Sen. John McCain, posing as someone above the fray as Tea Party conservatives and establishment Republicans do battle with each other, had the brazen gall to say that he has learned to “never get personal” in political disputes. He claimed he had evolved since he was criticized for calling the Tea Party Republicans from the Senate Conference “wacko birds.”
McCain was speaking at the Hero Summit, which was hosted by the Daily Beast, noted for its left-wing slant, so it’s no wonder he channeled himself into someone above petty politics. He added that conservatives who were trying to replace incumbent GOP establishment figures were “wrong.” McCain said, “I do worry about the Republican Party. It’s the first time I have ever seen Republican senators running ads, raising money that is being used to attack incumbent Republican senators.”
He used as an example efforts by conservatives to unseat Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas. McCain asked, “Where has Pat Roberts offended anybody?”
Roberts has been criticized by members of the Tea Party for voting to raise the federal debt limit and also voting to confirm former Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius as health and human services secretary.