Senator John McCain has passed away. On Friday, he and his family had just announced that he would no longer be seeking treatment for his brain cancer, and I honestly thought we would have more time to prepare ourselves, but we did not. Not even 48 hours after the announcement of McCain’s discontinued treatment, he passed away. McCain’s tragic history of cancer had been well-documented – he had multiple bouts of skin cancer, and he was diagnosed with brain cancer last year. He had not even been in Washington this year – he had been home with his family since December. He was 81 years old and he leaves behind his wife of 38 years, Cindy McCain, and seven children.
McCain was a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War, and he was captured in 1967 and held in the “Hanoi Hilton,” Hoa Lo prison, until 1973. When he returned to America, he worked on Capitol Hill as a Senate aide, then he served two terms as a congressman from Arizona (1982-86), and then he was elected to serve as senator in 1986. In the Senate, he was known for being a curmudgeon, for putting country above party, and for his friendships on both sides of the aisle. He was particularly good friends with Democrats like Joe Lieberman, Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy. He ran for president twice, in 2000 and 2008. He was defeated in the 2000 GOP primary by George W. Bush and he was defeated in the 2008 election by Barack Obama. He apparently asked both Bush and Obama to speak at his funeral. Apparently he also requested that Donald Trump not even be invited to his funeral. One final “F–k you.” I love it.
I don’t care to even note the reaction for the orange one, but here are some lovely tributes:
My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years. He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the the place he loved best.
— Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) August 26, 2018
Our statement on the passing of Senator John McCain: pic.twitter.com/3GBjNYxoj5
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 26, 2018
John McCain was many things – a proud graduate of the Naval Academy, a Senate colleague, a political opponent.
But, to me, more than anything, John was a friend. He will be missed dearly. pic.twitter.com/AS8YsMLw3d
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 26, 2018
I love you forever – my beloved father @SenJohnMcCain pic.twitter.com/Y50tVQvlVe
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) August 26, 2018
Photos courtesy of WENN, Avalon Red, Wikipedia.
Rest in peace soldier and the last decent Republican politician.
Amen
Beautifully said. I’m all teary-eyed now.
I admit, I cried (and even got a little teary reading this now). I may not have always agreed with his politics, but I respected him. He had integrity, something sorely lacking in most politicians, especially now. He was a true hero and patriot.
My sincerest sympathy and condolences to his family and friends, and for the rest of us who will miss him, too.
RIP, Sir.
Amen, and sadly true.
May his life and legacy inspire current republican senators to wake up to honor and what it truly means to doth for American values.
Have to correct because McCain would want it – not a soldier. He was a sailor and a navy pilot. Not Army. Being buried at Annapolis.
My deepest condoleances to his family and friends, his children and his wife especially. I’m happy he could leave this place in his own terms and had the time to say goodbye. I’m happy they could be with him up until his final moments, unbothered by exorbitant medical costs and health-related loans.
I wish so many others had that chance.
Even without the medical insurance provided by the Senate, he might have been okay anyway. He qualified for VA benefits (more than qualified IMHO). My grandfather (Korea vet) has care through the VA and it has allowed him to stay in his home with family and aides (who are awesome and pretty much family) in his 90s with a bunch of health problems including dementia, blindness and COPD.
Good night, sweet prince. 😢
The end of an era.
Schumer is already proposing renaming the Russell Senate Office building after McCain and I can’t support that enough.
RIP to the saviour of the ACA and last almost sane GOP politician, which is admittedly a low bar.
At least you died secure in the knowledge that Trump hated your guts, which is ultimately the most dependable sign of a half-way honourable human being.
He hated trump as well. After hearing the Billy Bush tapes, he said he wanted to support the Republican candidate, but after hearing trump’s demeaning comments about women, and boasting about sexual assaults, he couldn’t even offer conditional support for 45. I’m glad Senator McCain was that thorn in 45’s ass, that would not be silenced by him. 45 wanted more than anything to take down Obamacare, which he doesn’t give a shit about. He wanted to take away Obama’s legacy, and damn if John McCain would not let him do it.
His respect for women didn’t extend to letting us control our bodies. He was as anti- abortion as the rest of his party.
I’m not a republican and I never voted for him. I’m honoring him as a war hero and as an enemy of the man I despise the most.
And now in death, he will continue to be a thorn in Trump’s side as he will lay in state in Washington. The appropriate honor for McCain who is the type of statesman Trump will never be.
