John McCain, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins may have alienated conservative GOP primary voters with their defections on the so-called skinny-repeal of Obamacare, but the three Republican moderate senators are finding themselves on the receiving end of adulation from liberal Hollywood celebrities, according to Variety.
The Hollywood trade newspaper sampled tweets from a diverse array of players in the industry from director Rob Reiner to pop star Cher to former “House of Cards” screenwriter Beau Willimon.
“An act of heroism,” Mr. Willimon wrote in a tweet, which included video of “The moment @SenJohnMcCain voted “No” on #SkinnyRepeal.”
“@LisaMurkowski & @SenatorCollins are also heroes tonight,” he added.
“Democracy worked tonight … barely,” wrote Kathy Griffin, a comedian who came under intense scrutiny across the political spectrum earlier this year for posing in a photograph with a prop resembling the bloody severed head of President Trump.
“COLLINS MURKOWSKI McCAIN thank god for you three hey #GOP find ur souls,” tweeted Rosie O’Donnell, an actress and comedian with whom Mr. Trump has long sparred on Twitter and television.
Supporters of Mr. Trump took to Twitter to blast Mr. McCain, at times in very personal and visceral terms.
“Is John McCain gonna play the cancer victim card now that his war hero card is all punched out?” asked radio host Bill Mitchell. “I had cancer - twice. McCain is a traitor.”
Mr. Mitchell’s sentiments echo that of numerous conservatives and Trump supporters, as evidenced by a search of tweets bearing the hashtag #traitormccain on Twitter Friday morning.
Other right-leaning pundits, however, were more measured.
“I’ve known Sen. McCain for decades & respect him,” tweeted former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. “But on a bill that would’ve diminished the failure of Obamacare, he let his country down.”
“McCain joins Democrats, McConnell fails again and must go,” wrote radio host and author Mark Levin, a long-time critic of both senators.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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