Althouse: McCain returns to the Senate, receives a standing ovation, and casts the vote to open debate on repealing Obamacare that makes it a tie...

July 25, 2017

McCain returns to the Senate, receives a standing ovation, and casts the vote to open debate on repealing Obamacare that makes it a tie...

... and since Mike Pence has the tie-breaker vote, what would, without McCain, have been a loss becomes a win for the repeal-Obamacare side.

Despite how confused McCain sounded a few weeks ago (at the Comey hearing) and despite the ferocity of the opposition to repealing Obamacare, no one said a word — did they? — about McCain's capacity to participate. But the truth is, McCain sounded strong and lucid as he addressed the Senate today:

71 comments:

Oso Negro said...: I doubt that they will vote to repeal, but I respect McCain for answering the bell one more time.; 7/25/17, 6:37 PM
Tim said...: Yeah, I don't much like him, but admire his grit.
His will be a long dark tunnel, with no prospect of light at the end of it.; 7/25/17, 6:42 PM
Chuck said...: A comprehensive takedown of Trump. For an afternoon, John McCain was the effective President of the United States.; 7/25/17, 6:44 PM
Bay Area Guy said...: @Chuck,

All roads lead to Trump!

Glad McCain has returned. He's colorful and served honorably in Vietnam. Glad he voted to let repeal vote proceed - and glad the repeal is coming up for a vote. Let's get on record who's a weasel and who is not.; 7/25/17, 6:47 PM
n.n said...: In his confusion there is clarity of purpose: affordable and available medical care, not another financial leverage scheme a la Fannie/Freddie.

That said, there are a lot of Republicans and Democrats sitting on the fence k-i-s-s-i-n-g.; 7/25/17, 6:51 PM
Rob said...: All we heard last year were calls by Democrats and their media enablers for an up-or-down vote on the Garland nomination. Karma's a bitch.; 7/25/17, 6:53 PM
Chuck said...: Bay Area Guy said...
...

Glad McCain has returned. He's colorful and served honorably in Vietnam...

What a difference two years and one week make.

Donald Trump, today: "So great that John McCain is coming back to vote. Brave - American hero! Thank you John."

Donald Trump, July 17, 2015: “He’s not a war hero,” said Trump. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

A real, true gentleman and hero, McCain probably won't say what he thinks about that. He did say that he's not voting for the current bill. Maybe that was enough.; 7/25/17, 6:55 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Until his plea for civility turned into - 'the internet and talk radio can go to hell.'; 7/25/17, 6:57 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: I listened to most of McCain's speech. Same old same old.
Screw him.; 7/25/17, 6:58 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Shorter McCain: 'My friends, free speech only counts in this chamber. The deplorables better shut the hell up.'

No wonder McCain supported Hillary.; 7/25/17, 6:59 PM
Jason said...: I like GOP presidential candidates who win elections.; 7/25/17, 7:00 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: All that self-important political BS - It's so tired.; 7/25/17, 7:02 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: “His will be a long dark tunnel, with no prospect of light at the end of it.”

Yes. Ours too - a long dark tunnel - maybe fire bright on the twice burned-listing Forrestal, with McCain once then, and today again -- aboard ineffective -- with no replacement plan on our ship's burning deck.

Bless. Mothball. Retire.; 7/25/17, 7:03 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: He did sound lucid. Depressingly "he's never gonna leave, is he?" lucid.; 7/25/17, 7:06 PM
Tommy Duncan said...: Blogger Chuck said...

"A comprehensive takedown of Trump. For an afternoon, John McCain was the effective President of the United States."

I'll give you credit, Chuck. You make statements that are difficult to argue against. Your simplistic statement above is so preposterous that few will waste the time and effort to respond. There is very little reason to do anything more than hurl an insult at you and call it a day.; 7/25/17, 7:07 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Did the founding of our nation include "And ye shall die in office after a long tedious career, and lecture the proles to the bitter end..."

No?; 7/25/17, 7:11 PM
Michael K said...: He is improved after decompression. He will probably have a month or two before the dark clouds close in.

