John McCain

{{bronze}}[[Image:Mccainmonster.jpg|thumb|right|165px|McCain haunting the halls of the capitol building c. 2008]]
{{uspolitics}}
{{cquote|The bell tolls for me. I knew it would. So I tried, as best I could, to stay a 'part of the main.' I hope those who mourn my passing, and even those who don’t, will celebrate as I celebrate a happy life lived in imperfect service to a country made of ideals, whose continued service is the hope of the world. And I wish all of you great adventures, good company, and lives as lucky as mine.|||McCain's farewell statement shortly before his death in 2018<ref>[https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/25/john-mccain-farewell-statement-757659 ‘My fellow Americans’: A farewell from McCain’s ‘The Restless Wave’] (08/25/2018 08:29 PM EDT) ''Politico''.</ref>}}
'''Jonathan Sidney "John" McCain III''' {{lived|29 August 1936|25 August 2018}} was a [[Vietnam War]] veteran, former [[US Navy|Navy]] lobbyist,<ref>[http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-mccainnavy15apr15,1,7402488.story When John McCain turned to politics, he went all-out], ''Los Angeles Times''</ref> the senior senator from Arizona from 1987–2018, and the [[Republican]] Party's candidate for the [[POTUS|Presidency]] of the [[USA]] in [[2008 U.S. Presidential Election|2008]].<ref>[http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/the-mccain-math/ The McCain Math], ''The New York Times''</ref> He lost decisively to [[Barack Obama]]. McCain's running mate was [[Alaska]]n Governor [[Sarah Palin]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7588435.stm McCain picks female running mate], BBC News</ref>

After his defeat, McCain and his sidekick [[US Senate|Senator]] Lindsey Graham of South Carolina devoted themselves to complaining about President Obama's "soft" foreign policy. However, when Obama was replaced by [[Donald Trump]], McCain became Trump's most outspoken critic within his own party.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/mccain-graham-trump-234403 McCain, Graham torment Trump]</ref> And despite all his flaws, he was still nonetheless a respectable and honorable politician, and a Republican no less (a dying breed in today’s Republican Party).

In 2018, McCain succumbed to a brain tumor a day after ending treatment. He was 81 years old.<ref name="BBC">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45312217 John McCain: Vietnam Veteran And Six-term Senator Dies At 81]. BBC News. August 26, 2018. </ref>

==Domestic policy positions==
John McCain (b. 1936 in the [[Panama]] Canal Zone) was a strong force for ostensible moderation in the GOP, at least at a particular point in his life as his complete track record is mixed and often disappointing. 

===The Good Stuff===
Over the years, he was vital in crafting bipartisan support for generally supported initiatives, including the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (BCFRA).<ref group="note">Later ruled unconstitutional in the controversial [[Citizens United]] Supreme Court decision. See ''Wisconsin Right to Life v. FEC'' S. Ct. 2007.</ref> McCain also once stood up against the American [[Religious Right]], referring to them as agents of intolerance.<ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/02/29/bush.2.t_9.php Republican Says Bush Panders To the 'Agents of Intolerance': McCain Takes Aim At Religious Right], ''The New York Times''</ref> These sensible, [[moderate]] policies made him ''persona non grata'' among extremists, earning hate and scorn from [[Ann Coulter]] and [[Sean Hannity]].<ref>[http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=HuTqgqhxVMc]</ref><ref group="note">Nonetheless, Hannity took the "pragmatic" approach and jumped behind (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) McCain wholeheartedly.</ref> When running for President in 2008, he stood up to some of his constituents making unsubstantiated allegations against Barack Obama, saying he was a decent man.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIjenjANqAk Flashback: McCain tells supporter Obama is 'a decent...] CNN. February 19, 2015.</ref> He was the ''de facto'' leader of right-wing opposition to the Trump administration, and he was the deciding 51<sup>st</sup> vote to not repeal [[Obamacare]].<ref>[http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-gop-effort-repeal-obamacare-fails-n787311 Obamacare Repeal Fails: Three GOP Senators Rebel in 49-51 Vote], ''NBC News''</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/politics/health-care-debate-thursday/index.html GOP Obamacare repeal bill fails in dramatic late-night vote], ''CNN Politics''</ref><ref>[http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/27/obamacare-repeal-republicans-status-241025 Senate rejects Obamacare repeal], ''Politico''</ref> The moment McCain gave a thumb down was quite dramatic.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLsPfYUp1QM McCain votes 'no' on Obamacare repeal]. CNN. July 28, 2017. </ref>

