An Apology to John McCain
Submitted by chuckvw on Fri, 07/28/2017 - 4:21pm
I've had to choke down crow a time or two in my day and I've not acquired a taste for it, but honesty is as honesty does.
It turns out--probably to the surprise of most of us--that Senator McCain returned to D.C. to do an honorable thing. I owe him and his family my profound apology.
Under the circumstances it wasn't a vote he needed to take, and there was nothing of the usual kabuki about it. His vote was as decisive as it was unexpected. His plaint on the floor that "we aren't getting anything done" may indeed have been a genuine Cri De Coeur from a man who knows his time is short.
I can now feel some solidarity with him as a fellow cancer patient. He has a tough road ahead.
Comments
One time perhaps...
but war and neo-consevatism...not so much.
I want a Pony!
@Arrow In a previous comment I
In a previous comment I said I would apologize in the unlikely event that he did the right thing this time. I didn't expect I'd have to apologize. He did the right thing.
I here ya
it's ok to eat crow when your honor is at stake.
Edit..
I want a Pony!
Yeah he did the 'right' thing. SURPRISE!
How much of it was a big screw you for the treatment he's gotten from our Hickey on a Hemorrhoid president?
Don't get me wrong, I'm amazed and happy that he did it. I even give him props for yanking the HoaH prez's chain by voting 'yes' on the first vote on whether or not to continue to try to pass the skinny repeal legislation. I was convinced he would vote yes on the bill. In fact I thought that was why he was flying back to WashingtoN. I was wrong.
I think what McCain did was one of the best examples of political paybacks I've ever seen. And regardless of the reasons he did what he did, I think it was a good thing.
I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks
Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa
A Sudden Burst Of Moral Conscience
perhaps being so near to meeting his Final Reward, he is seeing life in a new light.
Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.
@Citizen Of Earth Nah. Aas pointed out
Nah. Aas pointed out above, i think it was just spiteful political payback. and, of course, an opportunity for paeans of his great "maverick" character. He's still a piece of shit.
I was shocked too.
I didn't think he would rise to do the moral thing. I think I owe him an apology too.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
@dkmich Well...if choosing to put
Well...if choosing to put a small to moderate amount of arsenic in the American people's soup for the next twenty years over pulling out a semi-automatic and gunning them all down is moral.
That's basically what Obamacare vs Trumpcare is. Or Obamacare vs nothing.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@dkmich
Would be interesting to see what donations he may have got from some insurance company/ies making extra off the forced payments...
Edit: and isn't it all to the good for such companies that many people, who can't actually afford health insurance, have to pay for insurance which they can't afford to actually use?
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Yeah, and even
repubs and rightwingers are calling BO care a bailout for the insurance companies.
dfarrah
@dfarrah
I suppose it shouldn't hurt so much when you have to admit so often that right-wingers are right about something; just shows how silly that carefully created great divide is and how susceptible to propaganda we can discover ourselves to be...
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
McCain worked with Jon Kyl* to voucherize Medicare
and establish MSAs (Medical Savings Accounts) for seniors as far back as July 1995. Either of these measures would help destroy health care for seniors.
*former Arizona Senator
Frankly, if Mr M and I weren't already enrolled in Medicare, Medigap and Part D, we'd be worried sick that Dems are 'negotiating' with McCain.
Remember--it was McCain in the Senate, and Jeff Miller in the House that Bernie worked a deal with to begin the privatization of VA medical services/health care. And, now, in only weeks, the 2.0 Version of the Veterans Choice Act--which further privatizes the VA--is slated to be put up for a vote. Supposedly, it has bipartisan support, which is not that surprising considering that the initial hurdle of the privatization process has already been cleared.
IMO, it is best to leave the ACA 'as is'--until a single-payer system is implemented.
Even the proposals for so-called 'fixes' that have been put forth by conservadems--such as Copper Plans, which make Bronze Plans look generous--are more conservative than the existing bill.
Glad, though, if the bill has benefited you and/or your family. Still, I truly believe that any bipartisan 'fix' of the ACA, will only mean that a single-payer system will never see the light of day.
