Applesauce » Karl Rove peddling falsehood that McCain can’t use computers because of war injuries

Karl Rove peddling falsehood that McCain can’t use computers because of war injuries

September 14th, 2008 at 10:45pm Pat Cunningham

John McCain has never said his war injuries prevent him from using computers, but that’s the story Karl Rove is selling.

It’s not true. As the Chicago Tribune’s political blog REPORTED earlier today, McCain “has indicated using e-mails or the Internet was something he just hadn’t gotten around to.”

There’s more on the matter HERE and HERE and HERE. (Warning: Strong language on at least one of the sites to which I’ve linked.)

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19 Comments Add your own

1. Menlo Bob | September 15th, 2008 at 2:09 am

Look, you’re being a jerk again. Ads will come out and your left-wing friends will end up spending days trying to deny the obvious.
2. gowader | September 15th, 2008 at 5:28 am

I quess Obama can sit behind his computer and run the world with all of his high tech skills.
3. arron chambers jr. | September 15th, 2008 at 5:38 am

the rockford register star is the biggest joke in this area
4. Jon | September 15th, 2008 at 8:41 am

Simply put…adaptive technology is far advanced so that individuals with disabilities…even severe disabilities….are able to use computers, email, etc. The claim that he is not able to email or use computers due to war time injuries is very suspect.
5. Craig Knauss | September 15th, 2008 at 8:47 am

“Ads will come out and your left-wing friends will end up spending days trying to deny the obvious….”

Ads about what? Ads can say anything. Ever see those ads about Bob, with the chemically enhanced manhood?
6. Craig Knauss | September 15th, 2008 at 8:49 am

I didn’t mean Menlo Bob. Unless, of course, that was him in those stupid commercials.
7. Milton Waddams | September 15th, 2008 at 9:08 am

Karl Rove peddling falsehoods? I just don\\\’t believe it! He has always been beyond reproach and to imply otherwise is unpatriotic, it coddles the terrorists and is immoral.
8. Menlo Bob | September 15th, 2008 at 10:36 am

Craig–I’m glad I could help with your (cough) problem.
9. Billybeermonicagar | September 15th, 2008 at 12:13 pm

Uncle Milty, What terrorists? I thought they all disbanded when Obama was named President by all you guys.
10. snuss | September 15th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

I’ll try to clear this up for all you nit-picking MoonBats, read the following:

Assuredly McCain isn’t comfortable talking about this — and the McCain campaign discouraged me from writing about this — but the reason the aged Arizonan doesn’t use a computer or send email is because of his war wounds.

I realize some of the nastier liberals in the blogosphere will see this as McCain once again “playing the POW card,” but it’s simply a fact: typing on a regular keyboard for any sustained period of time bothers McCain physically.

He can type, he occasionally does type, but in general the injuries he sustained as a POW — ones that make it impossible for him to raise his arms high enough to comb his hair — mean that small tasks make his shoulders ache, so he tries to avoid any repetitive exercise.

Again, it’s not that he can’t type, he just by habit avoids when he can repetitive exercise involving his arms. He does if he has to, as with handshaking or autographs.

Source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/why-doesnt-mcca.html
11. snuss | September 15th, 2008 at 1:08 pm

In case one source wasn’t enough, read this:

In certain ways, McCain was a natural Web candidate. Chairman of the Senate Telecommunications Subcommittee and regarded as the U.S. Senate’s savviest technologist, McCain is an inveterate devotee of email. His nightly ritual is to read his email together with his wife, Cindy. The injuries he incurred as a Vietnam POW make it painful for McCain to type. Instead, he dictates responses that his wife types on a laptop. “She’s a whiz on the keyboard, and I’m so laborious,” McCain admits.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/asap/2000/0529/053_print.html

Well, Pat, are you and your MoonBat friends going to apologize for bashing an injured war veteran/POW because of his limitations caused by those injuries? Probably not.
12. Uncle Bouncy | September 15th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

Jon…you are clearly very ignorant of how the adaptive technology work and how effective they are…they are not as exact as you believe

A very good friend of mine has the same sort of technology…and I have to spend a good portion of time trying to figure out what the heck his e-mail meant to say..

Gee..kinda like one of Pat’s columns
13. Uncle Bouncy | September 15th, 2008 at 1:34 pm

I love how ol’ Turdblossom is the bogeyman for you lefties…cripes..you see him everywhere and his hand in everything.

