McCain Makes Senate Americans Blue/caption
Sen. John McCain typifies the dysfunctional U.S. Senate.
The 80-year-old flew 2300 miles from Phoenix to Washington for an important procedural vote: simply to begin debate for the GOPs replacement bill for Obamacare (Vice President Pence broke the 50-50 deadlock with his tie-breaking vote). To a heros welcome of universal cheers McCain delivered a feisty 15-minute speech excoriating his colleagues inaction. He criticized them for their partisan infighting and for their inability to get constructive things accomplished. If thats so hasnt this elder statesman been an integral part of that governing body for the last 30 years? Doesnt this former presidential nominee the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services bear some responsibility for Republicans failure to deliver in 2017?
Stitched brow fresh from the surgeons knife his face full of righteous indignation McCain bloviated. His voice conveyed a grandstanding message of unrealistic idealism:
Lets trust each other. Lets return to regular order. Weve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle. Were getting nothing done my friends. Were getting nothing done."
Speaking of achieving nothing what was this mavericks" next move? Utterly oblivious to his own advice he voted against the clean" Obamacare repeal. Recall that repeal is the fundamental step to finally kill this costly healthcare disaster. That must occur regardless of any GOP replacement still in the works. Specifically doesnt Senator McCains long-suffering constituency deserve real progress? After all for them Obamacare premiums have increased a staggering 116 percent! However thats not this multimillionaires problem: as a member of Congress hes exempted from Obamacares vagaries. Furthermore given McCains own pressing health issues wheres his sympathy for those less well-situated then himself?
For seven years the GOP has repeatedly promised the American people that they would rip out Obamacare root and branch" once they gained control of Congress and the White House. Well prettily perched there they sit. Six months has elapsed while Congressional Republicans dawdle. Yet the clock is rapidly ticking to the midterm elections in 2018. On Wednesday seven betrayed that long-standing pledge joining all Democrats to defeat a straight repeal bill. For context with the exception of Susan M. Collins (R-ME) six voted for the 2015 Obamacare repeal that was subsequently vetoed by President Obama.
Unfortunately for Republicans history has shown how easily disenchanted voters dispense with them when they dont keep their word. A case and point was one-termer George H. W. Bush. Recall his empty one-liner Read my lips: no new taxes." That capitulation cost him reelection. Likewise with healthcare reform GOP dithering will likely cost them their slim majority in the Senate next year. As Republicans are acting indistinguishably from Democrats as blatantly demonstrated by John McCain what good are they?
All is now jeopardized within this contentious political landscape. Still whats clear is that Republican legislative efforts consistently garner zero support from Democrats. Therefore how is one supposed to work across the aisle" as McCain admonishes with the obstinate and the intractable? After all as Democrats jammed Obamacare down the unsuspecting throats of the American people in 2010 with no Republican support why shouldnt any replacement follow suit?
For starters McCains wishful thinking" isnt a practical or effective strategy. What is is publicly calling out Democrats: for their party caused this healthcare fiasco. Whats worse is their complete abdication of responsibility and their utter lack of cooperation now. In response political hardball is required. For a cue the senator need only look to President Trumps comments from July 18:
It would be nice to get Democrat support but really they are obstructionists. They have no ideas. They have no thought process. All they want to do is obstruct government and obstruct period. In this case think of it so many good things we didnt get one vote and their plan has failed. And by the way Obamacare isnt failing. Its failed. Done."
Liberals unyielding mind-set is absolutely incongruent with basic American ideals like liberty and self-determination. At least in theory thats why Republicans value individuals over government. By contrast progressives expand the state to compel social and political change. Wasnt Obamacare a government takeover of 1/6 of the economy precisely that? Given all these facts why would any Democrat support the GOPs floundering efforts to unshackle healthcare from its centralized bureaucratic controls?
One can neither bargain with fate nor deny what is self-evident. Sorry Senator: advocacy of compromise" with progressives is a proven nonstarter. Another lame tactic shared by McCains fellow RINOs is the self-defeating notion not to vote for repeal until a replacement is fleshed out. Whats the point of voting for formal debate but against meaningful repeal? To that end McCain put an early morning shiv in the GOPs latest Obamacare repeal known as the stripped-down skinny" option. Needing 50 votes to advance it only received 49. Once again Trumps 2:25 AM Tweet of July 28 says it all:
3 Republicans McCain Collins and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning let ObamaCare implode then deal. Watch!"
This veteran of Washington gridlock and those who follow him have likely gifted the chamber to Democrats hands in the next election cycle. Yet whether that happens or not they have wounded the American people by blocking every offered healthcare solution. Today thanks primarily to John McCain disgusted millions who placed their faith in Congressional Republicans have ample reason to feel blue.
David L. Hunter is an Associate Editor at Capitol Hill Outsider. Hes on Twitter and blogs at davidlhunter.blogspot.com. He is published in The Washington Post The Washington Times FrontPage Mag and extensively in Patriot Post Canada Free Press and American Thinker.