McCain knew about [[Paul Manafort]]'s connection to Russia and prevented him from running the 2008 RNC.<ref>[https://www.inquisitr.com/5046362/john-mccain-reportedly-knew-about-paul-manaforts-russia-ties-in-2008-refused-to-let-him-manage-rnc/ John McCain Reportedly Knew About Paul Manafort’s Russia Ties In 2008, Refused To Let Him Manage RNC]. ''Inquisitr''. August 26, 2018. </ref> This is worth pointing out because Manafort served as chairman for the 2016 Presidential Campaign of Donald Trump, who was investigated for his [[Trump-Russia connection|ties with Russia]].

McCain also condemned Trump for pardoning [[Joe Arpaio]], who was/is known for discrimination toward Latinos, staging an assassination plot during his re-election bid, causing one man to spend four years in jail awaiting trial because of it, and let one teenager be repeatedly raped by her uncle for four years.<ref>https://www.yahoo.com/news/john-mccain-rips-donald-trump-133022111.html</ref><ref>https://static.currentaffairs.org/2017/08/wait-do-people-actually-know-just-how-evil-this-man-is</ref>

With Senator [[Bernie Sanders]] (Vermont), John McCain introduced legislation giving military veterans the option of private healthcare at public expense if they have to wait for too long at Veterans Affairs. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law. McCain expanded the law in his last months. President Donald Trump signed the new bill.<ref>[https://www.apnews.com/a43352c60ec843e6803a2bb35ce66fd5 AP FACT CHECK: McCain can’t respond but his record speaks]. Associated Press. March 23, 2019. Accessed March 23, 2019. </ref>

===On the other hand...===
Despite his record for opposing the more blatantly maniacal portions of the Republican Party, he had quite a few sleazy actions under his belt. His unofficial economic advisor, for instance, was [[Phil Gramm]],<ref>https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/chief-economic-advisor-to-mccain-dr-phil-gramm/</ref> chief architect of the [[Enron]] collapse<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/01/25/for-gramms-enron-is-hard-to-escape/45d9a593-5c0c-436c-a1a7-1d7f7c38ed0f/</ref> and [[Great Recession|sub-prime mortgage crisis]].<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/business/economy/17gramm.html</ref> There was also the severe and infamous blunder of choosing Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate,<ref group="note">Although some{{who}} theorized that she was forced on him by the [[fundamentalist]] base in his party.</ref> who would have become president in the possible event that McCain died of old age while in office. 

Despite being painted as a maverick, John McCain had several instances where he stuck firmly in party lines. He voted for the thoroughly awful trickle-down 2017 Republican tax bill, citing his care about "honor",<ref>Schwarz, Jon, ''[https://theintercept.com/2017/12/02/john-mccain-claimed-he-cares-about-honor-in-the-senate-his-tax-vote-shows-he-lied/ John McCain Claimed He Cares About "Honor" in the Senate. His Tax Vote Shows He Lied.]'', The Intercept, 2 December 2017</ref> and was opposed to [[net neutrality]].<ref>McCain, John, [https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2015/2/statement-by-senator-john-mccain-on-fcc-vote-approving-net-neutrality-internet-regulations Statement By Senator John McCain on FCC Vote Approving "Net Neutrality" Internet Regulations], United States Senator John McCain, 26 February 2015</ref>

Despite opposing the Affordable Care Act's repeal, John McCain thought emergency rooms are a good way to get health care and that no one in America is technically uninsured.<ref>[http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/28/mccain-adviser-everyone-in-us-has-some-health-coverage/?eref=ib_politicalticker McCain adviser: Everyone in U.S. has some health coverage]. CNN. Blogs. August 28, 2008. </ref> Neither is true.

