Shame, shame on John McCain

This morning I posted the following comment to my post on DADT:

This is yet another opportunity for John McCain to display his utter lack of integrity and his political cynicism and duplicity.

In October 2006 he said we should listen to our military leaders and take their advice on this matter. Now that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has made a genuine, heartfelt push for repeal and the Chairman of the Department of Defense has supported it -- McCain is pandering to his right-wing constituency and saying not just no, but hell no.

Does anyone still have a shred of respect for this man? He really painted himself into a corner on this one. He probably never imagined that a military leader would ever recommend repeal, so he thought he could have it both ways -- seem to be open to gay issues but never have to cast a vote for repeal.

It's not just changing his mind on an issue, he's reversing who he said we should listen to in deciding such an issue. That's what makes it so utterly lacking in integrity.

I repeat this comment here as a prelude to this further shockingly cynical and outrageous behavior, even for John McCain. "Roll Call, the "Newspaper of Capital Hill," is reporting:

Armed Services ranking member John McCain said Thursday that he would “without a doubt” support a filibuster [of the entire military appropriations bill] if the bill goes to the floor with repeal language.

“I’ll do everything in my power,” the Arizona Republican said, citing letters from the four service chiefs urging Congress not to act before a Pentagon review of the policy is complete. “I’m going to do everything I can to support the men and women of the military and to fight what is clearly a political agenda.”

The New York Times has reported that McCain actually solicited the letters from the service chiefs, which he then paraded to the committee. And, since they wrote their letters, we now have the compromise language that gives the military "as much time as it needs" to implement the policy. So that should take care of their objections. But not McCain's, because he is pandering to his right-wing constituency.

And he has the audacity to say the long-delayed repeal of DADT is "a political agenda."

I cannot say it as strongly as I feel it. John McCain is despicable. He has hit the lowest point in a career that has had some high moments; but he has completely destroyed any respect I ever had for him. It's not just this issue. His campaign for president proved to me that he had already scrapped his integrity and would just say anything to pander to voters.

I wonder what his buddy, Joe Lieberman -- the one who crossed over to support his presidential run -- thinks about this. It is after all Joe Lieberman who is the chief co-sponsor of the repeal legislation in the Senate. I never though I would appreciate Joe Lieberman again, after all the shenanigans he has pulled. But John McCain makes him look like a man with principles.

Ralph