John McCain

If, like me, you're too moderate to entirely spurn the memory of John McCain for the real harm he did to the nation by bringing us the loathsome Sarah Palin, setter of our current stage; too measured to dismiss him outright for his frightful hawkishness; too forgiving to damn him for abandoning principle to pander and tap dance through his final race for the presidency; and you choose a more nuanced view, recognizing that just because John McCain, the man, was a very different entity from his own legend doesn't mean he didn't damn well earn that legend the hard way...then I would suggest that you:

1. read Charles Pierce's wonderfully balanced portrait in Esquire, and...

2. share my fervent hope that McCain, in death, will fully transmogrify into the John McCain we all wanted, and provide timely inspiration to the Trump property junior managers of the US Congress to summon some courage and character, or, at least to keep alive some of their fading rational ambivalence.