What person would want someone who constantly attacked you, even when you were ill and dying ,at your funeral?
McCain did the right thing for his family.
68
Much is being and will be said to render just praise and gratitude for this true American man. Let's be thankful...will naming Jeff Flake as his replacement be a good way to remember him ?
Flake would have some time to be a good senator and perhaps run again for that seat if indeed our goveenment "normalizes" in the intervening months and years.
20
That McCain's family and friends were surprised by the attention his funeral was getting is really no surprise. It comes under the category of "an enemy of my enemy is my friend". McCain bothered a lot of Republicans, especially in the last couple or years, maybe even more than he did the Democrats who never really liked him until he became an adversary of Trump. His funeral became a showcase for Dems and "never-Trumpers" attempting to display their "bipartisanship" by throwing praise to McCain for his heroism which Trump said never happened. The funeral - sadly - was for many of these folks an anti-Trump event. John McCain was a twice failed presidential candidate and at best a mediocre politician...his passing should have been more devoted to his efforts and the good he did as an American patriot and devoid of the political posturing.
6
Just watched the entire and deeply moving Baptist funeral which includes his Caucasian chef-of-staff, a Navajo musiician, an African American football player, his close friend , former VP Joe Biden, and Frank Sinatra's singing as the casket leaves the church. Worth watching. He knew how he wanted to be remembered. Please post the video.
78
What a small man. He forbade attendance to Sarah Palin, to his aides from 2008 campaign, he PLANNED all these bitter, posthumous personal revenges - in detail. The same smallness as when he sacrificed his principled stance of many years on the major political issue to gloatingly defeat his personal enemy. And gloat he did. Oh, what a man.
9
Such a small minded twerp.
Quote.
Donald Trump criticizes military veteran and Senator John McCain, saying, "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured."
“He’s not a war hero,” said Trump. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
The remarks, which came after days of back-and-forth between McCain and Trump, were met with scattered boos.
McCain, a former Navy pilot, spent roughly five-and-half years in a notorious North Vietnamese prison known as the “Hanoi Hilton,” where he was repeatedly tortured. He spent two of those years in solitary confinement.
Quote.
At a press availability following his remarks, Trump denied saying that McCain isn’t a war hero and said, “If somebody’s a prisoner, I consider them a war hero.”
He also continued his attacks on the Arizona senator, saying, “I think John McCain’s done very little for the veterans. I’m very disappointed in John McCain.”
36
As a practical matter, you can’t have Trump at your funeral, because of his bad manners. He will push through the other guests, hog the microphone, give a rambling speech about himself, and show up with an entourage of groupies who will spoil the occasion. Then he will tweet about it afterwards and claim that everyone loved him. No, first and foremost, Trump has bad manners. Everything else is commentary.
163
My respect for Senator McCain went to a new level when he saved the ACA. He truly was a man with a moral compass.
President Bone Spurs may not call you a hero, but I sure will.
112
McCain was a statesman, and we have so few of those.
Certain politicians do not deserve mention in discussing and remembering him.
53
McCain thru his carefully planned funeral was sending a final message to congress and the senate, but certainly not to Trump.
That would imply that McCain thought Trump has the capability to listen, understand, and change into an honorable human being and true patriot.
McCain knew better. He wants our leaders who have those capabilities to start using them for the good of America.
56
I hope, with McCain's passing, that many others pick up the torch for the America John McCain loved, that I love, and that many more love. That torch is the freedoms that our country was founded with, and that Donald Trump's Presidency and the current Republicans in Congress threaten. Speak up, and VOTE.
41
As a Democrat who has lived in Arizona for over 30 years, I can say without reservation that I vehemently disagreed with much of what Sen. McCain did and said. But I also agreed with some of what he said and stood for. One instance involved the waterboarding controversy under the Bush administration, Sen. McCain made it clear that, having experienced torture at the hands of the enemy, waterboarding was not about the terrorists, but about us and what kind of country we are. Since then, I have disagreed with his stance on many issues, but my respect for his integrity and love of this country has not diminished in the least.
104
Trump is a child. McCain was a man. Rest in peace, dear Sir. I've always admired you even when I didn't agree with you.
77
What a prince he was. And here we are left with the frog -- warts and all.
48
In the last year of his life, John McCain embodied the difference between a Republican who loves his country and one who loves power- like Mitch McConnell.
92
I live in Arizona. Democrats like me overwhelming respected and honored Senator McCain although we often disagreed with him. Thousands of people showed up to show their respects at the state capitol on Wednesday. His shoes will be hard to fill. I suspect though that the senator had a talk with the governor about his replacement, which has to be a Republican. I trust it will be someone not way out there like Kelli Ward or Paul Gosar. Rest in peace John McCain and thanks for serving our state and our country.
39
The American people are not only mourning the passing of a great individual, John McCain. We also grieve in the knowledge that the last remaining honorable Republican in the country has died.
82
Hasn’t Trump been “lying in state” ever since he took office?
R. I. P. Mr. McCain. You were one of the few remaining voices of conscience on Capitol Hill. We can only hope and pray that your legacy will inspire others to put country before party. Godspeed to you on your journey to the great beyond.
57
John McCain was an American contradiction. Fiercely loyal to his country to a fault: He spoiled for war against Saddam Hussein, resulting in American military carnage and the spawning of ISIS. He was fiercely independent in his political thinking and actions: His famous thumbs down vote against scrapping the Affordable Care Act, yet he chose a woman to be his running mate who in so many ways mirrors the thoughts and actions of Trump. On balance, McCain will be viewed by historians as a military hero but not without his flaws.
13
It's sad to lose a good man like McCain...
It's really sad to be stuck with someone like trump in the Oval Office. How wonderful it is that McCain planned his own funeral and put trump in a place where he belongs.
I've read somewhere that presidents plan their own funerals. I will bet my last dollar that trump will replace the eulogies with videos of himself proclaiming how great he is and how much he accomplished to make himself great.
24
I think of the many men of my father's generation who went off to WWII, suffered awful horrors, were injured or became POWs,and returned home to build families and communities and serve their country in public office. The Greatest Generation had many heros like McCain. But my generation, which is the same as McCain's, had very few heroes. Vietnam was a bad war with few heroes, and that makes Mccain's life and death more notable.
26
I am not a fan of either man but I think Trump will have the last word....technically.
6
I respected Senator McCain and was most impressed by his concession speech when he lost the presidential election against Barack Obama. The senator definitely had his moments and speaking out against the abomination that is President Trump was important. But I feel compelled to say that his words did not translate into action. He refused to vote against the Trump agenda (except for his important vote to protect the ACA) and he even voted in favor of the tax scam that is hurting everyday Americans while enriching corporations and is putting us on a dangerous path with regard to our national debt. When Republicans cut Medicare and Social Security to save the budget hole caused by this tax scam, we can thank Senator McCain (and of course, the "moderate" Collins!).
McCain tried to separate his individual yes/no votes from Trumpism when in reality, they were one and the same. EACH Trump legislative victory empowered him and provided more excuse to the sycophants in the House and Senate to continue to turn blind eyes to the horror unfolding before us. I give the senator credit for recognizing the crisis but I fault him for failing to understand that desperate times require desperate measures, like voting NO every single damn time. EVERY single time. You know the saying "money talks?" Well, in politics, votes talk. Mere words don't amount to much.
14
My only hope is that all this tribute to Mr McCain is sincere and not a rebuke of Donald Trump (even though he totally deserves it).
11
John McCain appears to have become a saint overnight. To me, a European, the coverage by the US media is way over the top. Even Wolf Blitzer of whom I am a fan, has lost all sense of proportion. Perhaps the reason is that the US do not have much to be proud of these days. If John McCain had had had his way the world might have been saddled with Sarah Palin as US president. The funeral rites choreographed by John McCain are those of a vain and theatrical man.
28
@Stefan Schütz: Most (all?) politicians are vain, and the successful ones know how to be theatrical. I think there is something to your thought that many of us here need a reason to celebrate. But trust me, Dems especially are well aware of McCain's mistakes and faults, but we salute him for having more backbone, more class and being more consistent than any other Republican politicians in this country.
35
I had a tendency to wonder, "which John McCain will show up?" The maverick of 2000. who bucked his own party, by among other things, having Democrat Joe Lieberman as his running mate? Or, the John McCain of 2008, who picked a nutty, little-known former Governor of Alaska, named Sarah Palin?
To me, his two defining moments,were when he essentially defended his opponent, Barack Obama, from the calls by two fools, who were convinced the Democratic POTUS candidate was "Muslim," and "an Arab."
The other, was when when he came back to Washington, against doctors orders, to casting the deciding vote against repealing ACA.
Say what you will about his politics, whether you are a Republican,or a Democrat; you cannot say that, even if he had never been a war hero, he wasn't a class act; something of a rarity these days.
R.I.P., Sir!
47
If Trump is eating himself up with anger, it is based on envy as to the accolades for McCain. How anyone can be so blinded to what he is and how others see him, is really astounding. How a political party can not make an effort to restrain him or disavow him is disgraceful. McCain had the fortitude to do that. No one has to be perfect to be appreciated for their efforts. Let's hope that his death will encourage voters to reflect on our situation and show up at the polls understanding that we have to stop what is happening.
56
It’s up to the media (especially the broadcast media) to give Senator McCain the airtime this distinguished American patriot deserves. The broadcasters should completely and consciously resist the temptation to focus on drumpf and his diversionary tactics. This would include Fox “news” as well. It would force his base to receive coverage on a man who’s the complete opposite of their “champion”.
12
Dear Mr. President Trump,
As you watch John McCain's funeral this weekend on Fox News, please know that you will never know the respect and honor that millions of Americans have shown for Mr. McCain. In fact, you can rest assured that when your own time has come, many will rejoice at your demise.
I know I will.
64
Why is the media so focused on Sen. McCain's last "dig" at Trump? They only occupied a fraction of each other's orbits at the tail end of their lives. Sen. McCain was a veteran and a public servant who loved his country. He also had terminal brain cancer and wanted to leave this world letting those people who inspired him and shaped his path know that he was grateful, especially his mother, wife and children, friends in the senate etc...I think he highlights that also with his funeral services, in which he pays tribute to the people, the ideals, and country he loved. Sure, Mr. McCain had a message for the president in not having him attend the funeral and in his final letter, but do you blame him? I think the senator also offers a reflection on how divided the American national spirit has become and offers advice not to forget the democracy. Politics aside, whether you liked Mr. McCain or not, death is no trivial matter and should not be sensationalized with this McCain/Trump feud. Trump is Trump and is ridiculous and loathful every day, nothing new there. I'm glad the veterans groups cricitcized him vociferously for the flag debacle. As a daughter who also has a vet dad and brother who suffered injuries as a result of the last war, let us as Americans remember Mr. McCain as a dedicated American, leave Trump out of it, as it only gives him more press, and allow the McCain family to grieve in dignity. That's how I would hope the situation to be if he were my dad.
26
What about McCain 's running mate Sarah Palin? How come she wasn't invited to the funeral or the memorial services?
1
She has nothing to complain about. He made her rich. She’s already gotten over it.
11
A true patriot. 60 years of service to the nation.
9
Aides hope Trump will contain his anger about the attention John McCain will receive -- and their hopes are in vain. The victory lap on the "new NAFTA agreement"? The threat to regulate Google because it keeps turning up unflattering articles about him? All attempts to push McCain's name out of the headlines.
Trump won't even try to stop himself. The tweets will fly out, and who among us thinks they won't be ugly?
13
The one thing I did not like about McCain is he never saw a war he did not want to get us involved in.
14
I admired John McCain and think he was a great American. Unfortunately, the business about Mr. Trump is unfortunate and below the Senator’s standards.
1
Trump has lost and insulted the veterans, especially the Vietnam era with his behavior toward McCain.
Then to see McCain’s two sons in Uniform next to their father, neither one has taken the full advantage of their father’s position. The one enlisting as a Marine at 17 and remaining enlisted in the Arizona reserves. The other one is Navy helicopters polit, Madrid to a black airforce reserve polit. John Sidney McCain V looks more like Obama than Trump!
6
As sad as this week is, with the loss of one of our greatest senators and a true leader, it has also given us a much needed breath of fresh air. Reading about the life of this man of such courage, integrity, dedication, and idealism in a man who cared deeply about our country and the world, seeing the outpouring of respect and affection for him, from those of all political beliefs, has lifted our hearts and spirits. It has reminded us of the good we are capable of. Thank you for your endless generosity, Senator McCain. May you be an inspiration for all people.
16
That McCain chose the Sinatra song, "I Did It My Way,' for the recessional at his Phoenix church service, is somewhat ironic. That song would be more appropriate for a Trump funeral. 'My way' is not a compliment in my mind. It's selfish tho I don't think maverick McCain was conscious that it might be viewed that way by some. I think 'my way' in it's true sense is more accurately a regret, or should be. Success is doing it 'our way.' And I think McCain would have agreed. His choice was just lapse in judgement to which from time to time he was prone.
4
I watched the funeral and cried through most of it. It's interesting how McCain inspired loyalty rather than demanding it.
I take issue with the words "the two men clashed" when referencing his relationship with trump. There was only one "man" involved in that dispute.
33
McCain had flaws, to be sure. But many times he stood up for what he believed in disagreement with his party and that is almost nonexistent from almost all in the GOP. McCain reminded us of the times in the past where Dems and GOPrs got along. Now we have no one; it is very sad.
14
Well the ceremonies are almost over and the misdeeds and missteps are glossed over.
For the time being we have an official saint, but time will pass and like all he will be remembered, but the only honest thing he did putting the people over expediency when he cast his vote against trumps plan to destroy the Obama health plan. Even then he knew he was dying so he would not to vote against the conservative onslaught and gift to the 1%.with the tax reform which I am sure he knew was not for the voters. Rest In Peace mr. McCain . Now that he's gone we forget the Keating disaster, the votes for unnecessary wars.
1
What family would EVER desire Trump at their loved ones' funeral? He is the poster boy for a "Be Worst" campaign.
38
I respected John McCain for his lifelong service and heroic behavior during his incarceration at the "Hanoi Hilton" and for his basic decency. That said, I rarely if ever agreed with John McCain's politics and found it odd that despite harsh criticism against trump he nearly always voted the Republican tax cut agenda party line. With notable exceptions being against torture and his last minute vote helping forestall the demise of the affordable healthcare act.
What I really do appreciate is how McCain's well thought out funeral plans are such a strong, valid and appropriate rebuke to the walking slime that is Donald Trump.
Trump, always chicken to do his own fighting in person, but never afraid to issue harsh tweets or verbal attacks on those who disagree with his policy's or endless lies (over 4,225 thus far in Office), now must contend with McCain's 'last stand'.
Trump's fear and pettiness knows no limit. Witness his petulant up and down half staff flag flap at the trump tarnished White House.
Virtually every claim Trump makes about others be it "fake news", behaving traitorously, or claiming Democrats will "violently overturn 'our' (dubious) "achievements" IS actually what HE himself IS and DOES. Just sayin....
Anyone with half a brain can see this and gets it.
So why does his pathetic, gullible and hateful base keep drinking the poisonous trump 'kool ade'. There's no economic benefit to the vast majority of them. So... Racism? Judges? Abortion?
16
@Howard Beale
Senator McCain survived as a POW in Vietnam as did so many others. (And as did others in other wars). His only truly heroic act was to deny himself early release by the North due his being the son and grandson of important US military officers. Personal strength and survivorship isn’t necessarily heroic in itself, but it is inspiring to others. And while I don’t understand how any moral person can support the GOP’s positions on our air, water and land attacks, Sen. McCain still stands so far above trump as clear water is to a cess pool.
5
Trump is nothing more than a gnat on McCain's shoulder. I fail to see the pointless drama stories such as this. I believe McCain's purpose in planning was congruent with his life's work and hard-won integrity. I hear his words as instructional lessons to those who come after him, whether in politics or daily dealings. I see his comments as less of an intentional dig and more as blatantly obvious contrast. No matter our political beliefs, may we all learn to cultivate characters of value and integrity, with the grace of meeting in the middle.
8
I was a great supporter of John McCain's and actively supported his run for President back in 99. That was 19 years ago and his hypothetical second term would have ended a decade ago.
Face it, he was an 81 year old man with a ravaged brain. He should not have been holding office and you should not take his last few years' activities as representative of the real John McCain.
1
I believe MCCain's choices are not meant to be a snub, rather an example respect for diverse individuals and viewpoints.
4
That McCain chose the Sinatra song, "I Did It My Way,' for the recessional at his Phoenix church service, is somewhat ironic. That song would be more appropriate for a Trump's funeral. 'My way' is not a compliment in my mind. It's selfish tho I don't think maverick McCain was conscious that it might be viewed that way by some. I think 'my way' in it's true sense is more accurately a regret, or should be. Success is doing it 'our way.' And I think McCain would have agreed. His choice was just lapse in judgement to which from time to time he was prone.
1
Did he also plan to have it last until 2019. Lets finish it up please .
3
All these people here singing high praises for a warmongering racist and war criminal. This was a vile man, and it needs to be reiterated in death too. This was not a man of honor or integrity. Don't be deceived.
1
McCain comes off as a vindictive old man - Trump wins again.
1
@Ambrose Rivers
Trump comes off as petty, puerile, pathologically self-absorbed, and jealous. These are not the traits of a winner.
21
True American heroes are not fascist victims. There has never been any justice or pride in choosing the selfish path. It is about choosing good over evil. Americans are falsely and blindly led down the path of evil by corrupt conservatives and media propagandists. Turning Americans against each other...think about it.
1
As a lifelong Democrat, I was never going to support McCain in any election and on nearly every domestic issue he was on the other side of the fence. But nobody could ever doubt his bedrock hardheaded patriotism and as a Vietnam veteran I honored that quality in him. His personal qualities of straight arrow character also deserve honor. If he had one fault at all it was that his choice of allies was uneven. He was a good father as evidenced by his children. He was a quintessential plain speaking plain dealing American icon - only Lilliputians will find fault.
7
Senator John McCain, flaws and all passed on leaving this plane an ACE in the hand of humanity.
#45 is the literal embodiment of a
”Trump Card!”
1
Yeah, but too bad that he had to die to get his word in....
1
A funeral is supposed to be about the departed.....trump tries to make everything about himself.I can't think of anyone who would want that sort of person at their funeral.
Imagine having a grandstanding egotistical loud mouth at your funeral....
16
I'm watching the memorial now and it is heartbreakingly beautiful. The male chorus sang a wonderful song about Az. and McCain. Sweet and Sinatra singing I did it my way gave way to waterworks in my eyes.
1
Senator McCain had cancer.
Donald Trump is a cancer. His messages of hatred and exclusion and scorn for the poor and sick are spreading like metastases.
17
McCain was a murderous failson who is loathed by everyone on the Left and Right. The only people who didn't despise the guy are media politico types and the 10 centrist idiots who still exist.
Also, he didn't get the last word - he's dead, and Trump is (somehow) still ticking.
1
Its truly sad to think that McCain during the last month of his life would plan his funeral in a way to spit President Trump. They didn't like each other, with good reason on both sides, but to spend a significant portion of your last days trying to spite someone you don't like says a lot about the kind of person your are/were.
If McCain planned this 4 day funeral ordeal as the NYT claims than it also means he is the one that made sure his VP pick from 2008 Gov Palin was not invited. Palin and her family have been more than gracious at the slap in the face which say good things about them, but what again does it say about Senator McCain that his last days were full of planning out to spitefully lash out at both President Trump and Gov Palin?
Watching the Fake News Media like the NYT that printed a story smearing McCain the moment he had the Republican nomination in 2008, accusing him of having an affair with a campaign aide on their front page, and that called him a racist, and crazy, is fascinating? When McCain was a acting like a Republican on an issue the NYT and Fake News Media opposed he was a racist, crazy old fool, unfit to be President and cheating on his wife. The moment he decided to side with Democrats he suddenly became their favorite Republican, and all those smears? Forgotten!
Its truly nauseating watching the NYT, CNN, and the rest of the fake new media use McCain's death to smear Trump. Despicable really!
3
@John Brown
You have the gall to post your sad thoughts, while ignoring the actual words of what Trump has admitted to doing. On tape, on television, in interviews, how are his words and actions so easily disregarded by your blind eye of such 100% certainty? Look up Jim Jones and his cult of followers...those people drank actual poison and died following that self-proclaimed religious leader. I'm old enough to recall that tragedy of people worshipping a madman. Jim Jones/Donald J. Trump, both selling lies until death did them part. Dangerous similarities.
12
Donald Trump, if you see this know that I don't want you at my funeral, which hopefully is preceded by your own.
10
The headline for this piece will be proven incorrect. You may recall that Donald J. Trump is a childish, spoiled brat, narcissistic, vile, vindictive imitation of a human being. Trump will find a way to get the last dig at Senator McCain.
3
The possible list of speakers when Donald J Trumps meets his maker.
Mike Flinn ( if he's out of jail)
Roger Stone (if he's out of jail)
Donald Trump Jr, ( if he's out of jail)
Paul Manafort ( if he's out of jail)
Michael Cohen ( if he's out of jail)
Sarah Huckabee ( I'll have to get back to you on that)Sanders
Kellyanne ( alternative facts) Conway
Rudy ( the truth is not the truth) Giuliani
David Duke
And the good decent people who march along side of White Supremacists , and Nazis
8
@jwgibbs
Alex Jones would attend, except that he'll be hotly disputing whether Trump is even dead.
