Lost McCain footage found in Sweden – The Local — McCain in these pictures, to me at least, looks as if he is doing his best to merely walk. He has a distinct limp. But since he is seen here NOT on crutches you can be sure someone will think he phonied up his being on crutches later. Since the Swedes seemed to make a point of this, you can be sure it will come out in the USA too.

During the summer as he was working on his book, Eriksson went back into the archives to find footage for the accompanying DVD and discovered the sequence with McCain.

“As far as we know, these are the only images that exist from when McCain was released in Hanoi,” said Eriksson.

“In American descriptions of the event, it is often said that he returned to the US on crutches. But he certainly didn’t leave North Vietnam on crutches.”

Found by Robin B.




  1. bobbo says:

    I’m not a medical expert, and I don’t support McCain, but it seems to me medical conditions can change, especially when undergoing treatment and therapy?

    McCain served his country honorably during the Vietnam War. Only a repuglican would smear such a veteran for such service.

  2. Paddy-O says:

    “but since he is seen here NOT on crutches you can be sure someone will think he phonied up his being on crutches later.”

    I don’t think even libs are stupid enough to try that.

  3. Rob says:

    This one easy guys, He is a vet that just came through six years of hell and he is walking out with his head held high for himself and his fellow POW’s. like him or not, respect him for what he went through for his country.

  4. Bill says:

    Low blow… You should pull this thread…

  5. Joe says:

    Yes, we must always respect the murderers who do it for their country. If your national government says its OK to kill these people, it isn’t murder, its defending freedom, right?

    But otherwise, this would be a stupid attack. It wouldn’t accomplish anything, and it may just make it look like McCains honor is under assault by the “America hating libs” or whatever.

  6. eyeofthetiger says:

    Obviously he could of used some crutches. Bomb bomb, Iran.

  7. Very low blow. At least, he’s trying to leave proudly from their captors. At worst, they could cared less to give him crutches he needed and even used that opportunity for the “last torture”. Swedes should consult his documented health history which clearly shows permanent damage from badly treated injuries.

  8. ijsbrand says:

    Question: how would John McCain’s extended stay in North Vietnam be defined in terms nowadays used the American government to decribe the interns and their treatment at Guantanamo Bay, or elsewhere in the secret CIA prisons?

    Apart from this, isn’t saluting about raising your hand above your shoulder? And wasn’t he supposed to be unable to do that as well?

  9. adder says:

    What happens if McCain dies before November? Or if he is President-elect and then dies?

    Think before you vote.

  10. Mr. Fusion says:

    #4, Bill,

    I disagree. This is a valid comment and question.

    At the same time, I don’t think the criticism is valid. Most likely he left with his head held high under his own power instead of hobbling or being helped.

  11. rectagon says:

    Ultra cheap shot. He is visibly hobbled in this video and, undoubtedly, running on adrenaline. To bring this up, even here, is a low blow of massive proportions. I’m with #4 on this one.

  12. BillM says:

    Tom Brady didn’t use crutches to walk off the field last Sunday. Must be fakin’ it.

  13. edwinrogers says:

    What I want to know is, was he a Yankee or a Confederate?

  14. fulanoche says:

    I agree with #1, 2, and 3.

    Jeez, he probably needed a visit to the dentist and to cut his nails!

  15. Paddy-O says:

    #8 “What happens if McCain dies before November? Or if he is President-elect and then dies?”

    About the same thing that happens if Obama is elected. You’d get a young, relatively inexperienced Pres. Although, Palin has more exec experience than Obama.

    Why do you ask?

  16. Christopher says:

    I think it is about as valid to ask as they asked of John Kerry if the enemy he shot was running away from him. Why is it acceptable for Republicans to make low blows on Dems but not the other way around?

  17. Paddy-O says:

    #15 “Why is it acceptable for Republicans to make low blows on Dems but not the other way around?”

