Republican National Convention coverage
By Carlos Miller
As John McCain prepared to remind delegates of the years he spent as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, another veteran from a more recent war reminded television viewers that McCain is not as supportive of the troops as he would like you to believe.
At first, when the television camera panned up to the upper deck of the Xcel Center, it appeared that the veteran was just another McCain supporter. After all, the way police were treating protesters outside the Xcel Center last week, it would seem highly unlikely that a protester would be allowed inside.
But as the cameras continued filming him, it became evident that this veteran was no supporter of John McCain.
USMC veteran Adam Kokesh was holding up a two-sided sign that read: “You Can’t Win An Occupation” and “McCain Votes Against Vets.” He ended up getting tossed out of the convention.
This is not the first time I’ve written about Kokesh. In July, he was handcuffed by FBI agents in Washington DC after photographing police making a traffic stop.
Kokesh returned from Iraq in 2006 and joined Iraq Veterans Against the War, who states the following about McCain on its Website:
Senator McCain has consistently voted against veterans interests. In a recent report, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a “D” rating to Senator Obama’s “B+.” Disabled American Veterans reports that Senator McCain only voted for legislation that benefited veterans 20% of the time while Senator Obama supported veterans’ needs 80% of the time.
Last Monday, a group of 60 veterans from Iraq Veterans Against the War marched towards the Xcel Center to deliver a message to McCain’s team – not that it was ever mentioned in the mainstream media.
IVAW member Wes Davey led the march and attempted to deliver the briefing to Senator McCain’s staff. Despite numerous mailed, faxed, and in-person invitations to meet, McCain’s office refused to send anyone to receive the briefing. When Davey, a retired Army First Sergeant and former St. Paul police officer, attempted to deliver the briefing, he was escorted off the premises.
A week earlier, another group of IVAW members marched towards the Pepsi Center in Denver to deliver a message to Obama’s team. They were not turned away.
Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) marched to the Pepsi Center in Denver on Wednesday, August 27 where they were met by Phil Carter, Senator Obama’s Senior Veterans’ Liaison. Carter is negotiating the terms of a meeting with IVAW representatives. IVAW has requested a meeting with Senator Obama himself and his Senior Foreign Policy Advisor.
Perhaps McCain’s team was unable to meet with the veterans because they were too busy searching the Internets for an image of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, which they planned to use as a backdrop during McCain’s big speech to give the impression that he is in tune with the veterans.
But they ended up running a picture of Walter Reed Middle School instead, which is in Hollywood, more than 3,000 miles from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC.
Then they tried to play it off like they meant to run the picture of this random middle school, which is in a predominantly democratic neighborhood.
“The changing image-screen was linked to the American thematics of the speech and the public school was simply part of it,” said spokesman Tucker Bounds.
However, officials from the middle school were not happy that the image was used without their permission.
It has been brought to the school’s attention that a picture of the front of our school, Walter Reed Middle School, was used as a backdrop at the Republican National Convention. Permission to use the front of our school for the Republican National Convention was not given by our school nor is the use of our school’s picture an endorsement of any political party or view.
The blunder was the closest McCain ever came to addressing veteran’s issues that night, said Paul Riekhoff, director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
“I think honestly that backdrop, whether it was Walter Reed medical center or Walter Reed middle school — that’s about as close as Sen. McCain got to veterans issues last night. He didn’t mention the word veteran once during his entire speech, didn’t talk about post-traumatic stress disorder, didn’t talk about veterans funding. I think he really forgot where he came from last night.”
Meanwhile, another veteran who attended the Naval Academy with McCain – and was also a POW in Vietnam with McCain – said McCain is too volatile and temperamental to be president.
“He would blow up like a Roman candle at any possible time. He is very sensitive and touchy and very easy to anger,” said Phillip Butler in the video posted below.
He also points out that POWs die at an earlier age and suffer more problems than people the same age who were not POWs.
“It’s imperative that he was some someone who is healthy and can stand the rigors of that job,” Butler said.
