Among Naval Academy 'ring knockers' incompetence is not a barrier to reaching the rank of admiral. John McCrap's naval career was effectively ended due to affairs with wifes of other naval personnel. In the parlance of career navy "you can f*ck up, but you cannot f*ck my wife".

Here in Arizona he made the statement that vans full of illegals were driving down the freeway 'deliberately' causing accidents. This created months worth of telephone calls to the Dept of Public Safety and the tourism dept. seeking assurance that our highways were safe. No one knows just how much that comment hurt Arizona's economy in lost revenue from tourists who chose to go somewhere 'safer.'

He also made the claim that the massive wildfires that burned out of control here were caused by illegals. McCain said there was 'significant evidence' to prove this. Turned out to not be the case, and the very fire he was commenting on was caused by two campers who were citizens, and white, BTW.

McCain should retire. He's old, burned out, and it's time to hang it up.

4 years later - old man still yelling at clouds...

Sour Grapes......He didn't support McCain in 2008 either. LOL

Crotchety old man still yelling at clouds.

Wow, this is what happens when you allow a Presidential candidate to lie through his teeth with barely any fact checking or hard questions. Everyone sees you can get away with it and an independent minded individual such as Colin Powell making an endorsement based on a sound understanding of policy differences, can be trashed by man who has lost every ounce of credibility he ever had on being an independent minded individual.

Actually, Sad Old Vet, in the Navy it is true you can "inherit" the rank of Admiral, so long as you stick to the "straight and narrow" (which Johnny didn't) but you do also have to perform, or at a minimum not make things worse. Johnny was given the Fleet Air Training Wing at NAS Jacksonville when he came back from the Hanoi Hilton, and he well and truly screwethed the pooch there, which is why he got sent to D.C. where he found his true metier as a pimp for Congresscritters the Navy needed to vote for new aircraft carriers. But he was definitely kicked off the Admiral Express for what he did in Jacksonville.

Agreed...this 'lowest in his class father rescued & appointed goober' is and always has been an angry self serving selfish manipulator. If he hadn't been captured he would have surrendered to the enemy because of all the sympathy he got to use to make America feel guilty enough to make it easier for him to manipulate it for the rest of his life. He has proven he is not that bright but has enriched himself from the government tit all his life. His impetuosity and blind rage when anyone opposed him made him too dangerous for any executive position and his credibility on foreign policy is zero due to the fact he has always been completely WRONG on everything.

How much longer do we have to tolerate this self serving idiot's opinions being publicized as serious or credible. "We are alll Georgians now"...geez, what a goober.

That moron is an idiot. His memory is fading quickly...does he not remember he helped to encouraged W to go to war based on lies...Powell was only doing his job. McI'm confused doesn't know what his job is anymore except to be a bully like MittWitt.

http://www.forandagainst.com/articles/McCain_s_Military_Record_Shows_He_Is_Unfit_To_Be_President

One of these incidents, on board the USS Forrestal, involved the death of 144 sailors and was the most serious "accident" the navy had experienced since the Second World War. It appears that McCain's incompetence played a significant part in increasing the severity of the incident when, in a frightened scramble to get out of the aircraft, he pressed the bomb release button by mistake, dropping a bomb from his aircraft onto the burning fire. It detonated one minute later, killing many people. After escaping from the aircraft, McCain shamefully left the deck and hid below, then, within hours, flew to Saigon for some "R n' R" while funeral services were still being arranged for his shipmates. Most pilots who lost aircraft in the way and at the rate McCain did would have been kicked out of the service. But McCain had protection from up on high. His father was an admiral. He was an untouchable. So McCain blundered his way through his military career until he was finally shot down.

Verified??

remember, it was exposed, unknown to gen powell, the information he was given to release to the public was full of lies and exaggerations?

when he expressed his disapproval of invading iraq by advising the administration "if you break it, you own it, he was completely cut out of all the negotiations. i remember one of the cable news sources referring to gen powell as not falling in line like a good soldier or words to that affect.

some condemned him for not speaking out when he discovered the information was untrue. the bush administration was ruthless under thumb of cheney and the gen would have been ripped apart.

He's an opportunist, while he was imprisoned, his buddies were carrying around half of their comrades. (literally). Ask him about the sign language used in Vietnam, then you'll understand, chances are he won't understand what you're talking about. I apologize now to all veterans for unearthing a sacred trust. But, I can almost promise you it won't be exposed because McCain has no idea what it is.

