Go For It, Flyboy!

In his long and unique career in elected office, John McCain has hewed more often than not to his persona as a truth-telling maverick. His stumbles are well-known, of course, the worst of which -- probably even worse than the Keating imbroglio -- was pretending Sarah Whats-her-name was qualified for any office, much less the presidency. Saying she "knows more about energy" than anyone. Defending her stupidity and uninformed demagoguery with that forced smile of his.

Still, his best and most honorable moments have been when he has spoken out, against his own party even, against obvious wrongdoings and misdeeds. His recent diagnosis of glioblastoma is very serious. It sounds as if it was a relatively small one, reportedly grossly excised, which, if accurate, puts him in a category of potential cure.

But it's a bad one, and the odds aren't great. Were I in his shoes, I'd be thinking seriously about living my remaining life as if I had, as people like to say, no more fucks to give. In my case, probably not much would change. I'd still rather spend my money, for example, on other people and causes than on myself. In his case, though, he could maverick the shit out of his current party and its unhinged, rudderless, morally bereft leader, away from whose dishonesty and incompetence they remain content to turn their faces.

I hope he's thinking about it. Hard. Really, really, hard. I have no doubt he knows what a faker and danger Trump is; and I'd guess he pretty much hates his guts.

So let 'er rip, Senator. Call out Trump and his apologists among your colleagues with your legendary indignation. You have nothing to lose, cured or not, and plenty to regain: the best parts of your reputation top the list. And you've withstood a hell of a lot worse than what Trumpists will unquestionably throw at you.

(I suppose this isn't the time to mention that his government-provided health insurance is far better than what Rs are trying to foist on regular folks and poor folks, and that they're hoping his financially worry-free treatments will be successful enough to allow him to return to vote away benefits for tens of millions of his fellow Americans; benefits that were never as good as his in the first place. One might hope his illness has engendered thinking on that, too.)

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