McCain Continues To Deny Abandonment Rumors
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McLEAN, VA -- Almost six years after the rumors first surfaced, and despite repeated and firm denials, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is still batting down rumors that he toyed with the idea of abandoning the Republicans in 2001. After George W. Bush was inaugurated as the forty-third President, McCain, who had lost a hard-fought primary race to Bush, allegedly approached Democratic leaders about leaving his party. According to Bob Cusack, writing for The Hill, just months before Jim Jeffords (I-VT) left the Republican Party in 2001, throwing control of the Senate into Democratic hands, McCain's chief political strategist, John Weaver, floated the idea to ex-Rep. Tom Downey.
Both Downey and former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) claimed in interviews with The Hill that after Weaver approached Downey with the idea, discussions with McCain went on for almost two months. At the time in early 2001, the Democrats were actively courting Republicans to cross to the other side of the aisle, and had reached out specifically to Jeffords and then-Senator Lincoln Chaffe of Rhode Island. According to Downey, he and Weaver were having lunch together during that time when Weaver inquired as to why the Democrats had not similarly approached McCain. "You're really wondering?" Downey is reported to have asked. “The calls will be made. Who do you want?”
Or so the story goes.
Weaver denies Downey's version of events, and claims that the discussion they had that day has been mischaracterized: “We certainly didn’t discuss in any detail about the senator’s political plans and any discussion about party-switchers, generically, would have been limited to the idle gossip which was all around the city about the [Democrats’] aggressive approach about getting any GOP senator to switch in order to gain the majority. Nothing more or less than that.”
Downey, now a DC lobbyist, said that he immediately took the idea to party leaders who claim that they had detailed and specific discussions with the Arizona lawmaker about abandoning the Republican Party. According to The Hill report:
Daschle said that throughout April and May of 2001, he and McCain “had meetings and conversations on the floor and in his office, I think in mine as well, about how we would do it, what the conditions would be. We talked about committees and his seniority … [A lot of issues] were on the table.”
Senator McCain flatly denies that any such discussions ever took place, nor that he ever considered leaving the Republicans. “As I said in 2001, I never considered leaving the Republican Party, period” reads a statement released by the McCain campaign. In early June of 2001, there much speculation swirling in the Washington press corps about McCain ditching the Republicans. That speculation prompted McCain to release a statement in June 2001 that said, in part, "as I have said repeatedly, I have no intention ... of running for president, nor do I have any intention of or cause to leave the Republican Party. I hope this will put an end to further speculation on this subject."
Tom Daschle's 2003 book recounting his time in the 107th Congress noted attempts to lure McCain, Jeffords and Chafee from the Republican ranks, but it makes no mention of the Weaver-Downey lunch. Nor does he claim that McCain approached the Democrats.
Former McCain chief of staff, Mark Salter, strongly denies that any consideration was ever given by McCain to leaving the Republican party: “Never at any time. Never.”
Indeed, on at least three occasions in 2001, and once in 2002, McCain forcefully denied that he ever flirted with abandoning the Republican Party.
(1) Nancy Ives, John McCain's Spokeswoman: "Senator McCain has said
repeatedly he has no intention of leaving the Republican Party ... And
Senator McCain doesn't comment on private conversations he may or may
not have had with other Senators." (Mark Preston and John Bresnahan,
"Jeffords Shakes Up The Senate," Roll Call, 5/24/01).
(2) "I have not instructed nor encouraged any of my advisors to
begin planning for a presidential run in 2004. I have not discussed
running for president again with anyone. As I have said repeatedly, I
have no intention of running for president, nor do I have any intention
of or cause to leave the Republican Party. I hope this will put an end
to further speculation on this subject." (Sen. John McCain, "Statement
By Senator John McCain," Press Release, 6/2/01).
(3) John McCain: "I have no intention of leaving the Republican Party, nor
have I ever displayed any intention" (David R. Guarino, "McCain Tells
Hub Faithful He'll Remain Republican," The Boston Herald, 6/19/01).
(4) The Washington Post's David Broder: "I asked Salter what McCain thought
of suggestions he switch parties to run for president. 'He just
laughed,' Salter said. A good man's sensible response to a laughable
notion." (David Broder, Op-Ed, "McCain Switch? Please," The Washington
Post, 5/12/02).
Despite the repeated denials of flirting with his political enemies however, the rumor persists and has resurfaced once again as McCain seeks his party's bid for the Presidential nomination for the second time. When asked about the timing of the the latest revelations, Downey responded “It’s a mystery to me. And in fact, the last time Weaver and I had dinner together [on April 26, 2006], we laughed about this … It’s never been written about, never got in the paper.” For his part, Weaver attributes the rumors to the workings of "partisan Democrats."