Also, McCain aligned himself with some real nutjobs, including [[John Hagee]], who blamed [[homosexuality|the gays]] for [[Hurricane Katrina]],<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200802280018 Will MSNBC devote as much coverage to McCain's embrace of Hagee's support as it did to Obama's rejection of Farrakhan?], Media Matters</ref> and [[Rod Parsley]], who believes the [[United States]] was founded in part to destroy [[Islam]].<ref>https://prospect.org/features/god-side-d2/</ref> In addition to aligning to socially conservative nutjobs, he was devoutly anti-abortion and wanted to defund Planned Parenthood.<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/John_McCain_Abortion.htm]</ref> A President McCain would have nominated Justices who would be all too eager to torpedo the [[Roe v. Wade|right to choose]] and other important precedents.<ref>[http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/02/04/president-john-mccain-and-the-supreme-court/ President John McCain and the Supreme Court], ''The Wall Street Journal''</ref> 

==Military and foreign policy positions==
{{cquote|In the Senate in 2009 McCain has moved to the right, shedding his maverick image with full-throated attacks on the Democrats' proposals for health care reform, cap-and-trade environmental taxes, and wasteful stimulus spending, while supporting President Obama's aggressive policies in the Afghanistan War.|||[[Conservapedia]]<ref>[[cp:John McCain]]</ref>}}

He modified many of his positions rightward when he became a presidential candidate. While he was no [[George W. Bush]], Americans did not want four more years of the policies of Bush's policies, from failed [[tax cut]]s to continuing the [[Iraq War|war in Iraq]], and (at least attempting to) privatize [[Social Security]].

He wanted the U.S. military to police the entire [[Middle East]] to make it safe for [[Saudi Arabia]], the other [[authoritarian]] Arab monarchies and [[Israel]]. Ergo, he wanted to ''
bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb
'' bomb [[Iran]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7s5pT3Rris McCain Sings "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran"]</ref><ref>[http://youtube.com/watch?v=9-vE8w1Huj0 TPMtv: Sunday Show Roundup: Talking About Spreading War] (Around the 1:15 mark)</ref><ref>[http://youtube.com/watch?v=EE_DcDsp8hg McCain: War with Iran is more reality than hypothetical]</ref>

He supported [[Don't Ask, Don't Tell]],<ref>[http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/John_McCain_Civil_Rights.htm On The Issues]</ref> attacking President Obama by insisting that he believes in honoring all of the US troops — and because of that the US needed to [[Non sequitur|keep DADT in place]].

He was a strong opponent of [[torture]], having suffered a similar fate in North Vietnamese internment, which has earned him the title of "war hero."<ref>[http://news.aol.com/elections-blog/2007/03/18/mccain-close-guantanamo-bay/ McCain: Close Guantanamo Bay], AOL News</ref>

==Changing his mind for the worse==
John McCain changed his mind on multiple issues. From the results, it's telling that he usually did this to maintain conservative support, and he was bankrupt in principles.

*McCain used to criticize TV preacher [[Jerry Falwell]], but later decided to cozy up to the man, agreeing to be the graduation speaker at Falwell's [[Liberty University]] on May 13, 2006.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1779141&page=1 McCain Woos the Right, Makes Peace With Falwell], ABC News</ref>
*McCain opposed Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy, but reversed course in February 2006.<ref>[http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/6731.html McCain, 2.0]</ref>
*In 2000, McCain accused [[Texas]] businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April of 2006, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.<ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1880630&page=1 Gearing Up for '08? McCain Befriends Old Enemies], ABC News</ref>
*McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to [[White House]] demands.<ref>[http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2006_03/008343.php Kafka's Legacy], ''Washington Monthly''</ref> 
*McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at [[Bob Jones University]] before he was for it.<ref>[http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/8313.html The Old McCain condemned Bob Jones; the New McCain...]</ref>
*McCain was anti-ethanol before becoming pro-ethanol.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15637887/ ''Meet the Press'' Transcript for November 12, 2006]</ref>
*McCain was both for and against state promotion of the [[Confederate]] flag.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200610310003 Despite McCain's many hedges, Borger asserted that "no one would accuse McCain of equivocating on anything"], Media Matters</ref>
*He was both for and against overturning ''Roe v. Wade''.<ref>https://archive.thinkprogress.org/mccain-flip-flops-supports-immediate-reversal-of-roe-v-wade-62bce7f2ff9f/</ref>
*Due to being a product of a POW swap at the end of the Vietnam War,<ref>[http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=119272 Operation Homecoming], if you were wondering.</ref> it's not a surprise that McCain pressed to exchange [[Taliban]] prisoners at [[Guantanamo]] in exchange for the release of [[US Army|Army]] Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.  Try guessing how he reacted when the move would result in a diplomatic win for Obama.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/wp/2014/06/06/did-john-mccain-flip-flop-on-the-bergdahl-deal/ Did John McCain flip-flop on the Bergdahl deal?], ''Washington Post''</ref>

