Well, that didn't take long. Bringing up your POW experience multiple times over the course of the past week as the primary retort to criticism has awakened some of the traditional press. The McCain campaign has been successful for a long time at convincing members of the Big Money Media that "the hero" doesn't bring up his POW background, or only does so reluctantly. That narrative seems to be weakening:
- Huffington Post: The McCain campaign--realizing this was trouble--retorted the only way they knew how: With a truly stupefying response from McCain spokesman Brian Rogers: "This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison," referring to the prisoner of war camp that McCain was in during the Vietnam War. Yes, you read that right. McCain justified not knowing how many houses he has by saying he was a POW in Vietnam, four decades ago. I have some things to say about this: 1. Being a POW is not an excuse for everything.
- Ana Marie Cox: "The McCain campaign's constant invocation of the candidate's POW past is weird bordering on irrational."
- Talkingpointsmemo.com: "McCain Camp Responds On Houses Gaffe: He Was A POW!
- Americablog: "McCain's housing gaffe doesn't matter because - are you ready? - he was a POW"
- Ben Smith at Politico: "McCain aides referred back to McCain's time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam in defending him from the mockery over his houses. This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison," says spokesman Rogers. It does seem like they're flirting with Giuliani/9/11 territory here, in which at subject that seems utterly immune to humor, used as a first resort, suddenly becomes a running joke among your political enemies and your late night comic friends."
- You Knew This Was Coming ...by hilzoy: "It didn't take more than a few hours for McCain's people to cite his experience as a POW in response to his gaffe about his houses."
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