Keller @ Large: President Trump Makes His John McCain Mistake Worse
BOSTON (CBS) - First Lady Melania Trump thanked the late Senator John McCain for his service. Presidential daughter Ivanka Trump called McCain a "patriot who served with distinction" and said his death has united the nation in mourning.
Not exactly.
It took the President of the United States until late Monday to offer a word of tribute to McCain, after earlier offering only prayers for his family in a cursory tweet over the weekend.
Early Monday morning, the flag atop the White House was raised after an unusually brief time at half-staff in McCain's honor. And Mr. Trump passed on multiple opportunities to rectify the situation, until the head of the American Legion implored him to appropriately honor McCain.
Keep in mind, in John McCain we're talking about someone who was unusually successful in making friends and working with people across the political spectrum. Some of his most bitter adversaries are among those commemorating his passing. Over the past few days, only the most extreme knee-jerkers on the far right and far left are failing to find kind words to say about this courageous veteran and remarkable American.
It's good, I suppose, that President Trump or his advisors finally saw fit to set aside his grievances and do the right thing. The days after someone's passing are not the right time to vent or settle scores. If that must happen, it can be done later.
There were plenty of valid reasons to disagree with John McCain in life. But Mr. Trump made a fool of himself during the campaign when he refused to acknowledge McCain's heroism, and over the last few days, pathetically, he's compounded the mistake.
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