Revealing photo

The above picture is of an assembly at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia - my old stomping ground. I used to teach at St. Stephen's School close by, another Episcopal school for boys (although these days it is merged with its former sister school, St. Agnes for girls). St. Stephen's is a day school and Episcopal High School is boarding.

In Virginia people refer to THE high school, THE university and THE seminary. THE high school is Episcopal, THE university is University of Virginia and THE seminary is Virginia Theological Seminary (with a campus adjacent to that of Episcopal High School) and if a young man graduated from all three, he had an impeccable pedigree. (Ha! Great way to end up a bishop.)

What I want you to notice is the teleprompter toward the back of the gathering. Here's what it reads:

I'm happy to be back at Episcopal, my alma mater, which I have many happy memories of, and a...

Then the sentence was completed:

...few that I'm sure former teachers, school administrators and I would rather forget.

Apparently McCain was known as "The Punk" there.

Interesting that he had to use a teleprompter to speak to his old high school.

You can read more about the occasion here.

Also interesting that McCain has repudiated his Episcopal roots and is now claiming to be a Baptist (although he has not yet gone through believer's baptism by immersion - something that tradition requires.) I guess being a Baptist is more politically expedient these days.