John Barron, John Miller and David Dennison will be roundly criticized for not attending their longtime client's funeral in person. Still, Fox News will read the joint letter they each signed and sealed prior to that date, praising his stability and genius and calling for an investigation into Obama's whereabouts at the time of Trump's death. There will be no return address.
Hannity's attorney will explain that he is too distraught to leave the house.
Melania will show up with a full veil to hide the streaming tears (of grief) on her face at losing such a loyal husband for whom she has nothing but respect. Her spokesperson will urge everyone to avoid reading anything into her coat (reading: "I don't care, do you?"), which was chosen at random.
For completely unrelated reasons that same day, the flag over the Kremlin will be flown at half staff and an innocuous star added to the FSB memorial. U.S. SIGINT will intercept and translate a snippet of an intoxicated and uncharacteristically emotional Putin instructing someone to "... no, no... just delete it. I don't care! [sobbing] He did his part...".
In financial news, markets will move a bit as foreign interest in purchasing Trump properties mysteriously nosedives. Fortunately, this will be mitigated by a simultaneous (but equally inexplicable) uptick in foreign investment in laundromat chains and car washes.
5
I know this is trivial given the news, but is it now NYT policy to allow curse words in its stories? I think this cheapens the Times’ well-earned brand.
Oh, to be the proverbial "fly on the wall" at the presidential cabin at Camp David this weekend. With no golf probably on the agenda there, I fear that our narcissistic Fake President will be restlessly taking out his uncontrollable, envious rage on the innocent wildlife in the woods there. Hope that Trump's Secret Service detail keeps any object that could possibly be weaponized away from him. Melania would be wise to decamp herself to NYC with her son.
5
Trump at McCain's funeral would be like a skunk at a garden party.
6
As a left-leaning Democrat, my politics and Mr. McCain's were not often in sync. This is no way detracts from the admiration I felt for him as a man of honor and duty, principled enough to cross party lines in order to do the right thing, and who served his country with unwavering loyalty. Shakespeare and Mr. Biden said it best this afternoon: "we shall not see his like again".
6
It is really strange that among all the decent or magnificent candidates the Republicans have had over the last decades, John McCain, Mitt Romney, it is an outsider with a very shady professional background that is elected president. What is wrong with the people voting Republican? Did Medicare fail to give them prescription glasses?
7
As much as I respect some things John McCain did, he should have been far more active and vocal in opposing Trump.
And McCain's terrible choice of Palin as his running mate played a large role in the diminishment of civil and intelligent discourse at the national level.
23
It comes as no surprise the Donald Trump will not pay his respects to Senator John McCain, however, his death saddens most other Americans, despite what political tribe we belong to. It was the man who was captured and tortured by the North Vietnamese and held a prisoner of war for six years, it was the man that reminded Congress that it must exercise its role as a check on executive power, even if that means going against the leadership of his or her party, and it was the man who cautioned the Senate that "They answer to the American people."
John McCain was a man that believed that the occasional faults of a government existing in the spirit of compassion, was more important than the incoherent oversights of a government frozen in the ice of its indifference. The senator reminded a nation that enormity does not prevent it from being too big to fall and that democracy demands a more humane scale.
His message made it clear how evident it is today that autocratic control is the gateway to corruption. Be it a prison camp or from behind a podium, his importance was not lost.
His life will now regard as a part of an exploration towards American progress—an endless endeavor to make this country stronger, for ourselves and our children.
15
Eloquently and beautifully put. Thank you.
7
putting politics aside--McCain was a true hero in the sense that he fought for his country, became a prisoner of war and endured torture at the hands of his captures. He loved America and was willing to give up his life for his country. May God Bless you Mr. McCain and may you forever rest in peace.
7
As an Arizonian - and an American - I will always remember John McCain as the man who stood for the values that define our country. My parents attended election parties at his home in both 2000 and 2008 where he accepted defeat, but also showed respect for his opponents during a time when others would not. No man is perfect and John McCain never pretended to be. He never belittled his opponents and in today's political and cultural environment that's few and far between. Thank you for your service and may you rest in peace.
17
John McCain put America first. Trump talks about "America First". But that's where the similarity ends.
John McCain understood that America is about freedom and human rights and self determination. He understood that self sacrifice and service is required to keep our nation free and to help spread democratic ideals throughout the world.
Trump was a businessman his entire life. It's almost understandable that he doesn't know that service and sacrifice are essential to a democracy. Almost. When he became President it was his duty to learn what the job entails. He has refused to do so.
As a result, John Mccain did not respect him. Trump did not rise to the dignity of the office, and that bothered John McCain. As it bothers most Americans.
20
When future generations both within and beyond this Republic seek to find out what it means to be an American and what it is that the people who make up the country and nation called the United States of America really strive for, they will find guiding answers and principles in the life (and death) of John McCain.
For this reader, John McCain is (not was!) the embodiment of the transatlantic partnership between the US and Europe.
When John McCain's body is lowered into the ground, I fervently hope that this will not symbolize the burial of the American Republic, so savagely being soiled and destructed by the present administration, and of the transatlantic partnership of mutual trust and reliability, equally severely damaged by the dangerous dimwit currently debasing the Office of President of the United States.
To the contrary: I hope that the burial of John McCain's body will keep alive and spark the indefatigable, irresistible resurrection of the values this Indispensable Republic and Nation stand for, and that vast multitudes of Americans will continue to resist the dark evil forces in their very midst that want to consign their nation and the entire world to violent, hate-filled, bloody and lethal disintegration.
7
Trump needn't plan his funeral.
When he's buried -- and with most of his family serving prison sentences -- the only person attending will be the undertaker.
The rest of us will be joyously singing a song titled "Good Riddance."
13
I think the picture of President Obama and Senator McCain says it all. The two disagreed as politicians, but worked together for the country. This is why these two men are held in such high esteem. Senator McCain earned the respect being shown to him because of a lifetime of service. This cannot be said for the current administration which seems to be just another episode of The Apprentice on a daily basis.
10
Senator McCain was a great moderate Republican, a war hero, and a believer in our nation's ideals and values. Even though I am a Democrat, I always admired him for his lifetime of patriotic service to our great nation. He believed in bipartisanship, as do I, and it's a horror that his party in Congress cannot lead and cannot find the goodness of heart to work with Democrats to better serve our country and its people.
Senator McCain's death is certainly a terrible loss to his family, but it is also a giant loss for the United States of America.
Farewell, Senator!
God bless the family and God bless America!
10
What Veterans Groups would even support Trump by telling him to lower the flag in respect? Trump has done NOTHING to support Veterans. He chose to not serve in Vietnam out of selfishness. He robs the common citizens and veterans to enrich himself now.
16
@Tim Shaw
I couldn't believe veterans would be behind supporting 45* after his pathetic comments against John McCain and Gold Star families, but there were.
I hope now they see what 45* is—nothing more than a vile con-man who cares nothing of veterans.
6
Watching the wonderful heartfelt tributes to John McCain, I wonder how the future death of Donald Trump will be handled. If there is any Karma, he will die in relative obscurity and his name will be swiftly removed from buildings and golf courses.
9
We’re probably going to hear some contested claims of LOW turn-out (rather than the opposite, like Tump’s inauguration) for the event.... I’m not religious but God bless the America that John McCain stood for.
7
John McCain's run for the Republican nomination in 2000 was the only time in my life I considered voting for a Republican for president. I believe, had he gotten the nomination instead of George Bush, the word "chad" would have remained an obscure term. And Donald Trump would not be president today.
7
Whatever good McCain has done in his life is being overshadowed by
1) the fact that he has not fully apologized for foisting Sarah Palin on us (regretting is not the same as admitting a massive mistake and not apologizing for it)
2) him not speaking out against Republican injustices, but rather voting with them on virtually everything that has been done since Obama was first elected. ACA, Supreme Court seat stealing, voting rights abuses, gerrymandering, not exercising legislative checks & balances against Trump's probable treason, fear-mongering, lies, corruption (including his staff), etc.
He could have been a shining example of honesty and integrity, and I would have praised him wholeheartedly even though I don't agree with some of his policies. But his last several years have worked against such a legacy.
5
The recessional at Mr. McCain’s memorial is Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”.
Quintessential John McCain. Well done, sir. Well done.
5
A man of grace, honor, loyalty, and duty ensured that a man lacking all of these qualities could not attend any ceremonial aspect of his death. How befitting a Maverick.
Fair winds and following seas, Captain.
8
He endured torture and survived. He saw through the torture that Republicans inflict upon the nation, and helped Obamacare survive. Greatest praise to you John McCain - the man who saved healthcare for millions.
9
So Trump is going to Camp David this weekend rather than playing golf. A sure sign that the McCain rebuke hurts.
6
Senator Ben Sasse, following the funeral service, said as a senator he'd traveled all over the world with McCain & wherever they went, when people were excited about seeing McCain, McCain never thought it was about him. He thought people were excited about America. Sasse said that was the most important thing about McCain - he never thought anything was about him, he always thought everything was about America.
That's important to remember regarding Trump's comment that McCain wasn't a hero because he was captured. McCain objected not as a slur against him but because it insulted all the people he'd been imprisoned with - & all American P.O.W.s - all slurred by Trump. Which was intolerable to McCain, that a president was insulting people who served our country.
It appears McCain designed his own funeral in part to troll Trump, to give many the chance not to insult Trump personally but to repeatedly insist McCain, his family, associates, supporters & millions of Americans are now the resistance to Trump's horrible vision of America.
Supporting honesty, decency & inclusion, believe those are the real American values - not Trump's division, dishonesty & hatred.
We only hope McCain & all those who mourn him now are right - they represent the real United States of America.
McCain knew what he was doing excluding Trump from his
funeral. We should exclude Trump whenever possible, since his mission is to destroy our democracy.
Reject him every step of the way.
10
Some say here that Senator McCain is "evil" because he voted with Trump White House on over 85% of issues. Some say here that Senator McCain is a "RINO" and a traitor to his party because he voted with the White House for only 85% of the cases. This observation would be funny if it is not so alarming.
I truly hope that people with these views on the left and the right are in the clear minority; otherwise, our country is truly lost. These political absolutism and hatred of each other are poisonous to civil society. I believe that Senator McCain wants to show us a different way even in his death by asking both President Bush and President Obama to offer eulogies.
7
Donald Trump is clearly jealous or Senator McCain. A man who serves only himself versus a man who served his country his entire life. One, a coward who paid for draft deferments tries to dishonor a military - yes, hero.
I've agreed with little of Senator McCain's politics but I do realize he honored his country by his actions. By contrast, Donald Trump heaps honor upon himself often at the expense of his country. RIP Senator.
7
I just hope when I die, I have this level of pettiness on the way out. Nothing but respect for how he went out. Trump needs to be analyzed if he is being banned from people's funerals don't you think he is possibly the main problem? Or are all the Trump-ettes that stubborn like their leader that they don't see it? If someone invites you from anything then it's probably something you have done to get uninvited or not invited at all. You gotta ask yourself, "Dang, what did I do wrong?"
14
The Donald and John McCain are not of the same species. McCain embodied all of what Dishonest Donald can never be and indeed can never even conceive.
Honesty, integrity, courage, humility - those are just a dyslexic jumble of letters to Trump.
23
John McCain went to his grave a tormented man. Tormented by the fact that Trump didn't consider him a hero and said so on national television. Let it be remembered that Trump's remark was made after McCain accused Trump of "firing up the crazies." I'm sure it ate away at John knowing that a man with no military or public service won the White House while he failed, twice. It seemed from that point forward it became John's life mission to derail Trump and the Republican agenda. It gave him some media coverage, slowed down the death of Obamacare but in the end, changed nothing. He came across as a embittered old man. Being very vocal about not wanting Trump to attend his funeral, picking his eulogizers, writing a good bye letter and laying out the minute details of his ceremonies was the epitome of the last great power play. Perhaps that may not the way John wanted people to see it, but that's the way many of us did. I guess this is a fit ending for a man who gave so much of his life in service to his country and wanted just a little bit of focus on him as he left. I hope he got what he wanted and that his soul rests in peace.
4
@Kurt Pickard
How very disingenuous of you. First off, McCain had endured actual torture years well before Trump came along. Are you really so enamored with Trump that you believe that after everything McCain has endured, he died a "bitter" man because a low-life such as Trump didn't give him some stamp of approval? That's absurd.
Second, it's funny how you say Trump is merely "a man with no military or public service." You make it sound as if Trump simply never chose to volunteer. In reality, you know full well that Trump shirked his OBLIGATION to serve his country; weaseling out of obligations being one of Trump's defining characteristics. Ironically, you (like the president) choose to focus criticism on McCain, who met the exact same obligation. Nonsensically, the REASON Trump asserts McCain is not a hero is BECAUSE McCain got captured and tortured in the course of his duty to this country. Trump feels there's more to respect in his abject cowardice than in McCain's honorable capture. If you're co-signing that well... Trump's your man, indeed (#MAGA).
Third, you try to act as if McCain was looking to use the military as a tool for promoting himself. It is interesting that those asked about him mention that he did not often take advantage of potential photo-ops with military personnel or use them as props. On the other hand, the president who slandered POWs and "counter-punches" Gold Star families is constantly trying link himself to military prestige.
20
@Kurt Pickard: Hilarious comment! McCain was not the least bit concerned about what trump thought. No one who thinks for themselves cares anything about trump, and carry trumps hatred as a badge of honor. The Very Honorable John McCain was a far better man, a better American, than trump, the 5 time draft dodging coward. Barack Obama was far smarter and a superior human being, and a classier person than trump.
We're all better than trump. Without a big push from Putin trump would not be where he is.
14
Can we apply a litmus test for distinction and insight. No one is perfect; but honestly who falls short, Senator John McCain or Donald Trump:
1) God?
2) Family?
3) Country?
"Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country."
Karl Kraus
Proverbs 16:12
It is an abomination to kings[presidents] to do evil, for the throne[rule of law] is established by righteousness.
and
Proverbs 29:12
If a ruler[president] listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked.
and
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Futhermore
Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
3
Having a big, expensive, ostentatious funeral does not by itself mean that one was a better person, Senator, citizen, husband, father, etc. Obsessing about the size and grandeur of one's funeral is just as vain, small minded and petty as obsessing about the size of one's inaugural parade.
The title of this article, "How Mc Cain got the Last Word Against Trump" is not only indecorous and gratuitous but also small minded and petty.
Such behavior cannot be anything but self-diminishing.
A former president once told us "... Always give your best. ... Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself." Regardless of how you felt about that President, this is an important lesson about life that is relevant and is worth remembering, especially at this time.
It is too late for Mr. Mc Cain to ponder the significance this lesson. But it is not too late for the New York Times and the current President to do so.
America would be much better off if they did.
3
@J. T. Stasiak
Yeah, yeah... Nixon said a lot of things.
@J. T. Stasiak
"... Always give your best. ... Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself."
i guess it wasn't trump who said this. why are you holding him to a lower standard of behavior than mccain?
1
@J.T. Stasiak, I believe Senator McCain's funeral preparations are not about a 'big...' funeral, but John McCain's last stand to demonstrate and show unity,diversity, inclusiveness, and the humanity of us all.
I really don't have hope of the current POTUS grasping these truths. His corrosive character flaws can only be addressed, in my opinion by God. Look up malignant narcissist.
3
Trump outlived McCain. Trump had the ultimate last word. Sad but true.
1
@Concernicus - No, he didn't. Just because he outlived the Senator doesn't mean he gets the last word on anything in this world, and certainly not on the Senator's legacy.
8
To all who have written comments about John McCain that are critical of him, I understand your feelings. I think the one thing your criticisms overlook, is that John McCain was not a perfect man or politician. The thing that he appeared to be to this liberal democrat, was that he was a man of great accomplishment. Like all men who strive, some of his accomplishments were positive, some negative. But when it comes to Donald Trump, Sr., I understand fully McCain's feelings toward this "man" of no accomplishment of any worth. For anyone to to equate these two men in any way is making a false equivalency. For all of his faults, most of which he acknowledged at some point in his life, John McCain loved America. Loved her for all her good points and points, but most of all, he loved her for that for which she stands. Donald J. Trump, Sr., does not, by any calculation, love America. If it hasn't become clear to people, Donald J. Trump, Sr. sees America only as a way to line his pockets. He will never understand America in the way John McCain did. John McCain sacrificed nearly everything for America, while Donald J. Trump, Sr. has sacrificed nothing for America. Donald J. Trump, Sr. knows not what sacrifice means. Donald J. Trump, Sr. knows not what love of country means. Donald J. Trump, Sr. knows not the meaning of truth or what is truth. In short, which is what Donald J. Trump, Sr. is, he's the liar who always gets away with it. Donald J. Trump, Sr. is today's Keyser Soze.
25
Congress needs to establish a protocol that would apply to the death of any congress member while in office -- then stick to it. Nobody needs to get a big show -- lying in state, flags at half staff, etc. etc. unless they all get it - without preference or favoritism.
3
I often did not agree with Senator McCain's political views or tactics. In equal measure he would have me scratching my head, screaming, or cheering. But I never doubted that he long served our country with honor. The NYT's and other news outlets would do us all a favor, and show some well-deserved respect for the senator, by not covering Trump and his mean-spirited carnival this weekend.
9
Senator McCain is what we should expect from congressional representation, having positions not cast in stone but sand. McCain, being willing to compromise, might not be what current politics has, but what is needed. Weakness is not compromise, but standing steadfast when you are absolutely wrong ,and not willing to consider an alternative. Weakness is not correcting a personal attack on your opponent when the attacker is wrong, instead of adding your own attacks to the equation.
The only positive thing from the loss of McCain is that the accolades for this great American is driving the current bully in chief, off a cliff.
3
Sorry to say all this funeral management by McCain is all in the realm of passive-aggressive and not worth anything in stopping this country's descent into totalitarianism. McCain had many opportunities to stop Trump's agenda since Trump's election, and with exception of the the health care vote, he did nothing but idly by while Trump, with the help of congressional Republicans, dismantled American democracy. McCain will go down not as a maverick who stood up to Trump but rather as a another Republican sheep who is complicit in the dismantling of American democracy. Sad, but true.
8
While it's sad that John McCain suffered so much after bombing thousands of people to smithereens in Viet Nam, and then insulted the citizens of the United States by running for president with an ignorant, petty self-serving debutant fit for a Jerry Springer show, it's sadder to see him go. At least he cared somewhat, as opposed to the fascist junta that has now usurped all branches of the US Government. RIP Sir.
12
"Mr. McCain had little respect for the president."
Respect for McCain is mostly respect for the person, not the titles or "wins" he may have obtained. In fact, the respect McCain earned on the strength of his character causes most people to (even grudgingly) admit that politics aside, we are generally talking about a good man and someone for whom patriotism was more than a lapel pin or rhetorical tool. That he had a sense of honor and duty is undeniable, whatever else one might criticize.
That begs the question of why McCain had little respect for Trump. Let's get politics out of the way up front. McCain has had heated political disagreements and battles with others. Clearly, he was able to find respect for them and even wished for them to speak at his funeral. So such contempt for Trump?
It's simple. McCain did not respect Trump because there's little reason to respect Trump. Is he president? Sure. But that does not change the fact that Trump is, by any measure, a terrible human being. Lots of people around the world and throughout history have managed to gain riches, power and titles. So what? Even Trump's own people don't respect him. It is merely a mix of opportunists, honor-bound military personnel, and accomplices. But nobody genuinely RESPECTS Trump; not his lawyers, not his family, not his staff, not his country. Other politicians may fear him. His supporters may enjoy the spectacle and cutting loose at rallies. But respect Trump? Of course not.
24
If John McCain were president, I am quite sure he never would have had a cabinet meeting that started by having his various secretaries sing his praises.
As I watch his memorial service, I am struck by the stories, the laughter and the diversity of people that spoke in such warm terms about him. Not all the anecdotes are flattering, but humanizing and true.
That is the best last word.
26
So, so sad and depressed. John McCain is the America and American that I know and love. God Bless him and God Bless us too as we disintegrate and relinquish our role as world leader.
265
@JC - We don't have to disintegrate or relinquish our role as world leader. We just need to vote for what is right in this midterm election.
McCain may leave the country with one last gift: a few hours when cameras will be focused on his casket, eulogizers, and mourners, and not on the New Confederate abomination in the White House.
16
It's not just "the last word," but the last words from the last Republican who honored Lincoln's sacrifice to the Union and its Constitutional democracy. John McCain was a bona fide Lincoln Republican who "gave the last full measure of his devotion" so that this "nation dedicated to the proposition of government of the people by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth." That is the challenge that we all face. It's not McCain v. Trump, but Constitutional democracy v. Trump tyranny that he is urging and imploring us to defend. Let's all hope that the American voters are listening and Sen. McCain has "the last word" this November.
12
John McCain was a person who made a difference, spoke his mind, looked death in the face repeatedly, made friendships and connections, and, in his own way, cared for his fellow man and woman. There are many things about him that I do not espouse, but I can celebrate the long life of an individual who changed the world as I know it. At the end of it all, we give our energies back to the world, because it is neither created nor destroyed. From a staunch pro choice feminist, thank you, Mr. McCain, for the ways you chose to use your energy.
9
As a lifelong Liberal I disagreed with John McCain on policy probably 80-85% of the time, but I never denied the quality of the man - he was truly a Great American. His commitment to America matched only by a few. "Country First" was no mere words to him, so let's give him his due. Donald Trump hated McCain for being everything he is not - a war hero, a man of principle, someone who believed in serving others; a patriot. No one will ever accuse the President of having any of those qualities.
24
I am over 70. I have selected a burial place, a memorial marker, and specified I am to be cremated. I have made no funeral plans or arrangements beyond that. As I see it, funerals and memorial ceremonies are for the living to deal with their loss. As for the deceased, they are gone, not consciously participating, and out of the picture.