RIP!
Am reading reports that Spanky McBonespurs won’t be invited, McCain was everything EZ fantasied about being esp with regards to his military background. McCain was a real war hero who put country first.
Back in May they were already reporting that W and Obama would give eulogies and Dump wasn’t going. Glad that McCain is standing up to that dotard even in this.
His funeral will be extremely well attended with pretty much everyone in politics except the shitstain. There will be former presidents acting dignified and collegial, honoring McCain with sincere, well-composed tributes. The contrast with you-know-who’s tacky, selfish, sleazy persona will be stark. You just know he will be golfing or watching TV on an unmade bed in his underwear, eating McDonald’s and fuming. Obama’s eulogy alone may make Trump blow a gasket—the idea that his hated black predecessor was chosen to do something so important.
Unmade bed in his underwear,eating McDonald’s 🤢Thanks for the visual @ minx-Can’t unsee it,threw up in my mouth a little 😧
McCain expressed publicly he did not want Dump at his funeral. I’m sure they’ll send Pence or Malaria. Though I wouldn’t put it past Dump to “crash” the funeral being the loathsome creature he is. If he does, I hope they have private guards that will block his way!
The reason I don’t think he would do that is because he’s a chickensh*t who hates confrontation when he doesn’t have the upper hand, and he definitely doesn’t have the upper hand here. It’s a funeral and everyone knows he’s unwelcome. He doesn’t have the guts to face the McCain family, former presidents and the world when he has been told to stay away. There’s also no way he can just show up, it would be a security nightmare.
This is a guy who can’t even fire people face to face. He avoids his home town of NYC because they hate him and there will be protests. He only has rallies with hand-picked adoring supporters in red states. Like all bullies, he’s a coward.
I was reported weeks ago that Pence would be allowed to go, and that was repeated last night. I applaud McCain for not leaving it to his family to either have to endure or decline having a known jerk attend.
You’re both right on all accounts.
He was admittedly a ‘great’ and by all accounts a pretty nice man – but please, do not use his passing as a means to whitewash all the bad things he did and the mistakes he made during his time in office.
No disrespect, and I wish his family peace and strength in this horrible time, but we need to remember and recognise the bad stuff too – if for no other reason, so it’s not repeated.
He introduced Sarah Palin and the tea party movement to the masses. Had it not been for that, we wouldn’t have the current climate we do today and someone like Trump in office.
Everyone is remembering him with rose colored glasses. Let us not forget that he refused to call Vietnamese people anything other than a racial slur. And he said he’d never stop calling them that.
And it was only after being diagnosed with cancer that he developed a political backbone and decided to do what was “right”. Prior to that, in all his years in politics, he was your typical self serving neocon.
@Obvious is Obvious. Thank you! He pretty much blocked Martin Luther Jnr’s day being a public holiday in Arizona until he was forced to fall in line. Death will not shield you from the BS you did in life.
I agree McCain had his good and bad points as all humans do. But the derogatory term he used and would not apologize for using was aimed specifically at his captors–the prison guards who tortured him for over 5 years–not the Vietnamese people as a whole. That was reported at the time and seemed clear when the entire comment was read in context. I agree the term shouldn’t be used but if I was tortured for years and survived, I’m not sure what term I’d use either— It probably wouldn’t be a nice one! And he was a leader in normalizing relations with Vietnam in 2000.
What Lizabeth said. The man couldn’t raise his arms above his head because he was tortured. I don’t use slurs nor do I think they’re acceptable, but f you can’t understand why someone would call the men who tortured them a bad word, I don’t think you grasp what happened to the POWs.
That’s not entirely fair. Yes he did choose Sarah Palin but it’s because the tea party and all the right wing lunacy was already taking hold (Palin was already a popular and wholly unqualified state governor who didn’t know her own asshole from her ear hole well before McCain won the nomination).
If I recall correctly, McCain wanted to form a faux bipartisan unity ticket with Joe Lieberman (democrat in name only but still a registered Democrat at the time) but the conservatives and deplorables exerted their nascent political will and threatened a mass walkout at the RN convention if he didn’t choose a populist (read: stupid and unqualified) running mate. To them, McCain was already too far left of crazy so hey needed someone like Palin to balance him out or they wouldn’t have supported his campaign.
If you have any doubt about how hard McCain fought to preserve decorum in American politics go back and look at his comments while he was running whenever a deplorable said something like Obama is a terrorist. Then compare it with Trump.
