MOSCOW, July 20 - RIA Novosti. US Senator John McCain has been diagnosed with brain cancer. Doctors have already done surgery to remove the tumor, and he is now at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona.
Political scientist: McCain is considered an extraordinary politician in the USUS Senator John McCain vowed to return to work after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor. Political scientist-Americanist Viktor Olevich on the air of radio Sputnik noted the specific position of the senator in the foreign and in domestic politics USA.The 80-year-old senator and his family are "exploring options for further treatment," doctors said. McCain himself promised to return to work after he recovers from the operation.
“Yes, I will have to stay at home a little longer, undergo treatment. I will be back,” the politician told his friend and Senate colleague Lindsey Graham.
"Let's pray. God knows how this will end, not me. But I know one thing: this disease has not yet faced such a serious rival," Graham added in an interview with the Associated Press.
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in turn, McCain "an unusually strong" person.
What is John McCain known for?
John McCain has been a member of the Senate for over 30 years and is considered one of the most respected American politicians.
McCain was born on August 29, 1936 in a military family. His grandfather and father were four-star admirals in the US Navy. The future senator himself graduated from the US Naval Academy, becoming a carrier-based pilot.
In 1967, during the Vietnam War, McCain's plane was shot down by a Soviet missile over Hanoi, and the pilot himself was taken prisoner. He was released only five and a half years later, when Vietnam and the United States signed the Paris Peace Accords.
McCain left the military in 1981 with the rank of captain first, after which he joined the Republican Party and entered politics. In 1986, he was elected Senator from the State of Arizona, a post he still holds today.
In 2008, McCain won the Republican primaries and fought for the presidency of the United States. Then Barack Obama won the election, who received the votes of 338 out of 538 electors. At the same time, McCain lost even in several traditionally Republican states, experts attributed this to his tough immigration program.
In 2015, John McCain chaired the House Armed Services Committee.
Anti-Russian position
The Republican senator is also known for his tough anti-Russian stance. So, in May, he said that Russia threatens world security more than the "Islamic state"*.
"I think IS* can do terrible things and I'm really worried about what's happening to the Muslim faith, I'm worried about a lot of things about it. But it's the Russians who are trying to destroy the foundations of democracy, in other words, to change the results of the American elections. I haven't seen evidence that they succeeded, but they tried and still try to change the outcome of the election," the senator said at the time, adding that he did not see evidence of "Russian interference" in the American electoral process.
“I consider Vladimir Putin, who split Ukraine, a sovereign state, who puts pressure on the Baltic countries – I consider the Russians the biggest challenge we have,” McCain added.
Despite McCain's tough stance, President Vladimir Putin said he was sympathetic to the senator.
"In fact, I even like him a little. Yes, yes, yes, I'm not kidding now, I like him for his patriotism and consistency in protecting the interests of his country," the president told filmmaker Oliver Stone during the filming of the documentary "Interview with Putin".
Wherein Russian leader noted that politicians like McCain "are still living in the old world and do not want to look into the future."
*Terrorist organization banned in Russia.
American politician, member of the Republican Party John McCain (also known as Senator McCain) was a prominent figure on the world stage. This man was famous for his tough stance towards Russia, as well as his uncompromising attitude towards abortion and torture in American prisons.
Childhood and youth
The biography of John McCain is a story about trials, war and incredible fortitude. John Sydney McCain (such full name politics) was born on August 29, 1936. McCain's father and grandfather were both military men, both of whom were promoted to admiral in the United States Navy. McCain's grandfather participated in the fighting in the Pacific Ocean, while his father served as a submarine officer.
It is not surprising that the fate of the boy was a foregone conclusion: John enters the US Navy Academy in Annapolis. McCain studied without interest. The future politician was occupied with subjects devoted to literature, history and public administration. Otherwise, John's success was mediocre. In addition, the young cadet often went against the will of his superiors and did not particularly honor the internal charter of the academy, for which he repeatedly received reprimands.
In 1958, McCain graduated educational institution, showing almost the worst result among its release. The future senator continues his studies at the flight school. Two years later, John becomes an attack pilot and remains in the naval aviation. The fame of a scorcher was firmly entrenched behind him - McCain still neglected the rules while flying the plane. Perhaps this was one of the reasons for the trials that John had to face later.
