An Opportunist with a capital “O,” Arizona State Senator Kelli Ward just did the unimaginable.
As NBC News reports, “Ghosts of elections past appeared in Arizona, as Sen. John McCain’s 2016 challenger [Kelli Ward] urged him to resign because of his brain cancer diagnosis on Friday. She also took the opportunity to put her name forward as his replacement.”
As NBC News explains: “If McCain were to resign, the current Arizona governor, Doug Ducey, would appoint a replacement until the next regular election, which occurs in 2018.”
Things started out harmlessly enough on Wednesday after McCain’s diagnosis was revealed. Ward tweeted support to McCain and his family, writing: “Wishing Mr. McCain comfort and peace as he and his family cope with his diagnosis and treatment.”
However on Friday while speaking to Indiana radio station WOWO 1190 AM she did a reversal declaring that it was imperative for McCain to step down from the Senate as soon as possible and suggesting that she would be a strong choice to replace the ailing Senator.
“I hope that Sen. McCain is going to look long and hard at this, that his family and advisers are going to look at this and they’re going to advise him to step away as quickly as possible,” she said, adding: “So that the business of the country and the business of Arizona being represented at the federal level can move forward.”
Continuing, Ward added that the Trump regime’s agenda “can’t be at a standstill while we wait for John McCain to determine what he’s going to do.”
Because you probably realize that with John McCain out of commission we don’t have 51 votes on the Republican side. That can’t stand. We can’t have until the 2018 election, waiting around to accomplish the Trump agenda … and we can’t be at a standstill while we wait for John McCain to determine what he’s going to do.
Suggesting she replace McCain, Ward added:
I have a proven track record of years in the Arizona state Senate of being extremely effective and of listening to the voice of the people that I represent. And you know, I made an extremely good showing against Sen. McCain against all odds.
You know, he outspent me nearly 10 to 1. He has a super PAC called Grassroots Action PAC spent over 10 million dollars seeking to destroy my character, my reputation, and my political future.
However, I have emerged from those ashes much stronger and really I am beating the pants off of Jeff Flake already. You know, some people told me that Jeff Flake would do well to encourage the governor to appoint me because that would take the pressure off of him.
As if that wasn’t enough, she elaborated on those remarks in a statement shared with NBC News.
Senator McCain has an aggressive brain cancer that is both devastating and debilitating. When the time comes that Senator McCain can no longer perform his duties in the Senate at full capacity, he owes it to the people of Arizona to step aside.
Continuing, she cited her experience as a doctor:
Senator McCain and his family have a lot of hard decisions to make. As a doctor, I’ve counseled patients in similar situations and these end-of-life choices are never easy. I usually advise terminal patients to reduce stress, relax, and spend time laughing with loved ones.
AZCentral.com, which bills itself as “the Valley’s #1 site… for news and information,” shredded Ward in a no-holds-barred op-ed spelling out in no uncertain terms their disgust.
Check out the opening lines of the article:
Leave it to Kelli Ward to see Sen. John McCain’s brain tumor as an opportunity for personal advancement.
And she, a doctor. How callous can you be?
Ward, who was trounced by McCain in last year’s election, is now trying to knock off Sen. Jeff Flake in next year’s election.
Because apparently one drubbing by her own party isn’t enough.
But now, it seems, Ward has figured a different way to get to Washington.
Right over the still-alive-and-kicking body of Sen. McCain.
Stating the obvious, AZCentral added that it was ludicrous for her to claim that McCain’s absence from the Senate could derail Trump’s agenda:
1. Republicans do have 51 votes even though McCain is absent. Someone who has spent the last three years running for the U.S. Senate should know that.
2. Trump’s agenda isn’t at a standstill because McCain has cancer. It’s at standstill because Trump can’t govern, even with both chambers of Congress run by his own party.
Time will tell what happens to Sen. John McCain but the people at Liberals Unite stand behind President Barack Obama who called McCain “an American hero and one of the bravest fighters I’ve ever known. Cancer doesn’t know what it’s up against. Give it hell, John.”
John McCain is an American hero & one of the bravest fighters I've ever known. Cancer doesn't know what it's up against. Give it hell, John.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 20, 2017
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