John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is an American politician. McCain has been a U.S. Senator from Arizona since 1987, winning re-election in 1992, 1998, and 2004. He was a presidential candidate in the 2000 election, but was defeated in the Republican primaries by then-Texas Governor and now President George W. Bush. McCain's initiatives in the Senate include campaign finance reform, immigration reform, and concerns about the detention of extrajudicial prisoners.
After graduating from the US Naval Academy, McCain reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida to begin training as a Naval Aviator. While in training, McCain suffered a mishap during which his aircraft crashed into Corpus Christi Bay, though he escaped. McCain graduated successfully and entered the US Navy's Light Attack Community as a Naval Aviator.
Prior to becoming a Naval Aviator, McCain flew the propellor-driven A-1 Skyraider on Navy cruises to Europe. During a trip to attend the Army-Navy game, McCain suffered an engine failure and was forced to eject from his crippled aircraft. This rash of accidents was not uncommon during the era of Navy flying McCain was in. Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff explains that a career naval aviator (20 year pilot) was statistically expected to have to eject from his aircraft at least twice in the span of a career.
After the Forrestal incident, McCain volunteered to join the VA-163 Saints on board the Oriskany, which was short-handed after a separate deck incident on that ship. The Saints squadron and its parent Air Wing 16 suffered the highest loss rate of any Navy Flying unit during the entire Vietnam War. This was due to the perilous missions assigned to it and to the aggressive demeanor of its aviators. On October 26, 1966, prior to McCain's transfer to that carrier, the mis-handling of a flare had resulted in a deck fire (44 men lost their lives, including 24 pilots).
He was released from captivity finally in 1973. McCain was reinstated to flight status and became Commanding Officer of VA-174 Hellrazors, the East Coast A-7 Corsair II Navy training squadron. He then became the Navy's liaison to the Senate. He retired from the Navy in 1981 as a Captain. On the same day he watched his father buried next to his grandfather in Arlington National Cemetery. During his military career he received a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, the Purple Heart, and a Distinguished Flying Cross.
McCain is one of only three Vietnam veterans currently serving in the US Senate, the others being fellow Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, and Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts.
A TV movie entitled Faith Of My Fathers, based on McCain's memoir of his experiences as a POW, aired on Memorial Day, 2005 on A&E.
A bill including criminal penalties for deliberately withholding POW/MIA records from POW/MIA families in violation of the law unanimously passed the House of Representatives. However, these penalties were stripped from the bill in conference due to the efforts of McCain.
A look at John McCain on the POW/MIA Issue
McCain never recovered from his defeat in South Carolina, going on to lose 9 of the 13 primaries on Super Tuesday. His overall loss on that day has been attributed to his going "off message", ineffectively accusing Bush of being anti-Catholic in response to his visit to Bob Jones University and getting into a verbal battle with leaders of the Religious Right. ethnic slur in reference to his Vietnamese captors. He told reporters, "I hate the gooks.... I will hate them as long as I live." *" target="_blank" >At first, he stood by his use of the slur, saying that it was "the kindest, the kindest description I can give them." *, McCain later reversed his position and apologized. McCain would go on to win a few more primaries (Michigan, Massachusetts, Arizona, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont), but in a two-man contest he was unable to catch up. Though he apologized for his usage of the racial slur "gook," he had aroused the ire of Asian Americans due to the delay of an apology for such an obvious transgression. It is also speculated that this is the cause of McCain losing the California and New York primaries due to their large Asian American demographic.
There was some speculation that McCain's longtime friend and colleague, and also the Democratic Presidential nominee, John F. Kerry of Massachusetts would ask McCain to be his running mate. This prompted Bush to run an advertisement called "The First Choice" showing clips of McCain praising Bush. Furthermore, the GOP used this information to ridicule Kerry's eventual running mate, one-term Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.