Whether or not there is any formal memorial ceremony or funeral is, in my opinion, entirely up to my survivors. It may well be that there is no need whatsoever. Demanding that I be remembered in some specific organized formal way reflects a sense of self importance which, in fact, is unjustified.
When entertainment mogul Louis Meyer (who was disliked by those who had to deal with him) died, a surprising number of people lined the streets to see the funeral procession. Someone quipped that "the public will come out if you give them what they want".
2
McCain was a conservative Republican who never waivered. He wanted smaller government in the same ways as most conservatives and bigger in the same ways as other conservatives. Unlike most conservatives after Reagan he remained opposed to big deficits which meant limiting tax cutting to minimize them. He also believed that the U.S. should be a liberal democracy that respected individual liberties which inevitably set him on a collision course with conservatives who felt entitled to enjoying privileges that depended upon limiting the liberty enjoyed by others. His beliefs and his conscience sometimes placed him opposite other Republicans and be eventually earned him the ire and resentment of the far right. He planned hi funeral as a final statement about what he thought his life was all about.
Trump’s animosity towards McCain initially was just talk to serve conservative Republican attitudes. As always McCain reacting negatively embarrassed him and made him resentful of McCain. Then McCain continually opposed Trump’s words and policy proposals with which he disagreed while supporting most of Trump’s agenda. Trump became even more resentful of McCain.
In the end, McCain was more concerned with his legacy which he saw Trump as contradicting bile Trump just resented McCain along with a huge number of right wing Republicans.
2
Sen. McCain was a complex man, both heroic and cowardly, just like all us humans. He sacrificed more for this country than most of us, certainly more than I have ever had to, but was his sacrifice necessary? Could he have opposed a war that was ultimately lost? He was an honorable man, who lived by the his code of honor. Nevertheless, he choose Sarah Palin as his running mate, thereby legitimizing the xenophobic, ignorant and racist right-wing that has stolen the presidency and the other branches of govt. from the rest of us. Could his choices have been more in keeping with his code of honor?
He was a complex man. But a mere man, nevertheless
5
What really must gall Trump is that he knows, actually knows, that McCain, flawed as he was, will command more adulation and respect than he ever could.
Hopefully, his rah-rah cheerleading sessions in another rather desperate part of red America during the funeral will make him feel better.
3
So while a genuine hero lies in state, a cowardly, immature, draft-dodging fool is going to rant with other fools in IN.
Ignore him. John McCain just demonstrated that it’s possible to denigrate him without ever saying his name. Let’s do that. It’s harder than the other way, but so satisfying.
14
Excuse my being pert at this time of the memorials, but look at the lack of bills with McCain's name on them over that 30+ year tenure in the Senate.
He did the big deal with Russ Feingold in trying to control political speech in the form of money, but other than that, he just produced a lot of hot air.
When people talk about renaming the Russell building for him, the contrast between the two in terms of results is as stark as possible.
Yes, Russell was racist, but racists still got a world of things done for black & white workers during Russell's and FDR's era.
1
Maybe you haven't considered the possibility that he chose not to put his name on everything he touches, unlike someone else we know.
6
I will miss McCain because of his stoutness of purpose relative to his own life and the preservation of American world leadership. He chose not to stain his final message by attacking the worst presidential presence of anybody’s recollection. That is further evidence of his respect for the office of Presidency of the US.
4
Hubris.
1
With time, very strong indications that 45 is simply unfit. And that is what impeachment was designed to achieve. Removal of an unfit president.
Vote on November 6, 2018. Vote “D”
8
Trump Memorial concept: a giant gold plated asterisk.
4
Serve your country for thirty years, get slimed by the Republican party. Welcome to the sane since, Meghan. Welcome to Trump's America, where bone spurs, immorality and infidelity are more respected than a prisoner of war. Sad.
1
McCain did not have to say one word about Trump. Every time some speaker talks about McCain's humility everyone will think about Trump's hubris. Every time a speaker mentions McCain's bravery people will think about Trump's bone spurs. When McCain's selflessness is mentioned, Trump's selfishness will come to mind. When McCain's self deprecating sense of humor is mentioned, Trump's thin skin will be mentioned. Every positive attribute McCain had is utterly lacking in Trump.
5
Aaaah, from the coffin, McCain got the last word and thumbed his nose at the amateur president. Rest in peace Mr. McCain. You fought enough in your life....now it's time for us to follow in your footsteps.
6
Yes, McCain was a hero, his actions alone in Hanoi Hilton clearly shows to the world that a hero he was. He did not have a bone spur, did fight the nation's war in Vietnam, instead of the nonsense of a "personal Vietnam".
Was he a maverick? That, I think, is more difficult to judge. Yes, he went his own way many times against his Party. Yes he gave a thumb down to the repeal of the ACA. No, in his final act that counts, he did not vote against the GOP tax law, a law for the super rich, for the donor class, and for the corporations while blowing up the national debt and the budget. He knew, or should have known, about that.
Nonetheless. it is only proper that the nation honors such a man - none is perfect in the real world. It is also proper that the liar-in-chief is hiding, brooding, all by himself, at Camp David. Let him sulk, let him squirm, let him throw his moody low life around the camp.
4
Why a last dig at Palin? She was loyal to a fault. Ugly and mean rebuke from beyond the grave.
43
@maire Absolutely. Imagine you only have a few months to live and you use that time to spitefully plan how to take a final swipe at those you didn't like during your funeral? What kind of person does that?
Maybe I'd give McCain a pass with President Trump. After all McCain and he despised each other, and took their shots. Also McCain must have been eaten up with envy to have lost so miserably to Obama only to see Trump beat Crooked Hillary so badly and become President.
However, planning his last show without inviting the person he chose as his VP running mate, and who has always been loyal tells us McCain truly was a mean spirited, vindictive person. Sad to see. I honor his service to our country, but not this petty mean spite! Sad!
@maire
Palin was never criticized by McCain and he never expressed regrets choosing her as his running mate. It would have been dishonorable.
But Palin used the same nasty negativity as Trump and the it just added to the poison in our public discourse. She like Trump represented what has brought down the political environment into the gutter which McCain wanted to see ended. So if he left her out it was because of her poor choices of conducting herself in public which he did not wish displayed, now.
15
@maire Senator McCain conceded to advisors, selecting Palin as his running mate in 2008, a decision he regretted, made all the more obvious by the former Alaska governor's penchant for embarrassing herself in public with divisiveness and a lack of intelligence now embodied by our current President. Palin could have embodied McCain's willingness to work across the aisle, but she was the wrong choice, something she's demonstrated time and again over the past decade.
4
I think what many Trump supporters are missing is the fact that you can vehemently disagree with people on policy (I did with Senator McCain), but you can still respect the person and the office. Trump's problem is that everything is personal. He exhibits the classic bully symptom that in order to make himself appear big, he must belittle and attempt to humiliate others. He is unable to represent the Nation - he is only representing himself. What a shame to have someone occupying the Presidency who has no grasp of the fact that sometimes it isn't about him, it's about something larger. Trump and his rabid fans somehow completely fail to understand this -and it is damaging to the Country.
5
It is true that John McCain was a hero. There is no disputing that. He was also a petty man which shows clearly with not issuing an invite to the POTUS. It also showed when he voted no to the attempted to overturn Obamacare. He spent years telling his constituents that he would vote to overturn that horrible law. When the opportunity presented itself, he voted no. One could see that this was more a jab at the President and total lack of concern for keeping his promise to his voters. No one can say that McCain was not a patriot. He was. So is the POTUS who spends every waking hour trying to make life better for Americans and is succeeding. John would have truly had the last word if he acted like the honorable man most think he was, had he invited the President to his service. Instead, his pettiness shined through again. Not a great way to be remembered.
Perhaps John McCain was choosing to spare his family. They deserve the day to be about their mourning and their father, not about someone else. The McCain family deserve to celebrate the life of their loved one without distraction of someone who was rude and cruel to John McCain when he did not have to be.
Consider that the president could show some class, and like Senator McCain, differ on policy not personality. He could have flown the flag at half mast, like the rest of the country and federal government.
He did not have to say anything but the truth about Senator McCain. He was an honorable man who dedicated his life to the United States in action and words. However, our president chose not to do that, and his inaction tells us why he would not be welcome to mourn with the people that loved and admired John McCain.
4
@Greeneyedjo
what president is that "who spends every waking hour trying to make life better for Americans and is succeeding." i thought the president was donald trump, who fritters away half the week tweeting inanities, watching fox and playing golf on america's dime.
3
@Greeneyedjo
Consider another case: Trump, during his campaign, attacked not just Ted Cruz, but his family. Specifically, Trump: (1) asserted that Cruz's father of was involved in the assassination of JFK; (2) attacked his wife, Heidi Cruz, for her looks; and (3) went on to threaten to "spill the beans" about Heidi Cruz (a clear insinuation that she had some salacious personal secret she was keeping from her husband).
Ted Cruz nevertheless bent the knee to Trump after the election. To some that might seem like "putting aside politics," but is it? The differences between Trump and Cruz are not political, they are personal. Arguably, what Cruz has done is PRIORITIZE politics, de-prioritizing his father and his wife in order to achieve unrelated political goals.
In the same sense, McCain's conflict with Trump went far beyond policy differences. Indeed, McCain agreed with Trump on policy more often than he disagreed. Trump made light of the fact that McCain's years of torture as a POW in a war that Trump avoided through draft-dodging. Trump went on to publicly feud with a Gold Star family (the Khan's) and a fallen Navy SEALs still-grieving widow. These are not political issues.
And just a final observation... the notion that Trump "spends every waking hour" trying to improve the country is a bit silly. The rallies, the golfing, the personal feuds, sleeping in, skipping briefings, personal feuds... hardly a model of diligence.
2
Democrat or Republican, can we just not make this about someone other than the man McCain, himself.
3
“Mr. McCain treated the meetings with the dispassionate discipline of a campaign strategy session.”
Or, to lead this writer’s American value of staid genericism into a human creative capability discovered — better late than never:
John McCain tended to his favourite conceptual themes with the passion of a world class theatre producer.
Even after his death, we had some amazing surprises about Senator John McCain.
One of them: In Hanoi, Vietnamese citizens have erected a memorial to John McCain at the location where he was shot down and retrieved from the water. Hundreds and hundreds of Vietnamese people have gone there to honor the memory of a man they admire for his bravery, devotion to duty, sense of honor, and his efforts to reconcile Vietnamese and American citizens after that war.
They have left flowers and other tributes, and they have prayed in their own ways for the soul of this exceptional man.
Who is great? He who can turn an enemy into a friend.
14
What a Mensch. Like every single human being, he had his failings but was always principled. His passing has affected me greatly, and I am Canadian and would not have supported him politically if I were in the US. One can only speculate what feats of valor ‘ole Bone Spurs’ obituary will recount …………..
6
What a pathetic place we find ourselves that our president's his aids fear he might loose his temper and Tweet something ridiculous during a funeral. These are concerns that parents have about their children.
I certainly hope President Trump holds his Twitter finger, but a narcissist will find that almost impossible: attention, even negative attention that would repel others, is his lifeblood. He is so vapid, so devoid of confidence his only alternative is to insult others so that they react to his sophomoric behavior, acknowledging his existence.
23
Here is John McCain's last words regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election cycle with a chilling warning from him:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/john-mccain-sounds-the-alarm-on-trump-and-...
Please copy this link into a website - it is very chilling to witness Donald Trump's role in hacking the American electoral system in collusion with Russia and Putin.
8
@kkm
Or the half-billion in REAL deals made between Hillary, Putin, and the Russian energy oligarchs that resulted in so much new cash in Hillary's sweet little family charity.
Those people were counting on her winning and have to be furious that their money isn't buying any infuence at The Top any more.
2
@L'osservatore
Give it up. You are praying in the wrong church. Trump supporters might suck up this drivel, the rest of us understand a smear campaign against Hillary, was a trump and Gop tactic, as they knew they were/are tooo weak to win on their own merits.
8
@Moira
Sorry but no. She did in fact grant the mining rights to a Russian businessman. On American soil, while she WAS Sec'y of State. That is not a smear it is a fact.
Prediction:
Donnie will NOT be able to keep his mouth stiffled about McCain at his rally. Will make some inane gaffe like “ looks like we can finally move on the medical care repeal with the road blocks finally removed!”
Awaiting with popcorn in hand.
9
Oh yes, Donald, it will be very difficult to find a venue for your "going away" party, unlike the National mourning of John McCain. I doubt there is a trailer park to house all of the motorcycles, the burning crosses and protect the three attendees from being raped by illegal immigrants. Everyone else will be in jail.
10
For this Newspaper to once again work Trump into the headlines rather than letting things rest for a few days shows the hatred in this country. It seems to sell well.
8
The daily hysteria over Trump has grown beyond tiresome. Enough already. Dems have only themselves to blame for losing the election, and they’ll be poised to lose again if they don’t get their act together.
Stop whining and move forward with a platform that moderate liberals like ourselves can support...and btw ‘Abolish ICE is not one of them.
10
Wow Saint John...as long as the media can attack President Trump...seems like the Time's thinks the only good republican is a deed republican!
2
@Jack
Even from the most cynical and unfeeling angle, your comment makes no sense. First and foremost, Trump would be attacked even if McCain had never existed. The president hurls a constant stream of insults towards everyone from his own handpicked staff to professional athletes. Then he whines about how someone is always picking on him, the poor billionaire Commander-in-Chief.
Second, in what world would even the staunchest liberal want McCain dead? Even setting aside human decency, he is one of the few Republicans with the spine to even contemplate holding Trump accountable for any action. More generally, Mueller is a Republican; as is Comey, as is Rosenstein, as is Sessions. Obviously their individual politics might be counter to liberal desires, but as between liberals and Trump, who do you think is wishing death upon them right now?
4
I'm sure POTUS spent less than one second thinking about attending JM funeral. What a bitter article.
2
I’m sure he’s thought of nothing else. He’s that small.
8
"White House aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain." Ponder that one, Trump supporters who served honorably in our armed forces.
13
Is it too soon to be planning for Trump’s departure from the White House ?
I fear the time is already growing desperately short.
I envisage the declaration of a great national holiday, two weeks of night and day celebrations, military parades, hundreds of marching bands replete with with high-stepping drum majors and baton-twirling majorettes, floats manned and womaned by Hollywood celebrities, fireworks over the Potomac and the ringing of church bells throughout the land.
This is going to be a huge once-in-a-lifetime celebration, and we need to get started soon.
Yes, I know we are also going to need to plan angry protests for the arrival of the awful Pence, but let’s leave that for another day.
First, we must have our celebration.
America will have earned it.
14
Death is the big equalizer. Nobody goes as a winner.
John McCain died, like everybody else before and after him, an I seriously doubt that President Trump was on his mind when he took his last breath. Your article is a reflection of your anti-Trump position. That’s all.
3
@Rosalyn
And what's wrong with that? The Times speaketh the Truth.
3
I am not a republican nor a democrat although I definitely have a democratic ideology, and I disagreed with many, but not all, of John McCain’s political beliefs, I admired his bluntness, his brashness, his patriotism, his steadfast belief in what he believed right, and his unapologetic disgust with trump. From what little I know of Senator John McCain from what I have read he seemed like a good man who truly wanted a better America and firmly fought for what he believed in. May God Bless him and warmly welcome him into his embrace and comfort his family and friends.
And on different point, does the NYT hand out NYT Picks on a random basis? Because I cannot believe they would grant Top Picks to some of these comments.
7
I'm a Democrat, and proud to call myself a Liberal and a Progressive. But I also have a son in the Marine Corps, and had a father who was a Navy man. I'm not a war-lover, and I wish we hadn't been in VietNam, but we were, and McCain went and fought and suffered and made it out. He made it out, and then served for many years afterward. While I might not have agreed with his politics on many occasions, I still have a deep respect for the man and his strength of character.
The man in the White House would be smart to even try to emulate him, but we all know that will never happen. What a shame. 45 was and never will be fit to shine McCain's shoes.
19
It's a bad precedent to be deselecting one's political enemies from attending the event at the National Cathedral. A President goes to these things as a representative of the nation, not because he was a personal or political friend or a supporter of the deceased's causes. In fact, it flies in the face of Senator McCain's causes of bipartisanship and compromise to do so. We may see many such memorials in the upcoming few years, and I hope that the tradition of letting bygones be bygones at them will be restored.
1
@David Godinez Interesting points, and I am not a Trump supporter by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps the McCain camp could have remained silent on whether Trump should attend, while still making it clear that he would not be invited to have a speaking role.
Why is everyone interpreting everything about this funeral as in intentional snub of Trump? The fact is, Trump, in his characteristic way, denigrated, mocked, insulted and offended McCain, both personally and in the way he views, treats and strives to tear down our democracy. And in the way he fawns over Putin. And in the way he treats women and immigrants and non-Christians and people of color. Why on earth would he ever do anything other than exclude the bloviator in chief from his funeral -- his last word, so to speak? His plans weren't intentionally cruel. They just happen to include only those for whom he felt affection and respect during his lifetime. Isn't this what everyone would do if they have the opportunity to plan their funeral?
11
Every newspaper in the country, large, small, regional or national should run a full page add with John McCain's picture. With the caption reading:
John McCain, 1936 - 2018
American Hero, Noblest of Men, He Told the Truth.
6
I admit I'm only just about to read this article, bracing myself for a probably brutally tedious slog into what looks to be a kind of narcissistic impression management "from beyond the grave."
("You're so vain. You probably think this funeral's about you" - as Carly Simon would probably convey it.)
While I continue to honor Mr. McCain's unusually (esp. by today's standards) dignified contribution to public life, could it be that the distinguished senator dedicated his final days (or a substantial part of them) to orchestrating a self-aggrandizing obsequy focused on glorifying himself & snubbing Trump (however much he deserves it)? If so, that would not exactly be dignified.
I hate to think Mr. McCain's final public gesture would be about all about vanity (his own or attacking Trump's). Hopefully our memories and McCain's legacy will be defined by his most dignified contributions and accomplishments.
1
The one thing that McCain did that surpasses all his achievements and shows his character is when he dismissed the ignorant lady who questioned him about Obama being some kind of Arab Muslim. That was a class act. No one could have responded so quickly with the words he used which showed his conviction. Imagine the same woman asking that question to Trump.
Another class act is his directive that Trump should not attend his funeral. One day in his life Trump will remember that he was denied admittance to a funeral which even the enemies and political adversaries are welcome. Shame on you Mr Trump.
9
Trump could have mitigated the sting of McCain's final jab at him by simply behaving like a decent human being. Unfortunately, that is outside the scope of Trump's abilities.
12
Sad that a person dies with such bitterness. Politics aside I have seen this happen with many families. It is sad that a person cant leave this earth with some sort of forgiveness in his spirit.
I was always taught to never speak ill of the dead. May Senator McCain find peace in death. He was American hero and should be honored. Gods speed Senator McCain.
1
Is Sarah Palin attending the funeral service? Has she said (or tweeted) anything?
Come on NYT, this headline is more than a bit much. As a liberal I already know McCain did not invite Trump. This article headline is now making his funeral all about a snub to POTUS. This is not the time for that, especially after his decades of dignified service. Save the schadenfreude for Twitter and don't reinforce the "biased MSM" narrative.
5
Heartening to read the majority of comments.Our country will be OK,and survive this grifter,and his rabid supporters.
4
It amazes me that so many of the comments make reference to left, right, democrats, republicans. This article is about the last message John wanted to send and that is about bipartisanship and working together to get things done. We should listen.
14
The all around smallness and incivility that surrounds us, makes the valiant and noble life of Senator McCain even more unique, outstanding, heroic, BIG. Whether you agreed with him or not, it is impossible not to feel a sense of nostalgia for the chivalry and decency he demonstrated under the most trying circumstances.
4
Senator, this week will be EXACTLY as you request. We should ignore the pettiness of the small-minded, and embrace the bipartisan message you sent in life, and now, in death.
I am a Democrat, and have always considered you the moral compass of the GOP. You were a decent man, who owned up to his mistakes. You will be sorely missed.
8
McCain wasn't just any war hero. He was a Vietnam War hero. Could this also be about that war and the deep divisions it created in his generation, divisions that remain in the background of our present politics? Could it be about the passing of that generation and its memory of that war? Take away his Vietnam service, imprisonment and wounds, and Mr. McCain would be just another long-serving senator with a mixed legacy and presidential candidate who didn't win, of which there are many. As for his conflicts with Trump, a "fortunate son" who avoided the war and did "deals" in real estate while McCain and working-class American sons lay wounded and dying, maybe it was that difference between the two men that fueled McCain's disrespect of Trump. How could it not?
4
The Donald is a weak person's idea of a strong man. Senator John McCain always tried to be the best man he could be. While he often fell short (as we all do), the trying is what made him a good man. Trump will never attain that status, mainly because he thinks he's great already. Humanity has, for the most part, agreed that the traits displayed by him (crassness, bullying, racism, etc.) are not admirable and shouldn't be passed on to our children. I would be exceedingly proud if the next generation showed more of the traits of Senator John McCain, and less of those displayed by the current (and hopefully temporary) President.
4
Senator McCain will always be a hero in my book for standing up to that poor excuse for a leader. When he voted against the repeal of the ACA it was an answer to my prayers. His final comments on this country are spot on accurate.
7
I hope that President Obama's eulogy for Senator McCain will be televised.
I am hungry for leadership. I want to hear what President Obama will say to comfort me too.
