John McCain’s NO!
By Dan McDonald
Photograph by Oliver Contreras which appeared
originally in the Washington Post
I suspect that John McCain sensed
this was his hour to make a statement. If one couples his “no” vote on the
Republican “slim repeal measure” with his speech following his “yes” vote on
debate, McCain saw this as his opportunity to send an emphatic message. He returned
to the Senate a few days ago, aware he had life-threatening cancer. He was
aware that his Senate colleagues would especially be listening to him as he
addressed the Senate knowing he might be literally forming his last chapter in
life. He gave a speech that might well be the one speech remembered in future
generations. You can see it here.
At the time of his giving the
speech, many believed he was just being a politician. He voted in approval of
debating a measure he said he could not support as it was being presented. Many
took that as, “there will be some small change and voila I will come around and
support the bill.” I was one of those who figured that was how it would work
out. I was wrong. What I missed and many others also missed was how he was
highlighting matters that seemed to him to be more worrisome than whether this
important measure on national health care passed or not. He spoke in honor of
the Senate as what has been called “the world’s greatest deliberative body.” He
lamented that today the Senate did not resemble the greatest deliberative body.
The Senate is today characterized by political partisanship and tribalism. He
expressed his desire to see the Senate return to being a place of messy debate
with collaboration and compromise involving the parties sitting on each side of
the aisle. He also expressed how the Senate was not subservient or subordinate
to the presidency. I fully suspect that John McCain thought his “no” vote was a
“yes” vote to the sort of Senate he desired. I would not be surprised if he
could have lived with either a “yes” or “no” outcome on the measure itself. I
rather think his “no” vote was all about his decision to resist certain aspects
of how politics is being carried out in our day. We can see that as we listen
to his speech to the Senate from a few days ago, and his no vote last night.
He spoke against the tendency to
rewrite Senate deliberation rules to enable single party triumphs. His “no”
vote with Senator McConnell standing near highlighted his words against
government by single party.
In lauding the Senate as a deliberative
body that was not subordinate to that of the presidency he upheld the
recognition of each member’s responsibility to represent their state and to
treat each issue with the respect of their reason and conscience. He urged his
colleagues to not listen to the talk show hosts with their agendas. He gave
space for a Senator to break with their party and their president. This is
essential if the Senate is to be the deliberative body envisioned by the
Constitution’s framers. Beyond the radio talk show hosts, there was the
president tweeting against all acts that supposedly failed to be loyal to the
president. Loyalty is an essential element in the way an oligarch conducts
business, but not for a representative government or a deliberative body like
the United States Senate. Loyalty as a Senator ought to be to one’s reason,
conscience, and the people they represent.
A few days ago when McCain had given
his speech and voted “yes” for debate I tweeted something describing the
difference between the 1950’s and today. In the 1950’s Eisenhower was president
and McCarthy was a Senator. I had grown tired of seeing the president’s abusive
manipulative tweets. He was seeking to divide Americans, and seeking to make
people in government loyal to him. It was frightening to see that instead of
McCarthy being a Senator, Trump was president; and I wondered what senator
could answer to Trump. Last night, John McCain rose to the occasion. I don’t
necessarily agree with McCain on every issue, but McCain’s “no” vote last night
and his speech from a few days ago will hopefully be remembered as when Trump’s
ability to manipulate and divide met the resistance needed to encourage every
other person in government and the public.
Perhaps Senator McCain’s “no” vote
was more essential in its support of Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins
than what it had to say about health insurance. The talk show bullies, the
Presidential bully manipulations, and the party loyalty oaths of allegiance
reminiscent of a much darker form of political history were resisted by a
Senator who seems to have sensed it was his moment. It is right and proper that
Senators Murkowski and Collins should have to answer questions regarding how
they voted. All Senators should have to answer for how they vote. It is not
proper that a Senator face a loyalty test from their president, or their party.
I suspect that the Conservative McCain had ambivalent thoughts about the health
care debate, but he did not have any ambivalent sense about whether or not a
Senator should have a sense of freedom to vote their consciences in
representing the people of their state.
Last night those of us who support
the messy work of building a consensus among representatives of all parties,
and supporting the work of deliberation over the influence of manipulation won
a victory. In my perspective this was one of John McCain’s finest hours.
