Senator John McCain
(official portrait)
Dear Senator McCain,
I’d like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude for your time spent in military service. You showed remarkable courage under extreme duress, enduring torture by the enemy while refusing an early release, or any special treatment. As a result, you’ve suffered from permanent physical disabilities after six years in captivity. I have enjoyed a lifetime as a free citizen in the greatest nation on the face of the earth, because of brave warriors like you. Thank you for your service, sir. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
Secondly we, the people, recently learned the very serious news about your cancer diagnosis, and I wanted to convey my sympathy to you. Twenty years ago my father died from that exact same disease, a glioblastoma tumor in his brain, so I am well aware of the challenge you face. It was shortly after his retirement that my father began acting uncharacteristically confused and disoriented. He also complained of a constant headache. An MRI confirmed that he had a large brain tumor, a glioblastoma. The neurologist diagnosed him on a Tuesday, and he had surgery the following Monday, but never regained consciousness. About two weeks later, his life support was disconnected. I’m glad your surgery was more successful than his, and I wish you the best as you continue to recover.
While I’m fairly confident that a sitting U.S. Senator such as yourself has access to the very best healthcare in the world (probably much better care than a retired serviceman living in Savannah, Georgia would ever get), I do not blame my father’s surgical team for his death. Clearly the tumor killed him, not the operation to remove it. The doctors did their very best, I’m quite sure. It just wasn’t good enough, though I’m not sure any other doctor on earth would have done much better. It was a long time ago, and medical progress in the United States has advanced at an incredible pace during my lifetime.
And we will all die, sooner or later. It’s never been a question of “if”, but “when.” Though my own death should not occur anytime soon, (at least, not as far as I know) I’ve still prepared for that possibility by creating a living will. I’ve even gone as far as planning for my own funeral. When my demise becomes imminent, it won’t matter whether it comes as a surprise or not.
I also don’t blame Big Medicine or Big Government for my father’s death. Dad died years before Barack Obama was elected President and the Affordable Healthcare Act was passed. I would like to say a few words about your vote in opposition to repeal of the ACA, which I will describe from this point forward as “Obamacare.”
Frankly, to describe my feelings as bitter disappointment would be putting it mildly. I’ve read your excuse for voting against repeal, and Senator, I’m very disturbed. You seem to think it’s more important that you redistribute wealth than keeping your primary campaign promise. Only last year you won a difficult campaign for reelection by promising the voters of Arizona that you would repeal Obamacare if given the chance. You just broke that solemn vow with an excuse that is truly pathetic. It is not the responsibility of Congress to provide healthcare insurance to every American.
Obamacare is an abomination of a law that has been doomed to fail from Day One, and the Democrat politicians who crafted the legislation never expected it to work as promised, with lower premiums and better options where you could keep your existing doctors if you liked them. Obamacare was designed with the goal of creating a path to single payer healthcare — in other words, socialized medicine. With a gleeful thumbs-down, you killed the bill.
Senator McCain, does your word mean nothing? How can the American people ever trust you again, if you won’t keep your most important campaign promises?
Your excuse for voting no is that the bill doesn’t offer a replacement for Obamacare, but your first obligation is to repeal the existing law. You promised you would. If the law gets repealed, Democrats will have no choice except to negotiate earnestly in bipartisan fashion, trying to insert the bits and pieces of Obamacare into new healthcare reform legislation, or during the next election cycle they will have to explain to voters why they obstructed reform and wouldn’t cooperate to draft a law that will actually help alleviate the obscenely high cost of healthcare services.
My concerns about Obamacare can be summed up using only two words: Charlie Gard. That poor child in the U.K. died today, after his parents were refused the opportunity to seek treatment here in the U.S. that may have given him a chance. But soulless bureaucrats embedded in a single-payer system wouldn’t let Charlie’s parents take him home. We can never know if that new treatment would have helped, but we can be absolutely certain that refusing to allow the treatment doomed the poor child for sure. His parents had healthcare coverage, but it offered them no choice, and no hope.