A few years ago one of the guards where McCain had been imprisoned was interviewed, with an interpreter present. What we were told after was that the interpreter did not do his job correctly, that the guard said McCain received special treatment because of his Admiral father and they were going to use him as exchange. They did not break his arms or do him physical damage, the opposite as best they could in a war camp. His broken arms came from his landing after his bailout of his plane. McCain is a typical republican, today a repub/tparty - a liar to suit his purposes. He is also a wife beater, kept well hidden. At least he has some warm memories of palin brushing against him during the campaign, the louse. No, it's not his old age, that's his character.

And you believe a communist goes to show.

@ray...

If you analysis is correct, it highlights a major defect in Colin Powell's character. If he 'knew' or 'believed' that he was being deceived into presenting a set of lies to the United Nations, he SHOULD HAVE RESIGNED.

Either way, just because McCrap is a bigger @sshole than Powell does not change that Powell is a tool whose credibility will never be recovered no matter how much Steve Benen and the rest of the corporately owned media claim otherwise.

Ray and SOV-

i agree.

I will say this I have met Powell only twice and briefly (during Desert Storm) but I do like to consider myself a reasonable judge of character. I never got the impression he was any kind of a liar. A politician, as most Generals are sure, but an out and out liar no.

In 'high phrase' of Powell, he is just a fool and a tool and not a liar?

This was McCains policies in the last election......seem familiar?

Despite Campaign Spin, McCain Would Be a Disaster on Women's Rights

Artful spin by McCain's campaign team has misled many voters about his rightist stance and awful record on reproductive rights

According to a 2008 Planned Parenthood Action Fund poll, many pro-choice voters are under the impression that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would protect women's rights, particularly in the area of reproductive rights. Forty-six percent of women supporting McCain said they'd like to see Roe v. Wade upheld , and a quarter of the all the pro-choice women polled thought McCain's views were consistent with theirs. The poll reflects the need for greater awareness of McCain's record, as " 51 percent of women voters in battleground states have no idea what John McCain's positions are on women's reproductive health issues." The poll numbers also hint a misleading spin campaign from McCain and his surrogates to portray a "maverick" image on women's issues and cover up his hard-right record . McCain's long opposition to birth control measures , fair pay legislation , and his support for conservative justices such as Sam Alito and John Roberts who have undermined women's rights on the Supreme Court underscore his poor support for women.

The Reality

McCain said in 2006 that he would repeal Roe v. Wade . His campaign website calls for overturning Roe, returning the issue of abortion to the states, and then building "the necessary consensus to end abortion at the state level ."

"I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies ," he told Pastor Rick Warren this month. Planned Parenthood and NARAL have both given him a zero rating on abortion issues. According to NARAL, of 130 congressional votes by McCain related to reproductive freedom, 125 have been against abortion . "I've got a consistent zero from NARAL throughout all those years," he trumpets. On other reproductive health issues, McCain toes the right-wing line, having voted against requiring health care plans to cover birth control, comprehensive sex education, public education for emergency contraception, and restoring Medicaid funding for family planning for low-income women. "The guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn ," McCain told the New York Times in March 2007, referring to the vociferously anti-abortion Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. McCain has also supported anti-women's rights judges such as Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas .

The Spin

McCain and his campaign, however, have wildly misrepresented McCain's record on reproductive health. McCain supporter Debra Bartoshevich said at a press conference yesterday that McCain is pro-choice, referring to a 1999 quote of McCain saying that " overturning Roe v. Wade doesn't make any sense ." McCain chief surrogate Carly Fiorina in July suggested that McCain opposes "health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won't cover birth-control medication," forgetting that in 2003, McCain voted against legislation requiring coverage of birth control and falsely told women in Ohio this year that McCain "has never signed on to efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade."

"When pressed to speak about [women's issues], he often evinces stunning ignorance, a fact that helps reassure the moderate middle that he could not possibly be as conservative as his record suggests," Sarah Blustain of The New Republic observes this week. In July, a reporter asked McCain if it is "unfair" that insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control. "I certainly do not want to discuss that issue," he said, pausing uncomfortably for several seconds. "It's something that I had not thought much about."

When asked whether contraceptives help stop the spread of HIV, he paused, finally answering," You've stumped me. ... I think I support the president's policy."