Maybe more if he is lucky.; 7/25/17, 7:11 PM
Unknown said...: Compare and contrast speeches by McCain and Trump. Even with a brain tumor, MCCain sounds more normal.; 7/25/17, 7:14 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: Michael K said... Aye.; 7/25/17, 7:14 PM
David Begley said...: John McCain is one tough and determined guy. Impressive.; 7/25/17, 7:19 PM
Rosalyn C. said...: McCain has gotten to the stage of life where only the important stuff matters. McCain knows his days are numbered and he came in to vote, but most of all to urge the Senate to return to "regular order" and to once again be a proud legislative body which solves problems and improves the lives of the American people. McCain showed his noble side. McCain is going to see to it that the Senate passes a health care bill. That's what I saw.; 7/25/17, 7:21 PM
David Begley said...: And not a single Dem would even vote for a debate. Joe Munchkin from WVA is the most two-faced of all. Add in the woman from ND too.; 7/25/17, 7:21 PM
David Begley said...: Mike K:

Big new brain cancer drugs in trials by ZIOP, KITE and JUNO. Some promising results.; 7/25/17, 7:24 PM
n.n said...: Democrats fear a democracy and loathe the anti-consensus. We're smarter, better, brighter than thou.; 7/25/17, 7:28 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: “.. tough .. Determined .. Impressive.”

Voted McCain. Ross Perot before that - paid McCain’s medical. Voted for McCain despite the pretend-barracuda he hooked out of Oceana (Huxley’s Oceana, not McCain’s VA-42 at Naval Air Station Oceana).

Voted McCain chiefly because of what he wrote debriefing the war (naval paper?) saying that truth-telling about our mistakes in Vietnam is required - as is truth telling outright - to sustain trust among soldiers.

Plus McCain - and I love him most dearly of all for this, loved-back war protestors. Never more a stud than then. Love you John.

Only bothered me on an ad-hoc basis how McCain cross-factioned politically. Guessing (guess: what do I know?) he learned cross-factioning in the war. When all the on-paper organizational bullshit about Divisions, Battalions, Regiments (oops, wrong branch) go to hell in deep jungle lostness. Guessing McCain learned reality there. I’m worthless (thank God) at political generalizations. So ad hoc judgments on McCain is best I can do.

R&R in Elysium!; 7/25/17, 7:41 PM
Wince said...: So, after that, all the Senate Democrats voted to spit in McCain's good eye?; 7/25/17, 7:43 PM
Fabi said...: Jason wins the thread.; 7/25/17, 7:44 PM
Michael K said...: Big new brain cancer drugs in trials by ZIOP, KITE and JUNO. Some promising results.

Hopes but so far not much help for glioblastoma.

No surgery but biopsy, They are multifocal.

Not much help so far.

In patients with newly diagnosed GBM, the use of antiangiogenic therapy does not improve survival, despite evidence of improved progression-free survival.

Survival is 15 months media. Symptom free is less.; 7/25/17, 7:53 PM
Michael K said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/25/17, 7:54 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: Jason said... "I like GOP presidential candidates who win elections."

You voted Koch candidates. Or wrote in Bloomberg.

Funny Donald. Draws line in sand against Mueller: “don’t go here, here be demons.” Bloomberg mysteriously pimps a story of Mueller eyeballing Trump mansion purchase by Russian boss.

Wonder why Mouth doesn’t frontal attack Bloomberg and Kochs.; 7/25/17, 7:59 PM
JohnJMac862 said...: I think McCain is a mediocre Senator but a great man. God bless.; 7/25/17, 8:01 PM
Jason said...: You voted Koch candidates. Or wrote in Bloomberg.

lolwut?; 7/25/17, 8:06 PM
rcocean said...: Sorry to see him back. He should have retired. The same old egotistical, McCrazy "me,me,me". (He has nothing contempt for "Conservatives" - and that's the one thing I don't blame him for).

This is why McCain was calling his fellow Republican senators "assholes" over the Filibuster about a few months ago. Its only in a closely divided senate that McCain can "reach across the aisle" and act like the "wise man" that he isn't. Why does he show up every Sunday on TV? Because he's a fucking egomanic.