Single payer healthcare is also where our healthcare system is headed, unless obstructionists like you will vote for repeal of Obamacare. The most galling aspect of the current law is that you and your fellow members of Congress have exempted yourselves. You don’t have to suffer the consequences of your own vote. And you don’t have to worry like my friend in Georgia, who wrote:
(For a while) I could not get health insurance and when I did, it didn’t help me pay for anything. There is also only one insurer in the market this year in Georgia that many doctors don’t accept, and it was announced this week that their premiums are going up 41% next year.
Another friend who lives in Florida said that she can’t find a doctor who accepts her insurance with an office within a 100 mile radius of her house, and only one insurance provider offers a plan in her state under Obamacare.
What good is insurance coverage, if no doctors within a reasonable distance from home will accept it? My friend is an entrepreneur currently getting zero benefit from her policy, but she has no choice but keep it because Obamacare has practically destroyed the free market, and she needs insurance in the event of a major medical issue. For every friend of mine who previously couldn’t get coverage because of some preexisting condition, a half dozen or more have been adversely affected.
President Obama didn’t keep his promises of lower premiums and better choices to the American people when he shilled for support for this insidious new law, and you have broken your promise to the American people as well, by voting no on its repeal. I have always thought of you as being a man of principle and integrity, making your vote on this crucial issue particularly disappointing.
We are NOT a Socialist country, Senator McCain. The Constitution does not give everyone a right to free healthcare. Nor does it give the government the right to force its citizens to buy a product that isn’t very good.
Our nation thrives on free-market capitalism. I would hope that you realize that millions of Americans are suffering financial hardship trying to pay for expensive, lousy insurance coverage. Obamacare WILL ultimately fail, just as President Trump has predicted. Many people have lost significant income due to Obamacare. Companies have cut back on the maximum number of hours an employee may work per week to avoid being penalized by this horrible law. A law that you promised to repeal, until you decided to change your mind.
I hate to suggest this, sir, but I have to wonder if you have put politics and your personal feelings before your patriotic duty — do you really hate President Trump so much that you would hurt the entire country just to spite him? I’d like to believe you’re a bigger man than that, Senator McCain, because it would be both childish and churlish to put politics before principle at such a critical time for our country. But I’m trying to make sense of your vote contradicting your campaign promise, and at a loss for a logical explanation. Where is your better idea, since you didn’t like this particular repeal law?
We the American people are sick and tired of our politicians lying to us.
Please, either keep your word, or resign immediately.
Sincerely,
A Thoroughly Disgusted American Citizen
McCain is a nasty old war horse that only thinks of his party and not the people. He doesn’t have to worry about HIS health care as he and the other parasites in congress have the best coverage of any. It’s time for him and the other OLD codgers to resign and fade away. Give younger men with clear minds take one the mess they have created.Obama was the biggest mistake this cointry has ever made and we all suffer for it. Give Trump as chance.
John thanks for putting this in words that so many can’t. I know vets that were told they had to wait for their cancer treatment. He on the other is receiving his care through Obamacare in a policy that only Congressman and Representatives have access to. Put everyone on the same level we don’t have a separate ruling class in this country. This is more like Communism not what we have fought and died for.
Thank you Mr. Leonard for having the courage to speak what many Americans are thinking in a very respectful but firm manner. I too respect Senator McCains service and POW status as I am a daughter of one who was himself a POW during WW2. I also am a registered nurse and I understand the potential gravity of your recent diagnosis. That also makes me uniquely aware of the ” potential gravity” for thousands of Americans who currently suffer under Obamacare or have no insurance at all. To vote against opening this bill for debate to allow ALL of the Senate to have opportunity to solve this problem is beyond my understanding . It leaves me with two questions.
1) You, sir, do not care about the American people en mass and what they may be suffering OR
2) Perhaps your diagnosis has affected your ability to think and reason properly.
In either case, I wish you God speed both in your decision and in your medical crisis.
