What happened to McCain the maverick?

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Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN

Dear Sen. John McCain:

Say it ain't so. For many of us who have - over the years - admired your courage in tackling difficult issues, this was a painful and disappointing week.

A dozen years ago, I was writing a column for the Arizona Republic when I saw a story about your jaw-dropping support from Latino voters. You earned 60 to 70 percent of the Latino vote in re-election campaigns. You were quoted as saying that it was your "honor" to be well thought of by a population for which you had great respect.

I wrote a column commending you and saying that someone who spent 5½ years as a guest at the Hanoi Hilton probably doesn't take lightly a word like "honor."

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