Unfortunately, it is true. We don’t absolutely know how many POWs and MIAs were still alive at the time, but it is true that McCain used his reputation as a heroic POW to cover it up and open relations with Communist North Vietnam, as a way of furthering his career.
I followed it very carefully at the time it happened. It was totally disgusting. As I have sometimes said, when not keeping my mouth shut during the McCain-Palin campaign, it was the single worst thing he ever did. He betrayed his fellow POW-MIAs.
Why? Because the higher political powers wanted a credible hero to lead this effort, and McCain happily went along with them—much as he has done every since on other issues such as McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy.
Proof?