Presidential candidate Senator John McCain said, “I would rather lose an election than lose a war.” He was speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Orlando, Florida on August 18. He praised American soldiers and attacked his opponent, Senator Barack Obama.
‘Thanks to the courage and sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines and to brave Iraqi fighters the surge has succeeded. And yet Senator Obama still cannot quite bring himself to admit his own failure in judgment. Nor has he been willing to heed the guidance of General Petraeus, or to listen to our troops on the ground when they say—as they have said to me on my trips to Iraq: “Let us win, just let us win.”’
That afternoon Senator McCain visited Atlanta, Georgia for a fundraiser hosted by former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed. Senator McCain raised $1.75 million, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Senators Saxby Chambliss and Joe Lieberman joined him for the event. About eighty protesters clustered near the entrance of the Marriott Marquis, holding signs and banners, chanting, making speeches, and drumming. ‘Honor the Warrior, Not the War,’ said one banner.
“Dishonest, dishonorable, and disgusting,” said Georgia State Senate Democratic Whip David Adelman into a microphone. Those were the words Georgia’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle applied to Ralph Reed two years ago, according to Senator Adelman. Adelman said that by allowing Reed to host his fundraiser, McCain was embracing a “culture of corruption.” Reed was not indicted for his 2004-2006 dealings with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, but was accused of mobilizing Christian voters to oppose casinos on false pretenses. The casinos would have competed with casino clients of Abramoff’s and Abramoff paid Reed to mobilize opposition to them.
“Barack Obama won’t owe the lobbyists anything,” said Jane Kidd, Chair of the Democratic Party in Georgia. The Democratic Party held a news conference outside the fund raiser to criticize McCain’s campaign for using Ralph Reed.
On August 19th Reed issued a statement saying he had only been hired to publicize the fund raiser and had nothing to do with the campaign. He did not attend.
The Teamsters Union, Barack Obama campaign volunteers, anti war groups and Vietnam veterans against the war were present. Mary Ford smilingly held a McCain sign in the partisan crowd.
Atlanta Police and Secret Service men were visible and numerous, shepherding people back from traffic and scrutinizing the crowd. Large police vans were parked near the crowd on the sidewalk.
One block south of the entrance, a smaller group of casually dressed men and women held McCain signs.
Inside the Marriott a uniformed, gloved gentleman welcomed guests and beckoned towards the down escalator. Young women at a long table checked names and issued entrance passes to those on the list. The event was closed to the public, said one. A large area in front of a ballroom was defined with red velvet ropes. A metal detector and an airport security style table manned by two Atlanta Policemen wearing black leather gloves funneled guests into the roped area. A reporter sat on a ledge, outside the ropes, tapping away at his laptop.
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