During the 2016 Presidential campaign, then candidate Trump said about Senator John McCain, “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”  The collective gasp of the mainstream media and the self-absorbed elites in the Republican Party was nearly audible.  The rush to denounce Trump was on, and Twitter was inundated with 140 characters from the likes of Rick Perry, Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal, and the loathsome Lindsey Graham.  And of course, the “experts” claimed that Trump had finally “gone too far.”

But was he wrong?  With all due respect to those brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, you don’t win wars by dying on the battlefield or being taken prisoner.  John McCain was shot down over Hanoi Vietnam in October of 1967 and was held as a prisoner and tortured for 5 ½ years, and eventually denounced his country.  For his meritorious service, he was awarded numerous military decorations and awards including the Silver Star Medal, two Legion of Merits, Distinguished Flying Cross, three Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Heart Medals, two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, and Prisoner of War Medal.  But that wasn’t all.  Taking full advantage of his time as a POW, he was also awarded two terms in Congress, and six terms in the U.S. Senate.  McCain successfully parlayed 5 years as a POW into 40 years on the public dole… adequate compensation for his time as a POW.

John McCain’s legislative accomplishments in those 40 years are completely unremarkable and include such impressive legislation as the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act; the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (federalizing airport security); the McCain-Feingold Act (which failed); and the Climate Stewardship Act (which fortunately also failed).   He also voted to confirm Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg…two of the most disastrous Supreme Court justices ever. Quite an inspiring 40-year legislative legacy.  One must wonder what he has actually been doing for 40 years.

But we know what he has been doing.  Lying.  There is an old joke that asks, “how can you tell if a politician is lying?   Their mouth is moving.”  There is no better example than John McCain.  In December 2015, McCain made the following statements on the floor of the U.S. Senate as he urged his colleagues to repeal Obamacare.  (Full statement can be found here.)

“Despite all of the president’s assurances, Obamacare has been full of empty promises that have only made our nation’s health care problems worse….My constituents in Arizona call and write me daily, daily, begging and pleading that something be done to alleviate the financial hardship of Obamacare…Today, I am proud to once again stand with my Republican colleagues as we continue the fight to repeal and replace Obamacare….Perhaps the greatest flaw in President Obama’s health care law is that it has severely limited consumers’ access to quality care. Today, limited access is now commonplace, costs are increasing, and government bureaucrats remain at the center of an individual’s health care decisions. It’s clear that any serious attempt to improve our health care system must begin with a full repeal and replacement of Obamacare — a mission I remain fully committed to fighting on behalf of the people of Arizona. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this critically important bill today that will build a bridge from the president’s broken promises to a better health care system for hardworking families in Arizona and across the country.”

But just like his marriage vows to his first wife, John McCain’s words were empty, hollow, meaningless lies.  Early this morning he cast the deciding vote to keep Obamacare in place.  Like so many others, his hatred for President Trump clouded his judgement, and he was willing to sacrifice the lives of 320 million Americans to satisfy his own need for revenge and spite.

McCain typifies what is wrong with politicians in Washington D.C., and like the tumor growing in his brain, John McCain is a cancer that needs to be removed from the U.S. Senate.  Maybe the next Senator from Arizona will better reflect the conservative values of Barry Goldwater than the man who replaced him.