Reply #160: Worse than that.

[burning rain]

In the Civil Rights Era, Strom Thurmond was of course a warrior for the segregationist side, but once they'd lost the battle on basic rights and public opinion had overwhelmingly turned against them, he mellowed a bit, declining the role of reactionary troglodyte. He supported, for instance, extension of the Voting Rights Act under Reagan. In his determination to fight a lost war, McCain reminds me more of the bitter-ender Jesse Helms, whom he joined in opposing the Martin Luther King, Jr national holiday, and in trying, as late as the early 90s, to slash federal funding for it. It also bears mention that McCain staunchly supported Arizona's brazenly racist former governor Evan Mecham, notorious for his opposition to a state MLK holiday.

As regards the McCain home front, I can't say it surprises me that Walnuts! cracked the whip on Cindy over "Dont Ask; Don't Tell": he'd already proved himself enough of a petty authoritarian to twist her arm to bow out of Dancing with the Stars. Let Cindy dance!