It’s quite amusing
14. Pat Cunningham | September 15th, 2008 at 1:59 pm

Snuss: Various things:
1) John McCain has never said he’s physically unable to use a computer or discomforted by it because of his war injuries.

2) Last January, McCain said, regarding computers: “I am an illiterate that has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance that I can get.” He didn’t say he was physically unable to use computers.

3) In July, McCain told the New York Times that he was “becoming computer literate” and learning to go online. But he also said he did not send e-mail. “I don’t e-mail, I’ve never felt the particular need to e-mail,” he said.

4) Also in July, McCain’s campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds said it was “factually inaccurate” to say that McCain can’t send e-mail. But Bounds didn’t say whether McCain uses e-mail or how often. “I’m not going to get into the specifics of John McCain’s e-mail correspondence. There couldn’t be anything more off topic than that,” Bounds said. “I’m not going to get into the specifics of John McCain’s e-mail correspondence. There couldn’t be anything more off topic than that.”

4. Also in July, McCain said: “I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don’t expect to be a great communicator, I don’t expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need.”

5) McCain’s campaign manager Rick Davis has said of the candidate that he always is grabbing people’s Blackberrys on the bus. In fact, no reporter’s Blackberry is safe from his prying eyes. He loves to tool around on the internet, he especially loves the videos that get produced that usually poke fun at him. I think that’s his most entertaining part of the internet.”

6) In a subsequent interview, McCain said: “I use the Blackberry, but I don’t e-mail, I’ve never felt the particular need to e-mail. I read e-mails all the time, but the communications that I have with my friends and staff are oral and done with my cell phone. I have the luxury of being in contact with them literally all the time.”

snuss: I’ll be awaiting your apology for wrongly accusing me of “bashing an injured war veteran/POW because of his limitations caused by those injuries.”
15. Uncle Bouncy | September 15th, 2008 at 2:38 pm

Pat. you guys have hit all time lows…The links to stories that tell the truth about McCain and computers have been posted…I’m sorry that you only believe the garbage Kos and Obama put out…

The truth is…the only campaign that is computer illiterate is Obama’s for not doing their homework…AGAIN

Let’s run through your list

1) McCain never makes a big deal about his injuries…but you are trying to manipulate that to fit your own warped sense of the truth…and Snuss called you out on that twice in this very post

2) A previous link that I provided showed that it is true that he relies on his wife to type e-mails for him…BECAUSE IT’S TOO PAINFUL FOR HIM…

3) Obama said that McCain can’t e-mail….so you’re points number 3 and number 4 AND number 5 proves that OBAMA IS A LIAR!

and finally, point 6 again proves that you and Obama are lying
Reading an e-mail…which he says he does…is completely different that typing…I’m guessing that McCain reads with his EYES…

not sure how you do it, but generally typing with your hands and arms extended

Bottom line Pat…you lefties have hit rock bottom and continue to dig…it’s not helping Obama…and proving how unfit he is for public office
16. snuss | September 15th, 2008 at 5:17 pm

Tell you what, Pat. Spend the next five and a half years with your arms tied behind your back, and being hung up that way every day. If you still feel like sending me some e-mail, let me know. My guess is that McCain would rather say he just isn’t up to date than admit to the pain, probably because some MoonBat weenie would accuse him of whining.
17. Uncle Bouncy | September 15th, 2008 at 7:42 pm

I’m going to let Pat in on an exclusive…the next McCain ad, which will sink to the same level as Obama’s

They are going to hit Barry because he can’t use Bluetooth technology

Cause his ears are too big
18. Peter Gunn | September 15th, 2008 at 8:06 pm

Good Grief, Lets see here…….

McCain doesn’t know how to operate a computer,

Doesn’t know what kind of car he drives,

Doesn’t have any idea how many houses he owns

Then picks as his V.P, someone even MORE CLUELESS than himself

Yet Pat Cunningham, for pointing out these small imperfections is the jerk huh ????

WOW

A mind really IS a terrible thing to waste
Help stamp out Wing-Nut-Fever

Vote Obama, Stop the Drama
19. Craig Knauss | September 15th, 2008 at 10:42 pm

I’ve never seen so many stupid comments in my life. Yes, adaptive technology does work. How do you think people like Steven Hawkin use a computer? One of my co-workers uses a computer quite well despite his injuries and missing fingers. It’s not a matter of equipment, it’s a matter of attitude and effort.