The word “rebuke” means censure — an expression of severe disapproval or criticism.
In the United States, censure is the public reprimanding of a public official for inappropriate conduct. Although censure does not carry with it any particular legal consequences since it does not rise to the level of disciplinary procedures such as fine, suspension, or expulsion, censuring or rebuking a public official nevertheless is a serious matter because it reflects on that individual’s reputation.
Matthew Boyle reports for Breitbart.com that on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, by a 24-13 vote, the Legislative District 26 Republican Party in Arizona passed a resolution to formally rebuke Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for abdicating GOP principles in helping Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) secure votes to approve several of Obama’s controversial nominees.
The resolution states that “Senator John McCain unilaterally negotiated with the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to secure Republican votes necessary to pass a number of controversial Presidential nominees,” including:
- “Gina McCarthy for head of the Environmental Protection Agency, an environmental bureaucrat who supports anti-job/consumer policies”;
- “Richard Corday to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFRB), an unaccountable, unconstitutional agency created by the Dodd-Frank legislation”;
- and “Thomas Perez as Labor Secretary who has a known record for abusing power as Maryland’s Labor Secretary, handing political appointments to Big-Labor bedfellows.”
The resolution states that McCain “provided the votes necessary for the confirmation of the above nominees,” and his “’deal’ was nothing more than capitulation to the Senate Majority Leader, giving him everything he asked for. Senator McCain claims in defense of his actions, that they were taken to prevent the Senate Majority Leader from ‘going nuclear’ and illegally breaking the Senate rules to pass these nominees.” But McCain’s activity contradicted GOP principles and “the position of Legislative District 26 Republicans is that senators should call the Senate Majority Leader’s bluff and force him to get the votes necessary from members of his own party.”
The resolution says that given those facts, McCain must “cease deal-making and negotiations for Republican votes that undermine the Senate Republican Leader.”
The resolution also argues that because of McCain’s work to help Reid and Obama secure confirmation of those liberal nominees, “the conduct of Senator McCain, is unbecoming a Member of the United States Senate, weakened the Senate Republican Leader, and is hereby strongly rebuked and condemned.”
In an email to Breitbart News, Matt Papke, the third vice chair of Legislative District 26 Republican Party and a candidate for Tempe City Council, calls McCain “the poster child for term limits.” Papke writes that McCain’s “back room dealings, insatiable war drum, and eroding base call to question why this man is our Senator. It is my hope that Senators McCain and [Jeff] Flake work to reestablish their relationships with the boots on the ground members of Legislative District 26 Republicans.”
This latest rebuke comes on the heels of the Maricopa County GOP blistering McCain in recent web literature, and his increased distance from Republicans in the state, including the House GOP delegation.
Way to go, Arizona GOP! Ten thumbs up!
~Eowyn