Watching Senator McCain, the man who once infamously joked about bombing Iran, speak about the martyrdom of the Iranian protester Neda provides more evidence of the absence of a soul in the Republican Party.
Here is Senator McCain, talking with great apparent piety about the murder of Neda Agha-Soltan by a pro-government militia sharpshooter in Tehran, Iran:
Keep in mind that the motivation behind this speech is not actually to give tribute to this young woman's bravery. Rather, the intent is to try to take on the appearance of having the political and moral high road over President Obama.
This is the same McCain who, when he was candidate-for-president, was asked about how the United States should respond to Iran and, in particular was asked by an audience member about sending an "air mail message to Tehran" - with the apparent inference being dropping bombs by air on the city. In response to this question, McCain then made his glib reference to the Beach Boys' song and infamously sang "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran" to its tune. Watch for yourself:
So why is this hypocrisy? It's not just about seemingly different perspectives on the nation and people of Iran. And it's not just about the fact that had we "bombed" Iran or sent an "air mail message to Tehran" this woman and other innocents like her would have been endangered and possibly killed. No. It's not that simple.
By grasping at Neda's death to satisfy his own partisan manipulations, McCain is objectifying this young woman as certainly as he objectified the entirety of Iran in his glib response about bombing the nation.
The hypocrisy here comes from the fact that, in his speech about Neda, McCain is purporting to have empathy and affection for her when he is in fact using her.
Seems to be a pattern on his part. Anyone remember Sarah Palin?