“Maybe this is a reflex action he picked up during his North Vietnamese days. He probably caved into the Communists in Vietnam”
No probably about it. It’s a known fact (at least to AZ Viet Nam vets) that McCain broke. There were other men who were tortured who did not break. I make no judgment call myself.
But there’s more than that. McCain came to Arizona looking for a place to run for federal office, i.e., he was a carpetbagger. During the S&L scandals of the 1990’s, he was a member of the Keating Five and admitted to getting free plane rides and vacations from Charles Keating. Apparently, he learned nothing, because prior to 2008, he got caught taking free plane rides again, this time in his wife’s corporate jet. He’s noted for having a nasty temper and... Well, I guess you can figure out my opinion of the man.
When forced to denounce his country by the North Vietnamese, he blinked out the word torture instead on French tv.
I once had the honor of talking to the great man via the late David Brudnoy's talkradio program.