On September 13, John McCain disappointed many of his constituents on Friday when he tweeted a clarification of his comments to a reporter from The Wrap about “probably” being in his last term as a U.S. Senator.
McCain tweeted later on Friday: “To clarify: I’ve long said I’ll wait a few yrs before thinking about whether to seek reelection in 2016. Focused on our present challenges.”
Many Arizona Republicans believe that McCain is one of their “present challenges” due to his attacks on anyone who disagrees with him and failure to keep his promises.
According to AP reports, McCain was doing an interview with a reporter from The Wrap, a Hollywood news website, when he told two Obama supporter,: “The president and I, he’s in his last term, I’m probably in mine, the relationship we have had over the past three years is quite good.”
According to The Hill, McCain later he said, “Nah, I don’t know. I was trying to make a point. I have to decide in about two years, so I don’t have to make a decision. I don’t want to be one of these old guys that should’ve shoved off.”
McCain, who recently staged a series of town halls on immigration reform and Syria, has lost the support of many in his party.
A popular website for Republicans, SeeingRedAZ.com notes that the elected Precinct Committeemen of Legislative District 26 voted to censure McCain this month. According to SeeingRedAz.com, “This is the second such report in days, telling of the Republican grassroots dissatisfaction with the party establishment — personified by McCain, imperiously disregarding the AZ GOP base.”
District Officer Matt Papke called McCain the “poster child for term limits, his back room dealings, insatiable war drum, and eroding base, call to question why this man is our Senator. It is my hope that Senators McCain and Flake work to reestablish their relationships with the boots on the ground members of Legislative District 26 Republicans.”