At the 2004 Republican National Convention, he referred to Michael Moore as "a disingenuous filmmaker" without actually naming him. This was met with thunderous applause from the audience, after which he repeated the phrase. Moore was actually in attendance that evening, as he was writing an article about the RNC for USA Today. After McCain's statement, Moore was caught on camera forming an "L" on his forehead with his thumb and index finger (in some circles this is a shorthand for "Loser", a term of derision) Moore also chanted "Four More Weeks" in response to the crowd's cheers of "Four More Years".
McCain accused the Swift Boat Vet campaign against his longtime friend John Kerry of being "dishonest and dishonorable". *
Many current polls have Senator McCain as one of the leading candidates in the 2008 Republican primary, but McCain has not given a definitive answer as to whether or not he will pursue the nomination in 2008 as a Republican. In the June 2005 edition of Men's Journal magazine, McCain said that he "absolutely" would like to be President of the United States, but has not yet decided whether or not he will run again in 2008. He indicated that he would probably not make a firm decision until 2007 about another run at the White House, citing family and Senate responsibilities. On an episode of the television show The View, aired 8 November 2005, McCain remarked he would only make a decision after the 2006 mid-term elections.
He will be 72 by the time the elections roll around in 2008, making him 3 years older than the oldest elected president Ronald Reagan, but he has dismissed concerns about his age and past health concerns (malignant melanoma in 2000), stating that his condition was "excellent." Should McCain win in 2008 and subsequently win re-election in 2012, McCain would be the oldest president to serve, being expected to leave office in January 2017 at 80 years old.
McCain's oft-cited strengths* as a presidential candidate in 2008 include national name recognition, ties to lobbying and campaign finance reform initiatives, military service (including time as a POW), running a former presidential campaign in 2000, veteran fund-raising abilities, strong advocacy for President Bush's re-election campaign in 2004, and appeal to independent voters.
His weaknesses include his age and strained relations with some elements of the Republican Party base. Some Republicans are wary of McCain's "maverick" positions, including McCain's Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which they charge would undermine First Amendment free speech protections, and the fact that he has sometimes sided with Democrats on issues ranging from global warming and his vote against President Bush's 2001 tax cuts. McCain has won mixed reviews for his handling of judicial nominations, drawing criticism from some conservatives for his leadership in the Gang of 14 deal on judicial filibusters, an outcry which was later tempered by the agreement's perceived success in averting a filibuster against U.S. Supreme Court nominees John Roberts and Samuel Alito, who won confirmation. However, these same positions are also the reasons why political moderates might support McCain in a presidential election. One area where McCain has largely won support from conservatives is in his aggressive defense of the Iraq War.
In May 2006, McCain gave the commencement address at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. During his 2000 presidential bid, McCain called the Fundamentalist Baptist pastor, Falwell, an "agent of intolerance." With significant coverage during the campaign, McCain said that he would never back down from his earlier statement. His later appearance at Liberty University prompted questions about the McCain-Falwell relationship and a possible presidential run in 2008. McCain stated that Falwell is no longer that divisive figure and the two have discussed their shared values.McCain delivered a similar address at The New School commencement in Madison Square Garden. McCain was received by boos, jeers, and several students and professors turned their backs or waved fliers reading "McCain does not speak for me".*
Highlighting McCain's complex relationship with his own party, a Rasmussen survey in April 2005 found that just 51% of conservatives had a favorable view of McCain, compared to 64% for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and (according to a January 2005 Rasmussen survey) 68% for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice [http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Rice--Secretary%20of%20State.htm. Giuliani, if he runs, is considered by the pundits to be McCain's chief rival for the GOP nomination. The most recently-taken GOP survey, conducted by the American Polling Research Institute (June 13-16, 2006), shows McCain in third place with 20% of the vote for his party's nomination, behind Condoleezza Rice (30%) and Rudy Giuliani (21%). After McCain are Newt Gingrich (8%), Mitt Romney (7%), George Allen (5%), Mike Huckabee (3%) and Bill Frist (2%). In a hypothetical general election, McCain beat Sen. Hillary Clinton by a 46%-42% margin, while Rice and Giuliani bested Clinton by a 53%-47% and a 49%-40% margin, respectively.
