Honor Lost

Whatever honor and integrity John McCain may have had left has now been sacrificed. Some may say that he chose to give up honor when he became a politician, but surely there have been many who actually performed public service in elective office without tarnishing themselves the way he has.

For McCain this represents a real loss. People like Robert Byrd, Ted Kennedy, or the Clintons have never demonstrated that they have any familiarity with honor. But as the son of a Naval officer and a graduate of the Naval Academy, honor was a concept that was once very real to someone such as McCain. His actions as a POW in Vietnam were apparently in keeping with an understanding of honor. However, this latest sellout is part of a recent history which tarnishes any notion of honor.

The judicial nominees whom McCain eagerly threw under the bus are, from all accounts, people of integrity who have lived lives of distinction. They have been the victims of extremely vicious slanders and character assassination by the very people in the Senate McCain has embraced and praised. By his actions, McCain has added his concurrence to the slanders. A man of honor would never sellout the honor of another for his own personal advancement the way McCain has.

I have no doubt that his fellow officers and especially those who went to the Academy are appalled at the way McCain has behaved. Honor and integrity should mean more. He once knew that they did.