The Wrong Candidate, The Wrong War, The Wrong Walter Reed
Last night in St. Paul, Sen. McCain made his acceptance speech for in front of a towering screen-saver or patriotic imagery, shifting between a flag in the wind against a blue sky and an image of the front lawn and shining facade of Walter Reed. Walter Reed Middle School in the San Fernando Valley, that is.
Is there a better symbol for the past eight years of red herrings and false imagery? Of twisting facts to sell America on a war against a country that didn’t attack us? Of a candidate who served heroically himself but opposed increasing funding for VA hospitals, and tried to block the bipartisan 21st Century GI Bill which increased veterans’ education benefits for the first time in 50 years? I can’t think of one.
Brian McGough at VetVoice has more:
In October of 2003 I was wounded in Iraq when the vehicle I was riding in was struck by shrapnel from an IED. After being airlifted away from the attack site I went to Baghdad for emergency brain surgery to remove shrapnel from my skull. After I was stabilized, I was sent to Germany to begin my recovery. When I was deemed recovered enough to return to the states I was flown into Andrews Air Force base and loaded on a bus to go to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Washington DC. This is what Walter Reed Medical Center looks like: I spent over 2 years at Walter Reed as both an inpatient and an outpatient. I have walked the halls numerous times. I met fellow patients and their families. I became friends with others in the same situation as me. I shared in the joys of good times and the sorrows of bad times. For me it was a very important place. Last night John McCain gave the first part of his speech with the backdrop of Walter Reed behind him. But it wasn’t my Walter Reed. It was Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, Ca. So, they either goofed up by using a picture from the wrong place or weren’t allowed to show the real hospital, so they chose a fake. It wouldn’t be the first time they chose a fake stand-in when they couldn’t get the real thing (Republicans Use Fake Troops for RNC Video). My money is on the fact that some one goofed up and no one cared enough to change anything. Either way it is disrespectful. It is disrespectful for a number of reasons. But here is what gets at me. It is the same as them showing the 9-11 video but failing to mention that the are not even really looking for the people who perpetrated the attacks on us. Sen. McCain wanted a back-drop of Walter Reed so that he could be seen as a champion for reform in DC and to remind us that he will never allow it to happen again. And if that is the case why did Sen. McCain vote against an increase in funding for military and veterans hospitals(Roll Call Vote)? He voted against it because the “maverick” sided with his party in order to keep tax cuts for the wealthiest. McCain allowed the wrong back-drop to be used at his speech because he didn’t care. McCain voted against increasing funding to the hospital because he didn’t care. But I do care. And thats why it bothers me that some one who is running for The President of the United States does not.
Update: This was not the only stock photo used last night. In McCain’s introduction video, the pictures of African-Americans were not originals, they were also purchased from a stock photo house.
