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McCain’s funeral: The man he was and Trump has never been

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8 years ago

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McCain’s funeral: The man he was and Trump has never been

~By Kenneth Tiven

John Sidney McCain III may have graduated at the bottom of his class at the US Naval Academy, but this namesake son and grandson of two famous Navy admirals did know a thing or two about military planning and counter-attacks.

McCain disinvited President Trump before he died.

Like all great State political funerals his was stage managed for maximum impact on the nation. The symbolism of the funeral for the 81-year old senator reminded America and the world of what was normal behavior before extreme partisanship set in threatening democracy. Obviously, others believe the lack of authoritarianism is a greater danger.

While the Rocky Mountains are geographically the Continental Divide, this conflict is the real continental divide.

Previously it would have been impossible to consider that a famous American politician, a Republican, twice a candidate for president, would lie in state in the Capital Rotunda. Then have a funeral service at the National Cathedral that would include eulogies from two past presidents, yet the current president was conspicuously off tweeting and playing golf at his own country club course.

McCain’s daughter Megan eulogized her father in contrast to Trump, “America of John McCain has no need to be made great again because it was always great.”

Despite decorum reserved for funerals the mourners burst into sustained applause.

She compared her father’s legacy with the “opportunistic appropriation” and “cheap rhetoric from men who will never come near the sacrifice he gave so willingly.”

There are enough back-stories in all of this for a Bollywood style mini-series, but first some prologue.

In 1967 McCain’s Navy fighter plane was shot down over Hanoi. Surviving massive injuries he then endured years of torture as a prisoner of war because the North Vietnamese knew his father was the Navy admiral commanding the Pacific fleet. Released in the1972 Peace Accord he retired as a Navy captain in 1981 and entered politics from Arizona as a Congressman a year later. After two terms he won election to the US Senate in1986.

Now, some serious back-story on why President Trump takes such pains to make his contempt for John McCain known to all.

For the next decade his war hero fame and Senate service increased respect for McCain as presidential timber. Through activities involved in funding for the Navy’s aircraft carrier Intrepid as a floating museum in New York City’s Hudson River he became friendly with Michael Bloomberg, a then young wealthy businessman who flies planes and helicopters. The two pilots relationship blossomed.

For his generous contributions to the Intrepid Museum the Navy rewarded Bloomberg some acrobatic flying time in a Blue Angeles two seat jet. Bloomberg later told McCain he would provide substantial financial support if John ran for president in 1990 and toned down or abandoned his position against abortion, an issue for a liberal Democrat, which is what Bloomberg then was. McCain said no, but it didn’t harm the friendship between two men who shared more personality traits than just flying.

However, McCain lost the South Carolina primary after the George Bush campaign team unleashed scurrilous attacks based on McCain having a black child in his family, an adoptee from Bangladesh. He lost, crushing his chance for the Republican nomination.

Two years later in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attack in New York, Bloomberg switched parties and won election as mayor of New York, serving 12 years in all. Trump couldn’t bully or buy any influence with Bloomberg as he had for decades with prior mayors.

Although Trump dodged the military draft during the Vietnam War, he frequently mocked McCain’s status as a prisoner of war, tortured in Vietnam. After casting the deciding vote against repeal of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) Trump blasted McCain on numerous occasions.  In August  when Trump signed a defense appropriations bill titled in McCain’s name he refused to mention McCain or the Title of the Bill.  The fact that Senator McCain was known by everyone to be dying of brain cancer was ignored by the commander in chief.

Trump’s contempt for McCain and Bloomberg is psychological. Bloomberg became mayor of New York, a job Trump may have desired but could never win given his local reputation as a playboy and bigotry in renting property. Trump is pretend rich.  He doesn’t believe in philanthropy, while Bloomberg has donated billions of dollars to charitable causes around the world. .

Rightwing media sees it all differently, decrying McCain’s deathbed snub of Trump. The Eagle Report: “It wasn’t just President Trump McCain slighted in his last words and edicts. Sarah Palin, John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 Presidential race, was excluded from all of the memorials. Also banned were three of the most prominent members of his 2008 presidential campaign — campaign manager Steve Schmidt, senior adviser Nicolle Wallace and longtime strategist John Weaver.”

