McCain in Jerusalem

Posted: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 5:30 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Bethany Thomas
JERUSALEM -- Led by one of the museum guides, McCain toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum earlier this afternoon. He arrived to a cheering and enthusiastic crowd outside the somber facility. One man even chanted, "Mac is back!"

The senator was visibly moved as he walked through the entire facility and laid a wreath in remembrance. Most of the tour was spent with the guide explaining display after display and McCain solemnly shaking his head in understanding and disbelief of the horror. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman trailed slightly behind. McCain rarely spoke except when he learned that the late astronaut Ilan Ramon (who died in the Columbia shuttle crash) was the eighth fighter pilot in the 1981 operation to blow up the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq. McCain exclaimed, "He must have been young! In that seat you're the last one out."

McCain also visited the Children's Memorial, which pays tribute to the 1.5 million kids who died. He came out of the site looking choked up.

The three senators signed a guest book on their way out. McCain wrote: "I am deeply moved. Never again."

Speaking to reporters after the museum tour, McCain praised the founders for creating a "remembrance of the courage and bravery and sustainability of the human spirit." He also cited Viktor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning". One couldn't help but think that McCain reflected back to his time in captivity in Vietnam when he spoke about the book's concept that "they could take everything from us but our right to choose and we have chosen now as a nation and a world to make sure that never again is a reality."

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Comments

No mention of him not knowing Al-Quaeda isn't in Iran and that it took Lieberman to correct him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6GBdyws5YU

Oreo (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 5:55 PM)

McCain, too, has a heart and a vision for change and hope as a result of his circumstance. I am glad to see him working to bridge gaps as well. I think today has been significant on both the foreign and domestic fronts for our nation as a whole. Although their tactics for securing our nation's interests differ, both men are genuine, heart-felt leaders who see a promise of a better tomorrow in the face of a fallen past.

Kathryn in Bham (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 5:56 PM)

Obama's speech: "Vote for me and all of your sins will be forgiven you white devils you!"

ANYONE BUT OBAMA

patty,sd,ca (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 5:56 PM)

Tax payer $$$'s at work for his campaign. Unlaw he should reimburse the government. Oh that's right, Republicans are above the law.

Bob, Chicago

Bob, Chicago (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:05 PM)

I have this vision of McCain ridding that bomb at the end of Dr. Strangelove.

Paul, Riverside, CA (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:17 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Hearing this it is clear how much better it would have been for McCain to have stepped aside for Mike Huckabee and took on the mantel of elder statesmen.

twocanpete (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:20 PM)

FIRST READ: (posting this here so it doens't get lost int he deluge). A thought -- One way to view the time since Super Tuesday is that Obama, with his February run, delivered a near knockout blow to Hillary. It wasn't quite a knockout because the electorate or the media or the democratic party had some hesitation on whether whites would except Obama as a candidate in sufficient numbers. Misconsin seemed to allay those fear, Ohio re-ignited them. And so here we are. If This very good speech by Obama moves us past that question, then it is truly game over. Hillary is out. My guess is that it will. Anyone who was "on the fence" about whether Obama's blackness should give them pause can only have seen his speech as honest and comforting and sympathetic to all races. Anyone put off by his frank speech would never have voted for him anyway. People on the fence just want to know that Obama won't turn into Wright in the general election. Everyone now knows he will not. That is the last test he had to pass. My guess is the polls will show he did in the coming days.

Geoff in Brooklyn (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:23 PM)

He doesn't mind killing 1 million Iraqi people (which includes children). NEVER AGAIN.

Audrey Fryer, Vancouver Island, Canada (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:26 PM)

I was checking McCain out today on the news as he sat with King Abdullah and thought... "That's one arrogant man".

Here's the problem with McCain, he wears his emotion on his sleeves as if someone OWES his respect or if he's above it all. The critical aspect of this is, McCain is a 3rd term of Bush and someone told McCain he can be as nasty, arrogant and disrespectful as he wants because he'll bomb the Middle East regardless.

McCain should think about sitting this election cycle out for the sake of our country.

Karen, NYC (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:30 PM)

And when is the visit to the nearest Palestinian refugee camp scheduled? I'm sure Lieberman can give him the tour. Silly me. I forgot that this was meant to be a shameless court the Jewish vote by touring the most bullet-proof of all political cover: a holocaust museum.

Ian (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:33 PM)

http://tardis-db.co.uk/main.html

Whats he doing their he has no business being their.

