This is a very interesting comment. As I chronicle in The Real McCain, because of his Vietnam experience, McCain was reflexively against using military force during his early political career. He chastised others who disagreed, as is his way.

Yet, once he joined with the neo-conservatives and argued for overwhelming force even when war was unnecessary (see Iraq), he also used the Vietnam example.

In any case, his extensive military background, including his father and grandfather the admirals, does mean he is steeped in military culture. Good or bad? Maybe not black and white, but Harkin, a veteran himself, has some interesting things to say about this:

"He has a hard time thinking beyond that," Harkin told reporters. "I think he's trapped in that. Everything is looked at from his life experiences, from always having been in the military, and I think that can be pretty dangerous."

"It's one thing to have been drafted and served, but another thing when you come from generations of military people and that's just how you're steeped, how you've learned, how you've grown up."

Harkin, like McCain, was a Navy flier, though unlike McCain Harkin never saw combat.

Harkin said "there's nothing wrong with a career in the military…but now McCain is running for a higher office. He's running for commander in chief, and our Constitution says that should be a civilian. And in some ways, I think it would be nice if that commander in chief had some military background, but I don't know if they need a whole lot."