I don't understand why Obama keeps praising McCain for his stand on torture, when

[garybeck]

McCain voted against the bill that would have banned waterboarding.

Just today in his speech in NC, he did it again. you can view the video here:

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Obama_Will_McCain_accuse_me_of_1029.html

you'll see right at the beginning that he praises McCain not only for his stand against torture, but also for breaking ranks with the bush administration on the subject. but that is the complete opposite of the truth! McCain TALKED a lot about being against torture, but when it came down to a vote, he caved in. Obama must know this, mustn't he?

Every time I see him praise McCain for his stand on torture, I want to scream, "can someone PLEASE tell him that McCain voted against the waterboarding ban!?!?!?!"

---
(from Think Progress a few months ago)

McCain Votes Against Waterboarding Ban

Today, the Senate brought the Intelligence Authorization Bill to the floor, which contained a provision from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) establishing one interrogation standard across the government. The bill requires the intelligence community to abide by the same standards as articulated in the Army Field Manual and bans waterboarding.

Just hours ago, the Senate voted in favor of the bill, 51-45.

Earlier today, ThinkProgress noted that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a former prisoner of war, has spoken strongly in favor of implementing the Army Field Manual standard. When confronted today with the decision of whether to stick with his conscience or cave to the right wing, McCain chose to ditch his principles and instead vote to preserve waterboarding:

Mr. McCain, a former prisoner of war, has consistently voiced opposition to waterboarding and other methods that critics say is a form torture. But the Republicans, confident of a White House veto, did not mount the challenge. Mr. McCain voted “no” on Wednesday afternoon.

[sandnsea]

1. It reminds the haters that he's a wimp

and has betrayed them on important issues. Or so they think anyway.

[garybeck]

3. are you saying

he's reaching out to the people who favor torture? to say that since both candidates are against torture, they might as well vote for him (obama)? i'm not sure the logic really follows.

I think he's trying to set up his main point, that mccain is right on some issues, BUT... he's wrong on the big issues like the economy.

i just wish he could pick a different issue, one that mccain really is right on (I know it would be nearly impossible to find one) instead of misrepresenting McCain's voting record, giving him more credit than is due.

[sandnsea]

5. No.

I'm saying he likes to have something to compliment McCain on, it fits the script. So he uses the one thing that really really really pisses off McCain's warmongering torture loving base of haters.

[BlooInBloo]

2. He's choosing his battles.

[garybeck]

4. if he's just choosing his battles, then

just choose the battle and fight it. if torture isn't the battle, then why not just leave it alone? Why bring it up at all? Why misrepresent McCains stand and give him more credit than he deserves on it? Why say he broke ranks with Bush on the subject when he didn't?

[BlooInBloo]

6. (shrug) It's not Obama's fault that the only way to say something nice about McIcky...

is to lie about him.

:rofl:

[garybeck]

9. so you agree that he must know McCain voted for torture, while

he's praising for standing against it?

it just seems odd to me, no matter how I look at it.

McCain doesn't search for a nice thing to say about Obama, and he certainly won't make one up if he can't find one. Why is Obama obligated to come up with something nice to say about McCain? If he is, why can't he say he is a good family man, or he fought valiantly for our country? Why bring up the torture issue, and give him false credit for it?

I guess part of the problem to me is that the torture issue is so disturbing. I hate to see it politicized.

[krawhitham]

7. Because most people believe it to be true

He does not have time to re-educate the lemmings

[garybeck]

8. but he's reinforcing a fallicy that makes his opponent look good

if he doesn't want to speak the truth about it, why not just leave it alone?

to me, if he knows the truth that McCain voted FOR torture, and he says this in his speeches, there must be some political reason why he's doing it. i'd rather he stick to the truth, than play politics. but I guess i'm just a purist?

i don't think it's a big "re-education" thing that he'd have to do. just point to the fact that mccain voted against the waterboarding ban. simple as that. if nothing else it shows he's a flip flopper.

[Beregond2]

10. It's called being a gentleman. You always find something nice to say about

your opponent, even if you have to leave things out to do it.

[garybeck]

11. well then pick another subject

the truth is McCain voted FOR torture.

if he's using it as a way to look gentlemanly, that means he's politicising it.

I think torture is disgusting and i hate to see it politicized.

if he wants to sound gentlemanly, just praise him for serving his country. he doesn't have to pretend McCain is against torture when he voted for it.

[Beregond2]

12. He was initially one of the voices against it.

That is what Obama was referring to. The fact that he then went back on one of the main provisions is something everyone knows, so that is hanging in the air each time Obama mentions it. Plus...what else is there? You can't praise him for serving his country when he failed at it.

[garybeck]

19. "something everyone knows?"

i'll have to disagree with that. Nearly no one I talk to knows McCain voted for torture. They all think he's a maverick on the issue.

[machI]

17. Obama is being gracious in victory

Being gracious in victory always pays in the long run.

I hope Obama has a very long run.

[garybeck]

20. wow, have the chickens already hatched?

i didn't get the memo

[machI]

22. In the memo it said:

You still need to get out and vote.

Failure to vote will result in no further memos.

[rebel with a cause]

21. and it sets himself apart from the mccain camp

where mccain and palin do not say anything nice about Obama. It creates a big difference between a campaign of hope and one of hate. It shows he can reach across the aisle while mccain's hate speak creates doubt on his capability of doing the same.

[WallStreetNobody]

13. It's also good strategy since so many of the wingnuts don't agree with McCain on torture

the wingnuts are already on the fence about McCain and are voting for him more because they don't want Obama, reminding them that McCain doesn't agree with them about things like torture might just kill any motivation they have at all to go vote.

[FrenchieCat]

14. I think it is brilliant.....

Those in the Armed Forces know that McCain caved, and so does McCain. Everytime Obama says that, McCain gets scared someone will look it up.

[silverojo]

15. I've been thinking that all along, too

I mean, he voted to allow waterboarding. That's torture, end of story.

[liberalla]

16. Well, he was always against torture

right up until the time he was for it. :shrug:

It was one of the last things that Cain finally folded on and voted in agreement with bush. He slowly and methodically came into line with the bushie crew. You could tell he hated it (at least I could), and yet he sold out to get access to the RNC$$ and the bush/cheney rolodex. He was power hungry. That's when the maverick became a rented pony.

Every time I hear Obama say that (praise him for his stance on torture), I'm right there with you... What? Huh? !!!

Maybe the other people on this thread are correct in their premise that he does it purposely, just to fuck with him and the RW'ers who hate that about him.

[WeDidIt]

18. He gains more being gracious

than he would by pounding the flip flop.