The worst, for me, is what he did to his first wife.
His first wife was a model when he married her but she was in a terrible car crash while he was a POW and didn’t look like a model when he came back. So he started repeatedly cheating on her (he admits this) until he finally met his second wife, cheated with her, and made his first wife divorce him so he could immediately marry the hotter, younger, very, very rich woman who would also conveniently be a huge help to his planned political career.
I feel bad he was tortured and I know he saved the ACA, but if you are a serial cheater I just cannot praise you.
“it not been for that, we wouldn’t have the current climate we do today and someone like Trump in office.”
Sorry but that’s not even remotely true. I won’t defend McCain picking Sarah Palin but she didn’t start the deplorable phenom. It really started under W Bush due to things like immigration. (Don’t forget that both Bush & McCain tried to pass immigration reform and paid dearly for it politically, especially McCain.)
It’s really a testament to how out of touch much of the media is that they were shocked that Trump’s chances in 2016 weren’t destroyed after he attacked McCain. I knew the base wouldn’t care. They hated McCain in 2008 too. The only way he could get them to show up at the polls was to pick someone like Palin. Like I said, I won’t defend it. It was a calculated move.. But it wasn’t the spark that created our current environment. The angry, disaffected Republican voters were already making big waves.
He didn’t get a backbone. His last great act as a politician was voting for a tax bill that made sure his wife and kids would get minimally taxed on his estate because screw the rest of the country. John McCain was a warhawk, a racist, and just a true POS. It’s kind of absurd because he wasn’t as bad as Trump his legacy is getting white washed.
Yes, this this this. I respect the good things he did but he wasn’t exactly a maverick and voted with his party the vast majority of the time to support policies and laws that have inflicted massive damage on our country. I don’t support the whitewashing of the ugly parts of his legacy, even as I wish his family well and respect his courage in some areas.
He was also part of the Keating Five corruption, the worst of the five, some say.
I feel badly for his family but I’m not going to eulogize him. He didn’t put “country before party” at all. He talked big but in the end always voted down the party line.
If you believe JMcC was bad, wait until all the Dotard’s scandal comes out. I would never vote for JMcC but he did serve his country, he stood up to the dotard, he stood up for BO and he tried to save Obamacare. I’m thankful for what he did serving our country, R.I.P.
I’ve never thought, nor did I say, McCain was as bad as Two Scoops. I’m salivating over all of the “Catch and Kill” info that may come out. And supposedly there were other famous people the Enquirer did this with and I’m hoping those come out too.
Having said that, I’m not going to paint McCain as a saint just because he died. Yes, he was a war hero, and that’s where it stops for me. He was still a warmongering bigot hell-bent on taking away women’s rights.
B n A Fan – Just because the orange fool is hideous excuse for a human, doesn’t mean nonevent who isnt/wasn’t AS BAD as him, is ok. That Trump is a loonbag doesn’t discount the fact that Sen McCain pushed some pretty shitty policies and rhetoric in his time. Come on.
I agree. I abhor most of his political beliefs. He also made that horrible joke about Chelsea Clinton. However, I am sorry that he developed brain cancer and his family does have my sympathy.
Agree, his exemplary service and occasional display of decency doesn’t make up for his neoliberal warmongering and support of harmful right wing positions on the environment and taxation. True condolences to his family though, yes.
I can Understand the desire to not forget his shortcomings etc however do you need to remember them today? The man has died. His family mourns. While I may not have always agreed with him he is one of the only politicians that I believe genuinely thought he was doing the best/right thing when he did it. He was a prisoner of war, In solitary confinement for 2 years. Let us be kind in our commentary today.
THANK YOU. I’m a lefty too but this is ridiculous.
@Crowhood – you are free to mourn and honour as your please, but death does not absolve one of their actions during their lifetime. Those who remain, remain with the consequences of the departed’s actions – particularly when one is as powerful and influential as Sen. McCain.
His shortcomings weren’t so ‘harmless’ as not turning up to his kids football games, or drinking too much at xmas dinner – his shortcomings had enormous impact; so no I won’t be putting on my rose coloured glasses and pretending like he didn’t also have some pretty ugly facets. Besides, I don’t think anyone has said anything particularly ‘unkind’.
I’m tired of death being a hagiography, tbh. If you’re doing terrible things in life, that shouldn’t be buried with you.
