Why he has worked to keep POW records sealed from the public is a good question. But he has. Recently, I was sent this piece by the wife of a Marine pilot killed in Nam.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081006/schanbergAs I have noted before on this forum, McCain has created a lot of anger among military vets and families from that era. This may be why. And its been going on from back when Nixon was in office.
An excerpt from Schanberg, who is a pulitzer winning author and columnist, is telling. The article is not particularly partisan in nature (I guess everything is to some extent) but more likely meant to capitalize on the election process in order to shine light on missing POW sightings and records.
"McCain has insisted again and again that all the evidence has been woven together by unscrupulous deceivers to create an insidious and unpatriotic myth. He calls it the work of the "bizarre rantings of the MIA hobbyists." He has regularly vilified those who keep trying to pry out classified documents as "hoaxers," "charlatans," "conspiracy theorists" and "dime-store Rambos." Family members who have personally pressed McCain to end the secrecy have been treated to his legendary temper. In 1996 he roughly pushed aside a group of POW family members who had waited outside a hearing room to appeal to him, including a mother in a wheelchair.
The only explanation McCain has ever offered for his leadership on legislation that seals POW information is that he believes the release of such information would only stir up fresh grief for the families of those who were never accounted for in Vietnam. Of the scores of POW families I've met over the years, only a few have said they want the books closed without knowing what happened to their men. All the rest say that not knowing is exactly what grieves them."Its only two pages. Take a few minutes and read how our government rewards those who sacrifice so much to serve. Its embarrassing.
