Pol pushes McCain name for Queens public school

Queens City Councilman Eric Ulrich wants to rename a local elementary school after the late Arizona Sen. John McCain.

In a letter sent Tuesday to schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, Ulrich (R-Queens) called for the renaming of Belle Harbor’s popular Public School 114 in honor of the Vietnam War hero and longtime politician, who died Saturday at age 81 after a year-long battle with brain cancer.

McCain was born to a prominent U.S. military family of Scots-Irish and English ancestry. He became a soldier as a young man, surviving capture in the Vietnam War to serve as a Republican U.S. representative and senator from Arizona from 1982 until his death.

The self-styled maverick ran unsuccessfully for president in 2008 as the Republican nominee, choosing thenAlaska Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate.

McCain spent little time in New York City, but Ulrich said McCain’s commitment to public service speaks to New Yorkers of all backgrounds.

“Senator McCain transcended political ideologies and appealed to our better angels,” Ulrich said.

Ulrich (photo) said his office identified PS 114 as a potential site for a McCain tribute because it serves a hardworking, Irish-American community where residents value public service.

“It’s a very patriotic community,” Ulrich said. “There are flags on every block.”