Keep riding the “Straight Talk Express”

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), now 78 years old, has announced that he will seek re-election. He will be in his mid-eighties if he is elected and serves out his full term. I say, go for it!

Broken in body but not in spirit, McCain’s life of public service is without parallel in today’s political world. Having to literally walk through fire when a plane exploded on the deck of his aircraft carrier, his first words when being treated for his wounds were, “How are the others?” This story may be apocryphal, but it certainly rings true. Upon recovery, he returned to his job as a Naval aviator, flying combat missions.

{mosads}Shot down over Vietnam, badly wounded, he was subjected to truly horrific torture as a POW. When the North Vietnamese learned that his father was the ranking Naval officer in the Pacific theatre, they offered to release him. In excruciating pain, badly in need of medical attention and already permanently crippled, he mustered up the courage to reject what he knew would be a propaganda bonanza for the enemy. He stuck to the code: prisoners were to be released in the order of their captivity, and he would accept no preferential treatment.

But being a senator is not a reward for past deeds on the battlefield. McCain earned his stripes in the political wars as well, and has been a refreshing and principled Member of Congress for a long time. He never succumbed to the “lifer” mentality. He can be truculent, he can be stubborn, he can engage in invective with the best (or worst) of them but the bottom line is that he also knows how to work across the aisle and has done so repeatedly to find legislative solutions and avoid gridlock.

Another term should not be his only because of his past service in the Senate. Given his age, it is a fair question to ask, can he continue to vigorously represent the interests of his State and of the American people? There is absolutely no reason to believe he cannot, and in this age of politically correct diversity at all costs, let’s remember why it will be useful to have someone with his longevity on the scene.

The very term “senate” comes from the Latin, “senex,” defined as a council of elders. George Washington is said to have considered the Senate as a political cooling agent; like a saucer into which hot coffee is poured to cool it off, the Senate would cool the passions of the House and the people. McCain has the experience and the wisdom to serve this role admirably, and if his famous temper seems a bit inconsistent, it merely masks his unabashed passion for public service, and his impatience with self-promoters.

Unlike a number of other senators who will be expending enormous amounts of energy in running for president, that is all behind McCain. He has the skill, the wisdom, and the energy to serve, and I for one am glad to see that he is not going to let his age be a distraction. We shouldn’t either.

Cary Grant was asked by young actors what advice he could offer. Thinking back over his long career, he replied succinctly, “Stay on the bus.” He explained that success wasn’t something you achieved and then took for granted, you had to keep working at it. McCain’s campaign bus, the “Straight Talk Express,” was a great ride, and he should stay on it.

Haiman is an adjunct professor at George Washington University and a senior ethics adviser with Ethos, LLC.