Exactly, @Duchess of Hazard
McCain had flaws, but he also had some strengths. Joe Biden was a close friend for a reason, and maybe we should leave it as that and accept Joe’s judgment.
He openly and consistently refused to let anybody smear Obama during the campaign. That took some real courage at the time.
I didn’t vote for him, but if his running mate had been a reasonable person rather than scarey Sarah Palin – I wouldn’t have worried if he won. He would have been a competent President doing normal Presidential things (including some I would have had to oppose, but that’s normal too).
I really hoped he would beat the odds and come back to finish his term.
Very sad. I remember last year he showed signs of the brain malignancy when his speech was s/w incoherent but he laughed it off as being up late at a ball game. I remember Teddy Kennedy, Jr, at Ted Kennedy’s funeral which McCain attended, talked about John McCain. He spoke about asking his father why Republicans were always fighting his reforms. Ted Sr told him that Republicans love this country as much as Democrats do.
Well, some Republicans.
I remember John McCain disagreeing with his supporters that Obama was evil and an “Arab.” And McCain supporters booed McCain for saying that.
It seems we as human beings (I include myself) don’t truly appreciate someone unique and brave until after they are gone.
I remember that too – it was a rally and people were yelling out derogatory comments about Obama and McCain told them to stop – he told them “Obama is a good man, and if he is elected president he will be a good one.” I was really impressed with that.
I did not always agree with Senator McCain on his policies. I have to say he was a million times better than the man in the Oval Office today. I’m still thankful to The Senator when he walked into that senate chamber and voted down that “repeal and replace that bill.” Rest In Peace ✌️ and my deepest sympathy to his family. What a disgrace to read that two lines from the dotard that was written for him that he called a message of condolence to the McCain family.
I think he acknowledged that he was imperfect and had made some bad choices. I didn’t agree with a lot of his politics but I appreciated that he had an old fashioned honor that is sadly absent these days.
There’s an interview he did with Jake Tapper that’s been shown a lot and he seemed to realize he erred at times but hoped he’d be remembered for service to his country. Can’t argue with that.
TBH, I didn’t care for John McCain that much, but he served his country and truly believed in country over party. The way he was treated these last couple of years by this administration and by members of his own party was shameful.
Sad day. Rest In Peace sir.
Really starting to feel like the end of an era for Republicans. Their policies were always terrible, but the days of civility and decency are behind them.
I remember a story of an intern working for Ted Kennedy getting on an elevator with McCain and another GOP senator. McCain asked him who he worked for and said something nice about Kennedy. The other senator scoffed and got off the elevator, McCain told the intern (loudly enough for the other senator to hear) “don’t worry about him, he’s an a**h***”
Made me laugh.
I’m sad for his family, but this man is responsible for Sarah Palin entering the wider public consciousness and he talked a good game but almost never did the right thing.
Entering and exiting; Palin has no political relevance today. The problem was that she was almost as unfit to be president as the current occupant of the WH, and therefore (as McCain, I think, came to agree) a very bad choice.
I didn’t agree with his politics but I think they usually came from a place of conviction.
He sometimes did the right thing, his vote saved Obamacare.
He was a complicated man, frustrating at times, but a true war hero.
He did survive six years in captivity and didn’t leave when he could. So yes, that’s a pretty big deal.
Betsy, yes, there were plenty of times I screamed at the TV when he was on, especially during the 2008 campaign. He once called his wife the C word in front of a group of reporters. His “maverick” persona could come and go. But I remember at the end of the 2008 campaign, tensions were running high. He was talking to an older woman who was badmouthing the Muslim terrorist Obama, saying he would be a dangerous, frightening president. McCain stopped her and defended Obama, told her that she may disagree with him but that he was a decent and honorable man. I’ll never forget that.
“He sometimes did the right thing, his vote saved Obamacare”
And then a few weeks later, happily voted for the tax bill that gutted the individual mandate, which essentially amounts to a repeal and will ultimately destroy Obamacare.
About 14-15 years ago I watched a documentary on MSNBC about his life.It was very interesting and although I knew he was a prisoner of war in Vietnam,I couldn’t believe the hell he and so many others endured.The clip of him at 36 years old getting off the plane back to US soil…He looked like an elderly man.
I know he came from privileged circumstances,and went on to live a life of wealth and success doing what he loved and being paid well for it,but I still believe he meant well,was devoted to his country,and did his best as a husband,father,and friend.