==Eligibility for the Presidency==
To the chagrin of [[Birther]]s, John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which is now part of the Republic of Panama and was once a U.S. protectorate but never really part of the U.S. At best, its status was similar to that of the Swan Islands (now part of Honduras) or Palau (now an independent nation). However, the Supreme Court decided that nobody cared and said that it didn't matter, because his parents were off playing Navy in Panama during the whole thing.

As a Panamanian-American, it was questionable whether McCain was eligible to assume office if he was elected. This question came up previously concerning [[Barry Goldwater]] (born in the Arizona Territory before it was admitted as a state), and George Romney (born in [[Mexico]] to U.S. [[Mormon]] expat parents). Still, since both were failed candidacies, the courts have never had the opportunity to decide whether a natural born citizen is limited to those born within any of the states.<ref group="note">What about somebody born in [[Washington, D.C.]]?</ref> However, [[United States Constitution|constitutional]] and legal experts are generally of the opinion that if someone was born a citizen, that would qualify for the "natural-born" requirement, whether it was within the US or not; in others words, "you can be a natural born citizen without actually being born in one of the 50 United States."<ref>https://www.thoughtco.com/presidents-not-born-in-the-us-3368103</ref> In fact, a lawsuit seeking to remove McCain from the California ballot in 2008 due to his place of birth was issued by the chairman of the [[American Independent Party]], although it was quickly thrown out by a federal judge, who agreed that McCain was a "natural born citizen".<ref>https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26765398</ref>

==Quotes==

[[Image:John McCain and Lindsey Graham Al-Faw Palace Iraq.jpg|thumb|right|250px|John McCain and Lindsey Graham with U.S. troops in Iraq.]]
===On missions and their accomplishment===
{{cquote|[[Neil Cavuto]]: ... Senator -- after a conflict means after the conflict, and many argue the conflict isn't over.<br>Senator McCain: Well, then why was there a banner that said '[[mission accomplished]]' on the aircraft carrier? ... The conflict -- the major conflict is over, the regime change has been accomplished...|||June 11, 2003, on [[Fox News]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSIrSNf0m7Q]</ref>}}

{{cquote|This is a mission accomplished.|||December 14, on ABC's ''This Week'', referring to the capture of [[Saddam Hussein]].}}

{{cquote|I don't know if you could ever say, quote 'mission accomplished,' as much as you could say 'Americans are out of harm's way.' And that's the key to America's concern — casualties.|||May 1, 2008, at a town hall meeting in Des Moines, [[Iowa]].<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24418639/ McCain says no ‘mission accomplished’ in Iraq], MSNBC</ref>}}

===On modern peace and war===
{{cquote|In the 21<sup>st</sup> century, nations don't invade other nations.|||John McCain, on the [[Russia|Russo]]-[[Georgia]]n war.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaNoIgfjf_o Video of McCain's quote]</ref>}}

{{cquote|The world is in greater turmoil than at any time in my lifetime.|||John McCain, on being born in 1936.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/fareed-zakaria-tough-times-yes-but-weve-seen-worse/2014/07/17/e7de4d96-0dee-11e4-8341-b8072b1e7348_story.html Not the worst of times], ''Washington Post''</ref>}}

