McCain Comes Through for Democrats, Casts Deciding ‘No’ Vote on GOP Health Care Bill

[truth_seeker]

Why is that?

I mean, GOP nominees don't come out of thin air -- voters actually vote for them in primaries.  So why aren't conservative voters voting for more conservative GOP nominees?

"Conservatives" spend a lot of time debating the definition of conservatism, but little time working to enlarge their ranks.

The former is easy, the latter is really hard. Forums like this and others, prove the extent to which conservatives waste time but accomplish nothing in terms of votes gained.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

"Conservatives" spend a lot of time debating the definition of conservatism, but little time working to enlarge their ranks.

The former is easy, the latter is really hard. Forums like this and others, prove the extent to which conservatives waste time but accomplish nothing in terms of votes gained.

[bilo]

@Jazzhead

Trump was praising McCain for coming back to vote.  This is the same Trump who liked people who didn't get captured in Vietnam, instead of McCain who was captured when his plane went down. Now, McCain has paid him back for that.  Now awaiting the next Trump tweet blasting McCain all over again.  Do what Trump wants or you are fodder for destruction.

I didn't vote for Trump because of the stupid and crude comments he made. I regret that because he at least has made an effort to fulfill his campaign promises. He did nominate judges from his list. He is trying to get the wall built. He has changed foreign policy and is working to strengthen the military. He has been trying to repeal obamacare. He might be inept with the legislative process, but at least he's trying to keep his promises.

The Pub party has no discipline on key votes. It's either because they don't hold people accountable, or they really don't care. Either way they are worthless, there is no point in electing people you have to "hope" will keep their promises. Good riddance to the lot of them!

[bilo]

 

Trump needs to take his pen to make all Congress and their staff use Obamacare regardless of whether they are eligible for any other insurance including VA benefits effective immediately.  Juan should have to use it to treat his brain cancer like the rest of the poor saps stuck with Obamacare.

 

[cato potatoe]

I have to believe that ... in a better time ... the public would have objected to allowing a man with terminal BRAIN cancer to decide the fate of our health care system.  How hard would it be for Gov. Ducey to appoint a Republican with a whole brain intact?  Seriously.

[rodamala]

Did they go on to have Eggs Benedict with Benedict Cumberbatch?

Sausage McConnell with egg and cheese and a couple 2 for $3 Egg McCains.

I'm lovin' it.

[Emjay]

This tells me Benedict McConnell wanted the vote to fail, too.  He had to know how Benedict McLame would vote and he delayed the vote until McLame would be there.

Not really.  He needed McCain to get the necessary votes.  Let's not get too carried away.

[Emjay]

McCain should have disclosed his support for Obamacare during his reelection campaign.  But then again, the people of Arizona should have known he was a LIAR.

It's a mystery why people continue to re-elect total failures like McCain.  Maybe it's like a bad habit they can't seem to give up.

[Emjay]

undue pessimism.

Ted Cruz, in his first election, beat the sitting Lt Governor hand-picked by a popular Governor for the Senate seat.

Tom Cotten beat a two time Senate incumbent.

Get the right person with the right message, and it can be done.

Yes !!   Cruz and Cotton are great examples.

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

When Ted Kennedy died I was on another site talking with a bunch of Libs (medical & pharmaceutical site).

They were all saying nice things about Teddy.

The most diplomacy I could manage was;

"It's a shame he had to die to leave office, but at least we're rid of him."

This business with John McCain feels eerily similar.

[Snarknado]

Exactly. The dead Senator just gave cover for the 10 or so others who had to vote for the repeal, but love Obamacare.

I agree (except I might use undead rather than dead) - if it hadn't been McCain it would have been Graham or Portman or one of a few others. McCain took the heat for them because he had the least to lose.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Ugh.....

McCain's didn't take the heat for anyone.  His vote did not matter.  He could have stayed in Arizona "recovering" and the vote would have failed anyway.

Plus, McCain didn't look like someone who was "taking one for the team".  He appeared positively thrilled that he got to cast this vote and jab a sharp stick in Trump's eye.

[dfwgator]

It's a mystery why people continue to re-elect total failures like McCain.  Maybe it's like a bad habit they can't seem to give up.

George Carlin said it best....

“Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain't going to do any good; you're just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here... like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There's a nice campaign slogan for somebody: 'The Public Sucks. **** Hope.”

[skeeter]

I don't.  McCain wasn't someone like Collins or Murkowski who just cast obligatory, pro forma repeal votes they knew wouldn't matter.  He actively and aggressively campaigned against ObamaCare for years, especially in his most recent election.  This is basically a complete 180.