Women on the Backburner

McCain's record is poor not only on reproductive health issues but other issues related to women's rights . Last month, he skipped the vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would have made it easier for women and other workers to pursue pay discrimination claims. McCain explained his opposition to the bill by saying that instead of stronger pay protection, women simply needed " education and training ." In May, he told a 14-year old girl that he didn't think equal pay protections would do " anything to help the rights of women ," claiming the legislation could "violate[e] the rights of the individuals who are being sued ." (In July, however, McCain claimed he was " committed to making sure that there's equal pay for equal work.") McCain has also opposed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Act. NARAL President Nancy Keenan yesterday reminded the public that McCain said he would vote against a family-planning program that "provides millions of low-income women with access to birth control and breast-cancer screenings " and that his record suggests he would "force teachers to censor life-saving information from our teens" in support failed abstinence-only policies.

http://www.alternet.org/story/96659/despite_campaign_spin%2C_mccain_would_be_a_disaster_on_women%27s_rights

Next he'll be recommending "Deadeye" Dick Cheney for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ray, when he gave his UN testimony, you believe Powell knew he was being used? I think not. I think he understood the nature of intelligence, and that the community was unsure about the data, and the neocons like Feith were definitely pumping. Nonetheless, I think he sincerely believed Iraq very likely had WMDs and the US had to keep them out of the hands of terrorist proxies. If true, biochem or dirty weapons would have been a potent threat to US cities.

Powell knew the neocons and most likely Bush were asses but he put country before ego, assumed good faith and followed orders like a good soldier.

For McCain to fault him on those good qualities is a terrible thing, but McCain has his political goals and I am sure he views these moves, along with his lurches to the hard right as necessary and acceptable in political combat.

The sad thing is that McCain and Powell are natural allies, but the dynamics of the TParty and Neocons have pitted these natural friends against each other. If it were politically viable, I suspect McCain would much prefer to be in a third party with folks like Michael Steele, Colin Powell, Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace.

But the TParty is too strong and third parties are self defeating given current voting rules. And so they must live in the political unreality of the GOP that exists today rather than do something more positive for the country.

When will McCain run for office again. I live next door to his state, so when he runs, who ever is the democrat that runs agains him will get my full support. I'm satified with the ones I have help to run in my state.

Powell was in a hard place. He opposed the war and knew he was being used. ray burleigh #2

i didn't see your comment before i posted mine. as you see i agree with you wholeheartedly.

The loyalty of Powell to the known lies of bush/cheney - questionable. His son, Michael, was then FCC chair, good until 2007, causing chaos because of his radical religionista stand back then, trying to rein in what he deemed 'foul' language. Yet, when Michael's car nearly ran into a bicyclist, he used words, in loudest decibels, that would make a truck driver blush. In any event, I well remember his speech at the UN, his body english - nervous, stiff, disjointed, mumbling. Maybe his endorsements are payback for his part in Iraq. Prez Obama deserves all the good words anyone can lay on him. This man has saved us from the brink. Only history will reveal what has transpired during the past 4 years. And here's to 4 more.

Powell had John Negroponte, the man charged with collecting the intelligence, sit right behind him at the United Nations. I think Powell was dubious about the intelligence but went along with the organization.

I think he will regret for the rest of his life, going along with the neocons.

What a bullsh!t sentiment. Powell's role in enabling the invasion of Iraq is closer to Hitler's role than Chamberlin's. Powell is deserving of NO sympathy.

I honestly don't think he knew, which is his fault he should have, but I think he vastly underestimated the capacity for blatant evil of the men he worked with.

At least he wised up, even at his own peril.

I think he vastly underestimated the capacity for blatant evil of the men he worked with.

This statement about Powell, I completely agree with.

He belied the liar in chief, gw. He discover the truth about the same time the rest of us did. At our own peril. So I can't hold that againest him. At one time he was asked to run for President and he didn't at least he knew his limitations and did let his ego get in his way. I have much more respect for Powell than McCain.

SOV, I agree completely. Powell knew what he was doing in 2012 and I haven't felt sorry for him about anything since. That being said, Grumpy McCain never met a foreign country he didn't want to bomb or invade. Time for that crotchety whiner to hang it up.

After the My Lai cover-up, you would think Powell would be a bit more adept at recognizing evil.

