rooster59 Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 U.S. Senator John McCain, ex-POW and political maverick, dead at 81 By Will Dunham FILE PHOTO - US Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-AZ) smiles as he speaks during a rally in La Crosse, Wisconsin October 10, 2008. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. president as a self-styled maverick Republican in 2008 and became a prominent critic of President Donald Trump, died on Saturday, his office said. He was 81. McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona for over three decades, had been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, discovered by his doctors in July 2017, and had not been at the U.S. Capitol in 2018. He also had surgery for an intestinal infection in April (2018). A statement from his office said: "Senator John Sidney McCain III died at 4:28 p.m. on August 25, 2018. With the senator when he passed were his wife Cindy and their family. At his death, he had served the United States of America faithfully for sixty years." No further details were immediately provided. "My heart is broken. I am so lucky to have lived the adventure of loving this incredible man for 38 years," Cindy McCain wrote on Twitter. "He passed the way he lived, on his own terms, surrounded by the people he loved, in the place he loved best." Alternatively affable and cantankerous, McCain had been in the public eye since the 1960s, when as a naval aviator he was shot down during the Vietnam War and tortured by his North Vietnamese communist captors during 5-1/2 years as a prisoner. He was edged out by George W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, but became his party's White House candidate eight years later. After gambling on political neophyte Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, McCain lost in 2008 to Democrat Barack Obama, who became the first black U.S. president. McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was a frequent critic as well as a target of his fellow Republican, Trump, who was elected president in November 2016. McCain denounced Trump for among other things his praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders the senator described as foreign "tyrants." "Flattery secures his friendship, criticism his enmity," McCain said of Trump in his memoir, "The Restless Wave," which was released in May. McCain in July had castigated Trump for his summit with Putin, issuing a statement that called their joint news conference in Helsinki "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory." He said Trump was "not only unable but unwilling to stand up to Putin." Sources close to McCain have said Trump would not be invited to the funeral. McCain, a foreign policy hawk with a traditional Republican view of world affairs, was admired in both parties for championing civility and compromise during an era of acrid partisanship in U.S. politics. But he also had a famous temper and rarely shied away from a fight. He had several with Trump. THUMBS-DOWN He was the central figure in one of the most dramatic moments in Congress of Trump's presidency when he returned to Washington shortly after his brain cancer diagnosis for a middle-of-the-night Senate vote in July 2017. Still bearing a black eye and scar from surgery, McCain gave a thumbs-down signal in a vote to scuttle a Trump-backed bill that would have repealed the Obamacare healthcare law and increased the number of Americans without health insurance by millions. Trump was furious about McCain's vote and frequently referred to it at rallies but without mentioning McCain by name. After Trump in 2015 launched his presidential campaign, McCain condemned his hard-line rhetoric on illegal immigration and said Trump had "fired up the crazies." Trump retorted that McCain was "not a war hero," adding: "I like people who weren't captured." After Trump became president, McCain blasted what he called the president's attempts to undermine the free press and rule of law, and lamented the "half-baked, spurious nationalism" of the Trump era. McCain denounced Trump's performance at a summit meeting with Putin in July as "a tragic mistake," adding, "The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence, and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate." MCCAIN VS OBAMA McCain, the son and grandson of U.S. Navy admirals, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona in 1982 after more than two decades of Navy service. He served four years in the House before Arizona voters elected him to the Senate in 1986 to replace Barry Goldwater, the 1964 Republican presidential nominee revered by conservatives. In running for president in 2008, McCain tried to succeed an unpopular fellow Republican in Bush, who was leaving office with the country mired in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and stuck in a financial crisis. It was a stark contrast between McCain, then a 72-year-old veteran of the Washington establishment, and the 47-year-old Obama, who was offering a "Yes, we can" message of change. McCain tried to inject some youth and enthusiasm into his campaign with his selection of Palin, Alaska's governor, as his running mate. But the choice backfired as her political inexperience and shaky performances in media interviews raised concerns about her qualifications. In his new book, McCain voiced regret for not choosing then-Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat turned independent, as his running mate. McCain wrote that he had originally settled on Lieberman, Democrat Al Gore's running mate in the 2000 election, but was warned by Republican leaders that Lieberman's views on social issues, including support for abortion rights, would "fatally divide" the party. "It was sound advice that I could reason for myself," McCain wrote. "But my gut told me to ignore it and I wish I had." Obama won 53 percent of the vote to McCain's 45.6 percent. WAR INJURIES During the Vietnam War, McCain flew attack planes off aircraft carriers. He was preparing for a bombing run in 1967 when a missile inadvertently fired from another plane hit his fuel tanks, triggering a fatal explosion and fire. He suffered shrapnel wounds. A few months later on Oct. 26, 1967, McCain's A-4 Skyhawk was shot down on a bombing mission over North Vietnam's capital and he suffered two broken arms and a broken leg in the crash. A mob then dragged him from a lake, broke his shoulder and stabbed him. Held at the notorious "Hanoi Hilton" prison and other sites, McCain was beaten and tortured, suffering broken bones and dysentery. He was released on March 14, 1973, but was left with permanent infirmities. In Congress, McCain built a generally