John McCain and Jay Leno on Veteran's Day: Were Mistakes Made Along the Way?
by Reg Seeton

After the marathon battle for the White House between Republican nominee John McCain and now President elect Barack Obama, citizens, voters, and the world at large have taken a short breath before the American political landscape changes in January 2009 when Obama is sworn into office. Now that the 2008 Election is in the can, war hero and Republican senator John McCain is taking some down-time to reflect on what was arguably the most contentious race for the White House in recent memory.

No matter what side of the political divide you’re on, you can’t say John McCain doesn’t love his country and will do anything for it, as proven when he gave up years of his life as a Prisoner of War in the Vietnam conflict. And when he had the chance to leave early and head for home, he turned his captors down in favor of releasing those prisoners who were taken captive ahead of him. Forget the election just for a second; John McCain’s heroism is what makes America the country that it is and elevates it to a higher standard. Even if you don’t agree with the dynamics of approaching conflict and war, America’s greatness also comes from the fact that it has had many heroes from all facets of life.

To celebrate Veteran’s Day, John McCain appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the eve of one of the most significant national holidays in the U.S. calendar. Despite the steadfast partisanship we’ve seen during the election, we’ve also seen glimpses along the way of the real John McCain as a guy with a funny sense of humor and someone who can easily take a joke. Who knows if the race would have been closer if we saw more of that guy instead of the scripted McCain.

With his 2008 Presidential campaign now in the rearview mirror, with a look to the future with Sarah Palin, John McCain took to The Tonight Show stage where he chatted with Jay Leno about everything from what he would have done differently during the campaign, why he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate, the Iraq war, and his thoughts on Barack Obama.

But most of all, for the country to remember the many American veterans and their devotion to their country, McCain shared a personal story from his time in captivity in Vietnam that we didn’t hear on the campaign trail.

And no, you probably won't be seeing him run for the 2012 election.

Highlights from John McCain’s appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Veteran’s Day.

John McCain on his run for the White House:

"Look, it's a great honor. It's a great privilege. It's an incredible thing that I was able to do. And I saluted, as you know, and admire and respect the winner, Senator - President elect Barack Obama."

McCain on the toughness of the campaign trail:

"Well, you've got to have a respectful campaign. And that doesn't mean it isn't tough. I mean, campaigns are tough, and they should be because you're seeking the most important position in the world. But there's a difference between being tough and being personal or angry. And look, America right now - I don't have to tell you - I don't have to tell anybody out here, especially those members of the military - that we're in two wars. We've got housing problems. We've got economic crisis. We've got all these problems. Now it's time for America to join together and support the man who was just elected President."

John McCain on what he would have done differently, if anything:

"You know, one of the things - I do study history. And every book I've read about presidential campaigns is the person that one ran a perfectly flawless, beautifully machined, great campaign, and the person who lost, "Oh, my God, all screwed up." I could tell you a lot of things that we may have made mistakes on. But Jack Kennedy, after the failure of the invasion of the Bay of Pigs, said, 'Victory has a thousand fathers. Defeat has one more lonely orphan.' He didn't use the word "orphan," but we're on television. So that's the way it is. Look, I'm so happy to have had the friends, go to the places we went to, Gee's Bend, Alabama, where Martin Luther King went before the March in Selma. And I met a group of African-American women who make quilts, singing. I'll never forget so many of those wonderful experiences that I had that no other way I could have had - I could have had the experiences I had."

On whether he feels Sarah Palin hurt his chances during the campaign:

"No, look, Sarah Palin and her husband, who is an amazing guy, four-time champion - snow machine... One time the guy, with 250 miles to go, Todd broke his arm and finished the race. Look, I'm so proud of her. And I'm very grateful that she agreed to run with me. She inspired people. She still does. And look, I couldn't be happier with Sarah Palin. And she's going back to be a great governor, and I think she will play a big role in the future of this country."

McCain on whether Palin ever got off message:

"Did you expect mavericks to stay on message? I'm sure that from... look, we did a lot of things together, a lot of these rallies. The people were very excited and inspired by her. And that's what really mattered, I think. Look, she's a great reformer. She took on the governor of her own party when she ran for governor... She understands all the energy issues. There's a $40 billion pipeline coming to bring natural gas to places like California. And so look, she's a marvelous person."

McCain on Iraq and if it had remained the top issue:

"You know, I don't know, Jay. If you get into this 'might have been' or different scenarios - we fought, I thought, a good campaign. I'm honored by the friends we made. I'm honored to have had the opportunity. I know it sounds a little repetitious, but that's what I'll take with me. By the way, Senator Obama inspired millions of young people, and I think we inspired some people too. And that's really what I think was important, that legacy."

McCain on the end of the campaign and his future:

"You know, one thing I think Americans don't want is a sore loser. And I've got a great [job] - I get to go back to the United States Senate and work on a lot of issues and continue to serve. That's been my life. That's been my life."

John McCain whether he thinks of the heroism, sacrifices, and patriotism of American veterans:

"Just about every day, but especially on Veterans Day, I think of a guy I was in prison with a long time ago. For a few years we were in Hanoi and prison camps in north Vietnam. They kept us in solitary confinement, two or three to a cell. They finally moved us into large cells, 20 or 25 prisoners in each cell. The guy that moved in with me was a guy named Mike Christian. Mike was from a small town near Selma, Alabama. Very poor family. Enlisted in the Navy at age 17. Later became an A6 bombardier navigator. Was shot down and captured. He loved this country. I moved in the same room with him. The uniform we wore in prison was blue, like, short-sleeved shirt, like, pajama trousers, and shoes - sandals that were cut out of automobile tires. I recommend them highly. One pair lasted me five and a half years. [laughter].

"Part of this change in treatment, they let us have some packages from home in which were small items - some of us - like a handkerchief or a scarf. He took his blue shirt, fashioned himself a bamboo needle, got a piece of white cloth, piece of red cloth, and sewed the American flag on the inside of his shirt. Every evening before we would have our bowl of soup, we would put his flag - his shirt on the wall of the cell and pledge our allegiance to the country. It was an important part of our day. One day the Vietnamese came, searched the cell, found his shirt, removed it, came back that night... opened the door of the cell, called for him to come out, closed the door of the cell, and beat him very badly for a couple hours.

"Then they threw him back into the cell. The cell in which we slept had a concrete slab, light bulbs in all four corners, naked light bulbs. We cleaned Mike up as well as we could. I went over to lie down on the concrete and go to sleep. And I happened to look over in the corner of the cell, and underneath the lightbulb, with a piece of white cloth and a piece of red cloth and his bamboo needle, was Mike, with his eyes almost shut from the beating that he had received, sewing another American flag. He wasn't doing that for us. He was doing it for his country. He wasn't doing it for himself. He was doing it for his country and our ability to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country. I'll never forget Mike Christian."

For more on John McCain's appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, head this way to the official website on NBC.