Burke: In war and in peace, John McCain proves his courage

By Tom Burke

I didn’t vote for John McCain for president. Not that he wasn’t qualified (he was) or would have been a “bad” president (he wouldn’t have been). But his platform and choice of Sarah Palin turned me off.

I especially couldn’t vote to put Palin a heartbeat away from the Oval Office. She was marginally qualified for local government in Wasilia, Alaska; unqualified as governor, and her name and the words “vice president” should never have appeared in the same sentence, let alone on a ballot.

This isn’t the time or place to debate Obama v. McCain. But in retrospect, I’m glad I didn’t vote for him, ‘cause clearly, the gods of good government wanted John McCain in the well on the Senate at 1:49 a.m., July 27, voting no on Trump’s health care disaster.

There he helped return sanity to the legislative process and gave us hope (ironic, isn’t it?) that our government still functions after six chaotic months of Donald Trump.

McCain became a four-time hero when he thumbed-down the “skinny”repeal. He stepped up, cast a courageous vote (as did Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski) and secured his place in Senate history alongside Robert LaFollett, Robert Wanger, and ‘ole Daniel Webster.

But then being heroic is something he’s done before.

First, as a naval aviator. Flying high-performance jets off aircraft carriers is dangerous. People die doing it, and that’s just in training or normal peace-time duty. But he, and many others accept that risk to serve us, and that makes them heroes.

Next was the day in October, 1967, he flew off the USS Oriskany for combat over North Vietnam. I know people who get nervous driving rush-hour on I-5, so getting shot off the flight deck of a carrier into combat is a big deal. (Here’s a test: “Compare and contrast” the character of a combat-proven former prisoner of war to a pampered rich kid who got four education deferments and a medical deferment (for temporary “bone spurs” in his heel) to avoid service in Vietnam.

Of course, McCain’s unmitigated guts as a five-and-a-half-year POW — who was refused medical treatment for two broken arms, a broken leg, and other life-threatening injuries because he wouldn’t cooperate with the enemy — was brutally tortured; and who refused early release from the Hanoi Hilton, all qualifies him as a hero. Except, of course, to Donald Trump who said, “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

Finally, his no vote on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act was heroic both for distaining political retribution from the president and for taking the bullet for all those Republican senators who wanted to vote against it but didn’t because they feared retribution “back home” or from the White House. (Just ask Sens. Murkowski and Collins about threats from Trump.)

I wonder, as Trump begged him to vote yes, did McCain recall Trump’s insults?

And I wonder if McCain pondered how he and his comrades risked their lives (with over 50,000 dying) to insure Donald Trump had the freedom to say things like, “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the *****. You can do anything.”

As a final “compare and contrast” consider:

Trump’s multi-year “birther” campaign:

Trump (2012): “An ‘extremely credible source’ has called my office and told me that Barack Obama’s birth certificate is a fraud.”

Vs.

McCain (2008): “No, ma’am. He’s (Obama) a decent family man and citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign’s all about. He’s not an Arab.”

Vs.

Trump: (2016) “President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period.” (Oops, five-plus years of lies down the drain.)

Then on the rule of law:

Trump: “Republicans in the Senate will NEVER win if they don’t go to a 51 vote majority NOW. They look like fools and are just wasting time.”

Vs.

McCain: “Our responsibilities are important, vitally important, to the continued success of our republic. And our arcane rules and customs are deliberately intended to require broad cooperation to function well at all.”

So let’s hear it for John McCain.

History will recall him as a warrior and a statesman and unafraid to put his life and his reputation on the line for his country and his beliefs. About Trump, the words chicken(hawk), buffoon and liar come to mind for now. But let’s wait until Robert Mueller finishes his investigation, or a grand jury hands out indictments, before we render a final judgement.

Tom Burke’s email address is t.burke.column@gmail.com.