conservative record, opposing abortion and advocating higher defence spending. He supported Bush's 2003 invasion of Iraq and criticized Obama for not doing more to intervene in Syria's civil war. Still, he prided himself on his reputation as a maverick and had a history of working across party lines on immigration, climate change and campaign finance reform. He also spoke out against the Bush administration's use of waterboarding, a torture technique that simulates drowning, and other harsh interrogation tactics on detainees in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He urged the closure of the prison for foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and also sponsored an anti-torture measure that passed Congress in 2005. In a 2002 memoir, McCain wrote, "I'm an independent-minded, well-informed public servant to some. And to others, I'm a self-styled, self-righteous maverick pain in the ass." John Sidney McCain III was born on Aug. 29, 1936, at an American naval installation in the Panama Canal Zone - U.S. territory at the time - when his father was stationed there. He conceded he was a "smart ass" during his years at the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated fifth from the bottom of his class. McCain divorced his wife Carol after 15 years of marriage in 1980 and weeks later married the former Cindy Henley, daughter of a wealthy beer distributor in Arizona. A dark period for McCain came as one of the "Keating Five" group of senators accused of improperly intervening with federal regulators to help political contributor and bank executive Charles Keating, whose Lincoln Savings and Loan failed in 1989 at a cost to taxpayers of $3.4 billion. McCain was cleared of wrongdoing in 1991 but the Senate Ethics Committee rebuked him for poor judgment. On July 25, 2017, McCain delivered a Senate floor speech not long after his cancer diagnosis that was widely seen as his farewell address. It included a call to fellow Republicans to stand up to Trump and for all lawmakers to work together to keep America as a "beacon of liberty" in the world. "That is the cause that binds us and is so much more powerful and worthy than the small differences that divide us," McCain said. -- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-26 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Samui Bodoh Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 This is a loss for humankind. Agree with him or not, he was one of the very few politicians left who spoke his mind and advocated cooperation rather than confrontation. Can anyone name a national politician who would do this today? R.I.P. Sir! And, thanks for the example. 25 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mtls2005 Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 Wow, not sure any of us expected this terrible news so soon after yesterday's announcement. Condolences to his family. His military service alone would guarantee a burial at Arlington, but I guess his wish was to be buried in the cemetery at the U.S. Naval Academy in West Annapolis, MD. The service will be held at the Academy, as I understand it. "Fair winds and following seas and long may your big jib draw!" 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post colinneil Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 A man has died, the loss of any human being is a sad occasion, especially for his family. Whether you agreed with him or not, please show some respect, and do not resort to nasty comments. 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Scott Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 Inflammatory, troll posts removed. Continue and receive a suspension. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Spidey Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 12 minutes ago, colinneil said: A man has died, the loss of any human being is a sad occasion, especially for his family. Whether you agreed with him or not, please show some respect, and do not resort to nasty comments. I rarely agreed with his politics but always respected his integrity and honesty, rare attributes in politics today. Will be greatly missed by all. R.I.P. 10 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Silurian Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 (edited) R.I.P. John McCain. The Senate and Republican party have a big hole to fill. P.S. Hey god, wrong politician and way too soon. Edited August 26, 2018 by Silurian 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dexterm Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 A sad loss. I don't on the whole agree with Republican policies, but I will never forget the way he politely put down that racist heckler attacking Obama. Wish there were more decent polticians with such honesty and integrity like him around today. RIP John McCain. 14 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DM07 Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 I am not an American, so I don't have to chime in, in all the "war hero"- rethoric and I didn't agree with 99% of Mc Cains politics. But one thing has stuck in my mind and forever will be: the way he defended Obama against some dumb@$$ republican voters, who accused him of being a muslim (or even better: "an arab") For this alone, I respect Mc Cain more, than a whole bunch of other politicians! 20 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Grouse Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 A great loss for the USA A real statesman Sad news indeed 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobBKK Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Never liked him nor his policies or disloyalty but he was a political great (apart from his Palin choice) and like Thatcher deserves respect for that. I'm grateful his passing was peaceful and that he enjoyed most of his life and that's all most of us can hope for. