John McCain Censured by Maricopa County GOP

The Maricopa County Republican Committee voted to censure Senator John McCain.

In other words, with a 1,150-351 vote, the county GOP passed a resolution that says it doesn't like McCain anymore.

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Republican committees in Apache County and Mohave County have passed similar resolutions since the beginning of the new year, but it's a bit stronger coming from Maricopa County, where 62 percent of the state's registered Republicans live.

According to a statement released by county GOP chairman A.J. LaFaro, the resolution "is reflective of the growing dissatisfaction and discontent with McCain's performance among grassroots Republicans in Maricopa County, Arizona, and the U.S."

Here's what the resolution says:

Senator John McCain Censured by Arizona's Republican Leadership
As leaders in the Republican Party, we are obligated to fully support our Party, platform, and its candidates. Only in times of great crisis or betrayal is it necessary to publicly censure our leaders. Today, we are faced with both. For too long we have waited, hoping Senator McCain would return to our Party's values on his own. That has not happened. So with sadness and humility we rise and declare:

• Whereas Senator McCain has amassed a long and terrible record of drafting, co-sponsoring, and voting for legislation best associated with liberal Democrats, such as Amnesty, funding for ObamaCare, the debt ceiling, liberal nominees, assaults on the Constitution and 2nd amendment; and
• Whereas this record has been disastrous and harmful to Arizona and the United States; and
• Whereas Senator McCain has campaigned as a conservative and made promises during his re-election campaigns, such as the needed and welcomed promise to secure our borders and finish the border fence, only to quickly flip-flop on those promises; and
• Whereas McCain has abandoned our values and has been eerily silent against Liberals, yet publicly reprimands Conservatives in his own Party, therefore
• BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the Maricopa County Republican Committee censures Senator McCain for his continued disservice to our State and Nation, and
• BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that until he consistently champions our Party's Platform, we, the Republican leadership in Arizona will no longer support, campaign for or endorse John McCain as our U.S. Senator.

McCain's last re-election, in 2010, came with hardly any competition. He defeated former Congressman J.D. Hayworth by more than 24 percentage points, then won the general election over Democrat Rodney Glassman by about the same margin.

Since his first election to the Senate in 1986, no candidate has ever come within 20 points of McCain in a primary or general election. If he decides to run again, he's not due for reelection until 2016.

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