I've lifted this from Andrew Stoehlein, but it says exactly what I feel about the man:

"Though I disagree with him on many things, John McCain will always stand out for me as a principled politician for two reasons: 1) his steadfast opposition to torture (of course); and 2) this moment, when he said - instinctively - no, there are places politics should never go."

He was far too eager to go to war, and yes, he gave the republicans the albatross that was sarah palin.  But at his core, I think he's a decent man, and I thank him for his service to our country.

"John McCain and I were members of different generations, came from completely different backgrounds, and competed at the highest level of politics. But we shared, for all our differences, a fidelity to something higher-the ideals for which generations of Americans and immigrants alike have fought, marched, and sacrificed. We saw our political battles, even, as a privilege, something noble, an opportunity to serve as stewards of those high ideals at home, and to advance them around the world. We saw this country as a place where anything is possible - and citizenship as our patriotic obligation to ensure it forever remains that way.

"Few of us have been tested the way John once was, or required to show the kind of courage that he did. But all of us can aspire to the courage to put the greater good above our own. At John's best, he showed us what that means. And for that, we are all in his debt. Michelle and I send our heartfelt condolences to Cindy and their family."

President Barack Obama

Where to start with McCain......

First, anyone who serves deserves a tip of the cap. Only a very few will experience what he did and none of us know how we would fare under the same circumstance. I for one hope to never find out as do all of us. I would say one of the biggest regrets I have is not serving. I'm not in favor of mandatory service like Israel for example but I wished I had.

But, just because you wore the uniform doesn't mean you get a free pass. (see the recent Gold Star father vs Trump media fiasco). Don't inject yourself into the middle of a fight and then claim some kind of special protection.

Back to McCain, I remember watching that dinner where the two candidates wear tuxes, have a dinner and each give a comical speech. Some Catholic church charity fundraiser I think. That was one of those times when McCain talked glowingly about Obama who must have known right there and then he was going to win.

In that sense, McCain was a fool. Obama would have metaphorically slipped a knife between his ribs given the chance but he didn't need to. The media did his dirty work for him.

I'm glad McCain pulled Sarah Palin out of the relative obscurity of Alaska and into the limelight. McCain would have been crushed in a landslide without her. And it was absolutely crappy for McCain to suggest a couple years ago she was a mistake. He had zero chance of winning once the media, Hollywood and the entertainment culture was able to appease their white guilt by going overboard in their support (more accurately fawning) over Hopey-Change.

Don't believe any of that crap when someone says "I would have voted for McCain until he brought on Palin" cause that's BS. The only reason McCain won Missouri that year was because of her and I suspect there were other states the same way. Liberal outlets always begged McCain to run. Our local POS newspaper ran editorial after editoral asking him to. His experience is what we need blah, blah blah....And when he did run, they tossed him overboard in a heartbeat for someone with zero experience.

Sure, McCain was a nice, decent man. But he got played by the media and we got stuck with Obama and Obamacare. McCain's healthcare plan was much better than Obamas. Nice guys do finish last sometimes.

But.....since this is Suzuki Savage, I have a Savage story with McCain. I'd been out of street bike riding for years. Still riding and racing dirt bikes but nothing on the street for maybe 25 years. Bought a Suzuki LS650 aka Savage right around time McCain and Palin started that stupid straight talk express bus tour. First time I rode it on the highway was to go see them at a rally 30-40 miles away. I had an old open faced helmet with one of those bubble shields. No idea where I got it, maybe 25 years ago when I had more hair so it didn't fit very well. Anyway I'm on the highway and opening that baby up to see what she could do. I happened to look up, the wind caught that shield, blew it back and almost pulled that helmet right off. Luckily no one was around or the swerves might have ended things right there.

The bus was an hour late, bad sound system so couldn't hear a thing. I also think McCain had a man crush on Palin's husband Todd. He was a man's man as they say. I remember McCain introducing him like he was his running mate.

"Don't believe any of that crap when someone says "I would have voted for McCain until he brought on Palin" cause that's BS."


Can you prove that in any way?

WebsterMark wrote on 08/26/18 at 06:32:06:

you are quite right, matter of fact in an interview he dismissed the idea and said something to the effect
that the heros' were those whose names are engraved in THE WALL.

hmmm.....

Check out the name of McCain's campaign manager's (Rick Davis) lobbying firm: Davis and Manafort.

Now where have I heard that name before........Manafort.....

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ari-berman/mccains-kremlin-connectio_b_132212....

THE BLOG 11/06/2008 05:12 am ET Updated May 25, 2011
McCain’s Kremlin Connections
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By Ari Berman

With the McCain campaign attacking Barack Obama for his flimsy ties to reformed Weatherman Bill Ayers, it seems especially relevant now to highlight McCain’s questionable relationship with his embattled campaign manager, Rick Davis, and Davis’ controversial clients. As Mark Ames and I report in a new article in The Nation, “McCain”s Kremlin Ties,” Davis worked to advance to the interests of Russian proxies in Eastern Europe and powerful oligarchs tied to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, with McCain lending a helping hand.

Over the course of the presidential campaign, John McCain has repeatedly emphasized his willingness to stand up to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as proof that only he possesses the fortitude and judgment to become the next leader of the free world. In his acceptance speech at the Republican convention, McCain lashed out at Putin and the Russian oligarchs, who, “rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power...[are] reassembling the old Russian Empire.” McCain rushed to publicly support the Georgian republic during its recent conflict with Russia and amplified his threat to expel Moscow from the G-8 club of major powers. His running mate, Sarah Palin, suggested in her first major interview that the United States might have to go to war with Russia one day in order to protect Georgia—the kind of apocalyptic scenario the United States avoided during the cold war.

Yet despite McCain’s tough talk, behind the scenes his top advisers have cultivated deep ties with Russia’s oligarchy—indeed, they have promoted the Kremlin’s geopolitical and economic interests, as well as some of its most unsavory business figures, through greedy cynicism and geopolitical stupor. The most notable example is the tale of how McCain and his campaign manager, Rick Davis, advanced what became a key victory for the Kremlin: gaining control over the small but strategically important country of Montenegro.

According to two former senior US diplomats who served in the Balkans, Davis and his lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, received several million dollars to help run Montenegro’s independence referendum campaign of 2006. The terms of the agreement were never disclosed to the public, but top Montenegrin officials told the US diplomats that Davis’s work was underwritten by powerful Russian business interests connected to the Kremlin and operating in Montenegro. Neither Davis nor the McCain campaign responded to repeated requests for comment. (Davis’s extensive lobbying work, especially on behalf of collapsed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has already attracted critical media scrutiny.)

Following ip on the viciousness theme mentioned below, I tead Sarah Palin was requested not to attend memorial. Now, I also read that came from McCain's wife. I get that and I wouldn't judge her for that. But, elsewhere I read McCain planned out the all details his funeral.

I'm not any more  or less upset by McCain's death than I would be for any other Senator. I understand his media popularity is directly proportional to his RINO actions and I'm amused at CNN and MSNBC's poorly done displays of "sadness" over his passing. It's fake of course.

But, if it's true McCain himself requested Palin not attend well then "F" John McCain. A double "F" if he purposely excluded her while asking Biden to speak.

I'll wait until I hear the full story and if anyone reads something that seems like the true story (no CNN please) I'd like to read it.

But like anybody, sometimes you can get things wrong, and what at first appeared to be a decent person may turn out not to be.
Which is exactly how I feel about McCain at the moment. If he did exclude her on purpose, that's a $hitty thing to do. It's a way of blaming his loss on her and the loss was all on him.