[Edited: Deleted 'here.']
Mollie
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."--Lao Tzu
"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures--they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive."--Gilda Radner
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."--Old English Proverb
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
This whole scenario could have been a setup for the
republicans to get people to defend the ACA.
It's a crappy bill for many people because they are paying such high premiums and deductibles that they still can't afford to see their doctors or pay for their prescriptions.,
Sure it has helped many people, but it should have been a much better bill. The democrats let republicans add 170 amendments in the guise of getting the republicans to vote for it. This would have been fine if they were going to vote for it, but the democrats knew that they weren't going to. Period.
Then they passed it through reconciliation which only needed 50 votes to pass. The democrats could/should have removed the republicans' amendments and passed single payer.
Rockefeller spent his whole career saying that he wanted single payer, but when the time came for the democrats to pass it, he said that the time wasn't right for single payer.
This shows that when something has no chance to pass, people are for it. This is what democrats are doing now and saying that they want Medicare for all. Snowballs in hell have a better chance of surviving then congress passing single payer. There is no way they will go against their masters.
Another thing, why didn't the democrats address Medicare part D when they had the chance to do so? I'm sure you know the answer to that.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Hooray!
John McCain saved Bob Dole's healthcare plan!
What a maverick!
And best of all? He saved the part that says everybody must buy that crappy private insurance they can't afford to use!
/snark
What the hell are people celebrating for?
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
@Not Henry Kissinger On a side note, I've
On a side note, I've always thought Bob Dole was Dole Food, Inc. Turns out not. Just the same name.
By the way, not to hijack, but why the hell aren't companies like Dole Food freaking the fuck out about climate change and making all their puppet politicians dance on strings for a cause I actually believe in for once?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I'm in total agreement
There will be a kabuki marathon in coming months. Establishment dems are as against single payer as anyone. They've been allowed by party loyalists and the msm to pretend otherwise for far too long.
The kabuki marathon that is coming is going to be over
the budget. Trump and republicans want to gut social services and give the rich more tax breaks. Schumer is on record saying that he is willing to work with republicans on this.
No they shouldn't be working with them, they need to block as many bad deals as possible.
The last time the farm budget came up, republicans wanted to take $40 billion from food stamps, but the democrats got the amount down to $8 billion. There was no reason to cut this program for any reason, but this is how democrats work with republicans.
In the same bill, the big agricultural farms received more tax breaks. Most of these huge farms are run by corporations, not regular farmers.,
If the democrats work with republicans on cutting social programs budgets, another mask will come of the democrats showing that both parties are the same. The only difference between the two are on social issues.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
Thus: enter john McCaine.
He was always the embodiment of bipartisanship back in the day. Now that repubs hold all three branches, dems can be ineffective for the masses more cordially.
My apology refers only
to this comment I made on Tuesday:
"The answer is... John McCain, the guy returning to the Senate to vote for Trumpcare while receiving platinum level care on the taxpayer's dime.
Maybe he'll surprise us, in which case I will retract and apologize."
I'm not at all optimistic that single payer will happen anytime soon... not because of the rethugs, but because of establishment dems who care more about the cash flow from big pharma and big insurance. The current situation will likely out the latter.
Gotcha, chuckvw! IMO, we need to be very vigilant--
'cause I don't trust the Dem Establishment as far as I can throw them to negotiate a decent 'deal.'
Even many of the radio and Cable talking heads believe that McCain may have voted to sink the bill, mostly out of retribution toward Trump--due to DT's past insults regarding McCain's POW status. (BTW, sure don't care for McCain, but certainly would not have ridiculed his service as a POW--that was beyond the pale.)
Anyhoo, McCain and Graham are the corporatist neoliberal Democrats' 'go to' Republican counterparts. And, McCain probably voted as he did because he's also in the tank with the insurance industry, just like the Dems. (IMO)
Certainly, not because he gives a whit for 'the American People.'
Mollie
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."--Lao Tzu
"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures--they give unconditional love. For me, they are the role model for being alive."--Gilda Radner
"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."--Old English Proverb
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
He's gotten some good press
too, I'm sure. I just don't read the sites that would praise him anymore, but it makes him seem to care.... And maybe he gets some donations from Insurance companies too.
Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur
@Unabashed Liberal The simple question
The simple question is- what kind of deal could be brokered that would be in line with the principles (I know) of the democratic party? The answer, of course, is none. They will "compromise" to throw billions of taxpayer dollars at the insurance companies and allow even more worthless insurance plans.
@Unabashed Liberal The simple question
The simple question is- what kind of deal could be brokered that would be in line with the principles (I know) of the democratic party? The answer, of course, is none. They will "compromise" to throw billions of taxpayer dollars at the insurance companies and allow even more worthless insurance plans.
"Yeah, but I can think of a thousand ways...
to make 'em thirsty." --Old Nevada Rancher
I'm not so generous.
He and others are responsible for millions dying in other countries.
May he rot in hell.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
@Pricknick I haven't forgiven
I haven't forgiven anything.
@Pricknick Classless comment
Classless comment
It's just my opinion. It can't hurt you
Thank you.
Classless is who the subject of the post was about.
I keep score of useless examples of human beings like him and his ilk.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
@SpamNunn I don't think so. Just
I don't think so. Just an unforgiving one.
Chuck is doing what he has to do based on what he said he would do, and very fairly too.
Pricknick doesn't need to join in or else he's 'classless'.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@SpamNunn Not really, if you
Not really, if you think it through.
I haven't killed anybody or caused a killing.
McCain has.
People all around me have cancer. I despise cancer, wish all of the sufferers good health,
to stand trial for their murders in good health, if that is the case.
We require a certain intelligence level to execute prisoners. It is illegal to execute anyone insane or severely intellectually deficient.
His assistance (insistence?)of mass murder of innocents was "legal".
It is difficult to tippy toe around murder, especially en mass.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
@on the cusp Not at all difficult;
Not at all difficult; Hillary's been doing it for the past 24 months.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@SpamNunn How bourgeois. Miss
How bourgeois. Miss Manners on line one...
@orestes Wishing death on
Wishing death on anyone, especially a politician that you don't agree with, just makes you look unhinged and detracts from your credibility, IMHO
It's just my opinion. It can't hurt you
@SpamNunn Not to split hairs,
Not to split hairs, but hell, if understood in a religious sense, happens after death. If understood in a more metaphorical secular sense, it happens before.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
@Pricknick I've hired you to help me
I've hired you to help me start a war! It's a prestigious line of work, with a long and glorious tradition.
That Vizzini...he can fuss.
Fezzig, are there rocks ahead?
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
As an aside, the final bill that McCain
voted to stop, would not have affected the Medicaid Program, as I understand it.
(If this incorrect, please provide a link. I've been very pushed lately, but did my best to follow the 'ins and outs' of the various machinations of this bill.)
It would have eliminated one year's worth of Planned Parenthood funding, nixed two mandates, and, I believe, nullified the medical device excise tax--the latter of which has bipartisan support.
It was mostly a placeholder, to be sent back to Committee for negotiation, or so-called 'regular order.'
(BTW, I am certainly not in favor of block-granting Medicaid. That's 'why' I'm so concerned about Dems striking a so-called 'deal' with Repubs if they go back to Committee, which the Dem Party Leadership is pushing for.)
For instance, last night on the floor, Schumer actually complimented a right-wing proposal (Collins-Cassidy) that would allow for states to decide state-by-state what they want to do with Medicaid, etc. (I posted the link at EB.)
IMHO, that would be a travesty!
Mollie
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Apologies can be difficult to express.
The only difference is on
The only difference is on social issues and that is because their masters don't care about those issues except as means to keep the masses divided and fighting.
I'll never forget
that glib little tune he sang while running in the repub primary in 07. "Bomb, bomb, bomb - bomb, bomb Iran" Made me sick. So he got in a plush private jet after the best healthcare money can buy, and flew into DC to cast a vote. Likely in that amount of time hundreds died in the US because of no or shitty healthcare. Another few hundred died in other countries because of our bloodthirsty natural resources fucking foreign policy that he supported. If he lives another 20 years and does good deeds for all of them it might make up for all the evil shit he's done. Fuck you John McCain...