He spent 2001-2009 attacking and subverting Bush, then threw the election to Obama, and now - after being asleep for 8 years, he's back attacking a Republican president.

But now everybody's cheering him on. Sorry, no can do.; 7/25/17, 8:09 PM
Unknown said...: john mccain is a disgrace to this country. some might say that he isn’t as bad as other Republicans, but he will not put the interests of the country above the ones of his party. mccain has made a career out of wagering on american stupidity and well, it’s clearly still a winning bet. if the death of scalia taught that one dead republican could change the lives of millions for the better, even if temporarily, mccain will teach y’all that cancer isn’t fast enough.; 7/25/17, 8:10 PM
David Begley said...: Mike K

ZIOP should have some interesting phase 2 results for GBM soon.; 7/25/17, 8:11 PM
rcocean said...: And I'm with trump - I like my war heroes to Not get captured. I like them to win battles. McCain was a lousy pilot, who got shot down. He stood up to the NVA, but then 90% of the other pilots did too.

Only they didn't spend 40 years trying to capitalize on it.; 7/25/17, 8:12 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: See Jason, it’s this way.

At least Rockefeller’s oil and gas kept lights burning in everyday homes, not casinos, when he said, "God gave me my money."

And John D, at what, $330 billion adjusted net? - compared to Little Donny’s (2-6 billion? - whatever), at least John D. had some real money to talk to God about.

What’s Koch? - guessing 40 billion?

Bloomberg? - guessing about the same?

Real smart ones don’t run. They pull puppet strings.

Don't react. Just think about it ...

Peace; 7/25/17, 8:13 PM
rhhardin said...: McCain is, has always been, and always will be a grandstander.

It's his mode of living.; 7/25/17, 8:23 PM
Unknown said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/25/17, 8:32 PM
Unknown said...: rcocean said...
And I'm with trump - I like my war heroes to Not get captured. I like them to win battles. McCain was a lousy pilot, who got shot down. He stood up to the NVA, but then 90% of the other pilots did too.

Only they didn't spend 40 years trying to capitalize on it.

7/25/17, 8:12 PM

i can't argue with this. i would also add that i'm in total agreement with trump when he said our country is not so innocent. hence, mccain probably deserved everything he got in that pow camp and more.; 7/25/17, 8:33 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: rhhardin said... McCain ... his mode ...

Rhhardin, I will not mess with you. Little voice inside saying, “don’t.”

Now let me leap into my suicide:

Let’s do a little "low" modal.

Feste Symbols (making this up as I go - alpha order)

F (Feste function) lifetime distribution function
M McCain probability of failure
N number of McCain grandstanding chances
R McCain reliability
S McCain stress ratio
T T-val stress functions (Hanoi Hilton, et. al)
V McCain variable burst pressure
W Working (McCain) design life

Missing stuff here? - coefficients for stress? power laws to show damage level?

Finer minds than mine. That's what I need.

When I do the math (too lazy to learn super-sub notations here), McCain - even as grandstander - modes out okay.

Modalities are a bitch. Cherry-picker, I am.

Love; 7/25/17, 8:44 PM
Mr. Majestyk said...: Obamacare, which the Democrats rammed through without a single Republican vote, is imploding. The Democrats obstruct every effort to fix this disaster, forcing a longtime colleague with newly diagnosed BRAIN CANCER to drag himself out of the hospital to cast a decisive vote to fix the mess THEY CREATED. Yet the mainstream press fixates zombie-like on Russia, without the slightest hint that the Democrats are the Party of No. It truly is amazing how biased, corrupt, and in the tank for the Democrats the press is.; 7/25/17, 8:50 PM
Guildofcannonballs said...: http://www.unz.com/runz/american-pravda-when-tokyo-rose-ran-for-president/

"Everything suddenly changed in June 2008 when I read a long article by an unfamiliar writer on the leftist Counterpunch website. Shocking claims were made that McCain may never have been tortured and that he instead spent his wartime captivity collaborating with his captors and broadcasting Communist propaganda, a possibility that seemed almost incomprehensible to me given all the thousands of contrary articles that I had absorbed over the decades from the mainstream media. How could this one article on a small website be the truth about McCain’s war record and everything else be total falsehood? The evidence was hardly overwhelming, with the piece being thinly sourced and written in a meandering fashion by an obscure author, but the claims were so astonishing that I made some effort to investigate the matter, though without any real success.