Blogger (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 6:50 PM)

I keep asking myself why Barrock Obama inspires me. I have had conservative view all my life. I loved Regan and his stupid pie charts. I think it is a noble job to kill terrorist that want to kill all americans. I often listen, and sometimes agree with Michael Savage--God help him. So why do I listen? I think in the end it is because I find that I AM SO SELFISH, AND BARROCK IS SO SELFLESS in all aspects of his stoic persona. Furthermore, I value loyality, in my family, friends and leaders--but most of all in my Leadership. The only place that I have really experienced loyalty in my leadership was when I was and NCO in the military. We truly looked out for eachother's well being. Then, this Barrack fellow comes along and holds on to what appears to be a heavy weight around his neck (R. Wright.) Not only does Barrack not drown, but he pulls the weight up and gently sets it down on the ship. Now I'm thinking bad thoughts--how can this guy excuse that guy. I wouldn't excuse that guy--he screwed-up my campaign. But then I remember--I AM SELFISH and Barrack is selfless--like when we were in the army, taking care of one another.

I think I will vote for Obama--just to see if he is truly what he appears to be. Let's see if he can bring our two disfunctional parties together, and restore the dignity, honor, and pride of America by ridding ourselves of special interest groups.

go conservative (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:17 PM)

Please notice how busy the media has been NOT reporting that Saint McCain's mid-east tour is a total taxpayer-funded campaign stunt! Complete with his two most ardent congressonal lapdoggies, Graham & Lieberman. I'm sure it's pure coincidence that those two, out of everyone else in Congress, just happen to be along for this little hey-I-could-be-yer-next-president tour.

Official business my a$$.

Perry "Hussein", NYC (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:28 PM)

I am a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton. However, if the Dems are stupid and nominate an unqualified and unelectable Barack Obama I will vote for John McCain. I have never voted for a Republican for President but I would have to put my country first, party second. I do have respect for John McCain. I have no respect for Barack Obama and could not trust him to be President of the U.S. He's too risky.

I hope the Dems are wise and nominate Hillary Clinton who I feel will be a great President. I know Hillary, I trust Hillary.

In this great nation, it's may "God Bless America" NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, is it "God Da-n America" as Obama's "pastor" & "mentor" Wright has shouted.

Obama is disgraceful and an embarrassment to me as a Democrat and a proud American.

Katherine (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:34 PM)

Meanwhile, in Palestine ....

Dean Cutting, Alexandria Virginia (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:56 PM)

One must admit,this is what separates the Obamas and the McCains[leave Hillary out of this one. She may have suffered a broken fingernail at Radcliffe,but other than that,and her husbands penchant for infidelity,this is about it]. Obama epitomizes the struggle of the black man in America without ever having suffered its miseries. A true post Civil Rights Era man,the scion of Affirmative Action. McCain,the horrors inflicted by the brutal,whose scars he still bears. It is easy to see why American Jews may embrace one[Obama],while Eretz Israel Jews embrace the other. [McCain].

Lee Holmes (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:57 PM)

I wonder if he would choke up if he were to see the situation Israel has created in Gaza. Oh, I forgot - those people look different so they don't matter!

Jamil, Dearborn, MI (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:01 PM)

Too bad that when McCain was on his "fact finding" mission to Iraq, he didn't find the fact that the Sunnis and Shiites hate each other too much for Shiite Iran to be training Sunni Al Qaeda terrorists, as he cluelessly bleated, as reported by the Washington Post:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/03/18/a_mccain_gaffe_in_jordan_1.html

And this wasn't just a slip of the tongue or a senior moment; the HuffingtonPost reportedd that McCain has made the same moronic comment at least once before.

Unlike the media-created hysteria over Obama's minister, the fact that the punditocracy has built up this phony aura of expertise for McCain is a real scandal.
.

Houston (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:05 PM)

It makes you wonder what kind of museum of horror will be erected to the horrific folly of Bush, McCain, Hillary and the others who authorized the war in Iraq.

cigar (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:36 PM)

John Mc. obviously needs to return quickly to Arizona and get some rest. He is beginning to show signs of a deteriorating brain. He needs Lieberman to stand very close to him when he makes his erroneous comments and I guess Graham is there in case John loses his balance.
As mentioned by many, is this really the best the GOP had available? No wonder that Hillary and Barak both are ahead of John Mc. in the polls.

A.Brocco, Albuquerque,NM (Sent Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:38 PM)

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