I totally agree with this letter! The only thing I can add is if we the people have this type insurance, then so should the Congress! Remind everyone we will be voting again!
I totally disagree with the part of this letter that talks about “Obamacare”. This bill that the Republicans tried to foist upon us with no discussion or debate, and no care for millions of Americans would have been a disaster. I especially object to the huge tax cuts it wold have given to millionaires and billionaires on the back of the disabled, the sick and the least among us. Sen. McCain again showed his bravery by voting against this detestable bill. Thank you, Sen. McCain!
Mccain needs to retire and enjoy his family on a beach somewhete.
If that had been a regular citizen on Obamcare that was in the 80 age bracket with brain tumor, they would have given him a pill and told to go home.
Congress and staff should not be allowed a Cadillac taxpayer funded plan; put every one on the same plan. If this were done, Senate would come up with a plan before the day was out.
I totally agree with this letter but my guess is that John McCain couldn’t care less about how so many Americans are struggling to pay for health care. He’s lived off the tax payers all his life and lived a golden life never having to worry about money. Americans know of your wife’s inherited wealth, which I don’t have a problem with because if you’ve never had it you don’t miss it. At least that’s the way I feel. I’m not one of those suffering but I know personally those who can’t afford the insurance and those that struggle to pay for it and can’t afford the high deductibles. I’m fed up with you and your band of “mavericks “as you’ve been dubbed. You probably won’t live to see this but I’m betting on the liberals to suffer more defeat in the next election. Another thing I want to say is that I am not a “crazy” like you referred to us during the presidential campaign because we supported Trump. There are many like myself who are fed up with the way DC is run by legislators who are getting wealthy off the taxpayers.
Thank you for writing this. It is so much better than I could but says what needs said.
Do you hate the poor working stiff who cannot afford to pay over $1200 per month for insurance? Not everyone can get a high paying job or have an employer who pays part of the premium.
John McCain will be remembered & history will record when Americans needed him, he did not care at all! No matter where we spend eternity; that is a personal choice; but his legacy will record the Benedict Arnold he truly is!
I couldn’t agree more!
Well written letter and to which I wholeheartedly agree! He should resign immediately and take with
Him Murkowski, and Collins, and some others
Excellent letter to Senator McCain. I can only hope that he will read it and do something about it. I am so tired of all of these Senators who have had almost 8 years to come up with a better plan and have sat around twiddling their thumbs and come up with nothing but obstructionism!
Thank you again Mr. Leonard. Very well written!
I totally agree with you! Traitor is the best word for one who breaks promises and votes out of personal revenge. He is not a patriot and unfortunately in a position to hurt us all.
I am not an expert on health care, nor am I a politician, but one thing I am is a citizen of these United States, a father and grandfather who has persevered through this life, but now faced with alligators in the swamp. The only way I see getting rid of Obamacare is for the Republicans to stand together. You have elegantly voiced an opinion that I can agree with. Thank you for defending us, the people in our quest to have a government by and for the people. Democrats do not deserve to be included in this effort. They purposely sabotage legislation so that the government is run by and for the Gators of the Swamp. Siding with them is the same as siding with the Russians, who are likely behind their effort. Senator McCain wants it to be like it used to be in his youth. Washington will not return to that for a long time to come. The Democrats have caused this by excluding the Republicans in Obamacare determination.
Well written. Thank you for taking the time to write this letter. I am completely with you on this and am also very disappointed in the direction we are headed for health care.
This letter is right on, written very well. I hope one day that the congress gets it right. Senator McCain should go home and enjoy his life. And not be bothered with this mess.
Carolyn, Carolyn, Carolyn!…
JimLoy
Agree with the comments listed above. People expect what was promised.
My son is 39 years old with a astrocytoma brain tumor. I am praying that research finds something that can attack this awful thing. I pray that you can recover soon.
McCain was a war hero and is a Senate hero. The bill voted down was not a solution or an improvement and party declared it was to just keep looking for the answer.
The truth of what he said is that both parties need to work together make health care work for all.