John McCain with his parents and younger brother In the spring of 1967, McCain was sent to serve in Vietnam. He has more than 20 combat operations to his credit. On October 26 of the same year, the luck turned away from the young pilot: his plane was shot down by the Vietnamese military, and McCain was captured. The wounded McCain is tortured, seeking a confession of guilt, he is beaten. Numerous interrogations and tortures greatly undermined McCain's health: due to the fractures he received, he still does not fully control his hands.
We must pay tribute to the endurance and fortitude of the young military man: when, at the next interrogation, John was forced to give the names of his colleagues under torture, he, in a mockery of the Vietnamese authorities, listed the names of the players of the American football team Green Bay Packers.
In 1968, the Vietnamese authorities became aware that they had in their hands the son of a high-ranking military man. John was offered to be released, but the future senator said that he would do this only if the release was granted to the rest of the soldiers who were captured before him. Five and a half years continued life in captivity. McCain was released in 1973.
Policy
Returning to his homeland and recovering from his trials, John begins to take an interest in politics. In 1982, McCain represented Arizona on behalf of the Republican Party. Two years later, John is re-elected to Congress. As before, McCain is true to himself and is not afraid to go against the established rules: the politician harshly criticizes the party line and often turns out to be right.
In 1986, John McCain became a senator with 60% of the vote from Arizona. Until 2004, he was re-elected to this post every 6 years. In 2008, the Republican Party nominates McCain as a candidate for the presidency. However, McCain loses the election, and becomes the head of the United States.
There was a scandal associated with this election campaign: there was information in the press that John McCain's headquarters turned to the representatives of the Russian Federation at the UN with a request to provide material support for McCain's election campaign. The Russian side responded to this with the following press release:
“We have received a letter from Senator John McCain requesting a financial contribution to his presidential campaign. In this regard, we would like to reiterate that neither Russian officials nor the Permanent Mission Russian Federation under the UN, nor the Russian government is funding political activity in foreign countries."
It turned out that there was an error in the automatic program responsible for mailing, and the letter was sent to the wrong address, McCain's representatives explained the incident.
McCain was known as a harsh critic of the leadership of the Russian Federation, the author of many caustic comments about Russia, a fierce supporter of the European integration of Georgia, Ukraine and other former Soviet republics. In addition, the politician did not hesitate to criticize the actions of Barack Obama and other US officials.
McCain appeared on the screen in the film about ("Interview with Putin"), along with, and other major political figures.
Personal life
McCain's personal life has developed quite happily. A prominent handsome military man with a height of 170 cm has never been left without the attention of the opposite sex. The first chosen one of the politician was Carol Shepp, a model. The couple married in 1965, in this marriage John had a daughter, Sidney, and McCain also adopted Carol's two children from his first marriage.
Family life was cloudless, however, after returning from Vietnam, John filed for divorce. The ordeal changed McCain's character, and it became difficult for Carol to get along with him. Nevertheless, John took full responsibility for the termination of the relationship, leaving all the property to his ex-wife and children. Moreover, he paid for the treatment and rehabilitation of Carol, who had been in a serious car accident a few years earlier.
McCain's second marriage to Cindy Lou Hensley, who worked as a teacher, was registered in 1980. This marriage gave the senator two sons, John and James, as well as a daughter, Megan McCain. McCain's children followed in their father's footsteps and chose a military career. Also in 1991, the couple adopted a little orphan from Bangladesh.
The girl needed treatment, and the McCain couple did everything possible to improve her health. Two years later, John and Cindy adopted the girl, giving her the name Bridget. John McCain's family is constantly growing: Senator McCain already has 4 grandchildren. Photos of the happy grandfather often appeared in the press.
Death
In July 2017, the world flew around. The 80-year-old politician was diagnosed with brain cancer. John McCain, according to his representatives, was not going to give up and was preparing to endure this test. Twitter of McCain's family and friends exploded with wishes for health and endurance, and Barack Obama even called McCain "America's hero" in his message.
IN recent weeks life, the senator made a strong-willed decision to refuse treatment in order to spend the rest of his life with family and friends. On August 26, 2018, he spent his last hours surrounded by his family. The American press called McCain "the last lion of the Senate", whose death will be "deeply felt", because he "faithfully served the United States for 60 years."