I didn’t need to share in all of his politics to see in him a decent man.He had his share of troubles and a scandal or two,but what politician hasn’t ?In the very end I think he will be missed,and my heartfelt prayers to his family.
As opposed to what that POS in the white house says, Sen. McCain was a war hero. He was held and tortured for five years. When given the opportunity to leave his captors, he stayed and wanted those who were held captive longer to be freed first. He voted no in the middle of the night, with a brain tumor NOT to repeal ACA. He fought hard, but not dirty, and showed respect to his rival, President Obama during the campaign, when an idiot called him a Muslim. He corrected this woman without being harsh, just honest. He said he regretted choosing Palin as his running mate, because he felt this began the era of Reality TV politics, and we know who the eff he was talking about. An American Hero and Patriot. RIP🙏
I agree.
The comments on a Britt Hume tweet about drump not acknowledging McCain the man are appalling. I blocked dozens of them.
Why does anyone have to be perfect to be good? John McCain was one of the few people in politics who actually acknowledged when he made a mistake or acted like a jerk. Palin was foisted upon him by his campaign advisors and he never seemed comfortable with her.
Watch him on You Tube at the Al E. Smith Dinner during the 2008 campaign. He was honorable and generous towards Obama while making the usual partisan jokes. Compare who we have now who turns everything into lies or hate.
Did you see Game Change on HBO? It gave a nice perspective of what went on with McCain and Palin. It showed his weaknesses and strengths. People calling out a man of honor the day or day after his death are weak to me. There is not one politician alive that doesn’t have dirt on their hands. They all do. You have to look at the entirety of their life. It took trump to make me understand someone like McCain. No perfect senator, president, but never, ever did I think a man like trump could divide us, hurt us, scare us. Men like John McCain were repulsed by this tv host, and now he is gone. All of our leaders with wisdom are retiring, dying and we are left with satan. I do get worked up over this guy. But it is the time to honor Sen. McCain and I truly do.
Yes Joanna. Your point is spot on. Why does everything have to be perfect to be good?
I was and am a HUGE admirer of John McCain. His voice of moral authority will be hugely missed in these difficult times. We need more John McCain.
How impressive is it that he said that he himself wasn’t perfect, that he made mistakes, that he had regrets, that he wanted to be a better person, a better servant to a higher cause than himself. Look at the contrast. What other politician would say (and mean it) such things these days.
He defied his party to save Obamacare and took a lot of heat from his party but he thought it was the right thing to do.
Did he always live up to his principles? He himself told us he was sometimes disappointed in himself, but at least he had principles.
My God, I already miss him so much.
You pretty much summed up how I feel. He wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes. But he was a decent man. May he rest in peace and may his family have peace.
Rest In Peace, John McCain
He was a flawed person and politician and I think he knew that. But he did have his redeeming qualities and moments, and he did serve his country. Rest in peace, from a non-American. I heard he wanted Bush and Obama to deliver the eulogies. That would be nice, in these dark times.
I don’t care for McCain much, and I think he was more than just a little flawed, but…he was not a traitor. He was a patriot. IMO he may very well have been the last republican patriot. That’s terrifying to me. I am sorry we lost him, because putting everything else aside, we really could use his voice right now. He really did love this country.
It is a terrifying thought for me as well, Darla. The last Patriot. Brave New World.
Yes, it certainly is, Nancy.
When we heard on the news yesterday (or day before, can’t remember) that he’d stopped the chemo, I told my husband he’ll be gone within 3 weeks. I knew he’d fight to the last. I was wrong. It only took 2 days. RIP John McCain.
He was a good man and quite possibly the last republican I respected. I hate that he introduced Palin and her brand of politics to the world, but I love that he took a stand for healthcare last year. Condolences to his family.
I said upthread, but I will said it again. Sen. McCain said he regretted choosing Palin. From all I have seen and read, I don’t believe he ever had complete in faith in this decision. He then went on to say he believes she was the start of reality tv politics which we know eventually led to the person who is in the WH now. So sad, one bad decision leads to this conclusion. Family home from church, happy Sunday kids!
Today’s not the day to debate his legacy. There will be plenty of time for that. At least for today, decency requires expressions of condolences to his family, acknowledgement that he was a great soldier and continued serving his country for the rest of his life. I’ll always be mad at him for the Palin disaster and what that did to usher in our current level of political stupidity, but McCain was the last person who would ever claim to be without fault. May he rest in peace.
