Click here for EdgarNewt's EndNotes topnotch commentary on a David Broder article about John McCain.
The book description for Faith of My Fathers by John McCain says, "It is a story of three imperfect men who faced adversity and emerged with their honor intact." Would that Senator McCain's honor could survive his recent actions as a member of the GOP. Never has the old chestnut "all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" been more true--and more heartbreaking.
(Cross-posted on www.edgarnewt.com):
John McCain has become Bush's lap dog. His credibility sank forever when he seemed to denounce the Swift Boat Veterans but then ran back to wag his tail next to his Master, the guy who encouraged the ad in the first place--and who did the same thing to him in 2000. Has he not a shred of pride?
If McCain's strategy was to be the much-admired Man in the Middle by talking tough to conservatives while remaining a faithful party member, he has failed miserably. There is not a Republican of the Karl Rove stripe that would put him on a ticket today, or who would shed a tear if he should leave the Senate to the care of the "real" Republicans. And, after his sad, desperate performance this week as GWBush's shill, there isn't a Democrat who would either.
John McCain is no longer the esteemed Man in the Middle. He is the Crown Prince of Political No-Man's-Land. His lack of discipline makes him distasteful to the GOP faithful, and his sudden display of obsequiousness makes him distasteful to formerly admiring Democrats. This is a man on the downward slide to oblivion. I'm just not sure he has realized it yet.
A sad, sad epilogue to a brilliant and brave military and political career....
1 comment:
Ah, my British friend, you have discovered the holy grail of the American psyche, as best summed up in a recent episode of South Park:
As long as we have war protesters as well as pro-war people, we can be a country that says we love peace while waging war! It's perfect!
Seriously, the answer is that the second-most-frequently -used title for the president is "Commander in Chief." As in, "of the armed forces." So a candidate's military record (real or imagined) is considered to be incredibly important because it offers American mothers and fathers some small kernel of hope that someone who has seen combat will not send their children into it lightly.
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