Too Soon?...

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OK, I'll say it; I DON'T believe Donald Trump ever "besmirched" Senator John McCain.

He acknowledged and praised his service, but doubted his "heroism."

Many Veterans who'd known him did too, but it's galling when someone who didn't serve, especially someone who legally avoided the draft takes a shot any Veteran.

ALL who served warrant respect for that service, but military hero is akin to a professional sports "Star."

YES, it's true that VERY few people make it into the NBA, NFL, or MLB and fewer still ever start on a team. Just making to "the big leagues" warrants respect for that person's athleticism, but few...VERY FEW ever become "stars." Not every starter is a "star," just as not everyone who served in the military, is a "hero."

Many Vets, including many former POW's detested John McCain, calling him, "Hanoi John," and "Songbird."

One of his alleged 32 recordings made during his captivity surfaced during his 2008 run for the Presidency (https://www.trunews.com/article/john-mccains-1969-tokyo-rose-propaganda-recording-released)
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(https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/azdc/2016/08/13/john-mccain-pow-recordings-revive-historic-painful-episode/88547416/)

Moreover, Naval archives suggest that McCain's "wet start," on the USS Forestal, on July 29th, 1967, sent flames rocketing out his jet's engines, igniting a Zuni missile on the plane behind him.

That missile hit McCain's plane, but its safety device kept it from detonating from that glancing blow, but it continued on, and slammed into other ordinance stored on deck, causing a conflagration that killed 134 sailors and wounded 161 others.

But it's NOT his service that is most questionable, it's his political career that has been far more troublesome.

He led the charge to shut down the Congressional POW/MIA investigations and he continually voted AGAINST increased funding for Veterans health...as well as AGAINST the Zadroga Bill, funding healthcare for 9/11 First Responders.

Some  of Senator McCain's critical votes on Veteran issues are:

In 2006, McCain voted against a funding amendment (S. Amdt. 3704) to provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities [source: U.S. Senate].

He voted against another 2006 amendment (S. Amdt. 3642) that provided the VA an additional $430 million in funding for outpatient care and treatment for veterans [source: U.S. Senate].

McCain voted against S. Amdt. 3007 in 2006, which would have provided an additional $1.5 billion in funding for veterans' health care in FY 2007 by closing tax loopholes [source: U.S. Senate].

In 2005, he voted against an amendment to provide an additional $500 million for veterans' mental health care for each year between 2006 and 2010 (S. Amdt. 2634) [source: U.S. Senate].

McCain voted for the successful passage of H.R. 2528 in 2005, which provided funding for veterans' benefits and service for FY 2006 [source: U.S. Senate].

In 2005, he voted in favor of providing emergency funding for veterans' services for FY 2005 (S. Amdt. 1129) [source: U.S. Senate].

He voted in favor of an amendment in 2004 (S. Amdt. 3409) proposing a guarantee of funding increases for veterans' health care adjusted for inflation and population increases [source: U.S. Senate].

McCain voted no on an amendment S. Amdt. 2745 in 2004, which would have increased funding for veterans' medical care by $1.8 billion by "eliminating abusive tax loopholes" [source: U.S. Senate].

McCain voted against an increase of $650 million for veterans' medical care in 2001 (S. Amdt. 1218) [source: U.S. Senate].

Here are some links to the USS Forestal incident and McCain (YouTube): https://youtu.be/EGc_jIC5-C4
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https://youtu.be/pIWeq2DL_N4

Rolling Stone's 2008 article on McCain dredged up even more troubling assertions (https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/john-mccain-make-believe-maverick-202004/)

There remain numerous videos from Vets Against McCain online:
https://youtu.be/vFM1xqqTX_g
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https://youtu.be/NnlQpKdNjWU
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https://youtu.be/EHF0yXrwr-0

BUT the WORST thing McCain might be guilty of is defending, as Jared Taylor notes, "the wrong America.

Instead of defending TRADITIONAL America, the pre-1964, JFK-America, McCain has consistently defended the post-JFK, universalist America. (https://youtu.be/THSl239LOtY)

I also respect and honor John McCain's Military Service. I DON'T feel the same about his political views...I just hope this isn't, you know...too soon.
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https://youtu.be/THSl239LOtY