Saddlegate?
Some people are wondering about one of the most touching moments of the Saddleback Church presidential forum--when John McCain told of shared Christian fellowship with his North Vietnamese prison guard.
People are wondering if John McCain cribbed the poignant “cross in the dirt” story from Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn gave a similar account of his own imprisonment in the Soviet gulags.
It’s worth noting that McCain never mentioned this “cross in the dirt” story until 1999 as he prepared his 2000 Presidential campaign. He never mentioned it in his first thorough account of his time in captivity, offered in 1973, even though he did discuss religion a bit. See here:
It’s also worth noting that John McCain is a huge admirer of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, so is his longtime friend and ghost writer Mark Salter. See here:
"Solzhenitsyn at Work" By JOHN McCAIN | August 4, 2008
Could John McCain have essentially pulled a Hillary-at-Tuzla-ducking-gunfire stunt and fabricated a heartwarming story to appeal to evangelicals at Saddleback?
It would be downright reckless of McCain to completely crib this story from Solzhenitsyn. The risks are too high.
We’ll have to see how it pans out.
People are also wondering about McCain's whereabouts while Obama was answering the first questions. McCain was supposed to be in a room with no TV -- which someone dubbed the "Cone of Silence."
But now we find out that McCain was not even in the Saddleback church building as Obama was answering the pastor's first questions. Certainly not in that "cone of silence."
Instead, McCain was in his limo in traffic...a limousine that had satellite TV, radio, blackberry, you name it. He could so easily have heard the questions ahead of time and prepared accordingly.
I remember how quickly he answered the first question about the three wisest people he'd turn to for advice. So quick that it seemed like he knew that question in advance.
From The NYTimes: Despite Assurances, McCain Wasn’t in a ‘Cone of Silence’
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE, August 17, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. — Senator John McCain was not in a “cone of silence” on Saturday night while his rival, Senator Barack Obama, was being interviewed at the Saddleback Church in California.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Senator John McCain was not in a “cone of silence” on Saturday night while his rival, Senator Barack Obama, was being interviewed at the Saddleback Church in California.
....Members of the McCain campaign staff ... said Mr. McCain was in his motorcade on the way to the church as Mr. Obama was being interviewed.
....Nicolle Wallace, a spokeswoman for Mr. McCain, said on Sunday night that Mr. McCain had not heard the broadcast of the event while in his motorcade and heard none of the questions.
...Interviewed Sunday on CNN, Mr. Warren seemed surprised to learn that Mr. McCain was not in the building during the Obama interview."
Sooo, McCain's campaign is run by the Karl Rove crew, people who've been known to play the dirtiest of politics...and McCain did not watch or listen to, or have any kind of access through his crew to the questions ahead of time.
If you believe that, well, then I’m the Queen of Sheba...AND I have a sweet real estate deal for you.
