Moshe (you know him as Moses) is considered to be the greatest prophet ever. He is revered as the person who stood up to Pharaoh at the age of 40- when he killed an overseer mistreating a Jewish slave.  But, then, Moshe fears for his life and takes for the hills (literally- the hills of Midyan).

(As an aside, this is one of the reasons why the conventional concept about where Mt. Sinai is/was is so dead-wrong.  Midyan was the land to the EAST of the Gulf of Aqaba.  And, the burning bush- which was on Sinai (and from where the Ten Commandments were handed to Moshe by Hashem) was in Midyan.  Mt. Sinai was never where Empress Helena (Constantine’s mom) averred- the Sinai Peninsula.)

When Moshe was 80 , Hashem gave him marching orders- to return to Egypt and get the Jews released from bondage.  Throughout the journey, Moshe was Hashem’s reliable leader of the Jews.  But, Moshe never got the chance to reach the promised land.   Because Hashem told Moshe to pray to the rock at Chorev (Horeb); instead Moshe struck the rock (he had to do it twice, because Hashem did not provide water the first time, but did the second time to not embarrass Moshe in front of the assembled).  That one missed command was enough to have Hashem keep him from The Promised Land (Israel).

Still, Moshe is considered the greatest leader of the Jews.

So, what’s the point, Roy, you ask?

John McCain- Navy pilot, guest of honor (facetious) at the Hanoi Hilton (the dreaded Viet Cong prison), Senator, and Presidential aspirant died of brain cancer just a few days short of his 82nd birthday.

Was John McCain perfect?  Of course not.  While not found guilty, he was clearly at fault as a “member” of the Keating 5.  [This case was a forerunner of the case against Governor Bob McDonnell who was convicted of bribery, but overruled by the Supreme Court because the politics of bribery are so loose, replete with holes the size of asteroids.]  And, McCain listened to the foolish advice of the Republican Establishment to choose Sarah Palin over the  Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate.

McCain never reached The Promised Land of the Presidency- but clearly felt that America was his Promised Land.

McCain is a model for us all.  Especially for the political morons running (or is that hiding) in DC.  Afraid to take moral stands, when they know what they see is wrong.  Petrified to work for America- which is the job for which they were elected- and come to compromise with the other party, because their base may reject them.

McCain was often on the side of the argument that I found reprehensible.  But, he came to his opinion based upon his principles, not from the political winds that blow. And, when the time came to cross the aisle and work for America- he did so.  McCain-Feingold was the act that would have cleaned up our elections forever- but the Supreme Court (now populated with partisans, instead of jurists) changed those rules and gave us the malignant Citizens United decision, to boot.

McCain voted – despite the opinion of the bulk of his party- his changed opinion of the Affordable Care Act.  McCain worked for sensible immigration legislation.  McCain’s friends included many of the opposite party- as opposed to the majority of Congress (the House and the Senate bodies) who fear speaking to (or well) of their opposite party members.

But, in my mind, besides his principled (and tortured) stance as a guest in the Hanoi Hilton, was his (also principled) 10 October 2008 response to a voter (of TheDonald’s ilk) during his Presidential Campaign.

Although I am not a fan of renaming public structures, it’s long past time to rename the Russell Senate Office Building.    McCain who served America his whole life would be the wonderful choice to honor the man, as an example for future generations.

May he rest in peace and have his memory bring a blessing to us all.

McCain is why America is great- the BS that it needs to be made great again is only because of the swamp with which the current regime is filling our institutions.