McCain vs. Mandel: A test of character

In my weaker moments, there are times when I find myself sympathetic with Sen. John McCain, the man, not John McCain the politician. In my weaker moments!

There he was, the Old Soldier, fulfillng his political obligation by soldiering in Ohio for another veteran, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel - at least that was Mandel's title the last time I looked - for the U. S. Senate. The Plain Dealer reported that McCain showed up at a VFW post in Hilliard, Oh., to laud the Republican whiz kid with words like,

"I believe that the future of America rests with our being able to elect young men and women with the knowledge and background and experience and dedication of Josh Mandel. "

That's a bit obligingly much, even for politics., don't you think? And I'm sure that McCain may have crossed his fingers when he uttered such nonsense about a young man who has been adrift in a fantasy world of well-financed and well-reported lies even before he entered the race against Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.

You feel McCain's pain when you recall that as a candidate against Barack Obama in 2008, he corrected a woman at a rally who accused Obama of being an "Arab terrorist" - a synonym in her mind for Muslim. He gently leaned forward to her, shook his head, and quietly said, "No, he's a good man...A decent family man citizen." (I think he meant well in this context even though an Arab or a Muslim can very well be a good man.) One of his few memorable highlights in a campaign largely focussed on the decline and fall of his running mate, Sarah Palin.

Fast forward to 2010, as Mandel campaigned for Ohio Treasurer with the guarantee that he would serve the entire four-year term. His TV ads against Kevin Boyce, a black Democrat, strongly suggested that Boyce was a Muslim. It created such an uproar that he finally pulled the ads, but the public jury had already digested it.

Seems to me that there is quite a character gap between McCain and Mandel in how you go about trying to win elections, even if the Old Soldier went off the page complimenting Mandel's "knowledge"(!), "background"(!), "experience" (!) and "dedication"(!).

For McCain's sake, let's hope that the word gets back to him before he is further embarrassed by politically responding to his call to duty.

* * * * *

There's so much speculation today about whom Mitt Romney will choose as his veep, I might as well enter a name of someone who will be out of work next year: Joe Lieberman. Like Romney, he has been all over the partisan universe. But no matter Romney's final choice, he or she should be aware that McMitt could choose a different person the following day.

* * * * *

Did you see that the Tennessee senate passed a bill with only one dissenting vote, 28-1, banning students from holding hands because it is a "gateway sexual activity". And teachers who demonstrate such naughtiness instead of "tsking the dangers it poses" could be sued. Time to recall the ghost of Clarence Darrow down there.

* * * * *

Did you also see that Barberton has dismissed 28 more teachers because of cutbacks from the states and Feds. What is it about educating our kids that we prefer to do without?

* * * * *

With John Boehner now in tow, I keep waiting fro Gov Kasich to endorse Mitt Romney and invite him to a social occasion to watch a campaign film on Senate Bill 5.