Mr. Leonard, Thank you for your perfectly written letter to Mr. McCain. I pray he reads the letter and hopefully begin to understand that the American people are sick of the career politicians. Mr. McCain is a RINO and his theatrical thumbs down was a slap in the face of every American who ever respected or believed him to be “for the people”. These career politicians better start paying attention because the American people are catching onto their antics and the good ole days of spending our hard earned tax dollars to fund government give aways is ending. The American people are a very generous and compassionate group. Evidenced by how we all, rich or poor, rally to our neighbors aide when ever there is a need. We do not need our hard earned and saved money going to fund those perfectly capable of working but choose not to. This is not the American way!
he had privelages has a prisoner of war his fellow prisoners did not he denounced americas actions while incarcerated . he was no hero. he was an oportunist and still is to this day he could care less about americans only his family and himself. retire now.
Ditto, great letter. I respect your service but your time is done. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and step down. If not I will work with my fellow Republicans to have you recalled. You are no longer fit to serve and have forgotten you were suppose to be our voice!
McCain’s comment after he voted said everything, he said “Let’s see if Trump can make American great now!”. He was not attempting to help you and I as Americans in need of decent health care, his vote was to spite Donald J. Trump for winning the Presidency.
Amen John Leonard!
Put McPain out to pasture! Like many, he is a waste. Forget about his exaggerated war record, this is today, and he has failed. You supporters remember that he has been in office while the socialized medicine bill was developed (?). He is a small man and petty.
I agree with you Mr. Leonard. Your letter is so well written that I don’t think I could have written it any better. Senator McCain needs to go and go quietly.
Your words and respect are highly over rated for this man. As a POW I have heard from service men that he was a traitor. There is no doubt in my mind had his family not been so prominent he would not be here today.
I do thank every military man and woman who served even McCain. I however am appalled by his lack of concern for military in his home state. The pathetic situation with VET Hospitals here in Phoenix is inexcusable. After all he could do many things to improve the situation and see that the military are not dying because of lack of care of unprovided for facilities. I wish he had to get his care from the VA hospital downtown Phoenix, and only the staff there. Perhaps he would wake up and realize the almighty dollar he seems to worship and the thievery in the government are not for the people of the USA. Let me correct that for the USA citizens.
It is said that his wife’s family has more money than God. Well, with that said, and looking at the pitifully negligent way the Senator has betrayed not only the service men and woman of our USA COUNTRY but the allowance of the horror show that although some what improved still is pathetic and instead of giving President Trump a chance to rectify the hell going on for the last 8 years, he opted to vote against his own part. I can not put any trust in this kind of behavior in any one who is so blatantly for greed and f you see Kay the people.
We all have to pay our dues Senator, sooner or later. In your case,in my opinion sooner would be better than later.
Your letter is important in that it addresses the good and the bad for John M.
The real issue is potentially John M. and his ego, where he can not separate the two. The “thumbs down” floor display, in Washington DC, was his ego.
John M. is a rhino that needs to go, if he refuses to listen to the voters.
Great letter and I hope all politicians pay attention too because We The People are fed up with the privileged, rich, self serving actions of those senators that are failing us by not keeping their election promises while enjoying all their cushy perks and benefits. Your actions are not hid from us and our memories or focused on you and the next election. Make no mistake we are watching. While sympathizing for you on your present health, I fail to understand your childish behavior over the POTUS, especially while praising the performance of the joke we had in the White House for eight years that helped every politician get rich while making the voters poorer. We are presently watching all that goes on including all republicans and democrats actions. You along with your fellow politicians apparently need to be reminded you were elected and work for We The People. We demand it.
Thank you for stating the feelings of many many Americans. We are very disgusted with most politicians, their lying and only there for their own power and satisfaction. Especially the Republicans that WILL NOT support the party and people they are suppose to be representing. Trump is President because he was voted on and put there by the people of the Republican Party. Where are our voices in Washington??? Sick of them. Wish they would grow up also and stop acting like a bunch of spoiled kids. Disgraceful. !!