11
...to compensate Trump for this resounding snub by an American hero we are waiting with baited breath for his own impending demise. And we and most of the civilized world --but not the dictators-- will attend his impending fall and burial. Imagine, if each of those in attendance were to throw a handful of dirt on his grave why it would be the biggest hill ever, higher even than Everest. And the biggest party, too.
5
People seem to not understand that when John McCain's plane went down that the people whom he had been bombing were understandably angry. He continued his whole life to believe that there were military solutions and that he or we bore no moral responsibility for the lives lost and disrupted by these military solutions.
1
The fact that anyone thinks that John McCain needed to "get the last word against Trump" just proves has petty and small this argument between the two of them and the media's bias against Trump are. A person should not be remembered because they said something against the POTUS on their deathbed.
Senator McCain’s admonition from the grave for the country to restore civility in its politics is welcome. But it shouldn’t distract from the fact that his 2008 campaign, when he allowed his running mate, Sarah Palin, to denigrate half the nation by her shrills of “real America”, “palling around with terrorists”, “take our country back”, “unamerican” and more, were the seeds that allowed the growth of the Tea Party, the open denigration of political opponents as the enemy, and ultimately the rise of Trump and his cohorts of haters.
A man who spent five years of inhuman imprisonment and continued to serve the nation for many years beyond deserves the respect and profound gratitude of the country. Nevertheless, his responsibility for the politics of division that has engulfed our nation because of his actions cannot not be simply washed out by an admonition from the grave.
2
I agree that McCain has had a long lasting effect in our countries politics, and the honors shown him he earned.
I can't stomach the fact that he went along with blocking Obama's choice for the Supreme Court.
To Honor McCain's career is a fitting tribute, but we can't ignore the fact that he was not bi-partison when it suited him.
To ignore that is to whitewash his record, and I object to whitewashing, for those that are alive, and those that have passed.
Those that are truly great don't need anyone to whitewash anything for them.
I honor McCain, but refuse to whitewash the times when he let our country down, and supported actions of Congress that he should have loudly opposed.
1
How about just talking about McCain and NOT mentioning Trump?
THAT'S what McCain wanted. And why besmirch the legacy of McCain with any mention at all of the toxic Trump name?
3
I had really hoped he would vote against the monstrosity of the tax cut bill for the rich last year and all the other maneuvers aimed to weaken healthcare for American people. Each time when I heard of his bipartisanship, patriotism and maverick streak, I had hope he would speak up strongly against Congressmen Nunes's shenanigan, and the lack of oversight of the Republican House and Senate toward Trump's blatant corruption of our rule of laws and institutional norms.Given the person everybody said he was, why didn't he?
- "Bomb bomb bomb Iran!" (Remember all the media articles about his volatile temperament?)
- "He's not an Arab, he's a decent family man" (implying that Arabs/Muslims are not)
- Voted for the GOP tax bill funneling more money into the hands of the 1%
- Voted in line with Bush's position 95% of the time, and in line with Trump's position 83% of the time (what a maverick!)
- Selected Sarah Palin as his running-mate, opening the door to the base that elected Trump
- Voted 19 times against raising the minimum wage
- Supported the idea of a Constitutional amendment to ban abortion, and opposed federal funding of birth control and sex education
- Said he supported equal pay in theory, but opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
- Argued for climate change legislation when the optics looked good, but rejected the market-based cap-and-trade bill that came closest to his ideas
McCain's wartime service to the nation should absolutely be honored, but his record as a senator shows that he was a maverick more in words than in actual deeds. He knew how to SOUND good, which distracted us from the fact that he often worked against the interests of the most vulnerable among us. As a soldier, he served nobly and well; as a politician, he was a more-or-less typical establishment Republican who did more to hinder this nation than move it forward. He should not be sanctified with full glory and honors, but remembered in full.
1
This weekend is about John McCain and all the ways he served our country.
It gives me comfort to know that the Senator was aware that his body will lie in state, both in Arizona and at the Capitol. I hope he realized how much respect he engendered even among life-long Democrats who rarely agreed with his views.
We will not forget you, Sen. McCain.
4
I admit I'm only just about to read this article, bracing myself for a probably brutally tedious slog into what looks to be a kind of narcissistic impression management "from beyond the grave."
The modified lyric "You're so vain. You probably think this funeral's about you" perhaps captures my dread.
While I continue to honor Mr. McCain's unusually (esp. by today's standards) dignified contribution to public life, could it be that the distinguished senator dedicated his final days (or a substantial part of them) on a self-aggrandizing obsequy focused on glorifying himself and insulting Trump (however much he deserves it)? If so, that would not exactly be dignified.
I hate to think Mr. McCain's final public gesture would be about all about vanity (in either respect, his own or attacking Trump's). Be that as it may, hopefully our memories and McCain's legacy will be informed only by his most dignified contributions and accomplishments, of which there were indeed many.
This life-long democrat will always have a special place in my heart for McCain.
Moving article. Thank you!
4
John McCain served the country honorably, agree with him or not! 45 is an embarrassment to the presidential office and the USA!
5
"Think of all the men who never knew the answers
think of all of those who never even cared.
Still there are some who ask why
who want to know, who dare to try.
Every now and the we meet that kind of man
here he comes again and now he's gone."
From the poem: Here He Comes Again
By Rod McKuen
2
Regardless of what the McCain family thought of Trump, Trump should be at the services because of his title, President of the United States of America.
All this does is push Trump people further away from centrists and Democrats. If former heads of states are invited and he is having a military service then the current head of state and commander in chief should be invited.
I understand not wanting Trump to speak at the service but to publicly disinvite is not how you bring the country together. McCain has brought shame to his legacy by this final act of not being the bigger/better man.
Regarding the “optics” of Trump holding a rally during McCain’s Memorial, it’s become abundantly clear that the president is immune from criticism by his base, the right wing media or the cast majority of Republican is the house and senate no matter what he does.
In fact, it seems as if this support network is actually galvanized by his inappropriate (to put it mildly) behavior.
So what difference does it make to Trump? Other than the constant (and, of course, valid) vocal criticism from more rational voices, has he suffered any actual consequences? Any loss of power? Just look at his 90% approval ratings among Republicans. Or the fact that his approval ratings across all likely voters are only a few points higher than Obama’s during the same period of his first presidency.
My point here is this. Trump’s depravity has served him well and he therefore has no reason to change his behavior.
So maybe we should be outraged, but certainly not shocked, as he continues to ignore that which most of us consider to be common decency.
1
something tells me that photos of the throngs that come to Honor McCain will send Trump into a tailspin when they are compared to the desert that was his inauguration.
4
Senator McCain's death and Donald Trump's not-death symbolizes the future perseverance and the passing of dignity, integrity, honesty, respect, honor and truth in society.
We have all seen it in the postmodern era where we all have our own truths, where common decency is relative without a standard and applied in a capricious manner, where lies are placed on the same alter with truths and we're told not to discriminate against either because both have equal rights to exist, and where language has lost expressiveness because words have been neutered of meaning, beaten down with tirades of mendacious blunt invective we've become inured to.
2
Some of the weasels on Hate Radio are attempting to separate John McCain's heroism from his views on the trump regime. These traits are inseparable. While Sen. McCain did make the occasional mistake (e.g., the Sarah P episode), he had no difficulty recognizing a fraud and phony.
3
I can't admit to a being supporter of Mr. McCain, but have always admired him, particularly his statesmanship - something sorely lacking in the POTUS. I fully expect the clear and unmistakable message being sent by the late senator to fall on deaf ears - of Mr. Trump and his legion on supporters and enablers . . .
3
It's important to see the blended MCcain family grieve for a husband and father who adopted a Bangladeshi orphan and welcomed his son's African-American bride as his daughter-in-law. Senator McCain's 106 yr old mother and family matriarch and the senator's widow, children and grandchildren are a brilliant legacy of a close knit American family. John McCain loved his family and his country. He lived that every day.
3
Well played, to the end.
All decent people will miss this man.
3
I'm certain Trump thinks McCain's funeral is all about him. Quit backing up this ridiculous notion with news stories making it appear McCain was trying to stick it to Trump one last time.
Let's just honor McCain as a good man for his tolerance, respect, and steadfast contributions to our great nation.
2
"Smallness" is in full display to our country and to the world and is coming from the 'highest office' of our land.
This president is brutish in so many ways, un-polished,
bitter, and deeply jealous and his smallness fills every breath he takes and every whining, self-pitying word he utters.
How did we ever get so low?
4
there's something not right here. frankly i've never been a fan but i don't believe he was stupid enough to spend the last year of a momentous life insuring that at its final ceremony the spotlight would be on someone else
45 was not tapped as a pallbearer? McCain refused to give 45 the opportunity to let him down one last time.
Let us make it so 45 can no longer let us down. VOTE!
God speed, Mr. McCain. Your service to this country is a shining example and forever appreciated .
3
I am sorry, but what sort of man self-indulges to plan every moment and move of his funeral? Given what he paid in service of our country he deserves whatever he wants, but....
1
Donald Trump's narcissistic personality disorder makes him incapable of simply standing down for a few days while Senator McCain is honored. He's been disinvited from the proceedings, and rightly so. Someone with even a modicum of self control would take the hit, step back this week and return to business on Monday. Instead, Trump will be holding one of his ego-driven rallies in the middle of it all, desperate for the attention.
Surely there are veterans who find this behavior to be repugnant. Could there not be a quiet veterans protest of Trump's dishonorable behavior outside the rally? They would likely take abuse from rally attendees, but wouldn't that just highlight the message McCain is seeking to convey?
At long last, Mr. Trump, have you no sense of decency?
5
In planning his funeral McCain showed how egotistical, petty, and bitter he really was. He was a hawk, who the media was not a fan of, but since he was anti-Trump, he's their hero now. Sad.
1
@Joe
I think it says a lot more about you that you wrote this comment.
2
Will the Nation's flags go to half-staff when Donald Trump goes to meet his maker? Will he be able to choreograph his departure from this world?
2
And they call The President a narcissist!
1
At the risk of busting up the hagiography party, John McCain’s final act played like so many that preceded it: a desperate, self-centered campaign to stick a shiv in a political opponent, cloaked in a brittle and vacuous patriotism. It’s sad he couldn’t find the peace to let go of those toxic dynamics right up until the bitter end. Was McCain a greater man than Trump? Sure, but that’s setting the bar low enough to trip an insect.
One hopes that when he asked Obama to eulogize him, McCain took the opportunity to also apologize for his years of caustic obstructionism, his role in the sham Benghazi investigation, and most of all for legitimizing Sarah Palin, who is tribalism incarnate and without whom Trump would still be shilling frozen steaks.
2
Good call Senator McCain.
Given the fact that "old bone spurs" only talked about himself when he gave the eulogy at his father's funeral, why would anyone want a towering twit like Trump at their funeral?........
3
This man was against choice for women and against a ban on assault rifles. I'll save my reverence for public figures whose values I share: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Patrick Leahy, Jerrold Nadler, for instance. And long may they all enjoy good health.
226
@Robin Cunningham
That is only to say that you respect people who agree with you. I probably share many of your views, but not about Senator McCain. Certainly he was flawed; who among us is not? But he tried throughout his career to serve his nation well, and was famous for trying to work with those on the other side of the aisle. He will be sorely missed.
9
@Robin Cunningham Well said Robin
1
No questions, there is much to admire about John McCain, but was he really as principled a law maker as he is being made out to be? He famously voted against the repeal of Obamacare, but his final vote as a senator was for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. That act mainly benefited wealthy people while leaving a few crumbs for everyone else and is causing the deficit and national debt to explode during a time when the economy is growing and the deficit and debt should be declining. Maybe the principled McCain thought that was good policy. But that vote also undermined Obamacare because the act also eliminated the individual mandate of Obamacare. That will result in an estimated increase of 13 million uninsured Americans, higher insurance and medical costs, and poorer coverage. With one hand, McCain helped destroy what the other had created. In this one example, and many others in McCain's political career, I fail to see him as an exemplar of principle.
3
Frankly, I'm offended that the NY Times would include a photo of Little Donnie in this article.
18
I am very worried about the news that will arise from Washington this weekend. I am on the brink of leaving the country to avoid a likely imminent Real Moron Presidential catastrophe from the reigning Fake President. What outrageous behavior will the Fake President impose on the world to abort the media's (perhaps minus the Fox propaganda outlet) full attention on John McCain's funeral activities back onto him. A moment without the Fake President's daily imposing self-obsession on all of us would be a day of self-defeat for this narcissist.
I am calling it. Watch out. A catastrophe is coming. Trump will join the KKK; adopt Putin (for his billion); fire Sessions and/or Mueller; make Kim Jong Un Attorney General or Arpaio; mandate Betsy DeVos to make it the law for students to watch Hitler rally films. Or something really crazy only this mad and vindictive man could conjure up!
Have a good weekend.
12
He will be a fake until he releases his ,Tax Returns!
2
The Democrats need to be honest about their feelings for Sen McCain. When Sen McCain went to Vietnam the left called him stupid and a genocidal fool for serving his country. When he was shot down, the left cheered and congratulated North Vietnam on their aim. When we learned he was being tortured the left encouraged the North Vietnamese to be more brutal in their abuse. When he was released, the left spat on McCain and called him a baby killing mass murderer. In the Senate he was a right wing extremist Nazi to the left. When he ran for president the left screamed he would kill all children, legalize rape and starve the elderly to death. And now the fake praise flows from the hypocrites on the left! Shame, shame shame!!
5
@Larry Being honest, many of us didn't care for a presidential candidate dissing a former POW for political points. We didn't care for Trump's obsessive pettiness and anger towards Mc Cain while he was dying. While some us didn't care for McCain's politics, he knew when to cross the aisle to behave as statemen do. Yes, McCain pandered to the far-right during his last few years, but he never deserved Trump's nastiness.
3
There is something derisive about stating the "Left called McCain"... Was there a left or right in the 70's or just people who had strong feelings about the war? Is everyone who you label "Left" against McCain or just some people who have varying viewpoints that may or may not have aligned with McCain's viewpoints. I considered voting for McCain in 2000. While I did not agree with everything he said I acknowledged, he spoke to the issues that mattered to me. No candidate who is honest with her/himself can address every issue that a constituent may have. This is clearly what is wrong with politics today. Candidates and politicians talk about issues as if they are black and white with no shades of gray, no crossover to people they don't or don't want to identify with. The outpouring of sentiments, compassion, mourning, etc. about John McCain from all corners of the world, from Dems, Reps, Ind and nonvoters in the US, from minorities, immigrants, citizens, vets, the military, first responders and I could go on, reflects more on the man than his party affiliation ever did. In my eyes he reached across the aisle, exposed his humanity, believed in something and people greater then himself. He acknowledged his flaws big and small, made tough choices and served his country unabashedly. I'm not on the left or right of anything except that which chooses to continually divide people and strip away the humanity we all are born with. McCain's funeral planning reflects that sentiment.
4
@Larry
Your post is largely, if not entirely fiction, and wherever there's a grain of truth, "the left" that you describe consisted only of a small but vocal fringe, that never took over the Democratic Party the way the Republican fringe took over their party.
As an FDR/Bernie Dem, I don't apologize for criticizing Senator McCain when it was due - and that was often. But he was an honest and honorable man who admitted his failure to always live up to those standards. trump, and all but a few of Sen. McCain's former GOP colleagues in Congress, are unfit to lace his boots.
6
trump will be holed up at Camp David while cable stations may live broadcast the event at Washington Cathedral. This is a formula for another reckless tweet storm, one that would further cement the differences between a patriot and a self-absorbed putz.
22
This is Nina Castro:
I absolutely believe that Senator McCain orchestrated the funereal activities surrounding his passing with the intention of trying to right the ship of state. A strong, dramatic push back to the inferior man who holds the White House at this time and who represents no small threat to us. But, I don't want to dehumanize the late Senator by ignoring how good it must have felt to have conceived of such a thing. It's called revenge, and no one wants to actively engage it, no religion countenances it, because it unleashes another round of hideous retribution, But human, it is:
"If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?"
William Shakespeare
5
@Nina & Ray Castro
Truly I do not believe that Mr McCain's attention to his funeral arrangements was motivated by revenge. Revenge may have had a part of it but I don't think it was a major part.
From what we know of his life I feel his last statement (read after he died) was more in line with what we know of him.
What is more in line with his life was to make an appeal to the rest of to remember and honor what the founding documents of this country are and mean.
It's the person who died to stipulate who can and cannot attend their services and even to decide if they want a service at all. That should honored just as their last wishes should be honored.
That's my opinion and my time here is less than it had been ( I am 68 this year) and I need to attend to this myself. I keep putting this off but I know I need to attend to this.
5
And now, because of Individual-1 we are seeing in print “shitty”. That’s what it’s come to.
15
@Matthew We've seen it before. President Trump uses it to describe countries that Brown and Black people come from.
7
Unfortunately, with Trump at the helm, a prostrate and thoroughy political, power-hungry Republican Congress, and what appears to be an unenlightened and emotionally stunted substantial portion of the American electorate, it actually does have to be this shitty. Trump is only capable of operating in a sewer, from the people he surrounds himself with to his foul language to his chronic lying to his pathetic and kindergarten-level ad hominem attacks on individuals (mocking a disabled person?? I haven't seen such a thing since I was seven years old!). Trump would die in clean water. He needs sewage. What kind of person gets enraged because attention is drawn away from himself, even over the death of another??? Sorry, Sen. McCain, but we are swimming upstream right now in raw sewage.
7
"“His overall message was: ‘It doesn’t have to be this shitty.’”.
It doesn't, but it is, and Trump will never understand his role in that statement.
So, as Trump wings off to another rally of hate, race baiting and bashing of all things Trump dislikes, many of us will have our attention on the activities that will honor a person who gave much more of his life for this nation that the grifter from Queens never would.
14
@Dan
I was born in Queens.......Woe is unto me........
a burden....a heavy burden
‘It doesn’t have to be this shitty.’” That's a perfect assessment of the Trump administration. It's so unfortunate that cancer took Senator McCain now. There was much left for him to accomplish, and we so needed his example in Washington.
7
‘It doesn’t have to be this shitty.’
A sentiment that most of America has been sharing publicly and privately for the entire period of the Trump presidency.
Thank you Senator McCain for giving us permission to deftly explain our rebuke in line with yours.
And may you rest in peace knowing we are doing all we can to change this abomination.
9
God bless you John McCain, and that’s coming from an agnostic registered Democrat. This is the loudest statement you could have made in your passing and it shows that Trump is not fit to lead this country b/c he couldn’t even respect the sacrifices of McCain made while he was living, let alone after he passed. Honorable, respectful citizens of all political backgrounds can see through politics when it matters and when the moment is bigger than politics. Trump, however, is not an honorable person nor is he a respectful person. He has no place at the funeral services of a Marine and respected Senator.
554
@Tony C -- Naval officer, not Marine.
@Tony C
USN, not USMC. Close.
Omitted here is that McCain disinvited his 2008 running mate, Governor Palin.
I’d say that is a major story. What’d she do to him?
8
@Tuco Do you really have to ask?
1
@Tuco She was a gigantic liability and prevented him from becoming president.
Senator McCain's legacy--and message--is selflessness trumps shallowness. Honor trumps draft dogging. Original trumps fakes. Bi-partisan solutions, trumps partisan politics. Listening trumps tweeting. Hope trumps anger. Compasion trumps alienation. Truth trumps lies.
Godspeed Captain McCain. You are a true and original American Hero.
6
Probably gnaws at DJT that McClain is well thought of and was a much bigger man than Trump could ever hope to be. Envy is a deadly sin.
6
McCain worked his whole life to be a good and consequential person who followed his passions but also tried to have done what he could to serve the better angels of the human nature as a public servant. He was highly successful and has earned a place in history for it that nobody will ever forget.
Trump can’t stand it when he’s not the center of attention and has devoted what consciousness he can to getting it even to talking nonsense and saying things that cause unnecessary pain and despair and resentments in many other people. When people give him back a taste of the ire that he causes it can make him hold a grudge which he cannot let go. McCain being remembered so fondly irks him both because he held grudges against him and because of the admiration that his memory is causing people to express.
McCain had strong feelings and could say things he regretted but he had a good and brave heart that would not let him leave a hurt or transgression to be left to cause further distress in those affected. Trump is not a strong and secure person, apologizing for him is humiliating but he is also indifferent to any harm or embarrassment he might have caused for others, he doesn’t want to deal with the consequences of his own behavior. The two men could not be more dissimilar.
2
@Casual Observer. Divorced the wife who stood by him while in captivity. Keating Five. Denied his state representation in Senate while planning the Big Exit. Insulted Mrs Palin. War monger who never apologized for pushing Iraq War
Yes a good person /s
@Casual Observer
The one thing Mr Trump made clear is just how many folk feel disenfranchised left behind and neglected. I hoped that things would get better but that hope is fading.
One major problem all our politicians need to correct is to be as inclusive to as many Americans as possible.
I believe that is something Mr McCain identified and tried to address in much of his actions.
2
It's ironic that Senator John McCain's ideals, courage and patriotism will live on indefinitely, while Trump, through his petulance, immaturity and vile nature, is ostensibly dead to about 65 percent of the American populace. Touché to Senator McCain for having the last word, and for his grace and wisdom in planning a final goodbye befitting an American hero.
10
Such detailed stage managing of one's own funeral seems disturbingly egotistical, even narcissistic.
5
@Burton Regardless of McCain planning his own funeral is immaterial. As a former POW and a retired flag officer the late Senator is afforded a military funeral and burial befitting his/her rank.
