I was never completely in his camp, but he used to seem like a real stand-up sort of guy, and one could never question his experience as a P.O.W. during the Vietnam War. At the time, he walked the walk, went directly into war, had his plane shot down, and was dragged off by the Viet Cong, when he was in great pain, and suffered five years of imprisonment and, at times, torture.

Compare that to W., who barely showed up at all, and Cheney, who got FIVE deferments, so he wouldn’t have to fight in Vietnam.

So I respected McCain, but he has just gone beyond his prime. Not age, but effectiveness. His befriending Fallwell, and the far-right, even though they smeared him in the 2000. And the fact that he was conservative, but NEVER a far right neocon to begin with, was depressing to see.

And the fact that he wants to throw even more troops into Iraq than President Bush…he wants to keep the war going, even though the VAST majority of Americans just want us the hell out of there…people just don’t have the stomach for that, at this point.

I admired him for how he was at an earlier time. But he’s so far beyond that now it isn’t even funny. He should have left his legacy and imprint where they were.