Changes

==Political record==

==Political record==

#Patriotism: as a [[POW]] for seven years during the [[Vietnam War]] (see below), McCain is a living symbol of the honor and sacrifice of [[America]]'s armed forces, and has the greatest claim of any of the candidates to be Commander-in-Chief.<ref>Obama and Clinton have both gone on public record as stating that the other did not "meet the experience threshold" for the role of CinC, while Clinton has asserted that McCain does, and Obama has remained silent on the subject of McCain's "experience threshold".</ref>

#Patriotism: as a [[POW]] for five-and-a-half years during the [[Vietnam War]] (see below), McCain is a living symbol of the honor and sacrifice of [[America]]'s armed forces, and has the greatest claim of any of the candidates to be Commander-in-Chief.<ref>Obama and Clinton have both gone on public record as stating that the other did not "meet the experience threshold" for the role of CinC, while Clinton has asserted that McCain does, and Obama has remained silent on the subject of McCain's "experience threshold".</ref>

#National defense:  McCain, a veteran, has been strong on national defense and a consistent supporter of the [[Iraq War]].

#National defense:  McCain, a veteran, has been strong on national defense and a consistent supporter of the [[Iraq War]].

#World affairs: McCain claims little patience for foreign opinion.  In 2006, he said, "You can't expect the French to lead. You can't expect the Germans to lead. You can't even expect the British, our friends, to lead. The United States has to lead."<ref>http://www.azstarnet.com/news/138072</ref>

#World affairs: McCain claims little patience for foreign opinion.  In 2006, he said, "You can't expect the French to lead. You can't expect the Germans to lead. You can't even expect the British, our friends, to lead. The United States has to lead."<ref>http://www.azstarnet.com/news/138072</ref>

McCain served in the [[United States Navy]] from 1958 to 1981. By 1967, McCain was a veteran pilot aboard the [[USS Forrestal]] aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam. On 29 July 1967, while preparing to take off on a bombing run over North Vietnam a missile accidentally fired from another plane, hitting the fuel tanks on McCain's aircraft and triggering explosions and fire. McCain escaped from his plane by crawling onto the nose of the aircraft and diving on to the ship's deck which was ablaze from burning fuel. His attempt to rescue a fellow pilot whose flight suit was on fire was prevented when McCain was blown over by further explosions. When the fire was contained 24 hours later, 134 men had been killed and hundreds more injured. It was called the worst non-combat-related accident in U.S. naval history.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=526451&in_page_id=1811 ''The coronation of the ultimate survivor, John McCain''] 5 March 2008 [[Daily Mail]]</ref>  

McCain served in the [[United States Navy]] from 1958 to 1981. By 1967, McCain was a veteran pilot aboard the [[USS Forrestal]] aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam. On 29 July 1967, while preparing to take off on a bombing run over North Vietnam a missile accidentally fired from another plane, hitting the fuel tanks on McCain's aircraft and triggering explosions and fire. McCain escaped from his plane by crawling onto the nose of the aircraft and diving on to the ship's deck which was ablaze from burning fuel. His attempt to rescue a fellow pilot whose flight suit was on fire was prevented when McCain was blown over by further explosions. When the fire was contained 24 hours later, 134 men had been killed and hundreds more injured. It was called the worst non-combat-related accident in U.S. naval history.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=526451&in_page_id=1811 ''The coronation of the ultimate survivor, John McCain''] 5 March 2008 [[Daily Mail]]</ref>  

Three months later McCain was shot down over Hanoi and held as a [[Prisoner of War]] for seven years.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref>  

Three months later McCain was shot down over Hanoi and held as a [[Prisoner of War]] for five-and-a-half years.<ref>[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/m/john_mccain/index.html John McCain] at the New York Times</ref>  

::''On October 26, 1967, during his 23rd air mission, McCain's plane was shot down over the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. His captors soon learned he was the son of a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy and repeatedly offered him early release, but McCain refused, ... knowing that the North Vietnamese would use his release as a powerful piece of propaganda.''

::''On October 26, 1967, during his 23rd air mission, McCain's plane was shot down over the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. His captors soon learned he was the son of a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy and repeatedly offered him early release, but McCain refused, ... knowing that the North Vietnamese would use his release as a powerful piece of propaganda.''