Come Clean, Senator McCain!

Dear Senator McCain,

We know how you served your country.  You endured the harshest conditions as a P.O.W.  You stood up to years of deprivation and brutal treatment.  And, you came home to a hero’s welcome.  Your country needs you to be a hero once again, but first you must come clean.

 

Everyone knows the story of your heroic service.  There are also stories about the young naval officer who enjoyed having a ‘good time’ and was known to be a womanizer.  Finally, when you seemed ready to settle down, you married Carol, a beautiful young model who had divorced one of your navy buddies when she learned of his infidelity.  You adopted her two sons because they needed a responsible father, and then you and Carol were blessed when you had a daughter of your own. 

 

Soon, duty summoned you to Vietnam where your plane was shot down and you were held captive for five and one-half years.  When you were released, you limped off the plane as you brought your broken body home where you could finally receive needed medical attention. 

 

While you were gone, Carol cared for the children and rallied the country in support of you and your fellow POWs.  She, too, endured her own personal tragedy one Christmas Eve when her car skidded off the road and hit a telephone pole.  Her bones were broken and her body was mangled, but like you, her spirit was not broken.  Reconstructive surgeries helped restore her body to some semblance of normalcy.  All the while, she worried about your morale, so she insisted on keeping her own tragedy a secret from you.

 

When you returned home, you were held in high regard as the American Hero.  Women were drawn to your compelling charm. You began cheating on Carol.  You wanted to be a 25-year-old and she needed you to be 40.

 

Your infidelity reached beyond your personal life, impugning your navy values. Friends say you explained your behavior by saying this about Carol, “She’s not the same woman that I married.”  Were you talking about how her accident had physically changed her? Carol could have said the same about you, but she didn’t.

 

Then, you met 24-year-old Cindy and began a whirlwind courtship with her.  Your wife, Carol had no clue.  With the help of another one of your navy buddies, you filed for divorce in Florida where you lived. You were in a hurry because you applied for a marriage license before your divorce was even finalized.  The divorce process took only two months. Carol stood down and let it happen.  She did not take part – did not sign any of the papers.  She surely knew that the deck was stacked against her in the Florida divorce courts.  If she had objected, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because “no-fault” divorce in Florida, as in every other state, is an “automatic outcome” that is forcefully imposed by State officials upon anyone who resists.  The truth is finally emerging that that ‘no-fault’ divorce can be traced back to the Russia, where the objective was to undermine family and religion.  The outcome was always the same:  the State imposed the divorce and it was known as ‘Post Card Divorce’ because the other partner received a notice in the mail.

 

When Rev. Warren interviewed you at his Saddleback Church, you confessed, “The breakdown of my marriage is my greatest moral failing.”

 

Thank you for your for your courage.  But, after we confess, we must make amends.  This is about far more than your personal problem – your divorce from Carol.  It is about fidelity vs. brokenness, which is something you were forced to learn about in the prisoner camp.  You were able to remain faithful to your country then. We ask you to show your faithfulness once again.

You are now uniquely positioned to do something for the American family.  In 1906, Teddy Roosevelt used his bully pulpit in this way because he cared about the family.  You could confront this country’s darkest open secret.

 

Over the years you’ve become known as a maverick – a national leader who won’t tolerate corruption.  Senator McCain, you can show the character and leadership for which our nation hungers.

 

The presidential race is slipping out of your hands.  You could tip the scales with this issue. Why not finish what you started?  You’ve confessed your sins.  Now, make amends. 

 

We heard your public confession on TV and admire you for your courage.  This is the issue no one will touch, but your leadership could rally an amazing groundswell.  

Combining this issue with your faithfulness to “life begins at conception” you could win two voting blocks who are wavering:  ’independent’ women and Catholics. Your personal story turns some voters away, but they could be won over and truly be excited by this kind of leadership. 

You need to say more than simply being against same-sex marriage. Being for marriage and family in this way could really excite people – in the same way that your choice of Sarah Palin as your running mate did.  This issue could endear you to America’s families!