McCain, in new memoir, chides Trump for undermining U.S. values

[webfact]

McCain, in new memoir, chides Trump for undermining U.S. values

By Phil Stewart

 

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) speaks after being awarded the 2017 Liberty Medal by former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (unseen) at the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 16, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain rebukes President Donald Trump in a new memoir, accusing his fellow Republican of failing to uphold U.S. values by showering praise on international "tyrants," discrediting the media, ignoring human rights and demeaning refugees.

 

"Flattery secures his friendship, criticism his enmity," wrote McCain in "The Restless Wave," which he co-authored with longtime aide Mark Salter.

 

"It is hard to know what to expect from President Trump, what's a pose, what's legitimate," McCain said in the book that is due to be released on May 22. An advance copy was sent to Reuters by publisher Simon & Schuster.

 

McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, remains one of the strongest voices in his party on foreign policy, despite a battle with brain cancer. He has been credited with championing civility and compromise in Congress during an era of acrid partisanship in U.S. politics.

 

The 81-year-old Arizona lawmaker, who has served in the Senate since 1987, has also been both a critic and target of Trump, who during his 2016 presidential campaign disparaged McCain's war record by saying he was not a hero after enduring 5-1/2 years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.

 

In his memoir, McCain said Trump had appeared to mock the idea the United States should promote its values abroad and slammed him for threatening to kill the spouses and children of terrorists during his campaign.

 

"His lack of empathy for refugees, innocent, persecuted, desperate men, women and children is disturbing. The way he speaks about them is appalling," said McCain, who still chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee despite his long medical absence from Washington.

 

At the same time, McCain noted Trump's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and said he "seems just as smitten" with Chinese President Xi Jinping, leaders whom McCain accused of repression.

 

"He has showered with praise some of the world's worst tyrants," McCain added.

 

He also accused Trump of failing to raise U.S. concerns about human rights.

 

"The world expects us to be concerned with the condition of humanity. We should be proud of that reputation," McCain said. "I'm not sure the President understands that."

 

Trump's branding of unflattering news stories as fake news - regardless of their validity - was a technique "copied by autocrats who want to discredit and control a free press," McCain said.

 

The White House did not immediately offer any comment on McCain's accusations.

 

POLITE REBUFF

McCain was the central figure in one of the most dramatic moments in Congress of Trump's presidency when he returned to Washington in July 2017, shortly after his brain cancer diagnosis, for a crucial middle-of-the-night vote.

 

Still bearing a black eye and scar from surgery, McCain gave a thumbs-down signal in a decisive vote to scuttle a Trump-backed bill to repeal the Obamacare healthcare law.

 

In the book, McCain recalled how Trump called him shortly before he cast his vote.

 

"I listened quietly as he asked me to reconsider. I don't remember exactly how I responded, but it was a polite rebuff," McCain wrote.

McCain mocked Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka - whom he called some of Trump's "weirder" advisers - saying he was relieved they had left the administration.

 

"Bigger misfits haven't been seen inside a White House since William Taft got stuck in his bathtub," McCain wrote, referring to early 20th-century President William Howard Taft.

 

McCain concluded his memoir by citing Robert Jordan, the main character in Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls," who said as his death approached: "The world is a fine place and worth fighting for and I hate very much to leave it."

 

"And I do too," McCain wrote. "But I don't have a complaint. Not one. It's been quite a ride."

 

(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Will Dunham, Susan Cornwell and Jeff Mason; Editing by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-04

[Expatthailover]

Proper man unlike the draft dodging don and his sidekick sissy babyballs Bolton. 

That don chided him for getting caught and being made a prisoner of war speaks volumes for his crassness. 

Mccain is spot on.

Don is the epitome of lowest common denominator politics

[selftaopath]

This is what Swamp king swore, but he is a pathological liar and destroyer of democracy:

“I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” he promised the American people, as prescribed by Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, just as the presidents before him have done.

[DoctorG]

RINO

[BobBKK]

McCain self-serving as always and can't get over his disastrous run at the White House with his wonderful choice of VP Sarah Palin (good judgement there Sir). Respect his war service but he's been a lone maverick seeking attention ever since.

[zydeco]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"His lack of empathy for refugees, innocent, persecuted, desperate men, women and children is disturbing. The way he speaks about them is appalling," said McCain

Yes, it's all about "refugees" and illegals for McCain. No  mention of American citizens and the cost they must pay to fight all the wars he wants fought. McCain should have realized there wouldn't be so many refugees had he not demanded to invade and destroy countries from Afghanistan to Iraq to Syria and put upset things elsewhere. What a self-righteous hypocrite. 

[Cats4ever]

Absolutely no sympathy for the Don's bone spurs. Had he avoided them, there is no way he would have been captured and had a holiday in Hanoi. There is no end to the DT's front. I suspect politics was broken & DT seemed a change, unfortunately not for the better.

[AsiaHand]

McCain is a liberal that got elected on the Republican ticket 

[AsiaHand]

1 hour ago, zydeco said:

Yes, it's all about "refugees" and illegals for McCain. No  mention of American citizens and the cost they must pay to fight all the wars he wants fought. McCain should have realized there wouldn't be so many refugees had he not demanded to invade and destroy countries from Afghanistan to Iraq to Syria and put upset things elsewhere. What a self-righteous hypocrite. 

McCain is from Arizona where many of the illegals life and if he were to ever run again (he is trying to beat brain cancer) he would like those illegals and those refuges to be able to vote for him.And like you pointed out zydeco it is not his money he is spending.

[stevenl]

27 minutes ago, AsiaHand said:

McCain is a liberal that got elected on the Republican ticket 

So within 5 posts he is accused of being a RINO and a liberal. Now the latter might be a compliment, but certainly not correct.

