The old John McCain showed up on Tuesday, upbraiding the Senate for descending into partisan warfare when it should be cooperating to solve important national problems Unfortunately, Old McCain’s thoughtful speech came a little too late. His nemesis, New McCain, had already cast the deciding vote to advance a health-care bill embodying everything Old McCain denounced. I wish Sen. McCain the best. I hope he gets better and I hope Old McCain comes back strong.
David Shannon
July 25
McCain’s vote to open debate on Republican health-care legislation undercut his otherwise welcome call for bipartisanship. In fact, McCain’s vote implicitly endorses the very partisanship he claims to abhor. Because this legislation — which would affect millions of Americans — was written in secret by a group of rich white Republican men without any call for the Democrats to join in, without any public input, without hearings, without expert testimony. If McCain had wanted to strike a chord for bipartisanship, he would have looked Mitch McConnell in the eye and said that the Senate majority leader was guilty of subverting civic norms and representative government.
Christopher Cokinos
July 25
My disappointment is palpable. I have called and written asking him not to cause harm to his constituents by passing a health-care bill that is worse for Arizona than the ACA. He considers himself a “maverick.” He isn’t. He may talk it; he definitely doesn’t walk it.
Leslie Romanyshyn
July 25
He needs to support President Trump and respect all the people who voted for what he promised us!
Alan Setherley
July 26
Sen. McCain stopped caring about representing the wishes of his constituents long ago. He is the perfect example of what career politicians become. Try writing a letter to his office; you’ll never get a response. He is also the perfect argument for term limits, which are long overdue.
Alan Cross
July 26
I seriously don’t understand how he’s allowed to vote on anything considering he has a brain tumor, which affects his cognitive ability... or are we just going to forget his “President Comey” and lying-about-being-sleep-deprived-from-baseball debacle?
Amelia Joy
July 26
He said they will debate and vote, and they debated and he voted. What’s the point of debate if no one is expected to change their mind? I want Obamacare to stay but I don’t blame McCain for changing his mind.
Alex Most
July 27
There is nothing hypocritical in McCain’s vote. He is trying to bring civility and order to a branch of our government that has become toxic. I am not a fan of the senator, but by his words and his vote he is trying to bring order back to a Senate that is in need of any help it can get.
Dave Glicksman
July 27
McCain’s speech was right on. Congress needs to work across party lines for the people not for politics and the president. Unfortunately, he should have delivered a “no” vote to demonstrate he really meant what he said.
Karen Wolfe Harris
July 27
John McCain’s “no” vote on the so-called skinny repeal of Obamacare comes as no surprise. You can rest assured that many other “no” votes will follow, since for the remainder of his term his intent is to vote in ways that will define his legacy as the congressional maverick. He entered public service as a hero, and there are those who feel he will leave as one as long as he finally reveals his true self. Wait and see!
Don Weaver
July 28
Bottom line on why he voted this way is because Arizona jumped on expanded Medicaid and added more people to the Medicaid free health-care rolls. The only people get screwed here are the middle class, who have to pay the tax to foot this bill for others then have to go buy an overpriced plan with less care then those getting the free handout.
Chuck Anthony Brulet
July 28
Thank God this repeal bill fight is over. I pray that Sen. McCain’s courage to stand for a nonpartisan, collaborative process will begin to turn the tide of partisan bickering and result in fixes to Obamacare that actually improve our health-care system.
Maureen Andrew
July 28
