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Breaking: Sen. John McCain Has Brain Tumor
Sad news out of Arizona:
Sen. John McCain revealed Wednesday that he has a primary brain tumor. The cancer was discovered during cranial surgery last week to remove a blood clot above his left eye.
In a statement from Mayo Clinic, McCain’s doctors described the tumor is a glioblastoma.
The 80-year-old McCain, R-Ariz., is reviewing treatment options with his family. Those could include a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, according to the statement.
Meghan McCain issued a statement on Twitter:
Published in GeneralStatement regarding my father @SenJohnMcCain: pic.twitter.com/SMte9Hkwkq
— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) July 20, 2017
I hope he gets well soon. I also hope he decides to retire.
We are all one phone call away from things like this.
My prayers for a speedy recovery, I was proud to cast my vote for Senator McCain in 2008.
What does a vote mean in this circumstance? I’m proud to hate his politics over the last 30 years, but wish for him and his family a recovery and more good life.
A close friend of mine died in his 40s of a glioblastoma; a nephew died at age 6 of the same malady. I hope the best for Sen. McCain, and at age 80, his fight is now with his tumor.
I hope he will retire. Let Arizona fill his place with someone of their choosing according to their law, whether by gubernatorial appointment to fill the vacancy or by special election. And free him to spend his time on that fight and with his family.
The sad truth is there probably is no recovery from this. Glioblastomas are nasty and the average life expectancy is about 15 months. That being said I wish the Senator from Arizona peace and comfort and plenty of time with his family.
Glioblastoma is not something from which you recover.
I agree – he was been through a lot and I hope he can recover from it. He’s served our country in so many ways and my prayers are with him now.
I will pray for Sen. McCain and his family. This is a difficult time for them.
I second Fritz’s post. Retirement and time with his family is probably the best for him and his country.
Sad indeed, for John McCain the man. There is a lot to respect about him, and I sincerely wish him and his family the best.
I have also disagreed very strongly with his politics. I don’t know him personally, and I don’t expect him to read this post or my comment – so I will admit that it makes me interested in who might be a viable replacement in Arizona. If a conservative, that will be good for the country. But a left-leaning republican doesn’t get elected in right-leaning districts, and if he is replaced by a democrat, that will be worse than anything he ever did.
He is a man worthy of the title “hero” and I agree that he should retire and spend his remaining time with his family. Family is all that really matters in the end.
Hate his politics, wish him the best.
Very sorry to hear it.
Well this may explain some of his more puzzling actions. I wonder how long this has been going on.
Brain cancer can be a very bad way to die. I had one of my mentors go out that way. I wish John McCain and his family the best outcome to this situation. May God give them strength for the trials ahead.
I wish Senator McCain my hope for recovery. I think that were I in his shoes, I would drop politics like the bag of dirt that it is, and spend every moment left with Cindy and my children. What is Congress compared to the love of family? It is NOTHING.
My favorite take, from a left-leaning Arizona Republic columnist who regularly battles with McCain:
Why would he battle with a guy in the same party?
I pray for John McCain’s health and he has a long healthy life ahead of him. I also hope that he’d use this health crisis to examine his career goals, and announce his retirement.
But whatever happens my fondest wish for John McCain has come true – he’s had his head examined.
Being a senator must be a good job, he’s been doing it since 1987, he’s been in the senate so long that the person he replaced in the senate was Barry Goldwater.
What a wonderful statement from Megan McCain. However this goes for John McCain, may he suffer no pain. He has done that enough already in his life.
Personally I like the Senators that don’t get brain cancer.
My bet is McCain serves another term in the Senate just to spite and confound all his critics.
Couldn’t have said it better (from: John McCain: A Hero Under Fire )
John McCain is a great man who has devoted his entire life in service of his country. The true dignity and honor with which he has conducted his life is more than the more boisterous figures in our current climate could ever hope to project in a thousand of their own lifetimes. He is also, and always has been, an actual conservative. The cartoon definition of “conservative” that is in vogue these days for those who have spent so much time maligning him does not apply to him, but perhaps there is great meaning in that particular fact.
He would have made a better President than what we got to see.
If Sen. McCain retires, his replacement will be appointed by Gov. Doug Ducey, a solid conservative. The appointed Senator must be of the same political party as the replaced Senator. The replacement Senator would serve until the next general election, so if McCain were to retire in the near future, Arizona would be electing two Senators in November 2018.
If McCain’s replacement were a current Representative, there would be a special election to fill the empty House seat.
If you’re interested, this is set forth in ARS 16-222.
A current Representative would probably be the best choice. Arizona has five Republican Representatives, of whom four are solid conservatives (lifetime American Conservative Union ratings of over 90): Trent Franks, Paul Gosar, Matt Salmon, and David Schweikert.
The fifth Arizona Republican Representative is Martha McSally, who is more of a moderate (lifetime ACU rating 67). I’m actually about to move into her district, and looking forward to supporting her, as I’ve been living in the district of Democrat Raul Grijalva for about 17 years (lifetime ACU rating under 4).
This is why I love Ricochet. Great information from people who care. Thank you, Arizona Patriot.
Wow, Martha McSally. Went through United States Air Force Academy. Flew the A-10 Thunderbolt II ‘Warthog’ close air support aircraft over Iraq and Kuwait.
But also… went to Harvard University and John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Do her Right and Left brains get along at all?
I think I’d rather go with one of the solid Conservatives for McCain’s Senate seat. She sounds like another Murkowski.
I agree that if I were Gov. Ducey, I’d pick one of the others with a more conservative record.
As a Representative, though, I’m pretty happy with McSally. She represents Arizona’s 2nd District, which is a swing district. It was essentially the seat previously held by Democrat Gabby Giffords (who was tragically wounded in a 2011 assassination attempt in Tucson), though the district was called the 8th at the time. Democrat Ron Barber (who was Giffords’ district director) won the seat by less than a point over McSally in 2012., In 2014, McSally beat Barber in a real squeaker (less than 0.1%). McSally held her seat comfortably in 2016 by over 14 points, even though the district went for Clinton over Trump (50-45).
You can’t expect to elect someone like Ted Cruz from this type of district.
Yeah, that makes sense, and I agree. That’s how I feel about the entire northeast US; any time a ‘R’ wins, even a RINO, it’s cause for celebration.
She appears to be doing a fine job, so far. I just don’t want her causing trouble in the Senate, that’s all.