(Via Politico) Sen. John McCain said a censure from Arizona’s Republican Party is “regrettable” but that it will not dissuade him from running for reelection in 2016.
The Republican senator and former presidential candidate said that the formal reprimand from the GOP over the weekend only serves as a motivator as he weighs whether to pursue a sixth term in the chamber. The state Republican Party passed a resolution over the weekend that derided his record as too liberal and “disastrous and harmful” to the country.
“We’ve got polling data that shows overwhelming support. I’ve won every election in Arizona by very large margins, quite often with the opposition of that element of the party,” McCain said of his state’s rightward flank, which he described as encompassing a “very small portion” of Arizona voters.
“If anything, it fires me up.”
The resolution said that McCain has a “long and terrible record of drafting, co-sponsoring and voting for legislation best associated with liberal Democrats, such as amnesty, funding for Obamacare, the debt ceiling, liberal nominees, assaults on the Constitution and Second Amendment.” (link)
Meanwhile Sarah Palin rises to his defense:
“During this time of dangerous lawlessness in the executive branch, those who agree on stopping the intended transformation of our country had better unite to fight. So at this time, it’s perplexing to see Senator McCain’s good efforts to uncover the Obama agenda being ignored and perhaps even hindered now by those wanting to censure the Arizona Senator,” she wrote. “Despite our differences on some other issues, there is no questioning Senator McCain’s dedication to national security in spite of the White House’s agenda.” (link)
IMHO the response from Palin is misplaced loyalty combined with a request that citizens accept current dangerous behavior based on prior principles which reflected well upon him; typical co-dependency. If McCain were a retired Senator, without influence or the possibility of his ideology impacting lives, then perhaps her defense would be appropriate. However, so long as McCain continues to conduct himself in a manner that would diminish the essential freedoms of all U.S. citizens then he should be provided no quarter.