@Kat So much this! Thank you for so clearly stating what I was thinking.
Thank you!
I swear, some people need to learn what Thumper’s mom taught him. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. If not out of a sense of respect for John McCain, at least for his grieving loved ones. If I had read some of this stuff after my dad died…
He wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes (lots of them). Maybe we can all wait until he’s buried before we feel the need to go through a complete list. For whatever I may have disagreed with him on, I believe he was a man who loved the US, and I think he made choices based on what he thought was right and good for the country (even if I vehemently disagree with him).
I’m so grateful to Senator McCain for his surprise vote on health care. I was sure all hope was lost and it took a lot for him to attend to vote, and it was such a maverick type move, yet again. RIP
He was loved and respected by family and several people and my thoughts are with them at this time like that but I am not gonna sit here and whitewash the damage his voting record has done.
May he rest in peace. We will not see his like again. He died 9 years to the day of his close friend Ted Kennedy, of the same type of cancer.
And now, this:
Ronald Reagan died within days of Ray Charles
Gerald Ford died within days of James Brown
John McCain died within days of Aretha Franklin.
These old white Republican dudes need to stop killing off our legendary black R&B icons.
Now that is irony. The R&B singers dying the same time….coincidence. Now there are the three, Robin Leach, John McCain and Neil Simon. Someone will start up another list though. A lot of my heroes are getting up there, especially in the entertainment world.
Ironically he and his friend Ted Kennedy died from the same disease, same day on 9 years apart.
Respect for his military service with integrity, may he RIP.
Beau Biden also died from the same cancer
Oh I saw that clip of Joe Biden on The View where he was consoling Megan Meghan. He said wonderful things about Sen. McCain. Beau was a younger man, so sad. Joe Biden truly has had so much tragedy in his life and still keeps his humor and faith through it all. I wish he was younger and the times hadn’t changed SO much with trump. Biden just might have been able to pull it off……..
Thank you for your service, sir. Welcome Home soldier.
He was also survived by his own MOTHER Roberta McCain who is 106 years old!!
Yes I read that. It must hurt so much for her. No one should bury their own child.
I didn’t always agree with him politically, but I respected and admired him as a person who was good, but had his flaws. We were up all night and today watching specials about him, and my tears poured. RIP Maverick, you’ll be remembered forever
John McCain was the living proof that you can be a right leaning politician and still a decent person. He made some big mistakes, but in the end, he made them because he used his own brain to take decisions – rather than the party’s. I can totally respect making mistakes that way. For good and for bad, he was himself. Respect, John. You shall be missed.
In the academy, McCain graduated at the bottom of his class. He actually crashed three planes before he was captured. As a husband,McCain was a serial cheater. Not a hero.
Some people believes McCain is not a hero because he crashed three plains before he was captured, and had multiple affairs. Some people believes the dotard is not President, as a husband 45 was a serial cheater, stole the election from Hillary with the help of the Enquirer and Russia/Putin. Not a legitimate president.
I agree he was a goofup in the military. But regardless, he had to survive several years in a POW camp and suffered long-term consequences for that. He did enough good things in his later life to make up for his wayward youth, I think. He did grow up past the rich kid, son of an Admiral phase.
I tend to avoid the title war hero for anybody (hero is ok for someone who saves lives, which does sometimes happen in war, just omit the adjective) because wars today are fought with civilians always on the front line. McCain was on his way to bomb Hanoi, for instance, so I’m not unhappy he was stopped. I just wish he wasn’t held prisoner. War (and that war in particular) is so incredibly stupid. But he did what his father and many others in the country thought he was supposed to be doing. The government gives medals for what he was doing, even though in civilian life he would have ended up in prison for life for doing the same thing. It’s really complicated. We all have to share the blame and refuse to allow our governments to wage wars without serious opposition and lifetime help for the young people caught up in it (both the enlistees and the draft refusers).
Even though I opposed quite a few of McCain’s votes, I think he was following his conscience and trying to do what was right. It was our job to convince him otherwise. He was elected by enough people who agreed with him, so he was doing his job.
And most importantly – in his old age he stood up to Trump. That is enough to earn him a place in the history books, because these are such dark times. Most Republicans are just rolling over and playing dead for Trump and Putin. I don’t know if they are just idiots or bribed or blackmailed. But Republicans weren’t always like that.