I would say that the republicans attempted to prop up Obama shitty care not repeal it. I would have voted no as well allowing Obama shitty care to fail on its own. Blue cross already asking for an increase. 25%. Sickening. I say tell blue cross to go to hell.
You need to turn this into a petition to get rid of him. I am sure you could get a lot of signatures!
Well said on every point! 🙏’S for Mc Cain’s cancer battle
🙏’S for America & the total replacement of Obamacare!
So this traitor is “taunting” President Trump to make America Great Again. Well, President Trump needs to immediately void the Executive Order that Obama gave Congress in exempting them and their staffs from Obamacare, thus forcing all Senators and Members of the House of Representatives and their staffs to using Obamacare.
Anne Ridgers:There is one glaring error in your post, McCain”only thinks of his party” could not be farther from the truth, Senator McCain campaigned and was elected as a Republican. On many issues, including healthcare, Sen. McCain votes as he did on this occasion with the Democrats. With all due respect for his prior service to country, he should resign or at least change parties. As a voter for more than 65 years and a retired member of the military I wholeheartedly agree with this letter.
HERO ….The Real HERO’S were the POW’S who were incarcerated BEFORE You arrived. Viet Nam was a Political War and you used it as a stepping stone for Your Political Career. As a Senator You enjoy the best that the American People has to offer, Power, Money, Travel, the best Insurance Americans can buy You and Retirement. But as Powerful as You are and Wealthy as Your Wife may be, several things you will never be able to escape, Shame, Sickness, and Natural Death. Why not do the Honorable, resign and enjoy the rest of Your life.
Thank you so much for this amazing letter. As many have said it certainly sums up the scenario with McCain. I saw this on FB but felt compelled to learn about you.
We all appreciate this very much….Sure hope the man received this and read it.
What good is this letter if McCain never receives it! If he never reads it how will he know how this person feels? How will he know how we the people feel if he never sees these comments? There should be a way of getting a letter to him personally or any other politician for that matter..politicians are so out of touch with grass roots America that it’s pathetic..their position has gone to their heads and they are about what they want..I personally don’t know of even one politician that I would trust any further than I could throw them..these are just my feelings having seen the mess they have made of America..
It is will past time for McCain to retire and go away. He has been doing the GOP great harm for many years. Worthless, angry RINO.
I am so glad that someone is saying the truth about what happened in the Senate with that vote.
It clearly shows the Senators that ran on repeal and replace were lying.
It is so sad to see the direction my country is going. Single payer healthcare would be a disaster.
I agree it is time for John McCain to resign.
How disgraceful to reach the end of your career and not tell the truth to your fellow citizens.
I stand in complete support of this letter! My husban and I were goingbto be charged 1000.00 dollars a monte combined for the two of us for health insurance with a ten thousand dollar a year deductable. Who the hell can afford that. Not me and my husband. We do not have health care insurance because we pay our own bills. My husband had cancer surgery last year and we are making monthly payments to the hospital for 50.00 dollars a month. No deductable, no insane monthly premiums. Just a reasonable monthly payment. Yes it will take years to pay it back, but guess what?? Thats called life. Thats called paying our bills ourself. And you know what else?? When you dont have health insurance they automatically discount your total bill 80%. I can handle the remaining 20% myself. So this proves that health insurance is not the problem in this country, its the seriously inflated charges the hospitals and doctors jack up those bills when you do have insurance. Theres your culprit, theres your problem right there. And people need to learn to pay their own bills. Not pass that responsibility onto a government health care plan that is rejected by most hospitals and doctors so they are worthless. No one will force me to have health insurance when I can pay my bills myself. And one more thing…. you can be sure that when people are held responsible for their own medical bills, they wont be rushing off the the hospital for a bandaid every time they cut their finger or have a runny nose. They will have to learn how to take better care of themselves so they wont have that hospital bill. Yes illinesses and accidents do happen, but in the end the responsibility of paying that doctor bill falls so,ely on the patient and is not the responsibility of the US Government, or you will end up likecthat dying boy who their governmentbsaid nonto his treatment because they esentiakly controll those people’s lives and life and death decisions, not you. Im nit forsale and zi never will be.