McCain is said to have never forgiven himself for letting the GOP pick Sara Palin, as his vice presidential mate. Republican leadership felt that a woman would offset the feared turnout of minority voters for Obama, the first black candidate. The mayor of a small town in Alaska was uniquely unsuited for the job. If Obama was a class choice, she was a crass choice. Obama’s slogan was “Yes.We.Can.” Palin represented people who interpreted it as “No.You.Won’t.”   Trump’s preparation for the job may be no more substantial than hers, but with a public relations image as a rich businessman and TV star, he built on the Tea Party mentality she helped ignite.

Former President Obama took this perspective,” So much of our politics, our public life, our public discourse, can seem small and mean and petty, trafficking in bombast and insult, in phony controversies and manufactured outrage,” Obama said. “It’s a politics that pretends to be brave, but in fact is born of fear. John called us to be bigger than that. He called us to be better than that.”

It was a difficult two weeks for Trump in court cases and in global politics. The tweet count is higher than ever and his threats to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions continue. The assumption is that a new AG might speed up the end of the special prosecutor probe that started with Russian interference in American elections and seems to now include financial issues with Trump and his real estate company.

American national bi-elections are just eight weeks away and polling, if accurate, suggest Democrats might take control of Congress. That this haunts Trump was clear when he warned evangelical religious leaders to get their people to the polls or risk losing what many believe they gained.

New York Times reporter Peter Baker summed up the funeral: “They also came to mourn an ideal that McCain represented and a town that he once dominated with verve and humor and memorable flashes of temper. Like Mr. McCain, many of the Republicans who attended have found themselves deeply discouraged by their own party’s president. But unlike Mr. McCain, most of them do not say so out loud, for fear of rage by Twitter or retribution by the base. It was almost as if it were a meeting of Washington’s political underground, if the underground met in a grand cathedral with 10,650 organ pipes.”

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India News

CBSE denies OSM portal data breach, terms online allegations misleading

CBSE has strongly dismissed social media allegations of a security breach in its On-Screen Marking (OSM) portal, clarifying that the exposed URL is a mere testing site containing no actual student data or exam marks.

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11 hours ago

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May 26, 2026

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CBSE

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has refuted viral claims circulating on social media regarding a security breach in its On-Screen Marking (OSM) portal. In an official statement, the national education board dismissed the allegations, labeling them completely false and highly misleading.

The clarification comes after social media posts suggested that sensitive student records and internal assessment systems had been compromised by unauthorised actors. Media reports indicate that the board has categorically denied any leak of actual student marks or examination-related details.

Testing site hosted no real student details

According to the statement released by the board, the web address highlighted in the viral allegations belongs strictly to a testing environment. The board clarified that this URL is utilized purely for internal evaluations, data sampling, and platform reviews during development phases.

The board firmly reiterated that no live student details, official scoreboards, or active examination data are stored on this testing site. Authorities have advised stakeholders and students to refrain from panic and avoid circulating unverified rumors that challenge the integrity of the examination system.

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India News

Congress Dismisses Karnataka Leadership Transition Rumors After Six-Hour Delhi Meet

The Congress party has rejected ongoing rumors regarding a leadership change or a rotating Chief Minister formula in Karnataka, stating that a recent six-hour meeting in Delhi focused strictly on the upcoming Rajya Sabha and MLC elections.

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11 hours ago

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May 26, 2026

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The Congress party has strongly downplayed the intense political buzz surrounding a potential leadership transition or a change in the Chief Minister’s post in Karnataka. Following a marathon six-hour meeting with the state’s top leadership in New Delhi, the party explicitly rejected the ongoing speculation, labeling it as having “no reality.”

A brief statement issued to the media after the high-level meeting advised against spreading rumors, clarifying that the discussions were entirely centered on upcoming electoral strategies rather than structural changes within the state government. The party stated that the deliberations solely revolved around the state’s three vacant Rajya Sabha seats and the upcoming Member of Legislative Council (MLC) elections.

Rajya Sabha and MLC Polls Take Center Stage

The high-stakes meeting was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and party General Secretary KC Venugopal, alongside Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Briefing the media post-meeting, KC Venugopal stated that conversations were strictly confined to the Rajya Sabha and MLC elections, emphasizing that there is no truth to any other political speculation. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also confirmed that the agenda of a potential cabinet expansion or a leadership shift did not come up during the six-hour-long discussion.

