or outbursts of anger

I think this aspect of his personality is legendary.

3). Difficulty concentrating

You mean like forgetting what you were saying and talking about giving bottled hot water to dehydrated babies?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DqR7zis99I

4). Hypervigilance

Defined as an "enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of behaviors whose purpose is to detect threats. Hmmm.... Sound like anyone you know?

5). Exaggerated startle response

I think we're all familiar with McCain's bug-eyed, drop-jawed response to being challenged or hit with a question he wasn't anticipating. It can be hilarious to watch on YouTube. Probably not as funny if he was President of the United States.

I'm a huge Obama partisan. I think this ad is a mistake. The McCain campaign is already conflating it with Obama's campaign and making it seem like the ad is Barack's.

It doesn't reflect our candidate's character or his ideals or beliefs.

Yuck.

I'm all for going after McCain on temperament. Polls show that most people already think he's kind of a hothead. I just think there has to be a savvier way to do it.

Also, also, also, there should be some investigation into what actions on McCain's part may have led to his having been shot down in the first place, and the several other times. The word is that it had something to do with being a maverick.

I don't have this information but I'm picking up these questions from others' murmurings and by keeping an ear close to the ground. Therefor I can tell you that people are wondering about this stuff.

Now is this dirty? Remember he could be the next CINC. His record should be made clear.

The media appears to have no problem placing all of McCain's You Tube Ads, sleaze, lies and all, which equals to millions of dollars in free campaign ad spots.

I don't always agree with The Standard. I guess I do in this case.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/

We're supposed to be choosing the leader of the free world, not handing out medals and gushy testimonials.

If the movers and shakers of the MSM were honest, objective, and patriotic, they would make Celebrity POW John McCain's unfitness to lead the number one issue in this campaign, but they're not, so they won't.

With the combination of his giant weak ego and his skyhigh levels of POW guilt, shame, and anger, McCain is even less qualified than SarAppalling.

I think this ad is important for a different angle.

It opens up hard feelings a lot of Democrats still harbor for that piece of crap book Jerome Corsi wrote against Kerry called "Unfit for Command"

It's good to remind people just how little scruples Republicans have.

If McCain wants to argue that his experience as a POW makes him especially chosen to be President, which he DOES argue, then he makes the topic a legit field of inquiry.

Of course, that also raises the question of what sort of Naval officer he was . . . which can't be answered since he won't let the records be released.

His reputation is entirely built on this POW experience. Deconstruct it and he falls apart. He traded his right for respect for this experience away a long time ago.

I am a bit reluctant to say this, but I believe there is some possibility to it. I have a few friends who are Viet Nam vets. They are still being treated and medicated all these years later for PTSD. Symptoms: rage and anger and outbursts.Exactly what McCain is know for among his colleage in Congress on both sides of the aisle. Now those guys I know were not POWs and yet they are in poor shape. I assume McCain was treated etc but--here is the point--the American people deserve to know his medical record and I am not simply referring to his cancer. And yet this is carefully kept from us! evidence: Watch this video on his medical records

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvesa49zSIM

My father, David C. Davis, was a young POW in the European arena during WWII. He warned everyone he knew during the 2000 campaign about McCain. Like Phillipe Butler, he said without hesitation that McCain was dangerous! POWs overcome their victimhood and learn lessons of humility and universal compassion for all victims. McCain's final "crusade" should be against the torturers in the white house not a hypocritical campaign driven by blind ambition to inhabit the white house. My father died 3 weeks before the 2004 Presidential election with fear in his soul for his nation. He had heard Barack Obama's Convention Keynote address and saw some hope for the future.

Help! Enough with the handwringing! I can't bear to see us lose again because we're afraid we might get dirty. Any Republican reading this thread is laughing silly at the idea that this is a low blow.

I believe McCain's PTSD needs to be aired, but not by a paid political ad. A respected, responsible investigative journalist needs to conduct interviews and do the proper research so that the information comes to light from outside the campaign.

Frankly, I'm surprised that reporters haven't already addressed this issue. I've been concerned about McCain's PTSD symptoms ever since he announced he was running for president the first time.

Perhaps the brief media buys for this ad will get reporters to do the investigative work, but I certainly wouldn't recommend airing the ad more often or to a larger market. It's not something the Obama campaign wants to be associated with.