Achievements and awards
- "Legion of Honor"
- bronze star
- Medal "Purple Heart"
- Distinguished Service Cross
- POW medal
- National Defense Medal
- Vietnam Service Medal
- Vietnam Campaign Medal
- Order of Victory named after St. George (Georgia, 2006)
- Order of the National Hero (Georgia, January 11, 2010)
- Grand Officer of the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia, October 12, 2005)
- Order of the Holy Prince Vladimir I degree (Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kyiv Patriarchate, February 3, 2015)
- Order of Freedom (Ukraine, August 22, 2016) - for a significant personal contribution to strengthening the international authority of the Ukrainian state, popularizing its historical heritage and modern achievements, and on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence.
American Republican politician, senator from Arizona since 1987. Previously, from 1983 to 1987, a member of the House of Representatives. Veteran of the Vietnam War, has military awards. From 1967 to 1973 he was in Vietnamese captivity. One of the main contenders for the Republican Party presidential nomination in the 2008 elections.
John Sidney McCain III was born on August 29, 1936 at the American naval base Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone. In 1954, he graduated from the Episcopal high school in Alexandria (Virginia), followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather: both of them were admirals in the US Navy. In 1958 he graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis (Maryland). His academic success was rather modest: in the course progress rating, he occupied one of the last lines.
In 1958, McCain joined the Naval Air Service. Took part in the Vietnam War. In 1967, North Vietnamese air defense forces shot down McCain's plane over Hanoi. The young officer was taken prisoner in a POW camp known as the Hanoi Hilton. There he spent five and a half years - until 1973, being humiliated and tortured. His life was saved only by the fact that McCain's father, Admiral John McCain Jr. (John S. McCain Jr.), commanded American forces in the Pacific, and the Vietnamese became aware of this. The prisoner of war was offered early release, but he refused. Under torture, McCain signed a confession that the Vietnamese command used for propaganda purposes: "I am a dirty criminal who committed an act of air piracy. I almost died, but the Vietnamese people saved my life, thanks to the Vietnamese doctors." Weakened from torture, McCain tried to commit suicide, but the guards interrupted this attempt. One of the consequences of McCain's stay in captivity was his premature gray hair - later, because of her, he, violently involved in political life United States, nicknamed the White Tornado.
Upon his return to the United States, McCain took up the position of Naval Senate Liaison Officer. In 1974 (according to other sources, in 1973) he graduated from the National Military College in Washington. He retired in 1981. He has several military awards: the Order of the Bronze Star, the Cross for Distinguished Flying, the Order of Military Merit, the Order of the Purple Heart, and the Order of the Silver Star.
After a brief stint with his father-in-law, the beer baron James Hensley, McCain embarked on a political career. In 1982, as a member of the Republican Party, he was elected from Arizona to the House of Representatives, and then, in 1986, to the Senate. A few years later, McCain's political career nearly ended ingloriously: he became one of the Keating Five, a group of senators who tried to illegally lobby the interests of the Arizona financial tycoon Charles Keating. The Senate investigation was limited to convicting McCain of "short-sightedness."
In 1996, McCain participated in the presidential campaign of his friend - the Republican candidate Bob Dole (Bob Dole), and two years later decided to try his hand at the presidential race. In 2000, he took part in the Republican primaries, but lost to Texas Governor George W. Bush. McCain managed to win a decisive victory in the first round of the primaries - in the state of New Hampshire, but the further pre-election struggle with the Bush team turned out to be beyond the senator's strength. A wave of defamatory rumors hit him: it was that McCain himself was allegedly mentally ill, and his black adopted daughter was allegedly his own child from a prostitute. Presumably, the source of such rumors were strategists who worked for McCain's opponent, in particular the "architect" of Bush's victories Karl Rove (Karl Rove). The senator was not saved from defeat even by his military past, which he used as a trump card throughout his entire political career.
Another factor that scared Republican voters away from McCain was such qualities as his insistence on independence from the party line and the choice of political moves that were unconventional for Republicans. The senator has long been disliked by pro-Republican lobbyists. He gained notoriety as a proponent of electoral law reform, pushing for greater transparency in the flow of funding directed to candidates by various pressure groups. In 2002, together with Democratic Senator Russ Feingold, he pushed for legislation to limit corporate, union, and law firm contributions to political parties. In 2005, McCain initiated a lawsuit against well-known lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Jack Abramoff). Abramoff confessed in court to trying to bribe officials, and this served as an impetus for a new campaign to limit the practice of lobbying.
