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Yes I have, as you label it, conveniently left out McCain’s five and one half years. What we get from that period of time is conflicting information. Some say he acted honorably during that time and others say he provided information to the NVC, and participated in propaganda above and beyond what he should have, and got special treatment for it.

Since I cannot know what actually took place, I refrain from addressing that period. I don’t heap praise on McCain, and I don’t criticize. I’ll leave that to others. And others have weighed in.

I consider the U.S. P.O.W. experience in Vietnam to be perhaps the pinnacle thing we can ask a fellow citizen to endure for his/her nation. If it was not a holy religious experience for them, it was probably as close to one as it could be, without it actually being one.

Some people think we should honor all P.O.W.s. I don’t believe that is our only obligation. We are obligated to hold deep respect for our honorable P.O.W.s. That much is undeniable. I also believe are owe it to honorable P.O.W.s to hold dishonorable P.O.W.s. to account.

All this being said I don’t honestly know which John is. A good case can be made for either scenario, and they have been. I’m not Solomon on this so I take no position.

I will admit to not being able to comprehend the driving force behind McCain’s seeming respect for Vietnam’s politicos. Even his former P.O.W. prison guards are treated like long lost friends. Considering how Hanoi Hilton P.O.W.s were, treated that astounds me.

What we do know from John’s own recollection and the recollection of others is that John liked to fight in grade school. He made his way to West Point, screwed around there and graduated fourth from the bottom of his class of just short of 900 people.

Despite this John was allowed to enter flight school. There he continued to screw around. Around this time John lost two aircraft. Some reports state be was screwing around each time. This raises serious questions about whether John’s immature screw-up mentality had been grown out of by the time his active duty was in full swing, another thing I don’t know for sure. None of us do.

So when John brings up his military service for me to salute, I see a big question mark. I don’t salute question marks.

John got out of the service and was elected to Congress. He then proceeded to accept favors from Charles Keating. John took over $13,000 in favors that be didn’t report for 5 to 7 years. He only made restitution once it became clear the gift would be discovered anyway.

Then John interceded inappropriately on behalf of Keating with regulators.

John scated on all that. and since those days be has been backing leftist policy whenever the mood moved him, which was fairly often.

When it comes to character, what we do know about the man is enough. He’s been far too willing to sell out his own political party at the drop of a hat, so there hasn’t been any character on display.

He’s made his mark. It’s time for him to retire.