Washington • In more ways than one, followers of traditional Republican orthodoxy are facing an emotional inflection point this week.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., at home battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, will not attend this weekend's Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of foreign policy leaders from NATO nations that has become a central clearinghouse for global security matters and a celebration of Western values and democratic institutions.
McCain, an avatar of all of the above, has been a regular attendee for decades. Last year, less than a month after President Donald Trump took office, he stole the show with a speech that denounced the new president's refusal to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin.