McCain’s primary challenger asks him to step aside after diagnosis

[Cyber Liberty]

Rude and crude, maybe, but spot on.  He should have had a plan prepared for just this scenario, and he owes it to the people of Arizona to step aside now.

He made an entire career of ignoring what the people of AZ care about, so I expect nothing more of him now than I did a week ago.  He'll cling to power until he expires.

As for Ward, she is performing exactly as she did the night she made her classless, sour grapes concession speech when she lost to him in the last primary.

[Suppressed]

This is a perfectly fine statement:

When the time comes that Senator McCain can no longer perform his duties in the Senate at full capacity, he owes it to the people of Arizona to step aside.

The interviewer asked whether she could be a replacement. In her response, she sold her qualifications, but I don't think it was out of line.

[SunkenCiv]

I don't think so.  I think the test will be, is McCain's performance the same, worse, or better than before.

[Chosen Daughter]

She's partially correct.  He should resign, but Ducey needs to appoint somebody other than the person who lost to him last election.

Not a McCain fan but this is disrespectful.  She hasn't even allowed McCain the opportunity to examine his own situation and make a decision.  I think she is jumping the gun.  Chomping at the bit to gain from his diagnosis.  Give the guy a chance to address his own sickness.  Dignity.

[Suppressed]

Not a McCain fan but this is disrespectful.  She hasn't even allowed McCain the opportunity to examine his own situation and make a decision.  I think she is jumping the gun.  Chomping at the bit to gain from his diagnosis.  Give the guy a chance to address his own sickness.  Dignity.

Did you check the actual interview or just go by the headline?

She didn't demand he step down now--she said when he could no longer perform the duties of his office.

[Cyber Liberty]

Did you check the actual interview or just go by the headline?

She didn't demand he step down now--she said when he could no longer perform the duties of his office.

It's a local story to me so I heard the actual interview.  It rather undercuts her own candidacy she was planning on against McCain's Junior partner, Flake.  She really shouldn't have said anything at all, would have been the smart thing to do.

[Right_in_Virginia]

True.  Only matters on close votes. 

With a two seat majority every vote is a close vote.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I keep hearing that:  "...the median survival rate for anyone with gioblastoma is 14 months."  Here is what that means:  Half of the victims live less than 14 months, the other half live more. Could be 6 months more.  McCain has, and has had, the best health care US taxpayer money can provide, being a US Senator.  I'd bet he lives at the high end of that statistic.

Dependent upon the statistics, the shorter has to be less than 14 months, but the longer one could be far, far more than 6 months.  Could be years on the high side.

[Rivergirl]

Pathetic exploitation of someone else's misfortune.

[Victoria33]

"Kelli Ward — who lost to McCain last year in Arizona's Republican primary and is now running to challenge Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) — said this week that "the medical reality of [McCain's] diagnosis is grim," and he should consider stepping down and having her take his place."
@mystery-ak

Here is what I think about this:  This Kelli Ward is thinking McCain will die soon.  The problem with that thinking is, one does not know when one is going to die.  Kelli Ward may get killed tomorrow in an accident or drop dead due to some medical problem she doesn't know about, such as her heart stops - then she is the one who should not get this job as she might die before McCain does.

Counting on someone dying before you do, is faulty thinking. 

[Victoria33]

Did you check the actual interview or just go by the headline?  She didn't demand he step down now--she said when he could no longer perform the duties of his office.

Thanks for posting that as I did not read the whole article.  However, if he couldn't perform the duties of his office, couldn't be there, he would have to step down so she didn't need to say that.  It was crass of her to put this out there for public consumption.  And, as I said, she could drop dead tomorrow - don't count on living longer than another person.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

However, if he couldn't perform the duties of his office, couldn't be there, he would have to step down

Please direct me to the laws or rules that dictate this happen. 

There isn't any.

He alone gets to decide whether he needs to step aside, no matter how many votes he misses, brain dead he is or how long it takes.

Only actions of the Senate to remove him or the next election takes it out of his hands, or unless God does it prior to that time.

[edpc]

He alone gets to decide whether he needs to step aside, no matter how many votes he misses, brain dead he is or how long it takes.

Actually, it's up to the citizens of AZ, since he could be subjected to recall.  There was an unsuccessful attempt in 2001 due to his support of amnesty.

[Cyber Liberty]

Dependent upon the statistics, the shorter has to be less than 14 months, but the longer one could be far, far more than 6 months.  Could be years on the high side.

Exactly.  Many people confuse "Median" with "Mean" (average).  Uses of the terms depends on the application.  "Median" is used when there exist distant outliers to the population that can throw the comparison off, in this case outliers at the "old" end of the age spectrum.  McCain could live many, many more years and it's inaccurate to suggest he's living under some sort of death watch, especially with the exceptional health care he receives as a Senator.

Another application of the use of "Median" vs "Mean" is when describing relative incomes.  People making tens of millions per year skew the average numbers to the upside, thus "Median Income" is a more valid comparison than "Mean Income" (or Average).

[Cyber Liberty]

Actually, it's up to the citizens of AZ, since he could be subjected to recall.  There was an unsuccessful attempt in 2001 due to his support of amnesty.

The recall wasn't just about amnesty, it was primarily his refusal to support any cuts in taxes.  I was there, I circulated petitions.

He could refuse a recall, it's purely voluntary on his part.  A recall is not recognized under the US constitution, and would be subject to rejection by the courts, just like term limits in the House were in 1992.