Additionally, if one wishes to exclude people, well, that is their wish.
I may do the same at mine-exclude a few...
2
@Burton. Let us know when you are in this position, which is never.
2
Would Trump take a hint from McCain and plan his own funeral? He doesn't have to invite Obama and Biden! Mueller and Comey would not make the cut. How about Manafort & Cohen ? Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway can give the eulogy. Does he trust Don Jr. or Eric to speak at the funeral? Ivanka should be ready by then. I think this should keep him busy at Camp David.
3
Most of the people he'd likely invite will be in jail. And the A-listers he'd like to attend would ignore him like they always did.
2
Senator McCain is NOT lying in state. He is not a head of state, nor is he having a state funeral. And in Arizona, he's not either of the above OR lying in the central state building of his country, the United States Capitol. He is lying in repose, and will also be lying in repose when he is in the US Capitol.
3
@Texan He is indeed lying in state.
2
I would say John McCain will have set the narrative on how historians will view someone like Donald Trump, he's a petty, small and indecent person who is in love with himself, and sees no one else other than himself, pathetic and selfish.
3
Words do not matter. Lives matter.
John Sidney McCain, III is dead.
Donald John Trump, Sr. is still alive and the one and only President of the United States.
1
@Blackmamba
Through out history words out live those who uttered them.
So words do matter very much more than most understand.
1
@Blackmamba
Not the legitimate president, won an election based on multiple frauds. You can also claim Lance Armstrong won 7 Tour de France's but his victories were based on cheating, same difference.
1
@Blackmamba Words do matter when it comes to that "one and only President..". And that is a central reason the late Senator excluded his presence.
1
Will there be more people at McCain's funeral than at Trump's inauguration?
18
The coup de grace would be if all media outlets cover the funeral and shun the “rally”
7
What all the phony media describes as being Bi-partition with the Democrats, most thinking people would describes as being "in bed with" clear back to the Keating Scandal. Yeah he was reaching over the isle back then too, as the only republican charged.
Dear NYT,
Perhaps an embargo on trump tweets for the weekend might be in order? It would be the digital equivalent of a respectful two minutes of silence.
Cheers,
D. Knight
5
It is very simple. McCain spared his family and true friends the spectacle of the Hater in Chief being a phony presence and cruel reminder at an event only meant to honor the life of a person.
Why would ANYONE want an abusive critic, who said zero nice things about one, to be present at a funeral?
6
Y'all on the left are obsessed with Trump. I get that now. Sen. Mccain's passing has nothing to do whatsoever with Donald Trump. The NYT remind of an affection-starved teenage girl anguishing over unrequited love.
2
@Steve P.
Huh?
2
@Steve P. Projecting. It is a. Symptom of trump nastiness.
2
I am taking some pleasure in knowing how insane Trump will be on Saturday, knowing that Barack Obama is speaking at McCain's funeral and that it is being broadcast nationwide on every news network. It will make him crazy.
20
I wonder if Melania and any other family members will go to the casket while McCain lies in state in DC before the funeral.
@Jean
Or perhaps Melania will be watching it on CNN?
1
As an old man, like John McCain, I never liked much his politics. I saw the Vietnam war as an unbridled imperialist act and in the Marine Corp opposed it, but John was a war hero nonetheless. That the son and grandson of two admirals went to war when he didn't have too and survived the brutalities of years as a POW spoke to his character as a person. For this he should be remembered alone. Along with him we should remember the 10's of thousands more that gave their lives for an unjust war. Donald Trump is a curse upon our nation. He is a coward, a bully, and a deeply flawed human being. I can only hope that some day those poor ignorant souls conned by Donald we see this.
1127
@Oliver Thank you.
So well expressed.
5
@Oliver
Well said, sir. I can only hope that these "poor ignorant souls conned by Donald" will learn from their mistake.
At 75, I too worry what will happen to this nation after 4 years of Trump, a naive and valueless Republican Congress, and a Republican base of individuals who haven't a clue as to how the world really functions in the 21st Century. It is frightening beyond belief.
7
Interesting title. I have always thought - rather naively - that the survivors had the last word. But there are so many new concepts lately, it is sometimes hard to follow.
The last word goes to the person who speaks last while both parties can hear. And yes, it goes to the survivor.
By both measures John McCain succeeded.
1
He suffered horribly in Vietnam but I don't think he was much of a hero as a Senator. He inflicted Sarah Palin upon us and let the draft-dodger Trump walk all over him. He would have been a hero to me if he had fought back against Cheeto.
3
How? Easy. The press is in the tank for McCain, now that doing so hurts Trump. It was a different story when McCain might have defeated Obama. You hated McCain then.
5
@JND What, are you implying the media is hypocritical? Like when they made fun of Romney for saying Russia was our greatest geo-political foe in 2012... but now write story after story about how dangerous Russia is to our national security and elections?
The media and NYT only like Republicans when they aren't in power and can be used to hurt other Republicans. They are so bias that it is sickening.
@JND
No, we did not hate McCain. We just felt that Obama would be a better president. Can't you tell the difference?
4
I think of Sir Walter Raleigh's epitaph:
"Should you reflect on his errors,
Think of his virtues
And that he was mortal."
10
The contrast between McCain and Trump could not be starker. Trump, once agin, diminished himself, while trying to belittle a true hero. It's a sad comment on this country that a specious bone-spur deferred draft dodger pouts alone instead of honoring and celebrating the life of a statesman. Hopefully the man who disgustingly occupies an office in the White house will continue to diminish himself to the point of nothingness.
21
I knew I loved John McCain when he graciously lost to Obama, but when he started to stand up to Trump I loved him even more. But his vote to save Obamacare after promising and being elected to dismantle it, and his criticisms of Trump’s wall after running in 2008 to “build the dang wall” is what made him a True Hero.
Whether it was all done out of spite or principle, it really doesn’t matter. He was a True Maverick!
19
I'm pretty sure that a living person has the potential for more words than a dead person. With Trump you can be sure he hasn't spoken his last words on the late Senator.
RIP John McCain
1
No matter your thoughts about John McCain, trump will never be a sliver of the man Senator McCain was.
20
Trump can still play golf thanks to 5 deferments, and by all accounts cheats better than he plays. Something he has done throughout his life.
There is nothing that connects these two men apart from nationality, the world will mourn one and despise the other as it should.
24
I have opposed many of Senator McCain's positions, but I have always admired him. He has been a true American hero, a figure most people will say represents the best of us, a model for what we would like our children to become. We are a weaker nation, now that he has died. But the strength of our nation is that others will become who he was.
7
If only McCain had put in that much thought before picking Sarah Palin in 2008, and before endorsing Trump in 2016! He likely wouldn’t have had to think about Trump at his funeral...
8
A celebration of McCain's world view or the funeral of decency and the waning of chances to retain our democratic republic in America?
4
McCain was a complicated person from an era where being a complicated person was considered to be a qualification, not a distraction from participation in public life at the highest levels. I always felt that he meant well, but didn't always think through or follow through with sorting the conflicts between corporate support, an increasingly narcissistic GOP, and what was right for the country and democracy. It sounds like, in death, he tried one last time to get it right.
307
@Multimodalmama Sadly, we have many millions still trying to get it right. Drop all the ad hominem attacks and still to the syllogisms on the issues of truth.
1
@Multimodalmama. It sounds like he tried to get even.
@Multimodalmama McCain picked Palin as a running mate. Nothing else needs to be said, after he lost, he threw her under the bus and dis-invited her to his funeral. Talk about a guy full of himself...
I didn't always agree with McCain and I often found him to be a bit too ubiquitous, but I did respect him. Except for one major stain on his record and that is the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate. That was as boneheaded a move as there could be and one that runs counter to his supposed desire for bipartisanship and civility.
6
It would have been very hypocritical for Trump to attend Senator McCain's funeral. He said horrible things about him. They were not friends. Too bad if he has to endure not having the spotlight on himself over the next few days. I can only imagine that when Trump retreats to Camp David as the Washington service is going on at the National Cathedral, he will find a way to shine a light on himself, sending out a barrage of tweets lauding himself on what a fine job he thinks is doing as president. In life and now in death, John McCain will always be the better man.
698
@lake swimmer
The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators—Alan Cranston (Democrat of California), Dennis DeConcini (Democrat of Arizona), John Glenn (Democrat of Ohio), John McCain (Republican of Arizona), and Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (Democrat of Michigan)—were accused of improperly intervening in 1987 on behalf of Charles H. Keating, Jr., Chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of a regulatory investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB). The FHLBB subsequently backed off taking action against Lincoln.
Lincoln Savings and Loan collapsed in 1989, at a cost of $3.4 billion to the federal government (and thus taxpayers). Some 23,000 Lincoln bondholders were defrauded and many investors lost their life savings.
1
@lake swimmer
Great post. Only thing I have issue with is 'McCain will always be the better man'. Sort of like saying the Beatles will always be a better band than some one-hit wonder that no one remembers.
@lake swimmer so you're saying that state functions should be governed by personal feelings?
Let’s admit what will really enrage Trump this weekend. His staff absolutely will not allow him to play golf while the funeral is in progress and are sequestering him at Camp David. Maybe the wifi will go down for a while, too.
8
Trump is not qualified to polish McCain's shoes. McCain's casket would be a better President than Trump. The casket would at least sit there and say nothing. The casket would serve as a reminder of what government and public service should be.
17
At what point will Trump tell us that his funeral will have more people attending than at any other funeral, ever?
(Which may be true, if you count people dancing with relief.)
22
@Lois Werner-Gallegos
Do they still play for mourners?
This phrase struck me at the end:
"...after a school shooting in Florida" --
why so blandly termed, how is the proper noun Parkland lost already, with its surer suggestion of the attendant 17 deaths? This everyday referencing helps level the horror to something one should not be surprised was re-determined as not worth canceling a rally for.
4
I really hope that Senator McCain comes back as a ghost to haunt Trump every day.
5
If Senator McCain, in death, can force Trump to retreat to Camp David, then can we please dig him up and rebury him every weekend until 2020? It's sad to hear that McCain had no respect for our President yet still believed that we have more that unites us than separates us. In WW2 it took a slap in the face (Pearl Harbor) to make America realize that she needed to roll up her sleeves and fight. When America finally realizes that Trump is a Russian plant intending to destroy us, will we roll up our sleeves and fight again to Make America As Great As It Was Before Trump?
8
Pardon my paraphrase of Vice-President Walter Mondale's eulogy at Vice-President Hubert Humphrey's funeral;"He has shown us how to live life' and now he's shown us how to die".
I'm so very much looking forward to the service this Sunday.Heck, I'll bet the crowds will be even larger then the last two Presidential inaugurations combined.
4
"The lions of the Senate are gone." (paraphrase from Senator Collins)
Now all we have are pussycats who roll over belly-up placatingly before a wanna-be autocrat and Putin-lover whose "aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain." Sad.
Rest in Peace, Lion. We are fortunate to have your example of what it really means to serve one's country.
9
The media is highly focused on McCain's "last dig" against Trump.
The Republican voter disagrees, to the tune of 85-90% approval for President Trump. Jeff Flake, the other senator in Arizona, didn't run again this time around because he knew he could not win his primary. He wrote a book. He admonished Trump for his behavior, but from the right side of the aisle, this voter said "Good Riddance" to that Republican Party. And we still don't have a Republican Party that realizes it is in control. McCain broke from his fellow Republicans on the issue of bi-partisanship? It was a misstep.
In 2009-10, the Democrats controlled the government, and there was absolutely zero attempt to "include the other side" in policy making. None. Democrats voted bills through with absolutely no Republican votes. They dug through dusty policy file cabinets, pulling out loads of past failed legislative ideas, pushed them through.
Republicans need to get a spine and seize the moment, before it's too late. Too many have taken the short-term view, focusing more on Trump's demeanor, losing sight of the opportunity Trump affords them in passing a Republican agenda, which, one would assume, is why voters voted them in. McCain's last-minute Liberal heroics on Healthcare, while "gutsy," was short-sighted. And it ignored the wishes of his constituents. If McCain did in fact intend to get a last dig in, it was a failed, petty gesture.
33
@smacc1
Yes!! Like getting a new Supreme Court justice who would never hold Trump accountable regardless of how much evidence may appear to the contrary.... or who says 'Roe vs. Wade is settled'....... (yes!!! until it's not).
Thanks for the encouragement anyway.
We just don't see things the same way.
2
@smacc1
For all of with insurance from the ACA, I am grateful to McCain and the 2 other brave republicans. One has to use his/her brains rather than voting straight Party line.
Partisanship is literally killing us.
2
@smacc1 2009 was right after Republicans ruined the economy and squandered trillions on a war the American people were tricked into accepting. Perhaps we can forgive Democrats for not wanting to hear what Republicans had to say.
"Mr. McCain’s closest friends insisted this week that the senator did not harbor a personal grudge toward the president, even at the end."
To Trump, this might be the greatest insult of all...
8
“White House aides hope he (the president) can contain his anger at the attention lavished in Mr. McCain.”
In all of the lows that Americans have come to loathe about Donald Trump in the three-plus years of his imposition on the national conversation, this had to be the lowest. A petty and mean-spirited man can find only bitterness in his heart for another whose entire life was given over to the service of his country.
I am ashamed that, as a former soldier under arms (1962-1966), a commander-in-chief would take it so ill, so personally, that a grateful country has come to bid him adieu and commend his brave soul to God.
Mr. President, you don’t make America great with your shallow self-absorption and self-pity. Please be gone. Soon. Please.
17
Initially I was concerned that the memory of Senator McCain’s life and historic passing would be overshadowed by the absurdities of our current president. But given the powerful legacy of service and love of country and Constitution imbued in the undying efforts of the Maverick, I believe his memory will endure much much longer than the pettiness of, in the final analysis, a truly insignificant human being. His ignominy will evaporate like a bad odor in very short order. Rest In Peace Senator McCain knowing that your life really was a great one because we are all better for it.
258
@Terry McPhillips People have short memories:
The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators—Alan Cranston (Democrat of California), Dennis DeConcini (Democrat of Arizona), John Glenn (Democrat of Ohio), John McCain (Republican of Arizona), and Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (Democrat of Michigan)—were accused of improperly intervening in 1987 on behalf of Charles H. Keating, Jr., Chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of a regulatory investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB). The FHLBB subsequently backed off taking action against Lincoln.
Lincoln Savings and Loan collapsed in 1989, at a cost of $3.4 billion to the federal government (and thus taxpayers). Some 23,000 Lincoln bondholders were defrauded and many investors lost their life savings.
1
@Terry McPhillips
"Maverick"? This is one of the empty labels that people who get trapped in the media buzz cannot escape. He was a maverick at one time, a long time ago. Jimmy Carter was a fresh, new face, once. By 2008, McCain was a more experienced GWB Lite. Who made senseless political decisions, like locking down Alaska's 3 electoral votes with a hootin', hollerin' dullard.
Feels like McCain is now a dudgeon vehicle. People that dislike Trump want to trot him out as a Trojan horse. He supposedly stands for what is right and good, before we all became fallen with the horrible DJT. It's all self-righteous theater. The dinosaurs of both sides of the aisle joining together. The world has really changed, a lot of people just don't know it yet (or are in denial). This is no come-uppance, it's a changing of the guard.
Will the last Republican who still has an ounce of decency and integrity please turn out the lights when they leave the Party of Abraham Lincoln?
5
Great to see all of the love for McCain. The only problem is that this was absent before his death and is only said because the readers hate Trump more. It’s hard to imagine more insincere comments.
1
Trump seems to view everything that is not obsequious praise to himself as a rebuke. He is a small man with a delicate ego. I don't believe Mr. McCain would waste his time rebuking Trump. But he would use his funeral as an opportunity to instruct this dysfunctional nation that we need to stand for higher principles than mere party loyalty. Its a well planned lesson and my hope is that it is received by the nation as such. Only a fighter with integrity, like McCain, would use his funeral this way. Trump can stew all he wants - who cares anymore.
7
Comparing the personal integrity and political maturity of the so-called president to that of Senator McCain is like comparing an ant to an elephant.
8
@Ambient Kestrel
And of course the elephant *has* been the symbol of the Republican party.
At this point they really should replace it with something like an ant, or perhaps one of those beetles with the big fancy horns that don't really do anything.
The adoration of the fans for Trump helps a person to conceive of how the ancient Egyptians could have worshiped the scarab beetle.
2
If there is a continuum for Integrity, Messrs. Trump and McCain are at opposite ends.
5
Can we stop making McCain versus Trump the focus as we spend this week giving special honor to the memory of devoted public servant John McCain?
2
Donald Trump can have all the money in the world, he will never be able to raise himself to the level of Senator McCain.
5
At 5'9'' tall McCain and his legacy tower over Trump. He confounded him in life and he has flummoxed him in death.
As the nation mourns the death of McCain, we do not need any sideshows or distractions. There's no doubt it will be business as usual for the president when the mourning period ends.
McCain represents the greatness of America....and that's how this story ends.
8
Trump will do something outrageous at his rally in Indiana this weekend, so he can distract from McCain's funeral and keep all attention on himself, while distracting from the scandals that threaten his presidency.
7
Last time I looked, Trump was still alive and kicking. He will get the last word.
1
I never thought McCain was a great man, politician or citizen. Who plans their own funeral in such details? The answer. A person who has a huge ego and will not die gracefully. Like an old fighter who thinks he still has one more bout in him. The man is dead, save the money and spend it on veterans who can use it.
1
@R.Kenney
And yet his last comment was a call for this country to return to the ideals of our founding documents.
And yes veterans need a lot more respect and help.
1
Senator McCain represents dignity and class, thank you for serving our country. RIP
4
Trump’s ralllies are not newsworthy and are a waste of taxpayer money. As one last tribute to McCain , I would like the media NOT to cover Trump’s campaign rally in Indiana.
12
The rally really is attempt to soothe the ego of probably the only living President --past and present--who will not attend McCain's funeral.
All the other Presidents will be there to show the family and nation that they stand united in honoring McCain. And the VP also can stand authentically there to honor McCain.
1
I never really understood the term "dance on his grave" until now. I can imagine Mr. Trump having a temper tantrum on Mr. McCain's grave. Given the President's reaction to Mr. McCain's death, the report of Mr. Trump's befouling of the bed where the Obama's slept in Moscow gains credulity.
4
As a lifelong Democrat (and I'm an old lady), I have learned that some things transcend mundane and petty issues. Senator McCain was one of those things/people...He demonstrated, through his life's decisions, courage, decency, honor, selflessness and devotion to country and duty. Mr. Trump shows us every day the shallow, petty and corrupt characteristics responsible people abhor...The comparison is striking.. This foul man and his administration will ever be a blot on the history of this country. McCain, even in death, points us to this conclusion. Godspeed Senator McCain...
459
When Teddy died nine years ago, Obama showed no resentment at his loss of ''oxygen'' but shared in the democrats' grief. There was never a sense of envy.
''Envy'' is what motivates a good deal of Trump's behavior.
Obama never had the TV coverage, a daily examination or the press show that Trump demands. and I wouldn't put a penny on the thought that Trump, viewing the prepositions for McCain's funeral, has any hopes that he will be accorded the same respect, even if he plans a gold coffin, a state funeral --which tradition allows him -- that will attract the affirmation that McCain's does.
They say ''time will tell''. Well, Trump's 50 years of dishonesty are coming home to roost. McCain's 60 years of service will be lauded this week. What a contrast!
515
@jhbev And that is specifically because he knows just how much of a fake, a con, a charlatan that he is. The sooner gone, the better.
2
I applaud all of McCain's friends and advisors for claiming that this isn't about Trump, but it is. It is the most important, articulate, and star-studded anti-Trump statement that has been made to date, and McCain, even in death, stands miles above our ersatz commander-in-chief. All I can think of as I watch this unfold is Obi-Wan Kenobi's statement to Darth Vader just before he is killed: "You can't win Darth. If you cut me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." The Death Star got it about a day later, but it still took a few years for the Empire to fall.
1
I wonder if the liberal opposition would be praising Senator McCain in the same way if Donald J. Trump had not become the President of the United States of America?
4
@Southern Boy
I think so.
1
@Alecfinn,
I doubt it, he only became popular with the left after Trump criticised his war record and become critical of Trump in return. Cheers.
So 45 is holding a campaign rally in Indiana at the same time as McCain's memorial service?
And we thought this Trump couldn't go any lower?
7
"Mr. Trump is expected to have retreated to Camp David, where White House aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain."
For someone who likes to brag about the size of everything, Mr. Trump keeps proving he's the smallest man in the world.
13
I have mixed thoughts re this.
Originally I thought McCain was being as extreme ego centric as Trump, with a elaborate funeral approaching the likes of Lincoln and Grant, two of our greatest leaders.
McCain was no Lincoln or Grant. He never met a no win war he did not like, like Vietnam and Iraq 2 causing untold death and carnage to so many people including Americans.
Progressives certainly did not like him because he was no Teddy or FDR.
However, he was a patriot who served in the military, endured extreme hardship in a POW camp, put his hand across the isle to get legislation passed, along with a few other senators saved ACA and medical insurance for millions of Americans.
His greatest feat though, approaching being Lincolnesque was slowly but eventually standing up to the ego maniac demagogue Trump even beyond the grave with his careful planning before and after his funeral.
6
@Paul I hope McCain left another letter to be read after the funeral. And after the next election. Hope there are a whole series of them!
1
How many among us could go on to be a person of good character and service to our country after what he went though as a POW in Vietnam? The strength of character it took to be tortured and not relent. Broken arms, shattered knee, broken shoulder, no medical treatment for weeks. He couldn't even comb his own hair because he couldn't lift his arms up high enough. Yet he chose to serve our country instead of closing himself off to society.