After the My Lai cover-up, you would think Powell would be a bit more adept at recognizing evil. ninz #3.7

it's more likely gen powell came to realize the evil and treachery of those surrounding him, like 'ole shoot my friend in the face cheney'. especially after what was done to valerie phlame.

that bush administration would have ripped and torn into him like a pack of rabid jackals.

It appears Powell knew little what was going on and guessed wrongly on what he surmised. What if Powell resigned and gave Americans the reasons for his leaving? Would he be believed? No. Even today the mood of Americans is for violence. Anyone with evem little knowledge should know that Bishop Romney's backers are waiting to get into Iran, using Israel security as their excuse to get into the Middle East oil fields. There should be little contest between Prez Obama and Bishop Romney. In the same way would Powell think bush/cheney would go so far as to invade Iraq. The myth of Americans is strong. We are a violent people and we are dumb. A little charitable perhaps.

You called it right, kev.

Here is his less than spotless record.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/10/mccain_fudges_his_navy_record.html

It will take a while to read it. But if you want to know who McCain is......here you are. I don't think he deserves the respect he like to feed on. He wrecked and destroyed 5 US Jets, and almost destroyed a air carrier.

McCain's "military service", outside of what he did while a POW when he refused to let them send him home without sending others in worse physical shape first, is hardly deserving of any respect. In fact, the Navy so disrespected his service that, had he not gotten himself shot down through massive stupidity (Rule 1: never turn around and fly over the target you just bombed, low and slow - which he did), he was not going to be advanced further than Lieutenant Commander, which meant he was on his way out for failing as an officer. Once he was a POW and on the "POW Promotion Track" in which he got advanced in rank as soon as he had seniority for it, he made it all the way to Captain (Colonel in the other services), but the first time he had to perform a Captain's job, he was his old failure self again, at which point the Navy got rid of him by turning him into a pimp for Congressmen whose votes they needed.

So if the Navy didn't respect his service, why should anyone else?

I should amend my above statement slightly.

The Viet Nam war years were an exceptionally ugly time in this country - I know - I buried one friend during the war, and another friend who was Marine on the ground for 2 tours, exposed to Agent Orange, never really recovered from the horrors he was part of. I buried him 6 years ago.

Yes, I know McCain was already in the military as a career. and yes, I know it was a family "tradition".

But there were many, many, many young men who actively avoided the Draft and military service during that time (Bicycling through France, Mitt?). McCain and his family had the resources for him to not be sent into the war zone. But he went, and in spite of his stupidities, he did actively serve.

Is that the time, Democratic President Carter Pardoned.

No, Obama is already working with Iran, Syria, Egypt, don' forget the mess in Lybia with our Ambassador.

Funny how the focus here is on McCain and he isn't running for the white-house yet you want to put everything from him onto the Republican party. How about putting some blame from Holder and everyone else in this administration on Obama. Who's incompetence was it for Fast and Furious or spending Billions on defunct companies or the debacle of Libya? If there is anything in this country that is corrupt right now it is the left wing of the political system. Totally opaque the opposite of what was promised. No working towards a budget no compromise and a pack of lies is what we have gotten. Why exactly isn't it racist when blacks back Obama just because of his color yet when a white person doesn't back him soley due to his terrible policies it is called racist. You lefties want your cake and eat it too, sorry your spins on politics just don't add up and your links to McCains military debacles also presume a lot of things which you choose to translate into fault.... Wow no trials in a Democratic run society, presumed guilt though hmmmm..

So how does McCain feel his own legacy is standing up?.....this just brings his weakness back into the light of day again. Agree with Steve, Kudos!

Well said. And Kudos to Col. Wilkerson for his courage during Ed Schultz's program Fri. nite, where he admitted to the racism in the repub/tparty. Tho many of us knew, it was awesome to hear it.

earthgirl, yes, kudos to Col. Wilkerson. The republican party needs more people like Col. Wilkerson. There is a severe lack of leadership in that party.

Even with his history before 2000? Like I said, Americans!

As a newly flip-flopped GOPer , I how believe the Twilight Zone was a documentary.

Pondering: OK, you're a writer on The Daily Show. Good ones.

McCain was a good choice to appoint the task of "tackling" Powell's endorsement. He still has some policy cred (for some reason), and he's on his way out.

JD1966, I totally agree. The fact that McCain didn't recognize or didn't care that Palin was totally unqualified to be VP makes a very negative impression to me on McCain's judgement and leadership skills. I will always be dubious about McCain hereafter.