Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks on Capitol Hill on Feb. 9, 2016.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., plans to skip the Republican National Convention in July, he told Capitol Hill reporters<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Tuesday.
A tough fight to defend<span style="color: Red;">*</span>his seat<span style="color: Red;">*</span>will keep<span style="color: Red;">*</span>him home, McCain said. McCain faces several Republican primary challengers, and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>is also seeking to unseat him.
"I have to campaign for re-election, and I have always done that when I'm up,"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>he told<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The Hill. "We have a late primary in Arizona" on Aug. 30.
But McCain hasn't missed a convention in more than 30 years, according to CNN. He has been a featured speaker going back to at least 1984.
McCain isn't the only senator with doubts about attending what could be a chaotic and divisive national convention.
Donald Trump hasn't yet won enough delegates to secure the nomination outright,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and Sen. Ted Cruz is<span style="color: Red;">*</span>battling the real-estate mogul<span style="color: Red;">*</span>for presidential delegates<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to support the Texas senator in a convention fight.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>If<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Trump loses at the convention, he has predicted his supporters will riot.
The prospect of such a scene<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Richard Burr of North Carolina<span style="color: Red;">*</span>considering skipping the event, CNN said. Some corporate sponsors are also debating whether to scale back involvement.
National Democrats seized on the decision by McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, to bash the GOP<span style="color: Red;">*</span>field as an embarrassment to its former standard-bearers.
"For those of you keeping score at home —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the last GOP nominee (Mitt Romney) is actively campaigning against his party’s frontrunner, the previous GOP nominee (McCain) is so nervous he won't even<span style="color: Red;">*</span>attend the convention, and the nominee before him (George W. Bush) probably won’t be invited to speak, lest he remind voters what happened the last time a Republican was in the White House,"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Democratic National Committee spokesman<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Mark Paustenbach said in a written statement. "What a disaster for the GOP."
McCain said it's "a concern"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that the Republican presidential nominee could hurt the chances of the party's U.S. Senate and House candidates.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>But he will support the party’s nominee, he said.
Kirkpatrick's campaign said she is giving McCain "the toughest re-election fight of his career" and criticized him for pledging to support the GOP nominee after criticizing both Trump and Cruz.
"All McCain really did today was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>reiterate<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that he would still support a 'dangerous'<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Donald Trump or 'wacko bird'<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Ted Cruz for president,"<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kirkpatrick campaign spokesman<span style="color: Red;">*</span>D.B. Mitchell said. "Arizona voters see right through McCain now after 33 years in Washington, and hiding from the convention for the first time in three decades won't change that."
McCain campaign spokeswoman Lorna Romero responded:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"John McCain will be working and campaigning throughout Arizona during the convention.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>He has always taken every election seriously. This year is no different."
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