By far he wasn't a perfect man. He admitted that. What other politicians admit to a mistake? For better or for worse he could have done some things differently. He would be the first to admit it.
History will remember John McCain with respect and admiration not only for his service to America, but also the imperfect man he was.
Those who judge him harshly, can the same be said for you?
342
@CW
Well said.
2
I am a life-long Republican and a supporter/financial contributor to John McCain's two presidential campaigns. Amongst the long list of transgressions committed by then candidate Trump that should have prevented anyone from voting for him was his insult of Senator McCain's military service and hard time as a POW. How a candidate to be Commander in Chief could be supported after uttering such vile words remains beyond me.
Thank you Senator McCain for your service and your nobility
16
The funeral and eulogies of this week reveal such a glaring contrast between McCain and Trump's character, principles, patriotism and accomplishments, which are so strikingly opposite, that it should cause Trump supporters to question their allegiance to him.
3
I am not a John McCain political fan, but he was an American hero and he did love America for its promise of equality and inalienable rights. He was the total opposite of Trump -- who loves only himself, power, and money.
5
As a committed Democrat and old-school feminist, I can say Senator McCain first grabbed my attention when he selected a woman to be his running mate, after considering (and preferring, the Democrat/Independent Lieberman.) Palin was barely vetted and a very bad choice, but a brave one for McCain. Fast forward a few years and consider Trump's brave choices of women for Cabinet and other positions. You can count these women on one hand.
John McCain had given his life to us, and he wanted his death to mean something to us. I hope a Trump-less funeral helps get us, in some way, to a Trump-less America.
4
Senator McCain was not just addressing the president in his final remarks, his message was also for Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, his “friend” Lindsey Graham, Devin Nunez and all the others who have gone along with all the hatred being spewed from the White House. They have chosen Party over Country - something Senator McCain would never have done. It’s a sad, sad time for our country on multiple fronts.
8
Trump is getting ready for his rally in Indiana.
Very kind of him to give Fox's audience something to cheer about while the country grieves for John McCain.
3
Please let's stop talking about trump here.
McCain was a big of a patriot as we are likely to see in our times. Let's focus on him.
2
"Mr. Trump is expected to have retreated to Camp David, where White House aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain."
um, he won't be able to do that.
2
I was an enthusiastic supporter of John McCain during his first presidential campaign, but he lost me in the second one. His unprincipled change of manner and selection of Palin were both great disappointments.
But to his credit, he realized that he had gone against his own honorable instincts and good judgement. The moment when he corrected the bigoted woman who called Obama an "Arab" will stand in history as an example of the man's courage and integrity.
I think along with many others, he won me back. With his death, our nation just began sinking into gutter politics a little faster.
4
Good for John McCain for his plan to exclude Trump from the funeral! And, why should he be there? He said many horrible things about the senator. I found this part of the story interesting: "By the weekend, when virtually all of official Washington — Democrats and Republicans alike — gathers at the National Cathedral for a nationally televised farewell, Mr. Trump is expected to have retreated to Camp David, where White House aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain." You know darn well that Trump will hit Twitter, unable to contain himself because the days not all about him. Get ready for a barrage of tweets all about the great job he is doing, how great the economy is doing or whatever way he can make something up to shine a light on himself. Aside from the fact that he does not have a grasp on his responsibilities, he might down in history as the oddest U.S. president ever. God bless John McCain. You did it, John. You took the bully down.
306
@lake swimmer Saying that trump is "the oddest US President" is far too kind.
@lake swimmer "Oddest." I like that! And when you said "he does not have a grasp on his responsibilities," I think you hit the nail on the head. He does photo and tv ops and that's about it. His decisions are often uninformed. I could go on and on. But this is Senator McCain's week. HE was a patriot, a survivor, and a REAL AMERICAN.
Good thoughts nicely put, however, the correct word is "worst" not "oddest" when referring to trump or his presidency. Just sayin.
It is unsurprising to read that John McCain had little respect for Donald Trump.
When we talk about McCain, we speak of a man who had a deep and abiding sense of loyalty and duty to his family, to his country, to service, to decency, to honor. One could disagree with his politics and policies and yet admire him as a person. He also had the capacity to reflect, acknowledge his own mistakes, and to change. And I also admired him for the sheer joy he seemed to take in life and in his evident curiosity and friendship with others. He lived his life with purpose. His death is no different. He is still serving his country. We should heed him.
When we talk about Donald, we talk about a loser, plain and simple. His only focii are himself and his wallet. As Khizr Khan aptly summarized it at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Donald Trump has "sacrificed nothing and no one." And he never will. On some level, he must understand that his escalator ride down in 2015 to announce his candidacy was the beginning of the end, but he still thinks he can outwit or outbrazen us all. Not a chance, Donald. It will get worse before it gets better, but you unraveled your own scheme, stepping out of the filth of the Trump Organization.
Is Vegas taking odds on whether or not Donald can keep his mouth shut through the weekend? That's an awfully hard ask for the boy king. He'll be brooding, wondering what services are like when you die in prison.
12
This is really all you need to know about the current occupant of the Oval Office:
“Mr. Trump is expected to have retreated to Camp David, where White House aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain.”
What a damaged, dysfunctional spirit he is.
30
McCain was right. There is NOTHING to respect about Donald Trump.
24
I approve of McCains rebuke of this administration. Otherwise, this would be a macabre spectacle, which it barely escapes. I have one comment on the choice of words in this article, however. Instead of calling Trump's event's 'campaign style rallies', could we just call them what they are?
Rabble rousers....
12
The split screen on Saturday of an American hero arriving in Washington for the last time, and an American despot churning up hatred and divisiveness in Indiana will tell it all.
15
To my mind, three words define Sen. McCain: Duty, Honor, Country.
Thank you Senator McCain -- for your love of and service to America.
8
"Last word"? No, history has the last word. But one must ask what sort of egomaniac crank plans his own funeral ( much of it at public expense just as he lived) and acts spitefully towards rivals or those he disliked and even a running mate on his death bed? This pettiness says more about McCain and how he really lived then all of the pious, hypocritical, corporate media blather. Let's wait and see what history says about the "hero".
Meanwhile, many men will die today who slogged through rice paddies with a rifle and bayonet, who did so without the possibly of being captured alive, came home and quietly worked to build this nation and raised families. They did it all with quiet dignity and honor. They will be buried without enemy lists or petty spite from their death beds. The corporate, establishment media will take no note of their passing.
McCain's passing is about one thing only for the establishment and corporate media like everything else now. Get Trump, stop Trump from ending the status quo.
3
@antonio gomez
Most people who are diagnosed with a terminal illness start planning their funerals. The “egomaniac crank” in question was long-serving United States Senator who, after he had served his country (and was captured and tortured in the process of doing so), devoted his life to public service. Donald Trump avoided military service with “bone spurs” and currently treats his position as President of the United States as a means of enriching himself and his family and serving “payback” on his perceived “enemies” on the public dime. Senator McCain most likely planned his funeral in such a manner as to avoid inflicting further trauma on his family and friends. One of the primary purposes of having a funeral is to provide closure for the decedent’s family and friends; having a vain, selfish narcissist who demands to be the center of attention and seems incapable of conducting himself in a civil manner at a funeral interferes with that purpose and further traumatizes the grieving. Senator McCain did the right thing. Sorry you don’t approve, but hey - it’s not your funeral.
1
You really felt great distain and resentment towards this man. What secrets have you that everyone else seems to have missed over all these years?
1
Could we for a moment give both these men a break. No one who wrote a derogatory comment in all likelihood would have rejected the get out of the Hanoi Hilton card absent the release of all the prisoners. To do so meant continued torture and solitary confinement. The late senator for the remainder of his life could not even comb his own hair. No matter how you slice it The POTUS could have comfortably retired instead of working 20 hour days and risking a bullet. He likely prevented a lot of gassed children in Syria with precision missile strikes. He has led a booming economy. They didn't get along? These were two strong minded human beings. Can we just give both men a respite and stop the kind of discord that particularly about Mc Cain shows disrespect for a grieving family and nation? If Joe Biden gave a eulogy could we just have a breath of fresh air?
30
@Curiouser: Give Trump a break? I do not countenance right-wing demagogues. Let's keep a blowtorch aimed squarely at him.
7
@Curiouser
"Could we for a moment give both these men a break."
YES - for John McCain.
NO for DJT. He does not deserve "a break." He does not deserve our attention, our patience, our forgiveness. He has used up all of our forbearance with his daily (hourly?) tantrums, taunts, lies, bragging, and more.
There is no equivalency here. DO NOT allow Trump's die-hard supporters to suggest that there is.
McCain spent 5.5 years in a POW camp. DJT spent those years, after five deferments - in his own words - in his own "personal Vietnam" avoiding sexually transmitted diseases.
R.I.P. John McCain...
7
@Curiouser
You write that Donald Trump has led a booming economy.
Did he create that booming economy all by himself. Or did the work of the previous administration make that possible?
2
I hope that the president cares as much about this rebuke as I do, that would be nothing. John served his country well for many years, but should have resigned when he could no longer do his job (voting).
6
Vulcanalex...Donald Trump hasn't been able to do his job since January 20, 2017......instead of being President, he tweets, he campaigns, he golfs, he watches Fox and Friends, he divides the country and lies non-stop.
Healthcare, infrastructure, education, science, technology, environment, voting rights, stagnant wages, campaign finance reform be damned to hell as the Twidiot-In-Chief utterly abandons the country to his black psychological hole.
John McCain did more to help America with his 'thumbs-down' vote to save the ACA than Donald Trump will ever do.
524
@vulcanalex The president has failed to understand that he is supposed to represent all of this country, Republicans and Democrats alike. Democrats represent approximately half of the U.S. population. He constantly trashes Democrats instead of reaching across the aisle to find common ground. Think of how great we would be if he found a way to do that.
9
@Socrates “McCain did more to help America with his 'thumbs-down' vote to save the ACA than Donald Trump will ever do.”
Not just the ACA, but the process by which a legislature is supposed to make changes in laws: expert input, public comments, floor debate, amendments, all blown off by his party in their desire to ram through repeal and hand their president a “win.”
I was able to forgive McCain a lot for his gesture on behalf of the democratic process.
8
Thank you, Sen. McCain. Even in death, your message is clear, and it buoys our hope for bipartisanship, for respect, for unity.
79
Also there's a documentary about Russian influence featuring McCain, being released today. I have never seen such a perfectly managed exit, a real tribute to the magnificent life McCain lived.
49
@Jonathan More info on the documentary, please.
He deserves the funeral he planned, he served our country much more than most. I choose to look beyond his politics and view him as a veteran who suffered torture and captivity for his fellow captured soldiers and for our country.
The child man in office now should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as Senator McCain particularly after his truly deplorable comments and juvenile behavior.
I look forward to the service to hopefully remind us of the ideals we ought to hold up, not who and what seeks to divide us now. We can be greater.
78
Who would have guessed that it would be the Republican Party that would go soft on Russia? The Republican Party has always been the "hawk" party, alleging that the Democrats are insufficiently anti-Russian. Ronald Reagan must be turning over in his grave along with Winston Churchill.
74
@Thomas Dorman
Trump put the sanctions on Russia, NK, Iran and China.
Meanwhile, Trump seethes and plots his revenge.
I expect Trump to announce that construction of a gigantic pyramid to be used as his eventual mausoleum will be started immediately. At tax-payer expense, of course. It will be the biggest in the world, and will take decades to construct — and Trump will still be president when it is completed.
Nothing is too good for The Great Donald Trump.
39
@KJ
Goddess forbid.
3
His words are powerful, but even more meaningful would have been what Sen. Arlen Specter did a decade ago.
A switch of parties would have truly been transformative in this Senate. A gesture worth a thousand, a million words.
22
McCain's passing is a somber event which has led at least some people on either side to reflect on where we, as a country stand and where we will go from here.
Donald Trump's eventual passing will, I predict, be met by most of the world with fireworks, the popping of champagne corks and spontaneous parades.
All things as they should be.
52
@Gabrielle Better yet, met with two column inches on page 2. That would be the ultimate reward.
1
I think it's important to recognize that it's pure speculation that McCain's motives were primarily anti-Trump. His words point to the whole nation, and the direction we've been headed in for the past 30-40 years. Trump is a perfect poster boy for America's ills, but he is neither the cause nor the only symptom, and I'm sure Senator McCain was quite aware of that.
276
@Barbara Well said Barbara.
1
Obviously, in a moment of great American patriotism, John McCain stands tall and honorably.....and the country's Imposter-In-Chief is sent to go sit in the corner where he belongs.
We salute you and the flag you served, John McCain....and we also kneel for the flag and for you until American democracy rises up to reject the fraudulent Cadet Bone Spurs occupying the Oval Office.
129
What the Trump apologists writing below seem to miss is that many of us who fiercely disagreed with almost every policy position and vote McCain took, and were appalled at the terrible judgment to elevate Sarah Palin, do not hate and, indeed, as many others write below, respect McCain's service to America
In dramatic contrast, none of us has any respect for the immature, self-promoting, uninformed and perpetually angry and grudge-filled Trump, whose entire life has been focused only on making more money than anyone needs in defiance of the law and at the expense of those who trusted him, such as all the small business contractors he stiffed.
203
The stark difference in how I feel about John McCain and Mr Trump is stunning.
51
Webster's new definition of ignoble: 1. Running the flag down. Then up. Then down. 2. Of, like, or pertaining to Trump
41
Another Senator McCain example to follow - you should respect the office of the president, but you don’t have to respect the occupant.
45
@Steve Ell I think what Senator McCain would have said is that you can respect the occupant even if you disagree.
@Steve Ell Yes, we should respect the office. However, when the current occupant has cast a dark shadow on that office and clearly disrespects that office he holds, how can one respect the office.
1
@psp With a person other than Trump I would agree. However, respect is a two way street that Trump believes is one-way.
1
In my mind, I contrast this with the funeral of Robert F Kennedy. Kennedy was obviously not in a position to plan his own funeral. His survivors did the planning. But there was the funeral train from New York City to Washington DC, where the track was lined for great distances by hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens, on their own initiative, wishing to show their respect and saying goodbye.
Now, that was real honor. Planning one's own elaborate state funeral in detail is something I would expect of a Joseph Stalin or Kim Jong Un
12
@RM
A truly humble "servant" wouldn't plan his own funeral in such minute detail. He would insist that the memorial be kept small and dignified and private. And as for McCain getting "the last word against Trump" -- well, one of them is still alive, and he isn't shutting up.
3
@RM an interesting and telling thought. Most people, in awareness of the end approaching, plan for their final farewell. The fact that you view this as a vanity message is startling..and displays an attitude of pessimism and fault finding. And who will ask you speak to the events,people , and creed you found important in your life?
36
@Jennifer Whatley
Actually, I have a large extended family, and I am regularly asked by survivors to speak at funerals and memorial services. And nobody tells me what I should say.
8
News stories say Mr McCain was captured in Vietnam because he disobeyed orders and flew into a restricted area. Not good!
4
@Gordy - Please cite your sources for this post. Thanks.
3
Would that be fox? Please check your facts and source.
I fact-checked your claim. How come all of the cites are NOT reputable news sources, Gordy?
Unfortunately, John McCain missed the one simple, strong, clear, and helpful statement that could have put down Emperor Trump and also encouraged our country to come together, bind its decisive wounds, and move forward on its (and our) promising path:
"We can't be an Empire!"
20
@Alan MacDonald
Sometimes a fighter pilot, even seeing the in-coming missile that will end his life, may have the chance to fire one last shot of his own at the threat to his country.
I can't help thinking that John McCain might appreciate from above that this would be his last brave mission for the country he so loved.
28
We are so starved for "normal" political behavior in the age of Trump that McCain comes off as an example.
A terrible illusion.
McCain voted for every lousy GOP idea for decades, which meant helping to bankrupt the country with gratuitous tax cuts, helped start political wars killing innocents, and also set the stage for Trump with Sarah Palin, an unconscionably cynical act.
He always voted to install right wing judges across the country, all eager to codify the slime.
In short, the "maverick" is no political hero.
Facts matter!
104
@David Henry
I feel sorry … maybe even guilty … at my recommendation of Mr. Henry's comment. But he's right in his assessment that McCain was, for the reasons put (and others), "no political hero."
My 'sorrow' stems from the fact that I do have more than a small measure of respect for John McCain … but I've been 'over-measuring' that respect in consequence of my fear & loathing of donald trump.
(Hmmm …"fear & loathing" ... Would that we still had the voice of Hunter S. Thompson to comment, with enlightened absurdity, upon the absurdity of trump and a trump presidency.)
4
@David Henry
The point that seems to be lost on you is that we're better off if we respect political opponents and fellow human beings, even when we disagree with their beliefs.
1
I remember his concession speech after the 2008 election. It was magnanimous and statesmen like. Ever since then my respect for the Senator only grew. America has lost a soldier, Senator , citizen and a decent and principled politician. Of course he wasn’t perfect, who is? Now more than ever the country needs more decent, principled politicians.
102
Mark Twain once said, "Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." I believe Mr. McCain will be seen in this light. I disagreed strongly with many of Mr. McCain's political positions, but admired strongly his sense of ethics, his actual patriotism as opposed to the false jingoism portrayed by far too many, his courage, love of family & friends, basically respected his manner as a gentleman. That is what shall be remembered here during this sad week. America has truly lost one of its dwindling supply of admirable and ethical political leaders.
57
@Aaron Thanks for the Twain quote, a new one to me.
1
World history, including the histories of Rome and Greece, teach us that sometimes men born of privilege serve their countries with the kind of honor, grit, and purpose that John McCain did........then, there are always the self-serving grifters, like Donald Trump.
51
The president could recapture the spotlight by announcing his resignation at the same time as the senators funeral.
261
@Merlin Balke
I believe he will announce Sessions and Mueller's firing the funeral. He set the stage with McGahn going.
@Merlin Balke
And thus comes Pence?
1
@Merlin Balkeu
That's a great idea!
1
It may be going too far to say this is a clash between good and evil; especially as I have many differences with Senator McCain including those that relate to his legislation on economic matters that benefit the very wealthy--which was his tribe. I also take issue with his nearly unchecked enthusiasm for using military force, sending America's sons and daughters to solve the world's problems.
But on this last point, I never questioned that his motives were often framed around despicable acts by a foreign despot that had caused suffering for millions. And in some cases I believe his instincts were right. This is a complex issue which I can't adequately explore in this context. But McCain new suffering and honor.
Dying at a time when president Trump's true colors--which McCain always saw quite clearly--are now coming into the legal light of day, the contrast between the two men cannot be more stark. One is an image of decency, the other completely bereft.
45
McCain was a true RINO. Still sorry I voted for him in 2008. His funeral arrangements speak volumes to his pettiness. 5th from the bottom in his Annapolis class - how was he selected for aviation? Those slots normally go to the top of the class. Owned 8 homes. A real man of the people.
9
@Bob When you're the son and grandson of navy admirals, class rank is secondary.
8
The Naval Academy is one of our elite, demanding institutions. Remember that the fifth from lowest grad of Harvard Medical School still is a grad of an outstanding and demanding program.
8
@Bob Given X number of people in a class, someone will always be 5th from the top and 5th from the bottom.
“Who laughs last, laughs best.” -Friedrich Nietzsche
R.I.P. John McCain
16
Nor should Melania or others from the Trump white house feel entitled to attend John McCain's funeral.
We all saw her grinning as Trump sat in stony silence in the oval office when reporters asked his comment on John McCain's legacy.
We all saw the jacket she wore to view an immigrant center on the border during the crisis of family separation---which read "I don't really care, do you?"
It's aggressively domineering to insert herself in the genuine grief of the family when Melania didn't intervene in the cruelty of Trump as to John McCain's prisoner of war status, his illness, and his death. Similarly, Melania joined in to question Obama's birthplace legitimacy.
69
@One More Realist in the Age of Trump Exactly. Trying to find one nice, honorable person in trump's entourage was a complete failure. Like Ivanka, Melania is complicit.
3
We did not always agree with you Senator McCain, but we respect the way you stood up to the haters in the Republican Party. Thank you for your service.
92
We are saying goodbye to the last Republican. The death of the GOP at the hands of Donald Trump will be his shameful legacy. John McCain embodied the very values now abandoned by the party of Trump.
65
@Clifford
While the GOP is in its death throes, Reagan had just as much to do with its decline as Trump - his attacks on government and the poor, and his courting of evangelicals ruined the party. Gingrich also played quite a hand in infusing Congress with a lack of decency, and drained the GOP of compassion and reason.
24
@Clifford: Unfortunately as great as McCain was he is one of the Republicans whom opened the doors of the party to Donald Trump, by choosing Sarah Pallin as his running mate and by joining his fellow Republican Senators in obstructing Barack Obama at every turn.
3
It all seems a bit much for a senator, and the detailed planning by McCain himself has more than a whiff of self-aggrandizement about it. Would the senator be elevated to near sainthood if someone else were president? Despite all the pious murmurings of "healing" and "bipartisanship," this week's events are underscored by omnipresent politics. Trump lurks in every shadow.
22
@Ed L. Well said. I too thought that after all the praise for his “across the aisle” efforts, this direct affront to the president - though undoubtedly deserved - was rather petty and immature. (How Trump of him!)
The lionizing of public figures, ignoring their failures - be they Senator Ed Kennedy or Michael Jackson or Reverend Billy Graham - always confuses me. Is our national memory really that short?
