Heroes are an endangered species in American politics. Profiles in courage are in short supply. And honor seems like a word found only in the dictionary. But John McCain exemplified courage and honor in countless ways across decades of public service as a Navy pilot, prisoner of war, congressman, senator and presidential nominee. He wasn't perfect and never intended to be. He was principled but unpretentious - acerbic, honest, and often funny. He cracked jokes when the going got tough, because John McCain was always tougher than the times. He detested bullshit and the grifters who so often surround our politics, encouraging the current epidemic of situational ethics. But he loved his country without preconditions, even as he recognized his duty to to speak truth to power as a citizen, as well as a senator. And that's why he earned entry into the pantheon of America's greatest senators, possessing a moral authority that exceeded many presidents, including the current occupant of the White House. His example will inspire when more powerful men fade from memory.