McCain supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the U.S. decision to overthrow the Saddam Hussein regime, of a continued military presence, and of Bush's "hawkish" foreign policy in general His speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention centered around that theme. Despite offering support for war, McCain has urged the Bush administration to make "significant policy changes" in the Iraq War; yet, "stay the course." He criticized the Pentagon several times, most notably concerning low troop strength in Iraq 2005 can be read at his Senate website. [http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsCenter.ViewSpeech&Content_id=1622" target="_blank" >*
McCain has strenuously crusaded against pork barrel spending. McCain was principally responsible for forcing a re-evaluation of the USAF KC-767 leasing contract. He once fought against funding the construction of a new aircraft carrier, saying the money should be spent on the 12,000 enlisted families who were on food stamps. He has also criticized both political parties for refusing to sacrifice President Bush's tax cuts and spending agendas in wartime. His concerns over global warming and other environmental issues have put him at odds with the Bush administration and other Republicans. In addition, he voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, reaffirming his attempt to position himself as a political moderate. However, McCain is also anti-abortion and said in 2006 that he would have signed the South Dakota legislation banning almost all abortions, although he supports exceptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother. * McCain additionally voted with the overwhelming majority of his fellow senators in the Republican caucus to impeach and remove Bill Clinton from office during the president's 1999 trial.
McCain has initiated legislation to find a solution to illegal immigration through guest worker programs. His legislation coauthored with Senator Kennedy was a major focus of debate in 2006. He has supported some moves to expand immigration to the US*-including expansion of the H-1b visa program (though H-1b is technically a non-immigrant visa). In 2005, he co-sponsored a bill with Ted Kennedy that would expand use of guest worker visas. However, he voted for the permanent ban on the immigration of individuals living with HIV. immigration reform protests, McCain warned the Hispanic community that it may experience a backlash if too many Hispanic flags were flown during the protests.[http://www.forbes.com/business/businesstech/feeds/ap/2006/03/31/ap2636993.html" target="_blank" >* McCain has criticised conservatives like Rush Limbaugh for not supporting more lenient immigration laws. They in turn have criticised McCain for being a liberal on this issue.
McCain has announced that he supports the inclusion of intelligent design teaching in schools. * In 2005, McCain told the Arizona Daily Star that he believes "all points of view" should be available to students.
McCain is a member of The Republican Main Street Partnership and supports stem cell research despite his earlier opposition to the research *.
After a controversial meeting in Kuwait, he stated that he had "no confidence" in Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, but refused to act on his words to call for his resignation, explaining that President Bush "can have the team that he wants around him."
In late May 2006, McCain angered supporters of Republican congressional candidate Brian Bilbray by cancelling a fundraiser planned the week before the election. Bilbray was locked in a tight special election for the House seat vacated by former Congressman Duke Cunningham, who stepped down after a bribery scandal. Bilbray called the McCain-backed immigration bill "amnesty" for illlegal immigrants, something McCain denies. Bilbray won the election by a narrow margin in spite of the controversy."McCain Pulls out of Bilbray Fundraiser", San Diego Union-Tribune, 2006-05-31
The new law was narrowly upheld by the Supreme Court on December 10, 2003, in an expedited hearing and ruling.
In 2006, McCain and Congressional allies proposed further controls and regulations on campaigning, advocating and politicking. Their proposed lobbying reform legislation would require extensive record keeping, accounting, financial controls and oversight from organizations, individuals and firms which engage in any activities that might be construed as lobbying, advertising for/against, organizing against or petitioning legislators and government officials.