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldgit Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Reasoned response to removed troll post removed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post spidermike007 Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 (edited) Though I am not a republican, I considered McCain to be a giant among men. A man of great honor and integrity. A man capable of admitting his mistakes. A man of great courage under fire. I truly believe he may be the last of his generation. He fought the GOP on health care, because he did not think it was a good bill, and his honor required him to say no, despite all of the pressure. Will we ever see another like him? I doubt it. He provided such a contrast to those in power, at this time. He was the polar opposite. A true man of courage, guts, respectful of others, and honest as the day is long. Unlike many cowards of today, he fought for his country, rather than avoiding the draft, and using deferments to live a life of luxury. He may have lost his last presidential election due to the fact that he would not take the low road, and attempted to keep the race decent and avoided hatred and division. Palin was forced upon him. He never liked or respected her. He was the kind of man who could see right through a phony. He deserves our respect. I will miss him dearly. Edited August 26, 2018 by spidermike007 10 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Grouse Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 (edited) Some appalling comments on here today. I shall return when mods have cleaned up. Edited August 26, 2018 by ubonjoe quote of a removed post removed 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Boon Mee Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 RIP Mr. McCain. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ubonjoe Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 19 minutes ago, Grouse said: Some appalling comments on here today. I shall return when mods have cleaned up. I have cleaned it up. Please stay on topic and be respectful. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Troll post removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussieroaming Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 RIP after a life well led Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Becker Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 6 minutes ago, Expatthailover said: Shame. A great loss to the USA. A decent republican who enlisted and went to fight for his country has recently been insulted and belittled by a POTUS who is a draft dodging venal fraud. The same POTUS who has insulted every one eho has the temerity to question and or criticise his actions and behaviour ( and boy is that of encyclopedic proportions). Yes, the man-child is the polar opposite of Mr. McCain. I didn't always agree with his politics and the choices he made. Case in point is choosing Pailin to be his running mate, which btw he later regretted. But at the end of the day he was an honorable and moral man and (both/all sides of) US politics has lost a voice of reason and sanity. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benmart Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Hand salute. Taps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Thaidream Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 John McCain- a true patriot and a man of honor. He could have left captivity in Vietnam earlier than he did as the Vietnamese offered to release him as his father was the head of the Pacific forces and a 4-Star Admiral. John refused- stating everyone had to be released- not just him. Unfortunately, he was further tortured and suffered permanent injury. Indeed, he also voted his conscience- not always along party lines. If there were more people like him- the World would be a better place. Rest in Peace!! You will be missed and remembered. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Briggsy Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 3 hours ago, Boon Mee said: RIP Mr. McCain. That's Senator McCain 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimmer Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Another disrespectful post removed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post spidermike007 Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said: This is a loss for humankind. Agree with him or not, he was one of the very few politicians left who spoke his mind and advocated cooperation rather than confrontation. Can anyone name a national politician who would do this today? R.I.P. Sir! And, thanks for the example. Good question. Although I am a bit surprised that Pelosi came out and said it is too early to discuss impeachment possibilities. I did think that was rather dignified. Perhaps an election strategy. However, one can assume for a fact that if the current brand of Republicans were in the opposition, and this was happening with Clinton as president, there is no doubt in my mind that talk of impeachment would be frequently discussed and the rallying cry would be far and loud. McCain set a very good example, and has left incredibly big shoes that nobody in this day and age of tiny men, racist ideas, phobic minds, and hateful leaders can fill. He may be the last of the truly elegant, dignified, graceful, non partisan, politicians in our lifetime. He did speak his mind, was honest almost to a fault, and was a man of sound reason, and had a very good heart. Most of all he had tremendous courage. Nobody on the national stage today would last a month in a Vietnam prison, without losing their minds, or doing whatever the Vietnamese asked of them. One particular man comes to mind. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Skeptic7 Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 (edited) A hero in every sense of the word. A man of HIGH integrity, honor and scruples...all too rare, especially in politics. Need more like him. Edited August 26, 2018 by Skeptic7 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil B Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Would have been a great President... Should have been him instead of Bush Jnr or Trump. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ubonjoe Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 2 hours ago, Rimmer said: Another disrespectful post removed And some more along with some baseless defamatory posts and replies to them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rimmer Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 A post containing erroneous information has been removed. The fire on the USS Forrestal was started when an F4 accidentally fired a zuni missile because of an electrical surge, the missile then hit the A4 McCain was sitting in 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post welovesundaysatspace Posted August 26, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 26, 2018 Neither American nor republican, I must say he was a great man, and one of the few politicians left I had respect for despite not agreeing to many of his positions. I’m afraid there aren’t many more like him. RIP 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 And now a comment on moderation. There has been more than one post by moderators asking posters to be respectful in their posts which have been ignored by some posters who had their posts and the replies to them removed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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