rump has never served. My father can’t bend one of his knees or lift one of his arms above his head. I am done with this today. DONE.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 9, 2017
Disagree with politics ANY single day but how dare anyone question the honor of my father and his service.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 9, 2017
The Independent Journal Review reported that Higbie eventually engaged with Meghan McCain on social media and sparked off a veritable tweet war as the two hurled several messages back and forth at each other. The crux of it, though, turned out to be Meghan McCain agreeing with Higbie against her own father’s point.
Higbie tweeted, “@MeghanMcCain it’s dishonorable to call a mission a failure because someone died. It’s unfortunate but the mission can still be a success.”
@MeghanMcCain it’s dishonorable to call a mission a failure because someone died. It’s unfortunate but the mission can still be a success
— Carl Higbie (@CarlHigbie) February 9, 2017
McCain replied, “.@CarlHigbie you said his record was bad because he crashed planes. I take great offense at what you said about his service.”
.@CarlHigbie you said his record was bad because he crashed planes. I take great offense at what you said about his service.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 9, 2017
That prompted Higbie to respond, “@MeghanMcCain I respect your father service but not his politics.”
@MeghanMcCain I respect your father service but not his politics
— Carl Higbie (@CarlHigbie) February 9, 2017
“.@CarlHigbie please say that on television next time after you question his record for crashing a plane before being taken into a POW camp,” McCain shot back.
.@CarlHigbie please say that on television next time after you question his record for crashing a plane before being taken into a POW camp.
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) February 9, 2017
It was a snappy answer, but it really just made Higbie’s argument. What Higbie was saying was that the loss of the aircraft in Yemen did not automatically mean the mission was a failure, as John McCain had implied.
In her understandable zeal to defend her father, Meghan McCain was saying the same thing: That the loss of her father’s aircraft in the Vietnam War did not make his career a failure either (indeed, it’s one of the most honorable in American military history).
In short, aircraft are lost in wars, that doesn’t mean the mission is a failure.
Hibgie didn’t gloat on McCain’s answer, though, just offered a proposal that seemed to end the feud abruptly when he retorted: “@MeghanMcCain have your father show my president the same respect and I’ll come on your show to apologize publicly… deal?”
@MeghanMcCain have your father show my president the same respect and I’ll come on your show to apologize publicly… deal?
— Carl Higbie (@CarlHigbie) February 9, 2017
To be sure, Sen. McCain deserves his country’s respect for his sacrifice and service in the military, but that said, his status as a hero doesn’t wholly preclude him from any sort of criticism over his service or actions either in the military or the Senate, and especially not in regard to comments of a political nature.
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