However, those new doubts about McCain were still in my mind a few months later when I stumbled upon Sidney Schanberg’s massively documented expose about McCain’s role in the POW/MIA cover up, a vastly greater scandal. This time I was presented with a mountain of hard evidence gathered by one of America’s greatest wartime journalists, a Pulitzer Prize winning former top editor at The New York Times. In the years since then, other leading journalists have praised Schanberg’s remarkable research, now giving his conclusions the combined backing of four New York Times Pulitzer Prizes, while two former Republican Congressmen who had served on the Intelligence Committee have also strongly corroborated his account."; 7/25/17, 8:52 PM
traditionalguy said...: John is crazy sometimes. Sometimes he is as great a man as the first admiral McCain. And he was great as the Navy has ever produced.; 7/25/17, 8:52 PM
Howard said...: Trump is the anti-McCain: He is not a grandstander, he won many "battles" without getting captured and won his election. What I don't get is that since McCain is such a coward, where did he get the stones to criticize the President today? It must be chemically assisted bravery brought on by his recent fatal diagnosis: cancer courage.; 7/25/17, 9:14 PM
PB said...: I'm proud to have voted for this man in 2008.; 7/25/17, 9:15 PM
Michael K said...: Blogger David Begley said...
Mike K

ZIOP should have some interesting phase 2 results for GBM soon.

We can hope. I was a medical student when the first 5 year cures of childhood leukemia were in the clinic at Childrens in LA.

It was a thrill. Those were kids. Then I was there as a cardiac surgery resident when the girls had their first babies. All normal.

Pioneer stuff. I'd like to see it again.; 7/25/17, 9:22 PM
Unknown said...: It's sad how conservatism has been twisted and deformed into a philosophy of "Any means to the ends". Anything goes if it hurts those we hate, even deeply disrespecting a man who was captured and tortured in the service of his country. Trump paved the way for this uglyness. His sycophants embrace it. Thank goodness for the Left and the anti Trumpists. We are all that's holding our Democracy together now. The decent Americans who still have ethics and hold values dear, those who still believe in ideals. Trump couldn't shine McCain's shoes.; 7/25/17, 9:31 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/25/17, 9:39 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/25/17, 9:44 PM
Jason said...: Damn, these shits are full of themselves, aren't they?; 7/25/17, 9:46 PM
Narayanan said...: Q : had McCain stepped down, could his replacement have been named in time to avoid this drama?; 7/25/17, 9:55 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: Unknown said...a lot of phoney bullshit.

Spare me the crocodile tears, hypocrite.; 7/25/17, 9:57 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: Placeholder post only. Too uncharitable to use pic of burning Forrestal. Rude. No excuse. Apologies all.

Don’t know whether this new pic is Arizona Indian. If it matters. Happy journey’s end, Mr. McCain, as it comes. Kind memories. Unfinished work.; 7/25/17, 10:01 PM
traditionalguy said...: FTR : four generations of McCains have graduated from the Naval Academy and served with distinction. The first 2 made it to 4 Star Admiral.An older Mississippi McCain was a Confederate officer who died in a Yankee prison.

The first Admiral McCain is recognized to have provided the missing leadership and tactics that won the 4 months of slaughter known as the Guadalcanal campaign They were all as Scots Irish as they come.; 7/25/17, 10:05 PM
Fabi said...: "Thank goodness for the Left and the anti Trumpists. We are all that's holding our Democracy together now."

Good points. It's been a few months since one of your fellow leftists attempted mass murder against unarmed members of Congress.; 7/25/17, 10:25 PM
Howard said...: Not Arizona Indian, the statue of what looks like a Plains Indian is appropriately called End of the Trail
End of the Trail Wiki; 7/25/17, 10:26 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 7/25/17, 10:39 PM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: Howard said... “Plains”

TY. Pima, then. I slummed around UoA Tucson awhile. Should have known better. Cheers.; 7/25/17, 10:43 PM
Michael Fitzgerald said...: Build the damn wall...then throw McCain over it.; 7/25/17, 11:22 PM
Achilles said...: "The decent Americans who still have ethics and hold values dear, those who still believe in ideals."