I’m old enough to remember when marital infidelity (with a consenting adult) wasn’t considered the public’s business by many folks (even when extra-marital sexual encounters occurred in the White House. And I’m not only talking about Bill C.) When did all that change? And is it a good thing it has?
McCain took responsibility for the failure of his first marriage. He did cheat. But it would have almost been more surprising if that marriage HAD survived. He’d spent over 5 years of unimaginable hell as a POW. His wife and children had gone through a lot all those years while he was gone. I’m pretty sure they all had changed during that separation. It’s not surprising the marriage didn’t survive. Sad, but not surprising. Long deployments without the added stress of being captured and certainly not as long as 5+ years can also affect military marriages.
Yes. JFK, for example, was a serial cheater including when President. Obama is an anomaly because he didn’t cheat (of course, Michelle would never have put up with it…)
Men seem to have a puzzling ability to compartmentalize – they can do many good things but also cheat on their wives. I don’t understand it, but it’s real. I have some kind of radar that goes off for other serious problems (for instance, I was creeped out by Nixon, Bill Cosby, Donald Trump and others just from hearing their voices, and didn’t find out until years later why) but that radar does not go off for marital cheaters (such as Bill Clinton or JFK).
Cindy McCain was seen at a very small restaurant in an out of the way place with a very good-looking man last December. He was not the Senator.
Not the right time for such baseless gossip.
As a woman in an overwhelmingly male field, I am really tired of people leaping to conclusions any time they see a woman and a man together. We can’t have real job equality as long as this is true.
And? Is a married woman only allowed to have female or ugly male friends, family, or coworkers to go to a restaurant with? People dining together usually aren’t having an affair
Um ok thanks for the totally inappropriate, unfounded tip. I know the bots are out in full force trying to smear him after death. Are you one?
May he rest in peace.
Lots of Courage and strength to his family and friends.
He wasn’t perfect and he would be the first to admit it, but he was well-respected and true patriot. He was a symbol of the old-school politician: he respectfully disagreed with his opponents and colleagues and crossed aisles not only politically but socially as well. He didn’t go for the easy hits during his campaigns and encouraged everyone, from his staffers to his constituency to be respectful and stick to the issues. His 2008 concession speech was the epitome of class and grace in defeat while re-committing to bipartisan work.
He admitted his mistakes and constantly examined his life in order to try to be the best person he could. He led by example and inspired others to be the best person they could be. He was admired by veterans and active military because of his service and conduct while in captivity. He served his country well and he will be missed.
P.S. I love that he specifically stated that Trump not to be invited to his funereal while asking Bush and Obama to give eulogies.
‘He wasn’t perfect’
Well he’s perfect now because can’t make any more mistakes.
McCain wasn’t all good, nor all bad. But it’s his daughter who truly disgust me. She’s so offended & has a strong dislike for Trump because he insulted her father. Meanwhile she does not find Trumps insults or actions against everyone else offensive. How about all the women who have accused Trump of sexual assault, or all the people in fear of losing their health insurance. I wish she was taught to stand up for everyone, not just her small circle.
The White House flags are back at full mast this morning. This is unprecedented for a sitting US senator who passed in office. It doesn’t matter what you think of McCain. I am so ashamed.
Not surprised considering the Orange Nazi refused to release a statement (that was drafted by Suckabee herself) memorializing McCain. Someone leaked on staff leaked it out that Suckabee and Kelly and a whole lot of others asked him to do it and he refused. He did tweet that sad stmt.
A few of the federal buildings in dc left it at half mast but some did not. Schumer and McConnell is calling for the flags to be flown half mast until the funeral.
I actually cried when I heard he passed. I didn’t realize he had mere hours to live after the announcement. No I did not vote for him and I don’t always agree with him (there is no such thing as a perfect pol or person. If there is, I haven’t seen it) but he always tried to work with the Dems to reach a consensus (imagine that!) and he voted for the country’s interest.
He is also not a illogical loon like Gaetz, Nunes and all those turds that currently commandeered the GOP. I’m glad he gave a final FU to that Nazi.
As far as I’m concerned, the GOP died on Saturday. Pudding’s people release a statement that “the enemy died.” That says it all. McCain would never bend over to those a$$es. RIP good man.
He lost me with his unyielding support of the unwarranted war in Iraq (and WMDs), increasing troops there, and over a million iraqis dead. and many other instances, but he did hold himself with dignity and he tried his best. Rest in peace.