On Sunday, June 29, while Wes Clark was commenting about John McCain’s military service, Abraham Katsman was writing about McCain’s personal life. Katsman’s story, “A not-so-public man: the private character of John McCain,” appeared in The Jerusalem Post.
It’s notable that the release of the story came Sunday, rather than in the midst of the uproar following Clark’s remarks. It came because it was a story worth telling, not because McCain suddenly needed some kind of positive publicity. The contrast between Clark and McCain and their differing attitudes about their military service is striking. McCain has been relatively quiet about his service, leaving it to others to tell his story. Clark, on the other hand, has been very busily and publicly capitalizing on his service, not only running for president but appearing often on cable news as a military analyst.
More important though, the story tells a lot about the private John McCain and his family, especially his kids. It’s no accident that the information will come as a surprise to many; after all, few stories could compare to his Vietnam years. Both stories, however, speak to the character of the man, and if anyone still has any doubts about it, they should click on the link above and start reading.
Note, Sept. 28, 2008: Not mentioned in Katsman’s article is that McCain courted his second wife, Cindy, for months while still married to his first wife, Carol, who had been disfigured and crippled in a car accident while he was in Vietnam.
Also, although the orphanage that Cindy McCain visited had been founded by Mother Teresa, the two never actually met, as some reports have indicated.
© 2008 PiedType.com. Some rights reserved.
This week, Clark motivated me to express my dislike his role in the campaign. I created some music, which is what I do to express myself, and added a few clips and comments.
Please check my political satire at
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0CRvlccNIXs
Best regards,
James
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I agree he’s been pandering shamelessly for a veep job. And I don’t think he has a prayer of getting one.
Another great article. McCain is an incredible human being.
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He’s a pretty cool dude, I’ll admit. But I don’t want him as president.
Military service does not make one person any more qualified than another. I know plenty of people in the military who can’t even balance their checkbooks.
I also don’t particularly care about McCain’s “private life” any more than I cared about Bill Clinton’s private life.
All politicians are lying, thieving, conniving b*stards.
So, there are two questions that pop into my head when considering a candidate:
1. Which lying, thieving, conniving b*stard agrees with me on the issues?
2. Can the person get the job done?
McCain is not that person. Anyone who says he’s “fine” with being in Iraq for the next 100 years never could be.
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Yep, that 100 year thing, along with “Bomb bomb Iran,” makes it highly unlikely I’ll vote for him. I tend to share your opinion of politicians. I’ve helped send some fine men to Washington, and it ends up corrupting all of them.
Oh, and anyone who wants to tell me what to do with the contents of my uterus is DEFINITELY not qualified for the presidency because that person is SEVERELY lacking in his or her ability to comprehend the very simple concept of separation of church and state.
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For me it’s even more basic than that. My body, my choice. Period. End of discussion.
I think that McCain has made a point of not exploiting his personal life for political gain, does speak well of him. Unlike many politicians who will use absolutely anything to get a leg up, McCain tries to run on his merits politically. And while there are many things on which I disagree with the man, I do respect him and feel that he does try to do the honorable thing.
Annie
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He tries to be honorable, but in recent years that has brought him down on the wrong (for me) side of some of the issues.
Agreed, some of his choices have been disastorous – no question about it. But I can’t think of anyone, anywhere, regardless of their career choice who hasn’t made a lot of mistakes and wrong choices.
Annie
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I know that all too well. 🙁