In many of John McCain's speeches over the years, he talks of the need to serve a cause greater than our own self-interest. When I went to Navy Firefighting School, I learned that there is a strict hierarchy of how to deal with an emergency at sea. (1) Save your ship (2) Save your shipmates (3) Save yourself.

In that order.

We have a lot of public servants that think like this. They think first and foremost of others, whether it is family, friends or the greater public. They think of themselves last.

In the private sector, there is an acknowledgment and tolerance for those who think of themselves first. The list of corporate titans who make astronomical salaries is long. This personal greed can be harnessed by a company which then sees its profits and stock price rise.

The vote this night is for President of the United States. This is a public service job and not one in the private sector. Because of the nature of the job, personal greed and ambition can get in the way of doing the job right. Serving a cause greater than one's own self-interest hits a lot closer to the mark when your job is being President.

John McCain was a brown-shoe officer in the U.S. Navy until he retired as a Captain. He was my shipmate when we had a fire on our ship, the USS Forrestal, and lost hundreds of sailors. All of us had the same drill, the same training and we knew what to do.

Save your ship, save your shipmates, then save yourself.

Being at war with North Vietnam on a burning aircraft carrier was the definition of a "cause greater than your own self-interest." John was one of the brave sailors.

A few months later, John was shot down and captured by the enemy. He was tortured . . . a lot. The bad guys later found out that his father was promoted to CINC-Pac, Commander in Chief of the Pacific. They brought him into a room and told him they would let him go, to be free and home again. He only had to acknowledge that he and the other prisoners were criminals. He asked about the prisoners who had been there longer than he had. No such luck for them.

If John was looking out for himself, he would have jumped at the chance and gone home. He had to get past the "save your ship, save your shipmates, save yourself" problem. This cause was greater than his own self-interest.

John told them no.

They threw him back in prison and the torture began all over again . . . for years.

In our state, the economic crash of the housing market has made it the top problem for us. We look for a President than can handle the economy. Mitt Romney says its in his DNA. His hedge fund, Bain Capital, made him untold millions of dollars. Mr. Romney derides John McCain for not working in the private sector.

John McCain has served the public sector. Not himself. I am throwing my lot in with a man who remembers to "save your ship, save your shipmates, save yourself." That man is my shipmate, John McCain.

Mike Robinson is an Attorney in Castle Rock. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1970. He is a Vietnam Veteran.