5
@Ed L.
It's easy to criticize and make disparaging remarks about someone who is gone and cannot reply.
I did not agree with some things Mr McCain said but I never doubted his loyalty and dedication to the U.S..
And yes unfortunately Mr Trump has an undercurrent in much of what is happening.
One last thought just what would anyone do faced with a death sentence caused by illness? I do think Mr McCain would be surprised over this fuss. My dad was a WW2 veteran, a NYC Fire Chief who died of brain and lung cancer. It was a terrible time for him and those of us who loved him, it took away his mobility ability to function as he always had. I am sorry for Mr McCain for his illness but I honor his life I believe all should.
15
We most often think of people like Aretha Franklin, Desmond Tutu, Albert Einstein and Jesse Owens when we think of human greatness. Their artistic, spiritual, intellectual or physical gifts are so instantaneously compelling that we are both inspired and intimidated.
John McCain was not at all like these people. John McCain was a great man.
How so?
He confessed to having a bad temper and that he gave in to both personal and political temptations that hurt his family and betrayed his ideals. He was deeply regretful of the pain he caused his family when he left one marriage for another, and of betraying his ideals for political expediency: embracing the confederate battle flag while campaigning in South Carolina, initially fighting the implementation of the Martin Luther King Holiday in Arizona and selecting Sarah Palin to be a heartbeat away from the presidency if he had won are just a few examples.
It was his inability to ignore his conscience, his magnanimous, frequent confession of his flaws and mistakes, and his boundless affection for and love of his fellow travelers on life's journey - whether political rivals or political allies - that made him great.
Thank you for your shining example, Mr McCain. Your death has been an emotional experience for me.
PS: Donald Trump's behavior the last few days proves that he reliably acts like a petulant, angry and destructive juvenile delinquent. The fact that many Americans are attracted to this is profoundly dangerous.
159
Maybe the remaining Republican Senators can adopt a modicum of McCain Straight Talk and start speaking truth to power instead of cowering and self-aggrandizing.
50
@Greg Tutunjian
If McCain's best friend, Lindsey Graham, won't even speak out against Trump for mocking and condemning McCain, then the GOP in total is a lost cause.
Vote out every GOPer in Nov.
2
John McCain was definitely an American war hero.
Yet how quickly we forget that John McCain was part of the "Keating Five" embroiled in the savings and loan scandal/bailout, and that he chose Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential running mate when he ran for President in 2008. If Mr. McCain was such a great man, why wasn't he elected President when Americans had the chance to vote him into office?
It is absurd for the article to have a headline like "How McCain Got the Last Word Against Trump" when Mr. McCain is gone and President Trump can continue his incessant tweeting.
John McCain R.I.P.
11
When Trump belittled John McCain’s military sacrifice for our country it should have made every Trump supporter abandon him , it was one of many betrayals to our values on Trumps part .
One can bet that this administration has worked hard to keep Trumps vile rhetoric quiet at this time so as to not damage the upcoming election .
He was at his lying self at the meeting of religious leaders , another big injustice to what “Christian” stands for.
Our Country , our values are being sent down the sewer, and people are selling out
and we are finding out people’s true colors .even some of those that we love .
39
@T Hankins
"When Trump belittled John McCain’s military sacrifice for our country it should have made every Trump supporter abandon him"
Yes, and he wasn't just belittling McCain; Mr. Bone Spurs was belittling every single American who became a Prisoner of War, yet the so-called "support our troops" Republican voters apparently didn't care.
56
@Lynn
Yes, and while our soldiers were dying in Vietnam, low life, draft dodging Trump further mocked our troops by bragging to Howard Stern on national radio that he, DJT, had endured his own personal "Vietnam" by dodging STDs from his many sexual conquests during the war.
1
The three words that best describe John McCain are honor, duty and country. The three words that best describe Trump are liar, cheat and thief. How far we have fallen.
85
Brutus said "I have come to bury Caesar not Praise him." McCain is using his funeral as a way to do the same. Rumps dictatorial and fascist aspirations must be stopped, by praising McCain we may use this moment to remind us of what is great about our country.
We may, and have, criticized McCain after all we could write him off as a privileged white kid who used his status to get ahead. Most cadets with his reputation would have been drummed out of the service, not the son and grandson of two admirals. He used these connections after Vietnam to enter politics.
But he grew and grew with his greatest education probably coming from the Hanoi Hilton. Much like F.D.R. he was schooled in suffering and humility. You could disagree with him on policies but you knew he was rock solid on the higher aspirations of American Ideals. This is why he and Rump, of the same political party, are water and vinegar. Rump has no values, morals, conviction or ethics save those he sees when he casts his eyes to a mirror.
McCain will remind us of our better angles and we should all take this time to praise him not to bury his memory.
20
@David Meli
(politely) *that line belonged to Marc Antony
Arizona can best honor Sen. McCain by not sending a new Senator to Washington who will fall in line with Trump.
139
McCain was bitter and angry to the end, carrying a grudge to his grave, and making sure his funeral was more like a snooty Hollywood gala where enemies get disinvited, than a solemn occasion of quiet remembrance. Pride goeth before destruction and McCain's interminable vanity was always his political achille's heel . By all accounts he was a potty-mouthed, bully of a politician whose courting of the left his entire life went unrequited when he ran against the novice Obama, ultimately saddling our country with 8 years of decline and apologies. The same media that lauds him now, attacked him unmercifully in 2008 when he needed them most. McCain never saw a Sunday show he wouldn't occupy. He was the republican version of Schumer, hopelessly addicted to the microphone...long on words and short on ideas. He funeral has all the bells and whistles he craved his entire life, lots of pomp, a week long "celebration" and nakedly political. McCain disinvited the President of the United States and Sara palin, and for that the left wing media that crucified you 10 years ago will throw you one last accolade as you enter eternity. You are the "maverick" until the end they will write...but ultimately just an establishment Senator, when all is said and done. Others, like Mr. Trump, are busy changing the world.
10
@Steve Now we can see what it's like to live in a delusional, alternate universe. But this is written by an acolyte and true believer in all the horrors we live everyday with Trump. As an insight into the mind of someone who has swallowed all the Trump Republican bile, this comment serves as a caution and a fearful warning of what the Trump true believers are really like. Note that a conservative Republican politicians who has served his country and has been a POW, and has been a Presidential candidate receives nothing but nastiness from someone whose hero avoided service, has insulted and bullied his way inti fiche, has no morals or decency, and has degraded the discourse and the image of the United States. This takes a special kind of cluelessness and hatred-but these are now the realities of this administration and those who support it.
80
@Steve Senator McCain didn't court the left; he compromised. It is exactly what legislators are supposed to do. But, go ahead, keep watching Fox News and stay uninformed.
5
@Steve
Wow just WOW!!!
Perhaps you should revisit Mr McCain's life and rethink what you have posted.
And before you comment you are entitled to your opinion and to share it.
But before you make a comment it might be a good idea to research the history you are critical of.
3
The White House staff is bracing themselves for the sitting president's reaction to the media around the funeral of a senior Senator who served the country for most of his life in the armed services, the ever-changing government, and on the campaign trail.
Let that sink in. That's who was elected.
(Allegedly draining the swamp. Right.)
55
This went down very sad to be unforgiving to the death bed. No way to change the outcome ,now. There is no hero in this. Revenge to the end.
6
@Craig Redi
He is not taking revenge on Trump;
He is, even in death, serving his country by pointing us towards the high ideals that are our true strength
25
@Craig Redi
I think not. Mr McCain used his death to further the ideals he talked about. Just look at who he asked to speak at his funeral, Republicans Democrats those who he respected even when he disagreed with them.
Even his last statement was a call for all to return to the founding ideals of our country.
I can only honor and respect him.
28
@Craig Redi
If showcasing decency, honor, service, sacrifice, loyalty, honesty, commitment, and bipartisanship is "revenge" then sign me up.
If publicly repudiating hatred, dishonor, cruelty, and knavery is "revenge" then bring it on.
3
Who here thinks that Trump will "will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain"? Crickets. I never agreed with McCain politically on, well, almost everything but how he meant to teach civics _and_ taunt Trump from the grave warrants some thumbs up. As for the country, this is a news cycle, not a turning point. Trump's Republican Party is a pathology, blight on democracy: and McCain knew that too.
78
@Rover: I wonder if anyone else is actually shocked, or at least very saddened, that we have such an individual in the Oval Office where such a remark is very applicable? That we can actually say without hesitation we worry about the clown "containing his anger"?? I expect our President to be a mature, intelligent adult, not an out-of-control, mindless little child. What a sad state of affairs.
38
"Mr. McCain’s closest friends insisted this week that the senator did not harbor a personal grudge toward the president, even at the end."
Boy, you could have fooled me. What an orchestrated performance by McCain who espoused unity and then enhanced further disunity amongst us. A more meaningful gesture would have been to invite the President of our country to attend his funeral.
7
@MCH
I think not as that would imply Mr McCain somehow approved of what he was decrying.
3
Dear Senator McCain,
I didn't like your politics, but there's one memory of you I will always respect and cherish. That's of the time you took back the microphone from a woman insulting Barack Obama, and you said, "No ma'am, he's a decent family man, a citizen." Right there, you showed more class than Trump will ever have.
389
History will judge McCain kindly, a man who served his country honorably, endured savage treatment as a POW and later forgave his torturers and led an effort to normalize relations with Vietnam. His choices to eulogize him says much about his character and love of country.
The occupant of the Oval Office is a pitiful contrast. No military service whatever. A man of low character who hobnobs with and admires dictators, thugs, and money launderers, surrounding himself with prostitutes, perjurers and yes men.
McCain will occupy a special place of honor in Washington while Trump will be remembered as the embodiment of corruption.
88
@Doc
Well, when you are left out in the private world to make a living, you find it’s full of thugs and crooks.
Who would proudly carry Trump’s casket? Will they have to be paid to do it, and then be stiffed? Who would give the eulogies? Would they have to be paid to do it, and then be stiffed? Who would speak for days on end about the goodness of Trump after he dies, and would they have to be paid to do it, and then be stiffed? I cannot imagine how sad and pathetic Trump’s funeral will be. At that point, he will have no friends left, may even be in prison, and any mourners beyond the family will be paid actors, who will then be stiffed. Sad!
95
@Frau Greta I think people will come to see him dead. Like they said about an abusive Hollywood producer who died and had a surprisingly large attendance at his funeral, "give the people what they want and they'll turn out every time"
3
@Frau Greta Ted Nugent, Sean Hannity, David Duke, Richard Spencer; no shortage of loyal heel clickers.
1
@Frau Greta
I'm sure Putin will hold a grand memorial.
1
There can be no doubt of the man's courage. And I think he was a friend of Canada. He will be missed.
38
I am not a McCain policy supporter - but I applaud the man, his service, his dedication and his decency. I think the video clip when he corrects an audience member's horrendous doubt about Obama, and McCain assures her that it's about policy that they disagree but he's a decent family man. Surely, surely, that unscripted moment reveals more about the man AND about the politics we need right now. Not the cesspool of want to be leaders that we have allowed into ascendency.
102
I did not agree with many decisions Senator McCain made, but my respect for him as a person was always positive.
Too bad the same cannot be said for the one person that should, but will not, be at the services.
26
It is entirely appropriate for any person to select a final resting place and ultimate disposition of one's remains. But the decision of how they should be honored and who should honor them is better left to their survivors. Shouldn't it be the survivors who decide what honors the deceased is worthy of, and how they are bestowed?
5
@RM Who in the world appointed you as the "Emily Post" of how a person should be honored?
30
@RM. In the case of such an influential individual and prominent citizen as Senator McCain, who has been the voice for decency and the moral high ground, it is appropriate he'speak' one last time.
29
@RM, I don’t think this is a debate. Writing a will and planning a funeral is generally the last statement one can make.
33
He was the perfect representative of the modern US national political consensus, he always voted for war, country killing war. That's what we do best in the US, he was unapologetic in this, he might have been, at times, more civil than some, more personally heroic than others, not sure if the 500,000 dead Iraqis care either way.
15
I think what made McCain a hero, a real hero, is not that he was chivalrous by saying he wouldn’t go home until everybody else could, but that even as the son and grandson of military men, he never gave up on preferring reason over force, rational thinking over military authoritarianism. That amazes me about him. True torture, for him, was the idea that people think they can escape from the laborious task of rational thinking just by using fear and intimidation and military might. He refused to follow orders and remained committed to reason. Of course America loves Trump more, but that’s the torturous heartbreak we have to endure?
15
No, America does not love Trump more. The FOX media machine, Russian bots, and shallow blaming trolls online keep the home fires burning for The Base's evangelical zeal -- supplying simple answers to complex problems, namely blame the 'other'.
2
Something lost on the current occupant of the White House, respect is earned. It is earned through actions and how you treat others, specifically those with whom you may disagree. Though I disagreed with many of McCain's positions, I have great respect for him as a statesman and human being.
80
He had staff meetings to plan his funeral?
I must be a little old-fashioned because this smacks of both narcissism and megalomania. Kind of like the man-child in the White House.
It's one thing to know that you're an "important" person (even though I've always felt that McCain's brand was overexposed). It's another to orchestrate your final departure (at the taxpayers' expense) as if your life was any more important than other folk.
I do appreciate his parting shots at Trump, but as a politician, McCain was no more than a run-of-the-mill Republican: always ready to defend the wealthy and connected.
13
Seriously? The best time to plan your final departure is while you still can. It lightens the burden on the family having it already planned. That he did it at "tax payer expense" belies the fact that it was done in the afternoon when, I am taking it for granted, the business of the country was already done.
Would you have rather have him fly, at taxpayer expense, to a private resort where his entourage would have to stay - at taxpayer expense, to play golf - at tax payer expense?
68
@mrfreeze6
I'm old and most of my friends are old and I can state for a fact planning your own funereal is not usually. And its getting more common all the time. And we are not national figures like McCain.
17
He made it much easier emotionally for his family and staff by having this pre-planning.
6
Even though I did not agree with everything McCain stood for (certainly never understood why he chose brain-dead Palin as his running mate) and even though I may not be quite as receptive for all the pathos that now - in true american fashion - spills over everything, I have to say that I am quite fascinated by McCain and his final words and deeds.
He must have known, that the way he planned his funeral - and the stories about that planning - would haunt Trump and enrage him. Perhaps he had an idea that the picture Trump would show of himself - a picture of disrespect for a hero and unbearable pettiness and meanness - would be even harder to accept for the "average American", for the Veterans, then Trumps racism, sexism, lies and crimes.
Who knows, by exposing Trump like this even in his death McCain has done a last service to his country by finally making at least a few Trump supporters re-discover that remainder of decency inside themselves and by making them contemplate the fundamental flaws in the man who currently soils the Oval Office. If only all those Republicans who today mourn McCain and praise his life and his character would remember this when casting their vote in November McCain would score a final victory.
No matter what… God speed, Mr. McCain, you have done well.
1104
@Wolfgang
I have the same hope, but it's very unlikely. Given every or any opportunity to choose decency and self-respect, Republicans in congress have remained silent. That will never change.
11
@Wolfgang I agree with you about Palin. I would have voted for McCain if he hadn't pick her. I also think that he knew what he was doing when he planed his service and I see it as his last service to his country. trump is a nasty, petty man and his actions concerning McCain show that.
7
@Wolfgang
Beautifully said. Thank you. Brilliant to think John McCain would instill long lasting values that he so believed in, even after his passing.
I hope you are absolutely and whole heartedly correct. This has been a wake up call indeed.
MIMA
8
Paradoxically Trump's grotesque behavior has substantially enlarged McCain who was something of a mixed bag politically. The law of unintended consequences strikes again.
44
John McCain made it clear that about 50% of the presidential voters are either not trustworthy or just not very smart. It further has divided this country. America is beyond repair, that is the main issue.
5
@rudolf
The first strategic decision of a Presidential candidate is to select an appropriate running mate, particularly if you are over 70. At this he failed. At the time of the 2008 election, the world was on the brink of a 21st century Great Depression. I did not have the confidence in his leadership to vote for him to keep us from tumbling in. To suggest I am not trustworthy or very smart is offensive.
15
If a sense of a person's character can be measured by the friends he or she keeps, consider all those people who spent time with John McCain in his last days and who will gather at his memorial services as speakers, pallbearers, and mourners.
Then compare that list with the people who have spent time with Donald Trump and what that says about his character.
Thank you for showing us all a better way, and RIP John McCain.
166
@Sandy
As my father always said "You are known by the company you keep."
22
@Sandy
Both good men but differant styles. Both pro life, both good family men, but main difference is John played to the Washington elites while Donald plays to middle class Americans...... McCain very uncomfortable with America's middle class while Donald very uncomfortable with America's liberals.
@Midnan
Yes Trump's style is hanging out with lowlifes and Russian agents, embracing corruption, and generally bizarre and erratic behavior.
"Good family man?" That would explain the numerous wives, extra marital entanglements, groping and cover ups. All entirely normal conduct to be applauded for middle class Americans.
20
Look at the 2009 picture of then President Obama seated next to Senator McCain at a conference table, having a quiet conversation. The year before this, they were running against each other, but they could meet and work together for the good of the country,
Contrast this to the behavior of our current President, who will not change his schedule, including his ego trip pep rally and seems to regard this as working for the good of the country,
Even worse, according to your article , "White House aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain. "
221
@Monica C
Constrast aslo Trump's obsession with attacking his rival long after the election is over.
9
John McCain will indeed have the final say as the nation bids farewell to him this weekend. In responding to a nasty feud not of his own making, the late Senator will be eulogized by a cross section of politicians and friends, as only McCain would have it. He reached across the aisle in life as a Senator and is doing so in death. It's his way of wanting to heal the country of its divisions and bringing America together as one, at least for the foreseeable future.
John McCain will deservedly be the focus of the nation's attention and prayers in the coming days, and beyond.
51
“Americans don’t hide behind walls...” Perfect.
95
I join with those who disagree with much of McCain's political views but offer respect to a life in service to the country. Tributes aside, it's interesting to reflect on the how the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate affected the ascendance of Donald Trump two election cycles later.
62
@Nancy Lederman Did that choice facilitate it or foreshadow it?
4
My prediction is that at some point trump will tweet that McCain called him to ask trump to attend his funeral, but that trump turned him down. That is a pattern trump historically follows to slight people...just ask John Oliver and Joe Scarborough. That is how petty trump is in real life.
58
I too have had the sobering realization that his choice of Sarah Palin may have gotten us to this horrid point in our history. And I too have followed a policy of not capitalizing trump's name.
I am pleased at how McCain worked at these messages of unification. I am greatly looking forward to hearing from Mr. Obama.
44
I will be forever grateful to Senator McCain for saving the ACA from the GOP jackals. And I am humbled by the extraordinary extent to which he served his country.
However, to say that his year-long funeral planning was nothing personal against Trump is naive at best.
In my view, he would have left this earth a much larger man had he invited Trump to his funeral. And he would have shown himself a much better man than Trump in the end as well.
2
@Jan I disagree with your comments. He had ever right to do what he did. I would not wanted that hypocrite at his funeral.
It is great that in death he could show the ugly monster that has ruined this country what he thought of him.
30
No because Trump would have made the funeral about Trump.
31
You did not read my comment as intended. Of course he had the “right” to design his funeral however he wished. I guess I feel he would have taught Trump a much bigger and better lesson about human decency had he included him in the guest list. It’s not like Trump was clueless before now as to McCain’s feelings about him.
When and how are we going to start coming together as Americans if our nation’s leaders can’t manage to, even for the most traditional rituals that bind all humanity?
That’s when Trumpworld really wins. That is my point.
1
Is a living dog better than a dead lion? (Ecclesiastes 9:4). In the case of America's living dog president and dead Republican lion senator? No. The world is not bending its will toward president Trump these days. Trump's fall will be as colossally punishing to life on earth as was his rise to illegitimate power. Meanwhile, John McCain's well-planned obsequies are lasting for this entire week of American history, and we honour him and wish him peace where he rests now. As for the man who will turn his back, hold raucous campaign 2020 rallies, hide in Camp David and twitter during these solemn days of heartfelt loss, less said, the better.
101
It really is the story of a man who should have been President and a man who should never have been President. What a contrast in character and integrity in one.....and none in the other.
61
@Michele Caccavano
Millions said otherwise.
3
@Michele Caccavano
I find using the Senator’s life and death as a weapon against our current President appalling. The lady above wanted to “compare” friends? Why? You need to trump to show honor to McCain? Celebrate Senator McCain’s life, but leave Trump out of it. And I think it is appalling “The President” was uninvited, but isn’t there a standing rule in Washington, they all can’t be in the same place at the same time?
John McCain served his country and fellow citizens. Trump serves himself. End of story.
851
@chickenlover
McCain voted with Trump 80% of the time: the real story.
21
@David Henry
McCain voted with Republicans 80% of the time. Not necessarily with trump.
On the issues that mattered; ACA is an example he voted against trump.
23
@David Henry
The real story is trump serves trump 100% of the time. John McCain served his country first 100% of the time. History will reflect that only one of the two had truly honorable intentions with regard to serving. That person is not the one who disparages NFL players with claims of dishonoring patriotic symbols, only to do so himself by raising the flag from half staff prematurely over the White House in a typically petty display of perceived personal grievance.
17
Presidential snubs have happened before and always because of deeply held convictions.Ex president Andrew Johnson did not attend the inauguration of Ulysses Grant, his successor.He did not honor him as a great General nor did he agree with his ideas on reconstruction.Grant continues as one of our heroes- who speaks of Andrew Johnson?John McCain was a hero when he returned home after five years of torture in North Vietnam and continued to serve his country in elective office.His love of country and service to it makes him a hero who deserves every honor.
