Posted on 10/13/2013 11:01:52 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The key bit comes at the very end, in response to a question about who’s responsible for the temporary suspension of death benefits to families of fallen troops. McCain’s answer: Everyone in Congress — but, implicitly, especially the “defund” caucus. You can tell how eager Maverick was to make that point by how quickly he turns a segment about the administration giving short shrift to the military — normally an easy lay-up for a Republican against a Democratic president — into a lament about Cruz et al. I’m not sure a guy who’s positioned himself as the lead Republican opponent of the “wacko birds” should be ruminating on holding people accountable, but if he’s leaning towards not running again in 2016, he’s got nothing to lose. No doubt he’s enjoying sticking it to tea partiers immensely.
If nothing else, this clip illustrates the slightly (but only slightly) exaggerated truth that “there are now two Republican parties.” Case in point:
Tea Party Republicans approve of the job congressional Republicans are doing by a 72%-25% margin. However, a plurality of NON-Tea Party Republicans disapprove by a 49%-42% In addition, 69% of Tea Party Republicans believe the GOP is demonstrating strong leadership and standing up for what they believe in, versus 29% of them who say they’re putting their political agenda ahead of what’s good for the country. But those numbers are reversed among NON-Tea Party Republicans — 53% say they’re putting politics first, while 41% think Republicans are standing up for what they believe in. And then there’s this: Among Tea Party Republicans, Ted Cruz has a 52%-4% fav/unfav rating. But among non-Tea Party it’s 13%-23%.
Either that rift is healed in the next two years or the primary campaign in 2015 is going to be … really something. One question for the “defund” supporters, though: If this really was about trying to build consensus in Congress to stop O-Care, why is Mark Begich claiming that none of the defunders ever met with him to pitch him on joining them in voting no? He’s a red-state Democrat who’s up for reelection next year; it’s unlikely that he’d break ranks with his caucus, but if any Dem is going to, it’s one who’s in Begich’s position. Instead, he claims, “The only time Ted Cruz said something to me was when I was literally coming to the floor, you know the two tables down by the desk there where you cast your vote. He said, ‘You should vote for this.’ That was it.” Could be that Begich is lying, of course, but if he’s going to lie, there are more self-serving lies he could tell than that one. E.g., “I have grave concerns about ObamaCare, and Senators Cruz and Lee begged to meet with me about them. But once they threatened to shut down the government, I told them ‘Hell, no!’” A lie along those lines would please Alaska GOPers by signaling his alleged “concerns” about O-Care and Alaska Democrats by punching Cruz and Lee. And showing that he was opposed to the shutdown would please both. Instead, he’s making the lesser claim that no one on the defund side ever tried to meet with him. That makes me think it’s true, and if it’s true, why is it true? What did defunders have to lose by feeling him out to see what he’d need to conceivably vote with Republicans against Reid’s amendment stripping the “defund” provisions out of the House bill? Remember, Reid could have lost as many as three Democrats on that and still passed it by simple majority, so he might have let Begich cross the aisle in order to protect himself with reddish Alaska voters. Why not try?
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
YOU SON OF A BI@TCH.
Despicable self serving bastard!!!
Screw you McCain you POS, just switch to the Democrat party and get it over with.
He’s making a list and checking it twice.
WTH??? is loser McCain thinking of running for president again, or do they have some really damaging stuff on him? He has totally lost it.
I can’t believe I voted for this guy.
Well, actually it was more for Sarah. This putz was just along for the ride.
And hopefully those who supported the abhorrent failure of ObamaCare will be held accountable as well... with unemployment.
And take your fat fool of a daughter with you.
It make me ill to remember I voted (with pinched nose) for this nitwit. I should have wrote in zippee the clown.
What led to this mess?
A President that has never submitted a cogent budget - and none of them were found acceptable to his own party.
A Senate that has never passed a budget since Obama has been in office.
Failure of Congress to follow 'regular order' in that the Senate makes a budget, confers with the House and passes a budget.
Use of "continuing resolutions' in lieu of 'regular order'. CRs are not mentioned in the Constitution.
Failure to get appropriations bills (usually about 14) passed through conference by both chambers.
The use of "Gangs of X" instead of congressional committee work. McLame and Linda were dismal failures.
The use of abusive Executive Orders to bypass the Congress and skate constitutional authority of Congress and create extra-constitutional authority of a run-away President.