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13 responses so far ↓
1 Jamie Holts // Sep 8, 2008 at 2:58 AM
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
2 Ms Calabaza // Sep 8, 2008 at 8:13 AM
OMG! Walter Reed Middle School? Somebody really messed up! That person’s not on the campaign anymore … I bet.
3 Scott // Sep 8, 2008 at 11:41 AM
If Walter Reed Middle School sues the Republican Party, I am just going to burst out laughing.
4 Tere // Sep 8, 2008 at 12:38 PM
So far no spin on that Walter Reed snafu, right? There’s nothing they can say to gloss over that royal F-up.
Still, it’s ironic that had the Dems messed up like that, Rish, Bill, etc. would be calling for their heads.
5 Carlos Miller // Sep 8, 2008 at 12:48 PM
I just added the quote from the McCain camp, which is very weak.
“The changing image-screen was linked to the American thematics of the speech and the public school was simply part of it,” said spokesman Tucker Bounds.
6 bj // Sep 8, 2008 at 1:14 PM
“Veterans against John McCain”
What does this have to do with Photography is not a Crime?
I thought this type of stuff was what your other blog was about.
7 Carlos Miller // Sep 8, 2008 at 1:49 PM
bj,
This blog is also about activism, which is also a First Amendment right.
In fact, this whole blog is an example of activism in the fact that I’m trying to raise awareness about a very important issue.
The vets in this story are also activists in how they are trying to raise awareness about an issue that is very important to them.
Besides, I’ve written about Adam Kokesh before when he ended up in handcuffs after photographing cops during a traffic stop.
8 bj // Sep 8, 2008 at 3:48 PM
I understand the post about Adam being arrested after photographing cops.
I know this is your blog and you can do with it as you wish; I read it to keep up to date on how photographers are being singled out BUT I do not follow inline with your politics when it comes to other issues and I would hate to see this blog head down that slope. It honestly kill it for me.
Just my 2 cents.
9 Carlos Miller // Sep 8, 2008 at 4:07 PM
bj,
I would hate to see you stop reading this blog because you disagree with my politics.
Many of my readers are republican conservatives and although we don’t see eye to eye in many issues, we all agree about photographers’ First Amendment rights.
But as I said, my blog is also about activism, the freedom to speak your mind, whether it is a popular opinion or not.
This story about the veterans against McCain is very important because not only was it not covered by the mainstream media, it gives a voice to those who are fighting for our country.
So many people like to claim they “support the troops” but obviously not when the troops have something unpopular to say.
If we were to stifle everybody who had something unpopular to say, then my blog would have been shut down long ago.
10 bj // Sep 8, 2008 at 5:12 PM
I understand fully and agree that a voice is needed – actually not just a voice; a loud voice.
I read your site for photography related news.
If you continue to raise non photography related issues I wont stop reading your site. It just will not be one of the first places I check in the morning.
I would like to disagree; your site hasn’t been about activism. It has been about photographers that have been unjustly detained and harassed. The politics have been keep mainly to the comments and not the main body of the article, where I think they should be.
There is a voice (a loud voice) needed to help the major news sources wake up and take notice with what is happening to us on the streets. If they do not push the information out; this site becomes a major source of information for people that do care and take the time to do a little research. That how I found you.
Don’t worry about me Carlos I am one of your readers. I just would really hate to see your blog head in a non photography related direction.
11 Роберт // Jan 4, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Я совершенно случайно зашел на этот блог, но задержался тут надолго. Задержался, потому что все очень интересно. Обязательно скажу о вас всем своим знакомым.
12 Ms Calabaza // Jan 4, 2009 at 10:09 AM
Carlos,
I just purchased approx. $270.00 worth of merchandise off the B&H site via this blog. Make sure you get credit for it. If you don’t I have an invoice number for you…take care,
Ms C
13 Carlos Miller // Jan 4, 2009 at 1:40 PM
Thanks, Ms. C,
It usually takes a couple of days for it to show up, so I’ll be looking out for it and let you know.
Happy New Year!
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