76
@JanetMichael I am reading the book Impeachment by David O. Stewart. Andrew Johnson and Donald Trump are similar in many, many ways. I expect impeachment will be another addition to their similarities.
1
I also remember that Lord Mountbatten, uncle of Prince Phillip, and head of the British forces in Asia during WWII, in the plans for his state funeral (he was assassinated by the IRA) did not allow a Japanese delegation, out of respect for the soldiers under his command who died there.
McCain was another millionaire politician overly impressed with himself and accomplishments.
He rated himself very highly obviously.
We need less of these types in the government going forward. This isn't the "me" show.
21
@There
Smallness does not appear exclusive to trump. A man who survived 5 years of torture and continued to serve his country deserves respect.
61
@There "We need less of these types in the government going forward. This isn't the "me" show."......
You could have fooled me.
25
Sen McCain was tortured for 5.5 years in a N VN
prison while the “very stable genius” claimed bone spurs, but couldn’t remember on which foot.
27
The old Chinese curse of living "in interesting times" has a stinging currency these days. Normally the death of a Senator usually means that the nation comports the event with remembrance and respect. Unfortunately, in these far-from-normal days, this truly civic event has been tarnished by Washington. Since March 4, 1789, 12,249 individuals have served as Representatives, Senators, or in both capacities; we should have plenty of practice honoring deceased civil servants. Thanks to Donald Trump, most of what we learned of American Government in high school seems to have been wasted time. Swamps, walls, fakes and Twitter have replaced our civics and our servants become less civil as this madness grinds on. This petty grade-school behavior that now passes for "Government" continues to diminish what all those thousands of men and women took the oath, served and died for. It's almost not even worth asking if we're better than this. If America can't respectfully honor the death of a senator, it's hard to believe that we could be better.
96
I can not believe it,
What has a country come to when a Senator, a member of the same party as the seated president, feels compelled to spend his last month of his life planning a funeral in which he can make a statement against this seated president.
What does that say about this president!!!
I can not believe it...
30
@Dave It says that the president is a dangerous fool who is tearing the country apart. Mr. McCain, ever the patriot, felt a responsibility to push back on this and send a warning to his fellow citizens.
78
@Dave It says that McCain knew that his own imprint on history was going to be less substantial than Trump's regardless of what you think of his policies.
1
@Dave As a physicist I am usually suspicious of arguments by analogy, but in this case it seems to be appropriate. The commonalities between the United State's decline in principles and the growing devisiveness fomented under Trump are deeply reminiscent of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire (normalized for the technological differences over time.) What you are witnessing here is a growing cultural divide that is factionalizing the country to such an extent that it may, over time, lead to massive protests or even civil war.
In reality, the US is discovering that we never truly resolved issues such as racism, hyper-capitalism, and the huge divide between the wealthy, middle-class, and the poor. We are on the thin red line between political change and forced change, and, at this point I cannot say which is more likely.
RIP Senator McCain. I was a 19 year old 3rd Class Petty Officer when I shook your hand. I knew that I was standing in the presence of a man of passionate love of his country as well as a man of deep honor. I shall remember you always, and continue to try to live up to your high standards. We may not have always agreed on matter politic but that divide did not seem important to you. I would that this was always the case amongst our citizenry because I feel we cannot long survive as a nation so split apart we no longer talk TO each other but PAST each other...
Dr. DT Hazelrig
26
I wonder if McCain’s greatness as expressed in the comments would be a bit dimmed without Trump.
8
@FJR
The beauty of a star is greater against a dark sky. But it is still the same star in daylight.
31
@MLE53. It shouldn't have. Senator McCain was a human being, therefore, by definition, flawed. But the man's heroic grace under pressure neither you or I can hope to understand was astounding. He was offered release once the Vietcong discovered who his father was, but he turned down this freedom, telling them he would not leave unless every man held longer than him was released first.
This got him 5 1/2 years of captivity, torture and near starvation. He was a man of deep courage and honor. He would deserve his a claim for this alone...
Dr. DT Hazelrig
10
@Dr. DT Hazelrig
But, I don’t understand his treatment of Ms. Alfond during the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs?
McCain was a great statesman - sadly and quite literally, a dying breed.
It is a good principle to speak no ill of the dead, but I do think he would have been an even greater statesman had he not sometimes been so focused on his image, in life and death.
2
The GOP has lost what spine it had with McCain death. So now what is left is just about completely in Trump grasp. This will there death for at least a generation. They can no longer claim the mantles of party of family values, fiscal responsibility, the law and order party.
109
@Derek Blackshire: Truly amazing that Republicans like the Bushes, "pere et fils," and Adm. McCain, who were once heavily criticized by Democrats, are now heroes in their eyes because they have dared to go after Trump.Times newspaper forgets conveniently that Bush senior resorted to racist tactics in order to defeat Michael Dukakis in 1988. Remember the recruitment of dirty trickster Lee Atwater who devised the Willie Horton ad? Bush junior accused McCain in 2000 campaign of fathering an illegitimate black child, when in fact he had adopted that Indian girl who became part of the family.McCain, who ran such a wretched presidential campaign in 2008,was png to the Democratic Party until he criticized the present chief of state!
While one of our country's greatest senators is being eulogized and buried our mockery of a POTUS will be holding yet another pep rally for himself. A minority of Americans voted for this mockery, and yet due to an antiquated electoral policy this mockery won.
This is perhaps one of the starkest differences between a great man and a mockery to be seen so far. RIP great man. Thank you for your service to our nation sir. Thank you for showing us how to live a meaningful life and thank you for showing us how to die a meaningful death. I am a lifelong Democrat and disagreed with you on many levels of policy but I can recognize your greatness as a leader and a human being. We need more of you and less of the mockery.
391
@georgiadem
Beautifully said. Thank you for speaking for me and many of us who are appalled by this mockery. A well chosen description of trump.
17
@georgiadem
John McCain was no Daniel Webster nor Lyndon Johnson nor Edward Kennedy. Nor was McCain another Henry Clay nor John Calhoun nor Jefferson Davis. McCain was no John Brown nor Wllliam Lloyd Garrison.
@Blackmamba
You are acting no better than Trump. Someone can disagree with you and not be less than. He was a great senator in my opinion, and a more than great human. Disagreement is okay, civility is the most important thing. It is the thing that is lacking from the mockery and many GOP Trumpers.
3
It sounds as if McCain was a super control freak a symptom of politicians. How truly sad to harbor a grievance, ill will, whatever against a person who is not a family member or friend but someone you merely worked with. If McCain was so interested in the well being of this country he would have relinquished his senate seat so someone vibrant could take over. He was jealous of a man with no political experience who walked into the White House and yet he, a military man, lost two times. His ego was shot down. He is hardly the "revered saint" the media and this paper would like him to be.
10
@JanThis is someone's take on it. No one knows what was in his heart except maybe his wife. It seems to me he was legitimately concerned about the direction Americans are headed in. I think this is ultimate patriotism, not egomania, not ill-will. He had a role in political history and he knew it. There were and will be private celebration and memorials surely, less symbolic.
113
@Jan I believe his position as the lone republican voice of bipartisanship was thrust upon him, and he rose, albeit belatedly, to the occasion. He is the one saying publicly that the emperor has no clothes. Jelaousy? No. You watch the documentary of his campaigns, and you can see that he didn't have the instinct for political victory, and he has known this.....but with his experience, none should have more right to comment on the present incumbent.
95
@Jan I would say to this that on the human level, it is only fair and right that McCain be allowed the final word on Trump, the man who mocked him and trivialized the most traumatic and defining period of his life -- being captured and tortured as a POW-- I am glad there is still some justice in this world, even in death -- if only we were all able to have this opportunity. So, on the human level, it is satisfying to me that McCain has last word over his tormentor.
135
JOHN MC CAIN Was a great American patriot and hero. He served with great honor and superhuman determination to survive and overcome after his capture and torture in Vietnam. He was plain-spoken and direct, focused and balanced. McCain had much to teach others, especially "you-know-who." While I disagreed with some of McCain's political ideas, I strongly supported his ethos, admired his belief in working together, setting aside differences. He embodied his belief that there is more than unites us than divides us. All of these high ideals, ethics, morals and humanity are in short shrift among the current group of GOPpers all branches of the Federal Government, as well as at state and local levels. John McCain realized the truth in what Ben Franklin wrote: We must indeed hang together, or most assuredly we will hang separately. Among his last words were admonitions against the current powers that be to sow divisiveness, dishonesty and power grabs, all of which weaken us as a nation among ourselves and before the world. John McCain will long be remembered. Others who follow him will carry on his work. But none will replace him. He broke the mold.
81
@John Jones Beautifully said John.
15
I echo your sentiments even if I can’t match the eloquence of your words. Thank you.
13
@John Jones
This is not a reply to John Jones but rather to draw attention to erratum in my submission, a reply to Jan. Meant primary campaiugn of 2000 not 1980.
There is a smattering of the monarchical in all the attention to the obsequies for John McCain. I should think his widow, children and grandchildren will be glad when all the fuss is over. Sometimes grief demands solitude and stillness. So it is fitting that the final ceremony will private.
9
@John Lee Kapner
Good luck with that. Surely this won't be the last story on the subject we see from the NYT - or any other news outlet for that matter.
If you believe the Washington Post, Trump holds a 90% approval rating among republicans. He could show up to Mccain's funeral wearing nothing but a thong and it probably wouldn't matter that much. I think Mccain was enraged by the ease with which Trump ascended to the presidency. I don't buy this whole "togetherness" bit from Mccain, and I find it even more insulting when we have to hear about his "last statement" Ugh.
I am not a Trump supporter in any way, but many in the republican party held a dim view of Mccain, and Trump is smart enough to realize this.
4
So much for putting being an American, let alone a human, over tribalism.
110
Like me, you're entitled to your opinion, but I would direct you to Mccain's voting record to really gauge his "brotherhood of man" shtick.
15
@M You're probably correct in your assessment of what passes for the current GOP. On the other hand, I will never forgive you for using the word "thong" in the same paragraph with DJT.
4
Outside his immediate family, I wonder, who will mourn Trump’s inevitable death? Shakespeare said, ‘the good that man does is oft interred with his bones while the evil lives after him’. He might have been foreseeing Trump.
325
Your comment reminded me of the opening scenes of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi where a family appears to be mourning the loss of their patriarch. The family is seen rubbing their hands together and pacing at the death, but their sense of loss and worry is really about the contents of the will. That could be a pretty incredible reworking of this great opera.
33
@Lewis Sternberg Do you really think his immediate family will mourn? Or will they feel relief and a sense of freedom? I know of families where daddy-tyrant finally dies and the members of the family feel like they have escaped from a prison.
7
@Lewis Sternberg
Immediate family? These are Trumps you're talking about. They'll be fighting over his 'stuff' before the last shovelful of dirt lands.
4
"It's likely to be a very cheap funeral," said the same speaker; "for upon my life I don't know of anybody to go to it."
-A CHRISTMAS CAROL
The above written about Ebenezer Scrooge came to mind, and describes to me the funeral of the man that will be hiding at Camp David this weekend.
While the rest of the country honors a fallen "Hero".in our Nation's Capital.
188
@cherrylog754 Just as Trump hired a clacque to applaud him as he came down the Trump Tower escalator to announce his candidacy, he could designate funds to hire professional mourners at his funeral.
1
I am not a fan of Mr McCain particularly due to some of his stances and tactics during the 2008 presidential campaign (including his choice of an extreme running mate) and some of his actions during Obama's presidency. He has however earned my esteem by rising to repudiate some of the GOP & Trump's policies & their attempts at withdrawal from long held values. It takes some courage to have the foresight to choreograph your own funeral in order to send a powerful message all in the midst of battling an aggressive illness. This alone, more than renaming of buildings might earn his immortality in US history
72
Mr. McCain is worthy of respect and some praise even by those of us who profoundly disagreed with him, as he was a man of integrity, courage, and passionate, committed patriotism which went well beyond flag waving and symbolism. That said, we pretty much always, in some ways, make persons more saints than they actually were in death by remembering their best and soft playing their human foibles. That's fine and likely something Mr. Trump will never understand.
Mr. Trump is a petty man incapable of any kind of graciousness, which is, of course, at its core generosity. So, he will soothe is ego by going to his adoring, cheering crowds. If he has any sense, he will refrain from making negative comments about Mr. McCain this week, but it will only delight his fans if he does. They deserve each other.
280
Amen, Ms. Hislop!
20
Come now, give the man his due. He was very gracious about some chocolate cake once. Remember? @Anne-Marie Hislop
@Anne-Marie Hislop
He cheated on and abandoned his first wife. He recklessly crashed to planes. He was a war criminal and a war monger. McCain was neither saint nor sinner. McCain was only human mortal.
When John McCain ran against Obama I couldn't
help but think what an incredibly fortunate country we are to have a choice between two such great candidates. I was happy that Obama won the election but would have been proud to call John my president.
What happened?
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@Kenneth Green - My thoughts exactly. I remember in 2008 feeling oddly calm on Election Day. I voted for Obama, but aside from the specter of Sarah Palin, I knew McCain would make a fine President. I actually fell asleep before the results were called - clearly I was at peace with whatever the voters chose.
Contrast that to Election Night in 2016, the memory of which haunts me to this day. Staying awake until 4AM, gripped with a numbing mixture of disgust, hopelessness and disbelief, and pleading with the television: please let this be a mistake.
It never occurred to me, that in addition to the many things for which we can thank Senator McCain, an election that didn't seem like we were standing at the precipice of national implosion belongs at the top of the list.
That the nation is in mourning for a man who lost - twice - his bid for the White House speaks volumes about him. His decorum and integrity never faded, even in the midst of what must have been extremely painful defeats. May McCain's legacy inspire us to a return to elections where we feel that we are choosing between the better of two good candidates, not the lesser of two evils.
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What happened? He picked Palin.
7
House Speaker Tip O’Neil and President Reagan were friends despite their differences, Senator McCain and Vice President Biden were friends despite their differences, and President Trump and ?
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@Mark Rossington
President Trump has no friends, period. Relationships with him is to use or be used.
3
Putin were friends despite there differences. Dictators always attract each other.
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@Mark Rossington Hasn't one true friend...not even a dog.
Donald Trump and John McCain are both third generation elites. McCain from a family of Military leaders, Trump from a family of wealth and power.
John McCain used his position of power and privilege in service to our country. Donald Trump used his position of power and privilege to enrich himself. The contrast in character could not be more stark.
John McCain's funeral, and Donald Trump's administration, should remind American voters that character matters more than anything else when we select our leaders.
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I would only make one correction regarding third generation elites: Trump came from a family of wealth and "cronyism" (not power).
5
At this point, I doubt that anyone needs to be told the obvious, that McCain was making his last political statement against Trump with his plans for his funeral. Belaboring that point in a headline and article as the ceremonies take place this week strikes this faithful supporter of the Times and staunch opponent of Trump as excessive exploiting of the situation to find one more way to criticize Trump. Please take all explicit focus off Trump for a change, give Mc Cain his due by reporting the events as they unfold, and let the facts speak for themselves. Let John Mc Cain be laid to rest with respect and in peace.
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Dear Senator McCain,
Like many of those who read these pages, I did not agree with many of your political views and I did not vote for you in your bid to become President however, you have left me with no doubt that Americans and American democracy is better and healthier for your long service and deep love for our nation.
Progressives and Democrats everywhere should know that it is important for our country to have and revere the kind of honest healthy debate from politicians who serve with views that oppose ours with the spirit that is portrayed in the legacy that you have left us with.
Thank you Senator McCain for your continued service even in death.
I salute you. Godspeed sir.
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Woah, woah, woah, American democracy is NOT better and healthier, in case you bizarrely have not noticed we are closer to losing it than ever in my almost 60 years. It’s hanging by a thread. And, sadly, McCain eagerly participated within the party that has led us here. I know you’re not supposed to say this now, at his death, where he’s been elevated to national sainthood, but let’s not lose all perspective. I can’t explain why someone with a core of decency played in the republican arena and courted those politics when it seems he was often at odds with it. I can only imagine he, like many republicans, found a way to rationalize overlooking the corrosive, racist underpinnings of that party for the expediency of capitalism in all its supposed glory. But please, go back and look at his voting record. It is not pretty.
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@Renaissance Lost
McCain served in the evil immoral Vietnam War. McCain was a warmonger who supported the evil immoral American wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. In a just world McCain could have been a war criminal along with those who sent him to war.
America is not nor was it ever intended to be democracy. America is and was always intended to be a divided limited power constitutional republic of united states where the people are sovereign.
1
Spare me the meaningless final words and deeds of McCain towards Trump.
Time to lay to rest the image of McCain as some kind of anti-establishment rebel who resisted the worst of the GOP.
He didn't.
McCain voted with Trump about 80% of the time, affirming tax cuts for billionaires and all extreme right wing judges.
The evil that men do lasts forever.
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@David Henry Republicans vote for tax cuts, that's what they do. But having a man like McCain there to, if nothing else, act as a foil to Trump was, well, "priceless". America (including democrats) was better off with McCain in the Republican party than without.
We can only hope someone with a McCain-like spine fills the void.
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@David Henry
Fear and anger are on the path to the dark side and it doesn't matter whether you come from the left or the right.
1
Two lines in this article stood out:
"Mr. McCain’s coffin will arrive at an air base outside Washington as the president holds one of his raucous campaign-style rallies for supporters in Indiana."
"By the weekend . . . Mr. Trump is expected to have retreated to Camp David, where White House aides hope he will contain his anger at the attention being lavished on Mr. McCain."
How sad -- though predictably sad -- that Trump lacks any capacity and compassion to lead the entire country even in unique events like McCain's death. And, that his 'aides' enable his petulance at the attention and final respects being paid to a lifelong, genuine American patriot.
600
You have to feed the hand that can bite you.
1
@Demetroula
Trump works every morning and evening watching Fox News.
Trump works about a third of his weekends playing golf on his majestic private properties.
Trump will be exhausted by a weekend at rustic public Camp David.
MAGA!
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@Demetroula They should split the screen for the Indiana rally...and the McCain arrival..
This is indeed bad timing for a rally for sure, but very typical of tone-deaf #Trump.
They should keep him at Camp David for the weekend if they can ... I think he will be doing some "flippin' himself at all the attention McCain is deservedly getting.
Yes, it is very sad, but this is the man that Trump is, and he indeed definitely does NOT have the "capacity and compassion" to lead us, as you have correctly noted.
1
Senator McCain was a big enough man that he could admit he had made mistakes, which made him human. Which made us all, no matter where we stood politically, like him more. Vulnerability and honesty are truly sexy. If only our President could...do I even need to finish the sentence?
33
There really isn’t much to say.
John McCain served his country, in real, valid ways, honorably and with respect.
Donald Trump serves his fantasy land, phony, fake, made up in his mind, and certainly with no respect, and definitely with no honor.
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@MIMA
In the final scenes in the film classic "Network," there's a top-level meeting about how to handle the end of a major character, Howard Beale.
IMHO, Paddy Chafesky would have been proud of this story -- "all the world's a stage."
My bro served in the USN aircraft carrier corps (Vietnam era) with Capt. McCain. May Sen. McCain, and we all, R.I.P.
8
@MIMA
So what?
John McCain is dead. McCain taught the American people to dodge the military draft and evade military service while pretending to be brave, honorable and patriotic Americans by rising to sing the national anthem and saluting the flag at sporting events.
Since 9/11/01 a mere 0.75 % of Americans have volunteered to wear the military uniform of any American armed force. No Trump has been among them.
There's plenty of phony to go around. Let's not forget Sen. McCain lowered the bar with his choice of ignoramus Sarah Palin, lowered it enough for Trump.
I am a staunch Democrat and disagreed with many of the Senator’s views, but I have also harbored a deep and abiding respect for a man who sacrificed SO much and ALWAYS stood for what he believed. God speed, Senator McCain! You have a special place in heaven!
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best one liners come from the best...
I paraphrase a bit, but a reporter angling to get John McCain to talk about his run for president asked "What are you doing in California senator?".
JMc "just visiting our water..."
Laughed my head off nearly. ok, i was living in San Diego at the time, his point was not lost.
Very much respected in Australia too, as are all real war heroes.
We respect genuine conscientious objectors, that is a tough gig and was very tough during Vietnam... not draft dodgers though.
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I hope that Mrs. McCain will be appointed as the Senator who will
replace her husband and make it a habit each day to stand-up and
say “Where is the tax audit you promised to release to the
American people and what does it say?”
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@A. Stanton
Well, not the "audit", but rather the tax returns.
And republicans would never let that happen.
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@A. Stanton
Yes but Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin would prefer an ethnic Slavic communist atheist model like himself aka Ivana or Melania Trump.
What about Ivanka and Jared moving to Texas?
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m always a little surprised when someone prominent passes, that the people doing eulogies, being pallbearers etc are, for lack of a better term, are famous people and not close friends and family. I mean, Larry Fitzgerald? That seems random.
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@AG
Famous people have close friendships as well as non famous people. People travel in different circles.
I didn't share Senator McCain's politics yet had respect for the man and all the more since 2008. His patriotism, integrity and courage all the more highlighted by the lack of it in DJT.
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McCain is a showboater, always was, so he has to have a big celebrity ridden show to send him off.
I would prefer family and close fronds as well, you're right.
Even in death his priorities seems skewed
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@AG Listen to what Larry Fitzgerald has to say. He's not just some brainless athlete.
2