McPander

For years, John McCain has told the story that, when asked by his Vietnamese captors to name the members of his squadron, he would instead name the starting line-up of the Green Bay Packers.  But when telling the same story to KDKA poltical editor Jon Delano it was suddenly the Pittsburgh Steelers whose starting line-up was the one he recited.  From his 1999 book Faith of My Fathers:

Demands for military information were accompanied by threats to terminate my medical treatment if I did not cooperate. Eventually, I gave them my ship’s name and squadron number, and confirmed that my target had been the power plant. Pressed for more useful information, I gave the names of the Green Bay Packers offensive line, and said they were members of my squadron. When asked to identify future targets, I simply recited the names of a number of North Vietnamese cities that had already been bombed.”

In 2005, when A&E ran the movie version of the book, McCain discussed this incident on CNN:

“That was the starting lineup of the Green Bay Packers, the first Super Bowl champions, yes,” McCain responded. But it’s — it was the best I could think of at the time.”

But when in Pittsburgh, do as the Pittsburghians do:

“When I was first interrogated and really had to give some information because of the pressures, physical pressures on me, I named the starting lineup, defensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers as my squadron mates.”

“Did you really?” asked the reporter.

“Yes,” McCain said.

“In your POW camp?” asked the reporter.

“Yes,” McCain said.

“Could you do it today?” asked the reporter.

“No, unfortunately,” McCain said.

And he couldn’t have done it back then, either, probably, as since it was the Green Bay Packers whose line-up he used.

KDKA has the video.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.