Apologies on McCain are not good enough

Two displays of boorish behavior last week that targeted Sen. John McCain, a former POW in North Vietnam now affected with terminal brain cancer, are another example of the “coarsening” of American politics.

Sen. McCain’s “sin”? He issued a statement urging the Senate to reject Gina Haspel as director of the CIA. He cited her involvement in the so-called “enhanced interrogation program” in Thailand after the terrorist attack on New York City, and added that her “refusal to acknowledge torture’s immorality” was disqualifying.

At a meeting on the CIA issue, an aide, Kelly Sadler, dismissed McCain’s statement as irrelevant: “It doesn’t matter. He’s dying anyway.” As of Saturday, she is still employed at the White House.

Meanwhile, Fox News has severed its commentator relationship with retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerny, who argued in favor of torture, saying it “worked” on McCain: “That’s why they call him ‘Songbird John.’”

Translation: McCain gave in to torture.

The incidents can reasonably be traced back to 2015, when Donald (“Bone Spurs”) Trump dismissed McCain’s heroism, saying, “I prefer heroes who weren’t captured.”

Sadler and McInerny issued pro-forma apologies, which in political currency are worthless.

Michael Loftin