Background of the Power Struggle

The question of leadership in Karnataka has remained a recurring theme for over a year. Supporters of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have consistently maintained that the central leadership promised a rotating Chief Ministership arrangement when the government was formed after the 2023 assembly elections.

Speculation had intensified recently as the ruling government faced local anti-incumbency pressures alongside renewed political activity from the opposition bench. Some internal reports had even indicated a push from within certain sections of the high command, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for a leadership revamp.

Balancing Caste Equations and Party Structure

The central leadership has navigated the situation cautiously to maintain political stability. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, 80, commands a powerful “Ahinda” support base—a coalition comprising minority communities, backward classes, and Dalits. This social alliance was crucial in helping the party navigate the traditional Vokkaliga and Lingayat caste dynamics during the 2023 elections.

Although the rotation issue had previously gained significant momentum when the government completed two years in office, the party high command had chosen to maintain the status quo to avoid any adverse electoral impact in neighboring assembly elections, such as in Tamil Nadu. With those elections concluded, supporters of the 64-year-old Deputy Chief Minister had expressed optimism for a transition. Shivakumar currently holds the dual responsibility of being the Deputy Chief Minister as well as the state Congress chief, signaling his critical organizational value to the party. However, for the time being, the party high command has firmly signaled that the current leadership structure will remain unchanged.

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Cricket news

Bowlers may hold the key in high-stakes IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 at Dharamsala

Although the media build-up centers on the batting heavyweight clash between Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 in Dharamsala is set to be decided by the bowling consistency of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Siraj.

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19 hours ago

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May 26, 2026

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Flat pitches, towering sixes, and relentless run-scoring have defined the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 so far. However, when Gujarat Titans (GT) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lock horns in Qualifier 1 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala, the contest could ultimately hinge on the bowlers.

The HPCA Stadium has proved to be unforgiving for bowlers due to its short boundaries. A teaser of what could unfold was evident during recent net sessions, where Gujarat Titans’ Jos Buttler and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Tim David regularly launched monstrous hits out of the stadium. In the three matches played at this venue this season, teams crossed the 200-run mark five times, with the lowest score being 199/8. An average of nearly 25 maximums per match has been hit here, promising another potential run-fest.

Moving past the Kohli vs Gill narrative

While media attention focuses on the iconic battle between the ‘King’ Virat Kohli and the ‘Prince’ Shubman Gill—hailed as the heir to Indian cricket’s batting legacy—the true deciding factor might lie elsewhere. Both batters look in pristine touch. Gill occupies the second spot in the Orange Cap race with 616 runs from 13 matches, trailing behind his opening partner Sai Sudharsan. Meanwhile, Kohli has bounced back from a brief mid-tournament slump by smashing a sparkling century, taking his tally to 557 runs this season.

Despite the incredible batting firepower on display, the bowling units are expected to dictate which team blinks last. Media interactions with team managements highlighted that consistency and self-belief within the respective bowling departments have been the defining traits of both squads this season.

Powerplay battles to decide the finalist

For RCB, veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the charge alongside Kagiso Rabada for GT, with both spearheads locked as the joint-highest wicket-takers across the two sides at 24 wickets each. Bhuvneshwar holds a slight edge due to a superior economy rate. Close behind them is GT’s Mohammed Siraj, who has taken 17 wickets so far. With supporting acts like Josh Hazlewood, Jason Holder, Prasidh Krishna, Rasikh Salam Dar, and spinners Rashid Khan and Krunal Pandya in the mix, the match promises an intriguing tactical battle.

Gujarat Titans’ assistant coach Vijay Dahiya acknowledged that negotiating Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the powerplay will be a massive task, but reminded that GT possesses equal firepower in Siraj and Rabada. “If you talk about the powerplay, our numbers are among the best in this tournament,” Dahiya stated.

RCB captain Rajat Patidar echoed similar views, placing immense faith in his bowling attack to stop GT’s prolific opening duo of Gill and Sudharsan. “Our strength is bowling. The way we bowl in the powerplay will be very crucial. We’ll look for early wickets and that is what we have done throughout the tournament,” Patidar remarked.

In a tournament dominated by towering batting displays, the team whose bowling unit holds its nerve under the Dharamsala lights will seal a direct spot in the IPL final.

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