McCain remains front-runner for Republicans

Battle-scarred former prisoner of war John McCain declared he was the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination after a series of victories on Super Tuesday.

The 71-year-old Arizona senator won a series of winner-take-all primary elections and told his supporters “we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican party front-runner for the nomination”.

The indisputable American hero hopes his national security credentials, Senate experience and confident leadership abilities will take him all the way to the Oval Office.

Mr McCain is seen as a temper-prone old-school Republican who staunchly supports the war in Iraq and believes the fight against terror will be central to the presidency.

But his out-of-favour views on issues such as Iraq and immigration have led to many Republicans growing weary of his non-conformist impulses as he makes his second bid to be the leader of the free world.

Mr McCain’s Super Tuesday success is the latest step in a remarkable comeback after weeks of poor fundraising, significant staff departures, and falling poll numbers threatened to derail his campaign last summer.

At the time, he told reporters: “I have faced a lot tougher times than this in my life. I am going to get out the bus and do the town halls and work 24/7. I am confident I will do well. This is a day at the beach compared to some days I have had in my life.”

And this is undoubtedly true. He spent five-and-a-half years in a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam, refusing to be released until those captured before him were set free – in line with US policy.

He was on his 23rd bombing mission on October 26, 1967, when his plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile over Hanoi, north Vietnam.

He ejected, was knocked unconscious and broke both arms and his right knee. Captured, he had his shoulder broken by a rifle butt and was bayoneted in the ankle and groin before it was revealed he was an admiral’s son.

Nicknamed the “Crown Prince” by his captors, he received limited treatment for his injuries but was also tortured and beaten until he was near death on several occasions.

Today, he may shuffle slightly or hold his arms stiffly, is unable to raise his arms above his head and often requires assistance with brushing his hair or donning a jacket – all as a result of his half-decade as a PoW.

On the issues, he believes taxes should be “low, simple, and fair”, has put efforts to reduce global warming at the centre of his platform and has been a leading crusader against excessive government spending.

He is in favour of comprehensive immigration reform, with a path to legal status for undocumented workers, backs federal funding for stem cell research, is pro-life and supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

But he opposes gay marriages and is sceptical of a large federal role in education policy.

Renowned for his relaxed candour, maverick flair and openness to bipartisan deals, Mr McCain often displays his humour and dry wit on the campaign trail.

Born on August 29, 1936, in Canal Zone, Panama, John Sidney McCain III was born into an illustrious military family.

Both his father, who led the Pacific forces in Vietnam, and his grandfather, who commanded aircraft carriers in World War Two, were four-star admirals in the US Navy.

A hot-tempered child, he went to private school before enrolling at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, where he has been described as an “unabashed troublemaker”, for his untidy room, unchecked tongue and taste for partying.

He married Philadelphia model Carol Shepp in 1965 after meeting her while training as a pilot in Pensacola, Florida, and adopted her two sons, Doug and Andy.

The following year the couple had a daughter, Sidney, and in January 1967, Mr McCain was promoted to lieutenant commander and within a few months was on his way to Vietnam.

Following his long physical rehabilitation after being freed from the Hoa Lo prisoner of war camp, dubbed the Hanoi Hilton, in 1973, Mr McCain was a changed man – raring to go after what he saw as a wasted six years of his life.

He continued in the navy but his marriage ran into difficulties. Mr McCain engaged in infidelities and eventually divorced Carol a month before marrying Cindy Hensley, of Phoenix – nearly 20 years his junior – in May 1980. They have four children, Meghan, Jack, Jimmy and Bridget.

He retired from the navy the following year and moved to his wife’s home state of Arizona, where he began his political career.

After three years as an Arizona congressman, Mr McCain became a senator in 1987, where he directed his attention to defence and foreign policy.

But that year, he was the only Republican involved in the Keating Five scandal - five senators who helped Arizona banking executive Charles Keating in his bid to keep federal regulators from taking action against him for questionable business practices.

The Senate ethics committee found he broke no laws, but he acknowledge bad judgment in attending two meetings with regulators and Senate colleagues on Keating’s behalf.

Despite his age – he would be the oldest first term president if elected at 72 - Mr McCain’s experience and broad appeal to Republicans, Democrats and independents could unite a country in its time of need and serve him well in his second White House bid.

“I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I’m certainly the most prepared,” he says.

“And I’m prepared to lead this country. I don’t need any on-the-job training. I’m ready to do the hard things. And that’s what I intend to do.”