Oh how the mighty fall...

One Senator McCain continues his fall from grace.

He was the darling of moderates everywhere. McCain was, at one point, one of those rare politicians that people truly respected, because he'd earned that respect. The man did his time in the military. Regardless how you feel about it there's something admirable about a politician who's actually been in the thick of things when they go south. He voted not according to what the Republican leadership told him to do but according to what he thought was right. He wasn't afraid of pissing off the Democrats or the Republicans.

And now. Now this.

I'd already lost most of my respect for him when he wavered on the torture issue. This is a man who himself was tortured. I'm quite certain he's the only person in congress who's been there: people were counting on him to stand up for victims of torture everywhere. He didn't, probably because 2008 was beginning to shine brightly into his eyes.

This, now. It's also inexcusable, because you know what it is? It's pandering. It's supporting some stupid, unethical war that's making the rest of the world hate us. It's putting him dangerously close to being just another senator, who shouts to support our troops and obey "The Decider", because he's the boss.

There's no excuse for this, but at least it's clarified my view of McCain.