[Credo]

11 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So within 5 posts he is accused of being a RINO and a liberal. Now the latter might be a compliment, but certainly not correct.

It's typical.   They can't defend Trump, so attack anyone who says anything about him.   What McCain is saying is true.   Very, very true.

 

[BobBKK]

13 minutes ago, Credo said:

It's typical.   They can't defend Trump, so attack anyone who says anything about him.   What McCain is saying is true.   Very, very true.

 

Of course you would say that wouldn't you?  guess you loved his pick for VP too?  (an ardent supporter of Trump)

Edited May 4, 2018 by BobBKK

[selftaopath]

22 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So within 5 posts he is accused of being a RINO and a liberal. Now the latter might be a compliment, but certainly not correct.

McCain said, "... failing to uphold U.S. values by showering praise on international "tyrants," discrediting the media, ignoring human rights and demeaning refugees." 

 

McCain is correct and could have gone further in that Swamp king is undermining U.S. institutions/ spitting on rule of law, lying to Americans and many more despicable and most likely illegal behavior. He is a disgrace to America. He will be remembered and maybe as the most hated man in history.... bar none. 

[BobBKK]

Just now, selftaopath said:

McCain said, "... failing to uphold U.S. values by showering praise on international "tyrants," discrediting the media, ignoring human rights and demeaning refugees." 

 

McCain is correct and could have gone further in that Swamp king is undermining U.S. institutions/ spitting on rule of law, lying to Americans and many more despicable and most likely illegal behavior. He is a disgrace to America. He will be remembered and maybe as the most hated man in history.... bar none. 

 

Oh the Hyperbole!  forget Mao, Stalin and Hitler and the Pol Pot's and even Lucifer Himself. President Trump eh?  

[sukhumvitneon]

26 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So within 5 posts he is accused of being a RINO and a liberal. Now the latter might be a compliment, but certainly not correct.

I don't think you know what a RINO is.

14 minutes ago, Credo said:

It's typical.   They can't defend Trump, so attack anyone who says anything about him.   What McCain is saying is true.   Very, very true.

 

Nah.  McCain is one of those "conservatives" that doesn't really conserve anything.  Their game is to sell out the middle class, young people, and citizens who grew up here for quick profit while posturing as "moral".  He's just like Romney, Bush jr., and Jeb, even Reagan.   Despite being vaunted as the penultimate conservative, Reagan was anti gun and banned open carry in California and new transfers of machine guns.   Attacking the 2A isn't "conserving".  Signing trade deals that put hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work isn't "conserving". Americans are lazy and won't work for shit wages at awful jobs, and therefore should be replaced according to these politicians.  Running up massive budget deficits and sending thousands of soldiers to their death for pointless wars abroad isn't "conserving".

[stevenl]

48 minutes ago, sukhumvitneon said:

I don't think you know what a RINO is.

Nah.  McCain is one of those "conservatives" that doesn't really conserve anything.  Their game is to sell out the middle class, young people, and citizens who grew up here for quick profit while posturing as "moral".  He's just like Romney, Bush jr., and Jeb, even Reagan.   Despite being vaunted as the penultimate conservative, Reagan was anti gun and banned open carry in California and new transfers of machine guns.   Attacking the 2A isn't "conserving".  Signing trade deals that put hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work isn't "conserving". Americans are lazy and won't work for shit wages at awful jobs, and therefore should be replaced according to these politicians.  Running up massive budget deficits and sending thousands of soldiers to their death for pointless wars abroad isn't "conserving".

You think wrong.

[rudi49jr]

5 hours ago, DoctorG said:

RINO

Trump is HINO (Human In Name Only) or MINO (Man In Name Only)

[Guest]

2 hours ago, AsiaHand said:

McCain is a liberal that got elected on the Republican ticket 

I think McCain represents the values of Republican majority as well as republican representatives, before the madness of tea party and Trump took over. 

 

[Redline]

15 hours ago, BobBKK said:

 

Oh the Hyperbole!  forget Mao, Stalin and Hitler and the Pol Pot's and even Lucifer Himself. President Trump eh?  

Trumps idols 

[spidermike007]

Tiny Don does not even have the gravitas to shine the shoes of McCain. This coward, who dodged five drafts, out of pathological fear of putting himself into the line of fire, now talks tough. He is willing to talk tough, as long as he is not in danger himself. This punk, this bully would go down in four seconds, if he was actually in a street fight, with a man seven inches shorter than him, and 50 pounds lighter. For him to insult McCain, and talk about not respecting him, because he was caught by the Vietnamese and imprisoned, shows who this little creep is. A worm. A weasel. A thief. A serial statutory rapist. A pathologic liar. A disingenuous village idiot.

 

He has no principals, nor any vision. He is perhaps the most dangerous man on the planet right now as it appears he is trying to lower the quality of life, for everyone on earth, and his policies are making both America and the world less great, and more dangerous. Of course McCain is right about undermining American values. Tiny has no values. None whatsoever. He is completely amoral. Completely lacking in ethics of any sort.

 

Thankfully, he will not remain in office for more than 12 more months. Resignation, impeachment, or prison, are in his future, and many of us will be very, very thankful for that. 

 

Tiny DT. The art of moving America backwards, and lowering the quality of life for the average American. 

The art of I cannot make a deal to save my life. 

The art of losing talent in droves, and replacing them with sycophantic fools, devoid of talent or experience. 

The art of attempting to lead a nation, while being infected with the thinnest skin of a world leader, in history. 

The art of not having a diplomatic bone in his body, and destroying long held alliances, with hate, hubris and a horrible lack of intelligence, vision and talent.

Edited May 12, 2018 by spidermike007