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August 9, 2008

What Voters Need To Know About John McCain

Topics: Political News and commentaries

Maynard at Tammy Bruce.com points to an article by a Republican to bolster the McCain campaign. As Maynard's piece notes, there's an agenda here, but the points are worth knowing: A not-so-public man: the private character of John McCain.

[...] It's pretty amazing when you think about it. War hero John McCain has been in the public eye almost his entire adult life. He's run numerous campaigns, served in Congress for 25 years, and is in his second run for the presidency.

Yet, there is so much of his life that reveals an absolutely sterling character, but remains largely unknown to the public. And in spite of the tremendous political advantages that publicity could confer, McCain instinctively keeps that information private. Although as a presidential candidate he may be forced to overcome this reticence, he honorably shies away from using his personal heroics for political gain.

How aware is the public that McCain has raised seven children? Or that he adopted his two oldest sons as small boys (children from his wife's prior marriage)? Or that he has raised a Bangladeshi girl with severe health problems adopted from Mother Theresa's orphanage? Or that his own sons have served in the military, including in Iraq?

It's widely known that McCain, a Navy pilot, was shot down, captured and tortured by the North Vietnamese for 5 and a half years - an episode worth a forthcoming column all its own. But few are aware that he refused early release until all the POWs captured before him were freed, and that he refused special treatment offered once it was discovered that he was the "crown prince" (the son of the admiral in charge of the Pacific Fleet) because he wouldn't provide the enemy with any propaganda victories.

Even fewer seem to know that those years were a fraction of a 22-year Navy career. Although broken and battered, after his release from Vietnamese captivity he went right back to the Navy, where he continued to serve for an additional eight years.

[...] Anyone can talk about "supporting our troops"; the McCains serve. McCain's father and grandfather were respected American admirals. Of McCain's four sons, three have gone the military route. One was a Navy pilot like his father, one enlisted in the Marines at age 17 and recently completed a tour in Iraq, and one is completing his education at the Naval Academy (raising the strong possibility that, for the first time in half a century, the United States will have a president with a son at war).

Yet, likely because of those same values, McCain maintains a strict code of silence about his sons' military service, no matter how legitimate his pride or politically useful their military status. Through 2007, McCain was the strongest Senate advocate of vastly increasing troop levels in Iraq, strongly influencing the administration's wildly successful "surge" strategy.

Be sure to read the rest; there's a lot more information that may surprise you, and whether or not you agree with his views, you just can't help but admire this man on a personal level.

Although I've not been a big fan of McCain, hands down he's light years ahead of Obama in character, knowledge, experience, substance, and values - which are factors that we should be looking at in deciding who should be our next president. I suggest that a "tingling down one's leg" and being the subject of a mindless cult are not qualifications for consideration as the next president of the United States of America.

So on the basis of character, knowledge, experience, substance, and values, I'll be voting for McCain come November.

Posted by Richard at August 9, 2008 6:30 AM

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