Color me cynical
I'm willing to bet he was the designated symbolic fallguy. Someone had to save the Rest of the GOPers from both the tea baggers and the rest of the electorate. Who better to do that than someone who is unlikely to stand for reelection as well as one who would like to go out as a "Maverick"?
I respectfully disagree with you.
But I have no respect for McCain. He just did an anti-trump grandstand that just kicked the can a little farther down the road.
Media lined up way too fast to praise him, and are immediately demanding these apologies.
Whenever the Dems start praising somebody for their courageous stand, check your wallet, if its still there, count your fingers, toes and relatives.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Agree, media not covering
the two Republicans who have been most vocally against.
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
Not only the two republican women but also the
the democratic senator who literally did get out of her death bed to go to congress to vote against the legislation.
Senator Hiromi has stage4 kidney cancer and I also didn't see congress and especially the democrats give her a standing ovation like they did McCain.
McCain isn't confined to his bed like the media has been telling us. He is at his home in Sedona.
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
John McCain can go eat a bag of dicks.
And so can the rest of the fuckers in congress who bought health insurance stock en masse before this grandstanding bullshit.
Modern education is little more than toeing the line for the capitalist pigs.
Guerrilla Liberalism won't liberate the US or the world from the iron fist of capital.
@The Aspie Corner
Some of them probably do, in those Spirit Cooking sessions. If not, maybe better not to give them ideas? s/
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
According to the citizen commentariat on
the NYT, the 2 heroes were actually Collins and Murkowski. McCain already knew the count. He requested being allowed to vote last as it was a roll call vote. So, it was showboating. The 2 RW women were the heroines, not him. Whoopee. 3 Repuke senators doing their jobs for the taxpayers, not the bribers. Rare one. The whole PPACA is RW to begin with. Phasing in Medicare For All/Public Option is not RW. The country is ready for it. When are the bribed fossils going to vote for it? That's when I'll pop the champagne. People/Voters owe McCain zero. He's the one with the Public IOUs.
Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.
To steal a comment seen elsewhere
Congrats to John Mccain, newest recipient of the James Comey "Wait, does everyone now like this guy again?" Award.
http://theantimedia.org/stop-calling-john-mccain-hero/
Maverick my ass, that warmongering piece of garbage who is responsible for Sarah Palin to boot can keep on keeping on headed towards hell where he belongs.
See, their morals, their code... it's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be.
-The Joker-
Not buying it...
For all we know, the whispers between McCain and McConnell may have been about McConnell wanting everything to fail and needing a fall guy to do it. Then McConnell does his great fake job of acting soooo disappointed! The GOP all knew they had backed themselves into a corner. It is far more likely that McCain bailed them out than suddenly found his liberal heart concern for the people who have suffered under his and the neo-con rule.
"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin
This was my thoughts too
Just like people have been thinking that the intelligence agencies have been blowing smoke up our patooties, now they are believing every word they say because it backs up their thinking that Russia interfered with the election.,
The ACA was unpopular and people were complaining how they can't afford to use it. But now that it's being threatened, people are defending it.,
The same people who used to be against other issues are now fine with them because Trump is in office.
Remember what Goering said, "of course people don't want war, but tell them that their lives are threatened...."
Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?
You don't owe him an apology.
This vote served the only purpose that he ever really cared about: his reputation as a principled maverick. He is a phony and an asshole.
This is rather interesting.....
http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/trump-threatens-congressional-heal...
dfarrah
@dfarrah
Oh, yes, please, and also make them all subject to law just like the rest of the people in the country - you know, the ones which they're supposed to represent.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
a tough road, but not a long one.
it is so much easier to act for others, rather than for oneself, when one has nothing left to gain or lose, and that is McCain's circumstance.
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.
Oh, clutch your pearls
Oh, clutch your pearls tighter so the blood rushes to the surface of your fingers. The poster said nothing about wishing anyone dead, mrs. lovejoy.