In the 2004 election, McCain reportedly supported the incumbent's candidacy, thanks to the efforts of Rove and McCain's top aide, John Weaver. Bush's opponent, Democratic Senator John Kerry, has signaled that he would like to see McCain as his vice president, but McCain has remained loyal to the party.
The Arizona senator has been known as one of the leading hawks ever since the Kosovo conflict, when he rebuked the Bill Clinton administration for not acting decisively enough against the Serbian government. McCain not only opposed the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, but also called for an increase in the contingent in that country. At the same time, McCain criticized the administration's policy on suspected terrorist prisoners. In October 2005, he introduced a bill banning the practice of torture in American prisons. The document was sustained in a spirit that is traditional not for Republicans, but for Democrats. Vice President Dick Cheney and Presidential Advisor on national security Stephen Hadley, but McCain remained adamant. In December 2005, his bill was passed by Congress.
With the 2008 presidential election approaching, McCain emerged as a potential Republican favorite. In June 2006, according to the popularity rating, he left behind the likely Democratic candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton: 46-47 percent of the respondents were ready to vote for McCain, and 40-42 percent for Clinton. In the case of a confrontation with another Democrat - former Vice President Albert Gore (Albert Gore) - McCain's advantage could be even more significant: 51 percent to 33.
McCain, with his controversial reputation among party members, had to take on a new role: he declared himself a staunch conservative, began to eulogize Bush and forged relationships with some of his former rival's influential advisers and sponsors. McCain tried to draw attention to his strengths in terms of party discipline: he voted for a ban on abortion, against gun control, for the use of the death penalty, supported the missile defense program. He endorsed the Bush administration's tax cuts, which he opposed in 2001 and 2002. In addition, McCain tried to enlist the support of religious conservatives with whom he had not gotten along before, in particular the famous televangelist Jerry Falwell (Jerry Falwell). However, observers say it will not be easy to overcome the accumulated contradictions between McCain and his party - he is one of the few Republican senators who voted against a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and in favor of federal funding for a stem cell research program.
In light of McCain's possible victory in 2008, his attitude towards Russia is especially interesting: the senator has gained a reputation as one of the main "Russophobes" of the United States. He criticized the political course of the Russian leadership and the leadership of Russia's allied Belarus, as well as Bush's "pro-Russian" position. McCain argued that Russia - a country with very little "glimpse of democracy" and cooperating with Iran - should not be allowed into the club of the leading developed countries, the G8. In 2006, the senator urged Bush to boycott the G8 summit in St. Petersburg. McCain is known as a defender of anti-Russian regimes in the former USSR. In 2005, together with Hillary Clinton, he nominated Viktor Yushchenko and Mikhail Saakashvili for Nobel Prize peace. In 2006, McCain assured the Georgian leadership that the United States would certainly protect this Caucasian country from Moscow's imperial ambitions.
Since 2005, McCain has chaired the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and also serves on the Armed Forces, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committees. It was assumed that if the Republicans won the midterm elections in November 2006, McCain in January 2007 could head the Committee on Armed Services, but the victory went to the Democratic Party - the Democrats won a majority in both houses of Congress. Shortly after the election, it became known about the creation of an exploratory committee to prepare for McCain's participation in the 2008 presidential race - thus, the first step was taken towards the official nomination of a senator for the presidency.
In 2006, McCain ranked tenth in the list of the richest US senators, his fortune amounted to $ 29 million. His main source of income is the beer company owned by his wife Cindy Hensley McCain. McCain has co-authored several books with his assistant Mark Salter. One of them, the autobiography Faith of My Fathers, was published before the 1999 presidential election and became a bestseller.
John McCain is married for the second time. He has seven children: four sons and three daughters. At the same time, two of the sons are the children of his first wife adopted by him, and one of the daughters is the notorious black orphan from Bangladesh. The senator has four grandchildren. One of McCain's sons, Jim, is serving in the US Marine Corps and may become one of the US troops in Iraq. The senator worries about his son, but does not intend to change his attitude towards the war.
