Do as I say; not as I do. Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, in a speech earlier this week, criticized his opponent, Democrat Barack Obama, for waiting until now - after six years in the U.S. Senate and two years into a national campaign - to visit the Middle East where American troops have been fighting for seven years. Read more...

• Whale mistake

Often incorrectly believed - at least north of the border - to be Mexico's Independence Day, Cinco De Mayo actually commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which 4,500 members of the Mexican militia defeated about 6,500 French Army soldiers.

According to www.mexonline.com, France wanted to expand its empire, and, landing on the gulf coast of Mexico at Veracruz, started a 600-mile march toward Mexico city. They were stopped in Peubla by Mexican forces on May 5, 1862.

"The victory was a glorious moment for Mexican patriots, which at the time helped to develop a needed sense of national unity, and is the cause for the historical date's celebration," the Web site states.

The victory was short-lived, however, because France soon sent more troops, and within a year established Archduke Maximilian of Austria as the new ruler of Mexico.

That, and the end of the American Civil War, set the stage for the United States to step in and help its neighbor. According to the Web site, the United States soon provided political and military assistance to the Mexicans, who eventually expelled the French in 1867.

While most fervently celebrated in Puebla, the holiday has become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years, often as a good excuse for a party with tasty Mexican snacks and beverages.

But, considering America's own history of ousting an unwanted ruling power based overseas, it is appropriate and neighborly for us to acknowledge our neighbor's victory, especially since we helped out in the end - once our own internal conflict had been resolved.

Another tie binding the United States to Cinco De Mayo is that Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, the Mexican general who led that small, undersupplied but victorious militia in Puebla, was born in Texas, albeit while that area still belonged to Mexico.

According to www.vivacincodemayo.org, numerous Mexicans, perhaps grateful for U.S. support during their historic struggle, later joined U.S. Armed Forces to help after the World War II Pearl Harbor attack.

"Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans," the Web site states. "That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party - a party that celebrates freedom and liberty."

Those ideals certainly are something to celebrate, and something Americans always should get behind.