June 13

The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations (2018)

By John McCain

Senator John McCain has seen it all.  From his years as a serviceman in Vietnam (including 5 1/2 years in a POW prison) to his work as an Arizona senator now in his 6th term, McCain has introduced or supported some of our country's most crucial legislation - whether related to immigration, health care, or our overseas commitments.

The Restless Wave begins with John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign (other books cover his earlier years) and some of the unique challenges he faced, especially in running against a candidate of color and the risk that any negative comment could be misconstrued as racially charged.  While McCain lost the race, he continued to win his seat in the senate where his service on the arms services committee has prompted dozens of congressional trips overseas to war-torn zones; 2018 will be the first time he has not spent the 4th of July in Afghanistan since the war began 15 years ago.  McCain's visits to Libya brought him in contact with the bright, talented Chris Stevens who would be assassinated by militants; diplomatic missions to other nations helped him forge ties with many international leaders including, for example, those of Ukraine and Georgia (where they suffered Putin's aggressive attempts to grab their land) and Burma (where the formerly impressive Ang San Suu Kui now sadly turns a blind eye to the suffering of Rohingya refugees).

During an annual security conference with our allies (held in Nov 2017 in Halifax, Nova Scotia), McCain found himself trying to reassure world leaders that the US was still committed to them following the unexpected election of an inexperienced and ethnocentric US president.  During the conference, Sen McCain was approached by a British diplomat who turned over a dossier to him, which McCain then handed over to the FBI.  Its details are still being vetted by FBI officials.

McCain writes warmly of his congressional colleagues, especially Lindsay Graham, Joe Lieberman, and Ted Kennedy.  He laments the current lack of collaboration across party lines and strongly advises our government to work together for the people they represent to build consensus and make the best decisions for our nation.  He strongly censures Vladimir Putin, who continues to undermine US and other democracies' elections and violates basic human rights in his own and other nations.

McCain includes the full text of a letter he wrote to his senate colleagues upon returning from surgery for glioblastoma, thanking them for their support and urging them to continue to work for the good of the country.  He offers his readers similar advice.  If you are concerned about the present state of government, do something, including running for office.

I read this memoir as an audiobook, which was a real treat.  While the main part of the book is read warmly and ably by Beau Bridges, Sen McCain opens and closes his story with some personal thoughts and reflections in his own voice.  While the outlook for his illness isn't good, I hope he'll be able to return to the senate and continue to serve our country.  He is a humble and gifted leader and one of the few lawmakers who works across the aisle to put people above party; we could use a few lot more like him.