Regardless of who is actually promoting the rumors, the right side of the blogosphere is less than impressed. Three prominent conservative blogs, Captains' Quarters, Power Line, and Hotline, all found the story wanting, Redstate deemed it a "blow to the gut" but not likely to cause McCain serious trouble, and the American Spectator was not moved to comment on the story at all.
Both Downey and former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) claimed in interviews with The Hill that after Weaver approached Downey with the idea, discussions with McCain went on for almost two months. At the time in early 2001, the Democrats were actively courting Republicans to cross to the other side of the aisle, and had reached out specifically to Jeffords and then-Senator Lincoln Chaffe of Rhode Island. According to Downey, he and Weaver were having lunch together during that time when Weaver inquired as to why the Democrats had not similarly approached McCain. "You're really wondering?" Downey is reported to have asked. “The calls will be made. Who do you want?”
Or so the story goes.
Weaver denies Downey's version of events, and claims that the discussion they had that day has been mischaracterized: “We certainly didn’t discuss in any detail about the senator’s political plans and any discussion about party-switchers, generically, would have been limited to the idle gossip which was all around the city about the [Democrats’] aggressive approach about getting any GOP senator to switch in order to gain the majority. Nothing more or less than that.”
Downey, now a DC lobbyist, said that he immediately took the idea to party leaders who claim that they had detailed and specific discussions with the Arizona lawmaker about abandoning the Republican Party. According to The Hill report:
Daschle said that throughout April and May of 2001, he and McCain “had meetings and conversations on the floor and in his office, I think in mine as well, about how we would do it, what the conditions would be. We talked about committees and his seniority … [A lot of issues] were on the table.”
Senator McCain flatly denies that any such discussions ever took place, nor that he ever considered leaving the Republicans. “As I said in 2001, I never considered leaving the Republican Party, period” reads a statement released by the McCain campaign. In early June of 2001, there much speculation swirling in the Washington press corps about McCain ditching the Republicans. That speculation prompted McCain to release a statement in June 2001 that said, in part, "as I have said repeatedly, I have no intention ... of running for president, nor do I have any intention of or cause to leave the Republican Party. I hope this will put an end to further speculation on this subject."
Tom Daschle's 2003 book recounting his time in the 107th Congress noted attempts to lure McCain, Jeffords and Chafee from the Republican ranks, but it makes no mention of the Weaver-Downey lunch. Nor does he claim that McCain approached the Democrats.
Former McCain chief of staff, Mark Salter, strongly denies that any consideration was ever given by McCain to leaving the Republican party: “Never at any time. Never.”
Indeed, on at least three occasions in 2001, and once in 2002, McCain forcefully denied that he ever flirted with abandoning the Republican Party.
(1) Nancy Ives, John McCain's Spokeswoman: "Senator McCain has said
repeatedly he has no intention of leaving the Republican Party ... And
Senator McCain doesn't comment on private conversations he may or may
not have had with other Senators." (Mark Preston and John Bresnahan,
"Jeffords Shakes Up The Senate," Roll Call, 5/24/01).
(2) "I have not instructed nor encouraged any of my advisors to
begin planning for a presidential run in 2004. I have not discussed
running for president again with anyone. As I have said repeatedly, I
have no intention of running for president, nor do I have any intention
of or cause to leave the Republican Party. I hope this will put an end
to further speculation on this subject." (Sen. John McCain, "Statement
By Senator John McCain," Press Release, 6/2/01).
(3) John McCain: "I have no intention of leaving the Republican Party, nor
have I ever displayed any intention" (David R. Guarino, "McCain Tells
Hub Faithful He'll Remain Republican," The Boston Herald, 6/19/01).
(4) The Washington Post's David Broder: "I asked Salter what McCain thought
of suggestions he switch parties to run for president. 'He just
laughed,' Salter said. A good man's sensible response to a laughable
notion." (David Broder, Op-Ed, "McCain Switch? Please," The Washington
Post, 5/12/02).
Despite the repeated denials of flirting with his political enemies however, the rumor persists and has resurfaced once again as McCain seeks his party's bid for the Presidential nomination for the second time. When asked about the timing of the the latest revelations, Downey responded “It’s a mystery to me. And in fact, the last time Weaver and I had dinner together [on April 26, 2006], we laughed about this … It’s never been written about, never got in the paper.” For his part, Weaver attributes the rumors to the workings of "partisan Democrats."
Regardless of who is actually promoting the rumors, the right side of the blogosphere is less than impressed. Three prominent conservative blogs, Captains' Quarters, Power Line, and Hotline, all found the story wanting, Redstate deemed it a "blow to the gut" but not likely to cause McCain serious trouble, and the American Spectator was not moved to comment on the story at all.