The reason McCain didn't vote for that bill is pure personal pique.  He's pissed at Trump and didn't want to hand him a victory of any kind.  McCain's behavior on the floor, etc., all point to an emotion-based decision.  Anything he can do to sabotage Trump, he'll do, and I'm sure he celebrated knowing how much he pissed Trump off.

The silver lining in all this is that the bill would have failed even without McCain's vote, and we may well have gotten some Democrat-alternative when the moderate Republicans join Democrats in the House and Senate.  Trump may even have signed such a "compromise" bill prior to this vote.  But I have to think that McCain so openly spitting in Trump's eye will lead Trump to make an emotion-based decision.  Rather than letting McCain "win" by getting some moderate Dem bill through, Trump will dig in his heels and likely promise a veto, just to ensure that McCain doesn't win.

So though it would have been better had the bill passed, I'm glad that if it was going to fail, it would fail in the way it did.  And I don't buy for a second that McConnell knew this was going to happen when McCain was in Arizona.  He probably learned when the "Maverick" decided to start venting.

Good analysis. I agree completely.

[skeeter]

I didn't vote for Trump because of the stupid and crude comments he made. I regret that because he at least has made an effort to fulfill his campaign promises. He did nominate judges from his list. He is trying to get the wall built. He has changed foreign policy and is working to strengthen the military. He has been trying to repeal obamacare. He might be inept with the legislative process, but at least he's trying to keep his promises.

The Pub party has no discipline on key votes. It's either because they don't hold people accountable, or they really don't care. Either way they are worthless, there is no point in electing people you have to "hope" will keep their promises. Good riddance to the lot of them!

Another excellent post. Thanks

[HonestJohn]

I do appreciate finding lemonade in a field of lemons.

However, I'm so mad at the Pubs that I won't forgive them, or forget, that they've lied to me for 7 long years. At this point, I say to heck with all of them. There is never any consequence when a lib Pub breaks with the party. If they won't keep their promises, or punish those who lie, then what good are they?

How did you not see this?

I figured it out with Romney securing the Republican nomination in 2012.

The GOP, if they wanted a repeal, would not have supported the 'grandfather' of Obamacare (ie: Romneycare).

And if the plurality of GOP primary voters wanted a repeal, they wouldn't have voted for him.

[HonestJohn]

Exactly. The dead Senator just gave cover for the 10 or so others who had to vote for the repeal, but love Obamacare.

46 Democrat senators, 2 independents, and those 10 Republicans equals 58 votes.

More than enough to 'fix' Obamacare's problems.

That's almost enough to override a filibuster, too.

The only thing stopping it is McConnell... and the same kind of issue exists in the House.

Overall, more Representatives and their constituents want the program fixed.  Not repealed or replaced.

Both McConnell and Ryan know it, too.  But they are trapped, because they know the majority of GOP *PRIMARY* votes oppose Obamacare in any form.

Note that, *PRIMARY* voters, not GOP general election voters. 

[HonestJohn]

I really love him backslapping and hugging with his Democrat buds on the floor. This guy is a backstabbing d-bag par excellence.

That said, the bill was worthless anyway, so in the end it really doesn't matter.

He doesn't have anything to lose now.  He knows the only one he's going to answer to now... is the Lord.

So he's going to vote his conscience, and there isn't any amount of pressure that can be exerted anymore.

[dfwgator]

He doesn't have anything to lose now.  He knows the only one he's going to answer to now... is the Lord.

So he's going to vote his conscience, and there isn't any amount of pressure that can be exerted anymore.

IOW, he's going "Scorched Earth."

[HonestJohn]

George Carlin said it best....

“Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain't going to do any good; you're just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here... like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There's a nice campaign slogan for somebody: 'The Public Sucks. **** Hope.”

 

[skeeter]

 

So he's going to vote his conscience, and there isn't any amount of pressure that can be exerted anymore.

If he's gonna vote his conscience it's only because that's also where he keeps his spite.

[HonestJohn]

IOW, he's going "Scorched Earth."

What's he got to lose?

His life?

[dfwgator]

What's he got to lose?

His life?

I suppose he's already lost his soul.

[truth_seeker]

46 Democrat senators, 2 independents, and those 10 Republicans equals 58 votes.

More than enough to 'fix' Obamacare's problems.

Dude you are obviously on the wrong site. If you think a "solution" from 46 democrats would really fix it,  is not a conservative solution.

It is a liberal solution.

[rodamala]

George Carlin said it best....

@dfwgator