Bill Clinton raped several women.

Obama sent the IRS, EPA, NSA, FBI and several other federal agencies after his political enemies. He capped this off by filing false affidavits to the FISA courts in order to spy on the Trump campaign in collusion with the Clinton campaign.

Hillary Clinton was a known criminal and lied about several instances where people were killed. She and her husband were demonstrably the most corrupt politicians by the volume of bribes they accepted in history. Any service member who did what she did would be in jail until they died. The only reason she wasn't was because she is wealthy and powerful and her supporters were as amoral and disgusting as she is.

You cling to your fantasies. Nothing Trump has done will even be close to what you people accepted from your leaders. You are clearly enemies of freedom. We will not allow you to consummate your coup.

You have a choice. Accept the results of the election or be ready for what comes next. There will be no quarter.; 7/26/17, 12:13 AM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: Jason said...
Damn, these shits are full of themselves, aren't they?

Everyday :); 7/26/17, 12:19 AM
grackle said...: However, those new doubts about McCain were still in my mind a few months later when I stumbled upon Sidney Schanberg’s massively documented expose about McCain’s role in the POW/MIA cover up, a vastly greater scandal.

I think the commentor may be referring to this.

McCain was once the Left’s favorite Republican – until he ran for POTUS against a Democrat. They loved it when he criticized the Right.

The suppression of the POW info was unfair to the families.

It is puzzling to me how McCain could fooled by the phony Trump Moscow piss dossier. I put it down to the effects of the tumor clouding his judgement.

As for what happened when he was a POW? Good or bad, he gets a complete pass from me.; 7/26/17, 12:22 AM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: grackle said..
Good or bad, he gets a complete pass from me.

Navy Seal dog clearing McCain’s way across the River, to Heaven ...; 7/26/17, 12:46 AM
jacksonjay said...: So, you Trump jackoffs prefer a hero (Trump) who bragged about avoiding VD during the Vietnam Era? Sad!

Trump jackoffs seem to believe that Pussy Grabber could have defeated Hope and Change in 2008! Sad!

I'm sure the Trump circle jerk cheered his assertion tonite that he is second only to Lincoln! Trump never grandstands! More Sad!

I'm sure Sessions is also a cesspool loser to the Althouse Trump jackoffs!; 7/26/17, 1:52 AM
Rusty said...: Jacksonjay.
Why all the hate, bro? I can't help but think if you hadn't let Hillary down you would be in a much better place. Did you only vote once? Shame on you.; 7/26/17, 5:22 AM
Humperdink said...: @Jacksonjay. You remind me of every hardcore lefty to which I been exposed (ha). Hatred oozing from your every pore. And not an ounce of humor. Sad life you must be living.; 7/26/17, 5:54 AM
urbane legend said...: ... no one said a word — did they? — about McCain's capacity to participate.

No disrespect to Senator McCain, but when did capacity to participate become a requirement for Congress?; 7/26/17, 7:03 AM
Etienne said...: Put a battleship or submarine, and throw in thousands of nuclear weapons, and McCain will vote for it.

Put some homeless wanting a flu shot and he could care less.

Thank God we have nuclear weapons...; 7/26/17, 8:31 AM
jacksonjay said...: I bet you guys are jerking off to the hand gesture GIF with More Cowbell Mooch!

Now dat dere is funny, I don't care who you are.

As the old cliche goes, it would all be very funny if it weren't so SAD!; 7/26/17, 10:01 AM
Jael (Gone Windwalking) said...: Put a battleship or submarine, and throw in thousands of nuclear weapons, and McCain will vote for it.

How else we going to invade Canada?

Put some homeless wanting a flu shot and he could care less.

Med money resources are scarce: appropriate to Atomic Oatmeal Club.; 7/26/17, 12:52 PM

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)