Senator John McCain

The death of Arizona GOP Senator John McCain on Saturday reminds the nation of how low American politics has fallen. Vietnam War hero McCain survived over five harrowing years as a POW. He went on to a distinguished thirty-five year career in Congress: addressing climate change, supporting immigration reform, opposing torture and leading on campaign finance reform, with Wisconsin Democratic Senator Russ Feingold. In 2010, after Feingold lost reelection, McCain on the Senate floor said: “The Senate will be a much poorer place without Russ Feingold in it … . Feingold every day and in every way had the courage of his convictions. I think he is one of the most admirable people I have ever met in my entire life.” There were tears in McCain’s eyes as he spoke.