{{cquote|[He] used to say talk softly, but carry a big stick...what you’re doing is talking strongly and carrying a very small stick, in fact, a twig.|||John McCain, calling [[Teddy Roosevelt]] [http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/mar/05/barack-obama/Obama-goes-back-to-his-Republican-roots-on-health-/ "my hero."]<ref>[http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/mccain-and-kerry-have-tense-exchange-at-foreign-relations-hearing-video/ McCain, Kerry Have Tense Exchange at Foreign Relations Hearing], ''Roll Call''</ref>}}

{{cquote|Most naive president in history.|||John McCain, on Obama's response after Russia invaded [[Ukraine]] on a trumped-up pretext.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-mccain-slams-obama-on-ukraine-most-naive-president-in-history/ John McCain slams Obama on Ukraine: "Most naive president in history"], CBS News</ref>}}

===On America's allies===
{{cquote|You know, the [[French]] remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who is still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it.|||John McCain, on foreign relations.<ref>[http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/johnmccain/a/mccainisms_2.htm McCainisms]</ref>}}

{{cquote|I feel badly about the British, they're our dear friends, but they’re no longer a world power. It’s just a fact of life.|||John McCain, on the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>[http://www.mediaite.com/tv/sen-john-mccain-to-leno-britain-no-longer-a-world-power/ Sen. John McCain to Leno: Britain ‘No Longer a World Power’]</ref>}}

===On America's enemies===
{{cquote|This is a victory for the president, the Obama administration.|||On the death of [[Gaddafi]].<ref>[http://www.themorningsidepost.com/2011/10/19/mccain-offers-praise-to-obama-administration/ McCain Offers Praise to Obama Administration]</ref>}}

===On US healthcare===
{{cquote|I want the families to make the decisions between themselves and their doctors; not the federal government|||John McCain, on why he opposed [[universal healthcare]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/26/debate.mississippi.transcript/index.html Transcript of first presidential debate], CNN</ref>}}

===On Asians, although he meant North Vietnamese prison guards===
{{cquote|I hate the '''''gooks''''', I will hate them as long as I live.|||John McCain, in 2000.<ref>https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/McCain-Criticized-for-Slur-He-says-he-ll-keep-3304741.php</ref>}}

===On Iraq and sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia muslims===
{{cquote|There's not a {{wpl|Ottoman–Persian_Wars|history of clashes that are violent between Sunnis and Shias}}, so I think they can probably get along.|||John McCain, defending the decision to invade Iraq while being very confident and factually wrong in 2003.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-may-22-oe-brooks22-story.html</ref>}}

===Calling Achmadina a monkey===
{{cquote|So Ahmadinejad wants to be first Iranian in space - wasn't he just there last week? "Iran launches monkey into space".|||John McCain, jokingly referring to Achmadina as a monkey on [[Twitter]], 2013<ref>https://twitter.com/SenJohnMcCain/status/298456316538662912</ref>}}

==McCain Institute==
The McCain Institute for International Leadership is a [[think tank]] founded in 2012 devoted to "character-driven global leadership".<ref>[https://www.mccaininstitute.org/about/ About], McCain Institute Website</ref> Its trustees include failed VP candidate [[Joe Lieberman]] and disgraced General David Petraeus<ref group="note">Given 2 years' probation for mishandling state secrets.</ref>, while its fellows include former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer [[George Osborne]]. It hosts an annual event at Enchantment Resort in [[Sedona]], Arizona, at which the likes of [[Joe Biden]], [[Hillary Clinton]], and ex-Batman Ben Affleck have gathered for 
sex parties
 some kind of chat about making the world a better place for millionaires and their chums. There have also been claims of conflicts of interest, with donors to the institute being affected by laws that McCain was totally coincidentally voting on.<ref>{{wpl|McCain Institute}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[2008 U.S. Presidential Election]]
*[[George W. Bush]] — Who screwed him out of the presidency ''twice''!
*[[Meghan McCain]] — his daughter
*[[Mission accomplished]]
*[[Mitt Romney]] — His "spiritual successor" in terms of being a ringleading anti-Trump GOP senator.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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Categories: 2008 US Presidential candidates, Authors, Christians, Former United States Representatives, Former United States Senators, Homophobes, Imperialists, Islamophobes, Military, Moderate Republicans, Neoconservatives, Panama, Shysters, United States politicians