One witness said the “room rocked” with the sound of “Ayes” in response to the resolution to censure Arizona’s Senator John McCain on Saturday at the yearly mandatory meeting of the Arizona GOP. The meeting at Grace Community Church included a vote for party officers and a number of resolutions.
The resolution to censure McCain was brought to the floor in support of resolutions that had recently been passed by five Arizona GOP County Committees: Maricopa, Apache, Cochise, Gila and Mohave.
The Maricopa County Republican Committee resolution passed Jan. 11 by a 1,150 to 351 vote (77% approval) of the assembled county precinct committeemen. Maricopa County is the largest county in Arizona and represents 62% of Arizona’s 1,129,845 registered Republicans.
New officers were elected by ballot. Russell Pearce beat out Tucsonan Shaun McClusky for First Vice-Chair. McClusky, a serial failed candidate, was a write-in candidate. Paralee Schneider was re-elected 2nd Vice Chair. Christopher Campbell was elected 3rd Vice Chair.
A resolution to prevent Arizona from participating in an Article V convention failed.
The McCain censure resolution reads:
As leaders in the Republican Party, we are obligated to fully support our Party, platform, and candidates. Only in times of great crisis or betrayal is it necessary to publicly censure our leaders. Today we are faced with both. For too long we have waited, hoping Senator McCain would return to our Party’s values on his own. That has not happened. So with sadness and humility, we rise and declare:
Whereas Senator McCain has amassed a long and terrible record of drafting, co-sponsoring and voting for legislation best associated with liberal Democrats, such as Amnesty, funding ObamaCare, the debt ceiling, assaults on the Constitution and 2nd amendment, and has supported liberal nominees;
Whereas this record has been disastrous and harmful to Arizona and the United States; and,
Whereas Senator McCain has campaigned as a conservative, made promises during his re-election campaigns, such as the needed and welcomed promise to secure our borders and finish the border fence, only to quickly flip-flop on those promises; and
Whereas McCain has abandoned our values and has been eerily silent against Liberals, yet publicly reprimands Conservatives in his own Party, therefore
BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the Arizona Republican leadership censures Senator McCain for his continued disservice to our State and Nation,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that until he consistently champions our Party’s Platform and values, we, the Republican leadership in Arizona, will no longer support, campaign for or endorse John McCain as our U.S. Senator.
Related articles:
McCain’s pro-Syrian bombing roadshow (updated)