On his website, John McCain invokes one of his signature phrases: “My friends, each and every one of us has a duty to serve a cause greater than our own self-interest.” Who could disagree? Even the staunchest Obama supporter must concede that McCain uses that phrase effectively. However, what does John McCain mean when he talks about serving a cause greater than one’s self?

Two manifestations of serving a greater cause come to mind. One is “walking the talk.” Is rhetoric supported by action? The other is humility. How is personal history used to achieve ends?

Walking the Talk 

1) McCain and Energy. McCain has gotten a lot of mileage grandstanding on energy. From tire pressure gauges to drilling here and drilling now, McCain has tried to get the upper hand on the issue. On his website, one of his promises is to “Encourage the Market for Alternative, Low Carbon Fuels Such As Wind, Hydro and Solar Power.” How committed is McCain to alternative energy and long term energy security? In a NYT op-ed, Tom Friedman writes: “on July 30, that the Senate was voting for the eighth time in the past year on a broad, vitally important bill…that would have extended the investment tax credits for installing solar energy and the production tax credits for building wind turbines and other energy-efficiency systems… Senator McCain did not show up for the crucial vote…and the renewable energy bill was defeated for the eighth time. In fact, John McCain has a perfect record on this renewable energy legislation. He has missed all eight votes over the last year - which effectively counts as a no vote each time. Once, he was even in the Senate and wouldn’t leave his office to vote.”

It’s bad enough for McCain to miss eight votes on an issue he has made central to his campaign. But not voting because he couldn’t muster the energy to walk from his office to the Senate? Is he serving a cause greater than himself?

2) Indignation Over Congress. In the same Friedman article. McCain is admonishing Congress. “Tell them to come back and get to work!” How has he backed up his oft-repeated tongue-lashing? On the last day of Congress before their break, McCain did not bother to vote on H. Con. Res. 398; the resolution providing for an adjournment or recess of the two Houses. If McCain cannot bother to vote against adjourning Congress, he has no business urging them to get back to work.

3) Supporting the Troops, and the War.  A subject looked into previously, but McCain’s hypocrisy over these bread and butter issues bears repeating. Two brief examples:

- McCain hasn’t always voted to support the troops.

- McCain has missed critical Committee meetings on Afghanistan.

McCain has missed votes on issues in which he claims a passionate belief. He publicly opines one way while voting another. How is not walking the talk an example of McCain serving a cause greater than himself?

Humility

If McCain’s phrase were a math statement, it would read: Cause > One’s Self. As McCain injects more of himself self into the campaign, he is changing the equation into Cause = One’s Self or Cause < One’s Self. The most obvious way McCain puts more self into the formula is his and his campaign’s constant reference to his time as a POW.

John McCain once said, "One of the things I've never tried to do is exploit my Vietnam service to my country because it would be totally inappropriate to do so." Sadly, he has not lived up to his words. For those of you not familiar with McCain’s shameless exploitation of his time in Vietnam, read this by TexasLiz, or recent posts by TPM bloggers Lauren, Christopher Williams, and Ripper McCord. For those of you will not read the linked posts, consider this particularly egregious example of POW exploitation. When asked for an explanation of McCain’s Housing Gaffe, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers included the following: "This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years -- in prison."

Fortunately, it seems as if the MSM is becoming increasingly critical of the constant POW references.

The McCain campaign refers to Obama as the World’s Biggest Celebrity. The question to ask is who behaves more like a celebrity – Obama or McCain? Celebrities self-promote by shamelessly bringing attention to themselves. Look at the one walking around pantyless. Look at the other strutting down the red carpet in the revealing designer outfit. McCain doesn’t wear revealing outfits. (I won’t speculate on his underwear…) But like the glitterati, McCain draws attention to himself through self-promotion – specifically, by referring to his time as a POW at every possible moment.

The celebrity image that McCain wants to place on Obama is someone who puts himself first. Perhaps McCain should look in the mirror before accusing others of something that he clearly is.