McCain's Duty to Country First? Humbug.

Letters, Editor
Lexington Herald-Leader

Country First Humbug

McCain brags that he has put duty to country first. In the last debate Oct 15, he could not answer why Sarah Palin was qualified to be President. It is clear from his actual answer that she was chosen to get him elected, not for any other reason. This choice is his ultimate disrespect for us and our country. Simply the ultimate dishonor.

Was his Naval Academy career which flaunted rules at every turn, needing his father’s name to keep him from being expelled, honorable? He graduating at the bottom of his Academy class. Was his casual risky crashing of Navy planes duty first? He would have been grounded except for his family name. Was his repeated counting on his family name to excuse irresponsible military activity country first?

He was openly unfaithful for years to his first wife, even disciplined for having affairs with his Navy subordinates. While father of three children, he chose duty stations where he could get, in his own words, “laid,” according to his peers. He pursued his current wife while still married and lied about this in his biography which was contradicted by his divorce papers. He got himself a “trophy wife” 18 years his junior to pursue his goals. So disgusted were the Ronald Reagans that they privately disowned him.

Bill Bennett said on CNN this week that anyone big enough to run for President is big enough to have his entire life examined. McCain has repeatedly revealed himself as one who will do anything to accomplish his personal goals. Duty to his country as the theme of his life? Pure humbug.

Paschal Baute
Lexington, Ky