Whatever Happened To 'Country First'? [View All]

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_03/022992.php

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO 'COUNTRY FIRST'?.... The morning after a historic Democratic victory on health care reform, several media outlets asked the question tens of people nationwide wanted the answer to: what does John McCain think about the legislation he doesn't understand and had nothing to do with?

For his part, the Arizona Republican said he and his GOP colleagues will no longer want to work constructively with Senate Democrats.

Democrats shouldn't expect much cooperation from Republicans the rest of this year, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) warned Monday. <...>

"There will be no cooperation for the rest of the year," McCain said during an interview Monday on an Arizona radio affiliate. "They have poisoned the well in what they've done and how they've done it."

This is just sad. To hear McCain tell it, Democrats hurt Republicans' feelings, so Republicans don't want to do any more work.

I'm not quite sure how this would be any different from how McCain has been conducting himself all along. Despite repeated attempts at outreach from Democrats, the confused Arizona senator has refused to cooperate on any issue. Now we're going to see McCain fold his arms, pout, and refuse to play nice? Sounds like more of the same.

But it's this notion that Dems "poisoned the well" that's especially foolish. Democrats ran on a platform of reforming the health care system, got elected, and then went about fulfilling their campaign promises. They tried to work with the GOP, which deliberately chose to ignore the outreach. Left with no alternative, Dems proceeded on their own, and achieved a breakthrough success.

For that, McCain believes Dems should be punished ... with more obstructionism.

McCain's sense of duty and responsibility -- I seem to recall a "country first" slogan being used not long ago -- has become a punch-line. If he's decided not to do any work for the rest of the year, why doesn't McCain just forgo his paycheck and stop showing up for work?

—Steve Benen 12:30 PM