It would be much easier to refrain from reciting the litany of John McCain’s defects, and side with him against the predictable bumptiousness of President Trump, were it not for the fact of the news reported today that Sarah Palin is not invited—in fact may have been specifically dis-invited—from his memorial service. Palin has never been anything but gracious to McCain and grateful for his selection of her to be his running mate in 2008, even though McCain’s staff—especially the egregious Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace (both now regulars on MSNBC, which should tell you all you need to know)—undermined Palin from the start rather than preparing her for the stage on which their impetuous boss had abruptly placed her.

It was Palin’s pick that gave a shot in the arm for McCain and might have actually have helped to propel him to victory over Obama (McCain was ahead of Obama in many polls in mid-September) if the financial crisis hadn’t hit, which McCain badly flubbed in response. Sure, McCain made Palin famous, which she in turn monetized, but she was not ready to be on a presidential ticket, and McCain’s premature pick ruined a promising political career.

Just how can you complain about Trump’s boorish egotism when you decide to shun the person whose career you ruined, and who has been nothing but loyal?

This is why, despite the many good things that can be said about McCain, he drives a lot of us crazy. Like Trump, loyalty seems to be a one-way street.