- Cemetery Naval Academy USA [d]
Involvement in the Vietnam War
Captivity
During interrogation, in accordance with the American military regulations, he gave only brief information about himself - by the name of the Vietnamese established that they had captured the son of a high-ranking American officer. After that, he was given medical assistance, and his capture was officially announced. He spent six weeks in the hospital, during this period a French television journalist was admitted to him, he was visited by prominent Vietnamese figures who considered McCain a representative of the American military-political elite. In December 1967, having lost 26 kg and turned gray (he later received the nickname "White Tornado"), McCain was transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Hanoi, where his comrades took care of him.
In August 1968, McCain was subjected to constant beatings (every two hours) in an effort to break his will. At the same time, he suffered from dysentery. The fractures received in these days have led to the fact that McCain has lost the ability to raise his hands above his head. He later recalled: “I learned what we all learned there: each person has his own limit. I have achieved mine."
He claimed that every morning a warder came to him and demanded that the prisoner bow to him, and, in response to refusal, stabbed him in the temple. In addition, they tried to force McCain to give out military information - after another beating, he announced that he agreed to give the names of his squadron mates, after which he listed the list of Green Bay Packers football players to the Vietnamese.
Completion of military service, divorce and second marriage
After returning from captivity, McCain remained in military service. A photograph of him meeting with President Richard Nixon on September 14, 1973 at a reception at the White House became widely known (McCain was still on crutches at the time).
Political career
congressman
With the active support of his father-in-law, McCain got involved in the political life of the United States and already in November 1982 he was elected a member of the US House of Representatives from the first constituency of Arizona as a Republican. Two years later, he was easily re-elected for another two-year term. McCain generally supported the political and economic course of President Ronald Reagan. However, he voted against the presence of US Marines, who were part of the multinational force, in Lebanon, as he saw no prospects for a US military presence in that country. This vote, which went against the interests of the Republican administration, is associated with the beginning of McCain's reputation as an individualist politician. A month after this vote, the US Marines suffered significant losses in the bombing of the Beirut barracks, which confirmed McCain's point.
During his tenure in the House of Representatives, McCain specialized in Indian issues and participated in the economic development Indian Territories, signed in 1985. In the same year, he visited Vietnam for the first time since captivity with the legendary journalist Walter Cronkite.
Senator
Since 1987, McCain has served on the Senate Armed Services, Commerce, and Indian Affairs committees. In - and -2007 he was chairman of the Indian affairs committee, in 1997- and -2005 - chairman of the trade committee.
Since January 2007 - Senior Minority Representative on the Armed Services Committee. Since 2015 - Head of the Committee on Armed Forces in the US Senate.
McCain and the Campaign Finance Problem
At the beginning of his tenure in the Senate, McCain was involved in a high-profile political scandal related to the activities of the banker Charles Keating, who was one of his political sponsors in 1982-1987 (in total, Keating financially supported the election campaigns of five US senators - the Keating Five , ). In addition, McCain and his family made at least nine trips at Keating's expense - he later returned their cost, which was more than $ 13 thousand. When Keating began to have financial problems, McCain repeatedly met with financial regulators (overseeing US savings banks) in order to to help Keating. Support from McCain, like other senators, did not lead to any results, except for moral damage to them (later Keating's financial company went bankrupt, he himself spent five years in prison, although he was able to pay off most of the victims). Although McCain was not accused of illegal actions, the Senate ethics committee reprimanded him in connection with this story; he himself admitted the fallacy of his conduct in this matter.
After the Keating affair, McCain began to actively criticize the influence of big money on American politics. By 1994, he, along with Senator Russell Feingold (D-Wisconsin), drafted a bill to limit political campaign contributions to corporations and other organizations - in part to avoid a repeat of situations like the Keating case. The McCain-Feingold bill met with strong opposition from prominent figures in both leading US parties, but met with support in the media and society. In 1995, the first version of this law was submitted to the Senate, but failed the following year, the same thing happened again in 1998 and 1999. The McCain-Feingold Act was only passed in 2002 (it became known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) after the scandalous Enron case raised public awareness of corruption. The legislation is considered McCain's major accomplishment during his senatorial career; he also raised his profile as a "political maverick".
John McCain was very fond of the song "Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA. He promised that if he won, "Take a Chance on Me" would be played in all the elevators of the White House. It is also known that before important public speaking he listens to this song at high volume. McCain even approached members of ABBA for permission to use the song as their official campaign anthem, but they asked for too much money (maybe they just didn't want their music to be associated with the Republicans).
