Ward: US can’t wait for McCain to decide on future after cancer diagnosis
Dr. Kelli Ward said Thursday that the country cannot sit on its hands while U.S. Sen. John McCain decides his future following a brain cancer diagnosis.
(AP Photos)
(AP Photos)
Editor’s Note: On Friday Dr. Kelli Ward joined KTAR News 92.3’s Mac & Gaydos. The below comments and interview were discussed. Listen to that full interview above.
PHOENIX — An Arizona politician who challenged U.S. Sen. John McCain in last year’s election said Thursday that the country cannot sit on its hands while the senator decides his future following a brain cancer diagnosis.
“We can’t be at a standstill for John McCain to determine what he’s going to do,” Dr. Kelli Ward told Indiana station 1190 AM WOWO.
Ward claimed the Senate would be without a 51-vote majority — which is untrue — in McCain’s absence.
“That can’t stand,” she said. “We can’t have, until the 2018 election, waiting around to accomplish the Trump agenda.”
The senator was recovering in Arizona from last week’s surgery that discovered cancer.
Ward said she feels for the McCain family, but expected them to advise him it’s time to call it a career.
“I hope that Sen. McCain is going to look long and hard at this,” she said. “His family and his advisers are going to look at this and they’re going to advise him to step away as quickly as possible so that the business of the country and the business of Arizona being represented at the federal level can move forward.”
Ward — who blasted McCain’s health prior to last year’s Republican primary — said it was unlikely the senator would return to Washington, D.C. fully able to do his job.
“The likelihood that John McCain is going to be able to come back to the Senate and be at full force for the people of our state and for the people of the United States is low,” she said.
For his part, McCain tweeted that he wants to return to work in the nation’s capital.
But should he opt to retire, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey would be required to name another Republican to take his place until the 2018 election. Despite currently running against U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, Ward hoped her name would be in the mix of possible candidates.
“I certainly hope so, because I have a proven track record in years on the state Senate of being extremely effective and of listening to the voices of people that I represent,” she said. “I made an extremely good showing against Sen. McCain against all odds.”
The senator won the primary by 13 percent of the vote.
Comments
34 Comments
I see both sides of this but the way she handled it was completely tasteless but the truth also hurts. I supported John for many years until I started looking into his military history and also the backroom deals he has made that started conflicts with other countries and his financial benefits from the Saudis.
Be that as it may, he's still an American, Veteran and Senator who served his entire life for the country. The cancer that he has is the considered the worst form of brain cancer and has a life expectancy of 1 to 5 years. There's no cure and chemo will help slow the cancer but won't eradicate it. This is a very serious situation for the Senator and my heart breaks for his loving family. When I see other senators saying John will fight this and be back in the Senate we have to be realistic.
I think the best thing would be for him to retire and spend every moment he can with his family and nobody will blame him. If you only had a few years left on this earth on chemo, why would you want to spend it in the swamp of DC?
I agree that I don't think someone with this going on should be in charge of committees and making votes when we all know what happens to people undergoing treatment. For her to come out in the public and say what she said just days after he received this tragic news is unbecoming but not surprising coming from her.
I hope that he decides to step down and have a nice going away party for him in DC and our Governor can put someone in his place that is not her. I hope the Senator the best of luck as he fights this and I hope he gets to spend as many days as possible surrounded by his family and friends.
She probably went about it the wrong way, but I do agree Mccain needs to retire and retire very soon. Fighting cancer takes massive amounts of time, energy and resources. If Mccain really wants to serve the American people, he will let someone else take the reigns and concentrate 100% on his cancer and his family. What if it spreads quickly and all of a sudden he's out of commission?
I said the moment I found out 2 days ago. It's obvious. He needs to spend what time he has left with his family.