On May 23, 2005, McCain was one of fourteen "moderate" senators to forge a compromise on the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster, thus blocking the Republican leadership's attempt to implement the so-called "nuclear option". Under the agreement, senators would retain the power to filibuster a judicial nominee, the Democrats would agree to use this power against Bush nominees only in an "extraordinary circumstance", the Republicans involved would agree to vote against the nuclear option if implemented, and three of the most contested Bush appellate court nominees (Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen and William Pryor) would receive a vote by the full Senate.
Senator McCain, as a former POW, has particular sensitivity to the issue of the detention and interrogation of detainees from the War on Terror. On October 3, 2005, Senator McCain introduced the McCain Detainee Amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill for 2005. On October 5, 2005, the United States Senate voted 90-9 to support the amendment. *
This amendment would establish FM 34-52 Intelligence Interrogation as the standard for interrogation of all detainees held in Department of Defense custody, including those held by the Central Intelligence Agency in the War on Terror. The amendment would claim to prohibit cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment and follow sections of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Amendment was initially opposed by the Bush administration, particularly Vice-President Dick Cheney. Before the vote supporting the amendment, the White House threatened to veto any language limiting the use of torture on suspected terrorists. However, due to the size of the majority voting in favor, this was not an option. The White House then sought alternative language which would exempt CIA operatives from the torture ban. The Senate refused the compromise.
On December 15, President Bush announced that he accepted McCain's terms and will "make it clear to the world that this government does not torture and that we adhere to the international convention of torture, whether it be here at home or abroad." Despite this, on December 30th, in what was possibly the most controversial of his many signing statements, President Bush reserved what he interpreted to be his constitutional right to torture in order to avoid further terrorist attacks. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051230-8.html
McCain hosted the October 12, 2002 episode of Saturday Night Live, making him the second U.S. Senator to host the show (the first was Senator Paul Simon).
He is a frequent guest on the nationally syndicated radio program Imus in the Morning.
McCain has appeared as a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at least five times - most recently on April 4, 2006 - and has also given video interviews to the program. One of his interviews with Stewart can be found on The Daily Show
In the 2005 documentary Why We Fight by Eugene Jarecki, McCain is interviewed and gives his opinion on the ties between Dick Cheney and Halliburton.
During a November 2005 appearance on The View, McCain was asked about the rumors of a possible run for president in 2008. McCain responded, "Except for making my kids sing Hail to the Chief, I never think of myself as president."
He appeared on Late Night With Conan O'Brien in 2005 in a bit entitled Secrets *.
McCain made a cameo appearance on the fifth season of 24 from the Fox Network. The episode, in which McCain had a non-speaking role as an unidentified bureaucrat who delivers a file folder to one of the characters, was broadcast in the United States on February 6, 2006.
McCain's height is 5' 7" (170 cm).
McCain is reported to be a member of the Episcopal Church, but there have been questions about his affiliation.[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_McCain.htm
McCain has been treated for recurrent skin cancer, including melanoma, in 1993, 2000, and 2002. Some media sources have suggested that this may be linked to his heavy sun exposure in Vietnam. Since then he has become active in promoting awareness of skin cancers.
He has seven children; John adopted first wife Carol's sons (Doug and Andy), and he and Carol had a daughter, (Sydney). John has three children by Cindy (Meghan Columbia University (2007), Jack United States Naval Academy (2009), and James Brophy College Preparatory (2007), plus he and Cindy adopted their youngest daughter (Bridget) after discovering her in a Bangladeshi orphanage run by Mother Teresa.
He has four grandchildren.
1936 births | Adoptive parents | American Episcopalians | Living people | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona | Naval aviators | Recipients of the Purple Heart medal | Recipients of the Legion of Merit | Recipients of US Distinguished Flying Cross | People from Arizona | Prisoners of war | Pro-life politicians | Torture victims | United States Naval Academy graduates | United States Navy officers | United States Senators from Arizona | Vietnam War veterans | Writers
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