    I don’t know. The Dems should try it out…

  18. a says:

    Swift Boat … hmmmm

  19. Whatever says:

    #15 – Why? Just because. There’s plenty to swift boat John McCain on…but Obama won’t do it. The Democrats want to win, but their not as pathetic and desperate as Republicans to haul out swift boat ads. The Republicans will totally make up stuff (McCain’s sex ed add, and cut & paste made up lipstick on a pig ad). I’m not talking about internet rumors or blogs, I mean the actual candidate (McCain or Obama)

    McCain = Bush
    Palin = Alan Keyes

  20. Montanaguy says:

    So the totally out-of-context, phonied-up ads/blogs by the dems about the # of houses McCain’s wife has and the $5 million remark(obviously said jokingly) don’t count as underhanded?

  21. Whatever says:

    #19 – Er…but McCain NOT being able to remember how many houses he and his wife owns IS true. Here’s the clip ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajB-vsqgZ3o ). The claim Obama called Palin a big (McCains ad) is made up. They cut & pasted a fake video together. Republicans lie.

    Remember when George HW Bush remarked about never having seen a grocery checkout scanner…and didn’t know the price of milk. That nearly did in his campaign showing how out of touch HE was. How out of touch is McCain with daily life if he doesn’t even know how many houses he lives in and what type of car he drives. Either senior moments, or he’s SO rich details like # of houses or cars aren’t important. Out of touch with my life for sure.

  22. Whatever says:

    THAT being said, I don’t want to see anything about his war past (crutches or not, what he said to his captors, etc) used in an Obama video. Yes the Republicans disparaged Kerry’s record (while running a coward of their own who AVOIDED actual dangerous war to sit and drink in Texas while others faced combat), but the Democrats should take the high road. I want this about the issues…you know, those things the Republicans can’t win on.

  23. charlie says:

    On one of the news clips about this, there was a guy that said that McCain went through surgery to fix a broken bone that hadn’t healed properly, which would explain the limp and the use of crutches later on.

  24. Paddy-O says:

    #20 “#14 – Slavery is against the law.”

    I thought is was an innocent question and I was trying to be helpful. 😉

  25. Montanaguy says:

    #21
    It’s pretty silly to make hay out of this. McCain married a wealthy woman, and in a lot of these marriages (between a wealthy and non-wealthy spouse) there is a literal firewall between the finances of the two spouses often underlined by a pre-nup. Why he should be able to enumerate the holdings of his wealthy wife, and be accountable for them, is of no interest to anyone other than donkocrats desperate to find something to rant about. It’s ridiculous. Lose the death grip on trivialities.

    I agree that the republicans should have taken the high ground, and ignored the lipstick reference for the same reason. I personally feel, after reviewing the whole clip, that his body language, covering his face with his hand as he made the remark showed stress, as though the idea had been planted by someone, and he was embarrassed to be saying it, knowing how it would be taken. He’s a better man than that and the stress shows. Thats’ just my observation. I think Obama is a decent, smart man; I just don’t think he has leadership skills. I think he should have waited a term or two to run. He can’t seem to fully commit to anything – from the U.C.C. church to his position on raising the marginal tax rates or even whether Rev. Wright is his friend or not. I think McCain is a leader. That affects my vote a lot.

  26. contempt says:

    McCain suffered not for Republican or Democrat, but for America. You would think all here could at least appreciate the effort instead of displaying what a no-class bastard you really are.

  27. Stephanie says:

    I hope #23 is correct otherwise McCain had a Hillary moment of bad recollection.

  28. Lex Tangible says:

    #14 “Palin has more exec experience than Obama.”

    By that criteria Palin has more exec. experience then McCain too.

  29. Rick says:

    I’d cut the guy all the slack he wants on this one, but I don’t see it as such a cheap shot to ask questions. I’m not sure there is much here, but to ask if there was ever any move to use his situation (never in question from what I’ve seen) as a tool toward other means is perfectly legitimate.

    Has no one seen McCain get a question about the economy or gay marriage and hear him answer that he was a POW? Ok, be honest, how many times? Can’t count all of them? Exactly.

    If he was a “politician” by the time he landed back home, it isn’t bad to have a good look at that. As his own campaign keeps bringing up, it is about character.

  30. Paddy-O says:

    #28 “By that criteria Palin has more exec. experience then McCain too.”

    Yep, and more than Biden too. Cool, huh?


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