Other aspects of activity in the Senate
In the early 1990s, McCain, along with another veteran Vietnam War, Senator John Kerry, dealt with the problem of American servicemen missing in Vietnam, in connection with which he repeatedly visited this country again. McCain's activities contributed to the normalization of US-Vietnamese relations. During the same period, his relationship with Kerry improved - McCain previously perceived him sharply negatively due to Kerry's participation in the anti-war movement after returning from Vietnam.
As chairman of the trade committee, McCain advocated increasing taxes on cigarettes to fund anti-tobacco campaigns, reduce the number of teen smokers, increase health research, and offset the health care costs associated with the effects of smoking. At the same time, he received the support of the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton, but broke up with the majority of senators from his own party - as a result, his initiative was not implemented.
Fidel Castro spoke very harshly about McCain in a number of articles specially dedicated to him under the general title "Republican Candidate", where, in particular, he refuted McCain's claims that the Cubans tortured American prisoners of war in Vietnam.
One of his pre-election proposals, McCain announced the need to create a "new UN, without Russia and China", in his opinion, it is necessary to create a new organization that would determine the policy of the "democratic part of the world community" - it could be the "League of Democracies", uniting in within its framework "more than a hundred democracies" .
On September 24, McCain announced the suspension of his campaign due to the need to overcome the mortgage and financial crisis, but the campaign continued in the future.
Wrong reference to Russia
According to the Russian news agency Novosti, in October 2008, McCain's campaign headquarters sent a request to the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN for financial support for the senator's election campaign. In response to this, the Russian Permanent Mission issued a press release stating:
We have received a letter from Senator John McCain requesting a financial contribution to his presidential campaign. In this regard, we would like to reiterate that neither Russian officials, nor the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN, nor the Russian government finances political activities in foreign states.
According to McCain's campaign officials, there was a misunderstanding as a result of a mailing program error.
Political Views
McCain is in favor of strengthening the military potential of the United States, increasing the size of the American armed forces and for the deployment of a missile defense system (ABM). In his view, "an effective missile defense system is critical as an insurance against potential threats posed by possible strategic rivals such as Russia and China."
He is a supporter of the liberalization of immigration laws (with some restrictions) and actions to prevent global warming - in these matters his position diverges from the point of view of the conservative majority of the Republican electorate. Unlike most of his party colleagues, he voted in the Senate against the constitutional amendment [ ] banning same-sex marriage, and for federal funding for a stem cell research program. At the same time, his position on a number of other iconic issues - such as abortion, the death penalty, welfare issues - is distinctly conservative.
Criticism of V. V. Putin and Russia
John McCain is known for his extremely negative attitude towards the strengthening, in his opinion, of the authoritarian regime in Russia and the policy of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin; according to Russian newspaper"Izvestia", McCain is sometimes called "America's main Russophobe". In 2003, he stated that "American foreign policy must reflect the sobering conclusion that a Russian government that does not share our most basic values cannot be a friend or partner and risks, by its own conduct, placing itself in the ranks of an enemy." In his opinion, “the creeping coup against the forces of democracy and market capitalism in Russia threatens the foundations of US-Russian relations and gives rise to the specter of new era"cold peace" between Washington and Moscow. Playing on George W. Bush's famous "Putin's soul" comment, after meeting with the Russian president in Slovenia, McCain stated, "When I looked into Putin's eyes, I saw three letters: KGB."
In September 2013, in response to an article by V. V. Putin "Russia calls for caution" published in the newspaper The New York Times, McCain spoke on the Internet portal Pravda.ru with his own article titled “Russians deserve better than Putin”, in which McCain, distancing himself from accusations that he "advises an anti-Russian point of view", once again sharply criticized the internal and foreign policy Russian leadership.
In February 2017, he became a victim of a prank by Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, who informed Mickane about a hacker attack on him by Russian hackers Abyrvalg and Slavik.
Attitude towards Russia
Criticism of A. G. Lukashenko
McCain actively criticizes the activities of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, in connection with which he was banned from entering this country in 2004 - according to McCain himself, his supporters and part of the media hostile to the current Belarusian leadership. The Belarusian authorities, on the other hand, argue that this step was a symmetrical response (not only to McCain, but also to a number of other American officials) to similar US measures against the President of the Republic of Belarus and other representatives of the leadership of Belarus.
