The Claim that John McCain’s War Injuries Prevent Him from Using a Computer Keyboard Is False

The right’s answer to Obama’s “Still” campaign ad which ridicules, among other things, John McCain’s inability to use a computer or send an e-mail message is that McCain’s war injuries prevent him from using a keyboard. Among those spouting this line are Andrew Malcolm at the Los Angeles Times, Karl Rove in an appearance on Fox News, and Jim Geraghty writing for National Review Online.

However, the claim that war injuries prevent McCain from using a computer are demonstrably false, as shown by the manual dexterity displayed in his appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman earlier this year:

Are those the fingers of a man whose war injuries prevent him from using a keyboard?

Author: George Maschke

Ex-U.S. Army Arabic & Persian (Farsi) linguist.