Weekly Opinion Editorial
McCain & Trump
Continue Feud!
by Steve Fair
Senator John McCain died on
Saturday. McCain served as U.S. Senator
from Arizona for 31 years, succeeding the legendary Senator Barry Goldwater. McCain’s father and grandfather were both
Navy Admirals. Like they, he graduated
from the Naval academy. He then served
in Vietnam as a Navy pilot, was shot down, captured and was a prisoner of war
for five years. After he came home, he
went into politics, first in the U.S. House, and then in the Senate. In Congress, McCain cultivated the image of a
rebel and considered himself a maverick, often going against the GOP on
issues. He ran for president twice and gained
the nomination in 2008, eventually losing to Barrack Obama by a 2-1 Electoral
College margin.
Both of Oklahoma’s U.S. Senators praised
McCain. Senator Jim Inhofe said: “John
was a fighter for the causes he cared deeply about—most notably our military
and democratic values around the world—and a passionate advocate for Arizonians.
I’m honored that I could call him a
friend and colleague. Our prayers are with his wife, Cindy, and the entire
McCain family as we join the nation in mourning and honoring a true American
hero.” Senator James Lankford said: “I’m grieved to hear of the passing of
Senator John McCain. Few Senators have made a greater impact on the nation. He
is an American hero who never stopped serving our country. I pray for peace and
strength for his wife, Cindy, and their family as they mourn in the days
ahead.”
President Trump tweeted condolences to
the family, but the White House didn’t issue an ‘official statement’ on McCain’s
death. Flags were ordered to half-staff,
but then raised back to full staff after just one day. The mainstream media has been having a field
day criticizing the POTUS for his not praising McCain’s military and political
service.
The feud between Trump and
McCain wasn’t one sided. McCain told his
family he didn’t want President Trump to attend his funeral. He requested former Presidents George W. Bush
and Barrack Obama to eulogize him.
McCain took special glee in casting the deciding vote to reject
repealing and replacing Obama care, a key Trump initiative. This was after he had won re-election campaigning
he would vote to repeal it. He criticized
Trump for complimenting Vladimir Putin. In
his final written public statement, he took a shot at the President’s plan to
build a wall, so this feud wasn’t one-sided.
President Trump’s actions
toward McCain in death are no different than they were in life- he despised
him. The feeling was mutual- McCain had
no use for Trump. McCain was a deal
maker, like Trump, but with less flair. McCain
opposed everything Trump proposed.
By
ignoring McCain’s military and public service years, Trump is showing
disrespect, not just to McCain, but to a nation that values sacrifice. He is defining himself and not in a positive light.
President Trump should follow tradition,
issue an official statement on the death of McCain, lower the flags to half-staff
through the burial, and move on.
Continuing a feud with a dead man serves no meaningful purpose.
No comments:
Post a Comment