Opinion about Georgia
John McCain positioned himself as a defender of Georgia's interests even before Vladimir Putin became president of Russia. Thus, in November 1999, he stated: “Numerous crimes are committed by the Russian military, who are trying to regain control over the countries of the former Soviet Union, first of all, over Georgia, which is headed by one of the greatest people in the history of the world, Mr. Shevardnadze.
In 2005, McCain, along with Senator Hillary Clinton, nominated Mikhail Saakashvili and Viktor Yushchenko for the Nobel Peace Prize. The application said: "Awarding these two people with the Nobel Peace Prize will not only celebrate their historical role in Georgia and Ukraine, but will also give hope and inspiration to all those who strive for freedom in other countries where it does not exist."
Discussion about elections in Russia
In December 2011, John McCain tweeted “Dear Vlad! The Arab Spring is coming to your neighborhood." Vladimir Putin reacted by saying about McCain that he "was known to have fought in Vietnam", Putin expressed confidence about McCain that "he has enough blood of civilians on his hands"
Early years and military career
Family
John Sidney McCain the third was born on August 29 at the US Air Force Base "Coco Solo" near the city of Colon in Panama (at that time the US leased the Panama Canal Zone). McCain's father, John Sidney "Jack" McCain, Jr. (-), was a US Naval officer who served in World War II (as a submarine officer) and completed his service as a four-star admiral. Awarded with Silver and Bronze Stars. Mother - Roberta McCain, nee Wright (born in). John McCain's grandfather, John S. McCain, also held the rank of four-star admiral, was one of the founders of the carrier-based strategy of the US Navy, participated in the battles in the Pacific theater of World War II.
As a child, John traveled a lot with his parents due to the frequent transfers of his father on business (New London, Connecticut; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, other military bases in the Pacific. At the end of World War II, the McCain family moved to Virginia , where John entered St. Stephen's School in the city of Alexandria, having studied there until.V - McCain attended a private Episcopal school, where he achieved particular success in wrestling... Due to his father's frequent moves, in total, McCain studied at about 20 different schools. In childhood, he was distinguished by an energetic character, irascibility and aggressiveness, the desire to win in competition with peers.
From childhood, McCain belonged to the Episcopal Church of the United States, but moved to the Baptists (the Baptist Church of Phoenix in Arizona, which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, which adheres to the conservative views of the largest Protestant denomination in the United States), to which his second wife belongs.
Education, early military service, and first marriage
Following in his father's footsteps, after leaving school, McCain entered the Naval Academy in Annapolis, was released in 1958. John received at least 100 reprimands each year and was frequently reprimanded for breach of discipline and failure to comply with military regulations, from unpolished boots to inappropriate remarks about superiors. At the same time, with a height of 1 meter 70 cm and a weight of 58 kg, he distinguished himself as a capable lightweight boxer. McCain only got good grades in the subjects that interested him: history, English literature, and public administration. Nevertheless, out of 899 graduates in 1958, John McCain scored 894th.
McCain (bottom right) with the pilots of his squadron
Involvement in the Vietnam War
Captivity
The Vietnamese pull the downed McCain from the lake in the center of Hanoi
During interrogation, in accordance with the American military regulations, he gave only brief information about himself - by the name of the Vietnamese established that they had captured the son of a high-ranking American officer. After that, he was given medical assistance, and his capture was officially announced. He spent six weeks in the hospital, during this period a French television journalist was admitted to him, he was visited by prominent Vietnamese figures who considered McCain a representative of the American military-political elite. In December 1967, having lost 26 kg and turned gray (he later received the nickname "White Tornado"), McCain was transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Hanoi, where his comrades took care of him.
Political career
congressman
With the active support of his father-in-law, McCain got involved in the political life of the United States and already in November was elected a member of the US House of Representatives from the first constituency of Arizona as a Republican. Two years later, he was easily re-elected for another two-year term. McCain generally supported the political and economic course of President Ronald Reagan. However, he voted against the presence of US Marines who were part of the multinational force in Lebanon, as he saw no prospects for a US military presence in that country. This vote, which went against the interests of the Republican administration, is associated with the beginning of McCain's reputation as an individualist politician. A month after this vote, American Marines suffered significant casualties in the bombing of the Beirut barracks, proving McCain right.
During his tenure in the House of Representatives, McCain specialized in Indian issues and participated in the passage of the Indian Economic Development Act, signed in. That same year, he visited Vietnam for the first time since his captivity, along with the legendary journalist Walter Cronkite.
