Sen. John McCain deserves more than a tweet.
Yet that’s all our graceless and petty president could muster to mark the death of an authentic American hero and patriot. Perhaps that’s because John McCain was everything Donald Trump is not -– unflinchingly honest, brave, selfless, and respectful of others, including his political opponents.
The Navy flyer was no saint, and never pretended to be. McCain also could be impulsive, stubborn, cantankerous, and as opportunistic as any candidate in pursuit of his political ambitions. I still find it hard to forgive him for inflicting Sarah Palin on the nation. But McCain knew his faults and often turned his wicked sense of humor against himself. He managed to live a deeply purposeful life without taking himself too seriously. That’s an appealing combination.
Although McCain was genuinely conservative, he was too intellectually honest to toe anyone’s party line. He earned his reputation as a political maverick by working across party lines to advance what he saw as a national interest that transcends mere party allegiance. His bipartisanship was not that of a moderate who splits the difference, but that of someone who always puts the country first. Right up to the end, he stood as a vivid reproof to gutless Republicans who fail everyday to stand up to Trump’s toxic assaults on American ideals and institutions.
Although we were on opposing political teams, we at PPI had the pleasure of working with Sen. McCain on a variety of causes. These included enlarging national service (which he personified); defending and leading the world’s community of democracies; creating a nationwide “cap and trade” system for carbon emissions; and, eliminating “corporate welfare” by closing special tax breaks for business. I sometimes accompanied Sen. McCain to the annual Munich Security Conference, where he advocated for the collective defense of liberal democracy with passion, intelligence and wit.
John McCain possessed in abundance an old-fashioned quality that, in these low, dishonest times, our elected leaders need more than ever – a sense of honor. We were fortunate to count him as a friend, and will miss him.
