'I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me' - why does this sound fishy??

"I was in solitary confinement when my captors offered to release me. I knew why. If I went home, they would use it as propaganda to demoralize my fellow prisoners. Our Code said we could only go home in the order of our capture, and there were men who had been shot down before me. I thought about it, though. I wasn’t in great shape, and I missed everything about America. But I turned it down." - John McCain.

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And in saying it sounds fishy, I am not calling McCain a fish, news media and Republicans.

So we are expected to believe that the enemy "offered" to release him, but he "turned it down". In what farce does a captor need a prisoner's stamp of approval for ANYTHING? McCain claims that he was tortured so badly that he "broke". In his autobiography, "Faith of My Fathers" he writes:

"Demands for military information were accompanied by threats to terminate my medical treatment if I did not cooperate. I thought they were bluffing and refused to provide any information beyond my name, rank and serial number, and date of birth. They knocked me around a little to force my cooperation."

The torture technique finally worked, McCain says: "Eventually, I gave them my ship's name and squadron number, and confirmed that my target had been the power plant. I regret very much having done so. The information was of no real use to the Vietnamese, but the Code of Conduct for American Prisoners of War orders us to refrain from providing any information beyond our names, rank and serial number."

And all of a sudden they decide (not "offer"?) to release him and he holds the cards to say no? Either this did not happen, or they decided to impose some horrendous condition on his release, such as making him confess to war crimes. But on October 12, 1997, McCain told 60 Minutes, "I wrote a confession. I was guilty of war crimes against the Vietnamese people. I intentionally bombed women and children." So this confession could not have been part and parcel of any offer of "release".

His POW days seem to be a sacred cow, and I am not calling his running mate a cow, news media and Republicans. But I dare say the electorate deserves some answers. McCain claims he "doesn't like to talk" about his POW days, even though people urge him to. He tells the truth here. He LOVES mentioning that he was a POW, but he certainly doesn't want to go into any details about his captivity, does he?

Exaggeration is a trademark of him.

...when they found out who Johnny's Daddy was...... I would have to dig up the link......

And living comfortably, and was no longer of any use since he already sang his entire repertoire.

As well, many Vets will not talk about their experiences in Vietnam.

This one surely does.

Just HOW could he 'refuse'? They take him from his cell, drive him to the French embassy in Hanoi and push him through the gate. Then say, "we released him as a gesture of good faith for the American negotiators".

I think he made the statements in the thought they WOULD release him, then they just didn't. He got played. That's why he hates "gooks" to this day.

Look up 'Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain.' They claim to have documentation that proves that Johnny 'collaborated' with his captors.