Just as the President is beginning to show serious leadership and courage on DADT, Senator John McCain of Arizona has announced he will lead the change against repeal. The senator knows better and we all know that he knows better. Most likely in the "Hanoi Hilton" there were gay prisoners of war being tortured with the senator. McCain most certainly has served with men and women he knew were gay and witnessed them serving with distinction. And there is no question in my mind that the senator really doesn't believe that the morale of the United States military is so low that allowing open members of the LGBT community to serve would make this nation weak.

So why is the senator from Arizona leading the charge? Could it be he is being challenged from the right in a primary this year by J.D. Hayworth? Could it be that the famous independent and free spirit John McCain is willing to sell the rights and freedom of a entire class of Americans down the river for his own re-election effort? Sadly, I truly believe that is what is going on. Especially since his wife and daughter have come out for marriage equality, even making themselves visible in anti-Prop 8 advertisements.

Shame on him.

The man has been known as an independent thinker for years in American politics. How shameful that in his latter years he would allow himself to be taken prisoner by intolerant right wing voices. The lamentable slide started with his failed campaign for the Presidency in 2008, and it just keeps getting more and more distressing. The senator should invoke the spirit of America's true conservative, former Arizona Republican Senator Barry Goldwater who famously said, "I don't care if they are straight, I care if they shoot straight." McCain has shown great courage over the years in his life journey. How sad he can muster so little of it now.