A President that rewrites laws after passage, selectively enforces - or fails to fully enforce - laws on the books. (DOMA, Sanctuary Cities, Sequester)
The abuse of a corrupt solicitor general in having the SCOTUS morph a mandate into a tax, and rewriting the constitution on the "origination" concept whereby the court originated a new tax which is clearly the purview of the House - and ONLY he House.
We have an imperial president who openly HATES the Constitution. McLame assured us not to be "skeered" of Obama during his last debate which turned into a concession speech.
Rampant, systemic, and institutionalized voter fraud. The entire nation has had the thuggish antics of Chicago politics fully installed at the White Crib. Obama added the extra factor of Muslim Brotherhood operatives in high offices. This will require a lot of cleansing - much more than simply the Clinton bathtub ring.
Barry, Harry, and SanFranNan are leading an illegal strike. Get back to work, slackers! I'm lookin' at you, too, McLame.
Yes, they should be held accountable. They should be rewarded for doing the things that the entire GOP should be doing. They are defending our way of life and our freedom while brainwashed and senile fools like McCain are trying to surrender to the Progressives every way he can—just as he did in 2008 when he fought like hell to win the nomination and then tried like hell to lose the election.
McCain is a disgrace and should be run outta Dodge!!
But the people who created obamacare should not be held accountable??? McCain, you idiot.
What an asshat!
John McCain demonstrates his keen intellect capacity for geometric reasoning
Indeed. And you’re just the guy to do it, eh John?
he has slithered and sunk beneath contempt......
Can’t say it any better without being banned. We let the ‘media’ pick the candidate back then..and this is what we end up with. The only thing he ever did right was bring Palin on to the ticket. Then we let ‘the media’ and GOPe pick the guy that LOST to McCain to run next. The Left wants to get rid of the GOP but senile idiots like this are doing it FOR them.
Friggin Turncoat!
I saw it, made me nauseous. His disdain for Cruz was very evident.
Newt warned us.
Senator Juan McCain is a disloyal SOB. The once great POW has turned against his American people. I wonder who got to him. Soros?
I would still like to know what Juan McCain told the VC in Hanoi Hilton.
Would somebody please tell this fool to shut up. He still doesn’t realize why he lost the election to Obama. If he’d shut up long enough to see the damage he’s doing to the cause, he might smarten up enough to be viable.
FUJM.
You'd think by now someone would've taken Juan aside and told him to STFU!
John, your Goldwater days are gone. Buh Bye.
McCain wanted to get 100’s of Americans killed for his House of Saudi buddies in Syria. He must be held accountable for that.
Arizona needs to 1) recall him if they have that power or 2) do not elect him again. What a disgrace.
I say we hold them accountable by voting for them, donating money to their campaigns, and campaigning against the people who weren’t behind the Obamacare shutdown. I also say we boycott Arizona until they dump McCain.
Yes they will be held accountable. They will be promptly returned to Washington next election.
I don’t want to know what he told them, I just want to know how much it would have cost us for them to KEEP him.
I feel the same way. Sarah got me excited and I overlooked too many things. Today, I try to rationalize it as a vote against Obama.
I am so tryin’ not to loose some filthy words at this total ass traitor.
I think I will stop now. I hate him.
John “Collaborator” McCain spews his crap again!
mclame needs a competency hearing
I agree with the Vietnamese punching bag. The Tea Party-types need to be held accountable, by rewarding them with the Presidency and control of Congress.
When I voted in 08’ I threw up in my mouth. I didn’t like McCain but thought Palin could be his “Cheney” and steer him mostly right.
Since the days leading up to the election I became convinced that he did not want to win and I think it was the GOP intention all along.
The GOP seriously needs a good fumigation.
From one Vet to another. Your service for this country is no longer needed.
John McCain, you are disgusting, rotten, piss poor, useless traitorous piece of sh!t.
I used to preface my remarks about McCain with thanks for his heroism, etc.
No more.
Now I just am hating the guy and everything he says.
Please forgive me Lord.
5.56mm
I despise this man every bit as much as I despise Obama, Reid & Pelosi.
McCain is holding on to a very slim Reid.
McCain is a traitor to Americans and it’s time for Sarah Palin to denounce him.
The day McCain is gone from the senate will be almost as joyous as the day Ted Kennedy was no longer there to continue their carnage in our government.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.