The Wisdom of John McCain…

Senator McCain died this past weekend.  He’s been lauded in enough other places, there’s really no need for me to link to them or anything like that.  Instead, I came across a story of his wit in comparison to a couple of other guys…Bush and Obama.

Bush made a comment that when he looked into Putin’s eyes (Russia’s leader), he saw the man’s soul.  A nice, poetic sort of comment.

Obama talked about Putin and in the Russian’s eyes, he saw a man willing to ‘reset’ US/USSR relations.

McCain’s comment:  “When I look in the eyes of Vladimir Putin, I see three letters: K. G. B.”

In the end, as with many things when it came to foreign policy, McCain was correct.  I think the US will miss him more than the ignorance on the extreme right realizes–McCain worked tirelessly for free trade (a benefit to the US), NATO/Atlantic security (again, to the benefit of the US), to help Vietnam and the Pacific (putting away the grudge of his treatment to rebuild relations–it is peacetime, not war).

Have there been better senators in history?  Absolutely.  But I’d sure like a couple dozen more like John McCain in office right now.  I didn’t always agree with him, but there was never a question of him believing in the American system, that he understood good ideas came from all ends of the political spectrum, and that his opponents (Democrats) were good people, just with opposing ways to work things.

Godspeed, Senator.

PS.  Bless you for poking Trump in the eye by not inviting him while inviting the two men who kept you from the presidency (Bush/Obama) to speak and THEN poking Putin by having one of the men he tried to poison/murder by a pall-bearer for you.  I hope I get as good a last word in when they put me in the ground.