On Tuesday, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell announced there would be no vote on the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill. The latest attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare never had a chance for two reasons. First, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) did everything in his power to make it fail by publicly announcing his disdain for the bill. Second, the GOP is dysfunctional and inept when it comes to getting anything done – even with a majority.
Most level-headed people realized early on that the latest version of the repeal and replacement did not have a snow ball’s chance in Hell of passing. Those who didn’t were either eternal optimists or somewhat delusional. The fatal blow came weeks ago on the Senate floor when Senator McCain in dramatic fashion gave the deciding no vote, with a thumbs down gesture. It was obvious then that he was never going to play for the home team.
Senator McCain: The Ultimate RINO
Even though he ran his 2016 Senatorial campaign under the banner that he would “lead” the fight to repeal Obamacare, his failure to deliver was no surprise to Arizonans who have lived with McCain's lack of commitment to doing what he promises. Most have accepted he is the ultimate RINO (Republican In Name Only), and realize both that he cannot move past the comments President Trump made about him and that the American people must pay for his bruised ego. Many feel he has stabbed his constituents and in the back. Liberal socialists now call him their hero.
We asked for some perspective on McCain in an interview with Alan B. Kelly, Esq., a Liberty Nation contributing healthcare expert with over 35 years of experience and a long-time citizen of Arizona. We should note that while Mr. Kelly has only lived under what he calls the “Cato Period,” he said:
“Mr. McCain has conducted himself over these past decades in a shameless way. Undaunted by Arizona Governor Ducey's dignified plea and the supine begging of McConnell, Mr. McCain has again acted in a way that distinguishes himself even among his can-do-nothing colleagues. Holding the bar of imperium in one hand and a golden ball of his aristocratic character in the other, McCain has managed to carve out a unique persona among the flock by being the tallest midget in the circus."
Republicans Blew Their chance for Repeal and Replace in July
The July 26 vote was to repeal major components of the Affordable Healthcare Act with a transition period for replacement, and Republicans blew their chance to repeal and replace then by not securing enough votes. Ironically, if Senators McCain and Collins (R-ME) at the time could have seen beyond their “I, me, my” way of thinking, they would have realized that the bill did provide time and space for hearings, debates, vetting, and yes, even bipartisan work. The very things they cited as reasons why neither of them could support the latest version of the bill.
Most of us rolled our eyes as the GOP leaders exposed themselves to look like fools in trying to revive the Obamacare repeal. Similar to the characters Sniff and Scurry in Who Moved My Cheese, the two mice are nonanalytical and nonjudgmental – they just want cheese and will do whatever it takes to get it. Republican leadership could not cover up what most people recognized as a last-ditch effort, one-minute leaning toward moderates, losing conservative support, and then swinging backward when trying to lean the opposite direction. It was a mess from the get-go, and those who had their agendas to follow did so with minimal negotiation or concession. Senators Graham (R-SC) and Cassidy (R-LA) were slamming things in and yanking them out with little regard to content or impact of the legislation. Heck, they openly tried to buy votes by throwing money to Alaska and Maine, who were home to two of the holdout senators.
It is going to be a bumpy road for tax reform and balancing a budget if all players continue to behave this way, including the Democrats who sit on their hands with gags in their mouths. It’s nothing but “Swamp Politics” at its finest and the very behavior the American people vehemently oppose. It’s exactly why President Trump was elected. As such, Trump has nothing to lose and likely will not back down from this longstanding healthcare battle. The question is when will that battle take place and at this point, it's anyone's guess.
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