Senator
Since 1987, McCain has served on the Senate Armed Services, Commerce, and Indian Affairs committees. In - and -2007 he was chairman of the Indian affairs committee, in 1997- and -2005 - chairman of the trade committee. Since January 2007 - Senior Minority Representative on the Armed Services Committee.
McCain and the Campaign Finance Problem
At the beginning of his tenure in the Senate, McCain was involved in a high-profile political scandal related to the activities of the banker Charles Keating, who was one of his political sponsors in 1982-1987 (in total, Keating financially supported the election campaigns of five US senators - the Keating Five , ). In addition, McCain and his family made at least nine trips at Keating's expense - he later returned their cost, which was more than $ 13 thousand. When Keating began to have financial problems, McCain repeatedly met with financial regulators (overseeing US savings banks) in order to to help Keating. Support from McCain, like other senators, did not lead to any results, except for moral damage to them (later Keating's financial company went bankrupt, he himself spent five years in prison, although he was able to pay off most of the victims). Although McCain was not accused of illegal actions, the Senate ethics committee reprimanded him in connection with this story; he himself admitted the fallacy of his conduct in this matter.
After the Keating affair, McCain began to actively criticize the influence of big money on American politics. By 1994, he, along with Senator Russell Finegold (D-Wisconsin), drafted a bill to limit political campaign contributions to corporations and other organizations - in part to avoid a repeat of situations like the Keating case. The McCain-Feingold bill met with strong opposition from prominent figures in both major US parties, but met with support in the media and the public. In 1995, the first version of this legislation was introduced in the Senate, but failed the following year, the same thing happened again in 1998 and 1999. The McCain-Feingold Act was passed only in (it became known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) after the scandalous case of Enron, increased public attention to the problem of corruption. The legislation is considered McCain's major accomplishment during his senatorial career; he also raised his profile as a "political maverick".
John McCain was very fond of the song "Take a chance on me" by ABBA. He promised that if he won, "Take a chance on me" would sound in all the elevators of the White House. He is also known to listen to the song at high volume before important public performances. He even approached ABBA members for permission to use the song as their official campaign anthem, but the group asked for too much money. It's possible that ABBA just didn't want their music to be associated with the Republicans.
Other aspects of activity in the Senate
In the early 1990s, McCain, along with another Vietnam War veteran, Senator John Kerry, worked on the problem of American servicemen missing in Vietnam, in connection with which he repeatedly visited the country. McCain's activities contributed to the normalization of US-Vietnamese relations. During the same period, his relationship with Kerry improved - McCain previously perceived him sharply negatively due to Kerry's participation in the anti-war movement after returning from Vietnam.
As chairman of the trade committee, McCain advocated increasing taxes on cigarettes to fund anti-tobacco campaigns, reduce the number of teen smokers, increase health research, and offset the health care costs associated with the effects of smoking. At the same time, he received the support of the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton, but broke up with the majority of senators from his own party - as a result, his initiative was not implemented.
Fidel Castro spoke very harshly about McCain in a number of articles specially dedicated to him under the general title "Republican Candidate", where, in particular, he refuted McCain's claims that Cubans tortured American prisoners of war in Vietnam.
One of his pre-election proposals, McCain announced the need to create a "new UN, without Russia and China", in his opinion, it is necessary to create a new organization that would determine the policy of the "democratic part of the world community" - it could be the "League of Democracies", uniting in within its framework "more than a hundred democracies" .
Political Views
McCain is in favor of strengthening the US military potential, increasing the size of the US military and for the deployment of a missile defense system (ABM). In his view, "an effective missile defense system is critical as an insurance against potential threats posed by possible strategic rivals such as Russia and China."
He is a supporter of the liberalization of immigration laws (with some restrictions) and actions to prevent global warming - in these matters his position diverges from the point of view of the conservative majority of the Republican electorate. Unlike most party colleagues, he voted in the Senate against a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage, and in favor of federal funding for a stem cell research program. At the same time, his position on a number of other iconic issues - such as abortion, the death penalty, welfare issues - is distinctly conservative.
McCain and V. V. Putin's trolling
John McCain is known for his extremely negative attitude towards the strengthening, in his opinion, of the authoritarian regime in Russia and the policies of the second Russian President Vladimir Putin; according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, McCain is sometimes referred to as the "chief
