John McCain rebuked by Ariz. GOP for ‘unbecoming’ deal-making with Dems

The Legislative District 26 Republican Party in Arizona has spoken, and they’re not happy with Sen. John McCain. The group issued a sharp and formal written rebuke of their senator, calling his work across party lines — particularly with Democratic Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid — destructive to GOP party principles.

In a resolution, the group charges Mr. McCain with “unilaterally negotiate[ing] with … Reid to secure Republican votes necessary to pass a number of controversial presidential nominees,” Breitbart.com reported.

For instance: Mr. McCain helped secure the nominations of Gina McCarthy to head the Environmental Protection Agency; of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and of Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary, the group said, characterizing the policies and politics of all three as counter to Republican principles.

Mr. McCain “provided the votes necessary for the confirmation of the above nominees,” stated the resolution, which passed the GOP body by a 24-13 vote earlier this week.

Mr. McCain argued at the time of the nominations that he was only supporting them to avoid Mr. Reid from making good on a promise to “go nuclear” and bypass normal nomination rules.

But the group called that line of logic pure “capitulation” on the part of Mr. McCain, Breitbart.com reported.

The resolutions further stated: It’s the “position of Legislative District 26 Republicans … that senators should call the Senate Majority Leader’s bluff and force him to get the votes necessary from members of his own party.”

The resolution then contains a hammer: Mr. McCain must “cease deal-making and negotiations for Republican votes that undermine the Senate Republican leader. … The conduct of Senator McCain is unbecoming as a member of the United States Senate, weakened the Senate Republican leader and is hereby strongly rebuked and condemned.”