Is there any way your letter could be published in a national newspaper like maybe the Washington Post? I can almost assure you and everybody else that anything that’s said negatively towards any politicians in a letter will never cross there desk. They don’t want to hear what we, as AMERICANS have to say. They’re getting their paycheck and all those benefits we provide them with and that’s all that matters. Oh I forgot and their gonna do everything in their power to see to it that PRESIDENT TRUMP doesn’t put a stop to their gravy train they’ve got going on for themselves. Thanks for writing the letter but you were more generous towards Mr. McCain that you should have been he is nothing but a slithering SNAKE, WASHINGTON is full of them. The DEVIL is sitting back rejoicing in his SUCESS.
All Has Been Said. John McCain And M.ost Of Congress Base Their Votes First On What Benefits Them, And Their Distain For Our President Trump….Not For The American People. For The People And By The People…Is Not Their Mantra. It’s Time For A Shakeup, And A Cleaning Out Of Those Overstayed And Overpaid Congress. Votes Do Count People. Corruption And Power Go Hand In Hand. Term Limits Should Be In Effect. The Only Way Is Through Our Constitution.GWe Have Hope In Unity…🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I just hope this letter reaches his hands and he reads it to the end!!!! If they feel the insurance we have now if good for us then THEY ALL should have it, no exceptions WHATSOEVER!!!!
I’m curious to know if you received a response.
I agree with the substance of your letter.
Perhaps Senator McCain needs a reality check – the people did not support him as a candidate for President, which included many in the party he claims to support and now, sadly, he is doing all he can to undermine the man the people elected. Perhaps he should come forth and name himself as one of the party he now supports – the Democrats.
What a sd and misinformed article. McCain had it easy while in confinement because his father was an Admiral. The others were tortured but not McCain. Then he used his capture as a springboard to be elected and has used his “service” ever since. At best he is a turd.
Karen Spurrier: you are sooooo confused! McCain’s vote of NO! Was his vote against REPEAL. He is FOR keeping Obamacare.
Puhlease, understand and get your understanding in order. For Heaven’s sake, girl!
A modern society does need a universal healthcare system. As I’ve explained here:
https://politics.stackexchange.com/a/18653/4235
the problem in the US today is that the US has missed the boat to implement its own version of such a system back in the 1970s or earlier, when it was relatively easy to set up such a system. The healthcare industry has grown enormously since that time, in the US on the basis of a commercial system. Reforming this system today cannot be easily done, the fact that healthcare is about twice as expensive in the US than in most other developed countries (countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Britain etc. ) doesn’t mean that you can just switch to one of these other systems overnight and recoup the costs.
Most of the costs are hardwired into the system, many of the costs are wages of personnel that in the reformed system would no longer be employed in healthcare. E.g. many hospitals in the US employ people with hotel managing skills, as US hospitals are also built to cater for very rich patients who will stay in luxury rooms. The way the patients end up paying for the cost is not in one to one correspondence with the costs of the treatments. Commercial enterprises don’t work in this way, the costs of services are going to be determined according to what’s going to be optimal for the company.
In practice, this means that the very high costs for the luxury services for the rich are going to be partially paid by other patients. This is why an echocardiogram in Japan costs less than $100, while in New Jersey it costs more than $5000:
http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/170626092913-0626-echocardiogram-by-the-numbers-updated-exlarge-169.jpg
Of course, there will be differences, but a 50 fold difference is obviously not due to only differences in local wages and the real costs of treatments. What is going on is what I mentioned above; this is just the optimal outcome of a free market system that besides providing healthcare services is also providing luxury services for the rich and the bill for that is going to be paid for by everyone, just like eating in an expensive restaurant is going to be more expensive, even if you order a simple meal.