In McCain's case in 2001, he had "promised" to abide by a recall, had it happened.  (Stop laughing.)

[edpc]

A recall is not recognized under the US constitution, and would be subject to rejection by the courts, just like term limits in the House were in 1992.

You're correct.  After further research, I see something similar being thrown out by the courts when a recall effort was initiated against Menendez in 2010.  The only true method of involuntary removal is through 2/3 majority in the Senate, which has generally been reserved for crimes and treason, as it was done in the Civil War.  Williams, Packwood, and Ensign probably would have been booted by this measure, but they resigned first.

[Cyber Liberty]

You're correct.  After further research, I see something similar being thrown out by the courts when a recall effort was initiated against Menendez in 2010.  The only true method of involuntary removal is through 2/3 majority in the Senate, which has generally been reserved for crimes and treason, as it was done in the Civil War.  Williams, Packwood, and Ensign probably would have been booted by this measure, but they resigned first.

It's worth noting that threshold would likely never be met in the case of a Democrat under any circumstance.  They proved in 1999 they would never vote to convict, in the face of the clearest of evidence.  I don't think one Dem Senator so much as peeked at the evidence of Clinton's perjury, their minds were made up. 

Republicans will not tolerate criminality among their ranks, Dems can and have.  But, I suspect Reps are moving in that direction, simply to correct the political imbalance that creates.

[jpsb]

It's a local story to me so I heard the actual interview.  It rather undercuts her own candidacy she was planning on against McCain's Junior partner, Flake.  She really shouldn't have said anything at all, would have been the smart thing to do.

She'd still be better that that RINO Flake.

[jpsb]

Actually, it's up to the citizens of AZ, since he could be subjected to recall.  There was an unsuccessful attempt in 2001 due to his support of amnesty.

I might be wrong but I do not think a US Senator is subject to recall by the voters in any particular state.

[Cyber Liberty]

She'd still be better that that RINO Flake.

You get no argument from me, I think that applied to McCain as well.  I voted for her.  It's her behavior since (not just about this) that has soured me on her.

[Emjay]

This is a perfectly fine statement:
The interviewer asked whether she could be a replacement. In her response, she sold her qualifications, but I don't think it was out of line.

Alas...once again I fell for media distortion and misleading headlines.

I still think a better response would have been 'Let's pray for Senator McCain's recovery now and deal with that a bit later.'

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Actually, it's up to the citizens of AZ, since he could be subjected to recall.  There was an unsuccessful attempt in 2001 due to his support of amnesty.

Really?  Am still waiting for that written reference to support that claim.

[240B]

Nobody I know wishes this kind of situation on McCain or his family. And nobody should be held to 'blame' for it by something they may have said. This situation occurred of its own accord. It is 'natural causes'. Nothing more than that.

However, now that it has happened and it is a reality, we should know by the end of the month more about his prognosis and his intentions. If he is half the man of dignity and honor that his supporters describe him to be. And, if he is actually a Republican, which many people debate, then he should resign for the good of the country and the good of his party.

It would be an absurd travesty to have him legislating from an ICU for weeks or months. Nobody is irreplaceable. He is just another of tens of thousands of public servants. He is not an emperor, or a messiah.

Of course, I thought it was absurd for him to run again at 80 for an 8 year stint in a 'government job'. And I thought it was bizarre that he got reelected. Is he that hard up for money that he has to work until he is almost 90? Does he really have that opinion of himself, that he is so important that only he can do his job? Even Fidel Castro resigned in his 80s.

He should have saved more or invested or something. I hope I don't have to go to work when I'm 88 years old.

It will be interesting to see how this scenario plays out and gets resolved. I hope he does resign, regardless of how this particular diagnosis turns out. I kind of feel sorry for him having to keep working at his age and with his health issues. He should take it easy and get some rest. Spend some time with the family. He has earned it.

[Cyber Liberty]

Really?  Am still waiting for that written reference to support that claim.

You have a long wait, because that wasn't why he was the subject of the 2001 recall campaign.  I was there, I circulated petitions, and that was not the reason.  Here is an article I just Googled up from the Washington Times, dated June 12, 2001:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2001/jun/12/20010612-023719-2661r/

FTA:

Mr. Clingmans application cites differences with Mr. McCain because the senator "refuses to support the Republican president of the United States of America."

"We don't feel the senator represents Arizona anymore, he represents himself, he represents his own agenda, which doesn't seem to be what most Arizonans agree with," said Miss [Michele] Regan, who has volunteered to gather signatures.

Specifically, Miss Regan cited disagreements over campaign finance reform, gun show sale restrictions and Mr. McCain's rocky relationship with the White House.

"He doesn't support the president; that's a big bone of contention," Miss Regan said.

Mr. McCain hosted Senate Majority Leader Tom A. Daschle, South Dakota Democrat, at his Arizona ranch one week ago.

(As an aside, I wish to mention I was there in the Desert near McCain's compound near Cottonwood, protesting the Dashcle visit.  Daschle was not there to play Badminton, he was there to negotiate McCain's possible switch to the Democrat Party.  I know what I'm talking about.)

[Cyber Liberty]

Alas...once again I fell for media distortion and misleading headlines.

I still think a better response would have been 'Let's pray for Senator McCain's recovery now and deal with that a bit later.'

You were not misled, MJ....What she said is every bad as it looks.